joy to the world

So I'm working on building a stash of Christmas cards for my MIL and here's one of cards I was able to make -- a simple one layer card with one of the traditional Christmas colors. I stamped the sentiment in the center and then stamped the beautiful layered poinsettias on opposite corners and then finished the card by stamping the borders. This card was quick and easy to make!

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Challenges:

• Creative Craft Cottage #113 - Christmas is Coming
• Daisy Chain Challenge #25 - Christmas/Winter
• Sweet Stampers #26 - Christmas
• Addicted to Stamps and More #318 - Holiday
• Allsorts #494 - Clean and Simple Christmas
• Just Add Ink #434 - Big Bold Sentiment

3 one layer rainbow cards

Happy Friday! I'm joining the girls in the Theme & Sketch team over at STAMPlorations for this month's rainbow challenge.

I went with both the theme and sketch and ended up creating 3 one layer cards :o) (Whoop, I seem to be on a roll this week!)

Linking up my card above to:

Crafting with an Attitude #45 - Always Anything Goes

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - October Technique (Masking)

Addicted to Stamps and More #316 - Anything Goes

Linking up my card above to:

Creative Knockouts #270 - Clean and Simple

Linking up my card above to:

613 Avenue Create #214 - Anything Goes

AAA Cards #127 - Kindness

I hope you'll play along this month. Create a project (any type...not just cards!) based on the theme, sketch, or both! You can link up to 6 projects. The challenge closes at end of the month. The winner (voted by the design team) will receive a $15 GC to the STAMPlorations store.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Products used:

An InLinkz Link-up

Paper craft project no. 444: Big Bloom Factory mixed media projects

  

This week over at STAMPlorations, we're releasing another set I designed: Big Bloom Factory. It coordinates with the ARTplorations Big Bloom Factory Large stencil. We've got a mini hop for it -- hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post, as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

To showcase this set, I created two projects: a mixed media frame and a monoprint one layer card.

Mixed media frame
Last week, I picked up this rather plain 8x8 Plaid wood frame at Walmart for $0.88. I applied gesso and then white Dylusions paint once the gesso was dry. I also painted the sides of the frame with black Dylusions paint and I wasn't really being careful when painting because I wanted to give the frame a distressed look on the front. Then on my Gelli plate, I brayered my three favorite colors: purple, orange, and yellow. I took 4 of the flowers in the set and stamped them onto the paint to get an impression. Then I simply placed the frame on the Gelli plate, pressed it down a bit, pulled, and taaa-daaa -- a grungy, distressed monoprint...no sanding or anything fancy required to achieve the look ;o) I thought the edges of the frame needed something so I randomly stamped some bricks (Mixed Media Grunge) in black archival ink. I painted the inner edges with yellow to give the frame some sort of border. I sealed the frame with a couple layers of gel matte medium, and I finished with a photo of my little Kathryn -- this one was taken during her first photo session back in September when she was 19 days old. Yes, she was already very alert and could hold up her head when she was barely 3 weeks old! :o)

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The world is a canvas monoprint one layer card

I didn't want to waste the paint that was left over on the Gelli plate after monoprinting on the photo frame so I decided to pull a few more prints (actually 3 prints). The print I used on this card is the second print I pulled and didn't really need much so I simply stamped the sentiment (Art Is...) and the card is done :o)

Check out what Susanne, Carol, Tanja, Irit, and Asmah created using the Big Bloom Factory set -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could win this set :o) And until June 15, Big Bloom Factory is 10% off.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Paper craft project no. 441: Trendy Birds 2 mixed media projects

  

This week over at STAMPlorations, we're releasing a set I designed called Trendy Birds 2. We've got a mini hop for it -- hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post, as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

To showcase this set, I created two non-card projects: an 8x10 mixed media artwork on gesso board and a mini canvas/magnet on thin balsa wood.

Be Free Canvas

I started by applying yellow Dylusions paint on an 8x10 gesso board. Penciled in the three rectangle blocks and painted each with green, orange, and blue/turquoise paints. Added the black borders using black Dylusions paint. I stamped the newsprint (Mixed Media Grunge) on the yellow background in brown archival ink and the borders (Artsy Border Maker) in black archival ink. Next, I stamped the sentiments on tissue paper and used gel matte medium to apply them onto the board. The birds I stamped on an old book page and then fussy cut before decoupaging onto the board with gel matte medium. I added some faux textures with ARTplorations stencils (Nestled Circles, Old Rose Prints, and Tribal Weave). I sealed the canvas with gel matte medium.

All Your Heart Mini Canvas/Magnet
To create this canvas/magnet, I applied gesso and then yellow Dylusions paint on a 5 1/2 by 2 1/2 thin balsa wood. Then I sponged dark yellow archival ink through an ARTplorations stencil (Bloom Factory). Next I stamped the grungy border (Mixed Media Elements) in black archival ink. I stamped the sentiment (Born to Roam) in sienna archival ink on tissue paper and used gel matte medium to apply it. I stamped the newsprint bird on an old book page, fussy cut it, and used gel medium to apply it. The flying birds I stamped directly onto the balsa wood. I sealed the mini canvas with gel matte medium. I trimmed a couple of adhesive business card size magnet sheets and stuck them to the back.

Check out what Susanne, Carol, Tanja, Irit, and Asmah created using the Trendy Birds 2 set -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could win this set :o) And until June 1, Trendy Birds 2 is 10% off.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Paper craft project no. 425: Art marks one layer cards

    

This week over at STAMPlorations, we're releasing another set I designed called Art Marks. We've got a mini hop for it -- hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post, as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

To showcase this set, I created 3 one layer cards:  

CARD #1: I stamped the grungy film strip several times in black ink, as well as the splatters and distressed stars in white pigment ink. On the bottom third of the card, I did second generation stamping of the different distressed words and stamped one word in red for a pop of color.

CARD #2: I used one of the splatter stamps and the smaller sketchy circle stamp to create the artsy abstract blooms in spring colors. 

CARD #3: I swiped a few HA ink on the card base, stamped the grungy newsprint (from Mixed Media Grunge) and then toned down the colors by swiping white pigment ink all over. Stamped the sentiment and birds (from Trendy Birds) in black and then stamped some more on the background.

Check out what Maria, Shirley, Susanne, and Toni created using the Art Marks set -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could win this set :o) And until March 2, Art Marks is 10% off.

Paper craft project no. 422: Coffee happy one layer cards

   

This week over at STAMPlorations, we're releasing a coffee-themed set I designed called Coffee Happy. We've got a mini hop for it -- hop on over the blog and leave a comment on the special stamp release post, as well as on the participating designers blogs for a chance to win this set.

To showcase this set, I created 3 one layer cards: 

CARD #1 is very CAS -- I simply stamped all the elements in black. The grungy border is from Art Marks, another new set I designed that we'll be releasing next week (with another hop, yeah!).

With CARD #2, I decided to go CAS again, but with a touch of grunge/mixed media. I framed the stack of cups and masked the frame and did some layer stamping. (Other stamps are from Floral Bliss and Mixed Media Elements).

That retro coffee pot was just begging to be stamped all over and that's what I did in CARD #3. I stamped it in a light color and then stamped the sentiment in coffee brown ink. I added some splatters (from Art Marks) as well.

Check out what Becca, LauraJane, Lisa, and Vicki created using the Coffee Happy set -- leave a comment here, on their blogs, and on the STAMPlorations blog by Friday and you could be the winner of this set :o)

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Paper craft project no. 384: Believe and Discover one layer cards

  

Popping by today to share two one layer cards I made featuring the ink bleeding technique, the same technique I used in this card here. (A little background on the technique: I was playing with my calligraphy pens last week as I sketched new stamp designs on my sketch book. I was prepping one of the drawings for a colorwash and when I ran my waterbrush over the sketched image, the ink bled. The next thing I know, I was testing it out on my stamps and card designs.) 

I used two of the 6 new sets in STAMPlorations' Bold Sentiments line. (If you want the chance to win one of the new sets, check out this post on the STAMPlorations blog.)

Card #1: Believe in your vision

To create this monochromatic card, I stamped the large narcissus in antique linen (Distress marker). Then I traced over the stamped image with a calligraphy pen and ran my waterbrush over the ink to create the inky, artsy look.

I'm linking up card #1 to these fun challenges:

• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Brown Sugar #158 - Anything Goes
• Addicted to Stamps and More #157 - Make Your Mark (I used a calligraphy pen on the stamped image)

Card #2: Discover possibilities

To create this card, I placed the ARTplorations Tribal Triangles stencil on my card base and loosely watercolored inside the triangles with Sakura Koi watercolors. After it dried, I traced the triangles with a calligraphy pen and then ran a wet brush over to let the ink bleed. I added a bit of faux texture on the card by stamping the grunge newsprint and sketchy borders.

I'm linking up card #2 to these fun challenges:

• Artistic Inspirations #137 - Anything goes with a twist of water (I used watercolors)
• Crafting from the Heart #72 - Anything Goes
• Craft Your Passion #274 - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Paper craft project no. 379: Floral Bliss one layer cards

  

  

Popping by to share a few one layer cards I created using the upcoming set, Floral Bliss (preview of the set is here)

CARD #1

For this CAS card, I brayered Delicata gold ink in the center, used Faber-Castell PITT Artist big brush pen to stamp the larkspur, and then stamped askew the grunge frame in Hero Arts raspberry jam mid-tone shadow ink.

Linking up card #1 to: Addicted to Stamps and More #154: CAS; CASology #156 - Line (thick gold line, lined drawing/stamp of the flower)

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CARD #2

For the second card, I did some a lot of masking. I first stamped the frame in Delicata gold ink, masked it then went to town with stamping the zinnia in gold ink all over the card base. I stamped it again inside the frame and colored with Chromatix alcohol marker. I finished it off with the sentiment.

Linking card #2 to: Simply Papercraft #9 - Anything Goes; Aud Sentiments #136 - Anything Goes + A Sentiment; Crafting with an Attitude #5 - Anything Goes

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CARD #3

For the third card, I was still in the mood to mask and I thought I'd do a reverse of the second card. So I stamped and masked the zinnia, dahlia, and cosmo. I colored them with various Chromatix alcohol markers and gave the background a little faux texture by stamping the grunge newsprint and dotty background (from Mixed Media Grunge) in coffee Ranger archival ink.

Linking up card #3: Crafting with Friends #2 - Anything Goes; Chocolate, Coffee & Cards #96 - Flower; Stempelsonne #146 - Anything Goes

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CARD #4

For the fourth card, I thought I'd get a little artsy. I must admit that the helenium is my favorite stamp in the bunch. I inked it up with Faber-Castell PITT Artist big brush pen and stamped, masking as I went along and then colored with Inktense pencils. I watercolored the background with both Inktense pencils and Japanese Sai watercolor markers, stamped a few grunge images (again from the Mixed Media Grunge set) in coffee Ranger archival ink, and then finished the card by stamping the sentiment in the center.

Linking up card #4 to: Fantasy Stampers #41 - Pretty Petals; Brown Sugar Challenge #156 - Anything Goes; Just Us Girls #303 - Photo Week (those orange chairs and green pots were what caught my attention); Sister Act Card Challenge #116 - Always Anything Goes; Southern Girls Challenge - Get Messy with Ink or Paint

Thanks a bunch for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)