Paper craft project no. 466: Faith Expressions

    

It's stamp release week at the STAMPlorations blog and we're putting the spotlight on 4 new stamp sets designed by Deepti, Becca, Shirley, and me. We are also celebrating with a blog hop and there will be some lucky crafters who'll win gift certificates and their choice of stamps from the new release. Yesterday, Deepti kicked off the hop in this post with her word art stamp set, Power of Words. Today it's my turn to share projects I made with my set, Faith Expressions. I made 2 cards and a mixed media art block in my Faith Art Blocks series.

Here's card #1: Nothing's impossible with God one layer card. I took a taupe card base and stamped the framed blooms in the center with HA pumpkin pie ink and masked it before sponging the same ink through the Bloom Boldly stencil. I doodled faux borders on two sides with a marker and then finished the card by stamping the sentiment in black.

Here's card #2: Step out in faith. I found leftovers from the Color Blooms page sampler I colored back in August (in this post) so I used the Stitched Snow Hills and Art Edges (new!) dies on it to create the curvy panel. I stamped the dogwood from Floral Bliss all over my light gray textured card base, leaving a little room for my sentiment. Pretty easy artsy card :o)

And last, here's my mixed media project: Faith Art Block #1 - Faith moves mountains. I took one of my 3x4 wood blocks in my stash that was already gesso-ed up. I took a page from the Color Blooms coloring book and decoupaged it with matte gel medium. I applied a coat of transparent gesso and then colored the area with Marabu mixed media art crayons, Caran d'Ache Fancolor pencils, and Derwent Inktense pencils. Then I muted the colors by applying a thin coat of white gesso. On tissue paper, I stamped the sentiments and the large daffodil, cut them out, and decoupaged. I painted the sides with orange Dylusions acrylic paint then gave the block some faux texture using stamps from Mixed Media Grunge and splattering with orange and black Inktense blocks then finished by sealing it with matte gel medium.

So there you have it. If you'd like to win Faith Expressions (or any of the new stampswe're featuring this week), leave a comment here and on the STAMPlorations blog. Leave comments on the designers posts all week and you'll have more chances of winning. Come back to the STAMPlorations blog tomorrow to see Becca's projects featuring her stamps!

Also, all 4 stamps from the new release are 10% off in the store and all orders of at least $12 get free worldwide shipping (code: OCTSTAMPWEEK)

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

Paper craft project no. 455: Bloom Happy stamps and dies

  

All week on the STAMPlorations blog, we're putting the spotlight on 4 new stamp sets designed by Shirley, Becca, Deepti, and me. Our stamp sets come with coordinating CUTplorations dies too! We're celebrating with a blog hop and there will be some lucky crafters who'll win their choice of stamps and dies and gift certificates. Yesterday, Shirley kicked off the hop in this post with her fun Birds of Paradise stamps and dies. Today it's my turn to share a couple of cards I made with my set, Bloom Happy, and coordinating Bloom Happy dies.

Here's card #1: Sending happy thoughts. I went very CAS with this one and was inspired to use some of the tags I die-cut using the luggage tags dies during my monoprinting session a couple of weeks ago. I simply stamped the framed helenium on the card base and then eyeballed it and stamped onto my tag. I stamped the sentiment and then adhered the tag with foam tape. Oh, I also lightly sponged spun sugar Distress ink through the Tribal Triangles stencil.

And this here is card #2: Flowers bloom where your feet touch the ground. I stamped the framed helenium three times and then die-cut those. I colored one with Zig Clean Color brush pens. I had a completely different idea for the background but I got distracted by the hubby. He was putting the finishing touches to the desk organizer he built for me and was asking me questions so my brain sort of went on auto-pilot and I started reaching for my supplies without thinking about what I was doing. I placed the Big Bloom Factory stencil on my card base and brayered different Distress inks over it. I rather liked the grungy, worn out look. I simply layered my die-cuts on the card base, stamped the sentiment, rounded the bottom corners, and the card is done.

So there you have it. If you'd like to win the Bloom Happy stamp set and dies (or any of the new stamps and dies we're featuring this week), leave a comment here and on the STAMPlorations blog. Leave comments on the designers posts all week and you'll have more chances of winning. Come back to the STAMPlorations blog tomorrow to see Becca's projects featuring her stamps!

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

Paper craft project no. 436: A trio of one layer cards featuring Trendy Feathers 2

It's stamp release week over at STAMPlorations! There are 4 fun stamps in this release and each day we are featuring one stamp set and cards made by each designer! I'm kicking off the blog hop with my set, Trendy Feathers 2. It will be Shirley's turn tomorrow with her super cool Groovy Shoes, and then Deepti will be back Wednesday with her Smile, followed by Becca and her Strong Women. The STAMPlorations girls in the Inspiration team will finish off the week with a mega-inspiration post where they'll share their projects featuring the new stamps. There are tons of prizes for those who hop along, with one lucky hopper winning the entire release.

Here are cards I created with my fun feathers set. I kept the cards one layer and used simple techniques such as embossing, sponging, masking, and stenciling.

(Other stamps used: Mixed Media Elements)

(Other products used: Artsy Border Maker, Strong Women, Perched Bird stencil)

Hope you liked the cards and are inspired by them! Tomorrow, the spotlight will be on Shirley and her Groovy Shoes set.  Leave a comment here and on the STAMP blog here for your chance to win either a gift certificate or the entire release.

If you'd rather skip the hopping, this set and the other three are available in the shop at 10% off each until May 6. Buy all 4 as a bundle and get it at 15% off. See them here. 

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

Paper craft project no. 410: A trio of one layer cards featuring Big Greetings

It's stamp release week over at STAMPlorations! There are 4 fun stamps in this release and each day we are featuring one stamp set and cards made by each designer! Last Monday, the spotlight was on Becca and her Reindeer Games set. Yesterday, it was Deepti's turn with her set, New Beginning. Today's my turn with a versatile sentiment set, Big Greetings.

Here are cards I created with this versatile sentiment set. I kept the cards one layer and used simple techniques such as stenciling, sponging, masking, coloring with markers, and collage stamping.

(Other stamps used: Blossom Like a Butterfly, Mixed Media Elements)

(Other stamps used: Narcissus - Large, Mixed Media Elements)

(Other products used: Trendy Butterflies with coordinating ARTplorations Shower of Flutters stencil)

Hope you liked the cards and are inspired by them! Tomorrow, the spotlight will be on Shirley and her Winged Things set. Then on Friday, the Inspiration girls will be sharing their cards in one big mega blog hop post! Leave a comment here and on the STAMP blog here for your chance to win this set.

If you'd rather skip the hopping, this set and the other three are available in the shop at 10% off each until January 22. Buy all 4 as a bundle and get it at 20% off. See them here. 

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

Paper craft project no. 392: Believe and shine one layer card

Hey, all. It's the third and last day of the STAMPlorations October stamp release blog hop and we are featuring FOLK FLOWERS, the really, really, really fun set that Shirley designed for her stamp line. If you like building flowers, this is the set! :o)

This is a card that took a few days to make because I was doing it in stages (re: when I managed to snatch 5 minutes here and there away from the little one). Lots of masking, coloring, and then doodling. I stamped the sentiment and then finished the card by drawing the border.

Check out what the rest of the STAMPlorations girls made! You'll find links to all our projects here. Comment on the projects and you could win one of several prizes.

Plus...we have a Flash Fall Flowers Linky Party! Link up a new project that has flowers in it and you could be one of the 3 winners of a stamp set from the October release! The linky is open until Sunday, October 25. For the details, click here.

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

Paper craft project no. 391: Bloom, hope, take flight one layer card

It's the second day of the STAMPlorations October stamp release blog hop and this time, we're showcasing the HOPE BLOOMS set I designed.

With a 7-week-old baby that demands 100% of my time, I have to be even faster with my crafting (when I do happen to have 10-15 minutes to spare -- and those spare minutes are very few and far in between) so I've had to stick to a minimal color palette, few supplies, and plain stamping. And this very orange-y one layer card is the result. Stamped the framed butterflies, loosely colored it with Japanese watercolor brush pens before masking it, stamped the background in a frenzy with stamps from the Mixed Media Elements set, and finally stamped the sentiments. Got the card done before the hubby finished feeding our little one, who always wants mommy right after :o)

Check out what the rest of the STAMPlorations girls made! You'll find links to all our projects here. Comment on the projects and you could win one of several prizes. 

Plus...we have a Flash Fall Flowers Linky Party! Link up a new project that has flowers in it and you could be one of the 3 winners of a stamp set from the October release! The linky is open until Sunday, October 25. For the details, click here.

Fun challenges:

• Addicted to Stamps and More #167 - Make Your Mark (I used brush pens for coloring)
• 613 Avenue Create #146 - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends #8 - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz #297 - Anything Goes

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

Paper craft project no. 390: Thanks one layer card

Today is yet another fun day at the STAMPlorations blog because we've got the October Stamp Release Blog Hop happening over the next 3 days! To kick things off, we're featuring FRIENDS AND FLOWERS, a delightful set designed by Deepti for her stamp line. 

My card features the watering can, which I stamped and colored loosely with my Japanese watercolor brush pens. I masked it and then did some collage stamping using stamps from the Mixed Media Grunge and Mixed Media Elements.

Check out what the rest of the STAMPlorations girls made! You'll find links to all our projects here. Comment on the projects and you could win one of several prizes. 

Plus...we have a Flash Fall Flowers Linky Party! Link up a new project that has flowers in it and you could be one of the 3 winners of a stamp set from the October release! The linky is open until Sunday, October 25. For the details, click here.

Fun challenges:

• Crafting from the Heart #82 - Anything Goes
• Craft Your Passion #284 - Anything Goes
• Stempelgarten #42 - Stamping

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

Paper craft project no. 382: One layer cards featuring Lotus Love!

   

Today's a super special day because there's a special stamp release + mini blog hop happening over at the STAMPlorations blog. Deepti, Cornelia, LauraJane, and I are sharing cards we made using a fabulous new set that Deepti designed: Lotus Love! If you hop along, you could be the lucky winner of the set :o) Comment on the STAMPlorations blog and designers' blogs by Friday, August 7.

I made 2 one layer cards:

Card #1

For this card, I used Canson watercolor paper as my card base. I created the frame by masking. I stamped the different images using a black Faber-Castell PITT artist brush pen and watercolored them with Sakura Koi watercolors. I kept the card pretty simple by sticking to just two colors and leaving out a sentiment (which I'll stamp later depending on the occasion).

*****

Card #2
I used watercolor paper again as a card base. First, I stamped the lotus image then masked off two sides before stamping the same image again. I used Sakura Koi watercolors and Inktense pencils to color the lotus. Removed the masking tape on the sides then stamped the grunge newsprint and brick (from Mixed Media Grunge) and the sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile!

Challenges:

Card #1: Always Something Creative #104 - CAS; Sisters of Craft - ATG

Card #2: OLS #19 - Strip Down; HLS August CAS Challenge - Masking