friends and dreams

  

  

It's been a while! I'm back to share 4 cards featuring 2 new stamp sets: Beautiful Friends and Blossom Dreams. We've got a little hop over on the STAMPlorations blog with Nancy and Tanja sharing beautiful projects featuring these sets as well. A $20 gift code is up for grabs and one lucky commenter will win it. Commenting closes this Saturday, March 2.

  

This is a quick clean and simple card -- I stamped just the cacti repeatedly along the bottom of my card base, colored it with alcohol markers, stamped the sentiment, and finished with matte enamels.

In my second card, I stamped the dog roses all over the card base in Rusty Hinge DOx ink, sprayed a little water to make the ink bleed a bit, and after it dried, sponged more Rusty Hinge DOx and Antique Linen DOx then stamped the grungy script. I stamped the sentiment and then finished the card with matte enamels.

For my third card, I once again stamped I stamped the dog roses all over the card base. This wouldn't be a quick card if I colored the background so I resorted to my favorite way to color large images: using a few grunge/ink splatter stamps (from this set and this set) and stamping them all over. I rather like the artsy look it gives. Next, I die-cut one of the smaller pierced curly frames, stamped the sentiment, and adhered it to the card base with foam tape.

For  my last card, I white embossed the hibiscus and used Inktense pencils to watercolor the image. I added purple and blue splatters then stamped the sentiment. I think this is my favorite from the lot :o)

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

hope anchors

Here's to remind you that there's still a week left in the current challenge at Time Out Challenges. It's a Home Sweet Home challenge based on the photo above.

Do you see the subtle heart shape in my one layer card? I sure hope you do! ;o)

On cold-press watercolor paper, I heat embossed the plumeria spray then placed the heart stencil over it before watercoloring that area with Inktense pencils. Then placing the heart mask over the watercolored area, I watercolored the rest of the spray with various shades of pink/magenta inks (Spun Sugar DOx, Rosee Izink dye ink, and Inktense pencil) and those provided a subtle contrast against the loose heart shape. With the mask still on, I stamped the text for faux texture. I watercolored the background with yellow and brown Inktense pencils. I finished the card by stamping the sentiment.

I had a completely different idea in my head when I started on this card but it sort of took on a life of its own when I was in the middle of watercoloring the flowers -- and I have to say I was pretty pleased with the end result.

Check out the cards that the TO team made here and then come play! The winner (voted by the design team) will receive a $25 coupon code (gift voucher) to spend on the STAMPlorations store. And if you visit my first TO post here and answer a simple question by February 9, you get a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the store.

Linking up my card in these fab challenges:

• Craft Stamper February Take It Make It Challenge - Anything Goes
• Inkspirational #179 - Sweet Things (I was inspired by the heart-shaped cookies and soft pink color of the cake)
  
  
• Happy Little Stampers February Watercolour Challenge - Anything goes (I skipped the optional twist)
  

  

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

who travels with you

Here's to remind you that there's still a week left in the current challenge at Time Out Challenges. This time around, it's an Inspired by Words challenge.

So I focused in on the phrase, "the friends you roll with" and found an appropriate sentiment in my stash. I created a collage out of the Framed Love Always digital stamp (available for free here), lightening it so it printed out gray. Adhered it to my card base before stamping the sentiment and adding some splash of color with some grungy ink splatter stamps (from this, this, and this). Finished the card with a subtle grunge border.

Playing in these fab challenges:

• Papercraft Challenges #29 - Bright Colours
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

love always

Hey! I'm not quite back to crafting just yet (still catching up on the business side of running a stamp company after the holidays) but I did manage to make this card using one of my illustrations that I turned into a digital stamp and am offering as a free download. (This digi will eventually be available as a clear stamp.) It's for the Hey, Love Blog Hop and Linky Party we're hosting over at the STAMPlorations blog.

The STAMPlorations girls and I are sharing love-themed projects and we'd love for you to join in by linking up yours! There are over $150 worth of prizes up for grabs + you can download 3 new love/spring themed digital stamps and use them in projects.

For my card, I used the Framed Love Always digital stamp. Printed it on mixed media paper and used Inktense pencils to color. Let it dry, cut it out, and mounted it on my card base and it's done. Pretty quick and easy :o)

I hope you'll join us and create your own love-themed projects -- all types of projects are welcome, as long as they follow the theme: LOVE. (Non-STAMPlorations products are okay as well, but if you do use our products, you get a shot at the bigger prizes.)

Commenting and linking up ends on February 8 so plenty of time to hop and create projects.

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

live what you love

Here's to remind you that there's still a week left in the current challenge at Time Out Challenges. This time around, the challenge is to be LOVING.

It's good to create something again after several weeks of not crafting! I thought I'd do a test drive on one of the new ARTplorations stencils that will be in the store by next week. I used Gorgeous, one of several stencils in my Faces series to create my one layer card. Stenciled her right in the middle of my card base and her left side gave me enough room to stamp the doodled flowers in bright, bold colors. Stamped the sentiment (from the new It's A Girl Thing: Sunshine set) and then finished off with a grungy border for some faux texture.

Playing in these fab challenges:

• Craft Stamper Take It Make Challenge - January Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations #382 - Anything Goes
• Always Fun #92 - One layer
• Dream Valley Challenge #193 - Anything goes

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