Watercolor Background

I've continued to work on my watercolor backgrounds and I'm liking my results more and more.  It's true what they say about practice!  I liked the results I got with my Peerless watercolors best but I found that I was using a lot of the pigment to make a pretty background.  So for this card, I tried using some reinkers and I was really happy with how it came out.  The colors are so bright...it makes you feel happier just looking at them!  I used a border die from Memorybox in white at the bottom of the card.  I couldn't find it on their website, but I found another one called Martingale border that would be just as pretty.  You can find it here.  Here is my card...

The Sending is a die from Simon Says Stamp.  It comes in a set with a Wishing die.  There are coordinating stamp sets too with lots of great words that go with the sending and the wishing!  The words I used are from the Wishing set.  Here is a close up that shows how the fun foam gives dimension to the delicate die. 

Sequins and a washi tape border strip finish things off!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Janet 

Everything Old is New Again

I hate to admit it, but in my stamp room, I have a big box of project bags containing half finished projects. I made the original card and had great plans to make some extras for my stash but then life got in the way so I stored all of the materials in a bag until I could get back to it...and never did!  (Please tell me I'm not alone in this!) One of my stamping resolutions this year is to finish these projects or toss them.  The card below is one of those projects.  I used to LOVE embossing with brass stencils and a light box!  Since the creation of embossing folders and the Big Shot, I haven't done much with my brass stencils but this card made me miss them and want to play with them again!

I've heard that brass stencils can be embossed with a Big Shot but I'm not sure of the sandwich order.  I'm going to do a search to see if I can find it.  That would be so much quicker than using a light box and a stylus!  Here's a close up of the flower bouquet.

All of the supplies were from Lasting Impressions.  I couldn't find the papers or the stencil that I used here, but there were lots of really pretty new ones!

Thanks for visiting,

Janet

 

More Watercolor for Card Makers - Intermediate Techniques

I had some time to watch another lesson from this wonderful class and give it a try and I really enjoyed it!  In Lesson 2, Dawn taught us how to embrace the water and its unpredictability!  I used Peerless Watercolors and Canson Aquarelle watercolor paper for this one. Here is my version of the pear background that she taught in class...

As usual, one wasn't enough so I had to try some more.  I was thinking about Easter and Peeps and tried the technique using Peeps for my background design.  I tried using multiple colors but didn't like multi-colored peeps so I gave up and didn't go too crazy with color on this one. I used Koi Watercolors and Strathmore watercolor paper.  I used fun foam to pop up the letters.  They are from MFT and I thought the tiny holes in the letters wouldn't work with the fun foam, but they did and perfectly!  Here is the card...

Since I had everything out on my table and I had the time, I just kept playing and made another background with butterflies.  I drew the butterfly and I'm not really too happy with it, but I do like how the water and the paints blended together for this one!  

Thanks for visiting, hope you stop by again soon :)
Janet

Stampin' Up Garden in Bloom

Last week I got to participate in a Project Day with my group of stamping friends!  Angela organized and a few of us did projects...it's my favorite kind of day!  We started off with lunch at Crispers and then moved on to making pretty things!  For my project I used the Garden in Bloom set by Stampin' Up.  I love the big flower in this set and had to have it.  I know it's a 2 step stampin' set, but I love to watercolor the big flower...easy and fun!!  The card I made was inspired by one I found on Pinterest that was made by Diane Dimich.  You can check out her blog here. I've been having a great time using fun foam to raise my die cuts up so her card really appealed to me...and I had to share how cool this technique is with my friends...right?!!  I didn't have the inks she used so I used Lovely Lilac, Strawberry Slush, Gable Green and Summer Sun. Here's my card...

Isn't it cool how the "hello" melts into the flower design but stands out?  I love it and it is a snap when you use fun foam to pop the sentiment up!  I used black fun foam for this card.  I have a few more examples of this technique that I will be posting in the next few days :)

Because it's difficult for more than 2 or 3 people to share ink pads for 2 step stamping at the same time, I had another little project for those who were waiting.  I used the same stamp set to make little gift enclosures and I let them try using Inktense pencils and Zig Clean Color Brush Markers to color them.  Both are relatively new to me and I'm really enjoying them.  I think it's the vibrant colors I can get from them that makes me like them so well.  The card on the left was done with Inktense Pencils and the one on the right with Zig Clean Color Brush Markers.

It's weird how the cards in the photo look like they are different sizes.  They are both the same...3 x 3. Here is a peek at the inside of the little card.  I added a black squiggle from the  Stampin Up Tin of Cards set.  I bought the set because of that little squiggle, and I use it all the time!!

 Angela, Mary and Tina provided projects, too, and they were all wonderful!  I am so lucky to have such a talented generous group of friends.  They make life good!  Here are their projects...

A beautiful floral by Angela.  The stamp is from Hero Arts...

A colorful birthday card by Mary...

And a calorie-free cupcake and candle by Tina...

The candle holder, candle and matches store in the little drawer underneath!!

I told you they were wonderful!!  I hope you enjoyed hearing about our day and seeing what we made!!  Thanks for stopping by!

Janet   

Mama Elephant Birthday

Mama Elephant's set called In My Heart is adorable!  The little children are so expressive, you can almost hear them talking when you look at them!!  I decided that they would be perfect to make some birthday cards.  I wanted to make the same card 5 times using different decorative papers and card stock.  You should have seen my table when I was matching papers and trying to find 5 combinations that I liked!!  Once I figured that out, I cleaned up the paper mess and I got to work.  I decided to paper piece the little girl's dress so she would match the rest of the card so I stamped and cut the dresses out first.  Next, I cut the tag out of watercolor paper using MFT's Tag Builder Blueprints 3 and watercolored the grass and sky using mini Distress Ink pads.  I flicked some water droplets over them to add some texture.  While those were drying, I stamped and colored the little girl (ME), the palm trees (MFT) and the tiny turtles (ME).  I'm sorry that I didn't take photos of all five of the cards, they were so different.  Here are two of them...

The solid color loopy border at the bottom of the cards was cut using a border die from My Favorite Things.  I just checked and it has been discontinued :(  I colored the palm trees using Inktense Pencils and the little girls with Copics.  I used a Sakura white Souffle pen for the collar and buttons on the dresses. 

Thanks for visiting.  I hope you come back again soon, I've done another lesson in the Watercolor for Card Makers - Intermediate Techniques class and I will be posting some of the cards I made from that!

Supplies Used:
Card Stock:  Assorted designer paper and card stock
Stamps:  Mama Elephant: In My Heart and MFT: Penguins in Paradise
Dies: MFT: Tag Builder Blueprints 3 & Penguin in Paradise Dies, Mama Elephant: In My Heart Dies
Miscellaneous: Distress Ink pads, Inktense Pencils, Copics