Less Is More #392

I have a card for Less Is More and their "Shine a Light" theme.  The first thing I thought of was my light bulb stamp but when I saw several others already in the gallery I went another way.

The PB lamp post stamp was put in my MISTI and colored with Distress Markers, spritzed with water and then re-stamped until I was satisfied with the look.  A little Distress Ink was added to make the candle shine.  A sentiment from WPlus9 made a lovely Christmas card.

Thanks for dropping by.

Inspired By All the Little Things #84

I happened to have a panel of colored photo paper that was in all the colors of the inspiration photo at Inspired By All the Little Things.  Don't ask me what I used because I don't remember.  It's really too light for alcohol inks so it could be smooshed DOXs.  Whatever it was it worked for this card.

I white heat embossed the Altenew cupcakes from behind so the paper wouldn't bubble.  Then I colored the cake and wrappers with Distress Markers.  I was hoping they would cover better but only the brown and blue one at the top did.  The card needed something more so I stamped W&W Confetti on the front before stamping the sentiment and popping up the cupcakes.

I'm so glad you dropped by.  Enjoy your day.

Less Is More #358

The sun is shining.  Oh happy day!  Even though there is quite a bit of snow on the ground and the temperature is hovering in the teens, it seems much better when the sun shines. 

Speaking of shining,  the one layer challenge at Less Is More this week is candles or something depicting light.

I used an MFT stencil with Squeezed Lemonade DI behind my PB lamp post that I colored with Distress Markers directly onto the stamp.  The platinum embossed sentiment is from Neat and Tangled.

Thanks for dropping by today.  You also added a little sunshine to my life.

Addicted to Stamps and More #243

It's time for another holiday card at Addicted to Stamps and More.  Most of us choose Christmas for our holiday so we have plenty of cards to mail when the season comes.  Here's mine.

The PB stamp was colored with markers, spritzed with water and stamped on watercolor paper so I could move the color around and restamp for more color if needed.  The sentiment is also from PB.

Will you choose Christmas for your holiday card?  No matter what holiday you choose we can't wait to see your card in the gallery.  Be sure to check out what the Design Team has done if you need inspiration.

 

Addicted to Stamps and More #237

It's 'Make Your Mark' week at Addicted to Stamps and More.  I just reread the rules for this challenge and it says you can use just about anything to make your card.  If you have questions, check the tab at the top of the blog for the rules of each of the challenges.

I was inspired to buy this stamp and make this card by Jill Foster from Penny Black.  You can see her YouTube video here.  I placed the stamp in my MISTI and colored the individual sections  of the stamp with Distress Markers.  After each color I misted the stamp and then moved some of the color around with a brush.  I kept coloring and stamping until I liked the result.  I should have stopped there but went on to paint the background and that didn't quite go as I would have liked but I pressed on and splattered with Black Soot and white acrylic paint.

The Linky is now open so can we count on you to enter a card?  You can find inspiration from the Design Team on the Addicted to Stamps and More blog.

Merry Monday #242

I'm back from vacation and having a hard time getting back into card making.  I stamped a lot of images and took my Zigs with me thinking I would have time to do some coloring but instead of spending time at the river, we spent it with my brother and sister-in-law and kept busy the entire time.  We had a lot of fun and I ended up with 5 antique quilts in the bargain.  Internet was sketchy so I only had time to comment for my Design Teams.  I'm trying to catch up on the over 500 emails but I won't be commenting on them all.  Rest assured I am looking at your wonderful creations and oohing and aahing, just not taking the time to write anything.

I did have time today to make a card for Merry Monday - use branches or twigs.  What better stamp to use that this one from PB.

I used a 3 x 7 format, cutting the watercolor paper slightly smaller and roughing up its edge.  Distress Markers were colored onto the stamp and then spritzed and repeated until I was satisfied with how it looked.  The white berries and the snow on the pine cone are acrylic paint as are some of the splatters added to the ones using Distress Ink.  The PB sentiment is embossed in Liquid Platinum and there is a little of it on the cone.  I was having trouble with the paint turning brown so I tried to emboss over it. Not the best idea but it's okay.

Maybe I'll get a chance to make a few more cards or color some of the stamping while I catch up on my TV shows on demand.  We didn't watch TV (except for March Madness) so my favorites are waiting for me.

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you are all doing well.

Just Us Girls #387 - Word Week

It's Word Week at Just Us Girls and Nancy has chosen Sea.

I recently had to make a seaside card for another challenge that I filled with shells but went an entirely different way with this one using the same stamp set from MFT called Sea Life.

I used Distress Oxide for the background adding some misting and a bubble stamp dipped in water. The fish and seaweed were colored with Distress Ink markers directly on the stamp and then misted.  Again the "what sentiment do I use?" cropped up until I saw this one on the MFT Polynesian Paradise set and thought it was rather cute.

The Design Team has some wonderful sea inspired cards for you to see. Check them out and then make a card of your own.  You may be our next Chic of the Week.

Merry Monday #238

I've been trying to play at Merry Monday every week so I have most of my Christmas cards by the end of the year.  I missed last week but I have one for this week's challenge - decorated lightpost with bling.

The lightpost is a stamp from PB that I inked with Distress Markers, misted and stamped over and over with a variety of colors using my MISTI. Once it was dry I watercolored the background with Faded Jeans DI.  The pine bough is from PTI and the bow from Sugar Pea smooshed in DI and Perfect Pearls.  For the bling I added three red stones to the center of the bow.  The frame is made from a couple of SSS stitched rectangles.

Thanks for dropping by.  I love it when you do.

Addicted to Stamps and More #231

It's Anything Goes week at Addicted to Stamps and More.  Here's is what I made for your inspiration.

I used my NBUS Hello Sunshine set from Altenew to stamp all over the card and color with Distress Markers and a waterbrush.  I also used a NBUS birthday stamp set from Darkroom Door to stamp and emboss the sentiment on linen vellum.

We usually get lots of entries for this challenge.  Will you make a card? You might want to first check out what the rest of the Design Team has for your inspiration here. We'd love to see you in the gallery.

Papertrey Ink: Past, Present and Future

Papertrey Ink is running a challenge, or series of challenges, to show past releases and new cards made with them.  We are encouraged to use any of these stamps we have to create a card and post for the year of it's release. I have three cards for you today.

First up is 2007.

The leaves are from their Beautiful Blooms.  I inked them with two colors of Distress Markers and spritzed them with water before stamping.  The sentiment is also from PTI.

In 2008 they released the hexagon coverplate.

I have to admit I didn't use this much because lining up the stamps on the little hexies was too frustrating.  MISTI to the rescue.  I stamped all the hexies on the card base with Paptertrey inks except the blue, using the outline as a guide for stamp placement.  It worked beautifully!!!  The PS die was layered three times so it didn't get lost in all the pattern.  I thought a quilt said 'get well' and I love that the lines of the font were about the same thickness as the coverplate.

In 2010 they released the Wreath for All Seasons and it's one of my favorites.  I usually use it for Christmas but I went with an Autumn theme this time.

For this card I used Altenew ink, layering the branches, leaves and berries on a PPP die cut.  The sentiment is a NBUS one from A Jillian Vance Design and the card base is embossed with a woodgrain folder.

This was fun taking a look back and seeing new ways to use some old stamps.  Maybe you should try it.

It was sprinkling here today but that's not what I thought of when I saw Sprinkle as the cue word at CASology.  I thought of a sentiment I had from Penny Black and used it to inspire my card.

Those smiley faces are from an old Peachy Keen set that has been gathering dust since I 'hung up' my Cricut.  I added the Sugar Pea confetti colored with Distress Markers and a little Spectrum Noir shimmer.  All this on a wonky stitched panel I made while visiting Michele.

The weekend's winding down and I still have a lot to do.  I'm sure glad I'm retired. Actually I'm just tired.  lol
Have a great week all.

Freshly Made #209

Here I go again, getting literal with a challenge inspiration.  This time it's the sketch for Freshly Made Sketches.

Trim the Tree from MFT found it's way to my house so I just had to use it for this challenge.

I added some sparkle embossing powder to the star and Distress Marker dots to the tree, which is popped up on foam.  Some colorful presents with silver bows and a sentiment from HLS was all I needed to finish it up.

Thanks for dropping by.  I love it when you do.

Time Out #42, The Challenge #47 and Curtain Call

I'm so glad I got a steal of a deal on the SSS pumpkins.  There are a number of challenges now, and I'm sure some coming up, that are asking for pumpkins.

The photo inspiration at Time Out.

The photo inspiration at The Challenge

and the photo inspiration at Curtain Call.  I just saw this one and although my pumpkins are a little different in color, they're still pretty.

The papers are from a variety of paper packs.   I made my own black and orange pumpkins by coloring black and white paper with a Distress Marker.  The sentiment from PTI is embossed on a strip of black cut with a MFT banner.  It looked a little plain when I was laying out my design so I white embossed the background with the MFT burlap stamp.

I can see I will get a LOT of use from those dies.

Thanks for dropping by.  Be sure to leave a comment so I know you were here.

Addicted to Stamps and More #151

Here I am with my first card as a member of the Design Team for Addicted to Stamps and More. How exciting is this?!   Our sponsor this week is Stamplorations and I've used some of their stamps on my card.

ETA: I just realized that my scheduled post didn't happen.  You saw my card at ATSM but couldn't connect to my blog.  Kind of a bummer for my first assignment. 

I stamped the trees with Distress Inks, made the hill using a SSS stencil, and colored the trunks with a Distress Marker.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.

Now it's time for you to check out what the rest of the Design Team has done to inspire you to enter our "Anything Goes" challenge.

Addicted to Stamps #147

This what you call making a card on the fly.  I've been away and when I checked the new challenge at Addicted to Stamps, I had 20 hours to come up with an idea, make a card and post it. The theme is "Make Your Mark" and what better way to do that than with markers.

I used Distress Markers on a stamp by Sheena Douglass, spritzed it lightly and made my mark.  I mounted the panel onto some Harvest Gold and then with foam onto a top fold card base.  The sentiment from Penny Black is embossed in white on a scrap of the same gold.  I keep looking at this thinking it needs more.  I just can't get used to a really CAS card. ;)

Thanks for stopping by.  Your visits and comments are always appreciated.

Less is More #222

The challenge at Less is More this week is to use colors on the opposite side of the color wheel.  I chose yellow and purple and while my card may not be "clean" it was fairly simple.

I watercolored my background with Mustard Seed Distress Ink.  After it dried, I stamped the wildflowers from Technique Tuesday using Distress Markers in Dusty Concord and Brushed Corduroy.  Whilst I was trimming down my panel, I accidentally cut off part of the border *grrr*  so I had to resort to plan B - mat the panel with purple and put it on a white card.

Thanks for stopping by.  Your visits and comments are truly appreciated.

CAS(E) This Sketch #119 and Showcase Your Style #13

I wanted to make a couple of thank you cards for the radiation therapists and the PEL drivers who have been so kind and respectful while my Mom went through her treatments for skin cancer.  I thought the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch would be the perfect starting point.

After looking through my nature stamps, I decided on one from Penny Black.  I know it's Spring but the stamp just called out for a Fall treatment.

Some Distress Markers and a little spritz of water and I was done.  Well, except for the sentiment and the layering of the panel.  As easy as that sounds, I think I tried 3 times to get the right amount of water to make the leaves look good.

How about "seconds" as Michele from I Card Everyone would say?  Actually this is the first but I liked the other one better for the challenge.

I've always loved it when I see doodles on a card, so I tried my hand at it.  I used a dark brown pen and then stamped the sentiment in SSS Sparrow.

I just checked and Showcase Your Style has the theme of Thank You this week.  I'm going to send my card over there, too.

Thanks for stopping by.