Make it Monday #153 - Watercoloured Backgrounds with Heat Embossed Sentiments

I love watercolouring, and was glad of the chance to practice! I would love to be able to watercolour better, and one of these days, I'll take a class... Dawn did a wonderful, clean and simple example of the watercolour process on this weeks MIM, but I have a hard time keeping my cards this clean, so I jazzed it up a bit. I used PTI's Year of Flowers: Violets for the flowers, and the sentiment (which was stamped in Versamark Black Onyx and embossed with clear powder) is from Bigger Blooms (or is it Mini Blooms??), also PTI. I used a variety of Ranger Distress Inks smooshed on my craft sheet, and a paintbrush to pick up the colour and fill in the stamps. I used watercolour paper, which was first dampened with a large brush, then just dropped on the colours of ink, letting it bleed and blend where it would. The panel was adhered to PTI's Plum cardstock. Thanks for looking!

I added Wink of Stella onto the flower petals, because if you've ever looked closely at African Violet petals, they do have a real shimmer to them. I added some Buttercup Liquid Pearls to the centers of the flowers.

And here is a close up, showing the shimmer of the flowers (hopefully--the light isn't good right now!)

Make it Monday #152 - Layering Dye and Pigment Inks

I just had to try this technique one more time, but this time with kraft paper as my background, and white pigment ink over top. I wanted a more masculine theme, so I used Turning a New Leaf to stamp the leaves over the background and I love how the background pattern showed up through the leaves! I then die cut some leaves from Meadow Greens and then added the sentiment. 

All materials are PTI, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Turning a New Leaf, Meadow Greens, Stylish Sentiments: Birthday, Diamond background (Hero Arts)

Inks: Simply Chartruese, Ripe Avocado, White Unicorn Pigment Ink,  Versamark

Paper: Ripe Avocado, Kraft, Rustic White

Other: White embossing powder

Feb. 2014 - PTI Blog Hop Challenge

                                    

I can't believe it's actually snowing here on the west coast! We've actually had a wonderful winter, and I've actually felt a little guilty while hearing all about the terrible winter most of Canada and the US have had! Well, I guess it's our turn, now. So Nichole's challenge to create something "spring-like" is a welcome one. 

So I made two Easter cards, for my granddaughters, using Polka Dot Parade. The first card is on clear card stock, and is therefore a little sturdier for her two-year old hands. I don't think the butterflies will last very long, though...

And this one is for my 8 yr. old granddaughter, also using "Polka Dot Parade #1", along with "Tag Sale #8" dies and Lavender Moon cardstock and design paper.

I used some of the Marvy "Snow Marker" on the bunnies' tails, which puffs up when you heat set it.

This card used "Doodlie-Do" stamp set. I've been enjoying colouring with these stamps, which are framed with the "Fabulous Frames" die. I used pastel, spring colours, such as Aqua Mist cardstock and Sweet Blush patterned paper.

Here is one last card, using my new stamp set from PTI, Feather Finery. The sentiment is from WMS Fancy Feathers. I watercoloured the feathers after embossing them with white powder, using Aqua Mist, Spring Rain, Blueberry and Lavender Lulu inks. I didn't have any sequins that matched so I used some Copics to colour some "Moonstone" sequins. The patterned paper is from a variety pack of PTI, but the name is no longer with the package.

Make it Monday #152: Layering Pigment Ink with Dye Inks

This week's Make it Monday was all about stamping with pigment ink first, then with dye ink. I used Fancy Flourishes and Fresh Snow pigment ink, waited for it to dry, then used Cutting Garden in a variety of darkish inks over top. I like the technique, although I think my stamping needs more practice... I spritzed each stamp with water, before I stamped it, trying for a softer, watercolour look.
All materials are PTI.

And here is a close up, showing the white, pigment ink underneath.

Inks used: Fresh Snow, Scarlet Jewel, Pure Poppy, Berry Sorbet, Summer Sunrise, Avocado

Versafine Black Onyx for the sentiment

PTI's Birthday Challenge: Special Delivery #2

PTI is having a challenge called "Special Delivery", where we are to design a card with a matching envelope. Although we were encouraged to go all out, and hand deliver it, I know I will be mailing mine, so kept the envelope fairly flat for easy mailing. I used Rosie Posie, and a Think Big Favourites stamps, and highlighted the flowers with Copics, both on the card and on the envelope. Half of the card had been dry embossed with the Cane Impression plate. All materials are PTI.

Thanks for looking!

PTI's Birthday Challenge: Special Delivery

PTI is having a challenge called "Special Delivery", where we are to design a card with a matching envelope. Although we were encouraged to go all out, and hand deliver it, I know I will be mailing mine, so kept the envelope fairly flat for easy mailing. I used Meadow Greens to make this more masculine card (plus Fancy Flourishes and the mini crackle stamp) and decorated the envelope with Meadow Greens, in Simply Chartruese and Avocado inks. All materials are PTI.

Thanks for looking!

Stamp Away With Me: Step it Up Challenge

Here is a card which I've layered the pieces from Quilt Cuts 2 dies, onto a dry embossed (Cuttlebug folder) background layer. I needed a Thank You card, and made this for a friend of mine, who is also a quilter.

The paper is from PTI, as are the sentiment stamps. Thanks for looking!

WPlus9 Birthday Celebration: Week 2

WPlus9's blog, "Stamp Away With Me", is celebrating their 4th birthday, found here. Their challenge is to add dimension to a card. I've used their stamp and dies "Woodland Wreath", popped up on dimensional tape, as well as a embossing folder for dimension and texture. I love these multi-layered stamps!

Thanks for looking!

PTI's Anniversary, Day 6 Challenge:Words

 I used Watercolour Wonder, and the Wonderful Words:Hello die to make this card, which should focus a "word", of some sort. I tried to keep this CAS, but just had to add a Doodlie-Do flower to it!

Thanks for looking!

Birthday Card for Papertrey (Selfie)

I actually had a much better (well, somewhat better...) photo of me and  my card, but I chose this one because of my "pal" sitting on the chair, behind me :) She often keeps me company while I am crafting!

Birthday Card for Papertrey

Happy 7th Birthday, Papertrey! May you live long, and prosper :)
Here is a card made with the Delightful Dahlias, and I've said more than once that I love these multi-layered stamps!

PTI's Anniversary Trading Card Challenge #2

Here is another 3x4 card that will go to my youngest grandaughter (or perhaps saved for a pocket scrapbook page!) I finally used my "First Place" stamp set! It was about time...
 These are fun to make!

Thanks for looking!

PTI's Anniversary Trading Card Challenge #1

This 3x4 card has been completed using Beautiful Butterflies (dies and sentiment) and Fancy Flourishes. It will go to my eldest granddaughter. I coloured the butterfly with Copics, and embellished with black enamel dots. I'm not if I'll send this as is, or attach it to a card front... Perhaps I'll save it for a pocket scrapbook, and it will be my first one!!

Thanks for looking!

PTI Anniversary 17 Minute Challenge!

For this challenge, we had to grab 7 items, and make a card within 17 minutes. I must admit, I do get a bit rattled with time challenges, but this is better than 10 minutes!!
The 7 things I grabbed (all PTI) are: 2 inks, (Ocean Tides and Chocolate), 3 different card stock colours (Vintage White, Ocean Tides and a Kraft card base), Twine, and Meadow Green stamps!

Thanks for looking!

Papertrey Ink- Who's Getting Featured?

Here are some of my cards, from 2010-2013, for the anniversary contest:
2010-Little Bitty Bird and Up, Up and Away

2011-Mehndi Medallion

2012 - Beautiful Butterflies and Peaceful Pinecones (you can tell I really like Peaceful Pinecones!)

2013 -  Wonderful Words: Birthday

PTI Anniversary-Day 2 (Free Printables)

PTI has offered some free downloads, and has challenged us to use them on a card. I realized that my printer might be a bit off, as other people's cards look more red. However, I went with the flow--the pink and maroon flow, that is--and made this card. I've gone over the hearts and word "love" with Wink of Stella glitter pen, then put glossy accents over the hearts, to give them some texture and dimension. I also colored some plain sequins with a Copic marker, so that they would match, as well.

Thanks for looking!

Papertrey products: Rustic white paper, cream twine and downloadable graphic.

PTI Anniversary Recipe Card challenge

Papertrey Ink is celebrating their 7th anniversary, and part of the festivities is to create a card using a sketch and a "colour recipe". I have added a couple of tones to the colours on the "recipe card" (I was trying to CASE Laura Bassen's beautiful colouring with Copics), but have followed the sketch fairly closely. All materials are PTI.

Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Doodlie-Do, Boutique Borders:Birthday, Mini-Blooms

Ink: Smokey Shadow, Hawaiian Shores

Other: Copics, Liquid Pearls, coordinating dies

WPlus9's Comfort Zone Challenge

WPlus9 turns 4, and they are having a "Comfort Zone Challenge", found here. My comfort zone is to make a card that has flowers, includes shades of pink, and is kept fairly simple. I was in need of a Thank You card, so I've chosen to use "Fresh Cut Florals", which is a favourite WPlus9 set of mine, combined with sentiments from "Fanciful Feathers". 

ETA: this card is a CASE of one of the design team's--during the monogram release--but I'm sorry I don't know who, and I don't have the link.

Thanks for looking!