Deco Sheets and Butterflies!

I am enjoying playing with the new supplies that just came in the mail.  I saw a video about the new Tim Holtz Deco Sheets so had to throw them into my cart.  Wooo...the glimmer is fabulous and doesn't rub off like glitter.  It tears like paper but feels more like vinyl and is very thin.

The butterfly was stamped on a sheet of watercolor paper that was wetted, then spritzed with Abandoned Coral and Mermaid Lagoon Distress Markers.  Love that technique that I picked up in Tim Holtz's April 2015 Tag. 

I will be using this stamp and die cut set a lot...who doesn't need more butterflies?

The background layer was colored with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Stain.

Thanks for taking a look!

Butterfly Stamp/Die:  Tim Holtz/Sizzix Limitations

Hello Die:  Avery Elle

A is for Argyle (and Abandoned Coral)

I am having fun with the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge to draw my inspiration from something starting with the letter "A."

I used Cracked Pistachio and Abandoned Coral to watercolor the embossed background and then used a Memory Box die to cut the Happy Birthday...this die always makes me smile!

I also swiped the ink pads directly on paper to get the darker colors for the perfect match layer and the die cut balloons.  The balloon strings are embroidery floss and the white accent on the balloons is from a white Pitt pen.

Thanks for taking a look!

Stamp:  Impression Obsession Dotted Argyle
Dies:  Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday, C.C. Designs Balloons

A is for Animals, Part 2

Continuing with my "A is for Animals" theme for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, I watercolored another "animal" and framed it with cardstock stamped with distress ink.  The butterflies are die cut from a scrap.

 

Stamps:  Penny Black Garden Friends, Simon Says Stamp Handwritten Greetings (sentiment), Impression Obsession Textural Dots (background)

Dies:  Impression Obsession Butterflies, Spellbinders (circle)

A is for Animals, Part 1

This card started with an old stamp set that has new life since I discovered how much I like to watercolor!

The background has a subtle texture from texture paste through a stencil.

I am including this in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

Stamps:  Penny Black In the Garden, Simon Says Stamp Handwritten Greetings

Dies:  My Favorite Things Blueprints 15 (stitched rectangle) and Sizzix Tags


Thanks for looking!

Sharing Easter Cards

Now that my big push to get Easter cards in the mail is past, I wanted to go back and share what I did.  So this is a photo intensive post!


The first card uses an older Penny Black stamp that is getting new life with my new loge of watercoloring.  Layout is inspired by the most recent Online Card Class Stretch Your Dies.

Stamps:  Penny Black Garden Friends, Impression Obsession Dotted Argyle (stamped on the purple)
Die:  Scalloped Circle Spellbinders, Tim Holtz Tattered Flower Garland




   




I let this wonderful stamp take center stage with only a small layer and and embossed card background.

Stamp:  Penny Black For Goodness Sake
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug Polka Dots










Love this beautiful stamp from The Rubber Cottage!  A little bit of watercoloring and it is ready to mount!

Stamp:  The Rubber Cottage Lilies







 
 

But I couldn't leave it alone...I die cut a cross out of the piece and mounted on fun foam for a subtle addition.

Die:  Spellbinders Crosses Two







 

 

I had colored all of these images with watercolor and Distress Ink several months ago and then struggled how to finish off the cards.  Fortunately, Tim Holtz inspired me with his April tag.  What a brilliant idea--wetting watercolor paper with clean water and then spritzing with Distress marker.  Magic!  

Stamp:  Tim Holtz Easter Blueprint



  


And these eggs cried out to be popped off of the page.  I made my own dark green grass by wetting and crumpling thinly cut paper.



 





Had some fun with this card by stamping a background with the same stamp.








 


 


The next two cards used watercolored images from Tim Holtz Easter Blueprints and patterned paper from American Crafts Dots and Stripes.  I sprinkled salt on the wet background of the egg to get the mottled look.

 

Thanks for taking a look!

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Birthday Challenge, Part 2

The Simon Says Stamp April Card Kit has delightful gold and kraft paper...but I am struggling to figure out how to use it.

I decided to go simple and let the gold shine through!  The border around the pink tag and the gold layer were created with a gold paint pen that I just rediscovered.  (So much fun to dust off old supplies!)

The gold embossed sentiment didn't photograph well, but I do like how everything shines.

Thanks for looking!

Stamp:  Big Birthday Wishes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

I was delighted to get the Simon Says Stamp April card kit in the mail!  There are always need for more birthday cards. 

I am currently in a mode to make flat, mailable cards so didn't add any dimension to the card.  I used three of the stamps from the kit and a combination of Ranger (love their new dye inks!) and Hero Arts Shadow Inks. 

Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Big Birthday Wishes