Serendipity Violets Card

Back to my flowers today, with this card.  I love this stamp by Serendipity; violets, I believe. 

 I stamped the flowers onto watercolor paper, inking the stamp with Tombow markers in shades of purples, blues, and greens.  Then I rubbed color from the markers onto a palette and used it as paint to watercolor the petals and leaves.  I used my Misti, so that I could stamp over after all the watercoloring, to bring back the detail in the petals and leaves.  The Misti also allowed me to keep adding shades of green to the leaves until I was happy with the look.

I used pastels for the shading around the bouquet.  I shaved some of the pastel off the block with my craft knife, and used makeup squares to rub it onto the card.  Then a few spatters with the ink.

I used twine to 'tie' the flowers together, and stamped Be Still from Simon Says Stamp, using two shades of marker.  For my fabric element, I cut some tulle and crimped it together, then tied it in the middle to create a fabric embellishment.

Close up of watercolor

 My card is for Serendipity Stamps Challenge  - Use fabric

 

I am also adding it to the House of Cards Challenge - Add twine or colors (twine).

Thank you for visiting.  Enjoy these last few days of summer!

Blessings,

lynda


 
 

Impression-Obsession Mermaid Card

One more summer card.....

 The mermaid stamp is Impression-Obsession (Martha Mermaid), and the verse is IO as well (If You Thighs).
I colored Martha M with colored pencils, die cut her, and added a scalloped oval to mimic the 'scales' on her tail.  The background scalloped die is Stampin' Up.  I thought it gave the impression of water...waves.  I attached the scalloped background to a blue card with matte adhesive, then added Martha.  I cut the verse apart and adhered it with foam tape for dimension.
A touch of the Spectrum Noir clear sparkle brush added shimmery glitter to her tail and top.
I am adding my card to these challenges:

Impression-Obsession Challenge - A Day At The Beach
 Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Go Fish
Allsorts Challenge - Use at least two dies
Love To Scrap Challenge - Anything Goes

I'm so glad you stopped by...thank you for visiting.  

Blessings,

lynda

Thinking of You Card - Hero Arts

I challenged myself today to use a stamp that I have had for quite a while and have never used.  This peacock stamp from Hero Arts was just what I needed for the challenge at Less Is More Challenge 
where the theme is Exotic.  I figure a peacock is pretty exotic, yes?
What could be more exotic than an animal with all the iridescent hues of blues and greens of the peacock tail?  

Now, this stamp is one of those negative stamps, where the design is actually etched out of the background, so I couldn't actually color in the tail feathers.

I chose to ink the stamp in TH distress inks in shades of blue, for the Sunday Stamps shades of blue challenge.  I used blue crystals on the tail feathers, and the Spectrum Noir clear glitter pen on the white spaces of the tail. 

Close-up of sparkle in the tail

The thinking of you verse is from the W Plus 9 fresh cut florals set.  I inked it with blue distress ink, then embossed it with clear embossing powder.

Thanks so much for visiting today.  Have a fabulous Friday!

Blessings,

lynda
 
 

Serendipity Stamps Card

A quick post today, as we are heading to the beach for the season's last concert at the beach.  

 I reached way, way back to a technique I used to teach at my store, The Stamp Pad.  The panel on the left side of the card is done with Colorbox inks.  It is called Direct To Paper.  I took my Cat's Eye Colorbox inks in fall colors, and applied them directly from the pad to the paper.  I created a 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 sheet, since I had everything out.  That way, I can get two or three cards or more from the one background.  

I took it a step further than direct to paper, however.  I stamped the leaves from Serendipity with permanent black ink over the dtp background, then added more Colorbox ink over the stamped images.  Then, I embossed the whole shebang with clear embossing powder.  The images popped right out, even though I had applied more ink over them!

I adhered a strip of this background to an A2 card, and a thin gold glitter ribbon.  The Charles Dickens saying is from Serendipity, also, which I embossed in gold.  

Finally, I embossed three of the leaves in gold, and watercolored them using Adirondack inks.  I adhered them to the card with foam tape for dimension.  A few sequins finish off today's card.

Here is a close-up of the dtp...

This card is for the following challenges:

Serendipity Stamps Challenge Blog - # 58 Add fabric or ribbon (gold glitter ribbon)

Tuesday Throwdown - Make It Sparkle (gold glitter ribbon, embossing, and sequins) 

AAA Cards Challenge - Blending (DTP, Watercolor)

Thank you for stopping by.  I appreciate your visit.  

Blessings,

lynda

Hydrangea Love and Hugs Card

As I was looking through my stamps, trying to decided what I wanted to use for a card to send to a special aunt, I came across this old, old hydrangea stamp.  My Aunt Jean had always loved gardening, especially her flowers.  Now that she is in an assisted living community, and has no yard for a garden, she misses growing her plants.  I know she loved her hydrangeas, so I made her this card......

The stamp is from Rubber Stampede (I told you it was an old stamp).  I stamped it onto watercolor paper with antique linen distress ink, for no-line watercoloring.  To paint the hydrangea, I used Kuretake Gansai Tambi paints.  I had put off buying these paints for a long time, and I'm here to tell you that they were certainly worth the wait.  They are creamy, smooth, and rich.  It is a joy to paint with them.  

Here is a close-up of the sparkly Sending die.....

 

For the background, I used my Clarity brushes and brushed a soft background with my TH distress ink squeezed lemonade.  Then  I dabbed water droplets on it and used a towel to pick up the ink where the drops were.  This created that mottled look and a textured feel to the background.  I layered the panel onto a purple card.

The Sending die is from Simon Says Stamp, as are the words 'you love & hugs' (from their Sending & Wishing set). I cut two of them from yellow card stock, and the top one from yellow glitter card stock, and stacked them together for dimension.  

Some amethyst Swarovski crystals finish the card. 

I am adding my card to these challenges:

Addicted To Stamps - Make Your Mark

Allsorts Challenge - Fabulous Florals

Thank you for stopping by.  I would love to hear from you.  Let me know you were here!

Blessings,

lynda 

Everything's Better At The Beach!

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are winding down.  My garden is not as vibrant as it was a month ago, and many of the flowers and plants are going to seed.  The cicadas are screeching louder than ever.  Our hummingbirds and orioles have been furiously feeding, probably preparing for the pending long trip south.  Nature is superbly amazing and intricate, and every last detail has been worked out by the great artist of the world.  How blessed we are to be able to see, feel, and hear nature's sweet gifts!!

My card today is a last hurrah to summertime.  I am more than ready for fall, my very favorite season.....

These stamps were begging to be used before the end of the summer season.  I do love sunsets and sunrises at the beach, don't you?  My Ipad is full of pictures of great sunsets...no two alike, each breathtaking.

For my card, I started with an A2 white card base, and used my Clarity brushes to create the soft background, doing the same to the die cut circle and the hand-made banner while I had the brushes out.  I added a gray strip, and used craft foam to dimensionalize the circle piece, then spattered some inks for a textured look.  I stamped Impression-Obsession's Paradise Square D19185 and Everything's Better Beach B19157 with India Ink black.

I used my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils to color the paradise square.  After using colored pencils on it, the image had sort of faded a little from the pencil over the lines, so I used my Sakura micron pen to go over all the lines. This really brought it to life.  I used more craft foam to dimensionalize the square and the banner, and finished off with a couple of sequins.

I am adding my card to these challenges......

Impression-Obsession - At The Beach

Simon Say Stamp Monday Challenge - Summer Fun



Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge 

Addicted To Stamps  - Make Your Mark

Little Red Wagon - Surf's Up

That's it for today, folks.  I'm ready to call it a day.  There are wine glasses in the cupboard, calling to hubby and I.  Some wine, some Farkel on the deck, and bird watching.  Doesn't get much better than this!

Blessings,

lynda