Art Impressions Birds & Flowers

This morning I heard birds singing!  I ran to my window, and there they were; three bluejays, singing in our tree...I think they wanted the suet basket refilled!  I thought they may have been a sign that spring is near.   But, alas, this afternoon, another blast of wintery snow!  Uggggh.  I retreated to my studio and pulled out my Art Impressions stamps to create a more pleasing scene for my back yard, and hopefully coax the jays back.

I used several of the Art Impressions watercolor stamps and Tombow markers to create my card.  I have been watching Bonnie Krebs' videos, and practicing my technique.  I have a long way to go, but am having so much fun with these amazing stamps!

 

The verse is also from Art Impressions.  There are several verses on the Sentiments Set WC-4903.

I also stamped an inside, however, my card base is not watercolor paper, so they colors didn't blend as nicely as they do on watercolor paper. 

Have you tried these stamps?  I would love to hear from you to see what you think.  Or if you have any tips that work for you with them.

I am adding my card to these challenges:

Allsorts Challenge  - Spring flowers

Little Red Wagon  - Stamp something you love (my garden)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes

Sunday Stamps - Nature's hues

Freshly Made Sketches - Sketch

Addicted To Stamps - Photo inspiration 

 

Thanks so much for visiting.  I appreciate your time and your inspiring comments.

Blessings,

 

Impression-Obsession Old Is New - Blueberry Blessings

Welcome to Impression-Obsessions Old-Is-New Day!  We are featuring some of our older stamps and giving them some love a couple of times a month.  I have a card for your inspiration today.  You can see the other designer's cards on the blog link below.

Now for my card for your inspiration today....

Impression-Obsession stamps:
Berry Stem G16362 
Blessing Brush Words WP863 
CAC French Text CC151 

I decided my berries would be blueberries, because I just love, love, love blueberries!  I eat them almost every day with my breakfast.

I stamped the  Berry Stem onto watercolor card stock, and water colored it with Daniel Smith water colors.  When the panel was dry, I added shadows and highlights with my Polychromos colored pencils.  


For the background, I created masks for the berries and leaves, then brushed on some distress ink, and stamped the 
CAC French Text.  I just love these Cover-A-Card background stamps.  I use them so much.  Before stamping it over the brushed background, I 'stamped off' onto scrap paper so the ink was softer.  

I added the phrase using the Blessing Brush Words  stamp set.  This set has fabulous words in it, and many ways to join them together, or use alone.  I love the script!

A sheer ribbon and bow, with some shimmery sequins finish the front.  

Inside of card

I kept the inside simple, with just some stamping and color brushing. 

I hope you enjoyed my card.  Don't forget to visit the other design team members.  You can get links to their blogs HERE, on the Impression-Obsession blog.

I am adding my card to these challenges:
Mod Squad Challenge - Clear or rubber stamps
The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge 

Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,

Fur Babies Love

Hello again.  I'm back today with a card for the Technique Junkies blog.  I love this cute fur babies stamp Duty Of Love.

Full details for my card, and stamps and techniques used, and a discount code, are on the Technique Junkies blog.

I am adding my card to these challenges:
Casology Challenge - Fur babies
Addicted To Stamps - Keep it simple
The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge 

We are bracing for two days of 70+ miles per hour winds and rain, and praying we keep our power and everyone stays safe.  

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  

Blessings,

Blossoms

I spent the day with a friend, stamping and chatting, and laughing a lot.  Sometimes you just need that!  While I was there, I watercolored these blossoms.  I finished the card when I got home.

The flower stamp is from Magenta, Apple Blossom Bouquet C14655P.  I didn't realize it was an apple blossom when I was at my friend's house, or I may have thought about painting it pinkish/white.  But, I've never been a respecter of 'the way it should be,' so I probably would have gone with whatever struck my fancy at the time, which happened to be yellow.  Artistic license.

I water colored the flowers.  For the background, I added clear water around them, then added some distress ink.  I used colored pencils when I got home to add deeper shading and some highlights.  
 

I distressed the edges, and added some bits of a script background stamp intermittently in the background.  I do not know who the stamp is by, as it is one of my older wooden stamps, which I had unmounted and just use the rubber.  I neglected to write the company on it at the time.  
I added some yellow spatters to carry the yellow out further into the card and balance it out.

For the verse, I used a stamp from Penny Black's clear set Faith 30-409.  I stamped it with Versafine Claire Nocturne ink for a nice dark, crisp impression.

I am adding my card to these challenges:
Addicted To Stamps - Keep it simple
Allsorts Challenge - Spring flowers
The Flower Challenge - Use your latest stamps
The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge 

That, my friends, is a wrap.  I hope you enjoyed your Saturday, or whatever day it is where you are.  I enjoyed the 'calm before the storm,' as tomorrow we are bracing for some extremely (almost hurricane velocity) strong winds and all-day soaking rain.  Praying we don't get too much damage, and that everyone stays safe.  They have already banned tractor trailors from the thruway.

Thanks for stopping by.  

Blessings,
 

Flowers For Friends Impression-Obsession Challenge

Time for another Impression-Obsession blog challenge.  The theme this time is Flowers For Friends.  I love flowers, so I'm in my happy place with this one. 

IMPRESSION-OBSESSION STAMPS/DIES:
Sketched Vintage Bloom K16442
All-in-One Frames-Rectangles 2
WP915 Fred Said 
DIE174-W Greeting Set 

For my card today, you guessed it, I stamped flowers!  I used the Sketched Vintage Bloom K16442 on Strathmore bristol card stock.  I stamped the image with VersaFine Claire Nocturne ink.  For my coloring, I used my favorite Polychromos colored pencils.  I like Faber-Castell Polychromos for their quality.  They are not wax-based, so they do not get that wax build-up that prevents lots of color layering.  And I love to layer shades of colors.

I placed the finished image into the stitched frame, which I had cut from some shimmery antique gold card stock I have in my stash, from the All-in-One Frames-Rectangles 2 die set, then added it to an A2 card.  I fussy-cut the right edge so that it would spill over the frame.

I added the Hello die from the DIE174-W Greeting Set die set.

Inside: 
I layered matching cardstocks from the front.  Stamped the verse WP915 Fred Said , and stamped and colored a portion of the flower on the upper right edge.
 



I hope you will join us... you have until March 5th to get your cards in for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the Impression-Obsession store.


Remember to visit the other designers' blogs HERE for their inspiration for this Flowers For Friends Challenge. 

I am adding my card to these other challenges:
The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge 
The Flower Challenge - Use your latest stamps/dies
Crafty Creations Challenge - Anything goes

Thanks for stopping by.  

Blessings, 

Lenten Rose

In two weeks Christians will observe Lent, a time of reflection and self-examination.  This flower from Impression-Obsession is called Lenten Rose , so I thought it fitting to use it for my card.

The verse on my card is from the Word Art Wednesday Challenge.  I am entering my card to the challenge, and decided to use this verse with this stamp.  It will give me something to look at and reflect on during the upcoming 40 days of lent.

Impression-Obsession stamps:
Lenten Rose E13363
Hello MC663 

I stamped the Lenten Rose image onto Strathmore bristol card stock, and used my Daniel Smith watercolors to paint it.  I love watercoloring, especially with floral images.

For the panel, I brushed ripe persimmon distress ink onto
Strathmore bristol card stock and then used a Spellbinder's oval die to cut an oval opening.  I printed the verse onto another piece of card stock, then attached this panel to it with foam tape, so that the verse shows through the window.  

I added the fussy-cut flower to the panels, using more foam tape for dimension.  A few spatters and some white pearl accents complete the front, then I layered it onto a persimmon colored A2 card.

Inside:  The stamps for the inside are from IO's Hello MC663 clear stamp set. 

Tomorrow starts our new challenge, so I will be back with some inspiration to get your creative juices going.  

I am adding this card to these challenges:
Word Art Wednesday Challenge - Verse
Crafty Creations - Anything goes
The Flower Challenge - Use your latest stamps/dies
The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge 

Thanks so much for visiting.  I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and comment.

Blessings,

IO Die-Cut Obsession - Fir Trees

Dies are in the spotlight today on the Impression-Obsession blog.     I have a couple of cards to share with you, which use the Fir Trees DIE084-V.  I used the dies a couple of different ways. 

Card 1:

On my first card,  I smooshed distress inks onto some Strathmore bristol card stock.  I added Technique Junkies' Harvest Sunset Shimmering Bliss, and smooshed again.  When dry, I cut it down to A2 size, and distressed the edges, and put it aside to dry.

I die-cut two of each tree from the Fir Trees DIE084-V set from Canson XL watercolor paper, and painted them using darker distress inks, and a bit more Shimmering Bliss.  I also cut some from some gold paper I've been hoarding, and some shimmery white vellum, as I wanted to brighten it up a bit.


I arranged the die-cut trees on the panel, attached the verse Gentle Thoughts C13767, then attached the whole shebang to an A2 card.  

I added some splatters of the Shimmering Bliss spray by putting some on my palette, then flicking it on with a brush.



And here is the inside of this first card....

 





Card 2:

I die-cut the trees Fir Trees DIE084-V from a piece of acetate to use as stencils and masks.  I rubbed Caran D'Ache Neocolor II watercolor crayons, in shades of green and blue, onto watercolor paper.  I added water, and used a water brush to activate the crayons to manipulate the colors.  

 



When dry, I placed the acetate sheet from which I'd cut the dies onto the panel.  I dampened a towel lightly, and dabbed and rubbed through the opening, removing some of the crayon color from the piece, repeating intermittently on the piece.  Then I placed the acetate die itself onto the panel, and sponged some color around it.  I added more intense color through the opening in the acetate again, and sprayed blue and green Shimmering Bliss through the openings, as well. 

 

A final spritz of Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist gave the whole panel an intensely sparkly, shimmering finish.  The Glimmer Mist doesn't add color, just amazing shimmer, so the colors shine through.  I wish you could see this in real life!

 I added a panel that I had completed in the same fashion, on which I stamped the IO verse, Art of God C5055 with VersaFine Claire Nocturne ink. 

And for the inside:

 





We are really having fun with these Monday projects for your inspiration.  
Be sure to check out the other designers' blogs for more die inspiration.  Details are on the IO blog HERE.  


  
 

IO dies and stamps:
Fir Trees DIE084-V
Gentle Thoughts C13767
Art of God C5055


Caran d'Ache Watercolor Crayons 

 
Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you are finding lots of ideas from our cards and projects.  

Blessings,