Thursday, May 30, 2019

Hello Rooster

Cock-a-doodle-doo and greetings to you all.  Today I have another card for the Impression-Obsession Challenge Feathered Friends.  
Stamps:
Rooster WP938
LaChantecler H23031
Other:  Arteza Real Brush Markers
            Arteza FineLiner Pens

How I made it:

I had fun creating the background for this card.  I laid down some pigment from the Arteza Real Brush Markers in random spashes onto a glass mat, then spritzed it with water from my fine mist sprayer.  
I then dabbed a panel of bristol paper into the color splashes, and repeated until I had reached the desired coverage on my panel.  

When that had dried, I lightly stamped the wire mesh from the Rooster set onto the background, intermittently.  I adhered the panel to an A2 card front.

On another panel, I stamped the LaChantecler image, and distressed the edges, then added it to the background. 
Next, I stamped the rooster from the Rooster set onto another panel, and colored him with my Arteza FineLiner Pens.   I love these pens for their brilliance and their very fine tips, which make it easy to color itty-bitty areas.   I fussy-cut him, and added him to the panel.

Lastly, I stamped the verse from the same set.




 
INSIDE:  I stamped another rooster from the same set, inking it with my Arteza markers, then stamping it.  I drew a box to create a space for a message.



That's it.
You still have time to join us for the IO Feathered Friends Challenge.  You have until June 4th at 7 PM central time to enter.  
Who knows, you just might win a $25 Impression-Obsession gift certificate!  Full details and rules are on the IO blog post HERE.



I am adding my card to these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge  - Anything goes
Time Out Challenges - Inspiration photo (I went with the bright colors)
 


Thanks for stopping by today.  I enjoy your visits and comments.

Blessings,

Monday, May 27, 2019

Old Is New at Impression-Obsession - Garden Bunny

As I putter in my garden, bringing old plants back to new life with sunshine and lots of tlc, and planting new ones, I feel refreshed and excited to be spending time in my favorite place. 

At the Impression-Obsession blog, it is Old Is New day.  I was inspired from time in my garden to create a garden scene for my card today.  We have a little bunny who likes to visit every so often, so I had to make a card with a bunny.
How adorable is this little bunny?!

I used IO stamps:
Garden Bunny H16283
Spring Leaves Set WP838
Also:
Strathmore bristol vellum
Polychromos colored pencils
Tim Holtz distress inks


For my card, I stamped the Garden Bunny onto the bristol vellum panel.  I colored her/him with Polychromos colored pencils.  My wrist is still sore from my recent break, but it is healing.  I just have to work slowly, applying my colors in many layers to build up intensity.  It is truly a lesson in patience!  Not my strong point...lol.


When it was finished, I thought it could use a little something, so I stamped some of the leaves from the Spring Leaves Set in the bundled sage distress ink.  I stamped off the images before I stamped them on the card, so that they would be faint and look as though they are in the background.


INSIDE

I mounted the finished panel onto an eggplant panel, then onto an A2 card front.

Inside:
I stamped a portion of the flowers on the stamp and finished them in the same fashion as I did the front.

I hope you like my card, and are inspired to use your older stamps in new ways.  For more inspiration, be sure to check out the other designers' blog posts.  You can find them HERE on the Impression-Obsession blog.

I am adding my card to these challenges:
Addicted To Stamps Challenge - Make your mark

Thanks so much for visiting.  I always love reading your thoughts and comments, and welcome any questions you may have. 

Blessings,

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Feathered Friends Challenge At Impression-Obsession

Welcome to the Feathered Friends Challenge at Impression-Obsession.  The design team has been busy pecking away on our bird cards.  You can find links to all the designer's cards, along with details about the challenge, on the Impression-Obsession blog HERE.

For my card today, I used one of the Summer release stamp sets, Hummingbird.
IO Stamps:
Hummingbird WP937
Life Stuff Sentiments CL491
Special Day D20728



I started by stamping the flowers from the Hummingbird set onto Canson XL watercolor paper.  I colored my flowers with my Arteza real brush markers.  I'm over-the-moon with these vivid hues and color ranges of these markers.  The brush tips are larger than Zigs, but they come to a sharp point for getting into those pesky detail areas easily.  They blend effortlessly together.

After stamping and coloring the base panel, I stamped the image again, and cut it out with a circle die.  I cut it so that the wing portions were spilling outside of the circle.  To do this, I placed the die on the image, then drew pencil lines where the wings were.  I then fussy-cut the wings up to the pencil line.  Then I aligned my die, making sure the wings were on TOP of the die when I put it through my Cuttlebug.


I colored the bird and flowers that were on the circle with the same Arteza markers.  I stamped the Happy Birthday verse from the Life Stuff Sentiments CL491  onto the circle above the hummingbird.  To make the verse form around the circle (it is straight in the set), I molded it as I added it to my Misti top plate.  I distressed both panels with bundled sage distress ink.

I added the hummingbird circle to the main card panel, lining up the images so they match with those on the card.  I used my craft knife to cut some of the flowers on the main panel so that they would lift and curve over the circle. 

Inside, I stamped the flowers and colored them with colored pencils.  I added the Special Day verse.


I hope you will join us in this fun challenge.  You have until June 4th to enter your card/s.  The prize is a $25 gift certificate to the IO store.  And, if you win, your card will be featured on the IO blog.  So, what are you waiting for.  Come on over and play! 

I am entering my card in these challenges:
Addicted To Stamps - Make your mark
Allsorts Challenge - Birthday (Their 10th! - Happy Birthday!) 
Little Red Wagon - Flower frenzy
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge  - Bright colors moodboard
Watercooler Challenges  - All about occasions


Thanks so much for stopping by today, and your lovely comments.

Blessings,
 

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Bible Journaling Page - It Is Well With My Soul

Hello.  Today I would like to share a Bible journaling page I created during a four day retreat I attended last week.  The full description, along with pictures and details, are on my blog, A Little Perspective; Living In Joy, Hope, and Grace.

I hope you will stop by to check it out, and let me know your thoughts.  

You can find my full post HERE. 

Thanks for stopping by.  I will be back tomorrow with a new challenge inspiration for the Impression-Obsession challenge starting first thing tomorrow morning!  

Blessings,
  

Monday, May 20, 2019

Die Cut Obsession Time at Impression-Obsession

Today the Impression-Obsession design team has some inspiration for you using our dies on the Impression-Obsession blog.   You can find the other designer's cards HERE.  My card features the Butterfly 2 and Butterfly Set dies.












Dies:  Butterfly 2 DIE507-V
          Butterfly Set DIE255-Y

Stamp:  Gentle Thoughts C13767

I created a watercolor background on Arteza watercolor paper using the smooshing technique, with yellow and orange distress inks.  When dry, I added some spatters.
I cut the butterflies from the dies, and added them to the card front.  I stamped the Gentle Thoughts verse, then added some Spectrum Noir clear shimmer glitter to them.  

I added the panel to an A2 card front.
Inside

For the inside, I added some spatters, then cut the dies from the Butterfly Set DIE255-Y, and colored them with daubers and distress ink, then added them to the inside along the edge.

Don't forget to stop by the Impression-Obsession blog to see what the other designers have for your inspiration today.  You can get links to their blogs HERE.  

You can find these dies with the above links, or you can find them and oh so many more on the Impression-Obsession site and store.  

I am adding my card to these challenges:
Addicted To Stamps - Anything goes
Flickr Love Challenge #38  - Anything goes
The Library Challenge  - Inspired by colors in book cover


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

Blessings,


Saturday, May 18, 2019

Bashful

As you are seeing this post, I am on a four day retreat.  I'm hoping for a relaxing, refreshing, spirit-filled four days.  I plan to do some hiking, contemplation, Bible journaling, drawing, and Zentangle.  I did bring some pre-stamped cards to color, but did not bring all my stamping supplies.  My 'other' art supplies took up an entire 'roll-along' craft caddy!  lol.  Then there's my clothes, toiletries, yadda, yadda.  And, of course, some knitting and Sudoku...two things that go everywhere with me.

Now, on to my card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge mid-day reminder.....
I used the die Bashful 51-008, the stamp is from the Special Thoughts 30-338 clear set, and the stencil is Leaf Frolic 24-019.  What a fabulous combination of three different products.  I think it would be fun to see just how many ways I could combine these three elements to create different cards.  Hmmmm...I think I see a challenge coming up!  lol.

So...for my card, I started with a piece of Strathmore smooth bristol card.  I distressed it lightly with Tim Holtz distress ink in a light green, then placed the Leaf Frolic stencil over it and brushed more color through it to create a leaf/vine filled background.

Next, I die-cut several of the Bashful flowers, and brushed distress inks over each, some on the fronts and some on the backs, so that my flowers would be facing different directions.  With the negative part of one of the cuts, I used it as a stencil, and sponged colors over it to intermittently ink lightly colored, faint images of the flowers in the background, to give the idea of dimension.  I placed the die cut flowers over this background.  

To finish the front, I added some tea die distress ink along the edges, and some spatters.  I created a panel with the verse from the Special Thoughts set, distressed it, and added it with foam tape.  

Inside:  Just three little flowers stenciled with the same colors, and a bit of splatters.  Because I just had to.  


I hope you like my card, and have been inspired to join us at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge this month.  Who knows, you just might win a gift certificate!  Can't win if you don't play.  The theme is Anything Goes with optional 'Make your own background.'

I am adding my card to these challenges: 
Addicted To Stamps - Anything goes
Penny Black At Allsorts - Feminine anything goes

Thanks for stopping by.  I appreciate your visits and comments.  

Blessings,

Monday, May 13, 2019

Impression-Obsession Old Is New - Dogwoods

Welcome to Impression-Obsession's Old Is New Day.  The IO designers have each created a project using an older Impression-Obsession stamp today.
For my card, I chose the Dogwood 2 stamp.  This stamp is a single dogwood, beautifully drawn, with amazing details.  It is easy to color with any medium, as the artist has skillfully created areas of dark and light for you to follow.
Stamps:
Dogwood 2 F12003
Every Flower C5051
French Text Cover-A-Card CC151
Silhouette 18

I stamped the Dogwood 2 onto Strathmore Mixed Media paper with Memento rich cocoa ink, so as to have a softer image than a harsh black ink.

I used a mask which I had previously stamped and fussy-cut to mask off the first flower, and stamped another over it.  I repeated this once more to create my cluster of dogwood blossoms.
I colored the images with Polychromos colored pencils.  I love Polychromos, as I can create several layers of color, which gives the images I am coloring more depth and interest.  I have found some other pencils build up a waxy finish, and resist layers after just a few.  Polychromos are oil based, not wax based like many other pencils, so this is not an issue with them.

Once I had my cluster stamped and colored, I added a subtle background.  I brushed in a soft green and rust background with distress inks in shabby shutters and rusty hinge.  I inked the Silhouette 18  leaves with shabby shutters, then stamped some of the ink off, and then stamped the remaining onto the card.  I repeated this around the arrangement.  It's subtle, but the leaves appear to be off in the background.


I also stamped the French Text CAC, again stamping off, then stamping it intermittently on the background, ever so faintly.  I think this adds another dimension and interest to an otherwise bland background.

Finally, I stamped the verse, Every Flower, using the same Memento rich cocoa ink.  I used my Misti Stamping Tool to stamp this, as the paper has some texture, and I wanted a crisp image.  Also, I wanted some depth of color for the words to stand out.

I distressed the edges of the panel, and attached it to an A2 white card.  For a final finishing touch, I added some sequins in a copper color, and a couple of white.

And for the inside:





I hope you enjoyed my card.  Be sure to check out what the other designers have created.  You can find links to their blogs HERE, on the Impression-Obsession blog post. 




Thanks so much for visiting today.  I appreciate you taking the time to visit my blog.  I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

I am adding my card to these challenges:
PaperFunDay Challenge  - Anything goes - twist mother
Watercooler Wednesday - Occasion anything goes
The Library Craft Challenge - All Creatures -Inspired by cover
Simon Says Wednesday - A special lady

Blessings,

Thursday, May 9, 2019

Yellow & Blue Impression-Obsession Color Challenge

Welcome to the Impression-Obsession Yellow & Blue Challenge!  
All details about this challenge are on the IO post HERE, along with links to the other designer's posts so you can see their projects.  For my card, I used two of the new Summer Release stamps.
Fishies CL958
Dream In Colors

I have a stencil in my stash that has four sections of animal prints.  I chose the zebra print section and created a background panel.  I brushed on some blue Tim Holtz distress ink, then I stenciled more of the ink onto the background with the zebra panel.  I thought this kind of looked like water ripples, so I went with it.

I stamped the Fishies CL958 onto some scraps, colored them with Polychromos, then fussy-cut them and added them to the background panel with foam tape.  I stamped the verse Dream In Colors D12022 with VersaFine Claire nocturne ink.

I added the panel to a blue card front with foam tape for additional dimension, adding a yellow strip down the side.  Some sparkling crystals finish the front.

Inside:  I just stamped some of the Fishies, leaving room for a note, and added some strips of the blue and yellow card stock.

Won't you join us in this challenge?  You have until May 21st to enter your card/s.  Who knows, you may just win a $25 Impression-Obsession gift certificate to the IO store!  AND, if you win, your card will be featured on the IO blog!  Hope to see you at the challenge!

Need more inspiration?  Check out the other amazing designer's projects HERE!

I am adding my card to these challenges:
The Library Challenge - All Creatures Great & Small
Little Red Wagon - Sketch challenge

I hope you like my card, and found some inspiration here.  I will be looking for you over at the IO blog in the challenge!

Blessings,