I Love You More Than Candy Corn Halloween Card

Greetings!  I thought I would post a card I made for the Impression-Obsession Challenge . 

The challenge theme at IO is 'You're an animal.'  Owls are animals, yes?  And I just adore these cute little Impression-Obsession owl stamps (B7800 Owl on Hat and D7801 Owl on Head.  I stamped, colored them with Copics, then fussy-cut them and layered them onto a die cut heart (die unknown).  It is actually two stamps, which I stacked.  The verse is also Impression-Obsession (A14476) More Than Candy Corn.  

I added some Simon Says Stamp Assorted Moonshine sequins, and layered the heart on an A2 card, layered with some candy corn designer paper and a strip of purple.  
I added some feathers and a pretty shimmery orange ribbon and bow for a whimsical touch.

This will be our halloween card for my six year old granddaughter.  Now I have to make one for her older sister.

I also added this card to the Falliday Fest Challenge at SplitCoastStampers HERE.

NOW for some news I've been waiting to tell you, which will explain why I haven't posted much here in the past four weeks.  (don't worry, I'm back)!   I am now on the Dirty Dozen Design Team for SplitCoastStampers!  I received an email about four weeks ago from Lydia, asking me if I would be interested in being on the design team.  It really took me by surprise!  I am honored and delighted to represent SCS.  I have been working furiously, making cards for the October theme challenge (Creepy Crawlies), and learning the 'behind the scenes' ropes.  Mine and the other 11 Dirty Dozen design team members six cards each will be posted in the October theme gallery.  The monthly theme challenge is available to be viewed and entered by SplitCoastStamper Fan Club members.  The other galleries are open to anyone.  Here is a link to the Splitcoaststampers site.  I hope you will stop by to see all the amazing cards.  
SCS is a fun community, with daily, weekly, and monthly challenges, tutorials, and hundreds of members' galleries.  

You can also join the site and add your own gallery.  I have been a member there since 2007.  Please stop by there and say hello.  There are tons of forums where you can ask questions, check out what's new, get tips and ideas.

I'm happy to be back in my blog, and will continue to regularly post here.  Now that I am familiar with the procedures and technical stuff over at SCS, I will have more time for my home sweet home here at Paper Arts Cafe!

I hope you are having a great week.  See you soon in the cafe!

Blessings,

lynda

Stand Tall And Be Strong

I am loving this new stamp I got at a stamp convention in Syracuse NY a couple of weeks ago, and had to use it.....

The stamp is by Technique Junkies (SD601 Stand Tall).   

I used a stencil from The Crafter's Workshop (TCW461s Mini Rosetta), and my Clarity brushes to softly brush distress inks in crushed olive, wild honey, and wilted violet onto white card stock.  I love, love, love the Clarity brushes....they are so soft, and are wonderfully tapered, so you can get the softest, almost air-brushed looking results.  Or, you can apply more ink, and get a darker look.  And they don't tear and push at the stencil.  Love 'em!

Making sure the stenciled background was dry, I embossed the stamp with black in the bottom right corner.  Then I added some black spatters, and a black strip of paper along the left edge to balance the composition. 

Finally, I cut a piece of white seam binding, and 'dyed' it by rubbing the distress colors onto my craft mat, spritzing with water, and dabbing the ribbon into the colors.  I scrunched it up, and dried it with my heat tool, very carefully.  Then I ran my tape runner along the edge where the black strip met the background, and stuck the ribbon to it, sort of pushing it here and there to create a sort of ruffled look.

That's it!  Easy-peasy.  And so fun.

I am adding my card to these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - For A Guy

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Use bows or ribbons

Virginia's View Challenge - All About Colors

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I will be back tomorrow with a watercolored card.

Blessings,

lynda

Direct to Paper Inking

I have had a renewed interest in my Colorbox pigment inks lately.  I love the blending of colors using the direct to paper technique that we learned years ago.  I still use it quite often.  Today I played with some blues and greens.  I tried it on linen texture card stock.  Here is my card...

As the name of the technique says, I just applied the ink directly to the card stock from my cat's eye shaped pigment ink pads, starting with the lightest to darkest.  I used a spong to soften and blend the colors.  The stamp is a Hero Arts stamp, which I inked with my India Ink black pad.  Since I used pigment inks on the panel, it was still wet enough to take embossing, so I covered the entire panel with clear embossing ink and heated.  Wow...the image jusy popped.  I love this stamp.  

I'm working on some more cards with this technique.  The pieces are finished, just have to assemble.  Stop back to check them out.

Blessings,

lynda