Live It Up....It's Your Birthday Card

Today I decided to try my hand at a CAS (Clean and Simple) card again.  I tend to use lots of layers, and pile on the techniques and embellishments on my cards.  CAS is a real challenge for me.  So...hopefully this is clean and simple enough to enter into a couple of CAS challenges.....

 It took every ounce of restraint to keep from adding just one more thing, just to fill in some of that space.  But I have to admit, I really like the simplicity of it.  I decided to get the picture taken and put it up on my blog, lest temptation to 'clutter it up' takes over.

I created the background on watercolor paper with some Tim Holtz distress inks and the watercolor 'smoosh' technique.  I just rubbed inks on to a piece of acetate, spritzed it with water, then smooshed it onto my watercolor paper.  I repeated until I reached my desired look.

The stamps are from Penny Black (Live it up! #30-289).  I used distress inks to watercolor them, then colored pencils to add highlights and shading.

I am adding my card to these challenges:

Addicted To Stamps - Clean and simple

AAA Cards Challenge - Summer fun


Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Happy birthday

I'm so happy you stopped by today.  Thank you for visiting.  Enjoy your summer weekend, and don't forget to take time for yourself.

Blessings

lynda

Simon Says Stamp CAS Card

Just popping in quickly to post a card for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge .  The theme is clean and simple, which is definitely not my style, but a challenge is a challenge!  So, here goes......

I started with a watercolor like paper.  It's not true watercolor paper, but has a great texture, and has minimal watercolor paper like qualities.  Using mustard seed TH distress ink, I used the smoosh technique to apply some color to the card.  I let that dry thoroughly.  Well, ok....I didn't let it dry, I helped it along a bit with my heat tool.  Impatient I am. 

Next I heat embossed the verse from Simon Says Stamp Blessed clear stamp set SSS101370 with copper embossing powder.  

I stamped some leaves and bits from the Simon Says Stamp Handwritten Floral Greetings SSS101627 with various TH fall color distress inks.  I layered the panel onto some textured copper paper, then onto an A2 card made from the same stock as the panel.

A tiny sprinkling of 'diamonds'...crystals which I shaded with Sharpies....and that was that.  I walked away from the card before I was tempted to take it to the next level, thereby disqualifying it from the CAS challenge.

I am also adding my card to these challenges:

Addicted to Stamps Challenge  - Trees, branches, leaves

Make My Monday Challenge  - Autumn/fall colors

Simply Less Is More - Diamonds (crystals and background paper has diamond pattern)

Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge - Colors of fall

That's it for today.  I appreciate you stopping to visit.  If you are so inclined, I would love to hear your comments.  And if you would like email notifications of my blog posts, just sign up in the Follow by email area on the right.

Blessings,

lynda



 

Falling For You

"Autumn.....Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness."  

This lovely quote by John Keats from his poem Ode to Autumn was my inspiration for this card today.  

It is a top-folding A2 size card.  For the background panel, I randomly stamped the flourish from the Impression-Obsession clear set CL138 Autumn Squares, using VersaMark ink. 

The tag is done on watercolor paper.   I used the 'smoosh' technique to lay down the first layer of colors, using TH distress inks in various fall colors.  After applying the inks, I used a paper towel to pick some of it up,as I did not want it too dark, since I was going to stamp over it.  I also dripped some clear water on it and lifted more of the color with the paper towel in areas.  To ink the leaf stamp (same IO stamp set) I put colors of TH distress ink onto my craft mat, then tapped the stamp into the various inks, moving from one color to the next to get blending on the stamp before I stamped it. I created spatters with my paint brush and inks, as well as white gesso.  A little blending around the edges ties it all together.  I thought it could use a little something, so I white embossed the word Autumn from the poem onto a rust scrap of card stock, cut it out, and attached it with foam tape for dimension.  

I created a second tag from orangey-rust card stock, and brushed some gesso onto it, and also added some gesso spatters.  This tag went directly onto the card, and the stamped tag is elevated with craft foam.  Some fall colored fibers and copper and gold sequins add the finishing touches.

I created this card for the Impression-Obsession challenge, where the theme is Falling for you.

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

Addicted to Stamps - Trees, branches, and/or leaves

Make My Monday Challenge - Autumn/fall colors

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Stamp it

Virginia's View Challenge - Spray, mist, splatter

Time Out Challenge  - Inspiration words

I hope you have been enjoying these late summer, early almost fall days.  I know I sure am!  

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today.  

Be blessed,

lynda

Nature Colors Card

Today's 30 Day Coloring Challenge Card for The Daily Marker started out with the smoosh technique background.  Then I picked a Magenta stamp and watercolored the flowers with distress inks in the same colors I used for the background.  I am entering this card in the Defi/Challenge Magenta challenge, where the theme is Summertime.  Nothing speaks summer more than brightly colored flowers in bloom!  The quote is one from my stash, on acetate, which I attached to some of the background paper I made.

I'm keeping dry on this soggy day, making cards and playing in my art journal.  I have a busy week, so am trying to get a few cards made ahead.

I will post another card this evening...trying to catch up to the Color Challenge.  See you later!
Blessings,
     lynda

Spunky, Sassy Girl Stamps

I was going through some boxes of images I had stamped up...some go back a few years!  I am challenging myself to use them up.  I have been having fun pulling them out and coloring them, playing with different mediums.  
I don't know who makes this stamp, but there are three or four of these sassy girls.  I love this one.....

 In case you can't read the shopping bag, it says "put on your big girl panties and deal with it!"  Oh, how I'd love to have said that to certain people at times! 

This is for The Color Throwdown Challenge #335 .  The colors are muted red, light green, and light yellow.  The colors are generic, and you can use any hues and add neutrals if you wish.

Also, for the 30 Day Color Challenge at The Daily Marker blog.  We are on day 26!  Four to go!  If you want to see my other 25 entries so far, just scroll down through the blog.

The image had been embossed in black sparkle embossing powder.  I used Tim Holtz distress inks, rubbed them on a palette, and used them as watercolor,  applying them with a brush. I decided to get more of the colors on the image by striping the dress.  She is tall and skinny enough to pull off sideways stripes!  I used the smoosh technique for the background, using these same colors (a link to the technique is in my Everything Beautiful Card post on March 25th).

I am not a fan of using sequins on cards, but this one just screamed for them!  They add just the right punch, don't you think?

That's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  

Blessings,

lynda