Color Challenge Day 8 - Watercolor

My card for day 8 of The Daily Marker Color Challenge. 

The stamps are Penny Black.  Flowers are 2147K chrysanthemums, and various other PB accent stamps in the background.  I watercolored the flowers with distress markers.  I love painting on colored card stock, and find that the markers give me the depth I need for that purpose.

It's been a busy day today, and I wanted to get this posted before I go off to dream land. Have a fabulous night!

Blessings,

lynda

Day 7 Color Challenge

Today's card is for the The Daily Marker color challenge, Day 7; the Allsorts Challenge  (clean and simple), and Penny Black at Allsorts Challenge (anything goes with a stamp and a die/s).

It seems I'm really into the ColorBox direct to paper backgrounds lately.  I keep going back to them!  I created this inked background, and when I was looking through my Penny Black images, I knew this (2392K) would be the one I would use as soon as I saw it.  I stamped it three times across the inked panel to create a background.

The die is PB creative die 51-008 Bashful, and the verse from PB clear set 30-014 Salutations.

We have been in Buffalo with the grands for three days, so now I need to get going to catch up with one day I missed.  

Hope you are all finding joy in creating.

Blessings,
lynda 

Daisies for Day 6 Color Challenge

We are enjoying time with our granddaughters this weekend, so I will keep this short and sweet.  Just wanted to get my card posted for day 6 of The Daily Marker Color Challenge.

The stamps and die are Penny Black.  I used stamped images (stamping off on scrap paper first for a lighter image) in the background for interest.  I cut the daisies and layered them so they are dimensional on the card.  Colored with distress markers.

The girls are calling....time to play another game!  See you tomorrow.

Blessings,

lynda

Bird Crazy Get Well - Day 5 Color Challenge

I'm crazy over these crazy birds by Tim Holtz!  They're so cute, and there is so much you can do with them.  I colored this little gal with chalk, and added some eye lashes and an iris around the pupil.  I also added some white markings with my Signo white gel pen.  The background is one I created with the smoosh technique, and I added some swirl thingy from Printworks....

That's it....my card for The Daily Marker Color Challenge Day 5.

Enjoy your weekend!

Blessings,
lynda

Coloring Calendar - Day 4 Color Challenge

Occasionally, my mojo just likes to take a rest, and that's when I like to color in my adult coloring books.  They provide lots of stress relief, with none of the demands of having to create something on a blank sheet of card stock.  I find them very relaxing.  This year, Santa put a desk 'page a day' calendar in my stocking.  This was no ordinary desk calendar.  It has a picture to color for every day of the year.  This is the first page of the calendar (I know, it's January 1st, but I just colored it this week).  I like to skip around.  This is my project for Day 4 of The Daily Marker color challenge....

I used Faber Castell Polychromos colored pencils.  I find the laying down of color and blending very soothing, and love to see the image coming alive with color as I work.

Hope you will give adult coloring books (or calendars) a try.  I happen to know that Santa got mine at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (with a $5 off coupon, of course). 

Happy coloring....and have a wonderful weekend.

Blessings,

lynda

Get Well Flowers - Day 3 Color Challenge

Day 3 of The Daily Marker 30 day Color Challenge...  

Today's card uses a background technique I really enjoy using.  Anything that stretches my stamping tools is a winner in my book.  This technique involves taking an embossing folder, inking it up, and pressing a piece of card stock (or in this case watercolor paper) inside and running a brayer over to transfer the ink from the folder to the paper.  

The flowers stamp is Penny Black, and the Get Well Soon verse is Wordsworth.  I watercolored loosely, sponged,and spattered.  The verse is embossed in black on vellum.  Stamped panel is dimensionalized with thin craft foam.

That's it.....I'm keeping it easy tonight.  Had a wonderful day enjoying the warm weather.

Blessings,

lynda

Watercolor Blessings....Color Challenge Day Two

Greetings fellow artists!  It's a lovely day today in upstate New York.  Tomorrow is supposed to be...Gasp!...60...yes 60 degrees!!!!  Unheard of.  Usually by this time of year we have been snowed in, noreasterned ad nauseum, and just plain buried in snow and ice.  Not this year....nope.  What little snow we had is all melted.  We are holding our breath, waiting for mother nature to figure out it's winter.

I made this card for The Daily Marker Color Challenge, Day Two.....

Here's a close-up that shows some of the sparkle from the embossing powder on the die cut Blessings....

First I created the background using the smoosh technique.  When dry, I used the Tim Holtz wildflowers stencil and distress inks, sponging ink through in the different colors.  I removed the stencil, and added some more ink to some of the flowers to give them shading and highlights, then a 01 Micron black pen to outline the shapes so they would stand out against the background.  

The Blessings die is from Simon Says Stamp and is part of their Christmas Blessings die.  I inked it with Versa Mark ink, then black sparkle embossing powder.  

I have had the border die for quite a while, and had never used it.  I thought there was no time like the present.  I think I will be using it more often now that I see how easy it was and how pretty it looks.

I used my ink pads to 'dye' some string before tying it around the card.

I am also submitting this card to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge....Anything Goes .

Blessings,

lynda

Sending Hugs

Greetings....
Here we are in February already!  Time for the 30 Day Color Challenge on The Daily Marker blog http://www.thedailymarker.com/2016/02/day-1-shading-w-distress-ink/ .  Here's my first card for day one....

I used frog tape to mask the section in the middle and applied two shades of distress ink with the ink applicator tool.  I used tape on the die cut word sending and inked the bottom portion.  Stamps are Impression Obsession and Hero Arts.  

I kept it clean and simple...difficult for me to do.  

Be sure to hop on over to The Daily Marker blog (link above) to check out the challenge.

I've been doing some zentangling and line weaving the past few days.   I am accumulating quite a gallery of zentangle designs.  In the next few days I plan to make a board for them in Pinterest.  Also need to add them to my Flickr gallery.  I do have some of them posted on my other blog, TangledInTheWord.blogspot.com .  You can click on this link to check it out if you like.  

See you tomorrow with Day 2 of the Color Challenge!

Blessings,

lynda

Direct-To-Paper Re-Visited

I am reaching way, way back to a technique that I loved using on cards and projects years ago.  Direct-to-paper is exactly what it's name conveys.  The technique involves taking an ink pad and applying it directly to the card stock by rubbing it on directly from the pad.  Here are a couple of my cards, followed by directions on how I did them.

Both of these cards were made with the same technique.  Here are the steps....

• Start with a piece of card stock slightly larger than your finished project  On the first card, my card stock was Kraft color, and the second was green.
• I used ColorBox pigment ink pads (Icat's eye shaped pads).  Choose three or four colors.  On the first card I uses two greens, two Browns, and a rust color. I used greens and Browns on second card.
• Rub your first color directly onto the cardstock (hence the name direct to paper).  Add the color intermittently on the card stock, not filling it all in.  Leave some open areas.
• Rub your second color in some of the open areas, then your third/fourth colors in any open areas.
• To soften and blend the colors, rub with a tissue after your colors are applied.  
• If it is still too rigid, I rub one of the lighter colors lightly over the entire panel, then rub it out with tissue.  This will soften the piece.
• On these cards, I stamped images with black die ink right onto the background.  Then I highlighted areas of the images with white colored pencil.  I use Berol Prismacolor pencils, as they have a nice soft lead.  Just add white along some edges and areas you want to highlight.  Finally, I stamped some elements with gold ColorBox ink.

I am submitting the first card to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes .

Thanks for stopping by.  

Blessings,

lynda

There Is A Season

One of my favorite scripture verses is Ecclesiastes 3:1.  I made this card for the Our Daily Bread Designs card jchallenge http://ourdailybreaddesignsblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/odbdslc269-something-new-something-old_19.html .  We had to use something old and something new.  I have had the ODBD butterfly and verse stamps for quite a while, but still use them often.  The new, to me, is the technique of ink smooshing and my new colors of Tim Holtz distress mini pads and markers.

Thanks for stopping by today.  

Blessings, 

lynda

Friends Make The World Warmer

Greetings.  I'm on a mission to get my greeting card file filled for the next two months.  I have searched for ideas for sorting and storing my cards so that they are ready to send when it is actually the person's birthday.  As opposed to a week later.  Novel idea, I know.  I start out with all good intentions to get my card made and mailed on time, but somehow I often miss it.  Hence, the aforementioned mission.

This card is for a special friend.  The Penny Black verse is fitting.....friends make the world a little softer, kinder, warmer (I stamped the first word, friends on the front and the remainder of the verse inside the card).  I am so glad she is in my life.  She definitely brings warmth and kindness.  I can't image my world without her.

The stamps are all Penny Black.  Flowers are the 40-331 Gentle Whisper.  Background stamps are some of my favorites by PB.  I used my Misti stamping tool and inked the stamp with the lightest color in each of the two color palates.  I used Tim Holtz distress inks.  Then I kept inking and stamping different areas of the flowers with different colors, until I achieved the look I was going for.

Here is a link to the YouTube video by Virginia Lu, where I saw this technique.  I pretty much did what she did, except I used inks and markers on the stamp...and I added colored pencil.  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9peSh5aLciw

I used color pencils to soften the look and add depth and highlights.  The shading around the main images I did with pastels and a cotton swab.  Background images were stamped lightly to add some contrast, interest, and balance.  

I felt the background images were a little too dark, so I painted a little gesso over parts of the card to lighten.  

Finally, sequins bring a touch of sparkle.  I rubbed the inks in some of the colors used on his flowers along the edges of my main card before mounting the panel.

I entered this card in the Penny Black  Saturday Challenge, Anything Goes http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/2016/01/psbc-january-anything-goesmore.html

Stop by and check out.  The design team samples are gorgeous!  You have another week to enter.

I'm off to the shower, then church.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Blessings.

lynda

For My Buddy

So, I had this blog post all finished, and lost it when I went to check something else out on my iPad.  Ugggggggh!  So here goes again.

I made this card for my buddy, Stephen.  He loves to get cards (his mom is an avid stamper), and since it is, er, was his birthday last weekend ( I know, I'm late...but at least he gets to spread out his birthday celebrating), I made this birthday card for him.....

1. 

The stamps are Penny Black, from the 30-012 Bubbly clear stamp set.  I stamped the dog, masked him, inked up the balloons the kitty was holding, and stamped them so they are in the dog's paw.  Colored all with colored pencil.  I created the yellow aura around the image by shaving some chalk from my pastel stick with my craft knife, onto the card around the image.  Then I folded a square makeup pad into fourths, and rubbed the chalk into the card. The colored pencil resists the chalk, so this was a breeze.  I love the soft glow this technique gives.  You can't tell from the picture, but the balloons are shiny and raised from Diamond Glaze.

I noticed that Simon Says Stamp has a challenge to create with critters, and this fits the bill, so here goes.  

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-create-with-critters/

While I'm at it, I will also submit it to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, Anything Goes. 

http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/2016/01/psbc-january-anything-goesmore.html

Now I'm off to try a technique I saw on utube last night.

Blessings,

lynda

Beauty Surrounds Us

A quick post before I start dinner prep.  I felt like playing with blues and greens today for some reason. I always love the way they look together.  A touch of violet finished off my color palette.

The flower stamp is Pennny Black 3865K Gossamer.  Background stamps Penny Black 2643F Deco Border, 1969B Swirl Border, 1989E Harlequin Border, Hero Arts H2385 script.

I used the smoosh technique with distress inks. Stamped the flowers very lightly over, then watercolored them.  I stamped the background stamps intermittently, then added some colored pencils to define the petals and leaves and stems, and some white dots with the white signo pen.  Finally, I went over the outline with distress markers.

I am submitting this to the Anything Goes challenge on the Penny Black Saturday Challenge http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/2016/01/pbsc-january-anything-goes.html

Now...off to feed papa bear.  Hope you're staying safe and warm on this blustery, snowy day.

Blessings,

lynda

Allegro

Another card today for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge at http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/2016/01/pbsc-january-anything-goes.html  .

I love the PB brush stroke flowers.  This one is  Allegro 2945k.  

I put some distress ink on an acetate sheet, spritzed it with water, and smooshed it onto the watercolor panel to make the background.   Then I colored the flower stamp with distress inks, misted it with water, and stamped it over the background.  Then stamped some smaller stamps faintly on the background (1999L Letter Background, 1989E Harlequin, 2636K Scroll Pattern, 2653F Deco Border).

I went back in with colored pencil and added detaile to the petals, and added the blue mist shading.

The verse is from their clear set 30-105 Gratitude.

Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings,

lynda

You're Too Kind

I'm still getting caught up with my thank you cards for all our after Christmas get togethers. I had so much fun with this one....

The verse is StampinUp.  I drew the lollipop flowers.  I love when I can combine some of my favorite things to do together on one project.  I used my Sakura Micron #3 pen to draw the doodles, and colored them in with colored pencils.  I use the Faber Castell Polychromos pencils.  They blend and layer beautifully.

Thanks for stopping by.  I'm working on a card for a challenge this afternoon, and should have it posted by tomorrow.  

Are you keeping warm on these blustery cold days?  I don't even like to leave the house...just want to spend my long, cold winter days making cards, working on my Zentangles, and knitting and reading.

Hope you can carve time out to do what you love! 

Blessings,

lynda

Sunday Stamping Time

Just popping in with a couple of cards I made while playing in my favorite room on this cold Sunday afternoon.  First up is this card I made for the Mojo Monday sketch challenge here http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2016/01/mojo-monday-429-contest.html .

The mushroom stamp is from a set by Dyan Reavely, and the thinking of you from a Penny Black set.   I used an embossing folder along the side of the white card.  The strip behind the panel was sponged with distress inks, as was the thinking of you panel.

I colored the mushrooms with colored pencils.  I used Faber Castell Polychromos pencils.  The script stamp is an old Hero Arts one I have.  I inked it intermittently and stamped it over the panel.  The panel is dimensional with foam behind it.

I'll be back in the morning with the second card.  Gotta go now and snuggle in my comfy recliner with my knitting....next to my hubby.  

Blessings,

lynda

Penny Black Pretty Flowers

How is your new year going?  I am not one for making New Years resolutions.  However, there is something about this time of year that makes me feel like organizing, cleaning, simplifying.  For a week now I have been on a sorting and purging frenzy.  I am finding things I'd forgotten I had, passing on things I haven't used in ages, and organizing what is left.  It is amazing how much "stuff" two people can accumulate in 37 years of marriage.  Of course, some of it is dd's, and is gradually finding its way to her house.

I've been going since 4:30 this morning, but a couple of hours ago I decided I needed a creativity break.  So up to my craft room I went.  

I made this card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge for their Anything Goes challenge http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/2016/01/pbsc-january-anything-goes.html .  

I started with ivory linen texture card stock.  I sponged tea dye distress ink along one side, then stamped a word background stamp, inking up only portions of the stamp with brushed corduroy ink.  Then I stamped Penny Black's cling stamp (Softly 40-319) in India Ink Black ink over the background, and again on another piece of the same textured card stock.  I colored the flowers and leaves on the separate piece of card stock with distress markers in fired brick, ripe persimmon, worn lipstick, abandoned coral, crushed olive, and forest moss.  Then I cut them out and attached them with dimensional foam tape to the card front.  I attached the panel to a piece of craft foam to give it dimension and then to a slightly larger panel.  Then I attached that to another piece of craft foam and onto the card front.  I like the way the colorful blooms pop on the card.  

I'm glad I got my stamping 'fix' in today...even if it is late.  I always feel so much better when I've created something.  

Thank you for stopping in.  Check out the great design team cards and submissions on the Penny Black Saturday Challenge blog...link above.

Come back soon!

Blessings,

lynda

One Last Christmas Card

Here we are, a new year.  My Christmas decorations have all been taken down, most of the Christmas cookies have been devoured or given away, no more Christmas songs.  It's back to the gym and sensible eating for this gal....gotta shake those holiday body jiggles and bulges.  

Having said all that, I do have one more Christmas card to share before moving on.  I am sharing my card that I sent this year.  I forgot to post it earlier, , but this challenge over at Happy Little Stampers http://www.happylittlestampers.com/2016/01/hls-january-christmas-challenge.html prompted me to post for their January challenge.....Jingle.   So, drumroll, here is my card.....

I used an embossing template for the background and ornaments, embossing the main card, and silver and gold metallic card stocks several times.  Then I cut out the ornaments and attached them over the base card.  I added the Believe die, which I fell in love with when I saw it at the craft store and just had to have.  Added some stardust glitter pen accents, and some Faber Castell texture gems...they make lovely little rounded pearls without leaving those pixie peaks.

Hope you likey.  Stop by the Happy Little Stampers blog and check out the awesome designs.  Lots of great ideas there for next year's card!

Thanks for visiting.  Have a happy and blessed New Year.

Blessings,

lynda

Inspiration Words For 2016

Happy New Year!  My first post of 2016 is for a color challenge  on the Less Is More blog.  The link to the challenge is http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.se/2016/01/week-257-colour.html .  With a clean slate before us for 2016, I thought I would use some positive and inspiring words on my first card this year.  The challenge is to use neutrals only.  If you know me, you know that this is a definite challenge for me.  I love color, so it's difficult for me to keep things neutral.  Also, simplicity is not my go-to style, although I dabble in it once in a while for variety.  Anyways, here is my card for this challenge....

I chose grays for my neutral palette.  The stencil flower background is one of ColorBox Art Screens, bloom.  The flower stamps are from Wplus9, Fresh Cut Florals, with the Fresh Cut Floral dies.  I sponged Tim Holtz hickory smoke and black ink through the stencil, increasing intensity as I went along.  The words are from an old Impression Obsession word set I have.  The flowers are cut out and layered and dimensional with foam tape.

Looking at this card on the post, I feel like the color knob is all the way off on my computer!  I know I will be doing this card again, only with color next time.

It was fun for a change.  That's what's great about challenges...it stretches you to do what you are not comfortable with.  Hope you will join some challenges this year!

Blessings,

lynda

Defi/Challenge Magenta Card

I'm baaaaack!  2015 has been a very rough year for our family.  My last blog post was in July.  Shortly after that post my husband, Dan, had stents put in three of his heart arteries.  Several others have some blockage, but they only "stent" the ones that are 70% or more blocked.  We are very grateful for the technology that had probably saved his life.  We have been on a whirlwind of doctors visits, cardio rehab therapy, and insurance company dealings.  
As we were going through this, his mom had taken a bad fall (second one in three months), and ended up in a nursing home for rehabilitation.  She never did recover, took a turn for the worse, and died this past October.  A very sad and stressful time for all of us.
Needless to say, we are looking forward to putting 2015 behind us, and looking forward to a more peaceful 2016.

This post is long overdue, and I'm happy to say that I have my "mojo" back after a long, dry spell.  I made this card for the Magenta Defi/Challenge for December http://www.magentastyle.com/search/label/Défi%20%2F%20Challenge.  You have to use two Magenta products, and the theme is winter.  I have a lot of Magenta stamps (they are in my top three stamp companies), however, I don't have many winter themed stamps.  I used the poinsettia stamp for the focus panel, and one of their holly stamps in my background.  
The background is done with the "smoosh" technique.  I used Tim Holtz distress inks on acetate, spritzed it with water, then applied it to watercolor paper.  When dry, I stamped the holly stamp randomly on the watercolor background.  For the image panel, I "inked" the stamp with Tim Holtz distress markers, lightly spritzed with water, and stamped onto watercolor paper.  I used a brush and distress inks to watercolor the image.
Layered up with red and green and gold papers, and added soem gold cording and red ribbon, with some beads for interest and dimension.  Die cut phrase on gold paper finishes off the card.  
I did manage to make and send Christmas cards this year, somehow.  This card, however, I am dedicating to all of those wonderful friends and acquaintances who have been our support over this past year.  The love and concern and caring you have all shown has helped us through.  
Many blessings to all for the new year.  
God bless,
lynda