Sunshine

I thought today's post title was appropriate.  No only has the sun been shining all week, but the name of the stamp I used is Sunshine (Penny Black 3122K)....

I inked the flower stamp (sunshine) with TH distress inks using the mini pads in tattered rose, victorian velvet, and aged mahogany, peeled paint and forest moss, and spritzed it with water, then stamped it onto a watercolor paper panel.  Next, I embossed the Penny Black stamp Corner Piece 2859H with antique white embossing powder in the bottom left corner, and partially in the upper right.  Next, I distressed the panel with antique linen and brushed corduroy inks by blending ink on the panel with my round ink blenders. 

At this point, I felt it needed a little something, so, using my inks as paint, I added some shading to the flowers and leaves, and added a light watercolor wash of victorian velvet and brushed corduroy to the background.  Finally, I stamped part of the Deco Border 2653F here and there, and spattered it just a little with my paint brush.

I colored a piece of scrap card stock with the aged mahogany ink pad along the edges, then added my stamped panel to it, and trimmed it 1/16" all around, and set it aside.

For the layering panel, I stamped portions of the Letter Background 1999L with antique linen onto the panel, then sponged the edges, then added some distress marks with a wadded up tissue dipped into the ink, then onto the card.  I added the stamped panel onto this, and then mounted it all to a card.  

The Blessed die is Spellbinders.  Of course, I had to add just a couple of pearl accents.  

I am sooooo happy when I create in my own style!  

I am adding this card to The Daily Marker 30 day color challenge, and also to the following challenges:

 Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Flower and/or Fauna

Penny Black At Allsorts - Anything Goes with a stamp 


Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Please come on back tomorrow!

Blessings,

lynda

Rainbow Butterfly Card

With all that's going on in the world, I wanted my art to make a statement.  When I thought about what to make for The Daily Marker Color Challenge , I knew I wanted to use this awesome butterfly from Stampin' Up (called Swallowtail).  As far as colors, I thought about yellows and oranges, then blues and greens.  But as I thought about my desire for my art to be a vehicle for showing love and caring to the hurting people in the world, I knew exactly what I was going to do.

I used distress markers to 'paint' the butterfly, after I taped off a square so that only part of the butterfly would show.  I used my Clarity brush to add the soft blue background.  As I looked through my stash for a verse, I came across this oldie but goodie Mahatma Gandhi quote.  I'm sorry, I do not know the company, as I had removed the stamp from the wood, and neglected to write it down.  Urrrrgh.

I decided to let the art speak for itself, and kept it clean and simple.  I know.....twice in ONE week.  Not a small feat for me, who likes to embellish!  I just layered the panel onto a card using craft foam to give it some dimension.  That's it.

I hope you are staying cool today.  I stayed in most of the day. This morning hubby and I went to the gym, then he had to pick up some items from Walmart to fix the toilet, so I wandered in with him.  Surprise.....they have back to school stuff out already!!!  Wow!  I have to admit, though, when I see all those notebooks, markers and pens, journals, organizers, I salivate just a little.  I used to love getting all new things for my daughter when she was little....especially new crayons.  There's something about opening that new box of crayons and smelling that glorious color-fest of wax!  Over the edge.
But, I digress.  

I am also adding this card to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge  - Flora and Fauna
Addicted To Stamps - Challenge 202 Make Your Mark
Virginia's View Challenge  - All About Colors

I'm so glad you stopped in today for a little visit.  I hope you have a chance to do something you love today.  

Blessings,

lynda


 

Live Life In Full Bloom

Today's card is definitely not clean and simple!  I'm baaaaaack!!  I had so much fun making this.....

 It is actually not a card.  For part of her Christmas gift, I gave my bestie a display stand (just like the one I have and use for my pictures I post), along with a quote with stamped art.  Then, throughout the year, I make card fronts, panels, or collages with inspirational and uplifting quotes.  Then every time she gets a new one from me, she changes the display.  She keeps it on the island in her kitchen, where she sees it every day.  I try to make one per month, but sometimes time gets away from me; but eventually I do catch up, so then she gets two or three very close to each other!  
So, for this one, I used watercolor paper, cut to about 6.5 x 5".  I stamped and embossed with gold flowers and leaves from Impression-Obsession's clear set CL109 Damask Floral.  Kathy at The Daily Marker made some cards using doodle stamps, and watercolored them.  Since I am adding this the the 30 day color challenge there, I decided to use these doodle-like stamps for my project. 
 I watercolored the images using TH distress inks in shades of purples and greens/blues.  I stamped a few extra leaves and flowers, and layered them onto the composition, using foam tape on some of them for added dimension and interest.  
For the verse, I used IO's stamp D19119 Oval Word-Full Bloom.  I wanted it to be in gold, to carry the gold out from the composition.  So I stamped it very lightly with antique linen ink (second generation), then I painted over it with my Fine Tec gold paints, with a fine watercolor brush.  
A few sprinkles of gold and purple, and some Swarovski crystals were the finishing touches. 
I mounted the panel onto a shimmery blue card stock.  

Here are some close-ups of details:

 

Can't wait to give this to her!

I am also adding this to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Flora and/or Fauna
Addicted To Stamps - Anything Goes
Virginia's View Challenge - All About Colors
Art Impressions Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today.  Enjoy your week, and try to stay cool!

Blessings,
lynda 

One For The Boys - Masculine Card

Today is Day seven of the 30 day color challenge at The Daily Marker blog.   For my card today, I decided to go monochromatic, using grays.  Since I need some masculine cards, I decided to make one today....

 The stamps are Art Impressions, an oldie but goodie (clear stamp masculine set).  I inked the fish and sign with hickory smoke and black soot distress inks onto various shades of gray card stock.  I also stamped a word background onto a panel of card stock, and cut it and another panel into banners.  I embossed the vertical gray strip, added it to a light gray card, then added the banners.  I used foam tape to give the fish dimension, and the same with the Celebrate Life sign.  I sponged some ink along the edges.

There are a couple of fishermen in my life, so this card will be used very shortly.  

I am adding this to these other challenges:

Art Impressions - Anything Goes
Allsorts Challenge - One For The Boys
Little Red Wagon - It's Summertime

Thanks for visiting today.  I'll be back tomorrow with day eight!  
Hope you are staying cool!

Blessings,

lynda

Day Six - 30 Day Color Challenge

Just a really quick post today, so I can get my card up for the 30 Day Color Challenge at The Daily Marker .  

 I do not remember what this technique is called.  I started out with a black card stock panel, and stamped a Magenta stamp (sorry...I don't know the number) onto the panel using white Colorbox pigment ink.  I let the ink dry overnight (or you can use a heat tool to dry it more quickly).  

Then I used Prismacolor colored pencils to color all of the white areas.  That's it!  Easy-Peasy, but it really has a great colorful look, I think.

I did use my gold pen to color the dots in the design.  I think the gold really adds highlights to the piece.  Then I layered, added the sentiment (Hero Arts), and called it finished!

Thanks for visiting.  See you tomorrow.

Blessings,

lynda

Single Layer Watercolor Card

I am stepping way outside my comfort zone with this card.  I decided to really challenge myself and do a clean and simple, one layer card.  No sequins.  No pearls.  No ribbon, layers, or embellishments.  It feels unfinished to me....I am dying to add something.  Even three little pearls.  But, I did it.  It's finished, and I am going to let it go.....

 I used Impression-Obsession stamps.  The bird is E7716 cling stamp, and the verse is an oldie, but one of my faves, a Kahlil Gibran quote.  Sorry, I do not have the item number from that one, as I unmounted the stamp and neglected to write it down.  

I inked the bird with pumice stone distress ink and spritzed it onto watercolor paper.  I used the misti, as I knew I would be layering colors, and couldn't have done it without this awesome tool!  While the ink was still wet, I added some other shades, weathered wood, iced spruce, and frayed burlap, gathered twigs, and ground espresso with my watercolor brush.  When that dried, I carefully inked the stamp in sections, using my distress minis to put color where I wanted it on the stamp.  Then I stamped over the  image, and all the lovely detail came back.  Love. My. Misti.

I cut a mask of the bird, then used my other favorite tool, my Clarity stencil brushes, to brush some tumbled glass, salty ocean, shabby shutters, and pine needles around the image.  Finally, I finished with the verse, which I stamped with rich cocoa Memento ink.

I mounted the panel onto a card base, and called it finished.  I had to walk away, as the urge to do more was almost irresistible!

So, I am adding my card to these challenges:
The Daily Marker - Day five of 30 day color challenge
Addicted To Stamps - # 201 Anything Goes 
Less Is More - One Layer challenge - theme is Time
Little Red Wagon  - 349 It's Summertime!

How many of you think that now that I took the picture I went back and added something?  Well, I'm proud to say I did not.  The more I look at it, I kind of like the simplicity of it.  It's growing on me.

But, now I need to make another card so I can play with my embellishments.

Thank you for visiting today.  I'll be back tomorrow with day six of the color challenge.  Enjoy your weekend!

Blessings,

lynda

Day To Celebrate Card

Today is day four of the 30 day color challenge at The Daily Marker 
Here's my card...

 I decided to do some color lifting for today's post.  I used Penny Black stamps, Asters 3368K and a day to celebrate from the gratitude clear stamp set 30-105.

I started by blending distress inks on a watercolor panel.  Colors were candied apple, fired brick, mustard seed, crushed olive, and peeled paint.  I used sponge daubers to blend the ink.  Next, I spritzed the asters stamp with plain water, and 'stamped' it onto the colored panel.  I repeated a time or two.  After a few seconds, I soaked up the excess water with a paper towel, and the ink lifted off the background where the wet flower stamp was!  I love this technique..it is so much fun...like magic!  I inked the stamp with the distress pads, and stamped it here and there also.  

I created some water drop spots by letting drops of water fall from my fingers onto the card, then lifted those.  I also used the PB script background stamp to intermittently add script.

The sentiment was embossed with white embossing powder, and some red/green fibers wrapped around.  A few pearls finished off the panel, then I attached it to a white card, using craft foam for dimension.

I am also adding this card to these challenges:

Penny Black At Allsorts - Anything Goes with a stamp
Addicted To Stamps - # 201 Anything Goes
Color Throwdown - Use red, olive, and white

Thank you for visiting!  See you tomorro

Blessings,

lynda

 


 

Wildflower Watercolor Card

Whew....it's another hot one today.  I spent most of my day at a friend's house, playing with some of her new stamps.  She had air conditioning.  'nuff said!

Back home in my sauna craftroom, I finished a card I had started a while back.  I used cracked pistachio to watercolor some color loosly on the watercolor panel for a background.  Next, I used the Tim Holtz wildflower stencil THS035 to sponge distress inks in peacock feathers, salty ocean, cracked pistachio, mermaid lagoon, hickory smoke, and black soot over the background when it was dry.

I added some intermittent script with the Hero Arts H2385 script stamp, and also sponged some ink through a screen for added textural effect.  

I used a white card base, layered with gray card stock, and a panel of card stock to match the inks along the left side.  I stamped some of the text die on that panel as well.  I die cut the stamped panel with a Spellbinders die, layered it onto craft foam for dimension, and added it to the card.  Next I die cut the 'thanks' die (Lawn Fawn) and added it to the card.

I am adding my card to the The Daily Marker - Day 3 color challenge.

Thank you for visiting.  See you tomorrow!

Blessings,

lynda

Sing A New Song

The temperature reached 91 degrees here today, and in my upstairs craft room I felt every bit of that, and more.  We do not have air conditioning, and the fan in the corner of the room can only do so much.  And it kept blowing my papers around.  So, I made this card in stages.

 

I inked the stamp (Flourishes - Spring Has Sprung clear set) with Memento brown ink, and watercolored it downstairs where it was a bit....a little bit....cooler.

I stamped the sentiment (from the same set), die cut the image piece with my oval die, backed with the oval scalloped die.  

The blue mulberry paper was from my stash.  I just finished cleaning, purging, sorting, reorganizing my craft room, and found several items I hadn't used in quite some time.  My stash of mulberry papers just called to me.  I used to use it all the time.  I love the way it creates the perfect background.  I will be using it more now that it has come out of hiding.  I love tearing the edges to give it a feathery, light look.

I am adding my card to these challenges:

The Daily Marker - 30 Day Color Challenge - day two

Freshly Made Sketches - FMS244 sketch

Addicted To Stamps - Anything Goes #201

Seize The Birthday - Birds, Bees, or Butterflies

Thank you for stopping in.  Be sure to visit these blogs to check out the awesome entries to these challenges.  Why not give one of them a try!

Blessings,

lynda 

 

Special Day Card

It's kind of crazy at my house right now.  We are having some weatherization work done, and workers are coming and going, making lots of noise, asking questions, yadda, yadda.  So, I've retreated to my craft room and left hubby to deal with them for a few minutes while I put the finishing touches on today's card and get my blog post up.  Here it is, hot off the press......

Front of card

 

 

 

Inside of card

I stamped the Penny Black cling stamp "Softly 40-319 onto watercolor paper, using Tim Holtz distress markers in spun sugar and shabby shutters.  Using the distress ink pads, I water colored the images in the no-line coloring fashion.  The colors I used were spun sugar, worn lipstick, picked raspberry, and candied apple for the flowers, and shabby shutters, peeled paint, and forest moss for the leaves and stems.

For the background, I brushed shabby shutters along the outside edges very lightly with a Clarity stencil brush, creating a light, soft hazy area.  Then I inked some Penny Black stamps up with the same ink, and stamped them over the brushed area.  Stamps used on the background are Deco Border 2653F, Swirl Border 1969B, and Letter Background 1999L.

The verse 'on your special day' is from the PB clear set Gratitude 30-105.  I love the beautiful fonts on many of the verses in this set.  I stamped and embossed it in gold embossing.

To balance the gold embossed verse, I mounted the panel onto a gold paper from my stash, and onto a white card.  From the same gold paper, I die cut the swirl twice (PB Scrolls 51-013), layered them together for depth, and added it to the left edge of the card, to balance the gold in the verse.  To finish it off, I punched some small circles from the same gold with my Cropodile, and added them here and there to the card front.

For the inside of the card, I used the same ink colors, and sponged them through the PB stencil Promenade 25-001, and the same technique with the brushing and stamping along the left side.

I am adding my card to these challenges:

The Daily Marker - 30 Day Color Challenge Day One
Penny Black At Allsorts - Anything Goes (With a stamp)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Virginia's View Challenge - All About Colors

Thank you for stopping by.  I am going to rescue my husband now.  Hope to see you here tomorrow for day two of the 30 Day Color Challenge.  Stop in at the above blogs and leave some love if you can.  

Blessings,

lynda
 



I

Cheery Wishes Card

Today is the longest day of the year.  Tonight the sky will show off a strawberry moon, which happens only when the full moon coincides with the summer solstice.

I don't know why I felt compelled to share that with you, but, hey, why not?!  

So, on to today's card....

 

I stamped the pussy willows from the Penny Black delicate florals 40-103 cling set onto a distressed white panel using permanent ink.  I rubbed some bundled sage distress ink onto my craft mat, and  used a watercolor brush to apply the ink to my card.  I added some peeled paint ink to the base of the pussy willows, and to the leaves.  I added the verse, and some clear sequins, and that was that.  Clean and simple.  

Just some layering onto soft green textured card stock, then onto a white card finished off the card.

I am adding my card to these challenges:

Penny Black At Allsorts - Flower Power

Addicted To Stamps Challenge - Anything Summer

Allsorts Challenge - How Does Your Garden Grow

Thank you for visiting today.  Enjoy the rest of this longest day!

Blessings,

lynda 

 

Impression-Obsession and Watercolor Lifting

Ah, what a glorious late spring day!  The sun is shining, and it's not too humid, but comfortably warm with a slight breeze.  The hummingbirds and our oriole visitor have been busy around our feeders all morning.  They're so fun to watch.

So, with birds on my mind, I created today's card using Impression-Obsession 's birdhouse die (DIE156-H), and their stamps.  On the colorful background I used one of their awesome cover a card background stamps (CC224 Fancy Leaves).  The sentiment is from the square frames set (WP128).

I totally cased this card from Jennifer McGuire's post HERE.  Click on the link (the highlighted word 'here') to learn the watercolor lifting technique that I used on the rainbow panel behind the bird houses.  Jennifer is an excellent teacher, and the instructions are clear, concise, and easy to follow.  It's a really fun technique, and I know I will be using it to make lots more backgrounds.  I made my card different from hers, but used her general idea and technique.  

I decided to go with rainbow colors, in support of the victims of the Orlando tragedy.  My prayers and condolences go out to their families.

I am adding my card to these challenges:
Impression-Obsession Challenge - Summertime
Virginia's View Challenge - All About Colors
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge - Watercolor

I hope you're having lovely weather where you are, and that you can get out and enjoy it.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog.  Be sure to check out the inspiring cards entered in these challenge blogs, and visit Jennifer's blog to see how easy this watercolor lifting technique is.

Blessings,
lynda

Enjoy The Ride

Hello!  I am stamping and working on a couple of cards for the blog, but today has been so nice, I've just been enjoying the weather.  I do, however, have a card to post today.  I made it a couple of weeks ago.  

 

 The stamp is from Technique Junkies, #SD605 Like a Roller Coaster.  I fell in love with it, and it came home with me from a rubber stamp show recently.

I created the background with the watercolor smoosh technique, using Ranger Tim Holtz distress inks.  When the panel was completely dry, I stamp and embossed the roller coaster in black embossing.  I used a Spellbinders die to cut the panel.  I liked the look of the scalloped edges with the curves of the roller coaster.  

I embossed the thinking of you on a scrap piece of black, used a punch to cut it, and adhered it to a blue scrap, then attached it to the card.  

The card base is watercolor paper, with a matching blue panel along the left side.  I adhered the roller coaster panel to black card stock, rounded the corners, then onto watercolor paper, rounded the corners, then onto the card with foam for dimension, and, you guessed it, rounded the corners.

The final touch was to use my Spectrum Noir clear sparkle brush along the roller coaster.  You can't tell from the picture, but it is really shimmery and kind of jumps right off the card!
Love my sparkle brush!

That's it for today.  I am going to make dinner now, and after dinner I will head up to my craft room and work on these two cards I have going.

Thanks so much for stopping in today.  Hope to see you back soon.  

Blessings,

lynda  

Purple Poppies Birthday Card

I can't seem to stay away from purple!  I love it with greens and blues, purple and white, purple and gray.  All shades of purple....but I'm especially fond of eggplant, and some of the muted shades, with touches of gray and black.....

 

Today's card features Penny Black stamps.  I stamped the purple poppies (40-372 Divine) onto linen texture card stock with my favorite permanent black dye ink (India Ink Black by Superior), inking only one part of one flower of the stamp, then masked the flower, and stamped the other right over part of the mask to make it appear to be behind the first flower.  I really wanted to focus close-up on the flowers for this card.  

I used Tim Holtz distress markers in dusty concord, seedless preserves, and milled lavendar on the poppies.  I start with the lightest shade (milled lavendar) and color an entire petal.  Then I add the medium shade, and kind of flick it into the lighter shade about half way up.  Finally, I add the darkest shade and flick that part of the way up the petal, then go back to the lightest shade and blend it all out.  I add water to soften and complete the watercolor look. 

This works great with these distress markers, because they are made to react with each other, and with water.  When finished, I realized I needed some darker shades near the bottom of the petals and where the petals overlap, so I added tiny touches of black.  I decided not to blend out the flicked lines, as I liked the way they look like veins of the petals.

I shaded the background with a very light coat of seedless preserves, using a Clarity brush and a very light touch.  I stamped some parts of various PB stamps lightly on the background, including 1999L letter background, 2007E scroll border, 1989E harlequin border, and 30-014 salutations (best wishes).  Finally, I dusted in some hickory smoke along the edges of the panel. I adhered teh panel to black, then onto a white linen card.

Best wishes is embossed in white on a piece of black scrap, and adhered with dimensional tape.  Black rhinestones complete the card. 

I am adding my card to the following challenges:

Addicted To Stamps Challenge  - Flowers

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Birthday (in honor of their 8th birthday as a challenge blog - Congratulations)!

Penny Black At Allsorts - Flower Power

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge - watercolor

Thanks so much for stopping in.  Be sure to check out these challenge blogs...it's not too late to enter! 

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

Wishing Peony Card

Greetings!  I'm back in my craft room today.  Took a few days off to do some cleaning and sorting....a 'thing' that happens to me every spring.  I just needed to purge and declutter.  So, now it's back to creating.

Lately I've been loving the grays and eggplant color combination....

This lovely stamp image is from Stampendous (P062 Peony).  The wishing die is Simon Says Stamp, and the birthday phrase is from Simon Says Stamp clear set SSS101475 Sending & Wishing.

I lightly stamped the image using light gray ink onto a light gray panel.  I colored the image with Faber Castell Polychromos colored pencils, using four different grays, and the white for highlights.  Around the image I used an eggplant color from my chalk pastels.  I shaved a little onto some scrap paper, then rubbed it onto my card around the flower using a makeup applicator.  You can see another card and more detail on how to do this HERE .

This card is for the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Make A Wish

Simon Says STamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge - Happy Birthday - in honor of their 7th birthday.

Mojo Monday Sketch 449

Hope you get a chance to stop by these challenges to check out the cards.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Blessings,

lynda

Baseball - Thank You Cards

I was commissioned to make three cards for my friend's son's baseball coach, the baseball bookkeeper, and the baseball coordinator mom.  The school colors are black, purple, and white.  Here's what I came up with.......

For the Coach

For the bookkeeper

For the mom coordinator

This last card is not stamped.  I lettered it with my micron 01 pen, doodled the border, then used colored pencils to color in my designs.  I used Joanne Fink's Zentangle Dangle Designs book as inspiration for my capital T.   It does not show in the picture, but I used the Spectrum Noir glimmer pen over the Thank and the leaves, and they are ever so shimmerly!!  I think I just created a new word...I like it....SHIMMERLY.

I am adding these cards to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Emboss It!

Little Red Wagon - Let's Hear It For The Boys!

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  See you here tomorrow!

Blessings,

lynda

Funky Bird Thank You Card

I thought I would stamp something fun today.  I'm usually all about flowers and leaves.  But today I decided to just have a little fun with color and funky stamps.  Actually, I had some card stock all stamped up with some bird stamps I had stamped when I was with my friend, Karen.  The stamps are by Dyan Reaveley, Dylusion cling stamps.  So, I pulled out my colored pencils, and this happened.....

I sponged color over a Recollections stencil from one of their stamp and stencil sets onto a lime green card, using the small circles stencil and TH distress inks in twisted citron and broken china.  The bird and cheep cheep boxes were stamped on white card stock, and colored with my Faber Castell polychromos colored pencils.  I didn't do anything fancy...just cut out the bird and sayings and did some layering with foam tape, and a touch of the Spectrum Noir sparkle brush for a touch of shimmer.  I did that last step after taking the picture, however.  The Thanks sentiment is from a Printworks clear stamp set (Many Thanks Q003).

Of course, this card is going to Karen.  Not only did I use her stamps, but she sent me home with a couple of dozen home made biscotti.  And boy, are they ever yummy!!  Such a great friend!! 

I'm entering this card in these challenges:

Addicted To Stamps - for the Make Your Mark challenge

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Stencil It!

That's it for today.  Hope you were able to enjoy some of the sunshine today.  Thanks for visiting!

Blessings,

lynda

Agapanthus Cluster Card

Today I have another card using stamps from Stampendous.  I have always loved this agapanthus cluster stamp.  There is something regal about the way they stand so tall and firm.

I had seen this masking technique on Pinterest, and wanted to give credit to the person who posted it, however, when I went back to find it I could not find it!  If anyone knows, please let me know, and I will give her/him credit for the idea.

I do not know how they did theirs, as I did not follow through on the link.  But here is how I did mine.  I started with a white panel and torn paper.  I laid down a piece of the torn paper, then, with my TH distress inks, sponged the first colors, mustard seed and fossilized amber.   Then I tore another sheet, masked off the next section, and sponged candied apple, then repeated the process with faded jeans and peeled paint.

  

Then I simply stamped the aganpanthus cluster over the background and added some white highlights for interest.  The verse is from a clear Stampendous set (SSC039).  I embossed it onto black card stock with white embossing powder.  It seemed to need something, so I ran my black stamp pad along the outer edges to frame it in. 

A few black sequins finished off the front.  The panel is raised onto a white card using fun foam.

I am adding this card to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

CardMaker Facebook Group - Color Your World 

Thanks for stopping in today.

Blessings,

lynda

Day Filled With Sunshine Card

I thought this verse on my card today was appropriate, as it has been raining all day, and all day yesterday.  According to the weather report, we have a couple more days of not-so-springlike weather, then we will start to see some real signs of our long-awaited spring.  

In the meantime, I'm still stamping flowers.....

I was happy to see that the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge was Anything Goes, and they are featuring Stampendous stamps this week.  I just purchased their new cling stamp Cling Sketchy Blooms (CRR251), and really like the way it stamps up.  I used my distress inks to watercolor the image and add the background.  The verse is a Stampendous oldie but goodie, but I dismounted it from the wood, and neglected to write the name and number of it.  I use this one, and several of the other curved script stamps of theirs, a lot.

Addicted To Stamps also has the Anything Goes theme this week, so I have entered that challenge as well.

I will be back tomorrow with another card, with a very different style from today's.

Thank you for stopping by.

Blessings,

lynda