Watercolor Friend Card

The Simon Wednesday Challenge Blog http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/ has a challenge going on called You Gotta Have Friends, and they are showcasing Art Impressions stamps this week.  I made this card for the challenge over on their blog.  Stamps are from the Art Impressions clear watercolor series.

I am also entering it in the Watercolor challenge at the Less is More clean and simple blog http://www.simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/2014/06/week-177-theme.html  .  I rarely keep things clean and simple on my cards, but I used as much restraint as I could muster for this one.

Stop by these blogs when you get a chance and check out the other creations...maybe even enter a card yourself!

Blessings, 

lynda

Distress Markers and Zentangle

Our card ministry group met yesterday.  I wanted to travel lightly and not have to pack half of my craft room, so I brought my Micron pens and journal to work on some Zendoodles.  

For this page I started with a template a friend had made from a Spellbinders die and I traced the butterflies, overlapping  the bottom two.  During the crop, I tangled the insides of the butterflies with patterns.  I added the Einstein quote this morning.  I am not thrilled wih my writing, but am working on lettering techniques, so thought I would just dive right in.  This is the first page of my new journal.  I haven't decided if it's going to be a zentangle journal or a lettering journal.  Maybe it will be both!

I decided to add some color, so pulled out my Tim Holtz distress markers and a water brush.  Since the Micron pen is permanent ink, I just started adding color with my markers and used my water brush to blend.  Here is the finished version:

Have you tried Zentangles?  This is an easy way to get started.  Just trace a template shape, or stamp an open image, and tangle (doodling with patterns) inside the image area.  For more information and ideas about Zentangle, go to www.zentangle.com.

Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings,

lynda

Let Go And Let God

If you have ever been on a spiritual retreat, you know how refreshing and invigorating the experience can be.  Finding time away for a few days, or even a day or two, is difficult for most of us.  While getting away from the distractions of every day life is the ideal way to experience a retreat, fortunately, there are alternatives for when our time and resources are limited.

I learned of an online retreat from a blog that I follow, Thoughts On Grace .  On her blog, Colleen Spiro offers the experience of online retreats.  Colleen is a published author and deacon's wife.  On her website, Catholic Prayer Life , you can find information about her books, newsletters (I subscribe to a weekly publication called Prayerful Morsels where Colleen shares from her heart), and three retreats she is currently offering.  The retreats are free, and what I love about them is they can be "attended" at your convenience.  If you have a few minutes where you can sneak away to a quiet, peaceful place, you can do an online retreat.  

The retreat I chose was her latest, entitled Let Go And Let God.  I knew I had chosen exactly the experience I needed when what I was reading described me.  Yes, I have trouble letting go of my 
worries, pain, and concerns.  Yes, I often try to hand them over to  

God, only to take them back because I have control issues.  Yes, I acknowledge that I have difficulty waiting on God and trusting.  

This experience helped me identify specific areas in my life that are taking the place of Jesus in my heart.  It showed me attitudes and attachments that have been detrimental to my spiritual and emotional growth.  And it gave me hope that, not on my own, but through Jesus I can do anything.

I am a journaler, and chose to write about my thoughts on this retreat.  Personal preference...I love to write.  You may choose to just read each day's selection and then spend some quiet time 
reflecting.  We must do what works for us.  This is the beauty of this type of retreat.  You can do it your way.  This particular one was three days.  You can do them three days in a row. Or whenever you have some time to devote to them.  You can spend a few stolen 
minutes, or a couple of hours, whatever fits your mood or 
limitations.


I am also an artist and often use my art as a vehicle to express my feelings.  After these three days, I was drawing in my Zentangle journal.   Zentangle is a form of doodling, for lack of a better word.  More about that in another post.  What developed from that is this ZIA (Zentangle inspired art) piece at the beginning of this article, which I will add to my prayer journal.  As I drew my tangles (all those strokes that form a Zentangle), and prayed, I wrote those things which I have a difficult time letting go of and made them part of my artwork.

I hope you will take a moment to check out Colleen's blog, website, and retreats.  The links are above, highlighted.  Let me know what you think.  If you decide to try one of the retreats, let me know about your experience.

Blessings,
lynda

Distress ink background card

A quick post after a very busy day.  I can post this card now that my BFF received it.  I love making these "spot backgrounds" with my distress inks.  I used mowed grass and peeled paint and scattered straw.  I made a mask out of paper the size of the card with a rectangle cut out of it and sponged the inks through the opening.  After removing the template, I stamped with a splatter stamp and with the leaves.  Very quick and easy card to make...

I am entering this card in the Less Is More challenge here http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com

Hope you're having a great day.

Blessings,

lynda

Embossing Folder Stamping

There is a tutorial on SplitCoastStampers on embossing folder stamping.  I'm always looking for multiple ways to use my stamping supplies.  Using out embossing plates as stamps sounded intriguing, so I thought I'd try it.  I made a few of the backgrounds wih the geometric shaped folders, and those were very artsy...love the look.  Here is he tutorial if you would like to try it

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/embossingfolderstamping/

For my card today, I decided to try one of my beautiful Anna Griffin floral background folders.  I used Tim Holtz distress inks in spun sugar, picked raspberry, shabby shutters, and peeled paint.  Here's my card....

I sponged around the panel before mounting it to my card to soften the look.

The flower was made with watercolor paper and a flower die with distress ink.  I will post directions for the flower on a future post.

I am entering this card in the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge 

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-4/

I have been doing lots of zentangles these past couple of weeks.  Seems I've had a lot of stress and they really help me channel the tension and stress in a creative and very relaxing way.  I decided to take a break from the zentangles tonight and make a couple of cards.  I will post the other one when the person I am sending it to receives it.

Blessings,

lynda

Dragonfly Flurry Thank You Card

      I just love this Magenta stamp...it is my all-time favorite of theirs.  I find myself reaching for it often. It's so happy and carefree in style.  I created the background using the direct to paper technique with Colorbox inks, then stamped the image over the background with India Ink Black ink.  A few strokes with purple, green, and white colored pencils, and the background was finished.  All stamps are Magenta... background embossing is Cuttlebug.  I traced the tag and cut it out.
      This is the challenge I entered from Case This Sketch here  http://casethissketch.blogspot.de/2014/05/case-this-sketch-75.html
      And here is my card

Blessings,

lynda

Mother's Day Watercolor Cards

A quick post to tonight so that I can get my Mother's Day cards to my daughter and mother-in-law up. I used a technique I found on Laura Fadora's blog.  The video of how to do it is here.... http://laurafadora.wordpress.com/2014/04/07/virginias-view-challenge-2/

I found some mini stencils I had from Hampton Arts in the Ditto line.  I used Tim Holtz distress inks frayed burlap, worn lipstick, and spiced marmalade.  The die is Spellbinders Garden Weave.  On the daughter card, I sponged through the die cut for the background.  On the orange and pink card, I used a Hero Arts stamp for the background.  I used the mini blending tool to color the dies.

Without further ado....

Close up

...the die is raised on foam tape.

I am entering this card in the Simon Says Stamp spring flower challenge here http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

Close up

I wish all mothers, grandmothers. god mothers. Foster mothers, and mentors a very Happy Mother's Day!

Blessings,

lynda

Hero Arts Soft and Pretty

This card will wrap up my Throwback Stamping Technique series this weekend.  It has been fun playing around with techniques we learned years ago.  Today, I used one of Hero Arts shadow stamps.  I will never let go of these stamps, as I love the effect of the soft shadow to anchor your image

I made my card base from white linen textured card stock.  I used the Tim Holtz blending tool to create a graduated pink to white background.

 I inked the E2054 with Marvy bubble gum pink and stamped off once, then stamped the shadow on linen texture card stock.  I pressed harder on the edges so that they would be more prominent.  Love that dark edge!

Next, I stamped the poppy stamp (sorry, mine is off the wood, so I do not know the stamp number) onto the shadow block I had just stamped, and also on some scrap linen card stock three times  I used some of the ink and a Dove blender to lightly color the poppies on the scrap piece.  Then cut them out and popped them up on the card with foam tape.  Finally, I stamped the phrase C3029.

 

I am entering this card in The Hero Arts Sketch Challenge here http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2014/04/10/new-sketch-challenge/

I hope you had an opportunity to stamp some this weekend.

Blessings,

lynda

Throwback Stamping Techniques

Lately there has been a lot of "throwback" activity on Facebook.  I haven't gotten into it on FB, but it seems I've gone throwback with stamping techniques this weekend.

In my last two posts, I revisited direct to paper inking.  Scroll down to check those out if you like.  Today's card involves not only direct to paper on the main image, but also distressing a book page, and for the background a technique with grocery paper bags, and finally dying seam binding....see this post for seam binding technique http://www.paperartscafe.blogspot.com/2011/02/technique-tuesday-crinkled-ribbon-for.htmlSome of these techniques only go back a couple of years, while others have been around at least twenty years!

The main background of his card was done on the paper bag.  I just took a paper bag and wadded it up to get it good and wrinkled.  You want lots of creases in it.  Then I flattened it out, and used foam applicators to apply acrylic paints. Just add some colors that go well together to create a pleasing collage of colors.  I like adding some metallic paint as well, like the gold I added to his background.  When it is dry, you have some gorgeous backgrounds to use for cards, journals, boxes, any paper craft project.

Now I'm off to church, then a Cinco de Mayo party!

Blessings friends,

lynda

More Magenta and Direct-to-Paper

I'm having so much fun with my Magenta stamps, and Colorbox cat's eye pigment pads.  Thought I'd try to coax spring into being here in upstate New York.  It's still quite cool, and damp!  I embossed these Magenta images, and applied ink directly from the pads over the images, then softened and blended the inks and removed from the embossing with a tissue.

     I'm using a sketch from the Mojo Monday blog challenge and entered this card here http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2014/04/mojo-monday-343.html      I am also entering this in the Magenta Anything Goes challenge here  http://lestylemagenta.blogspot.ca/2014/05/defi-magenta-mai-2014-may-2014-magenta.html    .

And here is my card

That's it for today.  Hope to be back at it tomorrow!  Stop in and say howdy!

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

Faux Glass Flowers

I told you I would be back with another post about what I have been up to this weekend.  These glass-like flowers are actually made from recycled plastic.  I used the plastic packaging from my Spellbinders dies.  Feeling really good about my contribution to earth day!

I used the tutorial from Mary Dimercurio Prasad which I found on Splitcoaststampers.  Here is the link to the tutorial and utube tutorial 

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/fauxglassflowers/

I had lots of fun with these.  I wanted to make another project using them for today's post,  but hung out with my hubby for a while today, and the rest of the day I spent trying to if d the top of my stamping table and organizing.  But if you scroll down to the previous post that I did yesterday, you will see a cars I used one on.  I didn't stamp the words or music on the one on the card...I forgot.  But it's still cute!  That post has a link to another great technique by Jennifer McGuire called faux texture inking...much fun.

Well, I'm going to call it a night.  See you tomorrow... Be sure to stop back this week for more stamping fun!

Blessings,

lynda

Textured Effects With Inks

It has been a long week as I have been trying to recoup from bronchitis. I still have a killer cough and aches, but getting better slowly.  Since they didn't want me spreading germs at work, I've been home much of the week.  As a church secretary, there were a few times I had to go in for a few hours to make sure the bulletin was finished and published, and the right things were finished and in the right place for weekend liturgical ministers and priests.  But other than that and the fact that all my body wanted to do was sleep, I actually found some energy to play a little in my craft room.  Surfing the internet during the 'too sick and too tired to do much' time, I found some interesting stamping techniques and more to try.
In this post, I wanted to try a technique I found on Jennifer McGuire's post. It uses.nylon mesh with a stencil to create a faux texture.  Jennifer's post with a link to her utube tutorial is here:  http://www.jennifermcguireink.com/2014/04/video-faux-texture-inking-mini-distress-ink-pad-giveaway.html
Here is the card I made using this technique:

I really enjoyed this technique.  The stencil is one that I won from a MagentaStyle challenge from some of their fabulous new line.  That little glass-like flower I made from plastic I recycled from a piece of plastic from a die packaging!  Come back tomorrow for a post on how I did that...I had so much fun making those.

I checked Home Depot for the nylon screening, but didn't want to purchase the whole huge roll just for this technique.  As luck would have it, a handy-man friend of ours had some in his garage he was going to get rid of....very good timing on my part!
That's it for tonight.  I'm getting sleepy, and this cough is getting to me.  Come back tomorrow!

Blessings,

lynda

MagentaStyle Challenge - Spring Card

Just a quick post to enter my card in the Magenta Spring Card challenge.  Today is the last day.  You can check out the challenge and Magenta's fabulous new lines here at http://lestylemagenta.blogspot.ca/2014/03/defi-magenta-mars-2014-march-2014.html .

Here is my card for the challenge

The stamped panel was stamped on watercolor paper with Magents's C0418.  I warercolored it with Distress Inks in bundled sage and frayed burlap.  The background was a stencil and I sponged the same two inks through the stencil for the pattern.  I dyed the white seam binding with the inks so that it would match perfectly.  The Thank You is a Magenta Peel Off, which I colored with the Peel Off markers before placing it on the card.

I am looking forward to seeing some green leaves on our trees soon.  In the meantime, I will stamp spring!

Blessings,

lynda

Blessing of The Heart Card For a Friend

Just a quick post to get this card up.  Busy Saturday here.  Lots of chores and errands to do, then Mass followed by our St. Pat's party at church.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Blessings,
lynda

Tulip Card

A quick post tonight to get the second card from Sunday's watercolor fest (see previous post).  I entered this card in the Mojo Monday sketch challenge at http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2014/03/mojo-monday-337.html .

Here's the sketch....

Here is my card....

I still have lots of the watercolor pieces left, so stop back later in the week and I will post the rest of the cards I make from them.

See you soon!

Blessings,

lynda

Watercolor Tiptoe Through The Tulips

I had my blog post all written, and somehow wiped it out, so her I go again.  I played with my Tim Holtz Distress Inks today with watercolor paper and Hero Arts stamps.  I started by spritzing the paper with water until it was wet but not dripping.   On some of these panels, the ones with the yellow and pink colored background, I created that effect by dabbing my ink pads on my craft mat, spritzing the craft mat with water until the ink blotches were very wet, then placed the blank watercolor card panel into the ink on the mat.  Next, I inked up the tulip stamp, spritzed it lightly, and stamped it onto the wet paper.  This created those fuzzy, faded tulips in the background.  I dried the paper with my heat tool, and when dry, I inked up the stamp again, spritzed the stamp this time, lightly, and stamped it over the others on the dry watercolor paper.  I added some ferns, and created splatters by dabbing my ink pads on my craft mat, then adding water and dipping my water brush into the ink and water, then flicking the color onto the card panels. 

And here is my first card:

Stop back tomorrow for more ideas from this watercolor session.

Blessings,

lynda

Sunshine Wishes

I'm getting my purple fix tonight with this card.  Penny Black stamps #3122 Sunshine and #3657 Wishes.....

I used several other PB stamps in the background, as well.  I had removed these from their blocks, so do not know the names and numbers.  

Inks are Tim Holtz Distress inks.  I inked the flower with milled lavender and dusty concord, crushed olive and forest moss, spritzed with water and stamped.  A little background stamping, a little distressing and I'm finished.

How you enjoyed your weekend.  Now I'm off to get things ready for work tomorrow.  Morning starts early.

Blessings, 

lynda

A Friend Inspires The Soul To Blossom Watercolor Card

I promised I would be back today with a card.  This was made for a wonderful friend, and now that she has received it, I can post it.  It is another card from the blue and green warercolored paper I made a few days ago.  Hope you enjoy it.  

Be sure to stop back tomorrow when I will have some finished cards from yesterday and today's stamping times!

Blessings,

lynda

Hope...a card from the heart

My card today sort of evolved as I stamped and colored and tried to make sense of and get control of my feelings.  It has been a difficult couple of weeks, with the devastating news of a dear friend's stage four endometrial cancer.  

I have known our dear Jackie for three years.  She was the cook/housekeeper at our church, where I am the secretary.  Jackie worked every Wednesday, and spent some time between chores in my office.  We joked that she was coming to confession when she sat in the chair in front of my desk.  We laughed together, we cried, we talked about everything and nothing.  She made me smile...she made everyone smile.  Her sassy countenance was a refreshing divergence from the every day frustrations our jobs brought.  I could feel myself perk up just knowing it was Wednesday and Jackie would be in.  

As I worked, Jackie's personality wiggled its way into my composition.  I chose yellow...vibrant, fun, soothing, promising in its playful hues.  Yellow is the color I choose to ascribe to Jackie....her kind smile and playful laugh that drew you in; her pride and joy when she spoke of her grandchildren, her nurturing yet straightforward nature....yes, it must be yellow.   Bright and full of life and joy and energy...and just a hint of irreverence.

When our pastor moved to another parish, it meant we no longer needed a housekeeper, so Jackie moved on to another parish.  But she stopped in now and then, and we kept in touch.  She met some of us for lunch regularly, and we always had the loudest table in the restaurant with all of us laughing at her outlandish stories.  

All too quickly, Jackie's visits became less frequent.  It was difficult to reach her by phone, and she missed a couple of our lunches.   And then the news.  Cruel.  Fragmented.  Cold.  Devastating.  And now the words no one wants to say, or hear, but must be talked about.....metasticized, chemo, surgery, hospice.  

Hence the word that emerged on my artwork....Hope.  Hope, because Jackie is a gift to each of us whose lives she has touched.  Hope, because even in sickness Jackie talks about life, and how good hers has been.   Hope, because hope keeps us going and gives us strength to be there for Jackie in whatever way she needs us to be.

I ask you for a favor today....please whisper a prayer for Jackie.  And every time you see yellow this week, smile and send another prayer on its way....for her, and for those who love her and are walking with her through this valley.   

Thank you.

lynda