Cattails

Hi there!  Today I'm sharing a card made for the current challenge at Color Throwdown, using the beautiful combination of aqua/turquoise, green and gray.

ctd 512

I've had a wonderful Cattail triptych die for a while that has been begging to be used, so I thought this color combo would work beautifully, with the green and aqua ink blended behind the die cut images.  I used Distress Inks on Bristol to create the background, then added the die cut panel with foam tape, lots and lots of little pieces of foam tape....

Keeping things simple I added a Tiny Words sentiment and some sequins to finish things off.

Thanks for visiting, it's always so appreciated!  I've added a link to the challenge above, so be sure to head over there and check out all the amazing inspiration!

Stef


Product details

Stamps:  Tiny Words (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Koh-I-Noor Bristol, Smoky Slate (SU)
Ink:  Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint, Peacock Feathers (Distress Ink)
Other:  Cattail Triptych die (SSS), Sparkling Clear Sequins (PPP)
 

Bundles of Hugs

Hi there and welcome back!  I have a card to share that I made for three challenges-the current sketch challenge at The Paper Players, the inspiration challenge at Just Us Girls and the current Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.

PP #411

Just Us Girls #459

SSS Wednesday Challenge

For my card I decided to use images from the Fall Friends stamp set from MFT, just because I love these cute images and I knew the little girl and her squirrel buddy would fit on a circle that would work well for the sketch.

The stamped images were colored with Copic markers and die cut with the companion dies then set aside.  I also used a couple of colored pencils to darken the shading on the little girls's hat, jacket, skirt and boots.  The circle was die cut from Koh-I-Noor Bristol paper then sponged with Distress Oxide inks, the clouds created with a stencil.  I adhered the images to the circle then set to work on the craft panel.

After using a scallop stitched rectangle die to cut the panel, post it tape was used to mask off the scallop edges, then the leaf, pumpkin and acorn images were stamped randomly over the panel.  I then used a brown Copic marker to fill in some of the open spaces with dots and heat embossed the sentiment.  The panel was cut at an angle, then added to the card base with fun foam.  Lastly the circle with the main images and a few scattered Dew Drops were added.

Thanks so much for visiting, it's always so appreciated!  I've added links above to all three challenges, so I hope you'll go check them out.

Stef


Product details
Stamps:  Fall Friends (MFT)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White and Desert Storm, Koh-I-Noor Bristol
Ink:  Gina K Amalgamated Black, Crumb Cake; DO:  Tumbled Glass, Peeled Paint
Other:  Card Front Element Builder Sugarcut (scallop rectangle/SugarPea Designs), Layering Circle die (SU), Fall Friends companion dies, Hero Arts White Embossing Powder,
Dew Drops, Copic markers, Prismacolor Colored Pencils
 

Plaid Birthday

Hi there and welcome back!  It's time for a new Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers!  I'm hosting this week and have chosen Shaded Spruce, Mango Melody and Grapefruit Grove with a dessert challenge to use polka dots, stripes or plaid.

I've seen a few videos about making your own plaid pattern without plaid making stamps so I decided to give it a try since we are coming up to flannel weather.  I pulled out a panel of Bristol paper, took two strips of Post It tape to mark off the stripes (lining it up straight with the Stampin' Up grid paper underneath) then used a Ranger ink blending tool to apply the color.  I went across the panel alternating the colors, plus the size of the inked strips and white space in between.  I then turned the panel 45 degrees and went the other direction using the same colors and pattern.  Lots of ink on my fingers but it was fun to make!  After drying the ink with my heat tool, I used a stitched rectangle die to trim it down.

On two separate pieces of watercolor paper I did a watercolor wash of Shaded Spruce alone and one with Shaded Spruce and Mango Melody, being careful to add one color, let it dry then add the other so they did not mix and create mud!  Once dry, the leaves were die cut from them, adhered together at the top then wrapped with a bit of linen thread.  The sentiment die was cut three times from white card stock, layered and added to the plaid panel along with the leaves, and the entire then adhered to the Desert Storm layer with foam tape.  No embellishments since the plaid was so busy.

Thanks for visiting, it's always so appreciated!  I've added a link to the Color Challenge above, so I hope you'll use it to check it out and hopefully join in this week!

Stef


Product details
Stamps:  None
Paper:  Neenah Solar White and Desert Storm, Koh-I-Noor Bristol, Canson XL watercolor
Ink:  Shaded Spruce, Mango Melody, Grapefruit Grove
Other:  Happy Birthday Script and Stitched Rectangle dies (Simon Says Stamp), Layered Leaves Die-namics (MFT), Linen Thread (SU), Ranger Ink Blending tools, Post It 2" inch tape
 

Magnolia

Hi there!  It's time for a new Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers!  Karen is hosting this week and she has chosen the lovely combination of Berry Burst, Pool Party and Soft Suede, with a dessert option to use a solid stamp, which I chose to pass on this week.

The beautiful magnolia stamp was inked up and stamped on Neenah card stock, then colored with Copic markers in colors similar to the challenge colors.  For the leaves, the color is similar to Mossy Meadow and the halo around the flower akin to Pool Party.  The trimmed down panel was layered on a piece of Soft Suede card stock then popped up with fun foam on the scallop edged Berry Burst panel.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set as the magnolia (listed below).  The final touch was to add a few Ivory Seashell Nuvo Drops.

Thanks so much for visiting, it's always so appreciated!  I hope you'll use the link above to check out the Color Challenge and hopefully join us this week!

Stef


Product details
Stamps:  Magnificent Magnolia (Clearly Besotted/Simon Says Stamp Stamptember collaboration)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Soft Suede, Berry Burst
Ink:  Gina K Amalgamate Jet Black
Other:  Small Oval punch (SU), Card Front Element Builder (scallop die/SugarPea Designs), Tonic Nuvo Ivory Seashell Crystal Drops; Copic markers:  RV00,02,04,06,09,E33,35,YG61,63,BG1,B0000
 

Sending Hugs

Hi there, crafty friends!  I have a card to share that I made with the new Fall Friends from MFT.  This stamp set has so many cute images, I am just over the moon about it.  To create my card I used the current challenges at Color Throwdown and MFT Weekly Sketch Challenge.  I'm also joining the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge to "Pop it Up".

CTD #510

MFTWSC #402

SSS Wed Challenge "Pop it Up"

I started with a panel of Neenah Solar White, stamped the images with MFT Extreme Black ink then set about coloring with Copic markers, using the Color Throwdown colors.  Once colored I used the companion dies to cut out them.

To create a scene for our cute pumpkin sitter and her squirrel friend, I die cut olive card stock with a couple of hillside dies then added to a small panel with some stenciled clouds.  I then added the images and sentiment popping up the squirrel, sentiment and back of the girl with foam tape.  For the base I stamped a pumpkin, acorn and various leaf images, along with a dot stamp with Simon Says Stamp Barely Beige ink, then used foam tape to adhere the focal panel.

That finishes up my card.  Thanks so much for visiting, it's always so appreciated!  I've added links to the challenges above, so be sure to visit and enjoy all the wonderful inspiration!

Stef


Product details
Stamps:  Fall Friends, Greetings Galore (MFT), Kind (3 dot stamp/SSS)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White and Desert Storm, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Strathmore Bristol
Ink:  MFT Extreme Black, Versamark, Barely Beige, Tumbled Glass
Other:  Fall Friends Companion dies, Stitched Hillside dies (Lawn Fawn), Hero Arts White embossing powder, Clouds stencil (MFT), Copic markers:  R14,20,24,29,35,37,39, YR04,07,12,15,18,21,23,24,27,Y0215,17, E00,11,19,31,35,37,50,51,53
 

Sticky Note

Hello there friends!  It's time for a new Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers!  Jeanne is hosting this week and she has chosen the combination of Coastal Cabana, Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green and Daffodil Delight.  The dessert option is "Make it Summer", a last fling with the bright colors of summer before the onset of fall in a week and a half.

I've been looking forward to coloring up these darling cacti from Penny Black and Jeanne's colors gave me the perfect reason to do so.  Using Copic markers, I followed the suggested coloring on the stamp set package because it was very similar to the challenge colors.  It also worked out to keep the vases white with a bit of gray to create shadows, so I could add the aqua and bright yellow background.  There wasn't much territory in the scene to add the flamingo color other than the small cactus flowers, so I stamped a different tiny flower with Flirty Flamingo ink next to the sentiment.

After the coloring was complete I trimmed it way down, mainly because the yellow was just so overwhelmingly bright!  Layering the panel on black and adding the black and white Baker's Twine helped tone things down a bit too, plus reducing the size of the panel provided room above to add the sentiment.

Thanks so much for visiting, it's always so appreciated!  I've added a link to SCS above so I hope you'll head over there to check out the Color Challenge and hopefully play along!

Stef


Product details
Stamps:  Happy Together (cacti/Penny Black), Sentiment Sampler (Paper Smooches), Smiling (flower/Waffle Flower)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Black
Ink:  MFT Extreme Black, Versafine Onyx Black (sentiment), Flirty Flamingo
Other:  Black Baker's Twine, Copic markers:  Y02, 06; YG01,13, 17, 67; BG 11,13,15;
B000; R32,22; C1,3,5
 

Happy Blooms

Hi there friends!  It's time for a new Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers!  I am the host this week and have chosen the colors Gorgeous Grape, Balmy Blue, Soft Sea Foam and Highland Heather, with a dessert option to use ribbon or twine.

I'm also joining the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (link here), where the theme is Anything Goes.

I chose the challenge colors with the floral stamp I used in mind.  An area of our garden brims with these lovely purple flowers for much of the summer and I enjoy them so much.

I used Stampin' Up inks in the challenge colors to watercolor this panel, also including Mossy Meadow for shading on the stem.  I knew I wanted to create a blue butterfly and when looking online found out about a local one called Fender's Blue Butterfly.  They are pretty rare, currently on the Endangered Species list.  I used the online photos to get as close as possible to the real life color.

When the panel dried, I trimmed it down and mounted a scallop panel of Balmy Blue on the back.  After wrapping with a bit of Linen Thread, it was popped up on an embossed panel of Soft Sea Foam card stock. 

Thanks for visiting, it's always so appreciated!  I've added links to both challenges, so be sure to check them out, and I hope you'll be able to join us for the SCS Color Challenge this week!

Stef


Product details
Stamps:  Happy Together (Penny Black)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Soft Sea Foam, Balmy Blue, Arches 140# Cold Press watercolor
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Balmy Blue, Soft Sea Foam, Highland Heather, Gorgeous Grape, Mossy Meadow, Crumb Cake
Other:  Layered Leaves embossing folder (SU), Card Front Element Builder scallop rectangle die (SugarPea Design), Simon Says Stamp Ultra Fine embossing powder, Linen Thread