Hello for Color Throwdown

Hello friends!  Recently I was chosen as the Featured Stamper for Color Throwdown #769 with my fun little Caroling Owls card here, and now I am so pleased to be joining the CDT team as Guest Star Stamper for their latest challenge.

Color Throwdown

I love these muted colors and tried to match them as best as possible using my Copics and a blended background.

For the flowers I used one of the two floral images from Altenew's In the Woodland.  After coloring with my Copic markers, I used a white gel pen to accentuate the anthers at the end of the stamen, then die cut the image with the matching die.

Next came the ink blended panel, using Simon Says Stamp Morining ink on the smooth side of a panel of Distress Watercolor paper, which was then die cut with one of the Mix and Match Frames, also from Altenew.  Before adhering to the white card base, the flowers and panel were separately splattered with White Gouache and gold metallic paint.  I used foam tape under both the panel, the floral image and the foiled sentiment and I was done!  

Thanks for dropping by to take a peek!

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  Altenew Into the Woodland

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Distress Watercolor

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne, SSS Morning

Foiling:  SSS Elegantly Modern Greetings Hot Foil Plate, Spellbinders Gold Glimmer Hot Foil

Dies:  Altenew Mix and Match Frames and Into the Woodland, SSS Elegantly Modern Greetings

Copic markers:  E97, YR18, 02, 01, 00, 000, YG99, 97, 95, 93, C9, 7, 6

Christmas Hats for Christmas Craft Creations

Hello friends, it's time for our reminder post at Christmas Craft Creations!  For our November challenge, we're asking you to add a hat to your design.

CCC

I decided to have some fun with this challenge and created an A7 card with lots of cute critters wearing hats.

I couldn't have had a more perfect stamp and die set in my stash that the Christmas Hats one from Colorado Craft Company and illustrated by Anita Jeram.  After coloring all the critters with Copic markers, they were die cut along with the trees in the background.

The next step was to create the background.  On an A7 panel, I ink blended Simon Says Stamp Galaxy for the sky, then added a panel of snowy hills that I hand cut from a panel of white.  Before adhering to the panel, I used a light blue ink both on the base of the piece and at the top of the hills, then glued it down.  The trees were die cut from dark green cardstock, then I used a dark brown Copic marker to color the trunks before adding to the background.  Next, the sentiment was white heat embossed, then the critters were adhered either with glue or foam tape.  Before adding to the card base, I sprayed the panel with shimmer spray then added "snow" with white paint.

Thanks for stopping by and I do hope you'll join us this month for this fun challenge!  In the meantime, please take a moment to visit the challenge blog, where my talented teammates have lots of inspiration for you.

Take care!

Stef

Stamps and dies:  CCC/AJ Christmas Hats, Honey Bee Stamps Pine Trees

Paper:  Neenah Solar White

Ink:  SSS Galaxy and Marine; Memento Tuxedo Black; Versamark

Other:  SSS Fine Detail embossing powder, Hero Arts White Iridescent Shimmer Spray, Dr. Ph Martins Bleed Proof White

Copics:  R89, 59, 29, 27, G99, 94, 82, 28, 09, 03, B28, 26, 24, 21, 0000, E47, 44, 43, 42, T4, 2, 0, YR27, 24, 23, Y21, C3, 1, 0, W5, 3, 1, 0

Caroling Owls

Hello friends!  Just popping in with a fun card that I made for this week's challenges at Color Throwdown and Just Us Girls.  I was inspired by the pinks and greens in both challenges.

CTD #769

JUGs #706

I decided to use a darling stamp set from Stamping Bella to create a few Christmas cards. 

These happy owls just make me smile, like so many SB stamps.  I stamped them in an alcohol friendly ink, colored them with Copic markers using pinks, greens and a couple of grays (warm for the owls, cool for the shadows), then restamped them with black pigment ink.  The sentiment is from a Purple Onion holiday sentiment set.

I used two Spellbinders Essential Stylish Ovals to die cut the image and a green mat and added the die cut sentiment with thin foam squares. The embossed background was sprayed with Hero Arts White Iridescent Shimmer Spray.  When that dried, it was adhered to the A2 card base, then the owls added with thin foam tape for a small bit of dimension. In my stash I had some small snowflakes die cut from silver glitter cardstock, so I added a few of those then finished things off with a white gel pen on the scarves and Star Dust Stickles on the brim and poms of the hats.  I love how this turned out!

I hope you've had a great weekend and if you're in the US, that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  

Take care and thanks for visiting!

Stef

Stamps:  Stamping Bella Three Owls Caroling, Purple Onion Winter Wishes Sentiment Set

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, C&9 Evergreen, SSS Silver Glitter

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne

Dies:  Spellbinders Essential Stylish Ovals, Altenew Featured Sentiment die, Hero Arts Snowflake Confetti Fancy die

Embossing Folder, SSS Icy Snowflakes

Other:  Hero Arts White Iridescent Shimmer Spray, White Sakura Gelly Roll pen, Star Dust Stickles

Copics:  W3, 1, 0, C3, 1, 0, R43, 32, 20, E08, G28, 09, 02

Bountiful Berries for Color Hues

Hello again!  It's time for a new challenge at Color Hues and this time the lovely Jules has chosen two colors that are perfect for the holidays...or not, it's up to you!

CH 76

My choice was to go with Christmas and here's what I made...

My relatively CAS card started with embossing a panel of white with the Simon Says Stamp Twining Berries 3D folder.  Sorry the photos don't due justice to just how deep and pretty the images of berries on vines are.  Next, I used a rectangle die for the gold layer, die cutting out the center before layering on the embossed panel, because no one will ever know, except you lol!

The gold leaves and red berries were created using the Bountiful Berries die.  The SSS Arching Spruce Sprig die provided the brown twigs - I just cut all the branches off the large sprig so I could use them more selectively.  The sentiment was red heat embossed, die cut and added to the card front, with the final touch adding some beautiful red gems from Picket Fence Studios.  I actually ended up making five more cards just like this, substituting a red card base rather than the fancy gold frame.

This is such a lovely combination of colors, I do hope you're inspired to join us for this challenge!  For more inspiration, take a look at the stunning cards by my talented teammates and our wonderful guest designer Claire over at the CH blog.  We'd love to see what you create!  The challenge will remain open until 9 am EST Tuesday 11/28.

Take care and have a crafty day!

Stef

Stamps and Dies:  SSS Graceful Holiday Greetings Bundle, Bountiful Berries die and Arching Spruce Sprig die; Pinkfresh Studio Folk Edge Rectangle die

Embossing Folder:  SSS Twining Berries

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, SSS Matte Gold and Rich Red Metallic, C&9 Nutmeg

Other:  Gina K Red Hot embossing powder, Picket Fence Studios Candy Lane Gem Mix

Cosmos for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I'm back with my mid-month reminder card for The Flower Challenge.  This month, we're using the colors black, yellow and white.

The Flower Challenge

 

I ended up using a long-neglected background stamp for my card this time.

For my second card in this color combination (you can find my first one here) I color the background and flower centers yellow and left the flowers white using gray Copic markers to add gentle shading to the flower interior and edges.  Since the stamp is a 6" x 6" background stamp, I die cut the desired section first, then colored it.

The black layering panel was die cut with the next larger die in the set, then after adhering to the colored panel, I decided to wrap it with some black Baker's Twine and add my sentiment using a small tag.  Once that was done, the final step was to pop it up on the white card base with some foam tape.  Super easy and simple.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll take a moment to visit the challenge blog - as always, my wonderful teammates have created some gorgeous cards for our reminder post!  And I do hope you're inspired to join us this month!

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Cosmos Background, Waffle Flower Special Delivery Sentiments

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, SU Black

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne

Dies:  Altenew Ornate Nesting, Waffle Flower Special Delivery

Other:  Retired SU Black Baker's Twine

Copics:  W3, 1, YR27, 24, Y19, 15, 13

Grateful for You

Hello friends!  Today I'm sharing a card created for the challenge over at The Paper Players.  This week Anne Marie is hosting the theme challenge and chose a perfect one for this time of year, which is to give thanks.

PP665

I went with a very fall-ish color palette because the colors this time of year (and the cooler weather) make my heart happy!  

I decided to color on kraft cardstock, which produces a more muted result.  The leaves were stamped in a random fashion on the panel, leaving room for the sentiment, then colored with Copic markers.  All the stamping was done with Gina K Chocolate Truffle Amalgam ink, which is Copic friendly.

 

With the coloring complete, next came the ink blending, which was done around the edges of the panel, leaving a center "glow".  I didn't want to trim down the panel, so I adhered it to a card base measuring 5.75" x 4.5" and called it good.  When I go to mail it, an A6 size envelope will work perfectly.

With so much going on in the world right now, for me (as I'm sure for many) it helps to remember all that I have to be grateful for, including you, my crafty friends!  Thank you for taking time to stop by and please take care!

Hugs,

Stef

Stamps:  Sunny Studios Elegant Leaves

Paper:  Neenah Desert Storm and Natural White

Ink:  Gina K Chocolate Truffe, Simon Says Stamp Cappuccino 

Copics:  R59, 46, 08, YR07, 68, 65, Y28, 26, 15, YG 17, 03, 01, BG75, 49, 15

Bouquet Birthday for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I'm back with my DT card for the latest at The Flower Challenge!  This month we're using the colors black, yellow and white for our floral themed cards.

The Flower Challenge

For my card, I decided to break out my Spellbinders Betterpress and use press plates for both my floral image and sentiment.

The images were pressed on a Spellbinders Porcelain Cotton card panel with the recommended black ink.  It's always such a treat to see how perfectly these images come out.  Because alcohol markers cannot be used with the Betterpress inks, I opted to watercolor the panel.

I decided the easiest route was a loose watercolor using Distress reinkers.  I wet down the panel with water then dropped in very diluted Squeezed Lemonade with my larger paintbrush, covering most of the panel. Next came diluted Fossilized Amber for the flowers, then Wild Honey for the stamen in the largest flower.  When it dried, I trimmed it down to 3.5" x 4.75", layered it on a slightly larger panel of black, then added to the white base with foam. A few black rhinestones finished things off.

We would love to see how you decide to use these colors - I hope you'll join us this month!  In the meantime, if you visit the challenge blog, you'll see that my very talented teammates have a wide variety of cards to inspire you!  The challenge will remain open through Saturday, 11/25.

Take care!

Stef

*Spellbinders Pressed Bouquet and A Little Message Sentiments Betterpress Plates

*Spellbinders Betterpress Black ink; Squeezed Lemonade, Fossiled Amber and Wild Honey Distress Reinkers

*Spellbinders Porcelain Cotton Card Panel, SU Black cardstock, Neenah Solar White cardstock

*Honey Bee Obsidian Rhinestones

Christmas Sparkles for Color Hues

Hello friends!  It's time for a new challenge at Color Hues and this time Julie has chosen the beautiful combination of light blue and purple.  

Color Hues

I have to admit I went heavy on the purple, but that was more about matching inks with glitter paper than anything else.

The first step was to ink blend a panel of Tim Holtz White Heavystock with the two challenge colors.  I started with Distress Inks but it turned out too dark for what I was envisioning, so on a second panel I used Altenew inks for the blend and love how it turned out.  

Next came the die cutting.  The Simon Says Stamp Willow Snowflake die was cut from white glitter paper and the shadow from pearlescent vellum, then adhered to the panel.  The sentiment was cut from purple glitter paper then two of white for layering.  I have to say that this is an extremely dainty die cut and layering is not for the faint of heart lol! Or the impatient.  In retrospect, I now know why I don't use this die very often.  But I do love the script!

The remainder of the card was easy, matting the panel on a layer of the same purple glitter paper, then the card base.  In fact, this turned out rather simple in that there are not many components because it seemed all the sparkle was more than enough.  Let me know what you think - would you add bling?

What does this color combo say to you? I went with a holiday theme, but head on over to the challenge blog, where my amazingly talented teammates and our wonderful guest Linda have a variety of designs to inspire you.  The challenge is open until 9 am EST on Tuesday November 14th - hope to see your card in the gallery!

Take care!

Stef

Dies:  SSS Willow Snowflake and Flourished Merry Christmas

Ink:  Altenew Wisteria, Hydrangea and Sea Breeze

Paper:  TH Heavystock, Memory Box Purple Glitter, Neenah Solar White, Lawn Fawn Pearlescent, SSS White Glitter