Color Throwdown #290

We have been having cool, dreary weather the past couple of days here so I've been in my scrap room creating more.  Cloudy days = creative days, apparently.  :)  Today I played along with this week's Color Throwdown Challenge.  Here is the swatch:

And here is the card I made: 

Forgive the terrible lighting, but when it's cloudy outside, there are only so many miracles that Picasa can perform.  :) 

Today's card is probably one of the most simple, CAS cards I've ever made.  I was inspired by a downloadable sentiment I saw in a recent issue of Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking magazine. I knew if I printed it on watercolor paper first, the water would make it bleed.  To get around this problem, I printed it on a scrap piece of paper then traced the image on the watercolor paper, pushing hard with a pencil.  Then I gave the watercolor paper a good water wash before I started putting the watercolors on.  This is something I've seen a lot lately and I love the look of it.  It makes the watercolors spread out and land where they may.  So pretty!  Once the paper was dry (with the help of my heat gun), I ran the paper through my printer.  I added a few sequins in a cream color because I didn't want to take away from the watercolors. 

Here is a close up of the card, which shows a bit of sparkle on the dress.  I used my Wink of Stella clear pen for that loveliness.  

I am also submitting this card for this week's Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.  The theme is anything goes! 

Thanks for checking in today!  Until next time...

Sequin Shaker Blog Hop!

 
Happy Monday, friends!  Today I decided to play along with the Pretty Pink Posh Sequin Shaker Blog Hop and try a technique that I have never really tried before (with much success, anyway).  Shaker cards!  After watching the tutorial that Paulina from Pretty Pink Posh put together, I was inspired to give it a go.

This is what I came up with:

 

I wanted to make this a hip mother-to-be card, so I used the silhouette of a cute preggie and made a frame for the front of the card.  I wrapped the twine around the frame piece before securing the whole thing to the acetate.  I used some foam strip tape to life up the frame, added the stamped sentiment and some sequins, then put the frame on top of the card.  It was so fast and easy!  I just might have a new addiction.  (Shaker cards and sequins!  Oh my!)

Thanks for stopping by to take a look!  Until next time...

CAS(E) this Sketch #73

Happy Sunday my crafty friends!  It's been a while since I've played along with any challenges so I took some time for myself yesterday and created a card that I want to share with you all.  With this card, I am playing along with CAS(E) this Sketch #73, which just so happens to go hand-in-hand with Runway Inspired Challenge #58. 

Here is the sketch:

And here is the card I made:

I thought I would put a twist on this sketch and use it to create a baby bump profile.  Isn't it fun?  For the RIC side of the challenge, I used a fun floral pattern from Maggie Holmes.  I just happened to have some coordinating seam binding that I had already stained using my Iced Spruce distress ink reinker to finish it all off.  I love how easily this came together!

That's all for today!  Until next time...

CAS(E) this Sketch #71

Today I am playing along with this week's CAS(E) this Sketch challenge.  Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

I masked off the center of the card and then used some pearlescent watercolors to create some messy and fun splatters.  I used a dropper and a straw to do the big splatters.  I dropped a big dot of paint on the card, then blew it around to create the movement.  I could not for the life of me get the sentiment to come out cleanly, so I gave up on it.  But otherwise, I love how it turned out!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Until next time...

Cure for the Monday Blues #11

Good Morning, peeps!  Last night I played along with this week's Cure for the Monday Blues challenge. 

First off, this picture is awesome!  I pinned it on Pinterest a while back and I kind of just want to be a kid again so I can have a room this cool.

Anyway, back to the task at hand.  Here is the card I created to go along with this theme:

The pictures don't do this card justice (that's what I get for taking pictures at 9:30pm), but it's such a bright and cheerful card.  The "hello" sentiment was cut with my Cameo from a piece of paper that I dyed blue with a blue ink pad and a make up sponge.  After it was cut out, I covered it with my Wink of Stella clear glitter, then applied glossy accents to make it shine.  I used double stick tape on the back of the stamped piece, then put the "hello" inside the cut-out, using a double layer of mini foam adhesive to make it stand higher than the card front.  Again, it's hard to see from the picture.

I think this card is so simple and pretty.  And, oh look...there's that Wplus9 Fresh Cut Florals set again.  :)  I just LOVE this set! 

Thanks for stopping by today!  Until next time...

Addicted to Watercoloring!

Ok friends, I think I may have watercolor issues now to go along with my enamel dot, wood veneer and burlap twine issues.  I guess there are way worse things to be addicted to, right?

Today I played along with this week's AEIheartU Challenge.  Here is the card I created:

I decided to just watercolor a random background onto watercolor paper using one color.  Next, I stamped the image and sentiment with Versamark and heat embossed them with white embossing powder.  Go figure that heat embossing over watercolor never seems to work out for me (hence the wonky "you" in the sentiment).  But I love everything else about the card, so I am willing to live with it.  :)

I embellished the corners with watercolor splashes and various colors of pink sequins that I got from Avery Elle.  I think it pulled everything together nicely.

I am also created this card for this week's Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.  The theme is Happy Birthday! 

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time...

I'm dreaming, right?! Tell me I'm dreaming!

So last Friday was just any other day.  I did my usual "mom" stuff and drudged on as I always do. (Parenting is hard, is it not?!  Especially when you have a strong-willed red head for a daughter.  Oy!)  I was in the kitchen making dinner when my biggie asked me for some help on my tablet.  She brought it over to me to show me something.  I helped her and before she walked away, I noticed that I had some new email messages.  They're usually spam, so I just glanced at them quickly when I noticed an email with the heading:  You're a Stamping Royalty Winner!"  Wait, WHAT?!  That's not spam!  I took the tablet back and opened the email.  A card I submitted in the Congratulations category was picked as one of the winners!  All I could do was say, "HOLY CRAP!" out loud.  My girls thought I was crazy.

Thank you SO MUCH Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking for giving me the hugest honor of my crafty life! Never in a million years would I have guessed that one of my cards would be chosen amongst some of the most talented women in the cardmaking world.  I am truly grateful!

I can't post a picture of the card because it will be published in Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking July 2014 issue. :)

Thank you so much for stopping by today to hear my news!  I need to get stamping...no pressure, right?!  Until next time...

Watercolor fun.

I have always like to color.  Whenever I was depressed as a young adult, I would pull out my trusty crayons or colored pencils and my favorite coloring books (usually of the Disney-themed variety) and would spend time coloring.  It always makes me happy.  I can't draw to save my life, but coloring sure is the best.

This brings me to last Wednesday.  I was scrolling through facebook as I usually do when an instagram post from Sweet Stamp Shop caught my eye.  Those beautiful watercolor flowers inspired me to try making some of my own.  Keep in mind, I can't draw worth a lick, but I am absolutely in love with the way this card turned out:

I masked off the center with some contact paper that I had cut into a banner shape with a onesie in the middle.  Then I started playing around with the colors, layering as I went along.  For the sentiment, I used two stamps from Avery Elle's Oh Happy Day stamp set.  I masked off the "oh" and the "day" from one stamp to get the "happy" by itself.  I also used my Wink of Stella clear glitter pen on the center of the flowers because everything looks better with a little sparkle.  :)  I think this turned out so cute and I am so excited to send it to a friend of mine who is expecting her second little girl.

That is all for today!  Stop by tomorrow from some pretty awesome news!  Until then...

Fusion Card Challenge: Fusion #7

Happy Wednesday, friends!  I played along with this week's Fusion Card Challenge and wanted to share what I made.  Here is the sketch I used:

And here is my card:

I used some MME Cut and Paste papers and enamel dots along with some super cute Sweet Stamp Shop stamps.  The sets I used here are Just the Basics, Stuck on This, and Too Hip.  When Stuck on This was released last month, I knew I had to have it to make this graduation card for my cousin.  She lives in Arizona so I thought it was kind of perfect.  :)  I colored the image using colored pencils and mineral spirits.  It turned out so cute!

That's all for today!  Until next time...