MERRY CHRISTMAS

Thought I'd better get going on a few more Christmas cards this week and maybe do one with more of a masculine feel. 

I started my card by stamping one of the layers of the tree from the Color Layering Christmas set across the bottom of white watercolor paper using Forever Green ink.  Next I took my olive green Zig watercolor pen and a little water and "filled in the blanks".  The water also drew out some of the stamped ink.  I then die cut this with a stitched frame.  To put the card together I cut a dark gray mat, put some foam tape on the frame and then popped the inside piece in the rectangle.  Added the little "Merry  Christmas" sentiment and done.

A new challenge begins tomorrow at A Blog Named Hero - be sure to check it out! 

My card fits into the current Addicted to Stamps... challenge so am entering it there.

 

Hope you like my card today and thanks for visiting - have a wonderful day.

SAGS

I have two friends who are new to stamping and want to learn various techniques for making cards.  So once a month we have a little stamping session.  We call ourselves SAGS - Sunday Afternoon Gorgeous Stampers!

This past Sunday I showed them how to use a brayer to ink up an embossing folder.  I had made two cards and had all the bits and bobs ready for them so they could make a card with their embossed/inked background.

 

We used broken china distress ink for making the sky background and were able to do at least two inkings.  After cutting that piece to 5x3.75, we hand cut a piece of white for the snow, added the tree and deer, put it on a card base and done.  On the card with the stag, I used a bit of watercolor to add a shadow.

 

Thanks for stopping by today - love to read your kind comments.

 

 

POINSETTIA SHINE

A few weeks ago I took the latest Altenew Academy class - Let It Shine Holiday Edition with Carissa Wiley.  Life seemed to get in the way and I only have one card finished for my homework.  

 

Carissa showed us how to add shine to our watercolors by adding some shimmer spray.  Since I didn't have any shimmer spray, I added some Perfect Pearls to my Altenew watercolors to paint my poinsettias - difficult to see in the photo but those lighter parts on the poinsettia are really shiny.  On the card base I stamped some mistletoe with some morning frost ink. 

I am entering this in CAS Watercolour Challenge for this month which is Christmas florals and greenery.

Thanks for stopping by and love to read your kind comments.

FALLING LEAVES

A Blog Named Hero has a fantastic color palette this month for our challenge - perfect for any autumn card you'd like to create with Hero Arts stamps.

I used alcohol inks on yupo paper to create a colorful piece for my leaves which were die cut from the Grateful Leaves set.  Next I used the die to dry emboss the leaves on kraft paper which was cut to 4"x5.25".  Then I rubbed mother-of-pearl Nuvo mousse all over it to give it a pretty shine.  Added this to a kraft card base, arranged my leaves, the little sentiment, added some black Nuvo drops and done.

There are prizes to be won for this month's challenge - a $50 and $25 gift card to Hero Arts - so enter your card(s) here to have a chance at winning!!

Thanks for dropping by and always love to read your kind comments.

STAMP JOY

Just a week ago, Greta and I were in Ankeny, IA at the Taylored Expressions Stamp Joy.  It started on Friday evening with all kinds of appetizers - little flatbreads with delicious toppings, cheese, crackers and fruit, nacho bar, drinks and on and on.  And giveaways galore.  Then there were fun little make and takes to try.  Saturday we went to a class using felt on cards and in the afternoon a watercolor class.  In each of the classes we made four cards.  Then in between there were twelve stations of make and takes - came home with about eighteen cards - not all finished.  It was a fabulous weekend and the best part was meeting Greta in person for the first time - we discovered we both like caramel, Heath Bars, and quite a few other things in common besides making cards.

Here are a few cards I've finished from our stamping weekend.

Thanks for stopping by today and for all your kind comments.