CELEBRATE!!!

In honor of Hero Arts 45th anniversary our card challenge this month is "celebrate".  We're using some of our faves from the past and it certainly was difficult choosing.  

The hibiscus layering stamps have been a favorite of mine because they're so easy to layer and I used them for both my background and the floral arrangement.  The second layer of the flower was stamped in Versamark and embossed with white satin powder for a subtle background.   The sentiment is from a fantastic versatile set that I've used many times over the years.  The mat is the new peony cardstock and love love that color.

Be sure to follow the Hero Arts blog for their 45th anniversary and to enter our A Blog Named Hero's "celebrate" challenge this month for a chance at winning a gift certificate form Hero Arts.

Thanks for visiting today and love to read your kind comments.

ALCOHOL INKS

I have a couple of friends who want to learn all about stamping and creating cards. So we sometimes get together on a Sunday afternoon and I demo a technique and then make a card with them.  This Sunday the topic is alcohol inks.  I made  a bunch of backgrounds to demo how differently they turn out and also made a few cards to show how to use the backgrounds.  I used yupo paper (translucent and regular), Ranger AI and copic refills.  Am also going to show them how to add a little foil for some sparkle.

 

The green background was die cut with a wonky rectangle die and I used two layers of vellum for the SSS leaves.  I made the frame for the blue one with two HA rectangle dies.  The little sentiment is from Betsy Veldman's new line of stamps.

 

I am entering the green card in the SSS Flickr challenge #124 - "anything goes" is the theme. 

 

Looking forward to a fun Sunday afternoon with friends.  Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

 

 

MONDO WILDFLOWERS AND COLORING

When Ellen Hutson's new Mondo Wildflowers was released it was a definite NEED!  So decided to use different coloring mediums and make several cards.

First off I tried watercoloring and had a mess right at the beginning (way too much green seeped into that yellow flower on the right), but carried on.  When it dried I thought a few spatters would help so masked the flowers and spattered away - and a huge blob of black landed on the bottom edge of the card.  To cover that up I made a frame and put it together on a white card base.  Always a way to fix a mistake!!

My second attempt at watercoloring also had green where I didn't want it - but just decided to go with it and didn't even cover it up.

On the next card I used copics and put it on a navy card base.  The "sending" is five layers for some added texture.

On the last one I used distress oxides and colored with the small makeup brushes - in the tiny spaces I used dental micro brushes.  Will add a sentiment when I need to use the card.

I am entering my third card in the Just Us Girls photo inspiration challenge for this week.

Had fun trying to get different looks with the same stamp.  Thanks for stopping by and love to read your kind comments.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Hero Arts is celebrating their 45th anniversary with a new catalog, interesting posts remembering their early days and even some giveaways - so be sure to check them out.  My card today for A Blog Named Hero is especially for their anniversary.

Flower Garden Fancy Die cut from vellum is the background for my card.  I used dots of HA precision glue around the edges and randomly in the center to adhere it to a white card base.  The "happy" was cut from gold cardstock and layered up with several more cuts for some dimension.  Made a little nest of gold thread and glued the sentiment over it to keep it in place.  Added the small sentiment and some gold sequins and done.

A new challenge at A Blog Named Hero begins tomorrow so be sure to check it out for inspiration from the design team and to enter your card for chances to win a great prize from Hero Arts!

Thanks for visiting today and your kind comments make my day.

WEDDING DAY

Just Add Ink has an inspiration photo for their challenge this week - and since I already had Altenew's peony dream dies on my desk I die cut a whole bunch of them.  

Arranged them on my card base and used copics to color in the flower centers.  Added the sentiments and done!

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments make my day!

 

 

GRADUATION TIME!

A friend asked me to create some graduation cards for her granddaughters - one with middle school colors and the other for a university grad. 

The purple, black and white card has the school colors -  both cards are shakers and have an embossed background which is graduation caps - a great folder to own this time of the year!!  I used Altenew's fine alphabet for the sentiment on the purple card.  The die I used for the card on the right is from Ellen Hutson, but no longer available.  On the inside for both cards is the sentiment - "Happy Graduation - You Did It!"

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

 

ERUM INSPIRATIONS

Last week, Erum Tasnim from Altenew, had a video showing how she used the new patterned paper, Summer Garden, and watercoloring.  Since I had just received the paper and am so in awe of all Erum's beautiful work, I decided to have a go and totally copied her cards.

I didn't add as much detail to the card on the left as Erum did - less spatters and didn't cut out the flowers exactly the same.  I purposely left off a sentiment as I felt it didn't need anything more.  For the card on the right, I have the leaves coming up from the bottom of the card instead of the top.  Even though the paper is not watercolor paper, it held up really well with lots of water.  Since it was quite wet when I finished, I ironed it between sheets of copy paper to get the moisture mostly out - then I weighted it under some heavy books until it was completely dry - very little warping - and used heavy duty tape to adhere to card base.

I am entering the sympathy card in Just Add Ink challenge for this week.

Thanks for visiting today - love to read your kind comments and have a wonderful week?