Free Hugs Given Daily

Hello there!

I’m over at the Neat & Tangled blog today to share a card using the cute Koalifications stamp set 😉

I’ve been experimenting recently with YUPO paper and watercolours after watching several videos on YouTube by the amazing Patti Tolley Parrish – she demonstrates different types of watercolour and other medium on YUPO paper and the results look phenomenal! I used one of the backgrounds I’d created as the backdrop to this card 😉

I brushed various colours from my Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolour Pocket set onto a piece of YUPO and watched the colours bleed. While the panel was still wet, I added further colour from the Finetec Pearl Metallics Palette – the effects are mesmerising, but the photos don’t do it any justice! Here’s a little snippet from my Instagram feed.

I put the panel aside to dry overnight and moved onto the focal element. I stamped the koala from the Koalifications set with Versafine Onyx Black ink onto a panel of white cardstock and coloured him in using Copic markers. I then stamped a sentiment from the same set into the banner area.

Once the YUPO piece was dry, I adhered it to the front of a white card base, fussy cut the koala out and foam mounted him to the card front.

I hope you’ll experiment with watercolours on YUPO 😉

Thanks for stopping by!

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You’re a good friend

Hello there!

I’m over at the Neat & Tangled blog today to share a card using the Dazzling stamp set 😉

I began by creating a mask from some postit notes of the main image from the set, so that I could stamp it round an imaginary circle in the centre of my panel of white cardstock. I fussy cut the mask out, and then stamped the image repeatedly on the panel, masking off the last impression each time.

I used a waterproof black ink so that I could colour each area using my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens. I brushed colour towards the bottom of the crystals and used a waterbrush to stretch the colour out towards the top.

I coloured the tops of the crystals with a silver Wink of Stella pen and stamped a sentiment from Beavers Eh in the centre. For some interest, I flicked some silver paint onto the panel too…

I trimmed the panel down to slightly smaller than my kraft card base before foam mounting it to the front. To finish, I adhered some sequins.

Thanks for stopping by!

Winnie and Walter June Release (in July)

Hi there,

Just stopping by to share some sneaky peeks of the projects I created for Winnie & Walter’s June Release – I’m sharing the full projects over at their blog!

Pop over to the Winnie & Walter blog for more details, and thanks for stopping by!

Neat & Tangled January Release, Day 4: Painted Hello

Hey everyone!

Today is the fourth day of the January release from Neat & Tangled, and it ends with two fabulous, multi-layer stamp sets!

I’m showcasing Painted Hello, but I mixed in images from other stamp sets to create the colourful background – here’s my card:

I love using the back side of a clear stamp to quickly fill in coloured areas – I began by placing a circular mask in the middle of a panel of white cardstock and then stamping various shapes with different dye based inks.

While the mask was still in place, I flipped the stamps over and stamped in the same places but with a black dye ink. For a bit of sparkle, I also stamped the images with some Deilcata Golden Glitz ink.

I then removed the mask and stamped the three different elements of the Painted Hello set – this came together so quickly, and that multi-layer stamp adds such a gorgeous sense of depth!

To finish up, I added some sequins from the Mermaid Tail Mix.

Pop by the Neat & Tangled Blog to see what the rest of the DT has created – all the sets that we have showcased this week will be available in the shop tomorrow at 8am EST!

Thanks for looking 😉

Runway Inspired Challenge #93

Hello there and welcome to this week’s Runway Inspired Challenge! We have another awesome inspiration photo and the chance to win a guest spot on the challenge itself!

Here’s my card:

So, this is a slightly less literal take on the challenge, although I have tried to stick to the general colour scheme. I’m always looking for ways to use stamps that I haven’t touched for a while and the Runway Inspired Challenge always helps me to do that!

I dug out the Waltzingmouse Stamps Fine Feathers stamp set and a really basic heart shaped mask that I’d cut out from a piece of paper. I secured the mask to a white card base and began stamping the feathers across the heart with a range of Distress Inks.

I made sure to overlap the stamping with each impression, and removed the mask when I was done. I really liked the look of what was left on the card and almost wanted to leave it there! But, instead I moved on to create a subtle sentiment.

I die-cut one of the sentiments from Penny Black’s Words of Gratitude out of black cardstock and adhered it to the card front, leaving the edges to curl up slightly.

To finish, I added a wood veneer arrow, a gemstone, a sequin and an enamel dot, again in colours that matched the model’s dress.

Be sure to stop by the Runway Inspired Challenge blog for more inspiration from the rest of the DT members and play along for the chance to win!

Thanks for stopping by 😉

MFT October Release – Countdown Day 2

Hello there!

Welcome to another day of exciting previews from the My Favorite Things October Release!

For Countdown Day 2, we’re showcasing Laina Lamb’s Stay Cool stamp set and Cool Cup Die-namics; the Streetlights Die-namics; Stitched Cover-Up Companion – Diagonal Die-namics; the Merry Christmas Centerpieces Die-namics and the Crosshatch Background stamp and stencil. Here’s my first card:

The Merry Christmas Centerpieces Die-namics set is perfect for creating shaker cards, but I wanted to try something a little different, and created a background panel with the dies.

I repeatedly die-cut the Merry Christmas Centerpieces out of a panel of white cardstock, starting with the main one in the centre and working my way outwards. When I was happy, I used the largest frame die from Blueprints 25 Die-Namics to trim the piece down to the same size as my card base.

On a panel of watercolour paper, I created a vibrant, inky background simply by applying droplets of Dylusions Ink sprays onto a large acrylic block, lightly spritzing with water and stamping the block down onto the paper. I heat set the panel and adhered it straight down onto the card base.

I foam mounted the die-cut piece on top and finished off with a few sequins. Here’s my second card:

I began by creating a background panel using the Crosshatch stencil – this technique is so easy and one I will definitely be using again! I taped down a panel of white cardstock to my work surface and then laid the stencil down on top, again securing with a bit of washitape.

I picked some vibrant ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Pens and very roughly brushed through the stencil and onto the cardstock. While the stencil was still in place, I heavily misted the the panel with water until the colours started to blend and bleed. Simple as that, no trickery here 😉

After a few seconds, I carefully lifted the stencil away revealing this awesome background! And of course, I ummed and ahhed about how I was going to use it 🙂 I used the Stitched Mountain Range Die-namics to create a sort of snow bank and stamped a sentiment from Hand Lettered Holiday in the bottom left hand corner.

On a white card base and on some masking paper, I stamped a couple of images from Winter Wonderland with black dye ink. I fussy cut the masks out and adhered them to the card front before sponging some Tumbled Glass Distress ink.

I then removed the masks and foam mounted the die-cut, stencilled panel to the card. To finish, I added some matching sequins!

Don’t forget to check out the My Favorite Things Blog for today’s full product reveal, giveaways and links to lots of fabulous projects from the rest of the MFT Design Team members!

Thanks for stopping by!

MFT October Release – Countdown Day 4

Hello again!

Time to showcase some more goodies from the My Favorite Things October Release!

For Countdown Day 4, we’re showcasing Birdie Brown’s Santa’s Elves stamp and Die-Namics sets; the Candy Stripes Background Builder; the Santa Suit Die-namics; the Fireplace Die-namics; the Hand Lettered Holiday Stamp Set and the Stitched Arch STAX Die-namics. Here’s my first card:

I began by stamping the large Candy Stripes Background onto a kraft card base with black dye ink. I then brushed over the stripes with Perfect Pearls, tapping away the excess.

I stamped one of the cute elves from Santa’s Elves with Jet Black Archival Ink onto watercolour paper, and coloured him in with some ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Pens and Distress Inks.

I fussy cut the elf out and set him aside. The sentiment comes from the same set and was stamped onto some black cardstock with Versamark ink and heat set with white embossing powder. I trimmed the sentiment piece down, snipped one side off at an angle and foam mounted to the card base.

I then foam mounted the elf and a couple of presents, again from Santa’s Elves to the card. To finish, I added some Christmas Red Stickles on the bauble and some Glossy Accents on the little bell at the end of his hat!

Here’s my second card:

This clean and simple card uses a number of smaller images from Trim the Tree, Santa’s Elves and Hand Lettered Holiday to create a wreath on a one layer card.

I began by masking off a circular area in the centre of a white card base, and then stamping all the smaller images, randomly, along the edge.

Once I was happy, I removed the mask and stamped a sentiment from Hand Lettered Holiday in the centre of the wreath.

To finish, I added a small twine bow and a few gemstones.

Be sure to check out the My Favorite Things blog for today’s full product reveal, giveaways and links to lots of fabulous projects from the rest of the MFT Design Team members!

Thanks for stopping by 😉

Winnie and Walter STAMPtember exclusive!

Hello, and happy Wednesday!

Today, the rest of the Winnie & Walter Talent and I are sharing projects we’ve made using the new, Simon Says Stamp ‘STAMPtember’ exclusive set called Big Bloom!

Here’s my card:

I began by stamping the large flower from the set with Versamark onto a panel of white cardstock and heat setting with white embossing powder. I masked portions of the flower off in between impressions so that it looked like some flowers were behind others.

I then transferred colour to the embossed background by adding droplets from reinkers onto a piece of acetate, spritzing with water and laying the acetate onto the panel. The effect can be hit and miss, but with a little practice, you can achieve some really nice effects!

I heat set the panel and defined the flowers a little more with some ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Pens. I simply added colour in the centre of the blooms and used a waterbrush to pull the colour out towards the edges.

I then stamped the stamen image with black dye ink into the centres before using the largest frame die from Essentials: Katharine Cutaways to trim the panel down. I also fussy-cut the panel in half, following the lines created by the stamped flowers.

I foam mounted the cut panels onto a card base that I had added a wash of blue watercolour to. The sentiment was stamped with black due ink onto a piece of white cardstock and die-cut with a circle die before being added to the card front. I also added a twine bow and some sequins to finish off.

Be sure to stop by the Winnie & Walter blog to see what the rest of the team have created!

Thanks for stopping by 😉

MFT September Release – Countdown Day 4

Hello again!

Time to showcase some more goodies from the My Favorite Things September Release!

For Countdown Day 4, we’re showcasing Birdie Brown’s Mon Chéri stamp / Die-Namics sets and Harvest Mouse stamp / Die-Namics sets; the Paris Skyline Die-Namics; the Streetlights Die-Namics; the Boutique Window Die-Namics; the Prairie Fence Die-Namics and the English Brick Wall stencil. Here’s my card:

I began by masking off an area on my card front with postit notes and sponging on Wild Honey, Ripe Persimmon and Picked Raspberry Distress Inks. I made sure the ink coverage was heavy for the next step to be effective!

I laid down the Concentric Circle Grid Stencil (showcasing later this week) onto the inked area and used a damp dauber to sponge through the stencil with water. The water acts like a bleach and removes colour from those areas.

I removed the postit notes and the stencil to reveal the perfect background for a silhouette skyline – I die-cut the Paris Skyline from some black cardstock and stamped a sentiment from Mon Chéri with Versamark ink, sprinkled with white embossing powder and heat set.

I foam mounted the die-cut skyline to the card front – this was such a cool, clean and simple card to make!

Be sure to check out the My Favorite Things blog for today’s full product reveal, giveaways and links to lots of fabulous projects from the rest of the MFT Design Team members!

Thanks for stopping by 😉

Penny Black – Reach for the Stars!

Hello there – just stopping by to share a peek of a project that’s over at the Penny Black – Simplicity at its Best blog today.

Be sure to head over there for more details! You’ll also be able to download a PDF with complete supplies and instructions.

Thanks for looking 😉