Today’s card uses last month’s “water color” challenge technique at Splitcoast (originally found HERE). Essentially, you add some water based ink (I used Distress Inks) to a craft mat, spritz it, and then use that to “ink up” your stamp. Best of all…you do not have to be exact about this! This technique is so addictive and fun that I have been trying it with lots of different stamps just to see if they work haha!
My card uses a bunch of left over color paper cut into strips for the background then I “water colored” the unicorn from the Be Uniqueset using colors similar to my scraps. I did a little bit of shading with color pencils, fussy cut it out, and adhered it to my card with foam tape. I added the sentiment from the set to finished it off. I think it is pretty cool looking but what do you think?
Thanks for stopping by – I hope you try out the technique!
Today I am hosting the Technique Lovers Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers. My challenge is to create a tag shaped card. I hope this is a great technique for the upcoming holidays but I needed a birthday card first so that is the theme I went with for my project today.
First cut out 2 tags…I used a tag shaped die for my card, but you can cut the corners off of a rectangle and create your own tag shape.
On one of the tags, score across the top just below the corner.
Add glue or tape to the top piece (above the score line) and add the unscored tag on top. Technically, you now have a tag shaped card.
Now you decorate!!
You can add the hole and ribbons and/or emboss, color blend, stamps, JUST have fun!! For my card, I did some watercolor ink blending on Bristol Cardstock, embossed it with a birthday embossing folder, then added a color hole at the top with ribbons.
I popped up a Birthday Word Die (cut out of a panel of strips of color cardstock) and a “Wishes” sentiment from the Joyful Day set (I also added a sentiment from this set to the inside). To finish it off, I added a “tag” tag using the Mini Tag Sentiment and Die bundle.
Now I can write a not on the inside and still pop it on the package to help decorate it.
Inside the card:
I hope you are inspired – jump over and join the challenge at Splitcoast Stampers!
Today’s is my day to host the Splitcoast Stampers TECHNIQUE challenge. It is a twist on an older technique. I stumbled on this fun tutorial from Betsy Veldman found HERE and loved her results. For the challenge, we are going to create our own backgrounds using COLORED salt – not plain salt!
The colors really create a fun look in the end! BUT let me warn you on this…you MUST trust the process. I played around with several watercolor panels and thought none of them had worked. I stepped away and let it dry and then decided to make 3 cards – It is super fun but it is a bit messy so if you don’t like inky fingers, consider gloves. 🙂
Here is my second card – It turned out looking like a galaxy which is what I hoped would happen, so I added a little scene using the Over the Moon Set. Then I added a sentiment from the Happy Everything Sentiment Strips.
Here is my last card – It turned out looking like a beach which is how I laid it out so that is good haha! I added a bird from the Scene Silhouettes Wetlands then since it was on the desk, I added a sentiment from the Happy Everything Sentiment Strips.
Happy Monday all! Can you believe that Friday is the first day of FALL?! I cannot wait. Fall is absolutely my favorite season – which one is yours?
Today is my day to host the Technique Lover’s Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers and I decided to go with a fairly simple technique. We are going to create our own backgrounds using plain cardstock (white or colored) and score lines. The lines will fill the page or at least large sections of it. The score lines can be vertical, horizontal, diagonal in either direction, or a combo (I did diagonals in both directions in my samples.)
NOTE: I used my scoring tool but if you don’t have one, do not worry… you can use a ruler and stylus/bone folder/butter knife/etc. to create lines too – just drag the scoring tool down the rulers edge and you have score lines. If you place the paper on a more cushioned surface like a mouse pad or a piece of fun foam and your scores will be more pronounced.
You can use white card and add the lines for a little interest in a CAS card, or do ink blending to create a really fun look (if you use the side of the paper that the lines are raised, they pop out a bit when you brush ink over them or if you use the other side, they recede a bit if you brush ink over them.)
My first card used the SNSS Fall Leaves Stencil. I stenciled the leaved then inked the script block from Texture Tiles 1 THROUGH the stencil for added texture. Then I score my lines (1/2″ apart diagonally in both directions.) I added a little more ink (Distress Oxides like the rest) on over everything to make my diagonals pop. Then I added my sentiment from Everyday Greetings with VersaClair Nocturne – I used my MISTI so I could keep stamping until the sentiment got to the lower potions of the scores.My second card is CAS and the diagonals really add something to the background I think. My focal image is from SNSS new release – Holly Christmas by my sweet friend Deidre Cason. Is this not beautiful!!
I hope you try the challenge today and whatever else you do…just have fun!
Happy Monday!! I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend – mine was filled with mom time and it was wonderful! Today is my day to host the Technique Lover’s Challenge at SplitCoast Stampers. In honor of Mother’s Day, or Spring, or proms, or anything that makes you think of roses really, I wanted to try a watercolor rose technique. I found a tutorial from Jenna at ScribblingGrace.com that shows how to do simple Roses with Watercolors. Though the tutorial is based on Bible journaling, this technique is perfect for cards too. She is super sweet and really walks you through the steps.
After creating my background, I pulled out my new Sweet ‘n Sassy Set called Pray Without Ceasing. I love it. It is beautiful and is chock full of lots of encouragements and reminders that even our smallest prayers are heard!
After playing around with this, here are a few tips…. – Any watercolor should work even distress inks watered down. I grabbed a cheap set of metallic water colors I got from Michaels for $5. Just remember you need a lot of more concentrated color to begin with. – Grab a bigger piece of watercolor paper if you have it. That way you can practice a few times and just keep going on the sheet. Then you can cut it down and make a few cards with the result. – She mentions in the tutorial that she dips her paint brush in the water between certain layers. I had a hard time managing the water flow when I did this so I recommend either skipping that step at first or making sure to tap the excess water off on the side of your jar. – Have fun and don’t get too worked up over the process. I found that even the roses I didn’t love, didn’t look too bad after I added the leaved and sentiments were great cover ups
Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We are getting a little “false Spring” here in Georgia. Today we have a high of 61 degrees and a low of 51 degrees and I am ready to plant something haha – It isn’t time though! While I wait, I will satisfy my need with some floral images on my cards:)
This is my week to host the Technique Lover’s Challenge at SplitcoastStampers. I found THIS VIDEO and thought it looked so fun. Not too hard, but still very unique. She calls it a “flip flap” card but we already have a technique with that name and it is different from this one so I am calling this a “Layered Flap Card”. I hope you have fun with this challenge. I really love the results and can’t wait to see what you think!
Here is the front of the card:
I used Distress Oxides and SNSS Texture Tiles 11 to create a little texture on the kraft (Neenah Dessert Storm) front panel. I stamped the florals from God is Good and God is Love with Simon Says Stamps Intense Black and colored them with Copics (R00, R01, R01, R05, BG10, BG11, BG15, and YG93, YG95, YG99.) I stamped the inside sentiment with Vesafine Clair Nocturne.
Here is the card as it opens up. The pattern paper that creates the “flap arm” is recycled from my 2021 calendar/planner. I loved the pattern and have been holding onto it waiting for the perfect project. This was it. I built the card around it and I love it!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you were inspired! Come on over and join the challenge at SCS this week!
I don’t know about you guys but lately I have been seeing some adorable hand painted signs and tiered tray decorations. My sister decorates her tray for all the seasons. She cuts out the image on a silhouette and “weeds” out the image to leave a stencil of sorts then adheres that to her wood piece and paints through the stencil…NOPE! That is too much work for me!
This weekend we celebrated her birthday and I decided to see if I could create a few mini signs for her tray using stamps…YES! That is more my speed!
I took scrap wood blocks from another left over project (They were about 3″X4″.) I also painted onto a wood slice tag I had. You can use any wood pieces you have. I painted them with chalk paint. When it dried, I sanded it for a smooth surface and the corners for a distress look (Paint a under layer of darker color if you want darker distressed edges.) Then with STAZON inks, I stamped firmly only my block. I let it sit for a a little longer than I would with paper then pulled it off – it really stuck down so don’t be surprised if you have to pull it with a little strength (but be gentle :))
That is it. It turned out precious! And it didn’t require all those steps – I just dug through my stash of stamps and saw them with brand new eyes! It was awesome to have new uses for them. I have a stack of them on my desk now begging to be used on the next “Sign”. Yay – this project was a win twice! And with Christmas being just down the road, it may be a great gift idea too. Hmmmm…
For my first project, I found a little piece of scrap wood (3″x4″x1″ thick). I painted an under layer of black chalk paint, then when that dried, I painted a layer of white chalk paint. When that dried, I sanded the edges for a distressed look, wiped it down then using Jet Black STAZON, I stamped a sentiment from My Thoughts of You from Sweet N Sassy Stamps (all of the sentiments would have worked for this project but My sister is my best friend and this one seemed most perfect!) This is so simple but so awesome! I love it on the tray!
For my next projects, I created a little pumpkin from a 3″ scrap of 2×2. I painted it up in shades of orange. I drilled a hole in the top and added a dowel for the stem. THEN I created a SIMPLE monogram wood slice sign using an alphabet stamp called County Fair Alpha
Then I painted a scrap of wood (3″x4″ – 1″ thick). I painted it with java chalk paint then when that dried I painted another layer with sheepskin chalk paint, then when it dried I sanded it for a distress looked and glued down a copic colored, fussy cut digi stamp from Sweet Sassy called Autumn Gnome. I stamped sentiments from Fall Remix: Rhubarb’s Harvest with Timber Brown STAZON. For this one, since I had the cut out digi, I added a layer of matte Mod Podge.
I hope you were inspired! I have challenged the Technique Lovers to try this as this week’s TLC challenge at SplitCoast Stampers. Come join the fun!
Today starts a new challenge at Bugaboo Stamps and as the new format says…Anything Goes! I have tried slimline cards before (I think they were called tall cards then :)) but I really wanted to play around with a tall digi and make it tall enough for a slimline card. I found the perfect image in Morning Coffee. I totally know how she feels some days are just like that. And mornings…grrr.
For my card, I made my image as tall as I could and still keep it the right width (a slimline card is essentially 8.5″ tall and 3.5″ wide.) I colored up my image with Copic markers then did some detailing with Polychromos pencils. I had a clear stamp set from Sweet N Sassy Stamps that had coffee splashes and spots and a perfect sentiment for this not ready for the morning gal… I had a slimline die set in my stash waiting for me to finally give it some love so I layered the image. I used some banner dies to cut out and mount my sentiment. It was a little harder than I thought it would be to work with a canvas this size using just one image, but in the end, I absolutely LOVE how this came together!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you were inspired! Grab your supplies and try a slimline card if you haven’t – they fit in a business envelope for the same stamp as an A2 card 🙂
I am in charge of today’s Technique Lover’s Challenge at SplitCoast Stampers. I found a super fun technique by Natasha Foote. I have been binge watching her videos lately and can’t wait to try more techniques from her.
Today’s technique is a “floating element” technique. I had so much fun with this one and even better, I got to use up some of my scraps. (I always save the leftover pieces from handmade backgrounds for fun card techniques just like this one.) It was a perfect touch for my sweet little 4.25″x4.25″ square card.
I used a thanks die and layered it up 4 high. Then I used one of the tiny sentiments from the Texture Tiles 7 set. I rounded the bottom corners, added some sequins, and left it clean and simple otherwise.
I hope you are inspired and if so, why don’t you head on over and join in on the challenge.
Today I am hosting the Technique Lover’s Challenge at SplitCoast Stampers and I am so excited to get to try the new tutorial for a side fold card. I used a color burst background and added the Christmas tree and gnome from the Christmas Gnomes set. Since this fold allows for a 4.25″x4.25″ square and I had a square postage stamp die, I decided to create a Christmas stamp for my front decoration. I went one more step with my fold and used a 12″ piece of color cardstock so I could fold the last inch over to create a pocket for a gift card.
This was a super fun fold and I definitely see more of these coming soon!
My Purple House 
