Tree of Life – “Water Color”

Today I am featuring the Tree of Life Stamp Set from Sweet N Sassy Stamps. It is a beautiful stamp and is great for Bible journaling, art journaling and card making. I love when a stamp can be stretched like that!

I decided to go “water color” with my technique today. And by water color, I mean Distress Oxides with water spritzed on before stamping. A little water allows you keep some of the definition of the stamp and a little more allows for a softer look.

My first card is a simple scene. I added a few flowers from the Itty Bitty Blossoms set for some color and a simple sentiment from the Roses For You set. I sometimes go straight to sentiment sets forgetting that there are some really perfect sentiments found in the image sets – note to self…remember to look through sets before “settling” on a sentiment. 🙂 For this one, I used Distress Oxides for the greenery, and Polychromos pencils for the trunk, and Copics for the flowers. I stamped the sentiment with VersaClair Nocturne.

For my second card, I tried out the new technique from SplitCoast Stampers called Starburst Background. I created a circle mask to stamp my image through then cut it out with a circle die just a little bigger so I could get a white ring around the image. I grabbed greens from my stash of scraps for my star burst then added a sentiment from The Future with VersaClair Nocturne..

I love that the technique for the image is similar yet these two cards are so different. I had a great time with this stamp set and hope I have inspired you to try some “water coloring” with your stamps 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!
Lyn

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Tone on Tone Background Technique

Today is my day to host the technique challenge at SplitCoast Stampers. I decided on a tone on tone background using a stamp, stencil, embossing folder, etc., Versa Mark, and Clear Embossing powder. It is a clean and simple look with some texture to keep it interesting. Both cards use the new Background Builder Funky Borders Set

My first card is a Mothers day card. I used the borders to create a background then added a floral image from In this Together which I colored with Polychromos pencils. The sentiment is from Favorite Mom – a digital set.

My Second card is an encouragement card using the Funky border background and the image from Walk Humbly which I also colored with Polychromos pencils (when they are on the desk…).and the sentiment is from Faith Phrases inked with Versa Clair Nocturne.

I hope you are inspired and I would love if you joined the Technique Lover’s Challenge at SplitCoast Stampers this week.

Thanks for stopping by!
Lyn

Embossing Folders Two ways – Masculine Cards

Today I have a couple of cards using the new Birthday Guy Stamp set from Sweet N Sassy. This is the stamp of the month for May so you can get it free with a $65 order.

I made the cards clean and simple(ish) because the sentiments are so bold, they can really carry the cards. However, I decided to add a little texture to the background with embossing folders.

First, I used the new digital paper called Man of the House and embossed it with a birthday embossing folder and then added the sentiment as my focal image. The texture is subtle but it adds the perfect touch.

My second card uses a geometric embossing folder. I added Versa Mark to my folder before I ran it through the machine, then I added black embossing powder when it came out. It is a little messy but that is part of the fun of this technique. I added the sentiment onto a scrap background sponged a little of the same Distress Oxide colors onto the embossed piece to tie them together. That is all there is to this one. I love the black and white color scheme on this one.

I hope these inspire you to grab out those embossing folders (if you’re like me, you may need to dust them before using haha!)

Thanks for stopping by!
Lyn

Watercolor Unicorn

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 Unique set 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!

Hugs,
Lyn

Colored Salt Walter Color

Happy Monday all!

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 first card – It turned out looking like a garden, so I added some flowers using the  Sweet N Sassy Winter Birds Stamp Set (flower) and the Foliage Silhouette DIE. Then I added a sentiment from the Happy Everything Sentiment Strips.

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.

I hope you will join the Splitcoast Stampers TECHNIQUE challenge – I can’t wait to see what you create!

Hugs,
Lyn

Stamped background for an Eclipse card

For my project today I had a playtime “what should I do to it next” type day… I am not gonna lie when I tell you this turned into an all day play so this clean and simple card has a lot of hours put into it. That means it will have to be sent to just the right person haha – do you do that?

First I created the background by stamping the flowers and leaves from the Happy Scarecrow set. I decided I didn’t want a fall card so I pulled out a color wheel and put together a fun non-fall color combo. I really love these colors together! I love being able to stretch my stamp sets this way!

I decided to color with pencils (part of the reason it took so long right?!) so in order to save time, before I started coloring, I went ahead and cut my panel down to a little smaller than card size so I could mount it onto a black panel a have a border.

As I was coloring all of the flowers, I thought it would be more dramatic if I colored in the background so I grabbed my pencils and went to work… I wanted it to blend well but I don’t have great luck with Gamsol and my Polychromos so I grabbed out my Vaseline. It is a trick I learned somewhere along the way and I love it. Just dip a Q-tip into the Vaseline and start blending (not a lot is needed and you can get more as you need it). If you need to go back in to create a shadow, you can did the pencil into the Vaseline and use it that way too.

After I colored it , I decided to create an Ecplise card so I die cut the word Friend out (yes, I die cut it after all that coloring!) Keep all the pieces – it will be important! I cut out the word several more times on to black card stock and glued them all together into a stack.

I mounted the background onto the black panel and then fit everything back together. First, put the original die cut into place and glue down all of the inside pieces (inside of the r, e, and d.) Then pull out the word and glue it onto the black stack and then fit it into place over the inside pieces which are now recessed and the word it standing out.

I added a sentiment from the new Happy Everything Sentiment Strips and put it on a white card. It really turned out great – The colors are a lot richer than they look in the picture and I see this color combo again in my future!

I hope you are inspired and thank you for stopping by!!

Lyn

Technique Lover’s Challenge – SCORE!

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!

Hugs,
Lyn

Roses for a Technique Challenge!!

Tags

Bible Journal, SplitCoast Stampers, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, Technique, Watercolor

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 

I can’t wait to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by – now head over the challenge and join in 🙂 Technique Lover’s Challenge at SplitCoast Stampers

Hugs!
Lyn

God is Sovereign – One set 2 ways

Today I have a couple of projects using this month’s God is Sovereign set. I also grabbed some stencils and water based inks to create my backgrounds. One is a simple-ish card and the other is a mixed media art journal page.

First the card… I used the Delightfully Delicate Stencil on water color paper, spritzed in and added brusho’s (powder water color.) I used the reverse side of the stencil on another sheet of watercolor for another look – this is that piece. I used the flower from God is Sovereign and a sentiment from Sentimental Wordfetti.

Now for the Art Journal Page. For this one, I threw a lot at it… I first ink blended with Distress Oxides (worn lipstick, mustard seed, and broken china) I sprayed it with water to blend it, I stamped over that with the Script Background Stamp. I added Spots randomly along the edges from Spotted (This is the stamp of the month) and used the Grunge Grid Stencil for added texture.

After I created the background, I built up a sentiment block using the words and the flower from God is Sovereign. I colored the flower with polychromos pencils and finished my page with some white paint splatters. I love it – this set like the other before it created by SNSS team member Deirdre Cason is just so sweet and versatile.

I hope you are inspired.

Thanks for stopping by!
Lyn

By the way… there is a sale going on right now and there is still time for you to take advantage of it – the hard part will choosing 🙂

SplitcoastStampers Technique Challenge Layered Flap

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!

Lyn