Watercolored Stippled Blossoms

Thought I'd try something a little different for this Stippled Blossoms stamp set today.  This is one of my favorite sets - I would have used it a TON if it was in photopolymer.  I'm not one to get out my Stamp-a-ma-jig very often.  However I did use my MISTI tool for the positioning of the stamps for this card.  

So onto the something different.  I didn't want such a stippled appearance to the flower today - I wanted something softer.  

I grabbed some watercolor paper and stamped the solid image of the largest flower in Blushing Bride.  This ends up a little blotchy in appearance on the watercolor paper - I'm sure because of the texture of the paper.  So I grabbed my aquapainter and let that do the work of filling in all the "holes".  

While that was drying, I loaded up the MISTI tool with the stippled image.  I use a window sheet taped inside of the MISTI tool as a positioner.  This works perfect and I just clean it off with a baby wipe.  I inked up the stippled image with Calypso Coral ink and stamped it on my flower.  Again, using the aqua painter to soften the stipples.  It doesn't eliminate the stipples completely, but it does wash them out a bit.

I repeated this for the leaves and the other flower.  Lastly, I watercolored around the entire image with Pear Pizzazz.  Oh...I also loaded up my aqua painter with some Calypso Coral ink and then gave it a little squeeze so that there would be lots of water at the tip of the brush.  Then I tapped on the brush to create the splatter marks.  

To finish the card off stamped the "grown with love" in Pear Pizzazz ink randomly down the right side of the card (I stamped off first).  I added the "love ya" piece, die cutting it with one of the label dies and cut off the stem piece.  

Not sure where the washi tape came from.....I have so much of that stuff....who knows where it came from!  But it did really help anchor the flower panel - which BTW is adhered with a layer of fun foam under the panel for stability as it goes thru the mail.

FYI - if you haven't seen this post yet about the no line watercoloring,  be sure to check it out.  I'll be posting a winner of the cards tomorrow.  You still have time to leave a comment!

Product List

Calypso Coral 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [122925]	Watercolor Paper [122959]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [101650]	Stippled Blossoms Clear Stamp Set [126747]	From The Garden Photopolymer Bundle [138862]	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad [126983]
Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad [131172]	Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad [131180]	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [126953]	Aqua Painters [103954]

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Flower Fest

Have I ever mentioned that I hate being sick?  I always feel like spending a day sick on the couch is such a waste of time.  

Yes. 
And No.

I know that one must mend themselves back to health.....so, taking a sick day is necessary.....but this month - I've been sick TWICE!  And not just wasting one day on the couch, but FOUR total days!  UGH!

Our house is ready for it to be warm enough to throw the windows open and air this house out!  I was sick at the beginning of the month with a stomach flu thing - I feel lucky, because my hubster had it for an entire week!  Then my son Alex got it.  I made sure I went and grabbed some Pepto for him tho.....I didn't want him sick that long.  Then my daughter Aubrie caught something - not exactly sure what but ran a fever for 2 days, then a cough from you know where.  Well.....that's what I ended up with.  We have not had a week in April with everyone healthy - double UGH!

I'm not sharing for sympathy.....I'm sharing because it made me realize that a card like today's card would be something nice to have on hand when I hear that others are sick.  It's bright and perky - something to cheer a sick one up.

FYI - I'm coming up with a new slogan - April sickness brings May cheerfulness!  (let's hope!)

Hope you all are having a healthy week!  

Graduation guest book idea

Howdy Friends!  I've got something a little different to share with you today. 

We had a graduation part yo attend last night for a sweet gal that lives in the same town as us. (Remember - there are only about 300 people that live in our quaint little town!  We are a fairly tight knit community).  They had called me to create a guest book for the event. 

I like to do things a little out of the ordinary. In my stash of stuff I had this jar that I'd transformed a couple of weeks ago. 

When I showed them the jar, they liked it....it was in the colors she was using to decorate the hall with. However we needed something bigger.  So I called up my canning friends - another community thing we do!  I was in need of a bigger jar.....

We found a couple jars and I spray painted them in the silver metallic paint. Then onto the decorating part. I added the S with some leftover gems they had from their decorations. Some festooning (that's the fluffy white stuff), a bright pink flower - technically Melon Mambo - I die cut it with a retired die, a bit of black chevron ribbon, some Pom Pom trim, tie it all together.  

I had two jars so decided that I just as well glam it up too!  

This one got a glitter job!  I taped off the bottom of the jar then coated it with Mod Podge. I removed the tape, and sprinkled glitter on.  I did have to go back over some areas with more Mod Podge and glitter where the glitter didn't stick real well. One this was dry, I added some glitter tape.  This covered up some areas that got wrecked when I pulled off the original tape from the Mod Podge.   For some reason I couldn't get the paint to dry on this jar, so when I pulled up that first tape, a little paint came with it. Anyway.... That glitter tape covered it up just fine!  I took the jar outside and coated the glittered area with come acrylic sealer so the glitter wouldn't fall off. This worked really slick!  Lastly I added the bow around the lip of the jar. It's Stampin' Up! Silver glitter paper and the bigz bow die. 

Of course we needed a message so folks knew what they were to do.....a duded up a binder clip in her signature colors....something I figured she may also find useful in days to come!  

On her table we put out some plain Project Life cards for people to use. I showed her how she can later put those messages into an album and include pictures if she wants to.  

In the end it was super cute and it was something different than your average guest book. 

Lovely Amazing You

Howdy everyone!  

I've got a quick post for you today....

Another card with a bit of a watercolor technique.  The entire front panel is watercolor paper.  I wet the paper first with a big brush.  On my craft sheet, I had taken a Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana ink pad and smooshed them onto the ink pad.  Then I took the wet watercolor paper and smooshed that into the ink colors.  They start to instantly run together and create this fun watery look.

I let the paper dry really well, then stamped the feathers from Lovely Amazing You in Blackberry Bliss ink.  This was mounted onto a Calypso Coral card base.  I added the scrap strips of Calypso Coral to the front to tie that into the base - since you can't see that in the photos anyway... :)

I stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set and added some sequins - 2013-15 In Color Sequins (retiring).  

I know this was an odd color combo....but I think in the end it really worked.  Do you agree?

Butterfly Basics....Same Card - Two Ways!

 

Hey there!!!  I did something a little different with today's card.... 

I created it twice.

Look at the one above....

Now look at the one below....

Same card - right?  
Yep - same elements, same stamp....

So what's the big deal?  

How about when I lay them side by side?

Can you see the difference now?

I watercolored both images.  Using watercolor paper, an aqua painter and Stampin' Up! ink pads.

But the one that's above has a much softer feel than the one below.

Why?

I used a technique called no line watercoloring.  I inked the image above using Smoky Slate ink that I stamped off before stamping on the watercolor paper.  This left VERY faint lines for me to color in.  I'll admit - that can be a little bit tricky.  When you start to watercolor, you lose some of the lines that were stamped because your coloring covers them up.  I simply refer to the image on the stamp case to help me out a bit.  And I love the soft look that it gives.

The image below is just as pretty, but the lines of distinction are there to help guide the coloring process. 

Tell me - which one is YOUR favorite?  I'll send the card to one random person that leaves a comment below!

It's so Hard to say GOODBYE! Stampin' Up! Retired List...

Today's the big day!!!  Time to say farewell to some of our favorite products!  Some items are discounted - up to 50% off.  

BEWARE tho - most items on the list are while supplies last - so don't go cryin' when something is gone before you bought it!!! Don't say I didn't warn ya!

Here's the lists already:

• Retiring List PDF
• Retiring List Sortable Excel File
• My Digital Studio (PDF)
• My Digital Studio (Excel) 

Creation Station: Chalkboard Paper!

Hey!!!  Time for a Creation Station hop today!  Today's focus is on the Crazy About You stamp set, a Graduation theme, and our Chalkboard Paper.  
I've created my projects with the Chalkboard paper and did create one Grad themed card.....

This one is kinda fun....I love to create brightly colored cards for those teen graduates, and I think this one can go for boys or girls.....

I used our Chalk inks for both the background and the Congrats sentiment.  I love the way that the ink stays true to color when stamped on colored cardstock.  That yellow really pops on the Smoky Slate cardstock. 

What makes this one fun is the mini file folder that you can tuck some money or a gift card into.  Of course your recipient needs to be smart enough to realize there is a little gift in there!!!!

My next card uses the chalkboard paper but I softened the look of it up a bit.  

I used the flowers from Perpetual Birthday stamp set to create the background (that's also where the stars came from on the previous card!)  I used the chalk ink again for the Coral Rose flowers and the gray ones are Smoky Slate.  I wanted to pull the black from the sentiment layer into the card, but in a softer way.  I also tied the black in by creating a layer behind the Very Vanilla panel, but just letting the black barely peek out.

I stamped the sentiment in the same chalk ink and added some Blushing Bride flowers.

In the end, I love how this card turned out.  

Alright.....go ahead and see what the other designers have up their crafty sleeves.....