Open Stamping technique March 2015

I have had a lot of fun lately with watercoloring! I decided to share a basic background technique this month with my friends at Open Stamping. I made the card in two color combinations and can imagine many others that would be beautiful! The stamps are a SNEAK PEEK at a Close to My Heart set being released April 1st! It is darling and everyone will want it!  Oh, these cards are 4 x 4 inch and the card base is Kraft cardstock. The colors are Pixie/Canary and Sky/Sweet Leaf.

Other news? We have been too busy with taxes to have much fun, except for playing in my room. I have been working on an Outreach Project at church that is very rewarding, and tomorrow beings Holy Week. Hope things are great in your little corner! Hugs!

Wink of Stella in a BRUSH pen

I made this card at the Scrapbook Convention in Phoenix at a vendor booth. The colors on the flower were added with Spectrum water color pens that had a fine line, like a fine point marker, on one end and a wider brush on the other end. The idea was to put a little color on the flower and then go back with a water brush and blend it out. I got a little lot carried away with the color so my flower is extremely vibrant! LOL We helped it dry with a heat gun (just to speed up the process) and then used the Wink of Stella brush (not a gel pen, but capable of wide splashes of sparkle!)! I brought home a large off-white rectangular card with this gaudy flower in the middle of it!

Today on Vicki Wizniuk's blog I was inspired to cut down the card and let some of the flower "fall off" the edge! I added a tiny micron-line to "frame it" and put it over this pretty paper (also from my weekend adventures) with a bit of silk ribbon to bring out the orange highlights. 

I was SO impressed with the WOS brush that I think you will be seeing a LOT of it! Hugs!

These sweet daffodils were a "must have" for spring! I used alcohol markers to color them; it went very quickly! It's a smaller card, 4x4 inch. The base is a retired Close To My Heart cardstock called Key Lime. I am trying to use my stuff ( but you know how tempting the new things always are!) 

Speaking of new things, last weekend I attended a Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Convention in Phoenix with a dear friend. We had a couple of classes and lots of time to see everything in the exhibit hall! I did a make-and-take with Spectrum ink and Wink of Stella that I never realized comes in a large "water brush" type form. I have a tiny gel pen, and was baffled at the beautiful washes of sparkle some people get on their cards (ahem, Anna!) So that  fine pen immediately jumped into my shopping cart!  LOL

I'll post the photo once I make something with the flower I created. Right now it's not much to look at, except it is vibrant and sparkly! It was so much fun to spend an entire day doing art stuff with a friend! Good for the soul.

I do!

Hello! This simple card was my Valentine for Stephen this year. I used the stamp set "I Do!" From the mini-catalog that expires the end of March. Fortunately, this stamp set will still be available. I fell in love with the tiny birds. I used Tulip and Lagoon ink.

We have been working on taxes all day and this post is a stolen moment so I'll bid you adieu and get back to work!

Ribbon scraps

I am definitely going to create a place to collect "ribbon scraps"!!! I cut a butterfly shape into my Kraft cardstock and then adhered the ribbon scraps to the backside. A couple of stamped things later and I had a reasonable card! I think two butterflies, maybe the second one smaller, might be the ticket. But. Nifty reason to convince me to save ribbon scraps!

The card class was a success! Whew! I am (secretly) glad it's done. Now I can get busy on my honeymoon scrapbook. I am only 3 years behind!!

The Fifth Card

This is the last card in our workshop, and I intend to have them stamp this one so they can see how easy it is to line up the cake layers when stamping with the My Acrylix stamps. Honestly, I can barely use rubber any longer - it has to be a background (I.e. Huge) stamp or something I will cut out and place. But I disgress. 

I need to give a shout out to Vicki Wiznuik for her inspiration for this card! I loved it so much I bought two stamp sets (so there would be enough for people to share).  I can always take the second one up to Brainerd when we fly north for the summer.

Hugs!

Masculine Birthday

Another card for the benefit class I am doing next week. I am getting so excited about this event!! This card uses the not-yet-released stamp of the month for April from Close To My Heart.  The set comes with all sorts of sentiments that can be stamped onto the paper in the typewriter. It is so cool!

The design papers are retired (too bad too, they are awesome!) and the cardstock is CTMH. I used black and slate ink. 

Things are getting quite hectic at church this month with additional study groups, meatless potlucks, a project to provide clothing and Easter baskets to a children's shelter in Mesa, and a fund-raising Celtic concert on March 15th to provide food for the hungry through Matthews Crossing and PAZ de Cristo.  If you are local, please come to the concert! The group is Celtica! Chorale and they are outstanding. Tickets are $5 and non-perishable food items are welcome. Let me know in comments if you need more info on the concert!

Hugs!