Mixed Media With Water Color and Alcohol Markers

 Hey Everybody,

When is the last time you used watercolor pencils to color images? That's what I used to color the background of this card. I wanted a simple background that didn't distract too much from the cute images.    This card was for a Mix-ability challenge where you need to use more than one medium on your card. I used watercolor pencils and Copic markers.

Stamps: Colorado Craft Company-Wishing Happiness

Paper Size: white, black

Ink: memento tuxedo black, gorgeous grape

Accessories: Prismacolor watercolored pencils, water brush, Copic Markers, Colorado craft company Wishing Happiness dies

Techniques: Water coloring, coloring

I colored the background using the side of my watercolor pencils and went from warm colors at the bottom to cool colors at the top. Then I used my water brush over the watercolor pencil colors. I stamped, and colored my images with Copic Markers. I used the dies to cut out the images. I added dimensionals behind the images and stacked them together from bottom to top. I added paint splatters on the animals with watercolor pencils. Then I stamped the sentiment. This will go on a dinner tray at a local hospital.

This is the stamp set I used to make this card. I like the cute characters and some of the sentiments.  For my hospital ministry cards, I need cards that are encouragement, thinking of you, anything but Get Well.  There are many people who make get well, cards for the hospital. The hospital also wanted cards for people who won't get well, and are in the hospital. They may have a terminal illness, but are in for procedures that may lengthen their life or make them feel more comfortable.  

Anyway, I like to use cute animals and characters to let them know someone out here is thinking of them enough to make sure they have a card to lift their spirits while they are in the hospital. Sometimes being in the hospital can be so lonely and upsetting for people. 

Colorado Craft Company-Wishing Happiness

What types of stamps are you drawn to?  I'd be interested to hear.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Blessings,

Sue

Unity Snowman

 Hey Everybody,

Sabrina's challenge is light entertainment. It can be found here. 
I thought of this stamp when I saw the challenge. It tickled me to see the snowman enjoying a hot cup of coffee or cocoa then telling us to stay warm and fee cozy.

I stamped the image with memento tuxedo black ink then colored with Copic Markers. I cut around the image and added designer paper then cardstock to make the image strong enough to move on a wobbler. I used white craft ink direct to paper on the snowflake embossed paper. I stamped the sentiment and rounded the corners. I rounded the corners on the other layers as well.
This will go on a patient dinner tray at a local hospital.

Stamps: Unity Stamps-Snowman to Go

Paper: white, night of navy, balmy blue, Frozen designer paper

Ink: memento tuxedo black, balmy blue, white craft ink

Accessories: Copic Markers, Wobbler, Brutus Monroe-Fallen Snow glitter glaze, scissors, Darice-snowflake embossing folder, Crafter's Companion corner rounder

Techniques: direct to paper, coloring

This stamp came from Unity Stamp Company. I got another one that I just love because of the sentiment. The snowman is darling too. That little waving penguin is so stinkin' cute! I've made a couple of these and had fun coloring them. I'll post them soon.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

Blessings,

Sue

Merry Christmas

Hey Everybody,

I wanted to stop by to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. I know we can get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season with planning events and buying gifts. Let's not forget the real reason for this day. 

It is the day of our Savior's birth. He was born so He could die for our sins and make a way for us to Heaven to be with Him for eternity.

Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He has changed my life completely since I gave my life to Him. If this doesn't make sense or you have questions, let me know.

 I know where I'll spend eternity, do you?

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it was cute. 

May you be blessed with God's love.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Blessings,

Sue

 

Winter Days

Hey Everybody,

 We've past the 21st of December which is the Winter Solstice. You know what that means don't you?

 After this point, the sun's path starts shifting north, and days gradually lengthen in the North. Many people just call it the first day of Winter! LOL

The winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight throughout the year, making it the shortest day of the year. Thankfully, after we reach the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and longer again until we reach the summer solstice—the first day of summer and the longest day of the year.

Think of it this way: Although the winter solstice means the start of winter, it also means  the return of sunlight. It only gets brighter from here!

It's that time again, Time to visit The House Mouse Blog...found here. The Challenge is SNOW.

This is one of my favorite new House Mouse stamps. It is called, Hot Cocoa Days. This card was stamped with Memento tuxedo black ink and colored with Copic Markers. What you can't see very well is the white fun flock I added to the window pane where the snow is gathering. It looks cool in person and is so soft to touch.  The sentiment is from a Stampin' Up set called, Impressions Abloom.

This card is going to a friend who gave me House Mouse stamps for my birthday.

Once the images were colored, I added dots for snow using my Judith stick stamp with dots.  I added metallic silver behind the image panel then added designer paper with a dark sky and snowflakes from Frozen. 

Here's what the House Mouse set looks like.  I just love the sentiments they put with this image.

Here is what the designer paper looks like.

I plan to make more of these for a local hospital. We donate cards so they can put them on patient dinner trays. It's a great feeling to know that we can encourage those who are sick and let them know someone is thinking of them and cares.

I can't believe Christmas Eve is almost here. My daughter-in-law is due to be induced Christmas evening due to high blood pressure and issues with the placenta. Our little boy will be here in two more sleeps. Praying all goes well for them.  I will be watching my three-year old granddaughter on and off at her house. 

We're both excited because we're going to have a sleep over! 

Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings to you and yours.

Sue

Collage Stamping Cards

 Hey Everybody,

Today's card is called a collage card.

Angie's challenge is to make a collage card. You can find that challenge here. 

Stamps: Textured Notes, Friendly Foliage

Paper: basic beige, early espresso

Paper Size: A2

Ink: pecan pie, crumb cake, soft suede, early espresso, cajun craze, copper clay

Accessories: Burlap Ribbon, SU Plenty of patterns decorative mask, Friendly Foliage dies, blending brush, 1 3/4" circle punch, glue dots, dimensionals

Techniques: Collage Card

I stamped some of the images then added stenciling in different sections of my card. I inked my ribbon with early espresso to tone it down a bit. I stamped on the wood piece then added a sentiment and used a 1 3/4" circle punch. I added dimensionals to pop up the sentiment. I cut the die out of early espresso ink and added it behind my ribbon. This will go on a dinner tray at a local hospital.

Textured Notes Stamps

Friendly Foliage Stamps and Dies

Here is a video to show you how to do collage stamping.

Here's another type of collage card made using an 8 1/2" x 11 piece of cardstock. You stamp in the four quadrants and cut it apart to make 4 cards.

Here's a video to show you how to make this type of card. You can use any stamp set you have. You want to choose a set that has different sizes of image stamps.

This last collage card is called an Acrylic Block Collage card.

TLC399 ~ Acrylic Block Collage ~  

 

 When stamping with friends we started to do some technique cards. One of the techniques that we had fun with was what I call Acrylic Block Collage.

It differs a bit from the "regular" Acrylic Block technique, in that, within your block color, you create a collage of images and then stamp over or next to that with other images in darker colors.

Anyway, it's super easy to do.

1. Using markers or stamp pads, ink up an acrylic block (your choice in size - we used straight edged blocks as well as wavy edged) with 2-4 colors, beginning with the lightest color and moving to the darkest.

2. Spritz the block with water and immediately stamp onto cardstock (we used white most of the time - or kraft occasionally). Let dry (a few minutes at most).

3. Mask the rest of the cardstock so only the stamped block area is showing (we used 2 post it notes thick around the whole block area so the ink didn't bleed through to the rest of the card).

4. Stamp several other images using light and/or darker colors (your choice), filling as much or as little of your block area as you wish.

5. Remove the masks and stamp another image and/or sentiment in the darkest color (most of the time we used black ink for a good contrast).

6. Voila!

And yep -- ONE LAYER BEAUTIES!

Here is the Splitcoaststampers gallery for this technique challenge.

Well there you have it, several ways to make collage cards. I hope you give some of these a try.

Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings,

Sue

Moonlight Silhouette

 Hey Everybody,

Here we are again, with another first for me. Our challenge was to make a sky of some sort. Here is the tutorial I used, called Moonlight Silhouette. I've never made a silhouette card this way.  Have you?

I punched the circle and used the sponge dauber to add night of navy ink around the edges. I stamped the snow from Christmas pines for the background. I added the sentiment with versamark and heat set it with silver embossing powder with glitter in it. I also added glitter to the front of the card which was almost dry. I added the ribbon and bow then the moonlight silhouette of the deer. This will go to a local hospital to be put on a dinner tray.

Stamps: Christmas Pines, Sketched Butterflies

Paper: shimmer paper, night of navy, silver

Paper Size: A2

Ink: versamark, white craft ink

Accessories: Zing silver embossing powder, 2 1/2" circle punch, white with silver edge ribbon, heat tool, Magic Meadows dies, dimensionals, sponge dauber

Techniques: heat embossing, using a negative die cut

Here is the video I used to make my card. It is from Splitcoast Stampers Tutorial Section.

This was a fun card to make. I hope you give this a try.

Blessings,

Sue

Holographic Paper and Stencil Paste

Hey Everybody,

Today I have two cards for you using holographic silver paper and stencil paste. The first one, I stamped the cardinals and colored them with watercolor pencils then used a blender pen to blend the colors. I colored stencil paste with purple paint. I cut out the holographic paper with a die and layered it behind the image panel. I dry embossed the card base with Lacy Brocade embossing folder to go with the lace stencil I used. I found the perfect sentiment but don't know the company who made it. I rounded the edges of the sentiment panel with a corner rounder.

Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs-Cardinal Ornament, Christian sentiment unknown maker

Paper: white, holographic, gorgeous grape

Paper Size: A2

Ink: memento tuxedo black, gorgeous grape

Accessories: SU Lacy Brocade embossing folder, SU watercolor pencils, blender pen, Spotlight on Nature dies, corner rounder, purple paint, paste knife, Tim Holtz-Lace stencil

Techniques: stenciling with paste, coloring, dry embossing

Here is my teapot for the letter T, in the alphabet challenge. The challenge was to make a card with a teapot.

 I added stencil paste to my stencil and layered it onto my holographic paper. I colored the image with SU watercolor pencils then used a blender pen. I added the images with dimensionals. I stamped the sentiment in gorgeous grape ink on gorgeous grape paper. The grape paper was glued to the holographic paper then added to a gorgeous grape card base.

Keywords: ABC23T20 teapot

Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs-Tea Time

Paper: white, gorgeous grape, holographic paper

Paper Size: A2

Ink: memento tuxedo black, gorgeous grape

Accessories: stencil paste, SU-watercolor pencils, blender pen, dimensionals, Hero Arts-Ornate Floral stencil

Techniques: stencil with paste, coloring, fussy cutting

I was looking to see how I could use this holographic paper. I knew I could dry emboss it but wasn't sure how it would look if I used stencil paste on it.  First I tried white stencil paste, then I got brave and added a bit of purple acrylic paint to the white paste.

I like how both of these turned out. I like the look of the stencil paste. You just have to give it time to dry. I put these up out of the way so I wouldn't put my arm in them before they dried. LOL

After I finished with the stencils, I ran them under the tap and washed them before the pasted had a chance to dry. You don't want the paste drying on your stencil.  

If you don't have stencil paste, check out this video on how to make some with just two ingredients.

So there you have it, using stencil paste with holographic paper. I hope you give this a try.

 Blessings,

Sue

The Artist Paul Klee

 Hey Everybody,

My card today is based on a challenge about an artist named Paul Klee.(pronounced clay)

When I looked up Paul Klee, I saw that he did a painting called Cat and Bird. I found a video on how to draw it so I figured, okay, I'll try it. The video can be found here.   Granted, it's so kids can draw this, and she was very good at using basic shapes to make the cat and bird. The idea is you draw your image in black permanent marker then use water based markers with wide color lines. Then you use your water brush to pull the color onto the white paper from the markers you've used. The bird is drawn on the cat's head because the artist wanted to show that the bird was on the cat's mind. So, I made this a Thinking of You card. Here is my card. Stamps: Windowsill Woodlands-Unity Paper: white, basic black Paper Size: A2 Ink: n/a Accessories: Tombow water based markers, sharpie black permanent marker, water brush Techniques: freehand drawing There is a book that was inspired by the art piece. Here's a video with the book read aloud. Now that you've seen the painting, my drawing and the book, what do you think? Are you ready to give this a try? Can you draw this picture as the front of a card? Well, now that you've learned a little bit about this artist, maybe you'll give his style of art a try. Here are a few samples of his famous paintings.  I have to say that it's interesting what people call art. This is art that hangs in museums. Hmmmmm. Well thanks for stopping by today. Blessings, Sue