MIM #158: Stamping with Watercolor Mediums & CFC130: Good Egg & Craft Hoarders Fifth Monday & Muse #61 Guest Designer

I watched Heather Nichols' video tutorial for Make it Monday #158: Stamping with Watercolor Mediums earlier in the week and finally had time to play around today. I've watercolored using watercolor paint, inks and Distress Markers many times, but have never tried this technique with Gelatos until today.

I colored the feather image and used both the spritzing and water brush techniques on a few panels of watercolor paper. I quickly turned my favorite panel into a sympathy card,

I love the color gradient and that some areas are much less defined than others.

I want to replenish my stash of sympathy cards and used the CASual Fridays Challenge #130 to design this next card.

I cut a couple of sizes of ovals out of scrap paper and adhered them to each other and then to the card base. They are offset and frame the stamped sentiment on the card base.

A larger oval is cut first, and then the Aqua Mist panel is embossed and mounted with foam tape over the sentiment.

Over at the Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog they have a Fifth Monday Feature, so with 5 Monday's in March there is a Linky Party to share storage ideas (and a random draw for a prize!).

My two favorite storage items are my Expedit bookcases and Raskog card from Ikea. I have a 4x4 Expedit to the left and a 2x4 one behind me when I'm sitting at my desk. I love having everything  within arms reach.

The Raskog cart sits on my right side and holds my most used tools on the top shelf. The middle shelf  holds most of my adhesive and I love spinning it around to easily reach for glue dots, tapes, foam squares or liquid adhesives.

Just a reminder I am the Guest Designer for the Muse Challenge #61 and I would love to see you play along!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Fusion #3 + CASual Fridays #127 + CASology #81

This simple little Valentine is eligible for three different challenges. It all started with the Fusion #3 photo and sketch, then the CASual Fridays Challenge #127 : Over the Edge and CASology Week #81: And both added to the design.

The Fusion sketch reminded me of a Valentine bag I made last year with overlapping hearts as the closure. I decided to rotate the sketch and make a modified gatefold card. The 4 1/4" x 11" piece of cardstock is scored at 4" and 9 1/2" to make the card base.

I used a couple of dies and a punch to make my patterned paper hearts. The first red dot heart was adhered flush with the bottom of the card base and the second one hangs off the top of the base. Second hearts are adhered to the back of the panel so that a full heart is visible when the card is opened.

The sentiment heart is popped up with foam adhesive, allowing the middle set of hearts to interlock and slip under it to keep the card closed.

My Wink of Stella brush adds a really pretty sparkle to the inset sentiment heart. My computer isn't cooperating right now to add that photo, but I hope to edit the post & add it later.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CFC125 + Simon Says + Paper Smooches & CASolgy Week 76: Party + Seize the Birthday + CTD273

Wow, is it really January 5th? Eek, this year is flying by already! I had a great crafty field trip with a few friends a couple of days ago and finally managed to get into the office yesterday to organize my new goodies.

Once the organizing was done and I had time to play I found myself lacking mojo. I struggled with a couple of challenges before giving up on them (for now). In the end I made two clean & simple cards that will work for a few different challenges.

The CASual Fridays Challenge is to choose a word that describes what you hope for the new year. Well "happy" is the word that jumped out to me - I am a happy person and really try to make and keep those I love happy. The happy banner die is new, qualifying for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge to use Something New.

I cut the banner thinking I would replenish my stack of birthday cards, but ended up selectively stamping a couple of Paper Smooches stamps to make a congratulations card.  With Anything Goes this week at the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge, I am also linking this card up over there.

PTI's Smoky Shadow cardstock is one of my favorite colors, but often photographs as black when it it really a beautiful dark gray. The banner on this card is popped up with foam adhesive and the ends are wrapped around the panel.

My second card combines a few more challenges: CASology Week 76 plus Seize the Birthday plus Color Throwdown #273.

Don't you love the Throwdown colors?! I knew as soon as I saw them on Melody's blog that I wanted to play along this week.

I initially used the number "2" instead of spelling out the word, but decided to go with the Anything Goes option at Seize the Birthday. A couple of enamel dots are the only embellishment on this one.

It is the last day of winter vacation for the kids and (after watching the Chargers win their game) we are meeting friends half way between them and us which means I get to explore Old Towne Orange antique stores - something that makes me very happy. Hope you get to do something that makes you happy today!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CAS(E) This Sketch #57 + Muse #48 + Paper Smooches + CASual Fridays #123

It is not often I can hit four challenges with one card, but I think this one really works well for them all. The initial inspiration was from the CAS(E) this Sketch #57 and CASual Fridays Challenge #123: Let It Snow.

I decided to make one of the circles on the sketch a window, with the sentiment peeking through from the inside of the card instead of putting it in the bottom left corner. The other two large circles became vellum snowflakes.

 I had the card finished to this point yesterday and then saw the Monday Muse challenge this morning. Marion Vagg has given us this delightful Inside/Outside card to work with and I knew my card wasn't quite finished.

My inks and stamp set were waiting for me on the desk and it just took a couple of minutes to add a little interest to the inside of the card.

Not as stunning as Marion's card, but I like the surprise on the inside!

This is also being linked to Anything Goes at the Paper Smooches Sparks challenge blog as my sentiment and snowflakes come from their Fresh Snow stamp set.

I'm finally getting the hole in my family room ceiling fixed - our leaky pipe was replaced a month ago, but we really wanted to make sure everything was completely dry before closing it up.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Paper Smooches Sparks + Merry Monday #84 + CAsual Fridays 120: Curtain Call

This card is being linked up to four challenges, but it really started with the Paper Smooches Sparks November Cool Shades challenge.

 

Sticking to my Christmas card focus and going through my PS stamps, I decided to use Hullabaloo to create a little Christmas scene like the one in the Curtain Call Inspiration photo and CASual Friday #120 challenge.

A triangle of patterned paper forms the tree and paper pieced gifts sit at the base. I curved the sentiment and stamped it on both the white panel and the tree.

An orange star brings in the final color and a Prima crystal provides some bling, making this card perfect for Merry Monday Challenge #84.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Monday Mood Board #22 + CASual Fridays Embossing + Simon Says

The Monday Mood Board #22 from Wplus9 has been pinging around inside my head for a few days - this is one of those cards that looks nothing like the plan I started with, but I think it is going to be one of my all-time favorites.

I started with the tag and everything progressed from there.

I pulled out a few pieces of pattern papers that echoed the colors & feel of the Mood Board to make the tag - the bonus of paper piecing a tag like this is I had enough "pieces" to make 3 tags.

An embossed stamp from Lacey Layers creates a home for the sentiment from Fresh Cut Florals. A border is created with the same stamp down one side of the front panel along with a piece of lace tape.

I am also linking this card to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #119: Embossing and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Keep it Clean and Simple.

CFC119: Use dry or heat embossing on your Clean And Simple project.
Deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 13th at noon eastern.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CAS(E) this Sketch #52 + CFC119

This card has me giddy, I am so happy the way it turned out. I'm supposed to be concentrating on flat holiday cards that can be mailed without any added postage, but then realized a trip later this month to see my parents means I can hand deliver a number of cards. This one is a little longer & narrower than usual, making it perfect for holding a little Christmas cash.

I started with the current CAS(E) this Sketch! and the tiny jingle bells that have been living on my desk the last couple of weeks.

This red bells are throwing the color balance off, giving a pinkish tinge to the card which is driving me crazy - the card is really pure white in real life.

I cut a rectangular panel, then used a border die to round the bottom and cut the panel into four sections. A Technique Tuesday sentiment is stamped on the bottom panel and the other three were embossed for a little extra texture. 

All nine bells are strung on one piece of linen thread which is adhered to the back of the panels. A glue dot holds the middle bell in each section in place, but the others are able to move around. The pieces of the panel are all popped up with foam squares.

The dry embossing makes this card eligible for the current CASual Friday Challenge.

CFC119: Use dry or heat embossing on your Clean And Simple project.

Deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 13th at noon eastern.

I just checked the new challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog and since it is Keep It Clean and Simple, I am going to link this card over there too.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Muse #41 + CASual Fridays + Simon Says Stamp & MFTWSC#148

I am concentrating on Christmas cards for the next little bit, still trying to decide whether to make mostly unique cards this year or pick a design to mass produce.

I pulled out some My Favorite Things stamps and dies for this first card based on the MFTWSC#148 sketch.

I love the little topper piece that come with the ornament dies. The patterned paper is from Authentique and the sentiment from MFT's Inspired by Christmas.

Foam adhesives pop up the ornaments.

This next card was inspired by the Muse #41 and this card from Janet Ribet.

I love the frosty palette, the falling snow & quiet sentiment!

I wish I had Janet's embossing folder - my snow is created taking three different flower center stamps and stamping them randomly all over the panel with Versamark ink. They are heat embossed and then the panel is inked with TH Tumbled Glass.

The SSS tree die is cut several times and adhered together for depth & strength and attached to the panel. Twine & a few jingle bells are added after the MFT sentiment is stamped. The tree, snow drift and a few random snowflakes are given a frosty touch of stickles to finish the card off.

Is this design CAS enough to enter in the CASual Friday Challenge #119? I'm going to link it up and see what they say.

CFC119: Use dry or heat embossing on your Clean And Simple project.

Deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 13th at noon eastern.

This is also being linked to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog where Anything Goes this week.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie