Guest Designing for A2Z Scrapbooking

Hello, everyone! I'm so excited to be a guest designer for the A2Z Scrapbooking Blog today! They host a new challenge each month and all you have to do is use at least one Hero Arts item as the main focal point on your project! This month's challenge is bright and beautiful and you have until the end of the day to upload a project! Here's the card I made! Be sure to head over to the A2Z blog to see all the details of my card!

See you soon!

Distress Ink Bleed

Hi, again! I have another card that I'm entering into the A2Z Scrapbooking Bright and Beautiful challenge! Click the photo link below to add your own creation! 

I used the Birthday Animal Silhouettes stamp set from Hero Arts and I stamped the giraffe image with a variety of Distress Inks - Fossilized Amber, Twisted Citron, and Peacock Feathers. The balloons are Fossilized Amber and Picked Raspberry. I added water with a spray bottle and let the ink colors bleed out from the original image. Then I stamped the image again (getting perfect placement with my MISTI) with Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed it with sparkle embossing powder. The embossing powder is clear, but it gives the black ink a blue sheen - a happy accident!

 I added the balloon strings with a black pen and then I went to town with my Nuvo drops. I made this card super late at night and I didn't realize that my drops aren't perfect. Oh well. Everyone knows I hand make all of my cards. No one will care that the drops aren't perfect circles! I used 3 colors - Caribbean Ocean, Silver Moondust, and Dandelion Yellow.

That's all! This was simple to make, but I love the results!

Bright Birthday Animals

Hello, there! Today I'm sharing a card that I'm entering into the A2Z Scrapbooking Challenge for August - Bright and Beautiful. Click the image below to take you to the challenge! You just have to create a card that fits the challenge and uses Hero Arts products! This is also some homework for day 2 of the Rainbow Maker class at Online Card Classes! 

I used the Birthday Animal Silhouettes stamp set from Hero Arts in combination with my Distress Oxide Inks. I used Fossilized Amber, Worn Lipstick, Broken China, Wilted Violet, and Cracked Pistachio.

 I stamped all of my images randomly around my cardstock and then flicked on some water. I white heat embossed a sentiment from the same stamp set and foam mounted it on top of some gold glitter cardstock.

Super quick and easy! I'll be back soon with another card for this challenge! Thanks for stopping by!

Muse Card Club Polka Dots Cards

Hey everyone! I'm super excited to be entering my first cards into the Muse Card Club challenge blog. It's their 200th challenge...but a first for me!

Here's the card I've made:

Our inspiration image had polka dots and flowers. I loved the floral idea, but I wanted my black polka dots to be more subtle. I'm not one for big bold patterns lately, so I made this beauty using an Altenew stamp set, some dye inks, and a Hero Arts die!

Remember to head over to the Muse Card Club to check out their challenges!

I'm excited to try some more challenges! It's something I've always wanted to do...but I never had time! Now that the baby is napping on a regular basis I'm hoping to try my hand at more! Do you have any good suggestions?

Lawnscaping Challenge : Distress Maniacs!

Hello, all!! The Lawnscaping challenge blog has always been one of my favorites, so I've decided to join in this week and use some Distress products on my cards!!

Be sure to head over to the blog and link up your own creations! Here's mine!

I made two cards using the Lawn Fawn Wheelie Like You stamp set. I water colored a couple of images from the set with Distress inks and covered them with Wink of Stella for some shimmer. 

I I mixed up some more colors of Distress Ink with some Perfect Pearls and water colored some stripes onto cardstock. I used my stitched rectangles to frame them. And that's it! So quick and easy! I was done before the baby woke up from a nap!! 

See you all next time!

TTS55 Sketch Challenge - Christmas Panels

Hey, there! I'm back with another card! It's time for a new challenge at the Tis the Season Challenge Blog.

Here is the sketch we are asking you to follow! All you have to do is link up a new Christmas creation over at the challenge blog. Here's my take on the sketch!

I used the My Favorite Things Plaid Builder stamp set to stamp and emboss my background stripes and spattered some gold paint onto a standard A2 card base.

I used the same stamp set to mask and emboss some lines to box in my focal image. Then I masked off a portion at the bottom and sponged on some Pumice Stone Distress Ink. I sponged the sky background with Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves, and Chipped Sapphire. I pulled out my Lawn Fawn Winter in the Park stamp set and stamped the bench and lamp with Versafine ink and embossed with sparkle powder. I also stamped some snowflakes and embossed them with the sparkle powder.

I added my greeting and popped up my image on some fun foam and that was it! Thanks for joining me!!

TTS54 - A Vanilla, Coral, Blue, and Razzleberry Christmas

Hello, friends! I'm excited about today's card because it was a new technique for me! There's a new challenge on the Tis the Season Challenge Blog! It's a color challenge again - vanilla, coral, blue, and razzleberry. To enter in the challenge just make a new Christmas themed project using these colors (just be as close as you can) and upload it to the blog!

Tis the Season Challenge Blog

Here's my card!

I used a technique I've seen Jennifer McGuire do a few times called Distress Ink Bleed. I picked out my distress colors - Scattered Straw, Abandoned Coral, Salty Ocean, and Seedless Preserves. The stamp set I used is Winnie & Walter's The Big, The Bold, and the Merry. I took a piece of watercolor cardstock and trimmed it to 4 x 5 1/4 inches. I started with the big merry sentiment and stamped it in the Abandoned Coral ink. Distress Inks aren't meant for actual stamping, so the image didn't look great, but it's okay! I sprayed some water from my mini Mister from about a foot away and let the color bleed a little.

I grabbed a bunch of the word stamps and grouped them to resemble a Christmas tree. I used the Salty Ocean ink and spritzed the ink with water. I used my heat tool to speed up the drying in between each color because I didn't want the colors blending together. I repeated the same process with the sentiment in Seedless Preserves and the stars with Scattered Straw.

After drying the ink, I stamped over the sentiments and images, this time using Versafine Onyx Black ink. I added some clear glitter embossing powder for sparkle!

And because no Christmas card is complete without a bit of gold, I added some gold ink spatters! My card base is Neenah 110 lb card stock and I added some strips of gold foil paper down each side. I used fun foam behind my focal panel for dimension and this card is done!!

I had a lot of fun with this technique! Maybe you'll try it, too!? Don't forget to go to the Tis the Season Challenge Blog to see more inspiration using these colors and to upload your own card! See you next time!

Tis the Season 53 - Snowy Inspiration

Hey there, everyone! Time for another challenge at Tis the Season! We have an inspiration photo for you this week!

Tis the Season Challenge Blog

Isn't it such a fantastic photo! I was realy inspired by the different shades of gray and silver and also the green foliage inside the ice skate with just a tiny pop of red. Here's my card!

I used the Deck the Halls stamp set from Lawn Fawn for this card. I started by stamping the largest pine branch with second generation stamping with Clean Slate Ink from Studio Calico. In the end, I don't think you can really see it, but I thought it provided a good base to work with.

Next, I stamped the medium twig in Memento London Fog ink and the smallest of the twigs with the SC Clean Slate ink.

At this point my card was looking pretty monotone. I stamped the pine cones in Pumice Stone Distress Ink to warm up the card a little bit and stamped the berries in Studio Calico Well Red ink. I wanted some shine, so I stamped and embossed some snowflakes in silver and liquid platinum embossing powders from Ranger. I also ran the edge of my card along the edge of my Versamark pad and embossed more silver powder for a wintery day look.

Originally I had stamped my sentiment directly onto my card. Alas, the ink smudged. So on to plan B! I stamped again in Memento Cottage Ivy ink and trimmed the edges into a banner and covered up my mistake!!

I cut a cardbase from Simon Says Stamp Schoolhouse Red cardstock to be 4 1/4 inches square and used fun foam behind my panel to add some dimension.

That's it! I hope you are inspired to head over to the Tis the Season blog and join in our challenge!

Sentiments Lawnscaping Challenge

Hey, everyone! Today I have a card that I made for the current Lawnscaping challenge which focuses on sentiments! I will also be uploading my card to the MarkerPOP blog for their anything goes challenge.

Lawnscaping Blog

MarkerPOP Blog

Okay, so here we go!

I started by cutting a piece of cardstock with a pierced edge die from Winnie & Walter's Katharine Cutaways. Then I sponged on just about every brown Distress Ink I own. I wanted to have a background where you could really see some color development.

Next I used the sentiment from the Oh Snap Lawn Fawn set and stamped it multiple times in Versamark ink. I embossed with Zing! white embossing powder.

I stamped a few gingerbreadmen from the Lawn Fawn Oh Snap set with Memento ink and colored them in with my Copic markers. I fussy cut them and popped them up on my card. Then I covered them in clear Wink of Stella.

That's it! I'll be back Thursday with another card!

Tis the Season 52 - Lined Up for Christmas

Hey everyone! The Tis the Season Challenge Blog has a new sketch challenge for you to play with! Ready to see the sketch?

Easy enough, right? I think so! All you have to do is make a new Christmas creation following the sketch above. You may use whatever supplies you have in your stash. Then head over to the Tis the Season Challenge Blog and link up what you've made! Here's my project for this challenge:

I used a stamp set from Sweet Stamp Shop called Holiday Town. This stamp set is so cute! I used some washi tape and masked off a line straight across the top portion of my card and used an ink blending tool to apply some Antique Linen Distress ink. Instead of doing a scallop border just like the sketch, I thought it would cute to imitate the scallops by stamping some trees! The trees are also from the Holiday Town set and I stamped them with Cottage Ivy ink by Memento.

Next, I moved on to coloring my images. I used both Copic and Spectrum Noir markers. I thought the string of lights would be a good addition to the card, so I colored some of them, too. I thought my pine trees were looking a little naked so I stamped a bunch of the lights together to make one continuous string of lights. I fussy cit my images and stuck them on my card. I popped the house up with foam tape to add some dimension.

As you can see in the closeup, my coloring is not perfect. I had a bit of color bleeding, but that's okay. These are hand made!! I think we as cardmakers are sometimes too hard on ourselves and our work. I could have started over, but I think it's okay!

I added some clear Wink of Stella to the house and the lights because every Christmas cars needs glitter in some way! :)

I thought the bow in the sketch would be too much for my card. It just wouldn't have fit in with my design. Instead, I decided to stamp my sentiment where the bow would go. I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink so that the sentiment would stand out.

And that's my card! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you will head over to the Tis the Season Challenge Blog and show us what you've made with this sketch!!

See you next time!

Lawnscaping One Layer Challenge

Hey everyone! Today I am bringing you a card for the current one layer Lawnscaping Challenge. It was a struggle for me! I love my foam tape!

Here is my card! I used the Lawn Fawn Fantastic Friends set and my alcohol markers - both Copic and Spectrum Noir - to color my image.

I started by stamping my sentiment at the bottom of my card with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. From there I went on to stamp my fish bowl and all the little decorations and the fishy inside.

Once everything was stamped out I colored the images with my Copics. I thought it looked like the fish tank was just floating, so I used some cool gray markers to add some shading.

After everything was colored I added some clear Wink of Stella and a coat of Glossy Accents over the water. And that's it! I did get a little outside of the lines in places...but everyone I send my cards to knows I make them by hand, so it's okay!

Come back tomorrow for another card project!!

Tis the Season Challenge 51 - Color Challenge!

Hey everyone! I'm back again because it's the start of a new challenge at the Tis the Season challenge blog!! Check out the color inspiration below:

Aren't those colors just gorgeous! They are Sky, Slate, and Marina! The possibilities are endless!! Here's my take:

I created a snow drifts scene, which are some of my favorite Christmas cards to make! I inked my snowdrifts pieces with Studio Calico Mint Hint and Glass Slipper inks. I overlapped the inks and used light inking and heavy inking to try and get a gradient effect. For my sky I used Broken China Distress ink. I wasn't too concerned with a smooth blend. I think leaving the blend splotchy makes it seem more realistic.

I used some Studio Calico Clean Slate ink for my trees. I used the Christmas Tree stamp set which came with a class from last year. I used first, second, and third generation stamping and I double and triple stamped as well to get different shades of trees. I did the same when decorating the trees as well. Once they were all stamped I used my Sakura glitter pen for some silvery shimmer and cut them out.

I thought my scene was lacking a little oomph, so I added some stars with my white Gelly Roll pen and the Sakura shimmer pen. I also used a heavy application of Wink of Stella on my hills. The glitter blended the inks giving the hills the hills an uneven appearance, but I like it! It looks like drifts of snow on the hills!

I put my scene together using tape runner and various heights of foam tape for dimension.

That's it! I do hope you will join in our color challenge at Tis the Season!! Until next time!!