W&W Leading Lady Take 3

Thank you again to Shay for giving me this wonderful opportunity to share my love of Winnie & Walter products.  I hope you've found some inspiration for your own cardmaking.  The month is speeding by and it's time for Take 3. 

We all have times when it's hard to come up with an idea for a card.  One of my solutions to that problem is to use a favorite design element.  My choice is to mask off an area for inking.  There are many variations, so cards can all look different.  I generally use more solid images, but you will see today it really works with any stamps.

First is a sympathy card using A Tree for All Seasons.  I began by heat embossing the tree with a couple coats of embossing powder to obtain a thick, shiny image.  Then I masked off the area where I wanted color.  Distress Inks faded jeans and peeled paint were applied with stencil brushes for a softer look.  I heat embossed the sentiment and added brown splatters.  The panel was matted with light blue textured cardstock for a simple, flat card which, unfortunately, I need to get in the mail.

Next up is a fun winter notecard.  This is the first time I've used kraft cardstock for the technique, but it won't be the last!  I white embossed the front 2 trees from Yetitide Greetings & masked them before adding the tree in the background.  The matching dies were used to make the masks--so quick & easy.  Then I masked off a horizontal strip & used an ink cube direct to the paper.  The trick when using kraft cardstock is to use an ink with pigment properties, like the Delicata Emerald Green I used.  The white embossing picked up a hint of the green which I actually think adds to the effect for this card.  I stamped the sentiment using words from The Big, the Bold & Seasons and added a few white sequins for embellishment.  I'm entering Inkspirational.

For my final project the masked area is a rectangle in the center of the card.  Distress Inks bundled sage, milled lavender & spun sugar were sponged on beginning at the bottom right & moving to the top left, rather than straight across.  Instead of embossing, I stamped the bloom, stem and leaves from In Bloom: Eva's Favorite Flowers in Brilliance Starlite Black.  It's another ink with pigment properties giving me good coverage on top of the Distress Ink background.  I curved the straight stem onto my acrylic block and masked the card front to get the length I wanted.  The same ink was used for the beautiful word from Sentimental: Thanks and a single gray gem completes the card.  I'm entering CAS on Friday and SSS Wednesday.

Be sure to check my first Leading Lady post & my Take 2 post to leave comments and be entered in the random drawing for a $30 Winnie & Walter gift card.  You will get an additional entry by leaving a comment on today's post telling me which card is your favorite.  Yes, you have to pick one--haha!  I'll be back next Saturday for my final performance.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Winter Scene

I absolutely love Ashley's card for this week's PTI MIM Challenge Winter Watercolor.  My version is very simple with just 3 trees.

Our winter's are more frosty than snowy, so I used gray with a touch of blue.  The background watercoloring was done with DI weathered wood, faded jeans & chipped sapphire.  I stamped the trees from Enchanted Forest in Weathervane several times using a stamp positioner.  The texture of the watercolor paper almost looks like canvas.  The sentiment from Meadow Greens was stamped in a dark blue & then overstamped in Weathervane.  I added splatters with the DI & dots with a white pen.  The mat is Weathervane cardstock.  I can't wait to try another card like this using more trees.  I'm also entering SSS Monday (new Enchanted Forest stamp set) & WAW.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Winnie & Walter Leading Lady Take 2

Thanks for all the positive comments on my initial Leading Lady post.  I'm so appreciative of your support.  Now it's time for Take 2.

This week I wanted to show you some ways to add color without the traditional art of coloring, since that's not one of my talents.  I often use solid images, but I'm not restricted to them.  Here are some cards with open images & techniques anyone can do.

First up is a card using the adorable snowman from Snowy Holiday. 

Using a couple solid circles from Scenery: Dotty, I stamped 3 times, overlapping the circles, with Distress Inks weathered wood & faded jeans on a watercolor panel.  Then I spritzed to make the ink run.  I used my heat tool before repeating the process & adding splatters.  When it was completely dry, I stamped the snowman in Delicata Sapphire Blue several times using a stamp positioner.  Then I stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  The gray ink didn't really change the blue, but just made the image a bit crisper.

I added Shimmer Pico Embellisher to parts of  the snowman for clear sparkly dimension.  The sentiment is from The Big, the Bold & the Happy & I added a few clear sequins.
Next is a fun Valentine's Day card using a die from Essentials: Tilda Cutaways that makes an opening for a gift card.

I began by white embossing Mini Scenery: Bed of Roses on Bristol paper so I could color with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers.  They are great for a messy watercolor technique that doesn't require staying in the lines or adding shadows--perfect for me!  I used 3 purple markers & a blue gray, mixing with a little water.  After it dried I cut out the gc holder & then spritzed with shimmer spray.

The white embossed sentiment strip made with words from The Big, the Bold & the Happy was mounted with foam tape.  The background is done with white dye ink & Scenery: Pennsylvania Polka Creative Screenings.  I didn't want the actual gift card to detract, so I covered the back of it with a scrap of Bristol paper colored with the blue gray Zig & dry embossed with little dots.
My last card is another example of messy watercoloring.  This time I stamped a beautiful leaf image from In Bloom: Renee's Leaves across the top of a white panel in Distress Inks pine needles & evergreen bough. 

Then I "stamped" the ink pads on a flat palette, added water & picked up the color with a small brush to paint the leaves--again not staying in the lines.  When it was dry, I stamped in a darker blue green dye ink for more definition & then in Delicata Silvery Shimmer purposely not lining up the stamp.  The sentiment from In a Word: Thanks was stamped in dark gray ink to match the mat.  I left off embellishments, but did add some silver splatters.
Hope I've given you some inspiration, even if you do traditional coloring.  Remember to leave a comment on my first post to be in the running for a $30 Winnie & Walter gift card.

Want an additional entry into the drawing?  Just leave a comment below telling me if you've used any of these coloring techniques.
I'll be back next Saturday for more fun with wonderful Winnie & Walter products!  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Reindeer & Snowman

Yep--I made 2 more Christmas cards!  First up is my entry for Winnie & Walter Rerun No. 37.  I've been working on other W&W projects--see THIS POST.  The gallery is about to close & I don't have the penguin stamp set.  No problem, though, the adorable snowman from Snowy Holiday worked great to case Heather's fun card.

I colored with blue & green markers as close as I had to Heather's colors.  The snowflakes from the same set & the sentiment from The Big, the Bold & the Happy were stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  I added a few Wedding Dress Pico Embellisher dots & now my card for our cute little neighbor girl is ready for next year!  I'm also entering CASology & SSS Monday (new stamp sets).

Next up is another cute card, which is unusual for me.  I wanted to enter my friend Jo's new Christmas Kickstart Challenge.  The theme for Challenge #1 is Rudolph & Friends.

I meant to use the 2010 Hero Arts Reindeer stamp last year, but never did.  It really is the cutest image & is clearly a girl with the eyelashes & elegant antlers, don't you think?!

I masked the inside of the card & sponged with DO broken china & cracked pistachio.  Then I stamped the image in Versafine Clair Nocturne & "colored" the deer with Shimmer Pico Embellisher.

The window in the front of the card was done with MFT Rectangle Peek-A-Boo Window.  The Stampendous sentiment & little dots from W&W Snowy Holiday were stamped in the same inks.  I'm also entering Stamping Sensations & WAW.


Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Surprise--More Christmas Cards!

Most of you know I love making Christmas cards.  Here's one I sent last month, but never got posted.  It's actually one of my favorites using the Hero Arts Holiday Greenery Edge die.

I actually think it can be used year round.  For this card I watercolored with Zigs & added sparkle & shine to the berries.  The card front is a light blue textured cardstock from a 12x12 piece I've had a long time & it's almost gone, unfortunately.  The white area for the sentiment was too stark, so I very lightly colored it with a gray Zig & a wet brush--such a difference.  The sentiment is a 2004 Penny Black stamp that's still one of my favorites.  This is my last entry for ABNH.  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground.

Next is a new card for next year using a favorite Christmas color combo of white, gold & red. 

The Penny Black berry wreath & the edges of the card front were embossed with a gold glitter powder--beautiful in person.

The PB sentiment was stamped in red on a vellum strip & the panel was mounted with fun foam.  Simple, classic & elegant--a style I'm always drawn to.  I'm entering ABC Christmas Challenge, ATSM, PBSC & WAW.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

PTI

Please click HERE for my W&W post.

I participated in almost all the PTI MIM challenges, but I did want to try the Patterned Frames challenge again using the Pierced Feature Frames die.

I stamped Cover Up: Diamonds in Delicata Golden Glitz on a frame cut from Vintage Cream.  The sentiment from Text & Texture Leaves was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn on the inside piece & I added splatters with a brown Zig.

The sentiment panel was mounted flush to a kraft card & the frame was mounted with foam tape.  I added 3 leftover faux gilded leaves from another MIM challenge.  I'm entering PTI MIM A La Carte, SSS Wednesday (frame dies & sentiment stamp set are new) & Word Art Wednesday.
Edited to add: Also entering Just Us Girls, thanks to my friend, Cat.
 
Next is my entry for PTI Transformation Tuesday.  I decided to use the same basic layout as an old Snowflake Flurries card.

For my new birthday card I gold embossed an image from Quilled Elegance & sponged on milled lavender & spun sugar Distress Inks.  I trimmed out the piece, brushed it with shimmer & attached it to a card front with several extra pieces of cardstock for dimension.  The gold embossed sentiment is also from Quilled Elegance.  I'm also entering Word Art Wednesday.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.