Spot Coloring with Zigs

It's been way over a year since I won a gc for Impression Obsession, but you never know when your luck will change--haha!  No matter--I ended up with a simple card I really like for the IO Happy Hello Challenge.  

I made the card from 140 pound watercolor paper.  IO Five Roses (J2441) was black embossed & colored with Zig markers, blending with a waterbrush. Just got this striped paper--perfect to ground the flowers. Wish I'd bought several sheets of these Authentique alphabet stickers. They're black & off white so they work with watercolor paper. Three PPP clear dots finish it off. I'm also entering ATSM, CropStop & SSS Wednesday.
Edited to add: Also entering SSS Work It Wednesday.

Hello in Black & White

Last minute entry for the Paper Smooches April challenge, although it's been in the back of my mind for weeks.  When I saw the new challenge at CCCB a card was born!  

Interesting how different images appeal to different people & I do love balloons.  My simple card uses a Penny Black balloon die stamped with Paper Smooches flowers from Friendly Flowers, colored a tiny bit with a blue glitter gel pen, covered with MFT Glitter Glaze & tied with blue floss. A PS die was used for the dotted panel & the sentiment from the same PS set was stamped in black. Both the balloon & the panel were attached with fun foam, so this card will have to be sent to a U.S. friend. Had to change cards to send to England the other day as $13 was just a bit too much to spend on postage--haha!  Off to make some biscotti & do laundry before working tomorrow.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday. Thanks so much for taking time to visit my blog.

Stamps Made from Dies

Some time ago I saw a Hero Arts video where the designer used fun foam to make stamps.  It was convenient to have 3 of each stamp so she could use 3 ink colors without cleaning the stamp. I felt guilty doing that since I have about a million stamps that need to be used--haha!  However, I don't own any Ellen Hutson stamps yet, so I made my own from the Bold Blossom dies.  They worked absolutely great with VersaMagic inks--Pixie Dust, Spring Pansy & Aloe Vera.  I used Poster tape to attach them to the acrylic block, which also works with old unmounted stamps.  I was drawn to the bouquet in the EH April Pin-Sights Challenge board.  

My panel began by stenciling the MFT Concentric Circles with Brilliance Pearlescent Yellow & swiping on Heidi Swapp white Art Screen Ink.  The stitched dies are Lil' Inker & the sentiment dies are Ellen Hutson.  I used PPP Sweet Pea sequin mix & mini star confetti for the shaker filler.  I'm also entering ATSM, Country View Challenges, Double D, Word Art Wednesday & SSS Wednesday. 
Edited to add: also entering SSS Work It Wed.
 
Next is my entry for SSS Flickr, Rudolph Days & Merry Monday.  

SSS Snowflake Block was cut from HS iridescent glitter paper & white cardstock.  I blended Distress Inks tumbled glass, broken china & faded jeans.  SSS joyeux noel was inked the same way & then covered with Diamond Glaze.  Finally opened my jar of Faber-Castell Glass Bead Glitter Gel & spread it over SSS Falling Snow stencil.  I'll be doing that again, for sure!  

Before the rain last night, I picked my first 2 Barbara Bush roses to put on the mantle next to the pictures of my folks.  Aren't they beautiful?!
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog.

Papertrey April Blog Hop Challenge

This is my second post of the day.  Scroll down to see my GDT card for The Challenge.

I love the PTI Blog Hops & try not to ever miss one. To be honest, I would never have picked this month's theme. However, I've found lots of inspiration looking through my stamping magazines even when the card didn't appeal to me.  I started looking through my PTI stamp sets & a light bulb came on when I saw Trendy Tree Tops.  Just what I needed--a circle with lines that I could use for an ombre card!  My Mini MISTI made stamping with PTI Harvest Gold, Summer Sunrise & Terracotta Tile really easy.  The circles are covered with WOS for a lovely shimmer.  

PTI Take Three die was cut from kraft cardstock 3 times & the panel was mounted with foam tape to the card front.  I stamped the sentiment from the same set in Summer Sunrise, again using the MISTI.  Finished off with 3 PPP clear sequins.  I'll be sending this to a blogging friend.  I'm also entering the Share Joy Challenge & Word Art Wednesday.  Lots of inspiration, so better get hopping!

The Challenge Guest Designer Finale

I've had so much fun designing with the great team at The Challenge this month.  The 4th Monday's theme is always masculine & we have a great photo to inspire you.  

I began by pressing a watercolor panel onto an embossing folder inked & spritzed with water.  Then I randomly swiped on some Distress Stain brushed pewter & dripped some black spray ink which I blotted with a paper towel.  The panel was dry embossed with Tim Holtz stripes.  Winnie & Walter's hello die was cut from self adhesive fun foam & covered with the beautiful pewter foil.  

Hope I've inspired you to play along--always good to have a guy card ready!
I'm also entering CropStop, Dies R Us & The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge. Thanks so much for all your support & sweet comments.
Edited to add: also entering SSS Monday.

Friend for Life

I try not to miss PTI MIM & Amy's technique is beautiful!  Hate not to use all PTI stamps, but couldn't find one that would work in my stash. Finally tried (& tried!) this lovely Penny Black sentiment using PTI Harvest Gold & Summer Sunrise.  Not a great result, but think my friend will appreciate the card anyway.  

Love PTI's Harvest Berries which I stamped in the sparkle VersaMark on a kraft card.  Used my Mini Misti to stamp the die cut (worked great!) also with VersaMark & then added Pearl Ex Sparkle Gold which I've had for ages!  

I stacked it 4 high, tied on twine & attached it with foam tape. The PTI Blog Hop is coming right up & that's even more of a challenge for me--haha! I'm also entering Word Art Wednesday.  

The neighbor's Cherry Blossoms are all on the ground now, but my favorite pink Rhododendron is so beautiful.  I do love Spring in Oregon!  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Merry, Merry Christmas

Some time ago I die cut the PTI hexagon from black self adhesive fun foam & added Elizabeth Craft purple glitter.  I had in mind attaching it to designer paper.  Turns out the current Merry Monday challenge is to use purple, white & silver, so I hunted for a Christmas paper to use.  

Nothing in my stash would work, so instead I stamped one of my favorite Penny Black stamps (poinsettia script) in Delicata Silvery Shimmer.  The Merry die cut is also PB & is stacked 5 high & covered in Diamond Glaze.  

The sentiment is from PB's yuletide greetings & is also stamped in the Silvery Shimmer ink. Finished off with 3 silver sequins.  Feels great to use that die cut & have one more Christmas card ready to mail.  I'm also entering Word Art Wednesday, Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge & Time Out. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  

Beautiful Friend

The current MFT Color Challenge is perfect for Spring, the one time of year I tend to reach for yellow.  Thanks to Kay Miller's card I won't be able to use MFT Party Pattern's for Darnell's next NBUS challenge!  My card began with white embossing the circles on heavy weight watercolor paper.  

I used the acrylic block technique with Memento Dandelion, but I moved the block back & forth which actually roughed up the paper. Decided to see how it looked when it was dry & I really like the unplanned texture. I did also blend some of the ink so there's a bit of variation in the intensity of the yellow.  Hard to see, but there are also yellow & white splatters.  I used up some scraps for the MFT Prima Donna Petals flower & Royal leaves. I've been making a lot of pretty flat cards for mailing, but sometimes I just want to use my dimensional flower dies.  The white embossed sentiment is from Spring--my very first MFT stamp set which I bought at the LSS, no longer in business.  I mounted it to another black strip with foam adhesive & finished off with lots of PPP Marshmallow sequins.  The current MFT Sketch provided my layout & I'm also entering CropStop, Double D, The Playground, SSS Wednesday, Stamping Sensations & Word Art Wednesday. Thanks so much for taking time to visit my blog.