Had a couple challenging days at work, so decided to try some techniques without worrying about a deadline or challenge requirements. I've been wanting to color paper by patting & dragging it through ink that's been spritzed on my craft sheet. I used watercolor paper with Distress Inks tea dye, bundled sage & peeled paint. I dried between colors & it was OK, but not quite what I wanted so I sponged on more ink. Then I stamped Penny Black's verdant, 4310K, with peeled paint & spritzed with Ink Potion #9. My friend, Sue, makes the most beautiful backgrounds--often dry embossing after stamping. Decided to give it a try with my Cuttlebug folder, Kassie's Brocade. The effect was magical! Next I spritzed with Tattered Angels Copper mist & distressed the edges. It's so beautiful in person I didn't want to cover it up. Decided to just add a sentiment from Penny Black's edge to edge, 30-164, copper embossed on vellum. I inked the back using tea dye & trimmed the ends. Finished off with some green twine (toned down with the tea dye) & a brown button. I feel renewed & ready to work on some challenge cards now.
If you're looking for inspiration, don't miss the 3 Saturday Extravaganza posts today on the Penny Black blog.
I so appreciate your taking time to leave me a comment--always makes me happy. Enjoy your weekend.

Wishing all my fellow Americans a Happy 4th of July! Hope you have a great time with family & friends as we celebrate our country & pray for better days ahead. The Ten Minute Craft Dash challenge is to make a card with stars. Yesterday's card would have been great except it took me 11 minutes. I'll tell you, 10 minutes is not very long--LOL! Decided to really simplify things & sure enough, hubby timed this card to take 6 minutes & 59 seconds--yah! Now I have a card ready for next year! All these stamps are old unmounted rubber that I attach to my acrylic block with Poster Tape. I don't know the company for the fireworks but the others are by Art Impressions, an Oregon company where I taught some classes until they closed their retail store about 10 years ago. I added Stickles to the fireworks & the stars--very pretty in person but I couldn't get it to show very well in a picture. This is my second card for the Simon Says Stamp patriotic challenge. Have to work this morning, but I'll be visiting your blogs soon. Thanks for stopping by again.

Obviously too late to mail any more July 4th cards this year, but I'm taking one to a co-worker tomorrow. When I saw the CASology cue word: fireworks, I knew I wanted to make her card using one of my fireworks stamps. All the stamps on this card are old unmounted rubber ones I've hardly used, but really like. If you have any here's a tip: mount them to your acrylic block with Poster Tape--works great! I know the stars background is by Art Impressions (another Oregon company!) but I don't know about the others--too long ago & no markings on them. I intended to have this card also be my entry for the 10 Minute Craft Dash, but it took me 11 minutes. I had everything planned out & written down, so I must just be slow--LOL! I made it under 10 minutes with another card I'll post later this week. My inks are Brilliance Rocket Red & Mediterranean Blue--2 old favorites. I see Simon Says Stamp has a Patriotic challenge now, so I'll enter this card over there, too. So glad you took time to visit my blog.

I really can't imagine winter right now with our heat wave in full swing! However, I can make a Christmas card anytime as that's my favorite reason to make cards. Merry Monday is a month long "anything goes" challenge--right up my alley!
Today's card uses all Impression Obsession stamps. The poinsettia was black embossed on 2 shades of blue cardstock. Then I clear embossed them with the Cover-A-Card screen stamp & brushed on Shimmer Spritz. The light blue flower was cut apart & glued to the dark blue flower which is mounted with foam tape to the silver Spellbinder die cut. Love the font of this sentiment stamp which is silver embossed. I also sponged some silver ink on the card edges & tied on a silver bow. Now I just need to start stamping the insides of the holiday cards I've made & decide who I want to be the recipient so that part isn't left until the last minute. This will also be my July card for SCS Christmas Card Challenge & thanks to Dawn's reminder I'm entering the Die Cut Diva's flower challenge. Hazel invited me to also enter my card into her Christmas challenge.
Happy news today when I saw my card was awarded Top 3 at A Passion for Papertrey--a first for me!
Thank you for visiting my blog. Enjoy the rest of your week.
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| Anita's Card |
Fortunately, I have family not too far away, so hopefully my card will make it in time for the July 4th holiday. I really wanted to play along with the Muse challenge as I love Anita's card & it immediately made me think of my Penny Black circles & lines, 40-084. Finally today my card came together.
I easily masked so I could stamp just 2 sets of lines with space in the middle for my sentiment. The images are white embossed with Stickles added to the dots. The sentiment is an old favorite from DeNami & is stamped in Brilliance Mediterranean Blue. I colored the stars with a marker & added Stickles. The other day I was rummaging through a drawer & came across 1/2 a sheet of foam stars I've had forever. They have adhesive on both sides, so I just removed the cover from 1 side & poured on Elizabeth Craft glitter (it's the kind that is flat, smooth & doesn't come off) & then removed the other cover & stuck them down.
I think my brother & his wife will really like this card. Hope you do, too. Tons of entries, but may as well join in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp. I always appreciate reading your comments. Wishing you a great week.
Wow--summer has arrived in Western Oregon! Low-mid 90s before July 4th is definitely NOT what we're used to around here. I'm about to hop the fence & join the pool party at the neighbor's--LOL! Martha, my friend in Texas, will be laughing at me, I know. Actually, we have air conditioning making the house a great environment for making cards so that's what I did today. If you were following the Penny Black blog this week, you know they just released new stamp sets & the first ever Penny Black Creative Dies. My card is made with the cute Transparent set summer fun, 30-107. If you're not big on coloring you may think little images aren't for you, but I discovered it's not so intimidating to color a small image. I even managed to add a bit of shading to my flowers. The Madison Paper Pad has a great variety of designs & I decided to try some paper weaving with the polka dotted papers. I used a Spellbinders oval in the center & popped up the panel over my flowers. This narrow grograin ribbon was a gift many years ago & I love the look with these little flowers. Enjoy your weekend, whatever the weather, and thanks so much for taking time to visit my blog.
Added note: Joining in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp.