Nature

I'd love to win an Ellen Hutson gift certificate so had to make a card for the September Mix It Up Challenge with Impression Obsession. My only EH product right now is Bold Blossom Stand Alone Dies.  My friend Rosemary's card is a masterpiece & she gave me the idea to use my dies to make stencils--although she ended up using her die cut as a stamp.  I simply held the die cuts while I brushed them with Gelatos Lavender or Pistachio mixed with water.  Since it's kind of an artsy look, I didn't worry about going outside the lines.  I splattered a bit of the lavender & I love the resulting panel!  The IO sentiment is stamped in Memento Gray Flannel & the cardstock is matted with vellum.  I layered lace & ribbon under the sentiment panel which is mounted with foam tape. 
The small blossom & leaf die cuts were watercolored with the same Gelatos & then covered with MFT Glitter Glaze.  Finished off with 3 white sequins.  I used the Mojo Monday sketch--inspired by seeing how DT member, Teresa used the sketch without copying it. I'm also entering SSS Wednesday, Use a Stamp. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Let Your Soul Take Wings

I love Impression Obsession products, so always try to play along in their challenges.  The stamps I've used were at a class I took over 5 years ago--just couldn't leave the store without them! Good thing since the current IO challenge is Feathered Friends.  That same store had gorgeous designer papers & this is one of them by Fancy Pants. Finally cut into it since both sides were just what I needed for this design.  That lets me enter Darnell's NBUS challenge #5--lots of prizes up for grabs!  IO Nest Collage (F13050) was stamped on heavy weight PTI vellum using Memento Rich Cocoa. The beautiful IO sentiment, Let Your Soul (D13038) is stamped in PTI Berry Sorbet & mounted with foam tape.  I knotted 3 strands of twine--think it goes with the nest. Actually this card is pretty flat, but may require extra postage due to size.  I'm going to link up at City Crafter Challenge Blog & CAS-ual Chic. Thanks so much for stopping by.  Work is slowing me down, but I'll visit you soon.

Joy to the World

We had a great camping trip for our anniversary--lots of sun & very little wind which is fairly unusual for the Oregon coast.  Actually, this year we've had sun every trip.  I think it helps that we're on a bay off the ocean.  On the way we saw this beautiful Great Egret at the Elk Reserve.  Lots of elk, too, but I didn't get a picture of them.

Here's the view from our waterfront campsite. The sunsets are incredible!
Two Great Blue Herons were flying & landing at the river which goes along a little city park where we always take a break. Managed to get a picture when one of them landed fairly close. We have them at home, too, but I'm always excited to see them.  
Got the trailer unloaded & decided to make a card I've been thinking about in my head.  I'm determined to spend less on postage this Christmas, so I'm working on flatter designs.  This card uses 3 of my very old, well loved DeNami stamps.  We used these holly stamps in one of the first classes I took 15+ years ago.  I loved the look of the line stamp not exactly lined up over the solid one & I still do.  The gold is Delicata Golden Glitz which I embossed with clear powder for the sentiment.  The green ink is PTI Simply Chartreuse.  

I have lots of options for the berries, but since I was aiming for a flat card I went old school & punched 3 circles from a red cardstock scrap & covered them with red Stickles. The finishing touch was to add some texture by partially embossing with an old Cuttlebug folder--one of the first ones I bought. There's definitely an art to one layer cards & I'm getting happier with my results as I keep practicing.  I'm entering these challenges: Merry Monday, One Layer Christmas Card Challenge, City Crafter Challenge Blog, CAS-ual Fridays & Pixies Snippets Playground.  Thanks so much for all the support--your comments brighten my day!

Scramble Card

I love the Hero Arts Flickr Group Scrambles & recently participated in one.  Thought I'd share my card with you.  It was really fun to use a couple of my old wood mounted stamps, which I still love.  I brayered Kaleidacolor Autumn Leaves onto the Hero Arts Shadow Block stamp, spritzed & stamped on watercolor paper.  The branches are by Design in Squares & I stamped them in Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate & embossed them with JudiKins Egyptian Gold.  The sentiment is PTI (Take 3 Fall) & this was the first time I'd used that set. The splatters are my favorite Distress Stain Tarnished Brass. I lightly distressed the panel edges & decided against any embellishments. Nice & flat for mailing & Thanksgiving will be here before we know it! Thanks for stopping by.

Use Printed Papers

Hope you'll join us this month at Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  We want to see your creations using at least 3 different printed papers & don't forget to use a Penny Black stamp, die or sticker.  I love the beautiful leaves dies which I cut from 3 papers in Penny Black's first paper pad & from white cardstock.  A bit of Stickles Frosted Lace was added to the edges of the leaves.  The stitched dies are Lil' Inkers & I used them to make a frame which I attached to a panel of vellum. The sentiment from Penny Black's Friendship set is stamped with Brilliance Starlite Black.  I threaded some blue twine through a white button & finished off with a few white sequins.  Check out the work of my talented teammates for more inspiration.  Need a jump start?   Penny Black DT member, Alexandra, designed the perfect sketch to use HERE.  I'm entering my card at Addicted to CAS Code Word: Blue & for the first time I'm joining in at The Color Throwdown. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.    
Edited to add: Thanks to Daen'Ys I'm also entering the stitching challenge at House of Cards.

Distress Markers

Deepti's Card

I've been tempted to get the new Zig Clean Color pens, but decided I should start using the Distress Markers I already have.  My first card is inspired by Deepti's beauty & I'm entering the Stamplorations Inspiration CASE Playground.  
I scribbled an acrylic block with Distress Markers, spritzed with water & placed it on a panel of watercolor paper.  
The words are from Stamplorations Trendy Butterflies & I added some splatters with the brown ink.  3 shades of twine were braided & glued to the bottom of the panel before I mounted it to a kraft card.  I'm also entering the Make It Colorful challenge at SSS Wednesday. Edited to add: almost forgot to enter the perpetual Anything Goes challenge at Stamplorations.
My second card uses pastel Distress Markers using the same technique. The silhouette floral image & sentiment are from SSS Warm Wishes.  
I added some shine & sparkle with MFT Glitter Glaze. Last minute entry for SSS Flickr challenge #26 to Play with Pastels.  
My last card uses 4 blue Distress Markers used with the acrylic block & placed on the card front over the silver embossed Penny Black sentiment.  Then I used the Taylored Expressions Snowfall embossing folder & spritzed with Tattered Angels Pearl.

I'm entering my card in the One Layer Christmas Card Challenge, Inkspirational & Addicted to CAS. Edited: Replaced the original picture with the card I made after taking time to re-ink my silver pad & using only the 3 lighter blue markers.
Thanks so much for stopping by.

JOY

Last minute entry for the Impression Obsession challenge to make the sentiment the focus of your card.  I've had this stamp on my table for days with something like this in mind. May do it again taking more time to figure out exactly how to position the word. Thank goodness I have my old stamp positioner!  The stamp is IO C8790 & the inks are Delicata Golden Glitz & Hero Arts Field Greens.  I'm catching up on blogs as fast as I can. Thanks so much for stopping by.