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.

Big Surprise and Huge Honor!

I'm so excited to be Winnie & Walter's Leading Lady for January 2019!  This is a huge honor I truly never expected.  Thank you so much, Shay!

Each Saturday this month I get to take over the Winnie and Walter Blog.  Please check it out & leave a comment.  Hopefully you'll find some inspiration in my projects AND you have a chance to win a $30 gift certificate to the Winnie and Walter store!

I'll do a random drawing of all the comments left on my blog's Winnie & Walter Leading Lady posts starting with this one.
My love of Winnie & Walter products began a couple years ago when a friend sent me In a Word: Hello Cutaway.  I thought it only fitting to begin with a post focusing on this wonderfully versatile die.
For my first card I randomly stamped a solid leaf image from A Tree for All Seasons in Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy & Pearlescent Thyme.  Then I stamped the matching lined image in Versafine Clair Acorn purposely not lining it up exactly.

The panel was die cut with a rectangle from Essentials: Tilda Cutaways.  I love the fun edge plus the pierced border.  The word was die cut from the panel being careful to save the little bits which were glued in place after the panel was attached to a brown card front.

I stamped the little word from The Big, the Bold & the Happy in the same brown ink, trimmed it into a strip, matted it with brown cardstock & attached it with foam tape.  I didn't add any embellishments so this card could go to a guy or a gal.
Next up is a birthday card that lets the hello die be the star of the show, thanks to the new Scenery: Pennsylvania Polka Creative Screenings.  I used 6 Distress Oxide inks (picked raspberry, abandoned coral, fossilized amber, cracked pistachio, faded jeans & wilted violet) moving the stencil before going to each new color.  Doesn't it give a fun confetti look?

I stacked the die 3 high before attaching it to a white textured panel.  The little sentiment words from The Big, the Bold & the Happy were white embossed on black cardstock & trimmed into strips.  I love the look of adding them right on top of the large die cut word.  Black & white twine was tied into a bow before adding the panel to a black card front.
I have one more card for you and this one is floral and feminine--a favorite for me & hopefully you like it, too.  I stamped a wreath using flowers from In Bloom: Eva's Favorite Flowers along with leaves and dots from In Bloom: Frenchy's Festive Florals in Brilliance Pearlescent Lavender, Pearlescent Coral & Pearlescent Jade.

The hello die was cut from the center of the panel, stacked 3 high, brushed with shimmer & glued in place.  The larger, blocky font of this die is perfect for the hidden die cut technique as it doesn't totally disappear.

I darkened the photo so you can get an idea of the shimmer on the hello die cut.  Some little Wedding Dress Pico Embellisher dots were added and the panel was attached to a dark gray card front.
Now you can see why I love the In a Word: Hello Cutaway and hopefully you've gotten some inspiration for your own crafting.  I'll be back with another Winnie & Walter post next Saturday.  Be sure to leave a comment below to be in the running for the gift certificate.
Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment,
I will visit you.

Happy New Year!

Ready or not 2019 is here!  My hubby said it sounds like science fiction & I agree.  You may be tired of holiday cards, but they're my favorite & I make them all year.  I'm sneaking in at the last minute for the Pinkfresh Studio December challenge.  I don't have PF stamps or dies, but I do have a couple of paper packs including Christmas Wishes. 

The designs are so unique & beautiful I have trouble cutting into the 6x6 sheets, but glad the challenge made me!  All I added for this card is a PTI die cut frame from Smokey Shadow cardstock, the sentiment from AJVD & champagne Stickles on the big star.  Maybe I'll try to use my stamps for something similar as I just love this look.

Next is a card I've had half made for weeks & finally put together.  I wanted to use the Joseph's Coat technique with snowflakes & a pink/purple color combo. 

For the final dark color I used blue &  really like how it turned out.  I die cut the center & popped it up with black fun foam.  The snowflakes & sentiment are from the old HA set called Enjoy the Seasons.  The sentiment & edges of the card front were silver embossed & I added silver Pico Embellisher to the snowflakes.  If you have trouble using Nuvo Drops, try Pico Embellisher.  They're fabulous!  I'm entering ABNH & CHNC.
    
Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.