#1014 – A Housefront

Hello and welcome! We have a new challenge starting at Happy Little Stampers and the first challenge is the Watercolor challenge. As always, it is ‘Anything Goes‘ challenge, so as long as you have used water on your creation, you can enter.

Here’s what I made for this month’s inspiration –

I tried a bit of free hand water coloring after a long time. My inspiration came from this pin I found in Pinterest. Of course, there’s a lot to improve, and the first on my list is watercoloring the leaves – something that I am not very good at! 🙂

I used CrafTangles watercolor paper and Gansai Tambi watercolors to paint this piece.

Checkout more wonderful inspiration from the rest of the design team at the Happy Little Stampers Watercolor challenge blog.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#1013 – STB: Follow a Sketch

PE: Featured Artist at As You See It challenge! Yay!!

Hello and welcome! Today we start a new challenge at Seize the Birthday!

Our host this time, JoAnn, has given us a sketch to work with as the topping . The Topping is an optional challenge, but as long as your project is birthday-related, it’s worthy of entry!

And here’s what I made –

I started with making those little stamp die cuts. To create my own pattern paper for die cutting, I just took a plain white cardstock panel, stamped images using normal inks, then used a little water with a brush to spread the ink a bit. Doing that would blur the image so I stamped each image a couple of times more to add the definition back. Of course, since I was using my MISTI, restamping was easier. I used images from Hero Arts Flower Garden and Kaisercraft Butterflies stamps. I then die cut the panel randomly to get the stamp die cuts. I think the die was a free gift from a Winnie & Walter purchase.

I also used the same technique to stamp the big butterfly, also from Kaisercraft Butterflies stamp. I also added some details using a black fine liner pen and fussy cut it.

I first adhered the stamp die cuts on a grey card stock strip, trimmed it to size and used another strip of grid washi tape behind it and adhered it on the white cardbase. For the sentiment, I used a stamp from Reverse Confetti Tall Blooms. I trimmed it and added a strip of rainbow colored foil washi tape behind it. After adhering this on the cardstock, I also adhered the butterfly on top.

And that’s the card! I’m joining the following challenges as well –

As You See It challenge #281

AAA Birthday card challenge #40: Anything Birthday Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More #436: Make Your Mark

Happy Little Stampers August Birthday challenge

Step over to the Seize the Birthday blog to checkout how our Surprise Party Guest Karren J and our talented DT has cracked this sketch. And don’t forget to join the fun!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#1012 – STB: No Stamping

Hello and welcome! We have a new challenge at the Seize the Birthday blog. This time we have Glenda as our host and she has chosen ‘No Stamping‘ as the Topping. Of course, as always you may enter any birthday themed projects into our gallery if you don’t want to take the Toppings option.

And here’s what I made –

I recently got a few embossing folders in my stash, which I wanted for quite some time now. For this card, I used the Simon Says Stamp Exotic Vines embossing folder on a metallic silver cardstock. I first swiped some dark grey ink on one half of the folder to get two tones on the cardstock. Of course, misting the cardstock with a little water on both sides did help me get a clear embossing without any cracks.

For the sentiment, I actually forgot ‘no stamping’ and had heat embossed a stamped, silver heat embossed sentiment on black cardstock, but then remembered it and swapped it for what you see. I used Tim Holtz Alphanumeric Tiny Type Lower Thinlits Die Set to die cut the same silver metallic cardstock and adhered it on black cardstock. I then fussy cut the pieces and foam mounted it con the embossed card base.

I thought something extra is needed, and die cut a few butterflies using My Favorite Things Hip Clips from black cardstock. I then added three of them on the card. They act as embellishment as well, and I love the look of them – like they are fluttering around the garden.

And that’s my card! I’m also joining the following challenges with this card –

AAA Birthday card challenge #40: Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge #435: Die Cuts and/or Stencils

Happy Little Stampers August Birthday challenge: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: Happy Birthday

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Emboss It

Step over to the Seize the Birthday challenge blog and checkout what the rest of the DT and our Surprise Party Guest Karen J have created for this challenge.

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

#1010 – Non-neutral Colored Outlined Stamping

Hello and welcome! As usual, the first of the month calls for a new Watercolor challenge at the Happy Little Stampers challenge blog, and as usual,

And here’s what I created –

I was inspired by some of the cards made by my friend Hilary made, where she would use green ink to outline her stencilled images. I loved how the green looked so different from the neutral colors I usually used for stamping, and I thought I would give it a try myself.

I chose to use Simon Says Stamp Beautiful Flowers stamp, a gorgeous array of flowers, buds and leaves, and stamped a part of the image on normal white cardstock. I used a teal colored ink to stamp the image, and thus, to color it, I had to use minimum amount of water, so as to not mix the colors and make it a muddy mess.

I used yellow and red to color the flowers and buds, and another shade of green to color the leaves, carefully dotting the colors on blank areas using my brush, and then adding a few more lighter fade-away strokes outside and on top. I then added a lot of splatters on the image. Once everything dried, I stamped the image once more using the same ink. I also added a few details using a black fineliner pen. Finally I added the sentiment from Honey Bee Stamps Pearfect Sentiments using black pigment ink.

And that finished my card! Checkout more wonderful inspirations from the rest of our DT at the Happy Little Stampers challenge blog.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#1007 – Spring day Tulips

Hello and welcome! First of the month and its time for a new Happy Little Stampers Watercolor challenge!

And here’s what I made –

I made a one layered card this time! I used Uniko Spring Botanicals: Tulip, masked my watercolor paper panel on all four sides and stamped it using Antique Linen distress ink. I also watercolored the tulips using more distress colors, layering colors on each dry layer of watercolor.

Once the whole thing was dry, I had to put it under something heavy to make sure the layer was flat. I then stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set using VersaFine Onyx black pigment ink.

And that’s my card. Step over to the Happy Little Stampers blog to checkout what my team mates have made for your inspiration.

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂