July Swap Cards

I finally took the plunge and watercolored three cards to use as my swap cards this month. This was a big step for me as it was way outside my comfort zone! I've been practicing my watercolor technique for about a year now. I just haven't felt comfortable giving one of them away. I finally decided it was time. They're not perfect, if there is a perfect way to watercolor. Every time I do an image it looks different than the time before. I know I still have a ways to go to get my shading perfected but from here on out I'm just going to start making them into cards instead of putting them in a pile. 

I was only able to get three done in time for mailing. The fourth one I was working on was making me so frustrated! I tried it three times and made the same mistake each time. If there would have been a way to cover up my mistake I would have, but it was one you couldn't fix. So one person in the swap group will get a different card.

For the card above I used the Art Impressions Thin Enough Set. I paper pieced the towels. It gave me a little fussy cutting experience since I don't usually fussy cut anything!

The card below uses the Under My Umbrella Set. I just love these Girlfriends stamp sets. Maybe someday I'll be able to try my hand using my Spectrum Noir markers to make them. For now though I'm just going to stick with my Tim Holtz distress and Marvy LePlume markers and a paintbrush!

For this card I added the sentiment Friends share everything on the inside. 

I love this one! I used the Girlfriend Blend set. I can't wait to watercolor more of these images!

This final card uses a die I've used before from Simon Says Stamp called Single Roses. The sentiment is from a stamp set from The Ton called Get It Girl.

I hope my swap partners like the cards I've sent them. I've been participating in this swap for almost a year now and this is my last month. I've just decided that I need a break. I feel like I'm always down to the wire trying to get them finished and in the mail by the deadline. I have some projects I want to work on and there just never seems to be enough time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Truckin' Toward Christmas

When I saw this stamp, I knew I had to have it! I don't own many rubber stamps at all and there are some very cool ones out there. I've really only been making cards for a little over a year and have only purchased clear stamps. When I bought this one, there was also another one of a bicycle that I wanted. My hubby told me to go ahead a get it, but I said no, I will next time. Hindsight being 20/20, now I wish I would of gone ahead and picked it up.

Years ago when I lived in Kentucky, my Uncle had an old Ford pickup truck and I just adored that old beat up thing. This stamp reminds of it.

I haven't used markers very much at all, so my coloring is probably something to be desired and something I need to brush up on. I mostly do more paper piecing and just stamping. These were my first attempts at using this stamp. On the green and blue truck I used black sparkle embossing powder and on the red one I just stamped it. I think I like the embossed outline best.

I see alot of possibilities for using this stamp, so maybe the cost of it will be worth it in the long run.

For now, I'm going to play around with it and make a few more Christmas cards. Later I'm going to use it for some birthday cards. I think it's a fun one for male and female alike.

Supplies used: Dad's Truck Rubberstamp from Printworks, Hero Arts Stamps "Holiday Sayings" CL343, Marvy LePlume Markers in Light Green, Red & Manganese Blue, Black Sparkle Embossing Powder, Graphic 45 paper Typography from the Commuique Collection, Deck The Halls from the Christmas Past Collection and Christmas Day paper from the Merry & Bright Collection by We R Memory Keepers, Glitter Dots by Dress It Up, Ribbon, Machine Stitching.