It's Called Balance - Multiple Anything Goes Challenges

 

I love sentiments, especially humorous ones. We definitely need humor in our daily lives. This sentiment is from Taylored Expressions and the set is called Pitch Black. There's a lot of truth to this one!

I'm linking this card to multiple challenges, six of them! They are all Anything Goes challenges and I love those the best! Be sure to click the links below to check out all the cards for each of the challenges. 

Artistic Inspirations: Challenge 206 - Anything Goes
The Creative Crafters: Challenge #7 - Anything Goes
Creates and Makes Challenge #24 - Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday Challenge 546 Anything Goes
Crafting With An Attitude 43 - Always Anything Goes
Crafting From The Heart - Challenge 28 - Anything Goes

 

For my background I used one of the Sizzix Tim Holtz 3-D Texture Fades. This one is called Lumber. I've picked up about three or four of these and I loved the texture and dimension you get when using them. 

Before I ran my paper through my Big Shot, I spritzed both sides of the paper with water. After it dried I used Distress Oxide inks over the paper in these colors: antique linen and ground expresso. 

For the sentiment I used VersaFine onyx black. The word Balance was stamped with Distress Marker in candied apple. 

That's it for today! Thank God It's Friday!!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

Spread Kindness

I took the extra panel that I had leftover after creating this card and used it to diecut the flower image for this card. After I diecut the flowers the ink seemed a little light. I added more ink to my craft mat and ran the diecut through the ink to get it darker. For the background I used the same inks with a Tim Holtz layering stencil. I'm constantly losing things in my craft room! After looking for my PITT pen and not being able to find it, I took a Tim Holtz distress marker went around the stenciled image to make dashes. All supplies are listed below.

These cards are linking up to the challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More ATSM - Anything Goes, Stamping Sensations: July - Anything with Flowers! and the Simon Says Flicker challenge SSSflickrchallenge#76 Anything Goes.

I love that I've had time to participate in a few challenges the last few days. I hope to keep it up. It really keeps the creative juices flowing when surrounded by so much inspiration!

This card is linked to these challenges:
Addicted to Stamps and More: Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations: July - Anything with Flowers
Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge: SSSflickrchallenge#76

Supplies used on this card:

Ranger Distress Oxide Ink: twisted citron, fossilized amber, peacock feathers

Recollections : Pearl bling

Simon Says Stamp Stamp Set: Uplifting Thoughts
Memory Box Die: Splendid Clarkia
Stampers Anonymous Layering Stencil: Grid Dot
Ranger Distress Marker: black soot

Hero Arts: Clear embossing powder
Ink: versafine - onyx black

Thanks for stopping by!

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!

June Swap Cards

I haven't done much crafting since May! I finally cleaned my craft room Memorial Day weekend. It's not "perfect". I know I can do more organizing, but it's far better than what it was! I can actually find stuff now. I took a whole vehicle full of stuff to the Goodwill. I had a lot of organizing containers that I didn't need anymore because of the way my room is set up now. I also found craft stuff I'm no longer using, so it all went away.

A friend was over and I did some die cutting for her. That's about the extent of card making that I've had time for. I've been working on two mixed media canvas creations for my craft room wall. I'm at a stopping point until I figure out what else I want to add to them.

After cleaning my room I decided I wanted to make some more mini albums. I've wanted to do that for awhile but I just didn't know what paper collections I wanted to use. After going through all my paper I selected two different ones to start with. So that's what I've been working on. Needless to say my room is getting messy again!

I had to whip these cards out really fast in order to get them in the mail on the due date for the swap I participate in. Hopefully my partners will like them and not notice that they were made very quickly!

I went to a stamp show on June 11th and picked up some new Rubbernecker stamps. This Lilly stamp is one of them. I really like their stamps. I spent way too much at that show, so I am cut off from buying any crafting supplies for awhile!

I kept my design simple and used the same stamp for all the cards. I used Tim Holtz Distress markers to watercolor the images. The colors are very muted. Next time I use this stamp I'm going to use a different type of ink to get a brighter look. 

I used Versafine to stamp the images including the sentiments. I then embossed with clear embossing powder. 

All of the sentiments are from the Sweet 'n Sassy stamp set called Bloom & Grow with the exception of the blue card. That sentiment is from Sparkle 'n Sprinkle.

I die cut both my image and the mat with another new item I purchased at the Stamp Show. These rectangle stitched dies are from Our Daily Bread.

Thanks for stopping by!

Water Color Happy Birthday

For this card I die cut my sentiment out of paper I had water colored and used the negative on the card below. I used watercolor paper, Tim Holtz Distress markers and then spritzed the paper with water. I like to let my paper air dry rather than heat dry. I just like the look a little better. I'm never in a hurry and always have backgrounds I've created laying out to dry. I love how vibrant the colors turned out.

I really love how the colors turned out on the die cut. It makes me want to watercolor paper and then die cut a ton of sentiments to use later. I kept this card very clean and simple. The die I used is from Simon Says Stamp.

Last night I created 13 different backgrounds. Now to figure out what sentiments I want to use on them. I may even add more dimension to some with some more ink or stenciling. The skies the limit!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs & Hello

Rubbernecker Stamps are my newest addiction! I went to Scrapbook Expo yesterday specifically to go to their booth. I've been checking out their stamps online for months, but I really wanted to see them in person before I invested in them. The quality is great and I love them! I picked up this set called Daisies and another one called 3 Flowers. Today's cards are from the Daisies set. I'll post the 3 Flowers card another time. 

The card above uses Tim Holtz Distress Markers. I colored them on the stamp, spritzed with water and stamped. For the card below I used my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers on the stamp, spritzed water and stamped. They turned out very similar. You really can't tell the difference between the inks. Sentiments were diecut using dies from Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks for stopping by!

Products used: Rubbernecker Stamps: Daisies, Simon Says Stamp Dies: Painted Hugs & Hello, VersaFine, Watercolor Paper, Tim Holtz Distress Markers, Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

Virginia's View Challenge #10 - All Things Distressed

Here's my card for Virginia's View Challenge #10. I'm always drooling over the cards that are entered in Virginia's challenge. They are always so gorgeous! 

The theme is All Things Distressed. I never have an issue with creating anything and distressing it. I love the look. For this card I went a little out of my comfort zone. I always see all these beautiful cards that are colored. I will never be able to do that. I have maybe four markers to my name. However, I do have the Tim Holtz Distress Markers. The stamp I used is called Christmas Truck by Stampendous. Using distress markers on the stamp itself, I then stamped the image onto my paper. I know this is something people have been doing forever, but I don't generally do it. I'm happy with the way it turned out. The colors I used are: pine needles, vintage photo and barn door. I used a regular distress pad in vintage photo to ink my edges. All the gems on the tree and wreath are from TPC called Holly Jolly Mini Jewels. Base cardstock is Vintage Cream from PaperTrey Ink. Sentiment is by Hero Arts called Very Merry Christmas. 

Definitely make it a point to stop by the challenge and check out all the awesome cards!

Thanks so much for stopping by!