Along the Beach

I had a very peaceful afternoon and this card is the result. I love it when I can mix and match stamps from different companies and everything works. My water and sand (both stamped twice), the birds and the sun are all Cornish Heritage Farms stamps. The children playing on the beach are Rogue Redhead Designs stamps. The quote is a Quietfire stamp.
The scene was stamped on watercolor paper. I used distress markers and a waterbrush to watercolor the images. The card base and sentiment panel frame are kraft cardstock.
I am entering this card into these challenges: Kraft Journal -- sun;  Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Marks Finest Papers Simple Salutations -- day at the beach; Frilly & Funkie -- cool water; Dies R Us Challenge -- Day at the Beach [spellbinders die].

The Face of a Friend

I was really happy to see this week's theme at Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge. It is about a face. I have been wanting to use this Andy Skinner stencil for some time now. This was the perfect challenge for it. My background panel is another piece from a recent gelli plate printing. I added a layer of picket fence stain over the print to lighten it a little and then some spun sugar distress stain to bring out the pinks. I used one of Tim Holtz's shadow press words as the sentiment. It was a little hard to stop there, but I was afraid that adding any more elements would detract from the overall effect.  I layered the piece on a black panel and then on a pink card. I really like the effect.

More Christmas in July

This week the challenge at Marks Finest Papers Sketch with a Twist is this sketch with the twist being to create a Christmas card.  City Crafter has the challenge to use chipboard. Sweet and Sassy's theme is Christmas in July.
To make my card I started with a white base card. The layering panel is red cardstock. I stamped the Silent Night music (MFP stamps) on sage green cardstock and cut it in three panels. The deer (Sweet and Sassy stamps) were stamped on white cardstock which was cut into squares with rounded corners. The sentiment was die cut (TH Sizzix) from chipboard. The letters were highlighted with gold Stickles.

By the Sea

It's a beautiful summer day in Chicago -- a perfect day to think about enjoying a day at the beach. My card uses the sketch from the Mojo Monday challenge, although I did turn it on its side. I started with a gelli print that I had made a few days ago. I went over the paint with salty ocean distress stain. Then I stamped several versions of Fred Mullett fish. The image of the bathing beauty is from Gecko Galz. I colored it with colored pencils The waves are Cheery Lynn die cuts. The shell and sentiment are from Artistic Outpost. I'm ready for an enjoyable summer day by the sea.
 I am also entering my card into these challenges: Kraft Journal -- sea and sand; Fashionable Stamping -- dreaming of summer; Artistic Stamper -- by the seaside; Inspiration Emporium -- summer fun; Gecko Galz -- beachy keen.

Life

The current Compendium of Curiosities challenge was more than just an art challenge for me this time. I had to actually go into my stash of treasured Tim Holtz products and use product that I have been "saving for the perfect occasion". The current challenge is to create an altered burlap panel (p. 37 of Tim's book) Of course, I had to get the burlap panels when they came out, but I never had the nerve to use them or it was never the right time. As I went along, I was also inspired to use other precious product.
Although I won't go into detail on the actual technique of altering the panel, that's what Tim's book is for.  There are a few embellishments on my panel I'll talk about. My butterfly girl comes from an Artchix image. Her wings were die cut from Tim's Fanciful Flight die. The upper part of the wings was cut from grunge paper and painted with black soot distress paint. The colorful under wing was cut from Shimmer Sheetz.
The flower was made from scratch. I used Tim's Jumbo Tattered Florals die to cut all but the center (Cheery Lynn die). I have wanted to make a large flower for a long time, so this was a perfect time. I wanted a full flower, so I cut seven of the large layers. The first layer was cut from Suze Weinberg's Wonder Rubber and embossed with UTEE. (I can't begin to remember when I bought the wonder rubber, but this was the first time I used it. I had forgotten I had it.) The next layer is burlap. There are two layers of fabric from Tim's line (another previously uncut product) and one of his tissue paper. I wanted to make the flower quite full, but fabric and tissue paper don't stand up very well. I got the idea to use Wendy Vecchi's Clearly for Art moldable plastic. I cut out the flower twice and heated the petals so I could form them into dimensional petals. A little alcohol ink added color to these layers.These clear layers helped to lift the fabric layers. The flower center was also made from the Clearly Art.
To make the background, I added some stencil paste for dimension and distress paints for color. The center band was cut using a Cheery Lynn die. The sentiment is a Dyan Reaveley stamp from Ranger. The final touch was to add some bling stars and dots.
I am also entering this panel into these challenges: Vintage Journey -- dies and distress; Take a Word -- butterflies; Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge -- start from scratch; Classy Cards 'n Such -- pick a posy (use a handmade flower) [CCnC products include distress paints; Cheery Lynn dies, bling]; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge -- let's be clear (used Clearly Art for the flower layers).
A special recognition goes out to the Funkie Junkie for sponsoring the CC3 challenge.

I Pledge Allegiance

Today's Blogger's Challenge pennants or fishtails. This theme worked perfectly with the Our Daily Bread Designs challenge theme which is red, white, and blue or patriotic. I started with a white base card and added a piece of red and white striped design paper which I had left over from another project. It was the perfect size for what I needed. Then I cut the pennant flags using a Tim Holtz die. I stamped stars (Artistic Outpost) on the pennant flags with white ink. I then stamped the Pledge of Allegiance (ODBD) and die cut it with a circle die. The layering panel and flourish were cut from gold metallic cardstock. I am also entering this card into the Word Art Wednesday challenge which is anything goes.

Happy 4th of July

  

Hoping everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July today! 

this week's Blogger's Challenge is red, white, and blue. My card is a bit non-traditional for a 4th of July card, but it certainly fits in with the red, white, and blue. I started with a red base card and added the blue panel. I stamped the sentiment (Artistic Outpost) along the fold edge of the card. The face (Prima) was stamped on a piece of Tim Holtz watercolor paper. I then masked her and stamped (Hero Arts) the background. I used the distress watercolor technique from Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities 3 Book, p. 39. This just happens to be the  current CCC3 challenge. (A special thanks to Inspiration Emporium for their generous sponsorship.)
My card is being entered into these challenges: Blogger's Challenge -- red, white, and blue; Classy Cards 'n Such -- red, white, and blue (Tim Holtz's distress markers can be purchased there.); Tuesday Throwdown -- anything goes; Compendium of Curiosities 3 challenge -- distress watercoloring; Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations -- patriotic; Art With Heart -- red, white, and beautiful; V's Sweet Ideas -- red, white, and blue.