Seriously Clean and Simple Stocking Card

I am glad that I am feeling "ready" with Christmas cards this month (thanks to so many Christmas challenges), because as Thanksgiving is over, I haven't even begun to take down fall decor, let alone get out the Christmas stuff!

But I am still having fun doing some Christmas cardmaking.  Here is a really really clean and simple card I made for some challenges.  

Sometimes it is fun to just use a really small image. I used colored pencils on this tiny dollar bin stocking.  I layered up some die cuts to create a fun little focal point.  

Supplies: Stamp is unknown but is a dollar bin acrylic stamp, Elle Studio Cheers sentiment stamp set, Versafine Onyx Black ink, Derwent Coloursoft colored pencils, Darice embossing folder, Cheery Lynn designs Inverted Scalloped circle die, Spellbinders circle dies, Avery Elle Wonky Stitches for the sentiment banner, Distress ink Twisted Citron, Queen and Co Goosebumps gems.

I would LOVE to participate in the following challenges:

Power Poppy Think Pink

November Rudolph Days

A Blog Named Hero Holiday Challenge

Thanks for stopping by! Are you feeling ready for the holidays?

Flowers stamped with paint

Hello!  Just poppin in to share a clean and simple card.  

These flowers are stamped with paint.  I just took my Koi pan watercolors and used a damp brush to pick up a lot of color. I painted it on the rubber stamp and blended between colors.  The trick is not to use too much water.  I even stamped directly on regular cardstock and I was surprised how well that worked!  (I have another card where I used the same technique here, just stamping on watercolor paper instead of regular.)

Supplies: Stamp is unknown, Koi Pan watercolors, Gina K Happy Birthday Circles sentiment, Gina K Wild Wisteria Ink, Darice basketweave embossing folder, Spellbinders circle die.

Thank you for being here!  Have a great day!

Prepping to travel with stamping/coloring supplies

Hello and thank you for coming by my blog. I have something different to share today.  

I am going to be in the car quite a bit this week for the holiday- going to and fro.  Plus, there may be some downtime between holiday gatherings, so I though I would stamp some images to color on the go.  In all the years I have been stamping, I have never done this before! 

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

I got these paper pads for Christmas last year and have not used them much.  I have always liked Bristol paper for stamping and I know they are good for coloring that involves just a little water.  The sketch pad is light weight paper we wouldn't usually use for stamping, but I recently discovered how fun it is to use colored pencils on that paper (it is slightly textured.)

(This is the Bristol pad.)

(The sketch has a spiral and is easier to flip through.)

I stamped a variety of images with archival ink - I know it will work with pencils and watercolor.  Some pages I just stamped one image, but I try to stamp two per page.  I usually do that when coloring so I can use one image for practice and color choices.

My Global Art Materials pencil case holds up to 120 pencils (3 per slot, mine is not full, I will say that the thicker pencils are harder to fit 3 in a slot).  It holds all my pencils (all are by Derwent) - regular Coloursoft, watercolor, Inktense and a few Metallic watercolors. (I hope to get a gift card for Christmas so I can choose a few more colors of the Inktense and Coloursofts, since you can buy individual colors.)

I also am bringing along a few gel pens (white, black, glitter and gold), my waterbrushes (can't find the cap for one!) and my nifty pencil sharpener.  That is a small and neat pile that will fit in my purse or a small tote.

Do you ever travel with your stamping and coloring supplies? I would love to hear what you bring and how you do it!

Thanks again for stopping in!

Partridge in a Pear Tree

Hello!  Today, I am posting for Just for Fun Rubber stamps.  Again, this month, I am using a stamp that I purchased myself before I was on the design team.  This image of the Partridge with Pears is really a unique illustration and I have enjoyed coloring it so much!

I used alcohol markers to color him and used a typical detail of outlining in a light blue color to bring it all together.  The card layout is clean and simple, letting the focal image shine.  (I posted a card with this same image in July. I colored with much lighter colors and pencils.)

The little bit of foiling in the patterned paper and the gems I added help give this card a festive touch.

Supplies: Just For Fun Rubber Stamps Partridge with Pears, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Spellbinders Majestic Elements dies, patterned paper is an old Freebie from Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine, gems and cardstock from my stash.

I would love to participate in these challenges:

Tuesday Throwdown - #320 Add Gems or Pearls

SimonSaysStamp Wednesday Challenge - Christmas Critters

Are you in Florida? Just for Fun Rubber Stamps is holding a trunk shows on November 19th in Clearwater. You can see the details here.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by my blog! I truly appreciate each visit and comment, as they are a real encouragement to me!  Hope to see you again real soon!

Happy Veteran's Day

I think it is neat that Veteran's day is in the month of November - the month of Thanksgiving in the United States.  There are no veterans in my immediate family, but I want all veterans to know that I am thankful for your service.

I was happy to use the snippet of leftover stamped banner on the inside of the card. I think it is cute.  

Supplies: Our Daily Bread Designs Patriotic Pennants stamp set and Matching Dies, Shine On stamp set, Pennant Row 2 die, My Favorite Things Stitched squares dies, Hero Arts Navy, Red Royal and Soft Sky Shadow inks, Distress Tumbled Glass, Versafine Onyx Black ink, Cuttlebug Embossing folder, cardstocks from my stash

I would love to participate in the following challenges:

ModSquad Challenge Blog - Give Thanks

Mojo Monday 473

Thank you for your visit today!

Vintage Christmas Card

Hello!  As always, thank you for stopping by my blog today!  I always appreciate the visit and the opportunity to share with the stamping community!

Today I have a Christmas card, with a little bit of a vintage look.

I won this stamp set the other week from Tuesday Morning Sketches, and I decided to use it for the first time with their current challenge.  

(I loved the way the card looked in the dim late afternoon light.)

I colored the image with alcohol markers, then I distressed it and all my papers with tea dye Distress ink.  The stamping on the bottom is actually little bunches of foliage and berries.  I thought it would make a nice little accent to the card without adding any bulk for mailing purposes.

Supplies: Graphic 45 by Hampton Art Night Before Christmas stamp set, Memento ink, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers,  Distress Ink Tea Dye, Mementa 6x6 paper pad

I would love to participate in the following challenges:

Tuesday Morning Sketches #377

Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge

Please leave a comment if you have time, I would love to visit your blog too!

Snow Much Fun Christmas Card

I hope you are doing well today and have had a good weekend.  We had perfect (in my opinion) fall weather.   I have fun Christmas card to share today.  

I originally tried to color this with Inktense pencils, but it just was not working, so I switched to alcohol markers.  The black was still harder than I expected, but I will keep working at it.

It was really fun to use this sketch!

Supplies: Art Impressions Snow Much Fun, Memento Jet Black ink, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Heidi Swapp Marquee Love paper pad, Darice basketweave embossingn folder, Spellbinders circle dies, snowflake sequins

I would love to participate in the following challenges:

Art Impressions Prep For Christmas

Mojo Monday Sketch 472

Daily Marker - 30 Day Coloring Challenge

Thanks so much for coming by to visit!

Take Time to Smell the Flowers - Card Project

Hello and thanks for coming by.  I have this pretty floral card to share today.  

(Click images to enlarge.)

I colored the roses with alcohol markers and fussy cut them out.  I then die cut the vase and embossed  it in the die.  While still sitting in the die, I decided to sponge white pigment ink over the vase to bring out the details.  It really is a pretty die!  

The top panel was debossed with an embossing folder.  I used plaid paper in the bottom portion because I have decided to hang onto this card to give it to DH for his birthday.  I know that he likes flowers just as much as anyone, but the plaid does add a bit of a masculine touch.

I did decorate the inside of the card with a simple greeting and the rose stamped in light blue ink.  I need to get in a better habit of doing the insides of cards because I do really like the look!

Supplies: Our Daily Bread Designs Rose Bouquet and Home Sweet Home stamp sets, ODBD Decorate Vase die, Memento Jet black ink,  Versafine Onyx black ink, Hero Arts Soft Sky shadow ink, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Gina K white and navy cardstock, Gina K Poppy Prints patterned paper, Fiskars label punch, American Crafts bakers twine, Elizabeth Crafts Embossing folder

I would love to participate in the following challenges:

Our Daily Bread Designs  279 Color Challenge (I picked the red, green and blue)

The Flower Challenge - Special Occassion

Daily Marker Coloring Challenge

I really appreciate your visit today!  If you haven't already, I would love it if you followed my blog and leave a comment so I can come visit you too!

Fall Fern card with Joseph's Coat

Hello! I am back today to share on behalf of Just for Fun Rubber Stamps!  I really love this card and I hope you will too!

 I purchased this Framed Fern stamp myself before I was on the design team.  I love ferns AND also this negative/positive style of stamp.  Just for Fun carries a bunch of images in this style. This stamp was my "go-to" masculine card image this summer.

I used a technique that I really love - the Joseph's Coat technique.  I started with watercolor paper that I colored with watercolor markers in fall colors.  I simply scribbled fall colors all over the paper and blended with water.  

(Here is my secret:  I usually use a background that I intended to use another way, but it didn't turn out as pretty as I wanted.  The following step makes these not-so-nice backgrounds look beautiful!)

Once the background was totally dry, I heat embossed the Framed Fern image with clear embossing powder.  I then used my Distress Black Soot inkpad directly on the paper to completely cover the background.  You can use just about any black ink, but when I use watercolor paper, I like to use the Distress ink to get it good and saturated with black.  Then I use a paper towel (slightly dampened, if needed) to wipe off the excess ink and then reveal the beautiful watercolor-y image!

If you like this look, you may be interested in this card I made using the same technique.  This one shows my background before stamping, too.

Supplies: Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Framed Fern, Versamark Ink, Recollections Clear Detail Embossing Powder, Tombow markers, watercolor paper, K&Co Tim Coffey MatStack, burlap from the floral section, Recollections 120# Ivory Cardstock

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I hope you will come back to visit again soon!

Just for Fun Rubber Stamps November Challenge!

The months sure are flying by!  I can't believe that Halloween is all wrapped up and November is here!  But that also means that it is time for a new challenge over at the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps blog and the theme this month is "Give Thanks."  I hope you will be able to participate as you could be the lucky winner of a gift certificate to the store.

I decided to make a Thanksgiving card with the Stamptangle Gourds stamp.  Last weekend, I went to a fall party, there were all these pretty gourds in lovely fall colors arranged as the centerpieces.  I feel like the stamptangled design of this stamp gives you a lot of freedom to color these gourds in either realistic or fantastic colors.  

(Click on image to enlarge.)

I stamped the gourds onto watercolor paper and heat embossed with gold.  I then used watercolor pencils and blended them out with water.  After that, I added a layer of watercolor marker to certain details of the image.  I blended these with just a little water.  It was fun to color with more than one medium!

I used a Frayed Screen background stamp to add subtle texture over the die cut and the sentiment panels.  I also used a Versamarker to add embossing powder to the border of the die cut to tie it in nicely with the image.

Supplies: Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Stamptangle Gourds, Tattered Screen and Happy Thanksgiving sentiment, Versafine ink, Versamarker, Recollections Gold Detail embossing powder, Versafine Olympia Green ink, Hero Arts Soft Sand ink, Spellbinders Labels Three dies, watercolor paper and cardstocks from my stash, Derwent watercolor pencils, Tombow Watercolor markers.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I will be back again tomorrow!  See you then!