CAS watercolour challenge - ocean

Joining in on the June challenge @ CAS Watercolour Card Challenges.  This month's challenge theme is "ocean".

I am definitely not an artist and not very good with watercolors, but I still like to play around with them from time to time.  For this card, I used watercolors for the ocean, mountains and sky and then stamped the birds and sentiment in black ink.

Stamps: Hero Arts (birds) My Sentiments Exactly (sentiment)

Once the card front was finished, I added Versamark ink to the edges and then embossed with gold embossing powder, just to make the card look a little less plain.  I think this will be a nice sympathy card or a thinking of you card.

CAS Mix Up challenge for June

I'm playing along for the first time with the Clean & Simple Mix Up Card challenge.  The challenge for June was to use layered heat embossing:

 

I used the double heat embossing technique for the flower on this card.  The base flower image was stamped in Versamark ink, then embossed with rose embossing powder.  I then stamped the outline flower image over the base, again with Versamark ink, and embossed with gold embossing powder.

Flower and leaf stamps:  Catherine Pooler   Sentiment stamp:  My Sentiments Exactly

Techniques: stamping, die cutting, fussy cutting, 

The background is a Tim Holtz Sizzix die.  I added some stamped leaves and some tiny pearls. This was a fun technique to try, and gives a little different effect than typical heat embossing.  

Jingle Belles - White Christmas challenge

The current challenge at Jingle Belles is to create a Christmas card that is all or almost all white.  I love the look of white Christmas cards, but I struggle with making them myself.  But, that's why it's called a challenge, right?

This is really a pretty simple card, because the white glitter paper did most of the work!   I used an  edge die for the scallop portion of the card.  The snowflake was die cut, then stamped with white pigment ink and embossed with white, and added to the card with foam tape.  I just added a thin silver string and white bow to the top.

Scallop edge die: Concord & 9th - snowflake die & stamp: Hero Arts

I hope you get a chance to join in the challenge at Jingle Belles!

Christmas Card Throwdown challenge - wreaths

The temperature here was almost 100 degrees, and it's not even officially summer yet!  It was a good day to stay inside and think cool thoughts and work on Christmas cards.  :)

The current challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is to create a card with a wreath on it.

Here's my card for the challenge.  I used a Tim Holtz stamp, colored with Copic markers, along with circle and rectangle stitched dies and a woodgrain embossing folder.  

Just think....only six more months to get those Christmas cards done!

  

Jingle Belles - Put a Ring on it challenge

The current challenge @ Jingle Belles is to  include at least one bell on your Christmas card.  I realized that I didn't have many bells in my collection of Christmas stamps (gasp!)  However, I found an old Stampin' Up stamp with a bell and pine bough and paired it with a sentiment from Right at Home stamps for this card.

The image and sentiment were stamped with Gina K's new amalgam black ink and then colored with Copics, with just a little bit of clear Wink of Stella on the bells.  The background die is from Lawn Fawn and the stitched rectangle die is from My Favorite Things.   

Jingle Belles "Tie a ribbon" challenge

The current challenge @ Jingle Belles is to add ribbon, twine, lace, etc. to your card.  For my card, I used some narrow gold ribbon for a little ornament bow:

The ornament stamp is from Dare2Be Artzy.  I used my Misti to stamp the ornament in red, and the ornament top in gold, then stamped again in Versamark.  The ornament was embossed with red embossing powder and the ornament top with gold.  The holly leaves are from My Sentiments Exactly, colored with Copic markers.  The scallop rectangle die is from Catherine Pooler and I added some tiny red gem stickers around the edges.

I hope you get a chance to check out the Jingle Belles challenge - only 7 more months til Christmas!

Muse Christmas Visions - Challenge #100

It's been awhile since I played along with the Muse: Christmas Visions challenge blog.  This week's challenge inspired me to get out my embossing powders for a golden Christmas card.

Here is the inspiration piece for this week, by designer Chriss Blagrave:

I was inspired by the gold embossing, the red poinsettias and the blue background.  

The stamp set is from Gina K.  I stamped in gold ink, then again in Versamark ink and embossed with gold powder.  The images were colored with Prisma colored pencils.   Even if you don't get a chance to play along, check out the entries at Muse: Christmas Visions.  There are some gorgeous cards!