Monday, April 25, 2016

STAMPlorations "Winged Things"


I recently received my order from STAMPlorations.  I won a $10.00 Gift Certificate from the talented owner Shery Russ.  I ordered Shirley's Bee's Knees "Winged Things" stamp set that has the cutest dragonflies and butterflies. They are an open design so perfect for stamping over my smooshed background.  I also got "Shower of Flutters" Stencil to play with later.  I sent this card to Shery as a thank you for her constant generosity and keeping all of us Inspired with all her challenges and fabulously talented DT's...including herself :-)  You are the "Best Ever" in the world my friend!  The sentiment is from Shery's "Fond Expressions 1" sentiment stamp set.  I also have "Fond Expressions 2".  Two of my very favorite sentiment sets.

I used 2 of SU's In Colors that are retiring...Lost Lagoon and Blackberry Bliss.  I am stocking up on both CS's, ink refills and ribbon. I smeared ink on my craft mat and spritzed with water and then smooshed onto my W/C paper.  Smooshing one color at a time and letting dry before adding a 2nd color. One spot that was not quite dry smeared,  but my dragonfly camouflaged most of it.  I can't wait to watercolor these images in the future.  This is going to be a really fun set :-)

I am entering my card in STAMPlorations Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge.. STAMPlorations stamps and/ or stencils must be the main part of your card. Only seemed right, since this was the challenge I won by having my name randomly picked from entries 1-700.  Now that was a real lucky pick :-)


Card Recipe:
Stamps: STAMPlorations Winged Things and Fond Expressions 1
Paper: Arches 140# Cold Press W/C Paper, SU Lost Lagoon and Whisper White Thick CS
Inks: Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon and Archival Black
Accessories: craft mat, spritzer, paper towel, dimensionals
Techniques: CAS, Smooshing

Hope you like your card Shery made especially for you :-)  Thanks again for your generosity!


Thank you for Looking and Commenting my friends. 

Saturday, April 16, 2016

IC541 Birds of a Feather


Audrie has such a beautiful and inspiring "Birds of a Feather" IC541 SCS Challenge this week over at SCS.  The Pinterest site is filled with gorgeous birds. Here is  My Robin Inspiration on Pinterest. Thank you Audrie for hosting and inspiring us again on your weekly challenge :-)

I already had my bird image from Dina Wakely Ranger "Scribbly Birds" stamp set stamped and colored with Zig Watercolor Markers and the sentiment from the set stamped.  When I saw the robin image I immediately thought of this image and decided to make a little scene using my TCW "Butterfly Meadow Stencil".  First I masked my bird and then sponged my blue background and sponged the edge for a frame.  Then I layed just the grass image from the meadow and colored with 2 different green Zig Watercolor Markers.  Then placed one of the smaller butterflies in the grass and colored with my Zig.  I added clear Wink of Stella to the bird feathers and the butterfly.  So pretty IRL.

Attached with dimensionals to the SU Whisper White Thick CS and done!  So fun and easy.  All one layer except for adding to an A2 card base.

My card is for several more challenges.  Hope you get to find time to play in all or some of these inspiring challenges too :-)

I used Stamping + Stenciling + Mixed Media and Sponging






Card Recipe:
Stamps: Ranger's Dina Wakely "Scribbly Birds"
Paper: Arches 140# Cold Press W/C Paper, SU Whisper White Thick CS
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers, TH Distress Inks
Accessories: Big Shot, MB Stitched Rectangles Dies, TCW Butterfly Meadow Stencil, Wink of Stella, sponge ink blender, Post-it Notes for mask
Techniques: Stenciling, Watercolor marker coloring, CAS, Sponging


Thank you for Looking and Commenting my friends.  Hugs......



Friday, April 15, 2016

Penny Black Watercolored "Bejeweled"


This is my first card using my new Penny Black "Bejeweled" stamp.  I placed my stamp in my MISTI and then colored the stamp with my Zig Markers, spritzed with water lightly, closed my MISTI to stamp exactly where I wanted onto my Arches 140# Cold Press Paper.  I then took my aqua painter and lightly spread the watercolors on the image.  I added a few darker colors with Zig markers for more shading.  I loved the results.  I added pink splatters and then sponged the edges and around the flower image with distress inks.  A very easy one layer card.  I stamped my image 4 times with my MISTI to get great coverage.  Always a challenge on cold press paper.

Here are the Challenges I am entering.  Enjoy!



STAMPlorations April Challenge Stamps and Splatters


STAMPlorations April CAS Spring Green Challenge





Card Recipe
Stamps: Penny Black "Bejeweled"  and STAMPlorations Blooming Buds sentiment 
Paper: Arches 140# Cold Press Paper
Inks: Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers....great watercolor markers!  Antique Linen and Tea Die Tim Holtz Distress Inks.Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: MISTI, aqua painter, sponge daubers, paint brush to make splatters
Techniques: CAS, coloring stamp with markers and spritzing with water (marker watercolor stamping), sponging, splatters


Enjoy and Happy watercolor stamping my dear friends.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Stenciled Merry Christmas


What a fun and easy Stenciled Christmas Card.  I used my ARTplorations Weathered Wood and The Merry Tree Stencils :-)  Finally a Christmas card!  I love both these stencils,  but have never paired up before.  Worked Great!  I used the Stenciled Monoprint by Lee-Anne technique for the woodgrain background using TH Distress Inks.  I used the normal stenciling techinique for the tree using 2 different Distress Inks.  My sentiment is from Happy Little Stampers "Mixed Christmas Sentiments" set.  I used my MISTI to get good coverage on the sentiment.  The Arches 140# cold press is quite textured so need to restamp images.  I stamped my sentiment 4 times to get it perfect...that is not because of the stamp. They are excellent quality.  Had fun decorating my tree with sparkly HLS enamel dots.

My card is for several challenges........








Thanks girls for all your fabulous challenges.  Always so inspiring and great samples from your Design Teams :-)

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Happy Little Stampers "Mixed Christmas Sentiments
Paper: Arches 140# Cold Press paper,  SU Old Olive CS and Very Vanilla CS
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks:Tea Die,  Antique Linen and Crushed Olive for background.  Peeled Paint and Mowed Lawn for Tree.  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: ARTplorations "Weathered Wood" and "The Merry Tree" Stencils, MISTI, HLS Enamel Dots, Blending tools, dimensionals
Techniques: Stencil Monoprint using Lee-Anne's Technique, Stenciling, CAS

Hope you get to play in these challenges too my friends!


Thank you for Looking and especially for commenting.  So appreciated.



Tuesday, April 12, 2016

CAS Stenciled and Chip Board Hello


Had fun making a card today for favorite challenges.  I also did a Stenciled Monoprint Background technique by Lee-Anne Cross for the first time.  Thank you Lee-Anne.  So fun and easy. I used a  Tim Holtz "Stripes" stencil with Distress Inks then spritzed with water following Lee-Anne's video exactly.

This weeks SCS's  CAS372 "Love the Chips"  inspired me to use this scrap butterfly that I had cut out of a Emerald Green Brushos scrap.  I used my HLS Butterfly Die and cut out another thicker butterfly with my SU Coaster Board and glued to my brushos butterfly.  Looks just like chip board.  I outlined the butterfly with a mixed media pen and attached with Fine Tip Glue Pen. Loved how it turned out.  Always fun to use scraps :-)

My card is for three more Challenges besides the CAS372 Challenge which is Linked above!




Stamps: SU sale-a bration Hello
Papers: Arches 140# Cold Press, SU Basic Black and Whisper White Thick
Inks: TH Distress Inks: Mermaid Lagoon and Cracked Pistacchio
          Brushos Emerald Green
           Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories and Tools: Big Shot, HLS Butterfly Die, TH "Stripes" Stencil, Paper towels, sprizer, Coaster Board, Mixed Media pen, Thin Tip Glue Pen, Wink of Stella on sentiment
Techniques: CAS, Stenciling, Chipboard, Die Cut Butterfly


Thank you for Looking and especially for Commenting my dear friends!

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Springtime in the Northwest



April 2016:  Front yard looking up the canyon.  Our 50" x 100" vegetable garden on the far upper right waiting to be tilled and planted.



 April 2016: Front yard looking toward our cedar home.



April 2016: Side of house and garage.  Bambi waiting for next camping trip!




Happy Springtime and Gardening my friends !

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Ivene's 100th Birthday!



Close Up of Shimmer on Ivene's 100th Birthday Card!




My twin sister Margie and I have been invited to our Godmother Ivene's 100 Birthday Party :-)  Now that is a HUGE accomplishment !  I had so much fun using my new SU "Number of Years" stamp set along with the SU Large Numbers Thinlits Die Set.  The stamp set has 29 photopolymer stamps and the Die set has 11 Dies.  Both very versatile!

I used SU stamp pads and markers and my MISTI to color and place the images exactly where I wanted them.  I then added Wink of Stella to the tiny flowers and painted "gold" Viva Inka Gold over the So Saffron die cut numbers.  The flowers and numbers shine beautifully.  So pretty IRL!

Isn't Ivene a classic tough Norwegian born in North Bend, Oregon ?!?  Love you Ivene !


My card is for 2 favorite Challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday Blog Challenge: Birthdays  Simon Says Blog is Celebrating its 7th Birthday!


Seize the Birthday Anything Goes and "Floral" Topping




Card Recipe

Stamps: SU " Numbers of Years"

Paper: Whisper White Thick, Pacific Point CS

Inks: SU Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, So Saffron and Night of Navy Ink Pads.  Markers:  P. Point, Strawberry Slush and Tempting Turquoise.  Viva "Gold" Inka Gold paint.

Accessories and Tools: Big Shot, SU Large Numbers Thinlits Dies, Memory Box Stitched Rectangles Die, MISTI, Paint brush, craft mat, Fine Tip Glue Pen, Dimensionals, Wink of Stella

Techniques: CAS, Die Cuts, 2-Step Stamping



Thank You for Looking and especially Commenting dear friends!

Friday, April 8, 2016

CAS Alcohol Stenciling Inlaid Hello !




I had so much fun trying out a new "Alcohol Ink Background" using Adriondack Alcohol Ink Refills and a Ranger "Dylusions" Stencil.  My girlfriends Loll, Bonnie and Susan were playing with alcohol inks too.  I went to SCS Tutorials Alcohol Ink Backgrounds for a starting point.  This was my 1st time to use Tim Holtz Adironndack Alcohol ink refills and "Yupo"polypropylene paper.  I was able to get both at my local stamping and craft store :-)

Even though I ended up doing my own thing with the inks,  the tutorial was very helpful.  I wanted to incorporate a stencil so I placed my stencil over the Yopo paper and dropped 3 colors of ink over the stencil then blotted with paper towels without removing stencil until ink dried .  I kept the colors light.  Then when dry I replaced the stencil and painted very loosely with a paint brush Christmas Green Acrylic paint over the background.  I loved the effect so stopped there !  I used my entire 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" piece for my finished card.

I die cut 2 layers with my MB Stitched Rectangles dies and then die cut and inlaid my SU Hello "Greetings" Thinlits Die after die cutting and painting with the acrylic paint.

I added a Dream brad from my embellishment sewing box and a rhinestone.  Really fun and creative card and yet CAS with Mixed Media.  My only stamping was inside my card.  My card is for two favorite  Challenges.


 The current STAMPlorations CAS April 2016 Anything Goes Challenge with the twist "Spring Green"




My card is also for the Addicted to CAS Challenge #85 Code Word Inlaid Die(s)



Card Recipe

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bold Sentiments hashtag authentic: You Are So CREATIVE
Paper: SU Whisper White Thick and Basic Black.  Yupo Mixed Media Paper by Legionpaper.com.  Ranger carries the same paper.
Inks: Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink refills: Juniper, Stonewashed and Lemonade.  Acrylic paint by Ceramcoat..Christmas Green.
Other: Big Shot, Ranger Dylusions Stencil, MB Stitched Rectangles Dies, SU Greetings Die, paper towels, Cropadile, Brad, rhinestone, Thin Tip Glue Pen, dimensionals
Techniques: CAS, Die Cuts, Alcohol Ink BG, Die Inlay, Stenciling, Mixed Media




Thank you for Looking.  Your comments are so appreciated.  Hugs,  Nancy

Monday, April 4, 2016

CAS Mix Up April 2016 Stencil Challenge



Close Up to Show Shimmer!


Stamping + Stenciling + My Choice: Mixed Media Paints...Brushos, Zig Markers, Inka Golds

My main image was a saved smooshed piece I found in my treasured box of scraps.  I just stamped the sentiment,  doodled the border and added a watercolored Inka Gold butterfly and popped up over a watercolored "Gold" Inka Gold "Sun Ray" Tim Holtz Stenciled background.    Love the Inka Gold

My Challenges...







Card Recipe
Stamps: STAMPlorations Fond Expressions 2 and SU Papillion Potpourrie
Watercolors and Inks: Watercolors...Brushos, Zig Brush Markers, Inka Gold Emerald and Gold 
Inks...03 Black Art Pen, SU Elegant Eggplant
Paper: Arches 140# Cold Press  W/C paper, Strathmore 140# Mixed Media paper
Accessories: TM Rays Stencil, SU Bitty Butterfly Punch, MISTI, Zen watercolor brushes, dimensionals, craft mat
Techiques: CAS, Stenciling, Mixed Media, Stamping, Smooshing, Doodling


Thank you for Looking and Commenting  my friends.!