CAS-ual Friday Stamps

Hey guys. I was super excited to be asked to be a guest designer over on the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog. I had such a great time dreaming up ideas for their fun bold stamps. For this weeks cards I selected the Wheat Wreath stamp set. I really thought this wreath could go beyond fall to Christmas, sympathy, thank you and even a wedding card. 

Card #1: My first card started with a white panel that I stamped the wreath in saffron, mustard and clay dye inks, rotating the wreath a little before each stamp. I used a blender brush to add a little pale yellow ink around the wreath to create a shadow. Then stamped the thankful greeting in chocolate ink, over-stamping it in Versamark ink and heat embossing in clear detail powder. The panel was then trimmed down to 4" by 5.5" and mounted to a A2 chocolate, top folding card with foam tape.

Card #2: I started this card with a bristol smooth, top folding card base that I ink blended with three colors of dye ink keeping the lightest color to the center and blending the darkest to the outside edges. After it was dry I splattered the card with some silver paint, stamped the wreath in Versamark ink and heat embossed with silver detail powder. The greeting from the same set was heat embossed on heavy weight vellum and trimmed to create a band around the card front. 

Card #3: This card started with a watercolor panel that is wet down and used my Arteza brush pens to blend color across. When dry I stamped the wreath and greeting with Versafine black ink and used my circle dies to cut out the wreath. The wreath was then popped up with foam tape and added to a A2 top folding white card base sandwitching the black sewing thread between wreath and card base. The Thankful was stamped with Versamark, heat embossed with white detail powder on a scrap of black card stock and mounted to the wreath.

Card #4: My final card started with a top folding white card base that I rounded the corners and splattered with gold and black water color paint. I set it aside to dry and heat embossed the wreath and greeting in gold detail powder on a black card stock panel. Trimmed and rounded the corners on the panel, mounted it to the card base with black fun foam and added a few white Nuvo drops to the wreath.

As I said this is such a beautiful set I could go on and on with ideas. If you use the code below you can get 15% off your order. The offer expires the end of the month so hurry and get your order placed. Thanks so much for stopping by and come back next week to see what we will have with Snowy Saying set and the Funky Flakes Fri-dies.

Ellen's 12 Tags of Chrismas

Hello. Yes, I said I was done with tags but then...here I am making more. This time I am challenging myself to try a black and white spin on them. I also will try to use the same shape tag for all twelve. I started by stamping a bunch of images with the Holiday Characters set. Then colored them with alcohol markers in traditional colors and a gray scale.

This is where I wanted to try to beef up on coloring skills. By just using shades of gray to get the shadow and depth I wanted to create.

Tag 1: Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer

Inspired by Lisa.

 Tag 2: Joy to the World
Inspired by Lisa.

 Tag 3: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Inspired by Lisa.

CASology #357: Gingerbread

I don't know how it happened but "bam" here we are in December. Well today we have a brand new cue card challenge on The CASology Blog.

This card came together so quickly and brought a smile to my face besides. I started by die cutting the white tag and stamping the gingerbread man from the Papertrey Ink's Holiday Button Bits set. Tied on some red bakers twine, glued on the red heart buttons and added two black Nuvo drops to his eyes. Mounted the tag to a kraft top folding card with foam tape and stamped the greeting from the same set in Versafine black ink.

I hope you can join us on the fun challenge. Thanks for stopping by, Sue.

Deidre Payne

Jacquie Southas

Janet Ribet

Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg

Karen Haman

Melissa Chipperfield

Milka Gubo

Nancy Elrick

Altenew Inspiration

Hello. I am down to the final hours of November to enter the challenge. I just got these stamps in the mail today. I used the Leaf Canopy to create both cards just used some different techniques to complete them.

So here is our Inspiration Photo. I stamped the tree branch and leaves in an artichoke green then colored with a flesh and two pink alcohol markers. I know it looks yellow in the photo but it was a neutral color in person. After coloring I over stamped the branch in Versamark and heat embossed with clear detail powder. I went over the leaves with a clear Wink of Stella pen, trimmed the panel to 4 by 5.25" and mounted to an artichoke top folding card base with fun foam.

My second card started with a hunter green panel that was 4 by 5.25". I stamped the branch with Versamark and heat embossed with gold detail powder. Then using metalic watercolors painted the leaves, blending pink and gold colors. Splattered the panel with some gold watercolor and mounted to a top folding brushed gold card base. Then on a scrap of the same gold cardstock I stamped the greeting and heat embossed with gold detail powder.

Thanks for stopping by, Sue.

SSS Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Hey there, I am so honored again to serve as a guest designer on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog. This week we will be using Penny Black's products to create a card. 

I started by stamping in Versafine black ink and clear heat embossing the Penny Black Dainty Doves on Canson watercolor paper. Then used brush pens and a small water brush to watercolor the images. After die cutting the watercolor panel I created a base card from aqua card stock stamping a back ground stamp in aqua ink. Them used the glimmery coal card stock to die cut the scallops. I applied the water color panel to the card with foam tape.

This next card is created completely with the Canson Watercolor paper. I started with a panel and stamped the Dainty Doves with Versafine black ink and heat embossed with clear detail powder. Then using brush pens and a small water brush I colored the dove. After it was dry I mounted it to a watercolor card base that I had die cut a window in. The dove is mounted to the inside of the card front. Then I took a fine black pen and out-lined the window shape. The following cards are just a few more ideas I had for this stamp set.

Now is your chance to make your own card with all the great Penny Black stamps and dies. Then add you card to the Wednesday Challenge blog for a chance to will a $50 gift certificate from Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks for stopping by, it has been so fun to be a guest designer on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!

Christ's Birthday Cards

Hey there. Just can't stop playing with the Light and Hope set from Stampendous. I used it for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Starry, Starry Nights. Kristine Werner did an ombre water color technique this week so I wanted to try a spin off of that too.

I was so pleased with my end result. I used a piece of Tim Holtz water color paper taped to my work surface and blended the colors from my Atreza brush pens over the wet panel. When the panel was dry, I splattered with some opaque white ink and die cut the star from Memory Box out. Then stamping the village scene in black Versafine ink. I filled in the building with both a dark navy and black alcohol markers. finally trimming the panel down to 3.75 by 5" and mounting the panel to a top folding, A2 white card base. I was going to add a greeting to the front but decided to just put it inside the card.

Evidently I was in a water color mood this morning. My next card started with another water color panel that I mixed silver, mint and light blue water color paints to make a pearlescent, aqua color. Using a wet on dry technique I moved the color over the right side of my panel in a loose cross form. Then added some splatter from the same color. I used my heat gun to dry the panel and the stamped the Bold Numbers in a dark red ink over the water color. Then stamping the deer from Stamplorations Yuletide Deer set in Versamark ink and heat embossing with Gold Tinsel powder. I embossed the greetings from Kerri Bradfor Studio Bundled Up set with white detail powder in red card stock and mounted to card front with foam tape.

This might be a bit of a stretch but Chirstmas is Christ's birthday so I am entering it in the AAA Cards Birthday Challenge using a number, AAA Cards One image with shimmer and Stamplorations Anything Goes CAS design challenge. The first card will also goin in the Starry, Starry Night challenge. The Timeout Challenge is all about Celebrations too. Thanks for stopping by, Sue.

SSS Wednesday Challenge: Starry, Starry Nights

Hello, I am so honored again to serve as a guest designer on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog. This week we will be using Stampendous products to create a "Starry, Starry Nights" card. 

This card started with Neenha Desert Storm panel cut down to 4" by 5.25". Stamping the Light and Hope set from Stampendous in SSS Intense Black ink. I then took a fine line black marker and colored in the city image. Using a small circle stamp I inked up with Versamark ink and stamped over the star. Then coated it with Perfect Pearls in gold. I then mounted the stamped panel to a black top-folding base with foam tape.

My next card started with a natural ivory top-folding card base. Then stamped the Light and Hope set from Stampendeous in Simon Says Stamp Intense Black ink. I heat set the ink then colored the image with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.

Now is your chance to make your own "starry, starry night" card with all the great Stampendous stamps and dies. Then add you card to the Wednesday Challenge blog for a chance to will a $50 gift certificate from Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks for stopping by and come back next week for a new challenge, Sue.