Succulent Time

Since I am planting what seems like a million succulents in my yard it seemed fitting to pull out my succulent stamp set by Simon Says Stamp and use it for a couple challenges.

 The background was created with a star stencil and some Distress Inks.  The star shapes are pretty subtle but I really like that. 

 I used this super cut little coffee cup and one of the succulent plant stamps plus the matching dies to cut the shapes.  For the cup, I had colored a piece of watercolor paper with some red Distress Stain and then left that to dry.  I then stamped the outline of the cup on my colored paper and cut it out.  The plant was also colored with Distress Stains plus some accents with Copic markers.  I anchored the cup and plant with a punched out circle ring.

 I cut the "hello" by Lawn Fawn from watercolor paper and then added color with various Distress Stains.  Once I had it on my card, I coated it with Glossy Accents.  

 My card fits the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Plus it fits the Sketch Saturday sketch.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

A new AAA Cards challenge

 This AAA Cards challenge is a favorite for me, embossing paste and/or stencils.  

 I had to use both! I colored a piece of watercolor paper with Distress Stains to create a background.  I then used a stencil and some silver Studio 490 Wendy Veechi embossing paste.  That flower is from a set by Tim Holtz and Stampers Anonymous and the leaves are from a set by Altenew.  After I stamped them with black ink, I added color with Distress Stains. My "hello" is a die from Mama Elephant and that was also colored with Distress Stains. 

I wanted to try to show off that amazing shine in that silver embossing paste.  What a fun way to add some serious bling.

Be sure to check out the other cards at AAA Cards and to also play along this week.

This also fits the Friday Mashup challenge to use stencils.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Favorite Techniques

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is to use your favorite technique.

 I have so many favorite so narrowing it down is hard but I would say my most favorite right now is stamping an image with white ink and embossing it with white embossing powder on watercolor paper and then adding color with Distress Stains or Distress inks.  This is always one of the "wow" moments as the inks reveal the white embossed lines.  To say a favorite product, high on the list are Distress Inks.  I almost think I could only have those inks and be happy but not quite, I like variety.  The flower is a Tim Holtz stamp.

 My resulting card actually shows off some of my other favorite techniques.  One is using stencils.  Here I used some Golden Soft Gel Gloss instead of embossing paste.  The dried design of the Soft Gel acts as a resist after I added more Distress Stains, again on watercolor paper.  I also used a Paper Smooches die to cut out the word "wonderful".  I am crazy for dies right now, especially words for a card sentiment.  

 Here is the Colour Me color combination that I used on my card. 

And here is the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Using Red, White and Blue

I love the color combination for the Colour Me challenge, red, navy and white.  

 I wanted to use it in an unexpected way though.  I turned to this little boy stamp by My Favorite Things.  I know that he looks like it is winter and it is summer here but I love him and I think these colors are just right for him.  

I used a star stencil by Memory Box to create my background.  I just used some Distress Stain on watercolor paper.  The little boy is colored with Copic markers and my balloon is a stamp from Reverse Confetti.  

Here is the Colour Me challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Puppy Dog Friends

I found a few online challenges I wanted to play along with so here is my resulting card. 

 I thought the color combination at the Color Throwdown was pretty fun and then I found that the Happy Little Stampers were having a spray or mist challenge.  Those were combined with the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge about Friends.  Where else would I turn to work with that challenge but these super cute little doggy stamps and dies from Reverse Confetti.  

 I reached for my Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Citron, it seemed just right for the color challenge.  I sprayed it on a stencil but it is pretty hard to see the resulting design since I then decided to emboss the finished background with a tiny square die from Tessler Crafts.  I added the gray color to the background and the tan color to the doggies with Distress Stains.  I also stamped the heart with a Distress Ink.  My coloring on the dogs is messy because I just tapped the color on with the tops of the dabber on the Stains.  I love how fast it is to color an image that way.  

 Here is the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge about Friends. 

 Here is the Happy Little Stampers Sprays or Mists challenge.

And here is the Color Throwdown challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Shades of Green

Another reason to use some Distress Stains. 

 I found two online challenges to use an Ombre color combo, Virginia's View and The Friday Mashup.  Of course, I reached for my Distress Stains to create my look. 

 I stamped this amazing doily image from Mama Elephant using white ink and white embossing powder on watercolor paper.  After I spritzed this lightly with water, I started with the lightest shade of green Distress Stain and then added the medium shade and then the darker shade.  The water helped these shades of ink to flow together a little bit.  That middle small doily design was stamped the same way and colored with the darkest green.  I punched that out with a circle and added it to my card with foam tape.  

 This fits the current Virginia's View Challenge for Ombre.

The Friday Mashup challenge is also about Ombre.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

AAA Cards Challenge - Woodland Animals

 Its time for another great challenge at AAA Cards and I have to admit this took me a minute.  As I searched my stamps, I couldn't find an image that would be a woodland animal. 

 Then I remembered the little wood Moose that I picked up at Paper Source.  I just needed to create a scene he would fit in. The sentiment is by Wplus9 Designs.

I used some Distress Stains to create a forest colored background.  I cut out a window with two Li'l Inker stitched dies and then filled that space with some stamped trees that are from Paper Smooches.  

Be sure to check out the cards at AAA Cards from the rest of the team and take the time to play along too.

This also fits the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, make it masculine.  

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)