Presence of Wonder

Using the retro sketch gave me great inspiration for the card I want to share.

 I thought this sketch gave a really fun and simple way to add a sentiment to a card.  I used a thin vellum type paper so it didn't overwhelm my background.  I stamped my sentiment from Tim Holtz in a Distress Ink and while that was still wet, I added clear embossing powder which usually adds a little bit of intensity.  

 I loved how my background turned out.  I used a piece of watercolor paper and ran it through my Cuttlebug with a cover die from Lil' Inker Designs.  I didn't take out the cut pieces because I fell in love with the look of it cut but still all together.  Now I spritzed it with water and added random Distress Stain.  I loved the irregular way to paper took the ink.  

Here is the retro sketch.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Autumn Colors

I know it's fall, but we aren't seeing that here where I live but it will come.

 I used the retro sketch for my design.  That piece in the middle is a page torn from my tablet of watercolor paper.  I love using this strip.  

This leaf is a stamp by Tim Holtz.  I did stamp it on watercolor paper and then I did add color with Copic markers.  The finish is a spray of Antique Bronze Distress Spray.  I cut the word out of copper glitter paper and the die is from My Favorite Things.

Here is the retro sketch.

I also used the Fusion challenge for the fall inspiration.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

You Are The Best

What a neat sentiment to encourage a friend.  It's from a set of stamps with a matching die from Simon Says Stamp.

 And, it just goes with these colorful flowers.  I randomly stamped the flower stamp by Tim Holtz over a piece of watercolor paper using white ink and white embossing powder. 

 Next I took various Distress Stains and added the inks to the flowers.  I did spritz my paper first with water, that helps the inks run and mingle.  I can't get enough of playing with these inks like this.  After I added the inks here and then I walked away from my piece to allow it to dry.  Coming back to look at it is always magical!!! 

 I used the Colour Q combo to determine my colors of inks.

And, I used the retro sketch for my card layout.

And it also fits the Anything Goes Simon Says Stamp challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Make mine pink

In order to create a card using the CAS-ology Monochrome challenge, I went with lots of shades of pinks.  

 The background was created with a Simon Says Stamp stencil and a few shades of Distress Stains.  It is a bit messy and always fun.  

 To continue the color combo and to help my card fit the retro sketch, I cut a tag using a Reverse Confetti die and stamped a couple flowers with one of my favorite flower stamp sets from Altenew.  I love what you can create with the different layers of the flowers.  

 Here is the CAS-ology challenge.

And the retro sketch challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Subtle watercolors

I love playing with watercolor looks. 

 For this card, I started out with a very subtle color combination with some blues and silvers in Distress Stains.  It was then fun to build on that. 

 To give accent to the silver ink, I also used a strip of silver glitter paper to help fit the sketch.  That sentiment is from Reverse Confetti. 

 Here is the retro sketch I used.

I love the subtle colors in this Sunday Stamps challenge so I tried to have my colors match. Not sure I got it exactly but this was my inspiration.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

It's "Heart" time

Using hearts and anything red makes me so happy so of course I want to create several cards for Valentines Day.

 I wanted to color a piece of watercolor paper and then use this piece to cut out a heart shape.  This helped me create a card to go along with the retro sketch for this week, not to mention the Just Us Girls challenge and the Simon Says "have a heart" challenge.  I colored the piece of paper with a few shades of Distress Stains and the left that to dry. That gray background was created using a stencil from Simon Says Stamp.  

 I then cut out my heart shape.  The sketch gave me the opportunity to once again use my banner die set from My Favorite Things.  I love how these dies stack.  I added the word "love" that is a die from Lawn Fawn.  

 Here is the retro sketch.

 Here is the Just Us Girls challenge.

Here is the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge.
Also the Time Out challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Love, Love, Love and some hearts

So I picked up a set of stamps by Tim Holtz, these are the mini version and the set covers several holidays.  I picked out the three that went with Valentines day and sat down to play.

 I stamped each image on a square of watercolor paper. I stamped them in black and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I like to do that because it makes the black lines more intense and I can use any other inks on it and the black won't run.  I created a background piece for my card base with a stencil and various Distress Stains.  

 I turned this closeup on it's side so you could get a good view of my little sequins that I placed in some glitter glue.  It also helps the golds to show up.  I colored my "14" image with Copic markers. It is really fun how these work on watercolor paper.  I then added color by spritzing my piece with water and swiping mini Distress Stamp pads across it.  I could add the browns and pinks were I wanted them and the inks ran because of the water.  I sprayed on some Heidi Swapp gold Color Shine and those wonderful gold chipboard pieces are by Teresa Collins.  I embossed a stitched square into the paper. 

This fits the color combination at Curtain Call. 

 For this one, I cut the little cupid piece with a banner die from My Favorite Things when I was done coloring it.  That background is also created with a stencil and Distress Inks.  The little row of hearts is a die from Reverse Confetti. I used the red negative of the cut and placed the pink cut hearts into that with foam tape.

 After I colored in the little Cupid, I added a coating of glitter glue.  The LOVE die cut word is from My Favorite Things.  

This fits the retro sketch for this week.

 For this one, I did all of my coloring of the candy heart piece and then cut it out with a My Favorite  Things banner. I love this banner set because there are so many choices in size.  You can see I cut it again, slightly larger from gold metallic paper and then again, slightly larger from pink cardstock.  

 The kraft colored doily is from Recollections, I distressed it by wrinkling it and adding inks to it.  The word "LOVE" is cut from the gold metallic cardstock and added to the one banner.  You can see my dotted embossed background on the kraft cardstock base. I embossed a die from My Favorite Things into the paper. 

 This fits the My Favorite Things sketch.

They all fit the Crafty Gals Corner Sweethearts challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Encouragement

Using a scripture verse on a card to a friend is such a neat way to send some encouragement.

 I got an amazing set of stamps from PaperTrey, Inc and I am trying to use these great verses as often as I can.  They mix so well with flower images.  I used the retro sketch for my inspiration on this card.

First off, I used a set of flower stamps from Altenew.  I inked the flower with various Distress Stamp pad inks and stamped them on watercolor paper. I loved the diffused result.  I then stamped the verse image over that with black ink and embossed that with clear embossing powder so the black was a little more intense.  

Here is the retro sketch.
And....

How about a sunset photo.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Merry and Joy

I have been making so many Christmas or Winter cards and I have been having so much fun with different techniques and stamps and dies and inks!!!

 I picked up a set of stamps with a matching die at Michaels from Hampton Arts.  I love snowflakes so I really can't have too many snowflake stamps and dies! I stamped a few of the images over my funky inked background. 

 I love playing with the Distress Stains and watercolor paper so I just mixed a few Christmas colors to create a background.  The biggest snowflake was cut out with the matching die so it could be added separate.  

 This goes with the retro sketch for this week.

 This card ended up being a bit more elegant.  Everyone seems to be creating with gold this year so I pulled out a piece of shiny gold paper I had and cut this out with a My Favorite Things die. The joy is a die from Wplus9 Designs.

 I then added a few pretty snowflakes using dies.  The biggest one is from Hero Arts, the smaller ones are from Wplus9 Designs. 

This goes along with the Inkspirational challenge to use GOLD.

It also fits the CAS-ology SNOW challenge.

These also go along with the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge for Winter Inspiration.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Merry, Red and Snowflakes

All good things for a Christmas card.

 I used the retro sketch for my inspiration and a great Tim Holtz stamp for the main image.  I had colored a piece of cardstock with some red Distress Ink and then stamped the snowflake over that with black ink and embossed that with clear embossing powder.  That really neat die cut word is from Winnie & Walter.  

 I added some white with a white colored pencil.  I liked how subtle the colored pencil white was for adding some interest.  

 Here is the retro sketch.
And for a photo...