Butterfly Hello

When you have new stamping supplies, you really do need to play with them.

 For this card, I used a few online challenges and I think my most favorite Distress Oxide stamp pad in BluePrint sketch and a new Tim Holtz stencil.  How much do I want to use both of these on everything I create!!!! For this background, I have covered the stencil in ink and I always want to make use of all of the ink I can so I spritzed the inked stencil and pressed that to watercolor paper.  

 A rather newer stamp set for me is a set from Simon Says Stamp.  It's a set with a number of great images and I picked the leaf and two of the butterflies to help me use the colors in the Color Throwdown challenge.  These were stamped in white ink, embossed with white embossing powder and then colored with Distress Stains.  One of the beauties of this set is it has matching dies, making cutting out the images so fast and easy.  
The dotted rectangle die frame is from Lil' Inkers and the "hello" is from Lawn Fawn. 

Here is the Color Throwdown challenge.

The CAS on Friday challenge is to use butterflies.

And the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is Anything Goes.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Hey Sunshine - Color Happiness

Again, a couple online challenges inspired the card I want to share.

 The start of my creation is a messy background with some Distress Inks on watercolor paper.  I love the unexpected result.

 Using a color challenge most often takes me out of my own comfort zone and I find that so fun and so challenging.  The flower is a stamp from Altenew, stamped and embossed with white and then color was added with Distress Stain.  That great circle die cut is from My Favorite Things.  

 Cute sentiment from Sinon Says Stamp with a few little drops using Nuvo Drops.  

Here is the CAS(e) this Sketch challenge.

Here is the Color combo from Color Throwdown.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Miss You

I fell in love with the Freshly Made sketch for this week so I designed this card around that and the Color Throwdown color combo.  

 I wanted to keep it as simple as possible so I started out with a watercolor paper card base and used a stencil and some Distress Spray to create a background for my other elements.  

 The leaves are two piece die cuts from Altenew and the scallop/stitched circle is a die from My Favorite Things.  I added color to these pieces with more Distress Ink.  The "miss you" die cut piece is from Simon Says Stamp, I lined the cut out words with a kraft colored piece of paper to use another of the colors in the combo.  

 Here is the Color Throwdown challenge.

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

Special Delivery

The AAA card team has a challenge this week for a One Layer Card and I actually find that to be one of my most challenging techniques but of course I had to give it a try. 

 I used watercolor cardstock to start my card.  The Paper Players has the best photo challenge this week so that was where my inspiration came for for my creation.  I started with a wash of Distress Inks in the soft blues and then I used a stencil and a brown ink to get the foundation design.  

 Next I added a few stamped images, the lips, the "always", the Special Delivery and the sentiment that is from a set by Simon Says Stamp.  

 Here is the AAA Cards challenge.

And the Paper Players challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Sweet Birthday Wishes

I don't seem to make enough birthday themed cards so it was great to have the CAS on Friday challenge to help me with that for this card I'm sharing. 

 I started off cutting the scallop circle from a set of dies from My Favorite Things, one of my newest purchases from Simon Says Stamp.  It gave a great piece for grounding my other elements.  I wanted a playful yellow background but I didn't like plain yellow cardstock so I used a piece of watercolor paper, I embossed the circles into it and then added color with Distress Spray.  This ended up giving it a little bit of texture.  

 The little tiger is a stamp from a set by Reverse Confetti, another new purchase from Simon Says Stamp.  I colored this cutie with Zig Clean Color markers on watercolor paper.  I used a stencil to add purple dots to the circle and then accented them with Nuvo Crystal drops.  

 Here is the Paper Players sketch challenge.

 Here is the CAS(e) this sketch challenge which is so similar to the Paper Players.  

Here is the CAS on Friday challenge.

And here is the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

The Colorthrowdown Challenge #528

Recently I was the featured stamper and that means I get to be the guest designer for this weeks color combination.  

 One of my favorite challenges are color related and wow did I love this weeks challenge combo and how much do I love that owl!  I started out creating a messy background with Distress Inks and a leaf stencil on watercolor paper.  Once I had that the way I wanted it, I stamped the leaf spring and colored it with Zig Clean Color markers.  The leaf sprig is a stamp from Simon Says Stamp from the Beautiful Day set with a matching die.  

 The "thank you" word die is from My Favorite Things.  I colored it with Distress Ink too so I could get the exact color I wanted.  The small sentiment is from Reverse Confetti.  

 Here is the adorable Color Throwdown Color challenge combo. Take a few crafting minutes so you can play along.  

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

You Are Awesome

For the card I want to share, I went to two online challenges for my inspiration.

 I used the CAS(e) this Sketch challenge for the layout of my card.  I decided to make my coloring gradient, my version of the sketch.  I tried something a little different to start my card.  I used a Simon Says Stamp stencil and translucent embossing paste, covering the entire front of my card made from watercolor paper.  When that was dry, I started adding inks with Distress Inks, starting with the lightest color on top.  The embossing paste resisted the inks and I love the resulting look. 

 Here is get the idea of the shiny design of the embossing paste.  Since the paper is watercolor paper I love the way the inks run together.  The sentiment running up and down the card fits with the sketch and the heart makes it fit the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  

 Here is the CAS(e) this Sketch challenge.

Here is the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Butterflies

I knew I had to play along as soon as I saw the Sketch Saturday sketch for this week. 

 

 After I die cut the two little tag accents, I pulled out a butterfly set of stamps from Simon Says Stamp.  

 The butterfly was colored with Zig Clean Color markers on watercolor paper.  I accented portions of the butterfly with Nuvo Crystal Drops.  The copper glitter tag is a die cut from My Favorite Things and the other chevron tag is from Reverse Confetti.  

 I added a subtle accent with a light green ink and a Tim Holtz dot stencil.  

Here is the Sketch Saturday challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Big Hugs

Starting a card by playing with Distress Stains is my favorite. 

 This card base started out with some red and pink Distress Stain then I used a leave design stencil to add some of that leave design with Distress Stain and then with white embossing paste.  Using the stencil helps it fit the Simon Says Flickr challenge.  This provided the ground work for the elements I then added.  

 The wreath was stamped and then cut out with a matching die.  The words "big hugs" and the "thanks" were then cut out from black cardstock.  All of these dies are from Simon Says Stamp.  

Here is the Card Concept challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Browns and Blacks

I love online challenge blogs because I can find myself going in a direction in crafting that I hadn't planned on, out of my box so to say.

 The Color Throwdown Challenge for this week was a simple black, brown, white.  I thought that would be easy until I started working on it.  This might be my third attempt!!! I stamped a Simon Says Stamp background stamp in white on watercolor paper, embossed it with white embossing powder and then just blotted a brown Distress Stain all over that, letting the ink sit in puddles as it dried.  I love this "resist" technique especially with the white lines.  

 The large "thank you" die is by Altenew and the leaves are from Paper Smooches.  I covered the leaves with Nuvo Crystal Glaze. I love how easy it is to spread this liquid and how evenly it dries with a great crystal shine.  The black dots are Nuvo Crystal Drops.  I purchased both from Simon Says Stamp and they might be my new obsession.  

 Here is the Color Throwdown challenge.

And the Just Us Girls challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost0
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Springy Congrats

I used the sweetest color combo from the current Color Throwdown challenge for this card.  

 You need to look at the following close ups of the card to see all of the subtle texture that is included from a stamped image embossed with white.  The leaves are from a set by Altenew.  I cut them out of my watercolor paper and then colored them with Distress Inks and then inlaid them back into the piece of paper.  

 Look at that design to the entire background of the card.  I used a Simon Says Stamp background stamp.  Its a big stamp so it covered the entire card.  The word Congrats is a die cut from My Favorite Things and I coated that cut out word with Nuvo Crystal Glaze.  

 Another close up of the colored leaves that match the color challenge.  

Here is the Color Throwdown challenge.

This also fits the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to add some texture.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Bold - that is the challenge

I so love anything red but I don't always create in what I would call BOLD colors.

 But since the current Time Out challenge is BOLD, I knew I had to give it a try.  The background is a messy inky style with lots of Distress Stain.  

 The further my attempt at BOLD I cut out the leaf die from Memory Box and colored it with more Distress Ink in blues and used a blue card base.  To further the BOLD look on the card I colored the stamped sentiment piece with a strong yellow.  

 The butterfly stamp from Clearly Besotted finishes off my look and I added white dots to that.  

Here is the TimeOut challenge of BOLD.

This also fits the Simon Says Wednesday challenge of Anything Goes.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)