Black and White with a splash of color

And I picked pink...

 I wanted a card that was fast and easy and had a simple wash of some pink.  I stamped this stamp from Studio Calico in black ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I like to do that so the black lines are a little more intense and the black ink is stable when using other inks over it.  

 I used watercolor paper and then brushed on some Distress Stain inks.  This very simply colored the flower image and the background.  The larger flower has a matching solid stamp so I did stamp that in the same pink.  In order to future the white parts since that is part of two of the challenges I was following, I used some Copic white ink.  I also added some dots of black Liquid Pearls. 

 I also thought this colors in the card went along with the Card Concept challenge.

Here is the Just Us Girls challenge.

Plus the Frosted Designs challenge.
I also used the Time Out challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

It is all about Orange today

I had so much fun using a whole bunch of orange for the card I want to share today.

 I used some of my favorite flower stamps and that makes this fit the CAS on Sunday challenge.  A card for that challenge is supposed to be on the simple side and what is fun for me that I used a stencil and some Distress Stain for the background and that really is very quick and easy.  The stencil if some Prima.  I also sprayed it with a little bit of Heidi Swapp Color Shine in gold.  

 The flowers are from a three step stamp set from Altenew.  I stamped the outline with gold embossing and then stamped the other two layers with two shades of orange.  That sentiment is from Studio Calico. Probably the part that took the longest was cutting out the flowers. 

Here is the CAS on Sunday flower challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Simple Goodness

I started out with a very simple background using a stencil and some Distress Stain.

 I gave it some spritzes of Heidi Swapp Color Shine gold and left it all to dry.  I just picked up that medallion stamp on a recent visit to the Paper Source store. I just stamped it twice, both of the images going off of the paper.  I loved the stunning simplicity.  

 That adorable sentiment is from a set by Studio Calico.   It is so simple too and packs a big punch.  I used some Gold Silk that I picked up from Fun Stampers Journey.  It is in a bottle like nail polish.  It was so easy to add the gold accents to the medallion images with the brush end.  

I am adding this to Virginia's View challenge for a Clean Slate.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Butterflies and Bicycles

A couple fun cards to share with you today.

 First up, Moxie Fab has a challenge to USE WASHI TAPE or paper tape. I love paper tape so I went to this retro sketch that I wasn't able to use and put it to use with this great wooden butterfly that I picked up at Micheals. When I saw this laser cut butterfly, I knew it would be fun with this particular sketch.

 The background is a Hero Arts stamp stamped with a gray stamp pad (the white portion is the stamp pattern). I then took my paper tape which is Recollections and made a frame around the stamped piece. Talk about easy and fast!!! I accented the butterfly with a cute American Crafts button I just picked up at Target.

 I went back to this older retro sketch for my inspiration.

 Next up, I used the CASE this sketch for my inspiration plus the Masculine challenge at Addicted To CAS challenge.

 Do you see my new, yummy woodgrain stamp from Hero Arts? Can I say I am madly in love with this one and I know I will use it often. I used a soft, Fluid Chalk sandy colored stamp pad. It was so easy to finish the card with this little wood bicycle and the little banner stamp, also from Hero Arts.

 Here is the CASE this sketch.

And the Addicted to CAS challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

One background, two ways

While I love patterned papers, I really do enjoy using background stamps to create the background for my cards. 

 I just got this Looped Circle Pattern background stamp from Hero Arts recently. I wanted to give it a try out to see the look it had and can I say, I love it!!!

 After I stamped it with white ink and embossed it with white embossing powder, I used a black spray from Studio Calico. This spray with the white embossing creates a rather chalkboard kind of look that is fun. The lacey heart is a Cricut cut as is the smaller red heart and the "loveU" sentiment.

This card fits the Clean & Simple Stamping sketch.

 

 Here is used that same background stamp again so that I could create a card using the retro sketch and the Colour Q color combination.

 I actually used two background stamps, the Looped Circle one along with a Tiny Spot one.  The cute little hen is cut with the Cricut and my brand new cartridge, Folk Art Festival. I thought the color combination had a Folk Art look to it. The sentiment is also from Hero Arts.

 Here is the Colour Q combo.

 Here is the retro sketch.
And for a few photos...

 I know some of you are dealing with lots of snow, but I went on a walk in my backyard yesterday and these are the cuties that I found.  Acutally lots of these little purple cuties.

 My first red poppy for this year.

 A Gerber Daisy.

 

A beautiful, lacey rose.

I guess spring is really on it's way.

Thanks for visiting, Linda

Old stamps - New stamps

A Blog Named Hero gave a challenge this week to pull out any of our older Hero Arts stamps. Can I tell you this made me sooooo happy!

I went right to my Hero Arts drawer and pulled out this wonderful vine background stamp. This maybe is my all time favorite and it made me so sad to find they had discontinued it. I also went to the retro sketch for this week for the layout of my card.

 

The flower is also an older stamp. It comes with a pattern on it but since my ink was so wet, you can't see that pattern. I inked the flower with a Distress Stain and spritzed it with water. I stamped the vine with white ink and embossed it with white embossing powder and then rubbed it with a Clearsnap Chalk stamp pad in a great tan color. I love how the chalk stamp pads look for this and the embossed image acted as a resist to that ink. The leaf is cut with the Cricut. This also fits the Addicted to CAS challenge to use embossing. My card uses heat embossing and a little piece of dry embossing.

 

 

Here is the retro sketch.

 

 

Here is the A Blog Named Hero challenge.

Here is the Addicted to CAS challenge.

 

 

This quick little card uses some paper tapes. I did it to fit the Simon Says Stamp challenge to use Washi Tapes.

 

I have always loved alphabet stamps and so I needed to show off my newest set. It is from Hero Arts. Can I say I love it and I can see I will be using it often. The letters come solid and ouline. My paper tapes all came from Queen & CO, I so love her selection. The little wooden pieces are from Studio Calico, they just seem to fit about anywhere.

Here is the link to Simon Says Stamping challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)