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)

Fall leaves - Fall colors

I wanted to make a card with a tag as the focal point so I could play with the CAS on Sunday challenge.

 I also wanted it to have fall elements and fall colors with Thanksgiving Day in mind.  My background is "messy" with Distress Stains and a leaf stencil.  

 I used some Paper Smooches products to create my tag.  The tag itself is a die from PS, the big leaf is also a die from them and I added lots of color with Distress Stains.  The smaller sprigs are a new die set for me, again colored with fall colors of Distress Stains.  The sentiment is also from Paper Smooches.  

Here is the CAS on Sunday challenge.

This also fits the AAA Cards challenge for Thanks or Thanksgiving.

Thanks for visiting, (Linda)

AAA Cards Starry Night Challenge

 I was able to pick the theme for this weeks AAA Cards challenge and I think the banner turned out so cute.  I wanted stars but not necessarily patriotic although that is what I am thinking as we just celebrated the Fourth of July. 

 I created my background with Distress Stains on watercolor paper.  I used blue, red and white just because those colors go so nicely with stars.  Plus my sentiment by Tim Holtz has the word Sparkle in it so again not really patriotic and one about celebrating. 

The white dots were created with a Copic white ink in a little bottle.  My stars were punched and I ended up creating a little banner with them by sewing them together.  The dots on the stars were created by Liquid Pearls.  

My card also fits the Addicted to CAS Patriotic challenge although it doesn't have a specific Patriotic theme.  

Be sure to join us at AAA Cards.

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)

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)

AAA Cards challenge - For the Guys

 Our theme this for the next AAA Cards challenge is about the guys or a masculine touch and that is normally a difficult challenge for me but fun.

 I reached for a little car stamp I have by Printworks that I just plain love.  It is so easy to use and the red and blue help it fit a masculine look.  In order to make my plain white card fit with my color scheme, I blotched it with some Distress Stain.  

 I used a banner set of tag dies from My Favorite Things. I just love how easy those dies are to use and how any sizes they come in and they stack so easy.  The card was stamped and colored with Copic markers.  The word "zoom" is also from Printworks. 

 I just had to create another card using this super cut little car.  I stamped it, colored it and then cut it out.  My background was super simple with some gray paint stroke stamped images by Avery Elle.  

I used a stitched die from Avery Elle.  It cuts the rectangle and cuts the stitched lines into the paper with one cut.

Be sure to play along at AAA Cards.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

AAA Cards Birthday Party and Blog Hop

Everybody loves a party and its time for AAA Cards Challenge blogs 1st birthday.  I think that is pretty exciting not only because this cupcake is completely adorable but because there are prizes, lots of prizes, you just have to play along. Check out the AAA Cards blog for all of the details.  You should have come here from Jane's blog.

 I wanted my card to be very pink to match that adorable party banner.  Of course, I started out by coloring a piece of watercolor paper with some Distress Stains.  There seems to be no way I can get enough of that technique, maybe because it turns out different every time.  

 Next I cut the flowers and leaves by Essentials by Ellen from plain white paper and cut the "happy birthday" by Paper Smooches from plain white paper and then sprayed the words with Heidi Swapps gold Color Shine.  I wanted to keep my card very simple and let my die cut shapes have all of the glory.  

I knew I needed to do another card, maybe because you can't have too many for a party.  Simon Says Stamp has supplied one of the prizes for the celebration and they sent me one set to play with so I wanted to have that be part of my celebration.  The little kitty is from a set from the Falling For You collection. 

That adorable frame is a stamp with a matching die from Lawn Fawn and the super cute sentiment is from Wplus9 Designs.  The balloon is also from the Party Animal set.  Once again, my background is simply Distress Stains and watercolor paper. 

This also fits the Simon Says Wednesday challenge regarding sentiments.

Plus the Lawnscaping watercolor challenge.

This is a birthday hop so you can hop on over to Vicki's blog so see what she created for the party. If you missed any of the blogs along the way, you can always go back to the AAA Cards blog.

Now it's your turn to create.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

AAA Cards Challenge - There's a hole in my card

 Another fun challenge at AAA Cards - creating a card with a hole in it. 

 I ended up with many holes in my card, I used a fun die from My Favorite Things.  I did cut it from watercolor paper, then I went to my trusty Distress Stains and added lots of color.  I even used some gold Color Shine from Heidi Swapp.  That added a fun metallic glimmer to it. That adorable "HAPPY" tag is a die from Technique Tuesday.  

 Then I just had to use my new Tim Holtz flower stamps!!! LOVE these.  I added color with Copic markers first and thenDistress Markers.  

This also fits the Colour Me challenge.
Be sure to take some time to play along with the AAA Cards Challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

AAA Cards - Springtime

 The perfect AAA Cards challenge, spring time flowers! 

 And I used a brand new set of flowers stamps to me from Alternew.  After I stamped the flowers and leaves with white ink and embossed them with white embossing powder, I colored the entire front of my card with Distress Stains.  

Because the Distress Stains have a dabber top, it is very easy to apply ink to specific areas so I used them to "paint" the flowers and to create the background on watercolor paper.  I used a stencil to add a little scattering of silver dots with embossing paste. 

Be sure to play along at AAA Cards.

It also fits the Colour Q challenge.

And the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge, Spring Flowers.

Plus the great colors from the Card Concept challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

AAA Cards Easter Colors Themed challenge

 I am having so much fun creating Spring or Easter colors themed cards lately.  Who can resist bunnies and chicks and flowers!!! So I am a fan of the newest AAA Cards challenge. 

 I created my background with a Simon Says Stamp stencil, some embossing paste and some Distress Inks.  In order to get the embossing paste yellow, I simply added some Distress Stain ink to the stencil first and then spread the embossing paste over the stencil. This combines the paste and the ink.  

I then gave it a quick spray of some spray inks.  That adorable little chickie and the cute sentiment are stamps from Reverse Confetti.  More coloring with Distress Stains.

Be sure to check out the AAA Cards Design Teams cute creations and take some time to play along. 

This also fits the Fusion challenge because of all of the yellow and the celebration of Easter.

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

AAA Cards challenge

 When it comes to card making, one thing is for certain, I struggle with one layer cards and in keeping it simple.  I just have to add stuff!!!

 So this weeks AAA Cards challenge was just that, a challenge for me.  That is one of the things I love about creating though is to have to think outside of my own box.  My card base is watercolor paper. I love the thickness of it along with the texture.  The sentiment is a stamp from Printworks.

Since I am a huge fan of stencils, that was what I reached for to start my card.  Just inking portions of it.  Next I stamped three different butterflies from Clearly Besotted with black ink.  I did emboss them with clear embossing powder because I like what that adds to a design.  To finish it off, I gave it some dots of black embossing paste that I added through a stencil.

Be sure to play along at AAA Cards.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)