It's Your Day card

Not only did I want to use a few online challenges, I wanted to use my new Altenew flower dies. 

 That dotted background die is by Lil' Inkers, I thought this created a lacey look to go along with the photo in the Time Out challenge.  

 The flower and leaves are using some dies from a set by Altenew.  The flower is three layers and I colored each layer with Distress Stains before assembling the flower.  The banner and sentiment is from a set from Avery Elle.  

 Here is the Time Out photo inspiration challenge. 

 This also fits in with the Addicted to Stamps and More Anything Goes challenge. 

And it fits the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of Happy Birthday.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Take it Easy

When you use a flower stamp you can spend a whole lot of time coloring it beautiful but really just as beautiful is the simple style of coloring which almost isn't any coloring at all.

 In order to make use of the Color Throwdown color challenge I wanted to very simply use those colors.  I used an Altenew stamp pad to rub the one corner of my watercolor card to create a background.  

 When I had to amount of color that I wanted, I just stamped this spray of Altenew stamps using black ink.  I then embossed that with clear embossing powder.  The embossing powder makes the black a little more intense plus makes the black stand out.  The sentiment is also from Altenew. 

 Just for a fun accent I added a little bit of silver watercolor ink to some of the leaves in my image.  

 Here is the Color Throwdown challenge. 

 This card also fits the Addicted to Stamps and More challenge.

It also fits the Simon Says Stamp Floral Frenzy challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Using Copics

Yes, a few more online challenges used, did I say I love them!!!!

 I really like the Freshly Made sketch for this week and had to sit for a minute to decide how to use it.  I decided to cut my main piece of watercolor paper and then work with both parts.   

I also used the CAS on Friday challenge to use Sequins and the Addicted to Stamps challenge to Make Your Mark, all using Altenew Stamps.

 I don't usually use Copic markers on Watercolor paper, the watercolor paper does not allow you to really blend the Copics but in this case it did work out just fine.  I stamped the leaves with black ink and embossed them with clear embossing powder and then colored all of them. The background was also colored with a black pen.  

Here is the Freshly Made sketch.

Here is the Addicted to Stamps and More challenge.

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

Yellow is such a Happy color

I wanted to use the CAS(e) this sketch for this week and since I picked this "happy" die from PaperTrey Inc, I just had to pick yellow for my main color. 

 I learned today that "smooching" is evidently a crafting term and that is what I did to create my simple background.  I tapped a few shades of Distress Stain directly to an acrylic block, spritzed that with water and then "smooched" the block onto my watercolor paper.  I love that it is really such a random way to add color and that so works especially with these inks and watercolor paper. 

 The flower is a multi step flower from Altenew stamps.  Again, another stamp that I really love and you can create your flower from any number of color combinations.  

 See the little specks of gold because one of the Distress Stains that I used is tarnished brass, a metallic ink.  

Here is the CAS(e) this sketch that I used.

It also fits the Addicted to Stamps and More Anything Goes challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Purple Butterfly

I found a fun bunch of online challenges and created a card. 

The colors are a result of the Color Throwdown and I used a layout for the card to match the Freshly Made Sketch. For the side element, I used a hole die from My Favorite Things and accented it with browns using Distress Inks.  

I placed my sentiment slightly different from the sketch but I thought this fit my card better.  The sentiment stamp is from Stampers Anonymous.  

I used a set of butterfly dies from My Favorite Things.  In order to use the colors in the challenge, I cut the top layer from watercolor paper and colored that butterfly from a variety of Distress Inks.  I like the resulting distressed look.  

 Here is the Color Throwdown challenge. 

And the Freshly Made sketch.

And even though my butterfly is purple and not pink I thought my card fit in with the Addicted to Stamps and More challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

A smear of color with Watercolor

It's no secret, my favorite inks to reach for are anything and everything Distress from Ranger.

 This might be one of the most simple ways to use the mini Distress Stamp pads to create a background.  I added a few different colors of the inks to an acrylic block, gave that a spritz of color and ran the block downward on a piece of watercolor paper.  The inks slightly run, creating a place to add other stamps and elements.     

 I then just stamped a leaf sprig on this pre-prepared background and added soft colors to that.  I used used a little bit of water and a little bit of added color with Copic markers. The leaf sprig is a stamp from Altenew and the sentiment is from a set of stamps by Simon Says Stamp.

 The layout for the card goes along with the Freshly Made sketch.

 Casology's challenge for this week is watercolor.

Plus this fits the Addicted to Stamps and More Photo Inspiration challenge.
This also fits the Simon Says Stamp flickr challenge of Emboss it.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

The little monkeys have it

Not one, but many monkeys....

 I just like these little guys from a Simon Says Stamp set, Baby Party Animals in their newest release, Falling For You.  So instead of just stamping one, I filled my card front with these cuties.  

 I wanted to go with a very simple kind of coloring so I mostly colored with Tea Dye Distress Stain on watercolor paper.  I did add accents with Copic markers.  The Copic markers work differently on watercolor paper and they are pretty fun to use, you just really can't blend very much.  The little flag is from the same set of stamps, I added it with foam tape.  

This goes with the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes.  

And the Addicted to Stamp Make Your Mark challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Do I Love These Flowers!

I purchased this set of flower and leaf dies from Ellen Hutson and oh how I love them.  

 I know I could use them in a whole lot of ways and so here is one way.  I started out making a very simple background with Distress Stains.  I wanted green to be my main color for the background and I wanted the watercolor effect to be minimal.  That amazing sentiment is from a new set by Tim Holtz.  The font is so fun. 

 I cut out the two sizes of flowers and the two leaves from watercolor paper and then added various colors with Distress Stains.  I then coated the leaves with gold Distress Stain and some gold paint.  I love how easy it is to created a neat color combo with the dabber top of the stains.  

This fits the CAS on Sunday challenge to use GOLD.

And the Addicted to Stamps challenge by using the Photo Inspiration.  I love all of the whites with the splash of pink in the middle.  I thought my card slightly fit with that with the simple background and the pink flowers. 

It also fits the Paper Players color combination.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

The happy bunny

Here we go again...

 Another card with the Easter bunny in mind. I used a set of stamps by Tim Holtz.  

 For the easiest way to color the image, I just used some Distress Stains on watercolor paper.  Once that was dry, I cut it out with a tag die.  That helped it fit the two sketches that I used.  The entire background was cut with a stitched die from Avery Elle.  I also added some accent with white embossing paste and a stencil.  The die cut word is from Clearly Besotted. 

 Here is the CAS(e) this sketch I used.

 If you turn this sketch, my card also fits the Sunday Stamps sketch.

And it fits the Addicted to Stamps Holiday challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Gotta Love Peeps

When you think of Easter candy, Peeps have to be at the top of the list whether you like them or not, they are pretty adorable.

 Something I have sure noticed this year is that they come in even more colors and flavors then before.  With all of that in mind, I love this adorable stamp set from Reverse Confetti.  The stamps come with a matching die set making them so easy to cut out.  

 I wanted to be sure my bunnies resembled the candies in the store so I added color with Distress Stains on watercolor paper.  I blotted the colors to the paper making sure I didn't completely color each bunny.  I created the background with the same stains and the same colors letting the colors run after they were spritzed with water.  Liquid Pearls puts on the finish on their little cheeks. 

I created it to match the Sketch Saturday sketch.

I thought it would fit in with the Addicted to Stamps challenge too because of the brightly colored candy looking bunnies.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)