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)

Layered Flower

I started out with the amazing layered flower die set from Altenew. 

 I started out cutting all of the pieces of the flower from watercolor paper.  Using that kind of paper let me then custom color my layers.  I used various colors of Distress Ink.  After these were dry, I assembled my flower and let it steal the show on my card front.  

 I cut the sentiment, "congrats" from silver glitter paper.  It's a simple look but carries a punch in the glitter.  

 My background was simply created on watercolor paper with shades of green Distress Ink.  Once that was dry, I added a dot accent with a stencil and embossing paste.  

I designed my card after the CAS(e) this sketch challenge.

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)

You're Awesome

Again playing with some great color challenges and various Distress Inks.

 The background is a mix of Distress Stains.  One of them is a silver metallic ink and I tried to get the light on the card so that you could see the metallic ink.  The flower from Altenew is simply stamped in it's outline form so that background was able to show through. 

 I used a few white Nuvo Crystal drops for accent and the sentiment and the banner stamp and die are from Avery Elle.  

 Here is the Paper Players color challenge.

Here is the Color Throwdown challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Sending Love & Hugs

My card started with the colors in the ColorThrowdown challenge and some Distress Inks for a messy background.

 The Distress Inks and watercolor paper were just meant to go together and the perfect set up for just adding inks and water and let happen what happens.  I had stamped the flowers by Altenew in the bottom corner with white ink and white embossing powder and then when the inks are added the embossed lines act as a resist.  

 I like to "place" the various colors right where I want them so in effect the flowers are colored but this has to be the easiest way to color.  The "hello" is a die from Paper Smooches.  

Here is the Color Throwdown 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)

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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The Little Things

I have such a huge love of Distress Stains or Distress Inks and Altenew stamps and dies, these were my go to for the card I want to share plus I used the January Altenew challenge for my inspiration.  

 The background is the simplest, I used watercolor paper and Distress Stains blotted onto a thin strip of acrylic, one color at a time.  The wet ink on the acrylic was spritzed with water to make it a bit diluted, then pressed onto the paper, one color at a time.  I love the "messy" results of these inks and watercolor paper.  

 This flower die set is a new tool for me.  It is unique in that it doesn't require any stamping, just cutting.  I cut each piece from white watercolor paper and then added Distress Stains to each individual piece.  Spritzing the papers and the inks with water helps them run and mingle.  I love that the flower is layers and you actually can get a little creative, not adding them together as they were intended.  

Here is the Altenew Inspiration Challenge piece.

Thanks for visiting, Linda 

Spray of Blossoms

To fit the Card Concept challenge, I created a very simple spray of flowers scattered over my card using an Altenew stamp.  

 The flowers were stamped with white ink and embossed with white and then a few Distress Stains were used on this watercolor paper for a quick way of adding color.  

 The word die "congrats" by My Favorite Things was cut from watercolor paper and then also colored with Distress Stains.  

 I gave the background a wash of more Distress Stain.  

 Here is the Card Concept challenge.

And this fits the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

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)

So Proud of You card

My card started out with this weeks CAS(e) this Sketch.

 Plus I just received my first The Ton Stamps and had to put them to use.  I used three of the flowers from a bouquet of flowers so I could make them fit the sketch.  

 I colored my flowers and leaves with some Zig Clean Color markers on watercolor paper.  The background was created with Distress Stains and a line stencil again on watercolor paper.  

 Here is the CAS(e) this Sketch.

My card also fits the Inspired by challenge too.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)