Many Thanks

My card started out when I created this background with a stencil and a couple Distress Inks.

 The colors I used went along with the Color Throwdown color combination.  

 Next I pulled out a flower stamp from a brand-new-to-me set from Altenew.  Since I stamped the flower with white ink and embossed it with white ink, coloring it was then extremely easy using Cracked Pistachio Distress Stain.  Because I used watercolor paper, this ink works like magic for coloring and the white acted as a resist. 

I cut my panel with a rectangle stitched die by Avery Elle making it fit the Simon Says Wednesday challenge.  The sentiment is a word die from My Favorite Things.  I cut the words from Silver glitter cardstock and again from gray cardstock, gluing the two layers together.  

Here is the Color Throwdown challenge.

Here is the Simon Says Stamp wednesday challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

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)

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)

Best Wishes

I love a simple color combo and that was what the ColorThrowdown challenge was this week. 

 I actually started out with the great, simple sketch from CAS(e) this Sketch and finished my card with the ColorThrowDown colors.  The flower sprig stamp is by Magenta and since it almost fits the front of my card, I thought it helped my use the sketch.   

 After I stamped this stamp with white ink and white embossing powder, I added color with Zig Clean Color Markers.  These markers work so perfectly on watercolor paper and a waterbrush.  The sentiment is from Reverse Confetti. I added a clear glaze to the main flower with Nuvo Crystal Drops.  

 Here is the Color Throwdown challenge.

 Here is the CAS(e) this Sketch.

And the Simon Says Stamp challenge this week of Clear & Simple.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

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)

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)

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)

Creating a background

I love so many things about crafting and this beautiful flower stamp from Altenew Stamps and a stencil for creating a background are definitely two of those things. 

 The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is to create your own background and so I reached for this writing stencil, a foam blending tool and some Distress Ink pads.  I love the antique look some old writing adds and the inks create a soft look.  

 I wanted to do minimal coloring on these flowers using some Copic markers.  

 I sprayed the finished flower and background with a Heidi Swapp spray that gave everything a pearl look. 

Here is the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Dreamy Pink and Gold

The softest pinks and amazing metallic golds make up this card. I thought it was a good representation of The Card Concept challenge.

 So often Red is associated with hearts and "love" but this pink is so perfect and soft. 

 The word "love" and the heart are both dies from Simon Says Stamp.  

 The mixed media background is created from a mix of stencils and Distress inks.  

 Here is The Card Concept inspiration photo.

This also fits the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.
This also fits the Simon Says Stamp flickr challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)