Sending Happy Thoughts

Playing with inks, my favorite!!!

 To create my background, I used a stencil and a few different Distress Ink colors to make my card fit the Color Throwdown challenge.  

A finishing touch was to cut the word "hello" in gold metallic paper, I love that pop of bling.   

  The leaf wreath is a stamp by Altenew.  I stamped that with white and embossed it with white on watercolor paper then when I added the inks, the embossed lines acted as a resist. 

Here is the Color Throwdown challenge.

It fits the Sketch Saturday sketch.

And the Just Us Girls, Bold Letters challenge with the Metallic gold word.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

It's all about backgrounds

I wanted to share two cards in this post, both using some online challenges. 

 First off, I used the CAS(e) this sketch challenge.  The sketch is simple and, what I love about that, open to some great interpretations.  I started out creating a neat background with a Crafters Workshop stencil and some Distress Stain on Tim Holtz watercolor paper.  That bottom border piece is a die from My Favorite Things.

 My main element is a digital image from A Day for Daisies.  What I love about using these is that I get to pick the size of the image.  I printed it out and gave it some subtle coloring with Copic markers and then cut it out.  The sentiment is from a set by Neat and Tangled.

 Here is the CAS(e) this sketch challenge.  

 And, for more about backgrounds, I wanted to play with the Lawnscaping challenge to create your own background.  I LOVE the trend to use feather images and die cuts.  It is one trend I want to stay around for awhile.  I particularly like the Lawn Fawn feather stamps and matching dies because the image is the outline of the feather meaning I get to create the design of the feather.  

 I started out with some Heidi Swapp gold spray.  This just might be one of my most favorite newer products.  It is the best gold and can be used as a spray or you can use drops of it.  I created a grungy background with the gold and then stamped the smaller of the feathers randomly all over that.  I did emboss the black ink because it makes that a little more vivid and intense.  I finished the card off with some cut feathers and a sentiment that is also from Lawn Fawn.  

 I added little drops of a purple Distress Stain and a great blue Heidi Swapp spray, using that in drops.  

Here is the Lawnscaping challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

That retro look

I am so madly in love with the Color Throwdown inspiration photo.  I actually want all of the gorgeous vintage dishes in the photo!!!

 I loved using these colors to create a card.  In order to mimic the photo, I wanted my swatches of color to be in a "stack".  I used some Tim Holtz watercolor paper, spritzed it with water and then used three colors of Distress Stain to lay down a little bit of color from each one.  I spritzed these with water so the colors would run a little bit. Once this was dry, I could move on with my card. I used a dot stencil and some black embossing paste and added little touches on the card.

 The little flowers, stamped in black, are from Printworks and so is the sentiment.  I thought that resembled the designs on those gorgeous dishes. I added that little doily that is a die cut from My Favorite Things to go along with the "kitchen" theme of the photo.

Here is the Color Throwdown challenge.

I just had to share a baseball photo.  He was so happy to get to play the catcher position but that helmet must have been too hot!
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Golden Tipped Feathers

I recently got a new set from Lawn Fawn and I thought they would go pretty good with the Less is More sketch challenge.

 That circle is the coolest stamp from Neat and Tangled! It just seems to go with a watercolor look.  

 I used Tim Holtz watercolor paper.  The circle stamp was inked with two different colors of Distress ink, I love how the colors mingle.  I colored another piece of paper so I could stamp the feather on it and then cut them out with their matching dies.  The tips of the feathers have Heidi Swapp gold on them.  The sentiment is also part of that Lawn Fawn set. 

 Here is the Less is More sketch.

 This also fits the Simon Says Wednesday challenge which is Anything Goes using Lawn Fawn if you want. 

And, we are playing baseball these days. I just know that the slide into home is the all important move!

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Sweet colors - Sweet bunnies

Reverse Confetti not only has some pretty adorable stamps and dies but they are also having a color challenge and I love challenges!!!

 I don't use lavender very often but it was fun to incorporate that onto my card.  I started out with some Tim Holtz watercolor paper and then I just sat and played with some Distress Stains in the colors to match the challenge.  I think I could just play with creating neat palettes all day long! Once these were dry, I picked one to be my main, background paper.  I had other prepared pieces so I stamped and cut the three bunnies and the banner out of one.  This was an easy way to give the bunnies color. 

 I offset stamped the little alphabet stamp.  The Reverse Confetti tag die is my most favorite tag ever so I cut one of other inked paper.  The little bunnies have Liquid Pearl noses to finish them off. 

Here is the Reverse Confetti color challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Easter Week part 2

Yes, more adorable bunnies!

 I went to the CAS(e) this sketch for my layout inspiration plus this adorable set from Reverse Confetti.  The sketch shows 9 blocks but I let the banner substitute the middle three blocks.  I started out by adding Distress Stain directly to one of my acrylic blocks.  I pressed that onto a piece of Tim Holtz watercolor paper. I LOVE that paper!

 The ink is very liquid-like and so it did run a little bit and I just love that look.  I colored a piece of cardstock with a pink Distress Stamp pad and then stamped my little bunnies on that. They were cut out with their matching dies.  I made sure that my pink colored paper wasn't entirely colored, I wanted a tie dye look.  The sentiments in this stamp set are so cute.

Here is the CAS(e) this sketch.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Distress Inks and a Watercolor look

For the current Lawnscaping challenge you are supposed to try a new technique. I so love techniques and playing around with them that it was hard for me to think of something I had not tried.  

 I did manage to come up with something a little bit different for my resulting card.  I purchased a set of four mini Distress Stains.  I wanted to see what would happen if I pressed each pad onto a piece of watercolor paper, spritzing it with water.  I ended up creating a colorful border.  I loved the way the colors ran together and ran out on this great paper.  

 I could see it being the perfect piece to stamp an image onto it.  I stamped two leaf sprigs from Lawn Fawn.  I also stamped the little flower and cut that out and added a little sentiment.  I added it to a card base that has some embossing on the top and the bottom edge.  I also added on a few sequins that are the exact same color as the card. 

Here is the Lawnscaping challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Loving Turquoise

My quest for my cards that I am posting today was to use the color challenge at Less Is More.  I did create two cards centered around the color turquoise but I was afraid I didn't leave enough white space on the one so I am entering this first one in that challenge.  

 This card not only shows off the wonderful bright and happy color turquoise but it shows off playing with a stencil, embossing paste and Distress Inks on watercolor paper.  I can't see to get enough of these three supplies, I love how endless creating with stencils is. 

 First of all, I used some Distress Stain with a Crafters Workshop stencil and Tim Holtz watercolor paper. When that was dry, I used the same stencil and some white embossing paste.  Also a few drops of a green Heidi Swapp spray.  Those really neat flowers are from Printworks and that super cute little tag is from Avery Elle.  The set of stamps comes with lots of tiny sentiments that fit on the tag.  

 Here is the Less Is More challenge.

 I started out creating this card with a stenciled background paper that I had created during a play session.  It was just sitting on my desk begging to be used and when I noticed the turquoise, I knew this was the time.  Again, Tim Holtz watercolor paper, the same stencil and two colors of Distress Stain.  

 I went to the retro sketch for my inspiration. I cut that frame with a set of dies from My Favorite Things.  The sentiment is also from My Favorite Things.  

Here is the retro sketch.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Some Paper Smooches Fun!

I picked the Paper Smooches Anything Goes challenge for this week to help me create my card! Great excuse to play with stamps. 

 I picked my color combo based on the Color Throwdown combo, it was great to have these colors to focus on. 

 That neat lattice piece is actually a small background stamp from Paper Smooches, I just stamped it twice on some Tim Holtz watercolor paper. I have said this before but I will repeat it, I LOVE THIS PAPER!!! After I stamped the image and embossed it with white, I spritzed the paper and gave a few swipes with some Distress Stain. I love the resulting watercolor look.  The flowers and leaf sprig are stamps with matching dies.  I colored the stamps with Distress Stains before stamping them.  I also gave the yellow flowers a coating of Distress Glitter before cutting them out.  Notice my partial embossing with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

 Here is the Paper Smooches Anything Goes challenge.

Here is the Color Throwdown challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)