Blessings to You

I started in with another challenge to use a lot of white space.

 In order to do that, I started out with my new background circle stamp from My Favorite Things.  I stamped it with white ink and embossed it with white embossing powder.  I love the white on white and this makes the perfect start to adding a little bit of color in one focal point.  I used the CAS(e) this Sketch for my layout although I reversed the side the main element was on. 

 I used Distress Inks to add color to just a portion of my stamped background.  I then stamped and embossed the flower, coloring that too with Distress Inks.  I like using my image as a palette, focusing more color in some places, less in others.  I just got the matching dies for this Altenew flower set so I cut my flower out.  The wreath is a die from Simon Says Stamp and the word "blessings" is from Winnie & Walter.  Both of those were cut from the same watercolor paper that I used on my card background. 

 Here is the CAS(e) this Sketch.

Here is the CAS-ology Precious challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

 It's time for another Just Us Girls challenge and another week that I have to opportunity to be a guest there.  Challenge #301 is to use GOLD.  Gold on a card or project has been pretty hot for some time so I loved the chance to add it to my card. 

 I used some gold embossing powder and some metallic gold cardstock to cut my word die.  But, first off, I created a simple background with some Distress Stains on watercolor paper.  I love to touch a few colors to my piece of paper, give it a spritz of water and then walk away and leave it to dry.  I am always amazed at the results when I come back to work with my piece. 

I used an Altenew flower and a leaf sprig by Waltzing Mouse.  I stamped the flower with white ink and embossed that with white embossing powder on warercolor paper.  For my coloring I simply touched the stamped flower with some Distress Stains.  This is such a fun way to add color.  The word die is from Winnie & Walter.  

Be sure to play along at Just Us Girls.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Orange is a "Happy" color

And the card I wanted to share is very orange and I love it!

 I love playing with inks and watercolor paper for a watercolor look and this one was super easy.  I just spritzed the paper and ran a mini stamp pad down the paper a few times, not filling all of the surface.  I loved the irregular result.  

 It was finished with a simple little white label shape and some Paper Smooches flowers and leaves.  The word "hello" is from Winnie & Walter. 

This goes with the Paper Players challenge.

And the CAS-ology Blossom challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Little Birdie

My card was pretty serious until I added on that adorable little Christmas birdie.

 I started out with black Distress Stain and watercolor paper. From there I added some Pewter Distress Spray.  I am so in love with how the inks dry and create such interesting patterns.

 Next I stamped some snowflakes using Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder.  The word "peace" is a die from Winnie & Walter and the little Christmas birdie is from Lawn Fawn.  

 This fits with the City Crafter Colour Challenge.

And the Merry Monday Christmas card challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Merry, Red and Snowflakes

All good things for a Christmas card.

 I used the retro sketch for my inspiration and a great Tim Holtz stamp for the main image.  I had colored a piece of cardstock with some red Distress Ink and then stamped the snowflake over that with black ink and embossed that with clear embossing powder.  That really neat die cut word is from Winnie & Walter.  

 I added some white with a white colored pencil.  I liked how subtle the colored pencil white was for adding some interest.  

 Here is the retro sketch.
And for a photo...

Gotta LOVE the color Red

This post is all about my favorite color - RED!

 Plus, it is about one of my favorite flower stamp sets from Altenew Stamps.  I used a sketch from retro sketches.  This weeks challenge was to pick a sketch from their past sketches.  I also used Virginia's View challenge to use Clean and Simple and Simon Says Wednesday challenge to use a watercolor technique.  I started out with a piece of watercolor paper as it comes from the pad of paper.  I like to keep the binding edge on some of the papers as I cut each piece to the sizes I want to use.  I think it is such a fun accent.  

 I wanted to use the flower stamps in a very simple way, stamping them directly to my paper meaning I didn't need to cut them out.  I only used two of the steps in creating the flowers and I used a wonderful Distress Stamp pad in Festive Berries. I just love that these inks give the look of having colored the images with watercolor.  I did block off a portion of my paper and stamped around that then when I removed the mask piece, I drew thin black lines with a pen then stamped the sentiment in that blocked off area.  This sentiment set from Winnie and Walter is so neat because of all of the little words that come with the big words so you can create your own greeting.  

 Here is the retro sketch I picked.

 Here is the Virginia's View challenge.

Here is the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

AAA Cards Guest!

How much fun, recently I was asked to be a guest designer on a brand new challenge blog, AAA Cards.  

 To make this even better, Victoria had noticed one of my cards on my blog and wanted that to be the inspiration piece for this week.  Above is my original card.

I created another card using the original card for the inspiration.  In the first card, I had used a stsencil to create colorful dots.  I took that same stencil and created a reverse of the dots.  I embossed the dots with white embossing powder and then added color with Distress Stamp pads to the background.  The white embossed dots acted as a resist to the stamp pad inks.  I thought the bright colors looked like a party waiting to happen.

That great word "happy" and the word "birthday" that I used to create a background are stamps from Winnie and Walter. 

 Next I just had to play along with this super cool color combination from Color Throwdown.  I just loved that silver was one of the colors. 

 I created a very simple background with a dot stencil and two colors of  Distress Ink.  

To add the silver, I cut the "Hello" that is a die from PaperTrey, Inc from silver cardstock.  The little doily piece is a die cut from My Favorite Things.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)