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)

Distress Stains

Oh how I love Distress Stains! There is so much that can be created with them.  

 For this card, I simply used the color combination at Colour Q.  They are so pretty and springy.  

 I took three colors of Distress Stain and made "splats" of stain on my paper.  I think that look is just so much fun and pretty much unpredictable.  The butterfly is cut from paper that I also colored with that yellow Distress Stain.  The die cut words are new to me from a set by Die-Versions. 

Here is the Colour Q combination.

My card also fits the "three" challenge at CAS-ual Fridays.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Loving Turquoise

I love the color turquoise! Red is my favorite but turquoise would be a close second. It is just so bright and happy looking.  SOOOOO, the color combo for the AE challenge was right down my alley for wanting to use. 

 I had so much fun creating this background.  I took three different stamps from the Ikat Additions set.  I spritzed water on my textured white cardstock and then stamped those stamps randomly to fill the paper. I used two colors of ink but "stamped off most of the stamps and that gave me darker and lighter shades of the same color to help me fit the color combo.  Because my paper was wet, the inks ran so neat. 

 These little flowers are so cute and LOVE the writing in this set of sentiments. I chose to stamp my little label on vellum so that I wasn't totally covering up my neat background. Enamel dots finish off my little flowers.

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

Using Paper Tapes

Paper Tapes or Washi Tapes are so popular and really so much fun to use. 

 The Paper Players challenge for this week was to use tapes so of course I had to play along since I love these things. I love how fast and easy they are to use and you can combine patterns so easily. 

 After I had my variety of tapes on my white cardstock, I used a PaperTrey, Inc "LOVE" die cut word and cut that out of the larger, black pattern. I then cut the word again from red cardstock and put that into the cut out area of the word. The "you" is a die cut from Simon Says. My tapes are from Recollections and Queen & Co. 

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

Gotta use sequins

I cut out some little clouds with a Paper Smooches die and knew I needed to use them. I have wanted to try something for awhile and that it is use lots of sequins on a project. These little clouds looked like just the right place to glue a whole bunch of sequins, two sizes of turquoise ones.  

 I created this dot background with a border stamp from Paper Smooches.  I inked it with some Distress Stain and filled the piece of paper.  I did spritz it with water so that the blue dots ran a bit.  

 The tag die is also from Paper Smooches. I cut it from a piece of paper that I had already colored with a stencil and yellow spray ink.  I thought the look was so sunny, the perfect place for my pretty clouds.  

 I am entering my card in the Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes challenge.  

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)