Life is a Beautiful Ride - Try Stampin on Tuesday #417

I am enjoying doing the challenges at Try Stampin on Tuesday or Not, and I particularly enjoyed this one as I was able to use a watercolor background I had made last week.

This week the theme of the sketch challenge is vacation fun.  I have always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon so this would be a perfect activity for a vacation.

Because i needed the height of  the card for my hot air balloons I turned the sketch on its side.

Last week I was in a "making backgrounds" mood, and one of the backgrounds I created was a watercolour wash on watercolour paper which was covered with wrinkled plastic wrap until dry.  The colours I used:  Gorgeous grape, Calypso Coral and Old Olive.  I loved the result, and today I used this background to create this card.

As much as I hated to, I cut the background into a 4 by 5 1/4" piece and this was cut into three 1 1/8 by 5" pieces.  But before I did this I stamped some trees on the bottom using the tree stamp from "Waterfront" using both Old Olive and Mossy Meadow inks as well as some small balloons floating off in the distance and some birds in the sky.

These three strips were evenly spaced and adhered to a Mossy Meadow background.  This in turn was adhered to a Ricotta Rose card stock base.

After applying a strip of Vellum card stock across the middle, I added 2 balloons I had stamped and punched out from the remnant of the watercolour background.  The baskets from both balloons, and the banner was also punched using the new Hot Air Balloon punch.  All edges were sponged with Basic Gray card stock to give them more definition.  The front balloon only was adhered using dimensionals. Clear wink of Stella was applied to each balloon.

The sentiment was die cut with a layering square die, matted with a Mossy Meadow slightly larger scallop square and added at an angle (as if it were attached) to the red balloon.  A bow made from two strands of Old Olive Baker's twine was added to the top corner of this square.

Wouldn't that be a wonderful ride on your vacation?

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Above the Clouds, Waterfront

Inks:  Basic Gray, Black Memento, Real Red, Blueberry Bliss, Old Olive, Mossy Meadow

Papers:  Watercolour wash background on watercolor paper, Whisper White, Mossy Meadow, Ricotta Rose,Vellum

Accessories:  Old Olive Bakers twine, Dimensionals, Layering Square Dies, Hot Air Balloon punch, Clear Wink of Stella

Butterflies are a-shaking

Yesterday I posted the first of a number of cards I have made featuring butterflies here  It was a white on white card on a watercolour backgound.

The card today steps it up a bit.

It is also a white on white card on a watercolour background, only I changed the colours of the watercolour background and made it into a shaker card.

You can see the light reflecting of the window sheet.

Again, a window is die cut in the card front using a stitched rectangular thinlet die and the window sheet is adhered behind this. Whisper White butterflies die cut with the Butterfly Beauty thinlet die were added to the card front.

This time, for the watercolour backgound, I used the following colours: Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo, and Bermuda Bay.

 

Strips of foam adhesive tape were attached to the edges of the frame as well as the card edges. Sprinkles embellishment (including some tiny butterflies due cut from the same butterfly collection)  were added to the center on the window sheet,  and the watercolour paper was adhered. Have you found the Gorgeous Grape tiny butterfly in the picture above?

To neaten up the inside, a piece of Whisper White card stock was adhered over the watercolour paper.

Supplied Used:

Inks:  Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay

Papers:  Whisper White, Watercolour, Gorgeous Watercolour paper

Accessories:  Window Sheet, Stitched Rectangular dies, Sprinkles embellishment, Butterfly Beauty thinlet dies, foam adhesive strips

Butterflies and more Butterflies

Butterflies have flown into my life!  And I love everyone of them!  The new Butterfly Beauty framelits in the Occasions catalogue and absolutely gorgeous and make such beautiful cards.  The UPS truck delivered them on Monday and I've been playing with then ever since.

The first card is a white on white card featuringf the larger of the butterfly beauty framelits on a watercolour background.

I used a Stitched Rectangle thinlet die to cut the center of a top fold Thick Whisper White card front, creating a frame.

Behind this frame I adhered a watercolour background, which was created by randomly sponging the following colours:  Melon Mambo, Gorgeous Grape, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green on watercolour paper.  Water was spritzed on it to allow the colours to blend, and once it was dry it was adhered it to the underside of the frame.

The Butterflies were die cut using Whisper White card stock and then adhered  to the front of the card.

I chose not to use a sentiment.

Saying Goodbye to Happy Celebration

What horrible "fowl" weather we are experiencing here in Southern Ontario.  It rained all day yesterday, and this morning the rain started to freeze.  Then it snowed, then rain that froze on top of the snow.  It is expected to be worse tomorrow, and forecasters predict we won't see the sun until Thursday April 19 (5 days from now).

So, I've been busy cleaning drawers, and making more cards.  I much prefer the latter, but sometimes organization takes precedence.

I've been using Water Color Wings stamp set a lot this week, and this card is no exception.

To say farewell to the Happy Celebration stamp set I used 3 retiring colours (Dapper Denim, Peek-a-boo Peach, and Emerald Envy) as well as the Butterfly thinlets to create a bright watercolor  background for this card.  The die cut thinlets give the illusion of the Eclipse effect.

I used the Stamparatus (and hinge stamping) to stamp the background.  After inking the stamp it was spritzed with water before stamping it onto watercolor paper.

Once I stamped all the colours, the paper was spritzed again and then dried  with my heating tool.

Once dry I die cut 3 butterflies and set them aside while I assembled the rest of the card.

The base card of Emerald Envy was matted with Basic Black Card stock, and the die cut watercolor paper was adhered to that.

The die cut butterflies were reinserted into the die cut openings using small dimensionals on the body only.

Some rhinestones and the card was done.  I deliberately omitted the sentiment.

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  Happy Celebration

Inks:  Dapper Denim, Peek-a-boo Peach, Emerald Envy

Papers:  Emerald Envy, Basic Black, Water color paper

Accessories:  Stamparatus, Water spritzer, Heat tool, Butterfly thinlets, small dimensionals, rhinestones.

Crafting Forever on a Watercolor Background

I used all the new "In-colors" to make the water color background wash for the paint brushes, scissors, etc.  I also used the "Gorgeous Grunge" splot stamp for the last time to create a bit of a mess on the background.

I cut the images out after coloring them and placed them as seen above.

The watercolor art piece is matted with Basic Black card stock, and then mounted onto the card front using dimensionals.

The base card is Berry Burst cardstock, layered with Whisper White stamped with the "Brushstrokes" back ground stamp.

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  Crafting Forever, Gorgeous Grunge (now retired), Brush strokes background

Inks:  Lucky Limeade, Berry Burst, Tranquil Tide, Powder Pink, Fresh Fig, Watercolor Pencils

Papers: Berry Burst, Whisper White, Basic Black, Watercolor paper

Accessories:  Aqua painter, blender pen, dimensionals 

Sweetbriar Rose on Watercolor Background - Sweet Sunday Sketch #272

The flowers are starting to bloom in my garden now, but the rain played havoc with my lilac tree.  I am really enjoying the various colours that are emerging.  I guess that's why I made such a colorful card for the with Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge.
I turned the sketch on its side so that my image would fit better.

 

• The basic cardstock is Bermuda Bay, layered with Whisper White cardstock, and a strip of Bermuda Bay/white DSP (retired).
• The background of the image panel was made by inking up a large stamping block with 3 colours of recently retired stamp pads:  Strawberry Slush, Crisp Cantalope and Coastal Cabana.  The inked block was spritzed with water and stamped onto a piece of watercolour paper.  While it was wet I added some coarse sea salt to the paper, and then let the paper dry.
• When the paper was dry, I rubbed off the salt.  The salt left almost starlike marks in the background.

• The image of the Sweetbriar Rose was stamped with Memento ink and coloured with the blendabilities that still worked.  Some Soft Sky blendabilites was painted around the perimeter of the image.
• Gold dazzling details was applied to the center of each flower, and a clear epoxy circle placed in the upper right corner.
• Instead of a banner, I elected to attach a doubled up piece of 1 1/2" white Jute ribbon near the top left of the image panel.

Supplies Used:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Center Panel Easel Card - Thinking of You

This is the second card I have made with the watercolour paper I colour washed with the acrylic blocks.  I wanted to make a card with a different fold, so I check through my Pinterest board on "Card Folds" and came across a video by Linda Bauwin  where she outlined how to make the center panel easel card.

 The fold itself is easy to make.

The stamped image of the Serene Silhouette stamp became the center panel of this easel card.

This image stamped on colour washed waterpaper,  was first was matted with Old Olive, then Marina Mist and finally with Whisper White cardstock before attaching it to the bottom half of the center panel.

A piece of Whisper White was adhered to the center and about 1 1/2" from the front a 1" piece of Old Olive piece of cardstock with a 3/4" piece of Marina Mist cardstock adhered to the top was adhered with dimensionals.  This holds the easel up.

On the side panels, Painted Petals  DSP. matted with Whisper White was adhered.

The sentiment is from "Gifts of Kindness"

Sidevide view of Center Panel Easel Card

Front View of card with Easel closed.

Supplies Used:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Thinking of You - Technostamper Monday Lunch time Challenge # 358

Yesterday I made numerous pieces of watercolour wash backgrounds using different colour combinations.  It was made by applying 3 colours of inks directly onto acrylic blocks, spritzing with water and applying it to watercolour paper.  Coarse sea salt was added, and removed when the paper was dry.
For the piece I used today, the colours I were:  Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Tangelo Twist.

 

Using Stazon ink, the image from Serene Silhouettes was stamped on the dried background.  The birds didn't come out as dark as I wanted them to, so using the Versa Mark pen, I applied versamark to the birds only, and applied clear embossing powder.

Using the Project Life corner rounder punch, the bottom corners were rounded, as were the bottom corners or the black cardstock matting. 

The basic card is 4 1/4 by 11 folded at 5 1/2".  It is matted with Whisper White cardstock and then Confetti Celebration DSP.

The image panel was adhered to the DSP with the edges abut the top edge of the DSP.  Before adhering it down all the way, the sentiment, stamped in Basic Black on Daffodil Delight cardstock, and punched with the 1 3/8" circle punch and matted with a Basic Black 1 3/4" circle punchee.

Over the top of the card is adhered a piece of Black Cardstock, the edge of which was die cut with the Finishing Touches Edgelit.  A piece of Calypso Coral ribbon I(SAB) is attached to it, as well as a ribbon.

For finishing touches, some In Color sequins were added to the background, and some pearls under the sentiment.

Supplies Used:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Secret Garden Happy Birthday - Unscripted Sketches 195

The temperatures were a bit milder today.  At least you could go outside without your skin tingling and your toes freezing!  I stayed inside though as I was feeling under the weather.
A friend stopped by to see me and we started talking about making backgrounds for cards, and that inspired me to make the background for the card challenge with Unscripted Sketches here
To make the card, I turned the sketch on its side.
Here is the card:

 

The background was made by applying watercolor wonder crayons onto watercolor paper.  The colors chosen were random as was the method of application.  When the paper was covered with color, it was spritzed with water and the colours allowed to run together.  Because I was impatient, I dried the paper with the embossing tool.  Then I selected a part of the paper that best blended with the colors of the flowers I had colored and embossed it with the honeycomb folder.

For some reason I didn't want to make circles for this sketch, so I chose to do flowers.

Flowers:  All the flowers were embossed with Early Espresso embossing powder onto Whisper White card stock.

Flower 1 (blue) : Two flowers were stamped with versa mark & embossed.  They were then colored with watercolor crayons and an aqua painter in 2 shades of blue. One of the flowers was die cut using the secret garden framelit. The middle of the second flower was cut out and attached to the die cut flower with dimensionals. It was attached to the background using tombo glue.

Flower 2 (yellow/orange) Three flowers were stamped with versa mark ink and embossed.  The outer layer was colored with Daffodil delight crayon and an aqua painter; the second painted Pumpkin pie; the inner layer Tangerine Tango. One flower was die cut using the framelit; the second and third layers were hand cut, each layer being attached to each other with dimensionals. It was attached above the blue flower with tombo glue.

Flower 3 (Rich Razzelberry/melon mambo) Only 1 flower was stamped, colored and die cut with the framelit. It was attached partially on top of the yellow/orange and blue flower and on top of the leaves.

The leaves were die cut using Old Olive card stock.  After die cutting the edges were sponged with Always Artichoke ink.

Stamps:  Secret Garden, Wacky Wishes

Inks: Versa Mark, Pacific Point, Watercolor crayons (Brights Collection) for the background and the flowers, Always Artichoke

Papers: Old Olive, Whisper White, Watercolor paper

Accessories: Secret Garden framelit, Aqua Painter, Decorative Label punch, Large rhinestones, Dazzling details, Honeycomb folder, Small rhinestones, dimensionals