Beach Dog

A lot of my paper crafting focuses on holidays and events, such as Halloween and Christmas or birthdays and weddings (as I’m sure yours does as well). You know the adage “write what you know”?  Between holidays and events, I like to create cards in the season I’m experiencing that relate to my world.

This card, created with a variety of die cuts, is inspired by our Golden Retriever Ginger’s love of the beach. Ginger died two years ago (and we still miss her every day!).

Jean Manis Beach Dog

During the last year of her life (in which she battled cancer) we took her to the beach as much as possible, as it was truly one of her favorite places to be.

Ginger at the Beach

Enjoy your day!

Supplies:

Papertrey Ink Flipping Out stamp set; Poppystamps Puffy Cloud Border; Poppystamps Labrador; Impression Obsession Small Grass Die Set

ColourQ #351

CQC_351

I’m playing along with ColourQ #351 with a CAS card:

ColourQ #351

The challenge colors initially had me stumped, but the inspiration photo brought to mind the Reverse Confetti “Peacock Pretties” stamp set. I decided on equal ratios of the purple, aqua and navy with the gold as the accent.

I stamped and heat-embossed the feather image from “Peacock Pretties” on cardstock, which I then cut with a banner die so that they would be the same size. The sentiment stamped in black is from the same set.

Ahoy! – Share Joy Challenge #45

I’m playing along with Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #45.

TE Share Joy Challenge #45

I flipped the sketch horizontally to make a CAS nautical-themed card.

TE Share Joy Challenge #45

I pulled out my stash of patterned papers (I have several nautical-themed collections, mostly Carta Bella and Echo Park) from which I cut the Little Bits – Fishing Boat and the Build a Scene – Rolling Waves. I purposely cut the wave in the larger circle and the smaller one so that they would like up. I finished off the scene with a sentiment from Ships Ahoy stamp & die combo stamped in a cloud.

TE Share Joy Challenge #45

Be sure to head over to the Share Joy Challenge Blog to see more inspiration and to link up your entry!

Supplies:

Penny Black Bejeweled – 3 Ways

I recently took a few days to play with the Penny Black #40-452 Bejeweled cling stamp. I placed it on my MISTI and stamped with different mediums on several different surfaces. I don’t often have a couple of days just to play and explore, and it’s not easy for me to do so when I’m not sure what I’ll end up with!

I’m sharing several of the cards I created with the stamp. I have another half dozen stamped images on my worktable. At the end of the post, I’ve listed three links with inspiration and tips for stamping “brushstroke” stamps.

First up, I inked the Bejeweled stamp with Distress Ink pads and Distress Markers and stamped onto 110# Neenah cardstock.

Penny Black Bejeweled

The bloom was colored with Abandoned Coral, and the leaves/stems with Crushed Olive and Peeled Paint. I didn’t mist the image at all, but I did color the stems selectively with the darker ink (Peeled Paint Distress Marker) for some variation. I finished the card panel by flicking Tumbled Glass ink and then Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine Spray. After stamping the #30-344 Sunny Wishes sentiment, I cut a narrow strip of woodgrain cardstock and adhered to the left-hand side.

Next up, I colored the flowers with Salty Ocean and Chipped Sapphire inks, the leaves/stems with Crushed Olive and Mowed Lawn, misted and stamped onto Master’s Touch watercolor paper. While the inks were still wet, I brushed the ink to fill out the image.

Penny Black Bejeweled

Once dry, I added splatters and stamped a sentiment from #30-345 Soar.

Finally, I inked the stamp with Distress Paints in Seedless Preserves and Chipped Sapphire (blooms) and Peeled Paint (leaves/stems) and stamped onto Strathmore watercolor paper.

Penny Black Bejeweled

After I stamped, I sponged Antique Linen and Brushed Corduroy on the panel, I stamped randomly with  #40-442 Butterfly Charmer (you can see a hint in the upper left corner), added drops of the Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine Spray and put a little Picket Fence Distress Paint on the right corner. The Strathmore paper can take the applications of lots of product!

I heat-embossed a sentiment from #30-346 Perfect Pairing onto a panel, cut the floral image with a square die cut and added it to the card. This isn’t a “simple” card by any means, but I still consider the card design to be CAS.

For more inspiration for stamping with this stamp (and similar brushstroke stamps) from Penny Black:

A Trio with Therese – Therese used the Bejeweled stamp with a variety of sentiments.

Jill Foster’s Inchie Arts and Distress Paints – Jill’s cards were the inspiration for my third card with the Distress Paint.

The Adventure Begins! – Share Joy Challenge #44

I’m playing along with Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #44.

SJC44

I used the sketch (flipped horizontally) to create a CAS celebration card for a boy featuring the Sky High – Rocket set. This card came together quickly.

TE Share Joy Challenge #44

I heat-embossed a sentiment from Sky High Sentiments on a diagonal strip and adhered it to a panel that was dry-embossed with the Lots of Stars embossing folder. I added the assembled the Sky High – Rocket with foam.

TE Share Joy Challenge #44

Be sure to head over to the Share Joy Challenge Blog to see more inspiration and to link up your entry!

Supplies: