Flowers for a Colour Challenge

It's my second week of being a Guest Designer for the November SCS Color Challenges.  This week's colours are:

They are not colours I would normally put together so this was a real challenge for me!   The only thing I was comfortable using them with was a floral bouquet.  The dessert option (just for fun) is NBUS (Never Before Used Stamp) - I had a perfect never used flower stamp!

I used the closest colours in my Zig Clean Brush markers. I inked up each colour one at a time in the MISTI, spritzed very lightly with water, and stamped onto mixed media cs. 

When dry, I added a bit more definition with the Zigs and coloured pencils, sponged lightly around the edges in blue, added a white embossed sentiment on a banner of black cs, and popped it up on fun foam.

I'll be back next week with my third SCS Color Challenge DT card.

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black flowers, SU sentiment

Ink - ColorBox Frost White, Memento Sky Blue

Paper - white and black cs, mixed media cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Zig Clean Brush markers, coloured pencils, pearl embellishments, white embossing powder, fun foam

Squeaking In Under the Wire

I've been meaning to do two cards for Darnell's March Twofer Challenge, but somehow March flew by!  So I'm getting them done and linked up on the last day!

I recently bought a new Penny Black stamp full of different flowers that is perfect for the challenge.

The first one is a "best wishes" card that I will probably use as a birthday card and put the "happy birthday" sentiment inside, and the second is a "summer time" notecard.  I went with softer colours, the full image, and some tiny flower sequins for the first, and, for the second, brighter colours that make me think of the heat of summer, just part of the image, and a die cut frame.

Here's the first card.  I'm also entering it in the "Inspired by All the Little Things" challenge where the image is:

I watercoloured the image with my Gansai Tambi paints - I find they give me the flexibility to achieve a soft watercolour look.  I did a bit of grey around the bottom to ground the image and mounted it on a thin dark grey mat.  My plan had been to use 3 or 4 regular sequins on the open space but I couldn't decide on placement and they just didn't look good, so I scattered quite a few tiny flower sequins around and glued them down, and then wished I'd just let the image stand on its own.  Oh well - no way to peel them off without damaging the panel.

And the second card:

I coloured this with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers - I laid down the colours and blended them into each other without using any water so I got rich strong colours.  I trimmed it down and attached it to the card base.  I then created the top layer with the sentiment, an opening, and a cross-stitch frame around the opening.

Thanks, Darnell, for creating the Twofer challenge - it really stretches my skills to think of two different ways to use a stamp!

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black flowers, unknown Best Wishes, Rosie's Road Show Summer Time

Ink - Archival Jet Black

Paper - white and dark grey cs, watercolour paper

Size - 5.75" square, A2

Accessories - Gansai Tambi watercolours, Zig Clean Brush markers, tiny flower sequins, foam tape, Ali Express cross stitch dies

Pink Poinsettia

Over at the Jingle Belles Christmas card challenge, it's time for "Pink Christmas".

I'd like to encourage you to participate!  The first ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ theme of each October is devoted to making pink holiday cards as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and, for each card that gets linked up, Stephanie and Lauren (they run Jingle Belles) each donate two dollars to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Here's my card:

I stamped and heat embossed in platinum, then watercoloured the poinsettia with a couple of shades of pink Zig markers.  I wanted to match the platinum embossing powder for a splatter so mixed a bit of Brushed Pewter and Antique Linen Distress paints and splattered.  I inset the panel into a platinum silver frame and filled the centre of the poinsettia with silver gemstones.

Thanks for stopping by to look, and please think about joining in over at Jingle Belles for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black poinsettia, Rubber Soul sentiment

Ink - Versamark

Paper - white and platinum silver cs, mixed media

Size - 4.75" square

Accessories - platinum embossing powder, Zig markers, Brushed Pewter and Antique Linen Distress paints, silver gemstones

Pink Version

I loved the card (see this post) that I made for the opening of the CAS Watercolour challenge so much that I decided to do another version.  The original was in shades of blue (my favourite) but this one is in pink, orange, red, and violet - not my preferred colours so more of a challenge to use.

I used the same technique of painting the Zigs directly on the stamp and then spritzing with water..  I used my MISTI in order to be able to re-ink and re-stamp.  It's tricky to get just the right amount of water when spritzing so I recommend experimenting first!

I roughly masked the butterfly and stamped a text lightly behind it with Adirondack Lake Mist - a great colour for backgrounds (sadly discontinued).  I added strips of dark pink cs to the two edges and popped it up on a cream card base.

You have until July 24th to add a clean and simple watercolour butterfly card to CAS Watercolour!

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black butterfly, Stamp It Australia text stamp

Ink - Adirondack Lake Mist

Paper - watercolour paper, PTI Vintage Cream cs, scrap of dark pink cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Zig watercolour markers

Zigs and Spritzing

Oh my, I can't believe 2017 is now half over!  Time for the new CAS Watercolour challenge:

I decided to try inking up a stamp directly with Zigs and then spritzing with water - a technique I've used with Distress and Tombow markers, but never with my Zigs.  I was pleased with the results!

I used three shades of blue, a grey, a green, and a yellow Zigs directly on the stamp and then spritzed with water..  I used my MISTI in order to be able to re-ink and re-stamp.  It's tricky to get just the right amount of water when spritzing so I recommend experimenting first!  

I stamped the sentiment in grey and splattered lightly (while roughly masking the butterfly image).   I popped the panel up on fun foam and added a few sequins.

Come on over to CAS Watercolour and check out the cards by our fabulous Guest Designer, Eunji (of Stamper EunjoA) and the rest of the Design Team.  You have until July 24th to link up your card - please be sure it is Clean and Simple, uses some form of watercolour, and follows our theme of "Butterfly".

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black butterfly, unknown sentiment

Ink - Versafine Smokey Grey

Paper - watercolour paper, PTI Vintage Cream

Size - A2

Accessories - Zig Clean Color Real Brush Watercolour markers, spritzer bottle, fun foam, sequins

A Poinsettia and Sequins

Here's the new challenge over at the Christmas Card Throwdown:

I went with sequins.  Here's my card:

I stamped and heat embossed the poinsettia in white and watercoloured it with my Zigs, being a bit radical (for me) in my choice of colours - I'd usually use red and green, not pink and lime!

I stamped the sentiment in grey and heat embossed it, and then put a bit of the same grey ink on my craft sheet, watered it down, and did a light splatter on the background.

For the challenge, I embellished with sequins that matched the colours in the poinsettia.

Then bordered it with a pierced frame for a final touch.

I'm also taking it over to the Flower Challenge, where "anything goes" this month.

And the Merry Christmas Challenge is also "anything goes".

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black Sparkler, Make an Impression sentiment

Ink - ColorBox white, Versafine Smokey Grey

Paper - white and green cs, watercolour paper

Size - A2

Accessories - white and clear embossing powder, MFT pierced frame die, Zig markers, sequins

Flowers on Gold

The weeks fly by and it's already time to remind you that you have until May 24th to enter the CAS Watercolour challenge - the theme for May is "Flowers".

I thought I'd go with something more elegant than usual by using some gold.

I stamped and heat embossed in gold on white cs and then watercoloured the flowers with Zigs.  I die cut the panel with a stitched die, and also die cut the sentiment from a scrap of gold cs that matches the gold card base.

Don't forget to link up a card featuring flowers at CAS Watercolour - and check out the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team and our wonderful Guest Designer, Mac Mable of The Sweetest of Peas blog.

Supplies:

Stamps - Rubbernecker

Ink - ColorBox gold

Paper - watercolour paper, dark gold cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Zigs, Tattered Lace sentiment die, fun foam, gold embossing powder

People in the Snow

The SCS Christmas Card Challenge proposes an optional theme each month. I try to use it for at least a couple of my quota of 10 Christmas cards a month. I got a bit behind and never finished my February quota so just made two using the February theme of "people". So I have just done a couple for that (and to finish off my quota).

This first one makes me think of Vancouver's recent weather.  I was out for a walk with the dogs the other day in what can only be called a "slush blizzard" - it was sort of snowing but really it was slush falling out of the sky.  We came home totally soaked.  I really should have carried a huge umbrella like the children on this card:

Stamped, watercoloured with Zigs, added a bit of glitter, and popped the image up on fun foam.

While I had all those supplies out, I went on and used them with a different stamp, but also one with quite a vintage look:

Same basic technique as the first card - stamped, watercoloured with my Zigs, and finished off with a bit of glitter.

The sun has come out this morning and we're all hoping we've seen the last of the snow!

Supplies:

Stamps - Crafty Individuals image and Penny Black sentiment (card 1);
Inkadinkado (card 2)

Ink - Ranger Archival Jet Black

Paper - PTI cream cs, watercolour paper, black cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Zig watercolour markers, glitter, fun foam

Snowflake Wishes

The January CAS Watercolour challenge is "snowflake".

I recently discovered this never-before-used snowman stamp in my stash - don't know why I hadn't used him as I really like him!

I stamped him on a whiter-than-usual watercolour paper by Crafters Companion and used my Zig markers to watercolour his scarf and hatband, and shade round his body and the ground a bit.

I then took a tiny snowflake stamp, inked it up with the Zig marker, spritzed lightly, stamped off once, and stamped.  I repeated the process for each of the snowflakes.  I like the way the spritzing fades out part of each snowflake.

I have a new set of tiny Penny Black sentiments and in it, found the perfect sentiment for the challenge as it has the word "snowflake" in it.

Die cut with a stitched square and popped it up on fun foam.

The Snowflake challenge runs until January 24th.  Please remember that your entries must be clean and simple, and must include some kind of watercolouring.  There is lots of inspiration over at CAS Watercolour, including a beautiful card by Guest Designer, Hannelie.

Supplies:

Stamps - Inkadinkado snowman, Penny Black sentiment, unknown snowflake

Ink - Ranger Archival Jet Black

Paper - white cs, Crafters Companion watercolour paper

Size - 4.75" square

Accessories - Zig watercolour markers, Lil Inker stitched square die, fun foam

An Attempt at Shabby Chic

I wanted to do a card for the SCS Ways to Use It "Shabby Chic" challenge as it seemed a good opportunity to use up some "shabby" dp I have.  I've never been too clear on the differences between vintage and shabby chic so I hope I've done something more or less the right style!

I stamped a peony and stem, watercoloured it (with Zig brush markers in colours that matched the flowers in the dp), fussy cut it, and popped it up on foam tape. I added lace (not sure if that is shabby chic or vintage?) and a tag with a sentiment.

So what do you think?  Is it shabby and chic enough?

I can't resist putting in a couple more puppy photos.  I love the first one (and put in the second in case you were wondering where the other three puppies were).

 

They are all gaining weight (not surprising as they nurse / sleep / nurse / sleep all day long) and turning into lovely plump little things.  They wriggle around on their bellies, and won't be able to see or hear for another week or so.

Thanks for indulging me!

Stamps: Tim Holtz peony, unknown sentiment

Paper: PTI Vintage Cream cs, Paper Studio dp, watercolour paper

Paper Size: A2

Ink: Archival Jet Black

Accessories: Zig brush markers, lace, blue twine, tag punch, foam tape

Poinsettia for Happy Little Stampers

Hello All,

The October challenge on Happy Little Stampers is "Poinsettias".  I used my new Zig markers and a new (to me) Penny Black stamp for this card.

 

I stamped and heat embossed in white the poinsettia and one of the stamps from Gorgeous Grunge on watercolour paper, and used the wet on wet watercolour technique - I wet each petal before dropping in colour.  I used three different colours on the petals. 

I did the background by painting with Distress stains.  In real life the background looks softer than it does in the photo.  I darkened up the edges by sponging a bit of Distress ink.

I added one of the HLS Christmas sentiments over top, using Staz On green to make sure it didn't rub off where it touched some of the white heat embossing.  And used a Pearl Pen for the centre of the poinsettia.

The image seemed a bit too big for a regular A2 card.  When I was in England last year, I bought some English envelopes to go with some specialty cardstock I bought there.  So I cut my white cs to fit that envelope and the proportions of the image panel seemed to work better - the English envelope works for a card that is a little taller than A2.

You have the month of October to make a card for the poinsettia challenge so please join us.

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black Sparkler poinsettia, HLS sentiment, SU Gorgeous Grunge

Ink - ColorBox white, Distress Antique Linen, Staz-on Forest Green

Paper - watercolour paper, white cs

Size - 6"x4.25"

Accessories - Zig brush markers, white pearl pen, white embossing powder, Antique Linen and Bundled Sage Distress stains

Much Happier with this Version!

Here's my card for today:

I am so much happier with today's size / shape, layout, choice of sentiment, and placement of sentiment, than I was with this version I made two days ago:

 

On my blog post with this first version, I was super-critical of it as I just wasn't happy with the layout, proportions, placement of sentiment, etc.  So I had to make another one and figure out what worked better for this stamp.  I'm really happy with today's version.

I used a different sentiment stamp as it fit better than the one that came with the bird stamp.  Also the image worked really well for a square card.  And I like the wider border between the black and the outer edges of the card.

Thanks for looking at something so similar to two days ago!

Supplies:

Stamps: Penny Black holly / bird, Great Impressions sentiment

Paper: cream and black cs, watercolour paper

Paper Size: 4.75" square

Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black

Accessories: Zig brush markers, Lil Inkers stitched square die, glossy accents

My Zigs have arrived!

I am so happy to have my lovely set of Zig watercolour brush markers!  They are so different to regular markers with their fine real brush tip - they'll take a bit of getting used to.  But I quickly did a very simple card with them just in time to enter it in the Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge "watercolouring".  It's also for the "colouring" challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

I also used a new Penny Black stamp I just bought.  Simple stamping with black archival ink, watercolouring it with the Zigs and a water brush, bordering with black, popping up on foam tape, and it was done in time to photograph and get into the Merry Monday challenge with minutes to spare.

Now I'm going to be super critical of myself - which is what happens when I do a card in such a rush.  First of all the image and sentiment are not laid out the way I'd like it so the card looks unbalanced to me - maybe the sentiment in the top right corner would have been better, or moved over further to the right at the bottom, or I could have turned it into a square card.  Maybe some flicking of black ink would have added more interest.  It just looks unfinished to me!  If anyone wants to comment on how they'd improve it, please do!

I might come back with some variations using this stamp and see if I can get something I'm happier with.

Supplies:

Stamps: Penny Black Holly Tweet

Paper: black and cream cs, mixed media cs

Paper Size: A2

Ink: Ranger Archival Black

Accessories: Zig brush markers, foam tape

Zig vs Distress Markers

Zig Version:

My friend Christine (known as calex on SCS) and I spent yesterday at Loll Thompson's (Stamping with Loll) house having a great time crafting with her.  One of the things I wanted to do was try Loll's Zig markers as I've heard so much about them.

I stamped this image by Penny Black on mixed media cs and coloured it using yellow, orange, and green Zigs, laying down a little bit of colour and pulling it out with a water brush.

The Zigs were very smooth and easy to use, and have a great brush tip and wonderful vibrant colours.  Christine did a comparison with SU markers and concluded that the Zigs pulled the colour out much more easily and gave a smoother blended result.

When I got home, I cut a rough mask to lay over the poppies and added some pale green stencilling (using a leaf stencil made for me by Loll) around them.  I felt a need to balance the yellow of the poppy on the left so added a thin strip of yellow cs along the right edge. And popped the panel up on a white cardbase.

I'm entering it in Loll's Happy Little Stampers "Masking" challenge and one of the SCS Dare to Get Dirty challenges.

Distress Marker Version:

Before I spend the money on the Zigs, I want to know how they compare to the Distress markers as I have the full set of them.  So before I left Loll's, I stamped the same image on the same cs and brought it home to colour in.  Here's the result:

The Distress markers took more water and more effort to pull the colour out but gave a pretty good result, though of course the Distress colours are more muted.  So do I need the Zig markers?  I'm not sure - though I definitely want them!

In keeping with the use of the Distress markers, I finished this card in a more distressed style.  I spritzed the Peeled Paint marker in random spots, and then, using Peeled Paint ink, I added a partially inked text stamp and sponged the edges.  A simple green cs border seemed to be all it needed.  I used an ivory cardbase for this one.  I'll add the sentiment to the inside.

Supplies for the first card:

Stamps: Penny Black poppies, Impression Obsession sentiment

Paper: mixed media cs, white and yellow cs

Paper Size: A2

Ink: Archival Jet Black, Distress Bundled Sage

Accessories: leaf pattern stencil, Zig markers, SU label punch, dimensionals

Supplies for the second card:

Stamps: Penny Black poppies, Inkadinkado text

Paper: mixed media cs, ivory and green cs

Paper Size: A2

Ink: Archival Jet Black, Distress Peeled Paint

Accessories: Distress markers, marker spritzer tool, dimensionals