FS508 - Joy

This week's Splitcoaststampers Featured Stamper is Jeanne (aka penny627). I chose this card from her gallery.



I focused on Jeanne's:
-one-word sentiment surrounded by snowflakes
-sponging technique

I changed:
-added more colours
-no embellishments

I used:
-Hero Arts Joy Burst stamp

Hello, Pin-Sights

A warm sunny card on a not-warm, not-sunny day. This is for the October Ellen Hutson Pin-Sights challenge where our inspiration is:

I focused on the centre image, with the flowers leaves and branches (and the white space!). I used a wet-on-wet watercolour technique by creating a wash of water across my panel before dropping some distress inks in yellows and oranges. I love how they blended! I dried that then stamped my flowers and leaves in archival grey ink. I then added some green to the leaves and yellow to the berries on the branches.

I used:
-Essentials by Ellen Bohemian Garden
-Essentials by Ellen Mondo Magnolia
-Distress Ink

MCV68 - Merry & Bright

Here's my card for this week's Muse: ChristmasVisions challenge where our guest, Jeanne J has given us this fun inspiration:

I focused on Jeanne's
-colours
-white script sentiment
-white snowflakes

I changed techniques - instead of inlaying, dies, I stamped and embossed and then blended various pink and red distress inks over my panel to create a similar ombre effect.

I used:
-MFT Hand-lettered Christmas
-MFT Winter Warmth

Muse 189 - Happy Birthday!

This is my card for this week's Muse challenge, where our Guest Muse, Lucille has given us this fun donut-themed card:

Now. I feel like I need to explain myself a bit. There really is a link between these two cards. I need to make a card for my niece, who (obviously) is turning 16. I wanted it to be cool and minimal, and yet still inspired by Lucille's card.

I focused on Lucille's:
-central pink circle
-repeated circles in a vertical orientation
-bright colours
-split sentiment

I used:
-Neat & Tangled Scandinavian Prints (see how the dots aren't quite perfectly round?)
-MFT Delicious Birthday (retired?)
-Memory Box Parker number dies

SPDMIX20 - Trick or Treat

Time for the next SugarPea Designs Mix it Up Challenge! Here's our challenge graphic - you can choose the sketch or the inspiration photo or both!

I chose the inspiration photo this week - I focused on the black, white and orange colours, the individual elements and the horizontal rows in the photo, but combined them to keep this nice and CAS. I used Sweet Treats Halloween,

CASology 221 - Cure

This week's CASology Cue Card is Cure

Funny story - Jen and I often have similar ideas for Cue Cards. Then it's a race to see who gets it posted to the DT blog first, and who has to go back to the drawing board! This week I lost - Jen got there first with her punny adorable card.

This card started out as a one-layer card. It's so easy to keep a one-layer card CAS. But just as I was taking the photo, I felt it needed something more. This white-on-white heart layer preserves white space and adds interest. But (probably more importantly), it adds a message of love to the more obvious message of hope.

I used:
-Concord & 9th Script Alpha
-Essentials by Ellen Folk Hearts
-ribbon by Deadbeat Designs

Now it's your turn! Before you go, make sure to check out the rest of the DT for more inspiration:

Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester
Hazel Hodgkins
Jacquie Southas
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Sherrie Mannion
Tracey McNeely

and this week's Guest Designer: Petra

IB29 - Thanks

Have you seen the beautiful inspiration for this week's Inspired by All the Little Things?

This photo is exactly what I'm walking through every day - it's my favourite time of year - crisp, cool and so beautiful!

I stamped my leaves using two different Hero Arts Ombre Inks - Green and Autumn. To warm up my white panel, I gave it a spritz of Distress Spray in Mustard Seed, spraying from the bottom to the top so that it seems to be concentrated near the bottom.

I used:
-Paper Smooches Leafy Greens
-Mama Elephant Script Thanks

FS507 - Happy Birthday

This week's Splitcoaststampers' Featured Stamper is Bev (gunneauxdesigns). Here's the card I chose as my inspiration:

I focused on Bev's
-colours
-floral theme
-slanted cut and sentiment
-use of stamping and die cuts

I changed
-fewer flowers
-white cardbase
-black sentiment
-one diagonal cut

I used:
-Reverse Confetti Blooms & Buds
-old wooden sentiment

MM218 - Merry!

Here's a very merry card for this week's Merry Monday challenge, to use plaid.

I pulled out a new stamp set and tried some repetition in festive colours. Added a strip of plaid paper a sparkly strip and some stars left over from yesterday's card.

I used:
-Birch Press Designs Brushed Christmas Greetings
-LawnFawn Perfectly Plaid Christmas

MCV67 - Merry Christmas

This week's Muse: ChristmasVisions inspiration comes from Cornelia:

Sometimes, a challenge becomes a real Challenge, doesn't it? This one did for me!

I love Cornelia's geometric, artistic style, but that dark green is really not a colour I love. I don't really do deer. So I was stumped. For a long time!

When this happens, I try to break down the card into its components - colours, shapes, feelings. I look at products I have that may help to create a similar feeling, even if everything is not exactly the same. I minimize or ignore the elements that are not my favourites (or I can't get to work!). Usually I can end up with something that feels like 'me' and I'm happy with it.

I decided to focus on Cornelia's
-triangles and geometry
-colours
-layout
-stars
-white space

I minimized the green and made the brown of the deer into my card base (no deer were harmed in the making of this card! lol!)

I used:
-Simon Says Stamp Lined Tree die
-Simon Says Stamp Merry Christmas die
-MFT stars die

I can't wait to see how you've all interpreted this one - I always am impressed by your creativity!

Muse 188 - peace

Here's my simple, one-layer card for this week's Muse challenge, where Jenni gave us a pretty, blue inspiration:

I focused on Jenni's
-colours
-layout
-bling-y flower centre
-black sentiment

I used:
-Neat & Tangled Falling Flakes
-Ditto (by Hampton Arts) Peace
-silver Stickles

SPDMIX19 - Friends

Welcome to our next SugarPea Designs Mix It Up Challenge! Here's the inspiration graphic:

I chose the photo this time, and I thought it would be fun to change the wreath of flowers to a wreath of friendly, woolly sheep! I used the Barn to be Wild set and coloured my flock with copics.

Be sure to check out the rest of the DT blogs for more inspiration:

Angela Rivera

Tracey McNeely

Kim Heggins

Kerin Sylvester

October Guest: Kathy Tanner

CASology 218 - Coffee

This week's CASology Cue Card is Coffee!

I decided to let my sentiment and colour choices speak for themselves, to make this simple, masculine thank you card. I tried to keep my proportions similar to a well-known take out coffee cup and added a coffee-themed sentiment from Essentials by Ellen.

Now it's your turn! We can't wait to see your coffee creations! Just remember to keep it CAS!

Be sure to check out the rest of the DT for more inspiration:

Deidre Payne
Hannelie Bester
Hazel Hodgkins
Jacquie Southas
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Sherrie Mannion
Tracey McNeely

and this week's Guest Designer: Asa

I'm also linking up to Addicted to CAS - they've got a coffee challenge too!

FS506 - Thank You

This week's Splitcoaststampers Featured Stamper is Dayanna Dong (aka Jaydee). I found this amazing project as my inspiration:

I focused on Dayanna's:
-monochrome colours
-strip near the bottom of her project
-floral theme

I changed:
-colour
-ombre colour rather than just one
-white strip instead of black

I used 3 shades of ink in the same colour family to create an ombre look for my background flowers.

I used:
-Altenew Bamboo Roses
-Altenew Rose Petal inks

MCV66 - Snowman

Here's my card for this week's Muse: ChristmasVisions challenge, where Chris gave us a one-layer, very CAS inspiration:

I basically changed the stamps, and left the sentiment off. I used my sponging to create a 'hill' and coloured the Recollections images with Copics. The snow man is coloured with Spectrum Noir in clear for some sparkle.

Time Out #68 - Thanks!

I'm so excited to tell you that I have been chosen as a Guest Designer at Time Out Challenges! The theme is CASE with your own twist.

To create this card, I started with a watercolour panel and stamped the sentiment, so that I could ensure good spacing and placement of my flowers. To ink my flowers, I used my MISTI and layered different distress inks. I made sure that the stamp was wet before inking it, to help the colours blend on the watercolour paper. I love how you can see the yellows and oranges peeking through the red!

ETA (this is the same method I used yesterday, in my Muse card, but the cards were actually made a few weeks a part. This one has less water added, so the process gave me more control)

I finished the card by adding a gold glitter border and some die-cut dots in matching glitter paper.

I hope you'll join us - I can't wait to see how you're inspired by my card!

I used:
-Concord & 9th Flourish
-Concord & 9th Give Thanks
-Distress Ink (Wild Honey, Carved Pumpkin, Candy Apple, Festive Berries, Crushed Olive, Painted Shutters, Pumice Stone)
-Penny Black Dots die

Muse 187 - Thank You

Here's my Muse card for this week! Tracey has given us a clean, fresh, happy inspiration:

I focused on Tracey's:
-floral theme
-rainbow of colours
-layout

Also, my Muse friend, Aileen, has started a new challenge The Flower Challenge. The current challenge is "Anything Goes" and I'm thrilled to link this up there.

You may have noticed that this is not my usual photo backdrop. I am currently in Minnesota with some stamping friends and did not bring my light box. The fireplace and sun off the lake made a lovely alternative!

I used my MISTI to stamp the flowers several times, starting with the lightest colour, then layering smaller areas with deeper colours. Once I finished all the stamping, I lightly misted the watercolour panel to get the ink to move just a little.

I used:
-Altenew Floral Shadows
-Altenew Bamboo Roses
-Distress Inks

CASology 219 - Spooky

This week's CASology Cue Card is Spooky!

This old A Muse Artstamps (now A Muse Studios) with the eyes is the spookiest stamp I have. I paired it up with another old stamp set (My Stamp Box Tall Solids Alpha) and a newer one from Clearly Besotted (Many Messages).

These images are all pretty solid and my colours are intense. To keep the card CAS, I kept it as a one-layer card, didn't add any embellishments and maximized my white space. Layering the smaller sentiment over the larger one allowed me to keep my focal area to about 1/3 of the card.

Now it's your turn! We can't wait for you to show us your spooky skills!

Be sure to check out the inspiration from the rest of the DT:

Deidre Payne
Hannelie Bester
Hazel Hodgkins
Jacquie Southas
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Sherrie Mannion
Tracey McNeely

and this week's Guest Designer: Isabelle

FS505 - Merci Beaucoup

This week's Splitcoaststampers Featured Stamper is Francie G. I chose this card as my inspiration:

I focused on Francie's:
-leaf theme
-general layout

I changed:
-white background
-no ribbon
-no die cut border

I used a loose watercolour style, colouring each leaf with two layers of distress ink to provide lots of variation in colour.

I used:
-Stampin' Up! Artfully Asian
-Impression Obsession Merci Beaucoup

MCV65 - The Greatest Gift

Here's my card for this week's Muse: ChristmasVisions Challenge where Kimberly gave us a whimsical, fun inspiration:

I changed the mood to something a little more serious (I am falling behind in my Church Christmas Card project!), and I focused on Kimberly's:
-big blue circle
-watercolouring
-black sentiment

I started with a piece of watercolour paper and layered 3 different distress inks (Wilted Violet, Peacock Feathers and Salty Ocean) before spritzing with shimmer spray. I used a Taylored Expressions Away in the Manger die and cut it once from white and once from the watercolour piece. I then inlaid the watercolour portions into the white, and finished with an old Hero Arts sentiment.

Muse 186 - Hello Friend

This is my card for this week's Muse Challenge, where Anita gave us this neutral but oh, so pretty inspiration:

I was also inspired by Keeway's tantalizing sneak peek of a new N&T die.

I focused on Anita's:
-general layout (although I moved the sentiment)
-autumn theme and colours
-use of positive and negative die cut
-shimmer

I watercoloured a panel with distress inks and spritzed with shimmer spray before die cutting my leaves. I added a bit of gold ep to the edges of the leaves and set them almost back into the negative space.

I used:
-Papertrey Leaf Silhouettes Dies
-Papertrey Wet Paint

SPDMIX18 - Thanks

Time for the next SugarPea Designs Mix It Up Challenge! Here's the challenge graphic:

This week, I used both the sketch and the inspiration photo. I started by smooshing some watercolor paper with different combinations of distress ink. Then I cut the leaves and pumpkins from Stitched Autumn Icons. I adhered them to my background panel and then cut out a framed focal panel. (Sending the background panel through the BigShot really helped to flatten the leaves!) I used the Thanks die in brown and finished by popping up a couple of pumpkins.

Be sure to check out the rest of the DT blogs for more inspiration:

Angela Rivera

Tracey McNeely

Kim Heggins

Kerin Sylvester

October Guest: Kathy Tanner

CASology 218 - Support

This week's CASology Cue Card is Support.

I wanted to make the most of the vertical positioning of this A Jillian Vance Design sentiment (it's actually from a Christmas set!), so I turned a little frame on its side. I used bold, vibrant colours - on the large expanse of white, they really pop and capture attention!

I used:
-A Jillian Vance Design Candles for Christmas
-A Jillian Vance Design Daisies
-Mama Elephant Polaroid Fun
-Uniko Flower Power 3

Now it's your turn - we all need a little support from time to time. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester
Hazel Hodgkins
Jacquie Southas
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Sherrie Mannion
Tracey McNeely

and this week's Guest Designer: Anna