New England Stamper

Flourishes & Shimmerz

Flourishes is sponsoring the Shimmerz Design Team this week and I chose to play with this beautiful Waterlilies set, which was released in June.  

I guess you would call this a mixed media card because I used watercolor paint, ink, Copic markers and Shimmerz.  Here's how I did it:

I mixed blue watercolor paint and December Sky Blingz into a thin wash and applied it over a watercolor panel.  Once the panel was dry, I stamped and masked the waterlilies, then stamped the lily pads all with Memento ink.  The lilies and pads were colored with shades of pink and green Copic markers.  Here's a close up view:

I trimmed the panel down to measure 3" x 4" and mounted it onto a black panel with 1/8" mat.  I finished it off with a sentiment from the same set and some pink silk ribbon that Flourishes also carries. 

Head over the Shimmerz blog where you will find more Flourishes and Shimmerz inspiration!

French Poppy

Check out these gorgeous prints by Kim Poloson!  The Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday Challenge was to make a card inspired by one of Kim Poloson's pieces and I had a hard time picking just one.  This time I chose her Belgian Tulip II, but I'll definitely back there for more inspiration.

This is the 3" x 6" card I made using Poppy Patch and various patterned papers, found text and trim.

Here's a close up where you can see the slightly shimmering poppy center:

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Have a wonderful day!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Poppy Patch (Flourishes), French Script (SU retired)
• Paper: Pure Poppy & True Black c/stock (PTI), watercolor paper (Fabriano), Patterned paper by Crate Paper & October Afternoon, text from French novel
  
• Ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger), Tuxedo Black (Memento), Real Red, Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke & Old Olive inks (SU)
• Accessories: Fire Engine Red Shimmerz, vintage trim, pearls (Kaiser Scrapbook)
• Tools: Aquapainter, sponge

Friendship is Precious

Don't you just love that quote?  Timeless Quotes is one of my favorite sets by Flourishes. I  made it with a specific friend in mind who has spent quite a bit of time in the shade recently, but I think the sunshine is on its way.  I hope she likes it.

And the card fit nicely into Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge to use designer paper on a card this week.  Yeah!



One quick note about the Shimmerz Spritz.  I want to show you how the Baby's Breath Spritz spattered on my card stock.  I could have re-done the piece, but I actually quite like how it looks.  The reason it spattered is that I shook it up way too much and got air bubbles in it.  For more even coverage, tap the bottom of your bottle and swirl it around to mix it up rather than shaking it.  If, however, you do want a spattered look then give it a good old shake.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Timeless Quotes and I Love Roses (Flourishes)
• Paper: Vintage Cream (PTI), Baja Blue (SU) and Urban Prairie d/paper (Basic Grey)
• Ink: Baja Blue & Black Memento
• Accessories: Satin ribbon (May Arts), rhinestone brad (SU)
• Tools: Big Shot, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Mat Pack (SU)

10 Minute Flourish

Flourishes issued a challenge last week to create a 10 minute card - that's not easy for me.  Even when I do clean and simple cards, they rarely take 10 minutes.  I'm not letting on how long this took, but it did come together pretty quickly.  I combined the Flourishes challenge with Splitcoast's CAS challenge to use the colors coral and kraft plus one other.

The finished card measures 5" x 3.5" - I love this size!  The Bleeding Heart silhouette is from Flourishes Spring Ephemerals.  I colored directly onto the stamp with markers, spritzed with water and stamped onto watercolor paper.  The image looked a little flat, so I hightlighted with Spiced Cider Blingz.

The sentiment is from Stamp Camp - a new company to me.  I bought some of their stamps at the Rubber Stamp Convention at the weekend.  Sharon (my fellow Gingersnapper) and I had a blast.  And yes, I did quite a bit of shopping (big surprise).  Here's a peak at what I bought:

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Spring Ephemerals by Flourishes, sentiment by Stamp Camp
• Paper: Old olive, kraft & Fabriano watercolor paper
• Ink: Cameo Coral and Old Olive markers, Spiced Cider Blingz
• Accessories: Linen Tread (SU), Old Olive Brad (SU)
• Tools: Word window punch (SU)

Two Big Shot Cards

I had some fun news yesterday evening.  Dawn McVey put my card in her Raspberry Suite Color Challenge Spotlight.  Yeah!

Onto the cards....I have two today.  Firstly, a Flourishes card.  My Flourishes stamps have been neglected for a few weeks, so I was happy to dig them out to play the Timeless Tuesday challenge. 

The challenge was to use a frame in your project.  To make this frame, I ran a piece of watercolor paper through my Big Shot with the SU Top Note die, then cut a oval out of the center with the Coluzzle.

I gave the Sweet Peas a light wash of Pink Pirouette ink and shaded them with burgundy Shimmerz.  The organdy ribbon was dyed with Bed of Roses Shimmerz Spritz.  If you want to check out more about dying ribbon with Shimmerz Spritz, I wrote a post over at the blog yesterday.

The second card is for today's Ways to Use It challenge on Splitcoast.  The challenge was to create an image without stamping.  I got the idea for this dress card from Patty Bennett's blog.  You can see her samples here.  The Pink Pirouette/Bella Birds dress is cut from the Scallop Circle die available from Stampin' Up!

I hope you're having a wonderful day. Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies - Sweet Peas

• Stamps: Sweet Peas by Flourishes
• C/stock: Textured Bravo Burgundy (SU), watercolor paper
• Ink: Black Versafine, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive & Pink Pirouette classic inks (SU), burgundy Shimmerz, Bed of Roses Spritz
• Accessories: vintage buttons (PTI), organdy ribbon, flat pearls (Kaiser Scrapbook)
• Tools: Big Shot, Top Note die, aquapainter

Supplies - Bella Dress (all SU)

• Stamps: Boho Backgrounds
• C/stock: Pink Pirouette, Vellum c/stock, Bella Birds patterned paper, Whisper White
• Ink: Chocolate Chip
• Accessories: Flat pearls & silk flower from Pretties kit, choc chip taffeta ribbon
• Tools: Big Shot, Scallop Circle die, word window punch

Violets for Teacher

There's definitely been some creative block around here recently, but I guess that's just part of the process.  Here are some of the things that I normally do when I've lost my mojo:

• clean up my stamp room - check
• take a break - check
• do a challenge - check
• get outside - check
• go shopping - that' today!

I did make this card for my daughter's teacher for Teacher Appreciation Week.  It uses Sweet Violets and Vintage Wallpaper from Flourishes.  It accompanied a large pot of dark blue pansies - I hope she likes them - she is a really fabulous teacher.

And I managed to sneak in a challenge or two because this week's Timeless Tuesday challenge was to include beads on your project and yesterday's Way to Use It challenge on Splitcoast was kraft cardstock.  You can see in this photo I sprinkled a few SU microbeads on the leaves and petals to look like dew - I used 2-way glue to adhere the beads.

Thanks for stopping by and I'll let you know what I found on my shopping expedition!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Sweet Violets, Vintage Wallpaper & Thank You (Flourishes)
• C/stock: Kraft & watercolor paper
• Ink: Stazon, Antique Linen Distress Ink, Ballet Blue & SU reinkers
• Accessories: Dew Drops & SU Microbeads
• Tools: Aquapainter

Paper Piecing Challenge

Flourishes is offering us the chance to win all three of their new releases this month if you make a card using paper piecing.  Well, who doesn't love free rubber, so using Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch and Flourishes I Love Roses set I came up with this card. 

I stamped the rose once on the cream paper and four times onto a piece of pink patterned paper.  I cut one whole rose from the patterned paper and three smaller pieces, then layered them up with foam dimensionals.  The stems and leaves were colored with copic markers.  Here's a closer look:

Why not give the paper piecing challenge a try and you could win free stamps!

Supplies:

• Stamps: I Love Roses (Flourishes)
• Paper: chocolate chip c/stock and Fleuriste patterned paper by Cosmo Cricket
• Ink: Black Memento, copic markers
  
• Accessories: Brown brads (American Crafts), wide brown satin ribbon (Flourishes)

Celebrate in April

I promised myself at the beginning of the year that I would send out more of the cards I make.  What is the point in hoarding them?  I have been a lot better during the first three months of the year, but there is certainly room for improvement.  So, in case I (and you) run out of reasons to send a card in April, here are a couple of suggestions:

• April 1 - April Fools' Day
• April 12 - Easter
• April 20 - Patriots' Day (very important in New England)
• April 22 - Earth Day
• April 23 - St. George's Day (British Holiday)
• April 24 - Arbor Day

April is also

• National Poetry Month
• Autism Awareness Month
• National Humor Month
• National Garden Month
• National Frog Month

If you want to be really silly, you can celebrate Mule Day (4/3), Cuckoo Day (4/20) or National Pretzel Day (4/26).  My personal favorite is April 7 - No Housework Day!  There shall be strict observance of this holiday in my house.

April's flowers of the month are the Daisy and the Sweet Pea.  So, here's a card I made with Flourishes Sweet Pea to celebrate the arrival of April, which is incidentally my birthday month!

Happy April!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Sweet Pea (Flourishes), En Francais
  
• Paper: Perfect Plum & Pale Plum c/stock, water color paper, Urban Prairie (Basic Grey)
• Ink: Versamark, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum & Certainly Celery
• Accessories: 1" Ivory Satin Ribbon (May Arts), black embossing powder
  
• Tools: Coluzzle, Mat Pack, Aquapainter, heat gun

Springtime Daffodil

I have a sick child and sick dog at home this week, so I feel I have to super multi-task.  I made this card for three different challenges - the Mojo Monday Sketch challenge, Splitcoast color challenge and Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge.  The only challenge that came easily was the Flourishes challenge to use ribbon on your card - the other two were tricky.  The colors to use were Kraft, Summer Sun and Riding Hood Red and this was the sketch:

I admit that I tweaked the sketch a little bit, but here's my triple challenge card:

I used the Flourishes set Signs of Spring and I hope that it's not too obvious in the photo, but I elongated the stem of the daffodil because it looked awkward ending higher up on the card. 

The kraft c/stock behind the flower was embossed with the Cuttlebug folder Birds & Swirls using my Big Shot.  A really good resource for the embossing folders is All That Scraps - I get all of mine there and they have Shimmerz too!

Talking of Shimmerz, new colors are coming and a great new product.  Stay tuned.....

Enjoy your day!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Signs of Spring

• Paper: Kraft (SU), Dark Chocolate (PTI), watercolor paper and Bella Rose D/P (SU)

• Ink: Black Stazon, Chocolate Chip, SU reinkers: Summer Sun, So Saffron, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie & Old Olive

• Accessories: Brads (American Crafts), Ribbon (May Arts)

• Tools: Corner rounder punch, Big Shot, Birds & Swirls embossing folder, aquapainter

Easter Basket

We woke up to more snow this morning, so I'm feeling a little discouraged.  It seems Spring is not around the corner for us New Englanders.  So, I cheered myself up by making some Easter cards using the Flourishes set Signs of Spring.

I used my Nestabilities to cut out the watercolor paper and green mat.  The main image is water colored with markers and the texture you see along the edge of the basket is Shamrock Green Flower Soft - how much fun is this fluffy stuff?  It's just perfect for Spring cards!   Here's a closer look:

I also decorated the inside of the card because I couldn't resist these cute little chicks.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Signs of Spring (Flourishes)

• Paper: Fabriano watercolor paper, Urban Prairie patterned paper (Basic Grey)

• Ink: Timber brown Stazon, SU markers: chocolate chip, close to cocoa, tempting turquoise, certainly celery, old olive, summer sun, more mustard & orchid opulence

• Accessories: Sheer ribbon (Michaels), Twine (Martha Stewart)

• Tools: Nestabilities, Big Shot, Aquapainter

Now I'm heading outside to shovel snow!

Check back soon for some blog candy to celebrate my 200th blog post!

Have a wonderful day!