Jen's PAO April Card Sketch Challenge

I love when an idea comes together quickly and actually stays pretty much how I thought it out.  But I will also admit I copied Jen's version in using washi tape stamps.  Again I am still using my homemade Distress Ink pad of 9 colors.  Boy that makes a card quickly.  Background swirl stamp is CTMH, washi tape stamps are from MFT, Hello stamp is TSOL.

New Home Card

Tomorrow night we are going to neighbors' down the street for a sort of farewell party for another neighbor.  She is moving to a smaller home in an adult community.  Hopefully she will still attend our book club meetings and other neighborhood activities.  So I needed a card to wish her well.  All the dies and stamps are from assorted Stephanie Barnard collections.  The paper is all Doodlebug.  I went right away to this particular paper because I liked the little house print.

The Flip-It die card just makes quick cards so easy and special looking.

Muliti-colored Ink Pad

A few weeks ago at a rubber stamp show I fell for a great technique that isn't a new one.  I tried this years ago and forgot all about it.  But at the Rubbernecker booth they were demonstrating several sets of floral themed stamps using homemade ink pads.

The process is very simple.  A 3 inch square of Ranger's Cut-n-Dry is sectioned into 9, 1 inch squares.  Using Distress Ink Reinkers, fill each square with a different color.  Now when you ink up a stamp you will have well blended, multiple colors.  Depending on the type of paper used will result in various looks.  But regardless of the paper, the outcome is quite striking.  I keep my ink pad on a plastic plate and store it in a ziplock baggie.  It will last a very long time this way.


Stamps in this example are from Rubbernecker.

Another card I made using this ink pad technique and then pulling more color into the flower by using an aqua brush.  Stamps from CTMH's Funky Blossoms.

Watercolor for Cards Warm-Up

Yes, another OCC to take: WATERCOLOR FOR CARDS.  I thought I would take a break from them, but I couldn't resist learning more about watercoloring.  Today our forum, supply lists and a pre-exercise opened up.  Our task until May 5th is to familiarize ourselves with whatever watercolor mediums we may have and try out some of our own cards for a warm up.

Here is mine.  I used "never-before-used" stamps from CTMH's Funky Blossoms, a homemade ink pad of 9 different Distress Inks and a watercolor brush.  I first stamped the flower with various colors in my ink pad, using a mask to layer the flower.  Then with the watercolor brush, pull the color from the edges to fill in the white spaces.

Thanks for looking!

Flower Pot Cards

It's nearly midnight and I must go to bed.  But tomorrow we are going to our friends' ranch to enjoy an egg hunt with a bunch of assorted grandchildren.  Our hostess is a sweetheart to invite us all to enjoy their property, horses and great company.  I recently latched onto Rubbernecker Stamps at a local stamp show last weekend.  I fell in love with their floral sets with pots, baskets and barrels.  So I made 3 cards and for our hostess as a thank you for our enjoyable time I know we will have.

Maybe I'll post more on how I made these another day.  But I really, really need to go to bed.  Good night:)

Dream Catcher

My good friend Jen is having a birthday very soon and we got together last weekend so I was also able to give her her birthday gifts and card.  Jen visited South Dakota last Fall and was so taken with the people, places and things that I felt this card was just the theme for her.  Of course my passion for feathers fit right in.

The dream catcher die is from Cherry Lynn Designs and the feathers are all Papertrey Ink.  A few MME's enamel dots for faux stones finished it off.  Card stock is from Glitz.