Make it Monday:Spot Color Word Die Cuts

This week, Betsy Veldman had the coolest technique for Make it Monday that I had to try out! It's called Spot Color Word Die Cuts seen HERE. You stamp an image in black, die cut the word out of the center and color only the word, then place it back in the image that's left uncolored (and don't forget to keep the little die cut leftovers and put them back uncolored, too!)

I used the Friends 'til the End stamp set and Wonderful Words: Hello for my die.

I colored the "hello" die cut word with pink, yellow, and aqua Copics, then added the Friend" sentiment heat-embossed in black.

Added some translucent and jewel Nuvo Drops in a rainbow of colors! An eye-catching technique that can be done relatively quickly, SO fun!

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Let's Doodle

This week at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog, the challenge is Let's Doodle. We were to doodle, as little or as much as you liked! I'm not a very good artist, so I chose WPlus 9 Studio's "Doodle Buds" set to help myself out!

First, I stamped the flowers on watercolor paper, then colored them with watercolor pencils. I die cut the Brushed Rectangles die from Papertrey Ink, and used the negative as a stencil to trace an outline frame with a fine black Sharpie. Then, I stamped the doodle zigzags all along the edges to make the frame look more professionally doodled :)!

Before adhering the flowers, I added a background color wash inside the doodled frame.

I just ordered my first set of Nuvo Drops and they are so much fun! Went a little too crazy trying them out, I think. These are the Translucent Jewel Drops in Orange Marmalade, Limoncello, and Key Lime. What a fun challenge!

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Make it Monday: Graffiti Word Art

Playing along with Lexi Daly's fun Graffiti Word Art Challenge for Make it Monday at Papertrey Ink. She challenged us to ink up and stamp our die cuts to make our designs.

Here is my card featuring the Headline Alphabet dies and part of a sentiment from Think Big Favorites #1.

I used Watercolor Wonder and the confetti image from Birthday Style to create my background. I cut the letters from black and white cardstock to give them a shadow effect.

Then I added splatters of watered down acrylic paint in pink, black, and white all over, and even smeared it here and there with a paper towel when it went on too thick.

What a fun way to get inky on a Saturday! Thanks for the inspiring technique, Lexi!

Make it Monday: Stitched Stems

Playing along with Michelle Leone's  Make it Monday at Papertrey Ink! She had the sweetest technique called "Stitched Stems" in which you use a paper piercer and thread to stitch stems to combine with stamped flower images, sooo cute!

I used "Butterfly Blooms" with flowers and a sentiment from "Bloom and Grow," and the
"flight dots" from "Baby Button Bits." There is more to this story...I made the butterfly at Michelle Leone's house!!!  She lives about 10 minutes from me, and she hosted a little get together for Karen Walker and me! We had the best time chatting (and snacking, and tea-ing), and managed a bit of stamping.

Michelle shared some of the embossing thread she used in her video, and it got me thinking that I wanted to see the butterfly from last month's new set "Butterfly Blooms." She showed Karen and I her gorgeous sample card from the release last month, and then we got talking about Nuvo Drops (we were easily distracted)! Michelle die cut us some butterflies, and I twisted Karen's arm to play along with the Nuvo Drops to color the dots.

When I got home, my plan was to use a Sakura Clear Glaze pen on the black butterfly outline (Michelle had heat embossed hers with black powder and it was amazing!), but alas, I had thrown it away because it dried up!  So I used a Sakura Stardust Glitter pen instead :). I wanted black and white paper and this newsprint paper's headlines summed up our afternoon perfectly :).

This get together was so much fun, but may turn costly! I left with a shopping list on a post-it...Butterfly Blooms, a Bit More Butterfly Blooms, more Corner Adorner stamps and Shape Shifter dies, Nuvo Drops in lots of colors, a stamp shammy for cleaning, new watercolors by Gansai, and an Instant Pot for cooking!

Thanks so much to Michelle and Karen for making my dreary Rochester, New York, Saturday afternoon (while we awaited an ice storm in April!)...bloom!

Make it Monday: Outline Images

Playing along with Stephanie Gold's Make it Monday at Papertrey Ink. This week, she challenged us to make a card using outline and shadow images, but in a different way to make an abstract pattern. I used the "Color Pop Floral" Make It Market mini kit for my background.

I  stamped and used the stencils in the kit for my background flowers and leaves. Then I die cut a circle, added some vellum on the back, and heat embossed a sentiment from "Sentiment Staples: Birthday."

Stenciled and die cut some more flowers to match, then a few little Glossy Accent details to finish my card. It's kind of retro springy, and I think I like it!

Transformation Tuesday

Playing along again with Transformation Tuesday at Papertrey Ink.  This week, Melissa Phillips changed the "go-to"/lighter colors on her card to darker colors.  That was what I had in mind with my Transformation Tuesday, but I ended up changing quite a bit on it :).

I've had this pastel card for quite awhile because I haven't sent it to anyone, even though I do like it.  Love the pink glittered butterfly and sentiment from "Love Lives Here."  The text with the pink flowers from "Lacy Bouquet" over the top gives it a soft botanical look.  But, I haven't been inking my card edges lately, and I tend to reach for other cards to give.

I decided to keep the pastel background and the big bold flowers, but used the new "Stitching Garden" set, because I couldn't wait to try it out!  Then, I tried pairing it with bold jewel tones that tend not to be my "go-to" colors.

So fun!  Of course I had to keep a bit of the "old me" with my "Chicken Scratch" gingham paper. The sentiment from "Quilter's Sampler" works great with these stitched blooms.  Even though it's supposed to be stitched, I added a few Glossy Accents to highlight the colors.

I love Transformation Tuesday!  It really makes me think about how to change up my ole' card-making routines!

Rainbow Trio

Since I had my rainbow palette of watercolors out, I decided to keep going and participate in Simon Says Stamps' Monday Challenge!  

This week, we were to make a "trio"of something." I took out Simon Says Stamps' sweet  "Artsy Flower Parts" and PTI's "Take Three" die to make a trio of flower boxes.

I heat embossed the flowers with white powder on watercolor paper, then die cut them when finished.  I am finding I am much more successful with watercoloring when I have the raised embossing to keep me in the lines!

The sentiment is from Reverse Confetti's "Tall Blooms" set. I like how it is a trio of words :).  Let's see if my watercoloring kick continues!

Rainbow Butterfly

A sweet, simple sketch from Jen Brum this week at Freshly Made Sketches, and it's just full of possibilities!

I just love it, here it is...

I chose a favorite stamp to use with this fun sketch, the butterfly from Waltzingmouse Stamps "Nordic Spring" by Claire Brennan.

I stamped the butterfly in Versamark on watercolor paper, then heat embossed it with white powder.  Added some rainbow colors with some watercolors, and a bit of Wink of Stella glitter over the top.

The plaid stripe and stitched image are also from some WMS sets.  I stamped the big plaid stripe with my Misti so I could stamp it multiple times with different shades of aqua ink. The sentiment is from WMS "Fine Feathers" set, also designed by Claire Brennan, which is now available at Gina K Designs.

The background is a stamp classic, Stampin Up's "Linen" wood mounted stamp!  Another of my favorites of all time!  The Nordic butterfly was stamped underneath in white ink, and heat embossed again.  I wanted my cut out butterfly to look like it was taking flight in all of its colorful glory!

Tulips & Birds

A beautiful spring color combination by Lisa at the Color Throwdown Challenge Blog!

Blush, pink, and peach!

I chose to make a fun spring "scene" with Papertrey Ink's "Tulip Time" and "Brushed Birds" sets!

I used so many different shades of pink and peach/orange on this card, I probably could never replicate it! With the MISTI, you can repeatedly stamp an image, so I just blended Fresh Inks from Impress, A Muse Studio inks, and Distress Inks in Dried Marigold and Tattered Rose until I got the shades of blush, pink, and peach that I wanted.

Added some Glossy Accents, then stamped the leaves in neutral Latte and Chocolate brown colors.  Love these sets together.

Happy Easter to you all!