Today's sketch over at The Paper Players is one that I always enjoy, which is what prompted me to join in on the fun!  As I was posting my card I noticed the sketch has a framed panel around the card front that I didn't remember seeing originally.  That's the beauty of card challenges, it is up to ones own style and interpretation.

Here's the sketch:

And here's my card:

I love black and white with any third color combination as they always looks great together!  However, the card design actually began with the daisy (Stampendous) as the focal point over the 2x5-1/2 inch black and white panel (Honey Bee The Bees Knees 6x6 pad).  The flower was stamped (Versafine Onyx Black) on watercolor paper (Canson) using a stamping platform (The Misti).  I freehand cut the stem and leaves from watercolor paper.  The fun began when I water colored all the pieces!  The painted and dry flower was then diecut.  Once the flower was mounted with foam mounting tape (Scotch 3M), I doodled the stem and leaves (No. 5 Micron Pen).  The sentiment (my stash) was stamped (Versafine Onyx Black) and diecut (ticket stubs Stampendous) with an additional larger diecut in black cardstock (FSJ) to ground the sentiment.  I am "so happy" with this sweet little card!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

A subtitle to this card could be "The Making of a Two Hour CAS Card!"

​Ever struggle with designing a card that is not quite coming together but parts of it are worth sticking with it?  Well, that is today's card for me!  After several design attempts, I finally landed it.  How did I know?  My subconscious just said "there it is" and I knew my struggle was over. 

​Mind you, I wasn't tortured by this card at all but rather challenged by it because I knew I could achieve a look that pleased me if I kept at it.  Thankfully, not every card presents similar challenges, but by sticking with it and not having anything else in particular to do today, I was okay figuring it out.

There are a couple of nifty design elements to this card.  The scored horizontal lines and the dimensional diecut rose.  The next photo shows the cool layering of the rose.  I simply diecut about 6 additional roses on white cardstock and glued them all together.  The rose and sentiment are from Stampendous (discontinued).  Rose is water colored and embellished with glitter.  Sentiment is Gold Embossed (Stampendous).

My interpretation of the theme was to try a new idea that was swirling around in my head that involved stamping and masking while creating a forest scene in the background.

To begin, I stamped the critters onto the card front and covered them with a mask cut from Eclipse masking paper.  BTW, fussy cutting the mask was a challenge!!!  Next, I hand cut a hill out of Eclipse paper and laid it over the masked critters.  I inked the Tim Holtz grouping of trees with Distress inks, spritzed with water and stamped.  The hill mask was removed and additional trees were added in front of the hill using one small tree and repeating the Distress inking, spritzing and stamping steps.  Trees were added on the right and on the left of the critters.  A wash of cerulean blue watercolor was painted for the sky.

The critters were water colored using a wet on dry technique.  Once the critters were painted, the snowy shadows were painted.  After stamping the sentiment, falling snow was created using a favorite product from Stampendous called Chunky White Deep Impression Embossing Enamel.  It was sprinkled on and heated from underneath.  The chunks melt and voila, snow!
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Here's a close up of the melted snow effects.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Furry Friends - Stampenous (CRP270) (Discontinued, but I found on Amazon), Tree Line - Tim Holtz Collection - Stampers Anonymous, For Everything Sentiment - Catherine Pooler Designs
Paper:  Strathmore 5x7 Watercolor Cards & Envelopes
Inks:  Ranger Distress Cubes:   Bundled Sage, Evergreen Bough, Forest Moss, Tsukineko Versafine Onx Black
Accessories:  Eclipse Masking Paper (Judikins), Daniel Smith Watercolor Extra Fine Dot Watercolor Chart, Stampendous Deep Impression Chunky White Embossing Enamel


Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

LYN

This is my FIRST post to Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge Blog!  I was drawn in by the daisies and colors of yellows, white and greens. 

​Here's my inspired design:

My card features a favorite stamp set from Stampendous (Cling Daisy Mix).  I actually stamped each flower onto colored cardstock, other than the white flower.  I added color with color pencils and blended with Gamsol and blending stumps.  Love the look of penciled watercolor!  Even the leaves were colored with green pencil and blended with Gamsol.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Cling Dasy Mix (Stampendous), Sentiment (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Papers:  Fun Stampers Journey, Darice Cards & Envelopes
Accessories:  Journey Rectangles (FSJ), Versafine Onyx Black, Archival Olive, Faber Castel Color Pencils, Gamsol and Blending Stumps.
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Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

LYN

​I'm in a total mixed media card making phase this week that I've explained in greater detail in the E-News #217 of February 11, 2018.  This 'phase' falls nicely in the What's Next? category!  It all started when I linked a couple of articles in the E-News.  My light bulb moment flashed at the idea of turning journal pages into a card (which wasn't the point of the video link).  Wait until you see what got me all excited!  Secondly, turning background scraps into simple shapes is what this post is all about and there's a link to the post in tomorrow's E-News as well.  I was more than pleasantly surprised by how much fun I'm having!

​​To begin, go into your stash and find a bunch of background papers that you've already created.  Don't be too concerned about what you're looking for at this point.  For this demo, I've chosen from this pile of scraps to work with:

​​Decide what card panel to use.  Think about piecing different scraps together if you don't have a large enough section.  Since I already made a blue mixed media card (also in E-News #217) I chose this piece for my card panel:
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​The stamped images are now finished and the focal sentiment added.  Here you can really pick out each stamped layer.  All that's left are the triangle trees!

If you watch Martice Smith's video, she cuts her shapes first and then adds stamping.  I added stamping first over scrap sections of papers and then cut out my shapes as I felt that was easier than stamping onto little paper pieces.  She added a lot more doodling but her backgrounds were white whereas mine aren't and I didn't need to add much other than outline the trees and heart in pen.

Finally, the little punched heart and splatters of acrylic paint are added to complete the card!

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Stampendous, Amuse Studio, Catherine Pooler Designs, Dina Wakely
Ink:  Catherine Pooler Designs, Tsukineko
Papers:  Hammermill Color Copy, Digital




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Hope you enjoyed today's mixed media card.  I can't wait to see how you are inspired to dig into your stash and play!

xoxo

LYN 

This week's Card Concept challenge is based on the above photo.  I loved the distress of the chair the most.  I also love where an inspiration photo takes me to the finished card design!

​I found a scrap piece of background paper leftover from my Stampendous/Dreamweaver design team days and decided that could work for a worn out looking background.  Embossing folder (Cuttlebug).  Diecut leaves and sentiment (Fun Stampers Journey).  ​Flowers and lace (my stash).  Burgundy paper and pearls (A Muse).

Love these challenges!!!!

xoxo
​
LYN

 My card was created with a Stampendous/Dreamweaver stencil #DWLL3037 and I'm over the moon happy with the result!  I was inspired by Jill Foster's Penny Black card that I absolutely fell in love with.  I would call this a wet-on-wet watercolor technique.

I used Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock and traced the butterfly in the upper right corner with a pencil.  I wet the wings with clean water and then picked up blue paint from my Koi Water Color Field Box Set and painted in the wings.  I ended up closing the bridges of the stencil with color.  As the first layer dried, I added a second darker blue layer.  The body and antennae were painted with black watercolor and if color bled, it didn't matter.

At this point, it was time to add the loose outline and drippage!  I started with the tan color but then decided I wanted to pull the blues down.  I painted darker blue along the wing's edge and then added more water to the brush to fluidly and loosely pull down the color.  I added the tan color next and again, painted darker near the wings and used water to pull it down down nice and loose.

An A Muse Studio Happy Thoughts sentiment set was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black as well as A Muse sequins and twinkles were added for interest.

You really have to play with this technique and stick with it until it's done!  There is no way to pre-judge this process and you just have to let loose yourself!  I had a few moments of doubt myself.  Now that I've painted one card, I can't wait to keep going with this technique!  Maybe I'll even try a larger piece to frame!

Thanks for stopping by!

LYN

Today was gray, dull, dark, rainy and depressing here in Upstate New York!  When I saw this Penny Black snowman card made by Birgit Egbloom awhile ago, I absolutely fell in love with her exclusive use of grey and promptly ordered the snowman stamp and berry bevy branches!
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Here's her card that I fell in love with:

Here's my version:

We made this card at the Camden Club last Wednesday.  I'll be bringing Snowy to our Paper Arts Club meeting on the 18th!  My little snowman is painted with Zig Brush Pens, but any old water color medium will work.  We'll be using a mask for the snow hill and the snowman also.  Sentiment is by Stampendous and was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black.

This is a great card to replicate for your Christmas card list.  He's adorable painted in any color.  Try all pink, all blue, all purple or any color you can think of!

My dark and depressing day is just a little brighter looking at this happy, cheerful and sweet little card!

Thanks for stopping by!

LYN

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I was asked to create a gratitude card recently and decided to give a really cool Penny Black Hidden Lane #40-416 stamp a try.  I played with this stamp once before with disastrous results.  Because I'm currently heavy in my water coloring phase, I gave this image another go.

Here's the result:

The water color panel was first spritzed with a mix of water and instant coffee and allowed to dry.  Next, I used my Misti to perfectly align the stamp over the watercolor paper.  The image was colored with Distress cubes, which were easier to use while adding color onto areas of the image, and then spritzed with water.  

​I kept the colors fairly simple applying color from light to dark:

Pine Tree:  Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn
Grass Area:  Peeled Paint
Fence:  Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain
Foliage Tree:  Peeled Paint, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Seedless Preserves
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Today I've been invited back to play along with my teamies at Stampendous!  Here's a multi-dimensional card that is pictured in the July 2015 catalog in the Dreamweaver Stencil section.  

I loved the process of creating this card!  It began by creating background papers first and cutting up sections for the card panel and stenciled maple leaves.

Be sure to click the link for detailed 'how to' instructions on the Stampendous Blog!