​I couldn't resist responding to TGIF Challenge #225 to create a card all on black!  Lucky for me it also worked for The Flower Challenge #35.

​Yesterday while doing some warm up watercolor, I decided one of the three warm ups was a total failure.  However, not to be discouraged, I knew it would work as a background for diecuts, which is the inspiration for my card today!  After diecutting the flowers and leaves, I decided the intricate flowers were a little lost on the black.  I stamped the flowers with the solid image on white cardstock using silver ink and then just layered the delicate die over the solid flowers.  For the leaves, I diecut and then affixed to a white card base.  All the little pieces were glued back into the cutout areas.

​To give the black panel a little more interest, I dry embossed it.

​Here's a photo of the failed watercolor warmup that morphed into my diecut flowers!

Being back in New York doesn't give me quite the vast expanse of time to create as I have in Florida, but I will make the best of it!

Today I'm responding to two challenges in one card as follows:

I absolutely love black, white & one other color in card making!  It's so crisp and clean!  I also love designing in a not-so-typical format without getting too complicated.

Here is my card in a flat lay position.  Notice the front word panel is perfectly centered over the inside blue panel.

Here is the same card in an upright position.  TIP:  Create the inside of the card first.  By centering the blue panel, it is much easier to then center the front panel evenly over the inside blue panel.

​Gotta show you a tool I've had for years and years that I dug out for affixing the diecut letters!  Many of you have this tool, but in case yours is collecting dust somewhere, grab it and use it for smallish diecuts.  So fast and easy!

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Happy Greetings (Stampendous)
Papers:  Hammermill Cover, Copy, Color,  Fun Stampers Journey, Fiesta (A Muse Studio), Doodlebug Flock
Accessories: Spot On Sentiment Dies (Catherine Pooler), Pierced Rectangles (Spellbinders), Versafine Onyx Black Ink


Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Before heading back to New York soon, I couldn't resist responding to the theme of this challenge!

The bathing beauty stamp's orientation is actually of her standing but I laid her over a "donut" stamp to give the illusion she's on a float!  I pieced her bathing suit to add a punch of color.  This card certainly depicts my Florida life perfectly!

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Bathing Beauties, Sprinkled With Love, Spa Day (A Muse Studio)
Papers: Strathmore Watercolor Paper, Hammermill Cover, Color, Copy, Dots & Stripes 6x6 Pad (Echo Park), Wintertime 6x6 Pad (Penny Black)
Accessories:  Watercolor Paint (Alt&Nerw), Twine (May Arts), Tag Die (Stephanie Barnard - Sizzix), Stitched Rectangle Die (Lawn Fawn), Foam Mounting Tape (Scrapbook Adhesives), Tombow Mono Glue


Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

How about me creating a Christmas card in August no less!  The theme of jingle bells totally captured my attention and I quickly decided to sketch a card since I didn't have any jingle bells (stamps or otherwise) here in Florida.  It was pencil sketched first, then outlined with a black pen and then watercolor painted.  The added glitter, gold (acrylic paint) berries and silver splatters (silver acrylic paint) added sweet touches to this simple card.

Here in the close up you can see all the bits of shimmer and sparkle.

I'm entering my card in the following challenge sites:

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Elegant Winter (A Muse Studio)
Papers:  Strathmore Watercolor, Hammermill Color, Copy, Cover
​Accessories:  Stitched Die (Lawn Fawn), Alt&New Watercolor Paint, Spectrum noir ArtLiner, Prisma Glitter (Lawn Fawn), Classic Gold & Bright Silver Acrylic Paint (CraftSmart)

Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Paper towel art?  Why not!  So excited for the challenge of trying something different in card making.

This paper towel background was the result of another card I made with paper towels (see below) that was used as a second layer over a smooshed layer.  Once the background was dry, I decided to stamp directly onto a paper towel and it worked like a charm!  

​In the close up, you can see the paper towel texture and how crisp the stamping is.  TIP:  To create the border, cut a strip of cardstock and run adhesive (I used my ATG tape) over the surface.  Lay the paper towel (larger than the strip) over the adhesive and trim excess.

Here's the first card I made with paper towels that turned out really great.  Because it wasn't a CAS design, I couldn't use it for the challenge.

​I'm entering the HAPPY card into the following challenge sites.  Click on each graphic for their links.  ​

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Designer Flowers (Simon Says Stamp)
Papers:  Premium White Cardstock (Catherine Pooler), Black (FSJ)
Accessories:  Script Words 2 Die (Alt&New), Carved Pumpkin, Squeezed Lemonade, Evergreen Bough, Mermaid Lagoon (Distress Oxide), Versafine Ony Black, ATG (Scotch)


Thank for Stopping By!

XOXO

​LYN

So, I was all excited about this challenge blog's theme and went to post my card and realized it's supposed to be a CAS card!  This is anything but a CAS card, so I'm just posting it here and on my weekly e-news.  I have leftover colored paper towel that I'll make into a CAS card for this challenge.

I diecut a paper towel...yes, I diecut a paper towel!!!!  I had to use my dryer sheet trick, otherwise, I would have a hot mess on my hands.  Once I diecut, I (very carefully) did my favorite smoosh technique with Distress Oxide inks.  The paper towel was flimsy, but not breaking apart.  After awhile, I dried it with a heat tool.  It's a delicate background, and very mixed media.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Rainbow Bubbles (Fun Stampers Journey), Sentiment (Stampendous)
Papers:  Martha Stewart (Michaels), Hammermill Cover, Copy, Color
Accessories:  Carved Pumpkin, Evergreen Bough, Mermaid Lagoon (Distress Oxide), Diecut Frames A (Stampendous), Prisma Glitter (Lawn Fawn), Quickie Glue Pen (Sakura)

Thanks for Stopping By!

xoxo

LYN

Today I'm using just the sketch as I have limited sentiments here in Florida that would work.  What I did do for the heck of it was to go through many of the stamp sets I brought here and choose any that I've either "never" used or seldom used.  I pulled a few and this Avant Garden set from SU was the first one I decided to work with.  Believe it or not the colors I chose were inspired by a paper towel I had used to wipe off my paint brushes!!!

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Avant Garden (SU), Sentiment - Wonderful Romance (SU)
Paper:  Hammermill Cover, Copy, Cover
Accessories:  Alt&New Crist Dye Inks as follows:  Baby Pink, Fuchsia, Sunray, Warm Sunshine, Limeade, Parrot Fresh Leaf, Stitched Circle Die (A Muse Studio), Rhubarb Crumble Nuvo Crystal Drops (Tonic Studios), Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), Scrap of String dyed with Fuchsia Ink


Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Today I'm entering my card in 3 challenge blogs!

CAS on Friday #162 - Use a Stencil
Seize the Birthday #171 - Flowers
TGIF Challenges #223 - 3 Specific Colors  - Thank you for choosing my shaker card in last week's challenge!

​
Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Beautiful You (SU)
Paper:  Premium White Cardstock (Catherine Pooler)
Accessories:  Roses Stencil (Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous), Lagoon & Magenta Crisp Dye Inks (Alt&New), Dusty Concord (Ranger), Fitted Frames B Dies (Stampendous)

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
​
LYN

As I was creating for another challenge, I was printing out photos to use for a reverse easel card.  I came upon an absolute priceless photo of my son and me at his favorite restaurant, The Garlic in New Smyrna Beach and decided it had all the color elements of this challenge!  Woo hoo!

For this challenge, I created a horizontal reverse easel card, which is a different orientation than the one I used in the other challenge.  I just couldn't resist making this card for my son and since his birthday is in a couple of months, I'm way ahead of myself!

Even the floral pattern paper worked!  So happy with this special card.

Here's a side view of the easel construction.

For a link to my YouTube video for a Horizontal Reverse Easel card, click on either photo.

For a link to my YouTube video for a Vertical Reverse Easel card, click HERE.

Supplies Used:

Papers:  Fun Stampers Journey - Card Base, Welcome Home 6x6 Paper Pad (Carta Bella)
Accessories:  Ric Rac & Hearts Dies (A Muse Studio), Twine (Fun Stampers Journey), Tombow Mono Glue


Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Saw this new-to-me challenge site this week and the prompt FOLD took me immediately to my reverse easel card fold!  I had to go to my own YouTube video to refresh what the dimensions were for a vertical easel card!

It seems whenever I make reverse easel cards, they are typically photo cards because they capture something that I believe the recipient will enjoy displaying without the card falling over every time someone walks by it.

My sister took this photo of our beach at New Smyrna Beach, Florida and it is a favorite!  I have it as wallpaper on my laptop and she made me a shadow box with this photo as the background.  It's getting a lot of use that's for sure!  See what I mean about photo cards?  They provide an immediate memory of a cherished moment.

Here's a partial view of the easel configuration.  It's nice and sturdy and fits in an A2 envelope.  The next photo is a better view of the easel.

For instructions on how to create my Vertical Reverse Easel card, just click on either photo.

I also have a video on constructing a Horizontal Reverse Easel card HERE.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  You're a Lifesaver & Hey Gull Friend (A Muse Studio)
Papers:  Hammermill Color, Copy, Cover (Card Base), Wintertime (Penny Black), Bazzill, Recollections
Accessories:  Stitched Circle (A Muse Studio), Heart Die (Spellbinders), Sequins (my stash), Stencil (Tim Holtz), Crisp Dye Ink (Alt&New), Versafine Onyx Black

Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN