More from Moon Lake for the Creative Blog Hop

Happy Monday, Everyone!  Are you surprised to see that I posted on a Monday?!  Even I am, but I'm doing it for a good reason!  I was asked by Amy at Stamp with Amy K to be a part of a creative blog hop.  Of course I said YES right away!  It's always exciting when someone likes my work and asks if I want to be a part of something. :)  If you get a chance make sure you check out Amy's blog.  She makes some lovely cards!  Also make sure you see who I've nominated at the bottom of my post (I've written WAY more than normal to explain how I've made one of my cards).  Anyway, you'll be glad you stopped to check out her blog after Amy's because they are both so talented. :)  Now onto my cards...

I decided to use the new set Moon Lake for a few reasons for the creative blog hop...  It's a great new set that has some wonderful masculine stamps from the new Occasions catalog, I love making masculine cards and I had hoped to use both of the cards I created for this month's stamp a stacks because I normally do two of those each month.  

This is my first card using the goose stamp, and I love how it turned out!  It involves sponging, but it's not difficult at all.  The ladies that come to my stamp a stacks are used to me doing some sort of sponging almost every time I have a stamp a stack.  I can't say they always like it so I try to keep it pretty simple, but each of their cards turn out so nice.  Yes, different than mine because of how they sponge and how much they ink it up, but lovely just the same and their own creation.

To make this card I stamped the image with black StazOn ink, colored the goose's neck and beak with Basic Black, used the blender pen with Sahara Sand to carefully color in the goose, colored the cattails greenery with Mossy Meadow and Always Artichoke and finished the actual cattails with Chocolate Chip.  I used Stampin' Write markers for all of these colors.  After I had that done I punched out a circle using the 1 3/4" Circle Punch and gently adhered it where I wanted the moon to show on the card.  I also used a long sticky note and blocked the top of the card off so I could sponge color on the small bottom part.  I started by pinching my sponge until it was pretty small, inked it up a bit and darkened in the water under the goose and cattails using Pool Party.  Then I gently rubbed the sponge back and forth over the bottom of the card to "fill in" the pond using Soft Sky.  I also went back over it a little bit here and there with Pool Party.  I removed my sticky note, then covered up the bottom part that I had just sponged.  By doing this it helps your card look like there's a horizon.  First I started sponging around the moon with Soft Sky doing back and forth motions again, but very lightly.  When I reinked I made sure I didn't have the ink on too dark because I wanted the effect of the moon glowing, so I kept it very light there.  Then I moved my sponging out and just kept rubbing it back and forth until I liked the shading that I had.  I also sponged using Pool Party.  I used that color mostly at the top, the left edge and the horizon.  I did have to be careful around the goose so I didn't accidentally color him blue! lol  You could also cut a template of him out and cover him up, but I was being kind of lazy and didn't do that this time around.  If you do that make sure you save the template so you can use it over quite a few times instead of needing to cut a new one out every time.  I didn't stamp a sentiment on the outside because I wasn't sure what I wanted to use the card for.  I'll just quickly stamp a saying if it needs it, then send it on its way to someone special. :)  You can also see that I added just a little stamping on the inside for a nice finishing touch.

For my second card I used the tree and boat stamp from Moon Lake.  I intended for this to be a masculine card too when I started it, but really liked the Calypso Coral and Crisp Cantaloupe behind what I water colored.  Who knows what I'll end up using this card for?! ;)  Like I said earlier I wanted these cards to be for my stamp a stack, but I think if I tried to get the ladies to do this they'd never show up again! lol  Actually it would be the perfect thing to do for a technique class.  I'd need to get a little more practice in first though since it was a bit difficult for me.  I do love how it turned out though. :)  I can't really explain how I did this card, but I used StazOn black ink, water color paper, water, paint brushes, my aqua painters and reinkers plus a few Kleenexes, paper towels and a lot of patience! lol

I took a side view of this one too because I stamped on the inside using Smoky Slate.

Wow, if you've survived reading this far you're good!  Thanks for sticking with me because I have just a little more for you. :)  Part of this creative blog hop is to answer four questions which I thought were going to be pretty hard for me to answer, but I managed to whip them out pretty quickly...

1.  What are you working on?  I've been working on my cards for this blog hop and also working on cards for this month's stamp a stacks. 

2.  How does your work differ from others in your genre?  I have to admit that there are so many creative people out there making cards that I'm not sure my work differs too much.  I do have to say I love to sponge to create scenes, sponge to finish off edges, sponge to cover up mistakes...ok, I love to sponge! :)  I've also started working with water colors a little.  I pretty much know nothing about it, but I'm just working along trying to figure out what works for me and watching a few videos here and there of people who actually know what they're doing.

3.  Why do you create what you do?  I create what I do because I can (which I'm very thankful for!) and it gives me a feeling of satisfaction and joy.  I also like to give away what I create to share my joy with others.  Plus I have classes to teach other ladies (and guys if they like) how simple it really is to make a handmade card when they sometimes look so difficult!  I like seeing their satisfaction knowing that they've done something they thought they couldn't do.

4.  How does your creativity process work?  This question kind of makes me laugh because I'd say I have NO creativity!  I am sometimes amazed that I can make cards at all since I don't do anything else crafty and haven't for a long while.  It's kind of like me sitting down at the piano and playing.  I watch my fingers and wonder, "How do they move like that?!"  Now I'm not saying I'm the greatest at that at all, but it still amazes me.  That's how I think of my creative process.  I sit down and sometimes have an idea in my mind from another card I saw, a picture I've seen on Pinterest or Facebook, a color challenge or a sketch challenge or just seeing nature as I'm driving somewhere.  That's when I just start grabbing my supplies and working away.  Every now and then I make a card pretty quickly, but normally once I start a card I just keep plugging away at it until I'm satisfied with what I've created...and let me tell you it can take a while!

Thanks for sticking with me through all of this!  I also need to nominate someone to keep this creative blog hop going. :)  I was going for two ladies, but only ended up with one.  I found out a lot of ladies have already done this!  So I've asked Naomi Witzke from One Happy Stamper to join in the fun.  I first saw one of her cards posted on Facebook from Splitcoast Stampers when they featured a card that I believe Lydia liked.  So I had to check her out on Splitcoast which then let to her blog and eventually me starting to follow it and commenting every now and then on her cards as I've had time.  She is amazingly creative, so please take the time to check out her work!

Thanks for reading and looking today and enjoy each day you have!

Sara