Best Thoughts in Watercolor

Today I a have a couple of cards to show you that are made with the same stamp but using different colors.  I've had this new stamp sitting around for over a week and I've wanted to try some water coloring and finally had a chance to do it.  As I was looking through some blog challenges I noticed that the Friday Mashup is all about water coloring with a very open sketch.  Perfect for what I wanted to do.

I made these for my daughter's best friend and her mom.  They lost their grandma and mother so I wanted to make something special for each of them.

I know...I have a lot of pics so I hope you'll bear with me while I post a few of each.  I've enjoyed trying out water coloring ever since I saw a video by Heather Telford on Splitcoast back in November or December.  She makes amazingly beautiful cards and I've sat down and made a few here and there because I enjoy it so much and because I wanted to have my images colored in.  I figured I'd use my aqua painters and ink since Stampin' Up! got rid of their Blendabilities and I couldn't color things in with them anymore.  Oh...if you'd like to check out Heather's work click HERE.  This link will show you one of her videos, then you can scroll through the rest of her blog if you'd like. :)

I forgot to add that I actually started with this card because when I think of hydrangeas these are the colors I think of.  When I wanted to do other colors for the second card I looked for pics of orange and yellow hydrangeas and they are actually out there too!  I knew there were blue, purple, green and pink, but I didn't know they come in orange and yellow too.  Guess I learned something new today. :)  Both of these cards were pretty easy to make.  I just used sponges and sponge daubers to get the colors on my stamp, but used a marker for the leaves.  I spritzed the stamp a couple of times and stamped it onto my watercolor paper.  After that I used an aqua painter to fill in the colors of the flowers and leaves.  I did use my stamp-a-ma-jig to re-stamp the image because I didn't think it was defined enough anymore.  I actually just re-spritzed my stamp instead of re-inking the whole thing again.  To get the blue background on each of the cards I just made sure the watercolor paper was wet...not too wet, but not so little wetness on it that it would dry right away.  I started going around the flower, leaves and stem and let the wet watercolor paper pull the color out away from the flower (the flower is dry when I do this!).  If I want it darker I just go back in and repeat making sure my aqua painter isn't quite as wet (but the watercolor paper still is) and get some more ink from my ink pad (in the lid).  I did tape off each of these pieces before I painted them to give them the border you can see.  I used masking tape and carefully pulled it off when the ink was dry (yes, I use my heat gun if I get sick of waiting for it to dry! lol  I also run it through my Big Shot if the paper is warped.  I just put it under an embossing folder instead of inside it.  That straightens it out in a jiffy!). 

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

I would love to be your demonstrator! If you like what you see and want to order anything just click on any of the products that I've listed at the bottom of my blog or click on the "Shop Now" tab at the top of my blog. Any of them will take you directly to my website! If you have questions feel free to contact me. Just click "Contact Me" at the top of my blog . If you're thinking of becoming a demonstrator click "Join My Team". I'd love to have you join me!

Supplies used on this card:

Water Color Paper

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Butterfly Basics

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Today's post is a little different for me.  Why?  Because it's the last card I'll be posting on a Friday as a designer for the Friday Mashup. I've had a blast and learned a LOT being a part of this team and will continue to enjoy playing along with them in the future.  Check out the new design team if you haven't already.  Lots of creativity going on with them!  Now onto this week's challenge from Avery...

Create a project with the "Sketch". 

Create a project with "2 different embellishments". 

or Mash it Up! and create a project "with the Sketch and different embellishments".

I had fun creating this card and love that it's a very CAS card for me, but it was a little challenging to get the words and flowers to line up just right with the layers of banners.  Believe it or not I did it all in one try...whew!!!

Make sure you check out the design teams great creations HERE and play along too.

This is the only picture where you can see the shimmer on my card.  I definitely used shimmer on it. :)

Since I didn't have a lot of time to create this card and already had the sketch from Avery I decided to use a challenge for the colors too.  I love that they are out there and take some of the thought out of making a card, but on the other hand they put so much more into it...does that make sense to anyone but me? lol  I used this week's vibrant colors from Color Me...playful.

Seems like I had a lot of pics that I liked this time for my card. :)

Last pic, I promise. lol  I wanted you to see a close up of the banner pieces I used since it's a little harder to see in the other pics because I only used white card stock.  

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Baby!

Oh, baby, it's Friday!  Glad another week is done.  I don't know about any of you, but January is a busy month at work for me.  Lots to do and I'm getting it done...whew!  And now on to something fun...a baby card. :)  That's what it's all about at the Friday Mashup this week.  Here's Tara's challenge for us...

Create a project with a "Baby Theme". 

Create a project  with "Brown, Aqua & Tangerine". 

or Mash it Up! and create a "Baby project with the above colors".

 I just posted a Christmas card a few weeks back and we had to use orange and blue.  I know I've said this before...they are not my favorite colors together.  Now I have to do a baby card with them! lol  Well I also said I've started to soften up toward them.  I didn't use a bright blue or orange for this challenge.  I wanted softer colors since it's for a baby card.  I do wish I had put Whisper White behind the baked brown sugar, but it was too late.  I didn't want to pull everything off and reposition it so I could cut the brown card stock smaller to fit over the white so it could be a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card.  I still think it's pretty cute the way it is. 

Be sure to head over to the Friday Mashup HERE to check out all the other fun baby cards and to play along too. :)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Fox and Friends (retired)

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Layered Corner Garden

So glad it's Friday!  I am ready for this week to be done, but not before I show you my card for this week's Friday Mashup.  I'm the hostess this week and this is what my mashup is...

Create a project with the "Triple Layer Technique" Tutorial HERE.

Create a project that's "Floral". 

or Mash it Up! and create a "Floral Triple Layer Project".

I think I've said it here before, but if not I love winter.  Well, not winter so much but the snow.  If it's going to be cold I want snow.  Not rain, not mud, not dead brown grass and weeds...pure white snow to cover the yuck!  We've had it for a bit again, but as much as I love it I always miss stepping outside and seeing all kinds of flowers in my back yard.  That's what today's card is about...anything floral and add the triple layer technique to it.  A few month's back I did a different twist on the triple layer technique using the stamp set Lovely as a Tree.  I loved how that card turned out, so I decided to try that twist again using the stamp Corner Garden.

Let me tell you I will NEVER color all these flowers in again!  As much as I like how it turned out it was a LOT of coloring especially since I had to double some of it!  I actually used water color paper and colored everything in with Blendabilities.  It's a lot different coloring on watercolor paper with them than on Very Vanilla or Whisper White card stock.  It bleeds and blends a lot better, but you do have to really watch it a lot more.  Make sure you head over to the Friday Mashup HERE.  The designers made some fabulous cards!  I hope you'll play along too.  I'd love to see what you create!

Just a few more pics at different angles so you can see the layers. :)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Supplies used on this card:

1 1/4" square punch & 1 3/8" square punch

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Setting Sun on Moon Lake

It's Friday and what a day it is!  The scene on this card is the total opposite of what I see outside my windows right now!  A calm, warm night just as the sun sets versus a night of snowing, blowing and the wind howling and waking up to lots of white!  Now let's see if I can drive in it!  

You might be thinking to yourself, "What did she do to this scene?!"  Well Lisa's challenge will explain that to you....

Create a project with a "Embossing Folder Stamping Technique". Link Here. 

Create a project  with "Mix & Matched Shapes". 

or Mash it Up! and create a "project using the technique with different shapes".

I decided to just chop my picture up and say that's my mix and matched shapes.  Strange I know, but it's not too bad...at least my daughter and hubby say it isn't. lol  I also did the embossing folder stamping technique but for some reason it didn't show up really well in the picture.  If you look  closely you can see the wood grain on the crumb cake paper.

Make sure you stop by the Friday Mashup and check out how everyone else interpreted this challenge.  Lot's of fun cards out there!  

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Simply Winter

Today's card won't be new to a few ladies since it was one of my December stamp a stack cards.  When I make my cards for December I want a card that they can send out for Christmas or for another occasion.  I made two of these cards and one was for Christmas and the other one a Thinking of You card.  It could be a birthday or just for you card too. :)  Well that's what today's mashup from Heidi at the Friday Mashup is all about...

Create a project with a "Winter theme". 

Create a project  with "Snowflakes". 

or Mash it Up! and create a "Winter project with Snowflakes".

In this pic I'm trying to show you that the top layer of the card is actually popped up to give the card some dimension.  Guess it's kind of hard to see even in this picture.

Here are both cards that I made.  Make sure you head over to the Friday Mashup HERE to check out the other great winter cards from the design team and make sure you take the time to play along too! :)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Lovely as a Tree ~ Watercolor

So glad it's Friday today!  Anyone else?  :)  Today's card is for the Friday Mashup and I finally got around to doing a little water coloring because I've been wanting to do it for quite a while!  Before I go into that a little more, lets check out what our mashup from Holly is...

Create a project using the "Sketch". 

Create a "2 Layer card with a grungy element in the background". 

or Mash it Up! and create a project "using the sketch that's 2 layers only".

I have to admit I cheated a little on the two layer thing, but not because I wanted to!  I was lazy and didn't want to haul out my stamp-a-ma-jig and thought my stamp was on the block straight and it wasn't...err!!  So I had to cut a little sliver of paper and stamp on that and run it across the bottom of the card to cover up my crooked happy birthday.  

Ever since I saw a tutorial over on Splitcoast by Heather T. I've been wanting to try my hand at water coloring.  I've never tried it before other than watercolor wash.  Let me tell you Heather made it look SO easy!  Umm...it wasn't.  At least not for me! lol  She stamped her trees, then spritzed them with water.  When I did that they turned into a big green blob (kind of like the top left corner! lol).  She also added the blue after she stamped her trees.  Again that did NOT work for me!  I ended up doing the blue, letting it dry and then added the trees from Lovely as a Tree.  Then I used water and reinker to go over the tree and make it look like it was kind of water colored.  I certainly won't complain because in the end I like how it turned out for my first time water coloring a scene.  

Make sure you head over to the Friday Mashup HERE to check out all the other fun cards using this week's sketch and two-layered card challenge.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Lovely as a Tree ~ Silver and Gray

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I've been pretty busy this week with a couple of stamp a stacks and not feeling the greatest either. :(  I love doing my stamp a stacks, especially in December, but I have to admit I'm looking forward to a relaxing evening tonight and sleeping in really late tomorrow and hopefully I'll be back to normal by then! :)  

Today's card is for the Friday Mashup and I was really hoping for a challenge where I could make a masculine card.  Yup, definitely a challenge that I could do that. :)  This week's fun challenge is from Cindy...

Create a project using "Basic Grey or Smoky Slate & Silver". 

Create a project using "Dry or Heat Embossing". 

or Mash it Up! and create a project "using the colors Silver & Grey with some Embossing".

I was so into using Basic Gray and silver that I totally forgot what the second part of the challenge was...embossing!  Well, I ended up having that covered since I did both heat and drying embossing on my card...whew! lol  Head over to the Friday Mashup HERE to check out the other great cards using silver and gray.  We'd love to have you play along too, so if you get a chance show us what you've made too. 

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Express Yourself (retired)

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Elegant Ornamental Pine

Wow, is it Friday already?  Where did this week go?!  I've been gone almost every evening, so I know that makes time go by faster.  Luckily I made sure I had enough time to create a pretty clean and simple card for this week's Friday Mashup from Lynda.  This is her mashup for the week... 

Create a project using "Silver or Gold". 

Create a "Christmas Project". 

or Mash it Up! and create a "Christmas-themed Project with Silver or Gold".

I decided to go with gold on my Christmas card.  It was definitely a quick card to make and I love, love, love that since it usually takes me a while to come up with something I like.  Not this time around! :)

Make sure you stop by the Friday Mashup HERE to see other the other great cards and projects the ladies created this week and to play along too. :)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Supplies use on this card:

Pretty Print Embossing Folder (retired)

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Shimmering Snowfall

Update...I've added a few pics toward the bottom of this post with some instructions on how I made this first card. :)

Have you ever taken a walk out in the snow on a cold evening and as you're walking along you can see the snow shimmering everywhere you look when the light hits it just right?  I sure have and that's what inspired this card...well that and the fact that we've had more snow here in Michigan than we know what to do with right now! lol  We're in for a break I think, but I'm not ready for the rain and sloppy mess that we might have the next few days.  Yup, give me a good snow storm over rain and mud when it's cold out!  So this week at the Friday Mashup Avery has challenged us to do a couple of things...

        Create a project using "a Metal Embellishment (Staple, Brad, Grommet etc.)".                    

 Create a project using "Weather as your Inspiration"

 think storms, Clouds, Rain, Sun, Warm Sandy Beaches. 

     or Mash it Up! and create a "Weather inspired project with a Metal Embellishment".

Now you can see why I made a card with snow...the weather was definitely my inspiration!  I added a few retired brads that I had stashed away to use as my metal embellishment.

Lots of great cards over at the Friday Mashup this week.  Check them out HERE and play along when you get a chance.

I'm actually adding a second card to this post also since I was kind of working on both cards at the same time.  Believe it or not I had this picture stashed away to use another time.  I didn't like how it had turned out when I originally made it, so I did a little more work on it until I was happy with what I had. :)  Wish I had taken a pic of it before I started working on it again so you could have seen the difference.  Too late now though!

I hope you've enjoyed my shimmery snow cards. :)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

A picture tutorial for you...

Take a 3 1/4" x 4 3/8" piece of whisper white card stock and a scrap piece of paper or sticky note and cut a curve on it like the pic below.  Attache it to your card stock if you don't have a sticky note using a removable adhesive.

Use the embossing buddy, VersaMark pad and oak tree from Lovely as a Tree for the next step.  Ink up the whole tree with the VersaMark pad, and color the trunk gray with a marker after using VersaMark on the whole tree.  Stamp tree using the stamp-a-ma-jig to place it correctly.  Use white embossing powder for top and clear on the trunk.  Yup, that means you need to be careful when putting on the embossing powder.

Punch out a 1" circle on a thin piece of scrap paper and place it where you want the moon in the sky. Now sponge or use a brayer to color the sky (I used a brayer).  I started with Pool Party and brayered it all the way to the yellow piece of scrap paper.

Next sponge or brayer on Island Indigo going down about half way.

The last color you need to sponge of brayer is Night of Navy.  Go down about 1/3 of the way.

Now that you have the sky done lift off your scrap piece of paper and reposition it so you can start sponging your rolling hills. It's hard to tell in this picture, but if you look closely you can see I've sponged Pool Party about half way up the "hill".  I started by the yellow of my scrap paper and sponged my way up.

Next I sponged Island Indigo starting once again at the bottom of the hill and sponging upward.

In this picture you can see that I've finished off my first hill using Night of Navy and repeated the whole process again on the second hill.

Here's my third hill following the same step each time...sponge on Pool Party, Island Indigo and Night of Navy.

Carefully peel off your moon and if there is any sticky residue left use your adhesive remover to get it off.  You can see in this picture that I also finished off the last hill like the previous three.  I just didn't need to use the scrap piece of paper anymore.  To make it shimmery I spritzed the scene with Smooch Spritz.  If I spray it directly from that spritzer it will have bigger clumps.  For a shimmery look without the clumps I mix a bit of Smooch Spritz with 70% rubbing alcohol and spray it using one of the Stampin' Up! spritzer bottles.  Since I needed a thank you card I added that to this card. :)

Instead of using the Chevron embossing folder for this card I used the Stylish Stripes embossing folder.  I used Island Indigo card stock cut at 4"x 5 1/4".  I then layered that on Night of Navy card stock cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and scored at 4 1/4".

I hope my instructions with pictures helps anyone who wants to give this card a try!  If you have more questions don't hesitate to ask. :)

Supplies used on these cards:

retired brads & sticky notes

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog