Color Throwdown # 357- Awesome!!

Good Morning!! It's time for another Color Throwdown Challenge and this week's colors were chosen by Joan!! Oh Lord... if only I had a tiger image and could color it exactly like the pic!!

Love!!

Here's my card....

Trying to post this quick... this girl is packing for the beach...HOOT HOOT HOORAY!! AND.. hubs is getting the kites out- added nectar to the humming bird feeder and birdseed for the birds.. those last minute chores that the youngest may not think of- oy to be 23 again!!

The flowers are Altenew Persian Motifs and sentiment from Painted Butterflies. The flowers were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto watercolor cardstock. Colored with SU inks and added a few "strokes" or maybe that's "swishes" around the images. Finished with a Julie Ebersole Bokeh Dot image in black.

Don't forget to stop by  Lindsay Amrhein of Note to Self  our Guest this month.  

Once you’ve finished your card or other paper-crafted project, add a direct link to your creation using the Inlinkz tool at the bottom of the post. And, don’t forget to use the keyword CTD357 if you upload your project to an online gallery, or hashtag on social media with #ctd357 and/or #colorthrowdown.  Challenge guidelines are in the right sidebar on the Color Throwdown Challenge Blog in case you have any questions.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT!!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud
 Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

 Jodi Collins- Stampin a Latte

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Serendipity Stamps Blog Challenge- Anything Goes!!

Good Wednesday Morning!! Can you believe it is the end of August already... time sure flies!! After the heat of this summer... you would think I'd be welcoming Fall with open arms... and I am.... in a way :) Ready for some cooler temps as we have had above normal this year BUT, I so love summer... and fall brings winter, Ugh!!

Time for the next installment of this month's Serendipity Stamps Challenge. This month is Anything Goes.... so many options!! I was still in a Zig Clean Color Brush markers kick and thought these Serendipity Sun Garden flowers would be perfect for an emboss resist technique. 

I am still experimenting so even though this looks CAS- I water colored that background 4 times until I got the blend of colors I wanted.

Here's the full card...

Added the Serendipity Enjoy die cut several layers and popped up in black for some contrast! Makes the background white embossed flowers and color stand out!! 

Our favorite design will receive our winner blog badge and one random winner of this challenge will receive a $20 discount off their next order from Serendipity Stamps.You have until midnight US Eastern Standard Time on September 7 to link your project. The winner and our next challenge will be posted on September 9.

Want to go shopping? The 50% off Stamp of the month for August is Large Veggie Basket (shown above).

Here's the link to the challenge with all the details

For more inspiration there are samples from the design team on the challenge blog or you can visit them directly and get all the details by clicking on their names below.

Karen Amidon
Jeanne Jachna

Marybeth Lopez

Jenny Gropp 

Julie Warner 

 Miriam Napier

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

SFYTT- you're wild!

Played with another color wash background using distress inks and some new goodies from Reverse Confetti!! This gator is adorable and the Weather It Together Sun and Clouds are perfect!!The white panel was embossed with a new SU triangles embossing folder- perfect with the gator scales and teeth!! Ha- maybe those green teeth were a little too much... 

The color wash background was created using Distress Inks and Zig Clean Color Brush markers I  used to color the clouds, sun, and gator!! FUN!! The colors go so well together!!

Used this month's SFYTT sketch for my layout.

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Freshly Made Sketchs- Hugs!!

Happy Sunday!! I had a relaxing day- a little spin on the boat and out to eat with the family!! There was a little rain off and on so we cut the lake trip short and went to lunch. Used to be a group of four and now we are at 10 minimum!! 

Anyway- I had a chance to play with the Freshly Made Sketch this week- they're celebrating 200 sketches!!

I played with my new PTI Fall Florals- love this set!! The card didn't turn out like I envisioned in my head- don't you hate it when that happens!! But, I do love these colors together. Did a lot of second generation stamping and offset stamping. 

Here's the sketch...

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Curtain Call- Autumn Splendor!

Happy Friday!! I have been playing with watercolor backgrounds.Trying out different color combinations and techniques. I have searched/stalked the blogs and so many artists seem to create them with ease  I learned that I had to spend time on both color combinations and techniques and there were many, many throw aways!!

This is one background I liked. AND... I was thinking of the Curtain Call Challenge when I played (even though it may not be apparent when you see the inspiration)

The inspiration photo is full of bright colors but. when I was pondering the inspiration...and creating my water colored background... I was thinking fall. School - fall- they just seem to go hand in hand.along with canning and Mason Jars-it's harvest time! 

The background was created by smooshing distress inks on to a craft mat- spritzing with water and pressing TH watercolor cardstock on top. Let dry and then stamped the leaves from Verve's Autumn Splendor in gray ink. The sweet Mason Jars are from Clear and Simple Stamps. The largest jar was die cut and stamped with  Verve's Bountiful Backgrounds and topped with an image from the Clear and Simple Stamps set. I created another small shaker mason jar and added a little twine. 

Here's the inspiration pic.

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Color Throwdown #356- Happy Day!!

Good Happy Hump Day Morning!! Time for another set of colors from the Color Throwdown Challenge. Broni picked the colors this week... fun!!

Isn't that butterfly gorgeous!! Love these colors!!

So I played with some new MFT stamps and dies- Things with Wings. I only used the two little birds in the set along with this sweet sentiment and it is full of so many more images!! Those birdies are adorable with their little heart wings!!

Don't forget to stop by  Lindsay Amrhein of Note to Self  our Guest this month.  

As well, stop by and welcome  Yapha Mason, Guest Star Stamper - Stamps & Scraps with Yapha 

Once you’ve finished your card or other paper-crafted project, add a direct link to your creation using the Inlinkz tool at the bottom of the post. And, don’t forget to use the keyword CTD356 if you upload your project to an online gallery, or hashtag on social media with #ctd356 and/or #colorthrowdown.  Challenge guidelines are in the right sidebar on the Color Throwdown Challenge Blog in case you have any questions.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT!!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud
 Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

 Jodi Collins- Stampin a Latte

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

The design is from this week's skectch at CAS(e) this sketch.

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Let's Party!!

I am... I have had a chance to play again!! Woot Woot!! Such a busy summer and one more trip coming up... it's a kinda' big Anniversay-well big for me- 35- so hard to believe!! AND- I'm going to the beach-Yippee!! Can you tell I'm excited :)

Anywho.. back to business...

Two weeks in a row I have had a chance to play in the Verve sketch challenge!! I also used the colors from this month's Verve challenge. 

Here's a little close up of those sweet butterflies.

 Oh, it's so dang hard to get all that sparkly gold to show up :( 

New goodies and oldies on this one. The papers are MME's Fancy That. Aren't they perfectly festive! The sentiment from Deco Borders was stamped on to a Curvy Bookplate die and popped on top of the heart die cut with Verve's Jotted Heart die. This was layered on top of the gold foil doily. Added a couple butterflies- one gold embossed on vellum and one with the gold/pink polka dot paper. Both butterflies were die cut with Verve's Butterfly Dreams die. The gold embossed butterfly was stamped with an image from Verve's Sparkly Dreams. Here's the link to the new release goodies- there's a sale too :)

Here's the sketch... 

Here's the August Inspiration Challenge...

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

BE JOYFUL!!

Happy Friday!! Are you having a great start to the weekend? Me...so far, so good :) I am just getting a chance to post a card I made last weekend...for week 1 of the Viva la Verve sketches.

 Playing with some new Verve stamps and dies and used the week 1 sketch by Julee. So maybe bees aren't orange and hives aren't yellow.. a little creative license and I liked the colors :) The tag was die cut with Verve's Flourished Tag- to make the back layer I just turned the die over on my patterned paper, traced it with a pencil and fussy cut. The bees and hive were die cut with The Buzz, stamped with the coordinating images from The Buzz :) and colored with copics. Added a little honeycomb in the corner instead of the flag.

Here's the sketch...

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Color Throwdown #355- I Love You!

Good Wednesday Morning and Happy Hump Day!! Time for a new color combo - Bar is the hostest this week and she picked the fabulous colors...

A starfish surrounded by sea glass... makes my heart happy!! Going on a little beach trip soon... a couple weeks and I can't wait!! We're venturing down to the Gulf of Mexico- Sanibel Island- supposed to be perfect for shelling and the waters on the gulf are so clean/clear!! It's an Anniversary get away!! Ha... just hubs and me... it's been years {those girls/their families just love to hang out with us, who would've thought when a few years ago we didn't know/understand anything:-) } and I do enjoy hanging out with family but, it'll be nice for a change!!

So... you would think after all that you would see a beach scene... nada, oops

Played with a set that I have had for a while...

Sponged the background with TH Distress Inks and then embossed the SSS Falling Stars with metallic silver. The sweet bears (Mama Elephant) were stamped and diecut, colored with copics and layered with foam dots. The sentiment is from the same set.

Don't forget to stop by  Lindsay Amrhein of Note to Self  our Guest this month.  

As well, stop by and welcome  Jenny Lane, our Guest Star Stamper this week. 

Once you’ve finished your card or other paper-crafted project, add a direct link to your creation using the Inlinkz tool at the bottom of the post. And, don’t forget to use the keyword CTD355 if you upload your project to an online gallery, or hashtag on social media with #ctd355 and/or #colorthrowdown.  Challenge guidelines are in the right sidebar on the Color Throwdown Challenge Blog in case you have any questions.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT!!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud
 Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

 Jodi Collins- Stampin a Latte

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Serendipity Stamps Blog Challenge- Anything Goes!!

Good Wednesday Morning!! Can you believe it is August already... time sure flies!! After the heat of this summer... you would think I'd be welcoming Fall with open arms... and I am.... in a way :) Ready for some cooler temps as we have had above normal this year BUT, I so love summer... and fall brings winter :)

Enough of my whining!!

This month for the Serendipity Stamps Challege it's Anything Goes.....

Since I didn't get a chance to play with the new sweet Bird dies...

As you can see there are several options for using these dies. Layers of feathers and accessories for different occasions or holidays/celebrations.

I die cut the images with watercolor cardstock and colored with Zig Clean Color brush markers... the colors come out bright and beautiful. Used a watercolor brush/pen to blend and get variation in color. I'm still new at this but, comparing to copics (copics have so many color pen choices-over 300 and the Zig large option has 60) so when you try to blend there are less color options. I used a Pretty Pink Posh die (sold at Serendipity Stamps) to create a shaker card. The sentiment is from Serendipity too. 

Our favorite design will receive our winner blog badge and one random winner of this challenge will receive a $20 discount off their next order from Serendipity Stamps.You have until midnight US Eastern Standard Time on September 7 to link your project. The winner and our next challenge will be posted on September 9.

Want to go shopping? The 50% off Stamp of the month for August is Large Veggie Basket (shown above).

For more inspiration there are samples from the design team on the challenge blog or you can visit them directly and get all the details by clicking on their names below.

Karen Amidon
Jeanne Jachna

Marybeth Lopez

Jenny Gropp 

Julie Warner 

 Miriam Napier

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

True Friends... having a little fun!!

"K- I came home tonight... it's quiet... no kiddos (love them) running around... and had a chance to play!! Truth or Dare...I enjoyed the few hours of "me" time!

I need a new set up for night time pics.... or a new camera...I'll try a better pic tomorrow- bugs me that I can't get a pic with a white background at night- any tips/thoughts?

That's a little better :)

Used EH Essentials by Julie Ebersole Bokeh Dots and the sentiment is from Lil Inkers!

Played with CAS(e) this sketch and colors from ColorQ!

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Serendipity Stamps August Blog Hop!!

Good Morning and welcome to this month's Serendipity Stamps Blog Hop. Serendipity released two new dies, two sentiments, and two images this month!!

You should have arrived here from Miriam's blog but, if you got lost along the way I have a full list below. I have a couple cards to show you today. 

For my first card I used Serendipity's Bandana stamp for the background on this pop up card. It was stamped, cut, and adhered to the inside upper flap. The rooster is from Serendipity's Rooster on Fence (I used only a portion of this image- you'll see the full image as you hop!) The rooster was colored with copics, fussy cut, and adhered to my "tab" so that it would pop up/out from the background. The new sentiment, Cock-a-doodle-do was stamped on the inside base.

Here's another pic.... hard to get a good pic for this kind of card.

Here's a little close up of the Hot Air Balloons Reverse die...

Here's the full card...

Isn't that fun!! A little tip... something I learned when piecing dies with small inlaid pieces like this one. In the past, I glued all of the inlaid pieces- it takes forever and sometimes it's hard to keep the glue off the piece that shows. So, I finally "got smart"- you may already know this and I am just slow :)

I started with two white panels the same size (one will be the panel you die cut and the other will be a base underneath- doesn't show so you could use a scrap). Next I cut a panel with double- sided adhesive, pulled off one layer and adhered this to one of the white panels. Next, I removed the top layer of adhesive, die cut the Hot Air Balloons with the other white panel and layered this on top of the adhesive. You end up with the negative spaces of your Hot Air Balloons with adhesive- easy and clean to add the patterned paper pieces. 

The sentiment is Serendipity's Let Your Dreams. It was stamped on Cherry Lynn ovals and stitched ovals and popped on top with foam dots. 

Sale is free shipping on all US orders of $15 or more Good 8-7 to 8-9.  50% off Stamp of the month is Veggie Basket Large 

Leave comments through Sunday August 9th for a chance to win a $20 Gift Certificate to SS.  Mary will  announce a winner on her blog on Monday August 10th.

The next stop on the hop is Jeanne... sure to be something bright and beautiful!!

Instead of linking to each individual stamp/die/sentiment.... CLICK HERE to see the full page of all the new goodies.

If you got lost along the way, here's the full hop list.

Mary's Blog

Karen Amidon
Marybeth Lopez
Miriam Napier
Vickie Zimmer
Jeanne Jachna 
Jenny Gropp
Julie Warner

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Color Throwdown #354- Just For You!!

Happy Wednesday!! It's time for another Color Throwdown Challenge. Wanda picked the colors this week....

 Lovely, right!

My colors turned out a little bit darker as I was watercoloring using the new Altenew's Watercolor Wonder stamp set. LOVE IT! My MISTI finally got used (shameful to admit I've had it for a while... okay... a few months but, I have been so busy- that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!) After I stamped the flowers using Wanda's colors I added a little detail with a SU soft suede marker andwatercolored the backgroung with kraft ink. Last, I added some white dots using EH by Julie Ebersole Bokeh dots with WPlus9 white pigment ink and added a sentiment from Altenew's Label Love.

It's also a new month, so that means we get to announce a new guest designer!  Drum roll please...Welcome to Lindsay Amrhein of Note to Self!  I've been a follower of Lindsay's work for some time and love her style!  I can't wait to see her creations!

Congrats to Jen Wills of JENerally Speaking for being selected as our guest star stamper this week! She has amazing talent with clean, simple card designs!

Once you’ve finished your card or other paper-crafted project, add a direct link to your creation using the Inlinkz tool at the bottom of the post. And, don’t forget to use the keyword CTD354 if you upload your project to an online gallery, or hashtag on social media with #ctd354 and/or #colorthrowdown.  Challenge guidelines are in the right sidebar on the Color Throwdown Challenge Blog in case you have any questions.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT!!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud
 Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Monika Davis- MAD Stamper

 Jodi Collins- Stampin a Latte
Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!