And now for a Wednesday Challenge...

I'm feeling very Patriotic lately.

I signed on to teach a class at the Webster Public Library , where I work, for cards for our servicepeople. Actually it's not much of a "class" I will have a few samples available, pre-cut cards, punches, paper cutters, glue sticks and patterned paper. People will be coming in over a 2 hour period to make cards for our servicemen and women that I will send to a group I belong to. They will then send the cards out.

My last posting was for Memorial day but this posting is getting

 ready for July Fourth, I was thrilled to find another challenge where I could use red, white and blue!

http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

I looked through my embossed velour paper pieces that I had done before.

I was amazed that you could place the paper in your embossing folders, run them through your machine and the image stayed very well.

I hope you can see the stars on the red velour paper. I believe it stays well because the paper pushes into the glue that holds the velour to it!

Then I was wandering through Hobby Lobby yesterday and found this interesting item.
 

http://www.momenta.com/ 

I purchased the star set with my 40% coupon. 

(Hobby Lobby is one of the rare places that allow you to use your coupons on dies.)

Today when I wanted to do the challenge I remembered my embossing folder matched one of the stars in the Momenta set.

I followed the given instructions but found I wanted a "deeper" emboss. SO....

I die cut first, left the cardstock in the die, added the embossing plate then used my rubber embossing sheet for my Cuttlebug with enough shims to get a good "omph" (yes, this too is a technical term). It worked much better.

Now off to find more challenges and to play more!

Another Mojo Monday...

I am really grateful for these sketches to inspire me to create!

Today's card was made from a background that I had created when "playing" with a friend. 

We love to see what our Tim Holtz pads can do. 

While searching the net for ideas we found one that had taken an embossing folder and smeared, yes...it's a technical term, Versamark on the side that was raised up.
 You place cardstock over the inked area and run a brayer over then back of the cardstock.
 A quick dip into the white embossing powder, a heating with the heat tool  then you rub your watercolor inks on using the pad or your mini ink tool.

My card is the regulation 3.5" x 5.5" with the leaves extending over the short edge, but still fitting in the envelope!

Thank you to

 http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/ 

for continuing to inspire me!

Another day, another challenge...

Plus a technique that I think I came up with???

A great way to water color and then stamp over it, getting the stamp, artistically over the watercoloring.

 Start with the image, watercolor paper and an acrylic block.

Turn your image upside down and place your acrylic block on the rubber side.

Place color using, Tim Holtz Distress Markers, on the block over the areas you want color.

Spritz your water color paper.

Spritz your block on the ink.

 Place your block onto the paper.

 Remove the block and dry with heat tool.

Now you can find the places on your stamp that match where you colored the paper.

 Inl up your stamp, I used Staz-on Black!

Stamp over the watercolored area.

This is the effect you get!

 AND here's the card I will be entering in the

 "Anne's Clean and simple Floral Challenge"

http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/2014/05/challenge-196-anns-clean-and-simple.html

Mojo Monday "Moving In"...

A lovely young lady at work is moving into a new apartment

 June 1!

 I have quilted her a gift but needed a card.

Along came a new challenge Mojo Monday #346 from:

http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

I couldn't wait to try it. The image is from Stampin' Up because I needed something for moving in... fits just right, I thought!

Really loving these challenges. I did find out you have to read the instructions very carefully or your submission will not be accepted. Learning curve!!!

I just can't stop...

watercoloring!!!

I love playing with my distress markers to get so many different looks. I will go back to other techniques later, but for now...it's watercoloring!

 This first card was made by using my favorite sun stamp. I spritzed my water color paper, colored on the stamp using a Tim Holtz Distress marker and stamped it. I dried it with a heat tool, immediately. I went back in with my water color brush and pulled out some color. Once it dried thoroughly I used black Stazon to stamp the saying. I just love these two together on many cards but this was the first time I used then both on the front of the card.

 This second card was made by spritzing the water color paper and inking the Hampton Art floral stamp with my Tim Holtz Distress markers. Then stamp it on the spritzed water color paper and allow it to bleed. Then use your heat tool to dry it. Once dry you can stamp your saying, in this case the Irish blessing. It could be used as a sympathy, thinking of you or friendship card.

I hope to be trying some new things with a friend this weekend. We challenge each other to find things that we can try on the internet , then put our slant on them!

Have you tried Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/

or Splitcoaststampers?

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ 

Both sites have a wealth of ideas and other blogs for you to try and see if you like them!

Penny Black Card two...

These images were stamped using Versamark and colored with chalk. 

I thought they would give that "misty" affect that the saying speaks of!

Hope I didn't make a mistake choosing the other one?

I'm on a roll...

Two more cards but I am only entering one for the challenge from Penny Black.

http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/ 

I recently bought a wonderful stamp from the latest Penny Black collection.

The challenge is called "Your Favorite Penny Black Stamp".

 Since my newest of any company is usually my favorite I started designing with this stamp. 

Then I read the instructions more carefully and found that I could only use Penny Black images. 

Back to the drawers to find a saying. That's when I realized some of my most favorite sayings were the ones I had from Penny Black. Especially  the one I used in the card!

So...

for this challenge I produced the following card.

I made it by stamping the flowers in dark brown and coloring them with Colorbox oval foam applicators and Tim Holtz Distress inks.

I stamped the saying with Distress ink and shadowed the edges with Distress ink as well.

So my favorite, well  used and thoroughly loved Penny Black stamp is the saying

 "A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day...Ancient Proverb"

My next post will be quick and show you the card I decided not to send!

Magenta Anything Goes Challenge calls...

As I said in my previous post I am going to enter more challenges and this is one I was looking forward to!

lestylemagenta.blogspot.ca 

Magenta stamps are some of my favorites. I've done direct to paper, cutting, colored pencils, embossing and others with them. They always turn out lovely. 

My latest is using my Tim Holtz distress markers for that water color effect! 

I simply colored the stamp and stamped it onto very wet watercolor paper. 

Once it leached to my satisfaction, I dried it quickly with my heat tool.

Hope you have a lovely day 

and please consider trying some challenges!

I have this friend...

Who is constantly entering card challenges. 

She is very good and often wins.

Lately she has been "encouraging" me to do the same!

I was really into getting published years ago, and did, however lately when I get  a card done, I'm just grateful to have it done in time for my friends to receive them.

HOWEVER...

 I have this blog and there's no reason I shouldn't share my cards here AND use them to enter some of the challenges.

I went to
craftycardmakers.blogspot.com 

There are a bunch of challenges and I figured, why not?

 So here is my entry for the:

sketchsaturday.blogspot.com 

This is a very simple card but I loved the 12x12 card stock and wanted to use some of my lime green brads!

Don't you have some patterned card stock you bought because you loved it but never used?

Here's a good way to use it!

Have fun, create and try doing the challenges...

I will be posting more!