Friday, June 26, 2015

Air Mail Birthday Card



Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a fun masculine card using a vintage-look airmail sticker.....perfect for this birthday card that I will be mailing. :)  I had this emboss-resist starry background in my reject pile on my craft table.  It hadn't turned out like I wanted for a different project a week or two ago, but I knew it would come in handy sometime soon!


My card is fairly self-explanatory, so I will just give you my supply list and make this post super-short!

Supplies used include the following:
Art Anthology - Twilight Stencil
Distress Ink - Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, Black Soot
Versamark Ink
Embossing Powder-Translucent Sahara (Lost track of orig jar and can't remember what brand it is! Eeek!)
Sizzix - Circles, Scallop
My Favorite Things - Blueprints 7 die set
Waffle Flower - On My Mark stamp set
Versafine Ink - Majestic Blue
Darice - Diagonal Stripe Background

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I hope you stay cool in the heat!!  Have a wonderful weekend!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Frosted Designs Friday Challenge - Summertime Blues (the starry blue sky reminds me of summer!)
2. Cards in Envy - Red, White, and Blue Challenge
3. The Paper Girls Challenge - Happy Birthday
4. DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #159 - Red, White, and Blue
5. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
6. The Male Room Challenge #13 - Up in the Air (No Birds)
7. DRS Designs Challenge #180 - Oh, My Stars!!!

Look for Stars -- Friends with Flair 6-25


Awww.....My kitties like to play with my craft stuff, too!!


Hi, Friends......

I am here with my Friday project for Unity Friends with Flair.  I used a little bit of everything on this project and had a lot of fun making it.  My sentiment is from a Unity grab bag, but I tracked it down to their Nov. 2014 KOM.  Really love its message!  I stamped it with Memento ink in London Fog. 



For my background, I masked off each half diagonally and sponged with lots of Distress Ink (Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Black Soot, Weathered Wood, and Pumice Stone).  I stamped some raindrops with Pumice Stone Distress Ink and my Hero Arts background stamp - Rainy Day Bold Prints. (THANKS, HA!!!) Then I sprayed the whole surface with Tsukineko Goosebumps Shimmer Texture Spray and followed that by misting with Clearsnap Smooch Spritz in Ginger Ale.  Then I misted with water to let the inks react and blend.  What resulted was a nicely textured and very shimmery background.  LOVE!!!


Next I used my Crayola Watercolor Pencils and drew in my rainbow over the top of the texturing.  I wasn't sure how it would work, but it was perfect.  I blended the colors with my waterbrush.  Then I dabbed Beacon 3-in-1 Craft Glue here and there over my night sky and poured my star confetti over it....allowing the pieces to stick where they might....sometimes in clusters, sometimes singly.

My die-cut clouds are from Lil' Inker - Rainbows and Clouds.  I love the sweet little stitched clouds!!!  I cut them from the silver reverse of some white Add a Little Dazzle - craft metal sheets and from vellum for the night sky part.  I enhanced the faux stitching on the vellum with a Sakura Gelly Roll 08 gel pen in white.  I also drew in some circles around the texture bumps in the night sky with that same pen.


I matted my sentiment panel on navy cardstock and mounted it all on a matching card base.  I think that about covers it. I went a little crazy with my products, but I really like how it turned out.  I hope you like it, too.  :)

Have a wonderful weekend.  It's supposed to hit 100 here, so I plan on doing ZERO cooking!!  lol..  Salads and sandwiches will be it, I think.  Stay cool, everyone!!!  Thanks for dropping by!

<3
Janis


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Unity - Friends with Flair 6-26
2. Power Poppy - Power Spark - Can You Pencil Me In?
3. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Stamp + Mist
4. MAWTT - Sewing and Stitching
5. Hero Arts - Tic Tac Toe Challenge (I used the Circles, Background Stamp, and Watercolor)
6. SSS June Work it Wednesday - Refreshment (I went for emotional and spiritual refreshment with my sentiment.)
7. The Male Room Challenge #13 - Up in the Air (No Birds)
8. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
9. DRS Designs Challenge #180 - Oh, My Stars!!! 

(I don't usually enter this many challenges at a time, but please indulge me because there were a whole bunch of my regular stops that had applicable challenges.  Sometimes there are barely 4 or 5!)

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Sand Dollar Card



Hi, Friends......

I am here with another white on kraft card for the MFP Speedy Fox and Friends challenge.  I am just loving this fabulous color combination!!  This time I went with a masculine and slightly nautical look adding red, white, and blue to accompany the focal panel.


I used my Mark's Finest Papers Sand Dollar Mini stamp set and heat-embossed with WOW! Embossing Powder - Opaque Bright White Regular.  The white mat is dry embossed with my Darice - Diagonal Stripe Background folder.  I tied it with some baker's twine and mounted on a royal blue card base.  I stayed with a simple, classic style for this card....which I think gives it more of an open beach-like look.  

Hope you are having a wonderful week!!!  Thank you for visiting and for leaving your lovely comments.

<3
Janis 

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:

1. Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge #267 - White on Kraft  
2. DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #158 "For a Man or Boy" 
3. Inspired by Stamping - IBSIC #95 - Use String 
4. Wow! Embossing Powder June Challenge - Summer 
5. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes 
6. Frosted Designs Friday Challenge - Summertime Blues

Monday, June 22, 2015

On Your Wedding Day




Hi, Friends.....

I am here with another white on kraft card for the MFP Speedy Fox and Friends challenge.  I love the look of this color combination so much that I thought I would try making a wedding card with it....since I will have need of one of those next month for the son of some friends. 


I used my Mark's Finest Papers Lily of the Valley stamp set.  Do you like how it turned out heat embossed on the kraft?  I really do.  I used my very favorite white embossing powder: 
WOW! Embossing Powder - Opaque Bright White Regular.  Love the fabulous clean white it gives me.  I did the butterflies on the vellum with the same EP, too.  

The background piece is from my DCWV Printed Burlap Paper Stack.  Love the floral print with the "white on kraft" look that echoes my stamping.  The burlap and the thrift store fiber yarn give just the right amount of natural texture for a rural Idaho wedding card.  The thrift store lace adds a feminine touch.  I mounted this all onto a textured eggshell white card base and then applied some adhesive pearls to help balance the design.

I was trying for a summer breeze blowing through an open window look with butterflies and flowers outside....that makes the oldie by Seals and Crofts - "Summer Breeze"  go through (the jasmine of) my mind!  I wish the white on white photographed better, but I love how the card turned out.  Hope you do, too!!

Hope you are having a good week!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge #267 - White on Kraft
2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Favorite Product or Technique (Heat Embossing)
3. Wow! Embossing Powder June Challenge - Summer
4. Butterfly Spot Challenge - F is for Flowers
5. Moving Along With the Times - Inspired by a Song  "Summer Breeze" by Seals and Crofts
6. Little Scrap Pieces - Show it Off Saturday Linky Party

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Happy Father's Day - To My Husband


Happy Dad's Day to my dear Jim, who manages all the many crises of our life with a unique blend of panic and stoicism!!  lol...

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a Father's Day card for my dear hubby.  He was so sweet and encouraging about my hand-lettered tag that I decided to make a hand-lettered card for him, too.  I think it adds a personal touch....even if my handwriting isn't perfect.  He will love it and keep it forever.  (Awww....he's such a romantic!!  <3  <3  <3)

I stamped a wonderful vintage truck image from Mark's Finest Papers - Big Boy Toys stamp set with Versamark Ink and heat embossed with WOW! Embossing Powder - Opaque Bright White Regular onto kraft.  Love the white on kraft look!!

I wrote out my sentiment with a black permanent marker onto a leftover bit of acetate and mounted it onto a scrap of white cardstock with tiny brown brads.

These panels were mounted onto brown cardstock dry embossed with my Darice - Checkered Folder.  This was put on a kraft card base.  I think hubby will like the clean crisp lines of this card and the vintage image.  

Happy Father's Day, Darling!!!  So glad you are the dad of my kids!!! 

<3
Janis


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges
1. Tombow - Words of Wisdom Challenge
2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Favorite Product or Technique (Heat Embossing)
3. Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge #267 - White on Kraft
4. Pixie's Snippets Playground Week 181-182 - Use snippets
5. Mod Squad Challenge - Happy Father's Day
6. DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #158 "For a Man or Boy"

Friday, June 19, 2015

You Make Me Smile Tag



Try multiplying this by our 3 youngest cats who usually spend the night inside!!!  lol....

"The great charm of cats is their rampant egotism, their devil-may-care attitude toward responsibility, their disinclination to earn an honest dollar."
                                                                                  ----------Robertson Davies


Hi, Friends.......

I am here with a pretty tag I made for the Tombow - Words of Wisdom Challenge that asks you to hand-letter some quote or encouraging sentiment.  Eeek!!  My handwriting is not very attractive, but I practiced and gave it my best shot.  I think it will be okay for a tag that will get only a cursory glance before the recipient opens the gift!  Ha.

I used a pre-printed journaling oval piece from the DCWV Solstice Stack and a long scrap from the same pad.  I got super-brave and tried stenciling with my Dreamweaver Embossing Paste in the original flavor.  lol...  This was the first time I had ever tried it.  When it was nearly dry, I brushed some Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder in Forever Green, Perfect Gold, Perfect Pearl over the embossed squiggles.  

The little vellum butterfly (heat-embossed with yellow powder) didn't photograph very well, but I think it looks sweet lifting gently off the tag.  

Do you like my string ties?  I used thrift store yarn, May Arts vine ribbon, and Prima flowers with sequin centers.  Love how it turned out....it's my favorite part of the tag!  :)

Other supplies:
Doilies from stash
Adhesive rhinestones
Tombow Multi Mono Glue
Beacon 3-in-1 Craft Glue

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Your comments mean a lot to me!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this tag in the following challenges:
1.  Tombow - Words of Wisdom Challenge
2.  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Favorite Product or Technique (Heat Embossing) 3.  Wow! Embossing Powder June Challenge - Summer
4.  Pixie's Snippets Playground Week 181-182 - Use snippets
5.  Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Don't Cut, Just Paste  (I used Embossing Paste)
6.  Butterfly Spot Challenge - F is for Flowers  


Thursday, June 18, 2015

Vintage Mother Bird with Nest - Friends with Flair 6-19


"Do you see that kitten chasing so prettily her own tail?  If you could look wih her eyes, you might see her surrounded with hundreds of figures performing complex dramas, with tragic and comic issues, long conversations, many characters, many ups and downs of fate."
                                                                                     --------Ralph Waldo Emerson



Hi, Friends....

I am here today with my Unity Friends with Flair project.  I felt the urge to make a fancy card this time, so I played around with some fun products and used dies to make pretty things for this summery nature-inspired card.

I love heat embossing of all kinds...in fact I am crazy about heat embossing.  It is my favorite technique.  I did an emboss resist for the lovely bird/nest image from Unity - Love, using Versamark Ink and clear embossing powder on a scrap of patterned paper.  I love the effect of the pattern showing through the embossed image!!

I also heat embossed using my clear Ranger - Ultra-Thick Embossing Enamel.  Oh, my goodness....I LOVE this stuff!!  This makes a gooey globby glossy gob of goop on everything it touches.  Just my kind of thing!!  lol....  :)  To me, this turns projects into instant mixed media because the large particle size is not really used to emboss in the traditional sense.  It is like a medium of its own.  

I used it on my green background by Versamarking through a thrift store stencil and layering the UTEE on.  When it liquefies upon heating, you can gently push it around with the air flow from your heat gun.  It adds some super-duper shine and texture, too.  And.....(this is important if you craft the way I do!)....if I accidentally touch it before it is all the way set and leave a fingerprint, I can zap it again with my heat gun and it remelts and fixes itself!!  Hooray!!!  :)  What is not to love about this wonderful product???? 

However, what I was really excited about doing with my UTEE was coating my die-cut flower with it.  I cut several different scraps of patterned paper with my Spellbinders - Heartfelt Creations - Majestic Blooms die set.  I did some texture stamping with a Unity grab bag leaf stamp and Antique Linen Distress Ink.  Then I Versamarked the three pieces and heat embossed with UTEE to get a glossy rain-washed or dewy effect.  LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!  You can see it in the photo below.  While it was still warm and pliable I could shape the petals, too.  How fab is that???!!!! 




 
I will mention one other special technique I used.  My butterfly was a little too bright and too green for the other colors on the card, so I toned it down and defined the veins in the wings with Distress Ink in Antique Linen, Tumbled Glass, and Crushed Olive.  Then I brushed on some Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder in Mint to give it that iridescent shimmer that real butterflies have.  The inks were still a bit damp, so it set the powder without additional misting.  Love this pretty sheen!!!




Other products used include:
Spellbinders - Lace Doily Motifs die set
Sizzix - Fancy Labels Dies
Want 2 Scrap - Adhesive Pearls
Misc. scraps from my stash (K&Co. and DCWV)


The effect I was hoping to achieve with this card was of a birdnest hidden away in a leafy arbor.  I love how the tendrils of my swirly Memory Box - Gwyneth Flourish die cuts spring up when I use a light-weight cardstock.  The 3-D effect makes this look even more like the nest is in a secret place.  Sweet!

That's all for this card.  It was fun letting my alchemist alter-ego out while I was playing with the different products I used.  I hope you like the results of my experimenting.  :)  

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  Unity Friends with Flair Link Up
2.  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Favorite Product or Technique (Heat Embossing)
3.  Wow! Embossing Powder June Challenge - Summer
4.  Blog Quick Quotes Friday Challenge #52 - Use Handmade Flowers
5.  Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Don't Cut, Just Paste  (I used UTEE for a thick texture product similar to paste.)
6.  Butterfly Spot Challenge - F is for Flowers
7.  Pixie's Snippets Playground Week 181-182 - Use snippets  (All die cuts were made from scraps.  Hooray!!)
8.  Unruly Paper Arts - June Art Quest 2 - The Great Outdoors

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Trust in the Lord - For Dad

Thanks, Dad, for always letting me have at least one cat while I was growing up!!!

"When I was a kid, I said to my father one afternoon, 'Daddy, will you take me to the zoo?' He answered, 'If the zoo wants you, let them come and get you.'" 
                                                                                   ----------------- Jerry Lewis


Hi, Friends....

Today I am sharing the card I made for my dad for Father's Day.  Dad is almost 92 and in assisted care in another state.  Though he has dementia issues, he continues to be unfailingly cheery and knows me when I call him on the phone.  Even though I have used a humorous quote for my Father's Day tribute to my dad, I love and appreciate so much the most important thing he ever did for me...and that is give me a Christian upbringing.  Thank you, Dad! 

That brings me to my card.  Tombow has an interesting challenge going on right now....Words of Wisdom, where you are asked to hand-letter a quote, words of encouragement, etc.  Like many people, perhaps, I am petrified of actually putting my own lettering on my cards.   That's what sentiment stamps are for, right!!???!!!  But I took the plunge with this card for Dad.  It is far from perfect, but Dad will like it.  :)




Products used:
Watercolor markers for lettering
Gold marker for outlining

Distress Ink in Tea Dye
Mark's Finest Papers - Background Fun stamp set
Sizzix - Fancy Labels Dies

Darice - Checkered Embossing Folder
Fuzzy yarn from my stash
Core'dinations brown cardstock
Parchment look cardstock from my stash
Kraft card base

**************************************
NEW FOLLOWER INTRODUCTION TIME
**************************************
Vinita Jain of New Creations is my newest follower.  She is from way over in India, so it is very exciting to have somebody from that far away as a follower!!  Vinita makes exquisite creations in her unique and beautifully detailed style that you will want to look at, for sure!!  Thank you, Vinita, for becoming a follower.  I appreciate it so much!!!  This ginormous smile is for you!!!

:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Thank you, everyone, for stopping by my blog with your kind words!!!  Hope you are having a wonderful week!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Tombow - Words of Wisdom Challenge
2. Die Cuttin' Divas Challenge #220 - Masculine Theme
3. Inspired by Stamping - IBSIC #95 - Use String
4. DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #158 "For a Man or Boy"
5. DL.Art June Linky Challenge - Anything Goes


Saturday, June 13, 2015

WINNERS WINNERS WINNERS!!!!!!!



"The cat is, above all things, a dramatist."
                                                                              ---------Margaret Benson

Hi, Friends..........

I am here with my winner announcements for my two giveaways!!  I want to thank each of you for your wonderful comments and encouragement.  

So here are the winners................

For the Watercolor Hop/Coffee Lovers Hop prize of this stamp: 
 The random winner is:  Vinita Jain

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
 Next, for the Coffee/Tea/Cocoa joke to win this prize:


 The winner is:  D. Ann C with this riddle that made me chuckle:

Q:  What kind of coffee was served on the Titanic?

A: Sanka.

Congratulations to my winners!!!  I have emailed you.

I have ANOTHER GIVEAWAY coming up soon (I have to wait for my JoAnn.com order to arrive!!) celebrating 100 followers!! YAY!!! So be sure to be watching for it so you can enter!!! 


Have a lovely weekend!!!

<3
Janis

Friday, June 12, 2015

Time For Coffee!!! Coffee Lovers Hop





“It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity.”   
                                                                                     ---------------Dave Barry

Hi, Friends......

I am here with my second and final entry for the Summer Coffee Lovers Hop

 
Remember that I have two giveaways going on right now.  Details are below!!

Freddy, my new rooster.
My card is inspired by my new rooster, Freddy.  A few of you might remember that I lost my other rooster a year ago in March.  I've been rooster-less since then.  I was delighted when a friend offered me one of her extras.  It's been wonderful hearing a rooster crowing (at all hours!!!) in my yard again.  Coffee and a rooster seemed like a natural combination for a card.  :)



This card was a challenge for me since I am a novice at sponging, but I like how it turned out.  I am on the eastern side of my time zone, so the sun comes up VERY early in summer.  Freddy starts crowing pretty early to tell me it is time for coffee!  :)  

My rooster is stamped with Onyx Black Tsukineko - Versafine Ink, and heat embossed with clear powder.  I considered adding in some grass, but decided to go very plain to let the sunrise and my rooster  take center stage.  I printed out my own sentiment since I didn't have one I liked for this card.  

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY INFO........

I have a GIVEAWAY currently going on to celebrate last weekend's Watercolor Hop AND this Summer Coffee Lovers Hop.....and today is the LAST day to enter!!!!

You could win this stamp!!!!

Here's how to enter my GIVEAWAY:
1.  Comment on this or ANY of my Watercolor Hop or Coffee Lover Hop posts by 11:59 pm PDT Friday, June 12, 2015.
2.   Please leave your email address with your comment.  If I do not have a way to contact you, I will select a different winner.  I would be so sad for you to miss out!!
3.  I will announce the winner on Saturday, June 13th.  


I also have a SECOND giveaway going on....but you have to go to THIS POST to enter it.  It also ends today!!!  Eeeek!!!  Better hurry!!!  :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!!  I hope you have a lovely weekend!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop
2. Inspired by Stamping - IBSIC - 94 I used the color palette.














3. Unruly Paper Arts - June Art Quest 2 - The Great Outdoors
4. Little Red Wagon Challenge #293 - Old MacDonald Had A Farm
5. DL.Art June Linky Challenge - Anything Goes

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Not Decaf!!! Coffee Lovers Hop

"There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person."
                                                                                    -------------- Dan Greenberg


Hi, Friends.....

As promised, I am here with a card for the Summer Coffee Lovers Hop.  There is still plenty of time to make a project and link up and/or hop along for prizes.  Deadline is Friday, June 12th @ 11:59 pm Pacific.  I hope you will join all of us!!



Our project is supposed to be summer-themed and nothing says summer to me like vibrant tie-dye colors.  Love love love them!!!  I had to use them for my fun card.


I made this card for our young pastor who came to my rescue today by making a pot of coffee during Vacation Bible School.  A combo of late night and early morning for me and I was in baaaaaaaaaad need!  Imagine my desperation when I discovered no one had made any!  I am GLAD he did NOT make decaf!!  Ha. 

I looked through my stamps when I got home and found this silly owl.  I thought he looked pretty wired, so I made up this sentiment to go with it.  I'll probably write something inside like "Thanks for making coffee.  I needed it!"  I thought the crazy angles, googly eyes, and the wild tie-dye look (DCWV Tie-Dye Stack) characterized the caffeine high well!  I am hoping the black matting makes it look masculine.  What do you think?


GIVEAWAY ALERT:


Do you like the neon starburst tags??? They are much brighter than my camera was able to pick up. I even have an extra pack of them that I will send to someone if you leave a comment by 11:59 pm PDT Friday, June 12, 2015 telling me a good coffee/tea/or cocoa story, joke, or funny brand name or something that will make me laugh!  I'll pick my favorite and send this to them.  PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!!!


You might wonder how I printed the sentiment on my tag.  I printed it out on a separate piece of paper first, then washi taped the tag in place over a second sheet of paper.  Holding it in front of a window helps to see it better.  

I suggest reducing the tackiness of the washi a little first by sticking it to your pant leg or something so it doesn't damage your tag when you remove it.  I didn't have any trouble feeding it through my printer.  Afterwards, it is important to heat emboss it to prevent smearing.  (Guess how I know......Ha!)  I also heat embossed my little owl with clear powder after stamping it with Onyx Black Tsukineko - Versafine Ink.

Did you know I have another GIVEAWAY currently going on to celebrate last weekend's Watercolor Hop AND this summer Coffee Lovers Hop.
You could win this stamp!!!!

Here's how to enter my GIVEAWAY:
1.  Comment on this or ANY of my Watercolor Hop or Coffee Lover Hop posts by 11:59 pm PDT Friday, June 12, 2015.
2.   Please leave your email address with your comment.  If I do not have a way to contact you, I will select a different winner.  I would be so sad for you to miss out!!
3.  I will announce the winner on Saturday, June 13th.  

Thank you for coming to visit.  I hope to see you again soon!!!

<3
Janis


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop
2. Wow! Embossing Powder June Challenge - Summer
3. The Paper Girls Challenge #81 - Father's Day/ Masculine
4. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Make it Masculine
5. DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #157 - Father's Day/For a Man

Monday, June 8, 2015

Sparkling "Hello, Friend" Watercolor Blog Hop




"I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior." 
                                                                                         ---------------Hippolyte Taine


Hi, Friends.....

I am here with my third entry into Pretty Pink Posh's Watercolor Blog Hop.  


Paulina has done an amazing job....as have all the sponsors, designers, and entrants!!!  Don't you just LOVE watercolor effects!??!!

 

I also am entering this card in the latest Waffle Flower Challenge using some of the colors from the palette of this wonderful inspiration photo:




I tried something a little different with this card.  I stamped my flowers from the Stamper's Anonymous Wendy Vecchi Build a Bloom Stamp It Stencil It set with Distress Inks in Picked Raspberry and Salty Ocean onto my Core'dinations heavy duty white cardstock and misted it with water.  Well.......I was not impressed with my results.  The images were more blurred than I wanted.  So what is an embossing lunatic like me to do???  Dry emboss it!!!  I ran it through my machine with my Darice - Dandelion folder.   Ahhhh....now that turned it into something I like!


My sentiment is from the Waffle Flower - Flower Circles stamp set.  I stamped it on a scrap of white cardstock in Picked Raspberry and carefully traced around the words with a ultra-fine black marker for definition.  Then I colored over it with my clear glittery Wink of Stella pen.  Love the sparkle!!


I wrapped some shimmery pink synthetic raffia around the background.  Then I matted the sentiment panel on a leftover scrap of pink and mounted it on foam squares. I really love these colors.....it has pink, you know!  :)  And I hope you like it, too!!!

Don't forget that I have a GIVEAWAY currently going on to celebrate this Watercolor Hop AND the summer Coffee Lovers Hop.


You could win this stamp!!!!

Here's how to enter my GIVEAWAY:
1.  Comment on this or ANY of my Watercolor Hop or Coffee Lover Hop posts by 11:59 pm PDT Friday, June 12, 2015.
2.   Please leave your email address with your comment.  If I do not have a way to contact you, I will select a different winner.  I would be so sad for you to miss out!!
3.  I will announce the winner on Saturday, June 13th.  

Thank you for coming to visit.  I hope to see you again soon!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following hops and challenges:
1. Pretty Pink Posh Watercolor Blog Hop

2. Waffle Flower Challenge June 8-21
3. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - For the Love of Plants

4. Pixie's Snippets Playground Week 180

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Watercolor - Congratulations, Graduate





A kitten is in the animal world what a rosebud is in the garden.
                                                                                                -----------Robert Southey

Hi, Friends.....

I am back with a second entry into Pretty Pink Posh's wonderful Watercolor Blog Hop.  

The link-up is open through tomorrow (Monday, June 8) evening, so hop along and/or link up for a chance to win prizes, including from me!  :)

I am always so inspired by lovely watercolor cards and there are tons of them on this hop.  One look that I love is white embossing on a pretty watercolor background, so that's what I decided to try this time.  I could be wrong, but I think this is the first time I have done this.....why I waited so long, I do not know!

I made this for a young lady in our neighborhood who is graduating.  I am absolutely in love with how it turned out!!!








I used watercolor paper for my background.  First I drenched the paper in water under my faucet and then smooshed it down while still wet onto my craft mat where I had dabbed Distress Inks in Picked Raspberry, Ripe Persimmon, Mustard Seed and misted with water.  Love those colors together and I LOVE the watery look!!!

The flowers and leaves are from the Stamper's Anonymous Wendy Vecchi Build a Bloom Stamp It Stencil It set.  The sentiment is from the Lil' Inker - Rainbows and Clouds Sentiment stamp set.  Everything is heat embossed using WOW! Embossing Powder - Opaque Bright White Regular.

Hope you enjoyed my card!!  Don't forget that I have a GIVEAWAY currently happening to celebrate this Watercolor Hop AND the summer Coffee Lovers Hop.


You can win this stamp!!!!

Here's how to enter my GIVEAWAY:
1.  Comment on this or ANY of my Watercolor Hop or Coffee Lover Hop posts by 11:59 pm PDT Friday, June 12, 2015.
2.   Please leave your email address with your comment.  If I do not have a way to contact you, I will select a different winner.  I would be so sad for you to miss out!!
3.  I will announce the winner on Saturday, June 13th.  

Thank you for all your kind comments!!!  Hope you are having fun on all the wonderful hops and events going on right now!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following hops and challenges:
1. Pretty Pink Posh Watercolor Blog Hop

2. Wow! Embossing Powder June Challenge - Summer
3. Cards in Envy - Girls, Girls, Girls
4. Addicted to Stamps Challenge #106 - Summer Colours
5. DL.Art June Linky 

Chase Your Dreams - Grunge Look Graduation FWF 6-12


"The cat has been described as the most perfect animal, the acme of muscular perfection and the supreme example in the animal kingdom of the coordination of mind and muscle."
                                                                                   ------ Roseanne Ambrose Brown

Hi, Friends.....

There are so many fun events happening in the papercrafting blogosphere right now that it is tough to pick and choose which ones I have time to do!  But I scrambled around to get in on Pretty Pink Posh's Watercolor Blog Hop. You can, too!!  The link-up is open through Monday (June 8) evening.






Watercolor is such a fun and varied category that always gives such lovely results.  Who can resist playing with it??  A hop like this gives me a great excuse to try some new genres and styles.  So I made a masculine grunge-style graduation card for my first hop entry.




I dabbed Distress Ink pads in Black Soot, Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed on my craft mat and misted with water then smooshed my mixed media paper down onto it.  After it was dry I splattered it with some drops of water.  I added some strips of washi tape and stamped a Unity sentiment with Onyx Black Tsukineko - Versafine Ink(This stamp was from a grab bag, but I tracked it down to be part of Unity's Aug 2014 KOM.)  I love this sentiment for a graduation card...don't you?

After getting that far, I realized how grunge this was looking so I decided to add some texture stamping.  I don't really have very many texture stamps so I grabbed a scrap from my DCWV Burlap Paper Stack leftover from a number of recent projects and dabbed Black Soot DI on it and pressed the scrap onto my paper.

The texture of the burlap added exactly the look I wanted!!  :)  What do you think????

By the way, everyone......I have a GIVEAWAY this week to celebrate this Watercolor Hop AND the summer Coffee Lovers Hop.  

You can win this stamp!!!!

Here's how to enter my GIVEAWAY:
1.  Comment on this or ANY of my Watercolor Hop or Coffee Lover Hop posts by 11:59 pm PDT Friday, June 12, 2015.
2.   Please leave your email address with your comment.  If I do not have a way to contact you, I will select a different winner.  I would be so sad for you to miss out!!
3.  I will announce the winner on Saturday, June 13th.  

Okay, that is all for this post.  Be watching for more of my watercolor entries today and tomorrow, and my coffee lovers entries during the week!  :)

<3
Janis


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following hops and challenges:
1. Pretty Pink Posh Watercolor Blog Hop
2. The Male Room Challenge #11 - Use Washi Tape
3. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Make it Masculine
4. Words 2 Scrap By Challenge #18 - It's a Man's World
5. DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #157 - Father's Day/For a Man  

6. The Paper Girls Challenge #81 - Father's Day/ Masculine
7. Unity Friends With Flair Link-Up