Watercolour Easter

Yesterday's Friday Mashup was to use Daffodil Delight, Perfect Plum and Wild Wasabi with a Blender Pen or Aqua Painter to create a watercolour effect.  I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches this week also.

I have given the directions below - but I wanted to note that for the Cotton Ribbon, I used the Aquapainter and reinker, just like I did for the flower background.  I was able to deepen the colour a bit more and I found that it "soaked" into the fabric better than applying colour with a marker.

Hope you have a fabulous Saturday - I've got a workshop this afternoon and then I'm going to start    re-painting some baseboards - gotta love Spring Break!

Thanks for stopping in!

Joan

Shine On...

I'm working with the Freshly Made Sketches and Colour Me! challenges together today.  I have actually been doing that a lot since both challenges come out on Wednesday - I may not get to them on that day - but I like to work them together.

The sketch is clean and simple and the colours are wonderfully subtle….Soft Sky, Pear Pizzazz, and Coastal Cabana.

I decided to paper piece the nail polish lids using the silver Foil Sheets.  I have never gotten rid of my Stampin'Up! Spritzer Tool - I love it!  That is how I added the splashes of the three colours onto the top of the matt.

To make the little bottles of nail polish shine, I've added a coating of Crystal Effects.

Hope your day is going well - we're dealing with winter again - but at this time of year you know that it won't last for long.

Thanks for stopping by to visit.

Joan

STEPS FOR MASKING UNWANTED 

PORTION OF A STAMP IMAGE

1.  On the mounted stamp - put a piece of tape over the portion of the image you DO NOT want to use.

2.  Ink up your image.

3.TAKE OFF THE PIECE OF TAPE!!!  THIS STEP IS VITAL.  

I'm sure there are tons of us out there who have forgotten to take the tape off!!!!!!

4.  Stamp the remaining image onto the desired card stock - punch it out or use it according to your plan.

Directional Thoughts

Came home from school to do the Freshly Made Sketches  and the Colour Me…! Challenges.  Gotta admit - blue and orange are not my favourites - but I like how this turned out.  

I used a brayer to colour the inside of my chevron embossing folder before embossing the paper.  I also used my Stamp-a-ma-Jig to get the little squares lined up on the blue piece.

Absolutely loving the melting snow, the fresh air, the late light night sky….I know it still can snow before the May long weekend - but the end is in sight and it looks good.

Thanks for stopping by,

Joan

Monochromatic Baby

Played along with Freshly Made Sketches challenge today.

As I've mentioned many times - I love making monochromatic cards.  I liked the sketch this week too - I love when things are a bit askew.  

I'm trying something new - following in the footsteps of Heather Summers.  At the bottom of the post you'll see today's card itemized and directions given on how to create it.  I may not be able to do this all the time - but I'm going to try!

Hope you're having a great day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Joan

You're Fabulous

Just a quick afternoon post using a sketch from this week's Freshly Made Sketches and colours from Colour Me…!

I've been wanting to use this Hostess Set - Making a Point - for a while now. 

I've seen the embossed Word Bubbles in a couple of places now - and I like the look of colour on colour to add texture to a background.

Hope you're having a great day.  Allison and I spent the afternoon at the Harry Potter exhibit - good times!

Have a great day!

Joan

May Happiness be your Destination

Worked on the Freshly Made Sketches and Hand Stamped Sentiment challenges this afternoon.

I've used the World Map stamp and split it in three sections.  After stamping the sentiment onto the ribbon I thought that something else was needed - so added a few stamps as embellishments.

Getting ready to have dinner and head to choir for the first time in 3 weeks.

Hope all is going well for you today.

Thanks for dropping in.

Joan

Buttercup Monster

WooHoo Wednesday! I love seeing what the Freshly Made Sketches gals have every week.  They never disappoint!

I love the pennants framelits that we have now and I am having fun combining the Word Bubble framelits with words from sets other than the set they match.  I pulled out my little Monstermaniacs again - they're just so cute.  I managed to fussy cut the eyelashes, but there was no way I was going to attempt the antennae!  She is popped up on the card.

I couldn't think of any sort of embellishment I wanted to add, so I used one of the pieces from the Circle Card Thinlits to get some small chevron shapes that fit perfectly on the embossed piece.  These little pieces are also popped off the card.

Hope your Wednesday has had something in it to make you cheerful.  Thanks for dropping in for a visit.

Joan

Geometric Hooray

I played along with Freshly Made Sketches and Create with Connie and Mary this afternoon.  I don't have the little triangle punch yet, so I just cut out the triangles from the "Geometrical" set I got at Leadership.

I also did a little water colouring - love the idea from Brian Pilling at Leadership!  This will be one of the cards we do at next months' technique class!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

One challenge done today and  I've used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches. 

A quick post - now I'm off to do some housecleaning.  

Have a wonderful holiday with family and friends celebrating the birth of our Saviour.

Thanks for stopping by for a brief visit.

Joan

Silver Christmas

Working on some designs for my next Christmas stack.....I had to jump at the chance of participating in the Merry Monday challenge this week because it used snowflakes and Blue/Silver/White...which is perfect for the Winter Frost DSP; which I love!

I've discovered that the Silver Foil Sheets emboss beautifully!  

I'm not sure if I'll use this design for my November stack - but it's one I'll use personally for sure.

I've used the Freshly Made Sketches - sketch - for this design.  I did not include the little flags, so I just may create a different card with this sketch this week!

Before the day is out, be sure to take advantage of the 25% discount on selected punches.

Go to my on-line store and remember to use this week's Hostess Code!

Hope your day has been productive - creatively or otherwise.

Thanks for taking the time to visit.

Joan

Vellum Poinsettia

Happy Friday - 

I have seen this poinsettia done on vellum in a number of places and just had to try it!  I love the effect - and it works perfectly with the sketch for Freshly Made Sketches; although I did not create a square card.

Clean and simple, easy peasy.....a great card for a Christmas Stack!

Twenty-seven years ago today I married an extraordinary man - can't image life without him.

Hope you have something of some sort to celebrate today.

Thanks for stopping by - Joan

Birthday Balloons

Oh I do love balloon images!  That's just one of the things I like about the new "Sketched Birthday" set - I love the drawings and how all the sentiments fit a framelit or a punch.  I'm also loving the Birthday Basics DSP - so much fun!

I got the sketch today from Freshly Made Sketches - although I didn't keep true to the sketch...sorry ladies.

There have been a lot of distractions today - so I must try to stay focused into the evening.  I hope your day has been fruitful.  Thanks for dropping by.

Joan

Happy Day

Oh, Happy Day - I did my first challenge for the summer....actually two.  I've combined the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the Friday Mashup!

I've used Gorgeous Grundge (from Convention) for the splatters and Happy Day.  I've also added some of the Brights Candy Dots - I like these so much the way they are, I'm not sure I'll ever turn them into brads; but it's nice to have the option.

I'm appreciating the simple sketch - it made the card quick to create.  I'm finding that since I haven't been home for a month, there are so many things that I WANT to do as well as HAVE to do, that I'm not quite sure where I need/want to start.  Guess I'll just take one day at a time!

The Friday Mashup is...

1. Create a project with "Polka Dots ".
2. Create a project using "the Word Happy".
3. Or Mash it Up and create a project "with Polka Dots & The Word Happy on it ".

And the sketch is here...

I have also worked on putting together some of my Paper Pumpkins - I had a number of boxes that I had no time to play with.  The July kit included supplies to create little banners....I opted to change them into cards.  I've only created two right now - I still have supplies for more.

And I guess I've actually completed one more challenge since I found the My Paper Pumpkin Challenge Blog.  I'll be checking it out from now on too.

Off I go to begin the day - hope you have a marvelous one.

Thanks for stopping by.

Joan

Coffee and Friends

I got my box of new goodies this week and did a wee bit of playing yesterday.

I am loving this new Eastern Elegance DSP and the Beautifully Baroque embossing folder!

The background is created by masking the coffee cup and then I stamped ink off before putting it to the background.  Wasn't quite the effect I was looking for - but it's okay.

The sketch is from Freshly Made Sketches - I opted not to do a square card because of a lack of envelopes.

I've been extremely busy - which is why I haven't had as many posted as I'd like - and I'm not done with the busyness yet; there's still lots to do before the end of the month.  Including packing up my entire music room.  I got some new instruments this week and after unpacking to look at them, I have to repack them, along with everything else, to move across town.  Fun times!

 I have also been doing some other "artsy" stuff.  This is something I finished last night in my BIG found paper book.  (can you see the "inside" of one of the paper bags we got our Make and Takes in at Convention last year?  I can't wait to doodle on it.  Anyway - I've used reindeers and the aqua painter  for this page in my book - it's done on piece of watercolour paper.  I always include at least one page of watercolour paper in my found paper books! 

I would never profess to be an artist - but I do have fun pretending!  

Hope you find a bit of creating time in your day.  Thanks for stopping by!

Joan

Amazing You

I got to play with a couple new toys yesterday while using Freshly Made Sketches

I put together the Chalk Talk stamp set and I can't wait to get the Framelits that go with it...so for now I "fussy cut" the swirly image.  I've also used one of the new Hostess Sets - Express Yourself.  I like the font and it has a wide variety of greetings to use.

A Very Vintage button has been tied on with Espresso Ribbon and I've used some of the new Soho Subway paper.  

Just 15 days until the new catalogue goes live - so much new fabulous stuff.

Hope you are having a sun shiny day - Thanks for visiting!

Joan

Happy Graduation

Good Grief - I forgot to do any embossing on this card I created this morning for the Friday Mashup    and  Freshly Made Sketches.  I think I was so focused on wanting to do something for the challenge, that I forgot the mashup part.

The Friday Mashup is to create a graduation card and/or a card with some sort of embossing.  I think I was probably excited about using the Washi tape on a card too - I'm so excited that we carry it now.

Don't forget that May is the perfect time to work on and print off some of your MDS projects.... Get 25% off from May 1 - June 15!!!!

Get more details at my website  HERE

Hope you have a fantastic weekend - I'm looking forward to do a bunch of stamping and arting.

Thanks for stopping by,

Joan

One's Destination....

What a fun sketch today over at Freshly Made Sketches.  I had everything laid out for it this morning before I went to school - but it's taken a while to get it posted this afternoon.

I used one of the ready made pieces on one of the sheets from the Fan Fair DSP and spruced everything up with a trio of buttons and brads.  Sort of sad though - the only ink is the distressing on the More Mustard Mat and around the little quotation.  I did stamp the globe from the "Open Sea" set on the envelope - 

I got my Paper Pumpkin in the mail today - so I promised myself that I had to get some business done before I sat down to play.  I'm preparing for my booth at the Fort Saskatchewan Trade Fair next weekend.....circle the date and come by to see me.

Now off to play with a pumpkin!

Hope your day has been swell - Thanks for dropping by.

Joan

You're Amazing - Thank You

This little medallion from the sneak peak "A Round Array" set has got to be my favourite stamp right now.  I keep reaching for it in my projects.

Today's card uses the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  I've flipped it on it's side and only added the one square of Floral District DSP.

I've started keeping the base piece that the stamps come in so that once I've attached the label to the stamp, I put them back into the base.

I'm mentioning this because I used the base piece for the  "You're Amazing" stamp to trace around my stamped image so that I could cut it out evenly around the whole image.

Here's the sketch...

Gotta Run - it's a professional development day today - and I'd best be on my way.

Thanks for stopping by!

Joan