Distress Oxide Background

I found a little crafting time to play with my new distress oxide inks.  I needed a masculine birthday card and felt leather and distress oxides fit the bill.  My card is based on the sketch challenge this week at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

I created my top panel by blending salty ocean and peacock feathers inks, then distressed with Walnut Stain.  I then sprayed an oldie by goodie wood mounted background stamp with water and stamped onto my distress oxide panel.  I let the stamp sit in place for a bit.  I think the weight of the wood mount is what gave me such a great impression on my background.  I used regular cardstock for my panel, no watercolor paper required.  To continue with my background, I inked my stamp up again with walnut ink and stamped onto my pacifica cardstock.  I used a strip of suede leather for my border and die cut banners to follow the sketch.

All supplies by Close To My Heart, except where noted:
V146 Sunny Morn Background-(Long Retired)
A1201 One in a Million Stamp Set
X5967 Pacifica Cardstock
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
Dark Brown Cardstock by DCWV
Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Ink
Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide Ink
Salty Ocean Distress Oxide Ink
Suede Leather Trim
Banner Dies-Unknown
Rectangle Dies-Unknown
Z3304 Happy Birthday Die-Only Available until 7/31/17
Z3312 Gold Glitter Gems

My card is also entered in the following challenges:
Connie Can Crop-Use Your Stash (My stamp is easily 15 years old)
Dies R Us-Sentiment as Focus
Happy Little Stamper-Anything Goes with Dies
Heart 2 Heart-In Stitches (Stitched Dies)
Mix It Up-Anything Goes w/option of distressing
The Male Room-Mixed Media
Watercooler Wednesday-Masculine

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Don't forget to shop the Buy 2, Get 1 Free Stamp Sale...the sale ends July 31!

A Summer Hello...

This is the negative image from my card shown yesterday.  My card is inked with Poppy and Lemon inks for a bright summer feel.  You can easily recreate the image by using any dye inks that you have on hand.  Simply apply your dye ink direct to your stamping block, spritz with water and stamp directly onto your paper.  I used regular cardstock and regular dye inks....no special products needed.  I chose to die cut my panel, but you could easily stamp images as well.

All supplies by Close To My Heart:
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
X5779 Poppy Cardstock
Z2852 Poppy Dye Ink
Z2808 Lemon Dye Ink
Y1009 Acrylic Block
Z679 Liquid Glass
Hello Die-Sold Out

I have entered my card in the following challenges:
Addicted to CAS-Summer
City Crafter Challenge-Use Two Colors Only
Just Us Girls-Ink Blending

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Prickly Pear Hello

I am back with another die cut from my watercolor block stamping marathon!  I love how you can get two focal points out of one image by using the positive and the negative from your die.  To create this image, I inked up a clear acrylic block with Poppy and Lemon ink.  I then spritzed the block with water and stamped directly onto paper with the inked block.  After the ink dried, I then die cut my image.  Over the next few days, you will see how I have utilized the positive and the negative images.  I die cut an additional hello out of thin foam and mounted my inked image to it for more dimension.  I used Liquid Glass to secure the two together.  My image coordinates perfectly with the Prickly Pear papers that are featured this month at Close To My Heart.

All supplies by Close To My Heart, except where noted:
X7221B Prickly Pear Paper Packet
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
X5779 Poppy Cardstock
Z2852 Poppy Dye Ink
Z2808 Lemon Dye Ink
Y1009 Acrylic Block
Z679 Liquid Glass
Foam Sheet-Unknown
Hello Die-Sold Out

I have entered my card in the following challenges:
Addicted to Stamps-Clean and Simple
Always Fun Challenges-Anything Goes
CAS on Fridays-Flowers
Crafty Hazelnut's Pattern Paper-Anything Goes w/Pattern Paper
Dies R Us-Layers
Happy Little Stampers-Anything Goes w/Dies
Tic Tac Toe Challenge-Summer, Die Cut, Pattern Paper
UnstampaBelles-Everyday w/Twist of Lots of Color

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Block Watercolor Stamping

I was in need of some notecards.....and was recently inspired by the Block Watercolor Stamping designs by Jennifer McGuire.  If you have yet to create some of these gorgeous backgrounds for fear of not having the "right" supplies....I suggest you give it a go with the items you currently have in your craft room.  I created this card with dye inks and cardstock from Close To My Heart.  No distress inks or watercolor paper required.

I inked up an acrylic block with Sapphire and Fern Inks.  I first inked the lighter color and then added the darker color.  While I do not actually mix the colors on the block....I feel you are better safe than sorry by inking the lighter color first.  After inking up my block, I then spritzed with water and stamped the block directly onto my paper.  My stamping surface was a little uneven, so I added more water to my block and stamped again.  I love how it gave the interesting color combos shown above.  To me, the card has such a beachy summery feel to it!

I set my card front aside to dry and continuing on with various other color choices..., which I am sure will be making an appearance later in the week! You could also use a heat gun to dry your images if time is of the essence.  I found mine dried quickly without having to use a heat gun.  Once my card fronts were dry, I then centered a word die on top and ran through my Big Shot.  Now, I will have two cards from one great background.  While I have used the negative here, the positive images are in a pile just begging to be used on future cards.

The cards were super fun to create and came together quickly.  Clean up is a breeze as well, just spritz your block with more water and wipe clean.

All supplies by Close To My Heart:
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
X5775 Sapphire Cardstock
Z2848 Sapphire Dye Ink
Z2850 Fern Dye Ink
Thanks Die-sadly sold out, but any greeting die or sentiment would work well.
Y1009 Acrylic Block
Water

I have entered my card in the following challenges:
Addicted to CAS-Summer
Addicted to Stamps-CAS
Cards 4 Guys-Beside the Sea
Happy Little Stampers-Anything Goes with Dies
Happy Little Stampers-Watercolour with Optional Twist of Blue
Heart 2 Heart Challenges-No Worries
Through the Purple Haze-Spots or Stripes
Victorine Stamps-Photo Inspiration

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Freshly Made Sketches #295

It is never to early to get started on your holiday cards!  With the heat we are currently having, I was content to be in my craft room playing with snowflakes!  My card is based on the sketch challenge this week at Freshly Made Sketches-

If you prefer to mass produce your holiday cards, this would be a great sketch to work with.  Most of my cards are one of a kind.  This one has some added details that are not so clear in the pic.  I die cut my snowflake out of white cardstock, covered in Versamark ink and then white embossed.  I then repeated twice more.  In the end I had a super smooth, glossy snowflake.

All supplies by Close To My Heart, except where noted:
Merry & Bright Stamp Set by Simon Says Stamp
1385 White Daisy Cardstock
X5775 Sapphire Cardstock
Z891 Versamark Ink
Z2068 White Embossing Powder
Z3274 Clear Sparkles
Z1263 Bitty Sparkles
Snowflake Die-Unbranded

I have also entered my card in the following challenges:
CHNC Challenge #341-Anything Christmas Goes w/optional snowflakes
Jingle Belles-Snowflakes Hanging on Open Fireplace
Sparkles Forum Challenges-Embossing

Have you started on your Holiday cards?  If you are still seeking the perfect stamp....check out the selection of retired stamps that Close To My Heart has brought back for our July Stampaganza-

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Christmas in July!

Close To My Heart has brought back some great stamp sets from retirement!  For July only, stamp sets are Buy 2, get 1 FREE!  You can view the special promotional stamps HERE!  You can also mix and match sets from the current line up with the promotional stamps for the Buy 2, Get 1 Free sale!

Thanks so much for stopping by!