STAMPlorations release - say it big

Hope you've been enjoying the events over at STAMPlorations where the gals have been creating with the newly released products. Today a group of us are working with the new additions to the Say it Big series. You can catch the whole lineup here.

Do you own many large sentiment stamps? If you do, you may like today's post where you can get more ideas on how to use them. I have two projects for you. And check out our challenge this month at STAMPlorations too - it's about putting focus on the sentiment.

For my first card I pulled out a smooshed background from my stash and using my MISTI stamped the sentiment a few times. I needed to do this because the paper has a linen texture. But I think it turned out OK.

To add something more, I stamped the sun and rainbow and used watercolor pencils and my water brush to give them a touch of color. Drew the wonky border with a Sharpie.

 STAMPlorations Bigger than Fear stamp

STAMPlorations Wonderful Life stamp

For my second project, I actually used two big sentiments. Not sure that I like the result, I'd hoped the inlaid die cut would be more subtle. Maybe I should have stuck with tone-on-tone?? - if you have any tips on how to make this idea more effective, please share.

STAMPlorations Your Limit stamp

STAMPlorations Just Go die

sewing machine

Teresa Collins PP

Hope you'll check out what the other girls did with these large sentiments. And if you create something with the focus on the sentiment, be sure to hook up with the monthly challenge at STAMPlorations which will go live on April 5!

guest star at Winnie & Walter - premiere Facets

What a whirlwind week it's been! I hope you've been following all the premieres of the Winnie & Walter April/May release.  If not, be sure to check out the gorgeous projects created by The Talent, as well as the Big Giveaway and the previous days' premieres here. It's been my pleasure designing with this release and I hope you've been inspired to start creating with these trendy and versatile sets too.

Today is fun! Graphic, cool fun! Winnie & Walter are premiering - Mini Scenery; Multifaceted + My Precious + Sparkle + True.  Please take a moment to go see the sets here.

I didn't know where to start. All that facetted goodness. And handwritten sentiments!

Before we get to the stamps, let me show you what I did with the cutaway Mutlifaceted.

Got in over my head on this one. Started out thinking shaker with gold sequins. Ended up with an acetate card with too many glue squishes. But anyhoo... die cut it from black, removed most of the triangles and adhered acetate with matte medium. Then had to adhere a second sheet of acetate cuz I had cut the other exactly the size of the die cut and how to attach a card back????  I needed a flap to fold over at the top and attach to a piece of black CS. And thus, the glue, squished between the two acetate layers :(  I'm curious... What would you use to attach a die cut like this to acetate?

But did you catch my faux foiling?!? I topped my stacked The Big, the Bold and Friends die cut with PP (from a Teresa Collins Studio Gold 12x12 pad) which is large stripes of gold and white. I placed the die so that it appears that just the bottom of the word was foiled!

"Fabulous" from The Big, the Bold and Friends was stamped onto and fussy cut from another sheet of PP from the pad.

On to the stamp sets. I had seen a color combo in a magazine and decided to use it with this design. I inked the star from True with dye inks and stamped along a pencilled guideline.

I used words from True and My Precious to create my sentiment, stamping "hero" onto a gold die cut star to emphasize the theme. Wouldn't this be great for Operation Write Home?

Then it was time for some Sparkle too. This set actually came out with the last release as a freebie, but is available for regular purchase now. It works great with the party-themed stamps of the last release as well as the facetted stamps of this release.

I combined Sparkle with My Precious to create sparkle and shine with glittered embossing powder on vellum.

I chose this color combo in a nod to Taheerah's color crushes on the 2015 Pantone palette. I used Adirondack inks in Cranberry, Butterscotch and Pool. Softened them around the edges with my water brush. And gave the gems a shot of Wink of Stella too.

My last creation goes out to the lovely Julie and Shay at W&W. 

This card was born in the aftermath of the gems. I used the same colors to watercolor the heat embossed hearts. If you're a follower, you know I'm oh-so-frugal-practical. So instead of cleaning up the ink leftover from watercoloring the images, I grabbed a scrap of watercolor paper and brushed them onto it. Meet my background ;)

Then I just arranged the hearts near their color blocks and added some words from True stamped onto vellum. I heart you, ladies!

Well, it's a wrap! I hope you have enjoyed this week as much as I have. I had a blast creating with the April/May Winnie & Walter release and I hope you will too! The products go on sale tonight at 10 p.m. Don't miss out. All that's left is for me to send out a great big thanks to Julie and Shay for having me as guest star this week. Thanks gals!

guest designing at card concept 34

If you're looking for my post for Winnie & Walter's April/May release, please click here.

Are you up for another mixed media card for the gals over at The Card Concept? I've really enjoyed exercising my mixed media genes this month ;) Check out this sweet inspiration photo.

So what did I take away with me? A present, a tag, baker's twine, stripes, a rose hanging over the upper left corner of the photo... This is what I created.

No fully-loaded mixed media card this time, but rather a "cassy" one. CAS + messy = cassy.
I've still used mixed media - Glimmer Mist, watercolors, twinkling H2Os. And I've got techiques - dry embossing, heat embossing, watercoloring, splattering. And texture and dimension - dry embossing, heat embossing, twine, die and fussy cuts, and even a sentiment sticker.

Here's a closeup of the shimmer thanks to the turquoise Glimmer Mist splatters and the H2Os on the watercolored rose from STAMPlorations.

There were lots of lovely entries to the last challenge with its graphic photo. Hope to see just as many this time around too. Thanks for having me, Card Concept!

I'm joining in the Everything Goes challenge at Inspiration Journal and I'm hooking up to Simon Says Monday Challenge which is Anything Goes and also to the Wednesday Challenge where it's about Clean and Simple this week. I don't think it's written anywhere that mixed media cannot be CAS ;)

Thanks for looking.

grab it

Just quick to share a card I made for the Cure for the Monday Blues challenge over at birthday girl Taheerah's. And to thank Shelly K. for the "sweet greeting" she sent me - a Teresa Collins paper pad with great neutral patterns. Here's what I did with it.

I was looking at the place setting, thinking knives and forks, when I noticed the fish net type pattern of the dinner plate. So I heat embossed it gold.

The rest happened while perusing the paper pad. I like the love idea and how the little tickets in the PP mimic the place card. And also support the love theme.

Thanks for looking. Off for more Mardi Gras stress!