day 3 STAMPlorations spotlight - Folk Flowers

Welcome to Day 3 of the STAMPlorations October release Spotlight where it's all about Shirley's new set called FOLK FLOWERS. One of those sets where there is so much you can do with it, you don't know where to start!

Seriously. And thus I started actively using the black hole lovingly known as Pinterest! Seriously. As in, need some inspiration? Check out my board devoted to Folk Art here.

I opted to go with a "Wycinanki" inspiration I had seen a long time ago. Oh those colors!

Image Source

I used this image to determine my colors and create the layout for my card. But... I chose to use black cardstock. And colored pencils. And white embossing. This is what happened.

Easy peasy. I may give this same design another try with a technique I used here to achieve more brilliant colors. Thanks for visiting today.

Check out what the rest of the team made! You'll find links to all our projects here, as well as a Flash Linky Party where you can hook up FALL FLOWER cards you've made.

As always, Shery is being generous with the prizes:

• SEVEN (7) commenters randomly drawn from the designers' blogs will each win a $10 gift certificate.
• ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $25 gift certificate.
• THREE (3) players randomly drawn from the Fall Flower Flash Linky Party will each win a stamp set from the new release.

Enjoyed another relaxing coloring episode while coloring in the heat embossing with colored pencils. Thanks for the encouragement, Kathy R.

And I'm hooking up at Addicted to Stamps and More #167 cuz I made lotsa marks with my pencils ;)

shimmering autumn leaves

Just a reminder that you can link up your black and orange mixed media cards at the MMCC until the 25th!

I got all glittery with my first card. This time I went all shimmery.

I will be showing a step-by-step over at STAMPlorations in a Spotlight post on the 27th, but it was basically a technique using Versamark and Perfect Pearls (copper, gold and gray). Added some dry embossing, heat embossing and embossing paste and a mixed media card was born. How 'bout that shimmer?

Joining the Colors of Autumn challenge at Stamping Sensations.

Also joining in over at House of Cards cuz I've got some of the colors and definitely a lot of texture happening here!

Thanks for visiting today. Did you see my post for the new STAMPlorations release?

day 2 STAMPlorations spotlight - Hope Blooms

Welcome to Day 2 of the STAMPlorations October release Spotlight where it's all about Shery's new set called HOPE BLOOMS. Besides some more great words for use on cards or journal pages, there are a couple of block images.

I decided to see what I could do with that block of butterflies. And kraft CS.

Drew a pencil line down the middle of my kraft CS piece and stamped the image with white pigment ink using a lined acrylic block, trying to keep the image lined up down the middle. Then I colored the butterfly with blue colored pencils. Love how the white pigment details still show through the coloring. Heat embossed my sentiment with WOW! opaque powder. Adhered to a yellow cardbase and voila!

Check out what the rest of the team made! You'll find links to all our projects here.

As always, Shery is being generous with the prizes:

• SEVEN (7) commenters randomly drawn from the designers' blogs will each win a $10 gift certificate.
• ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $25 gift certificate.
• THREE (3) players randomly drawn from the Fall Flower Flash Linky Party will each win a stamp set from the new release.

I'm late to the party over at Kathy R.'s, but she's challenging us to color every day, even if for a short time. I don't know that I will be doing that, but there is something totally mesmerizing about coloring, as I found out in yesterday's (Zig) and today's (colored pencild) projects. Check it out!

day 1 STAMPlorations spotlight - Friends and Flowers

Welcome to Day 1 of the STAMPlorations October release Spotlight where it's all about Dee's new set called FRIENDS AND FLOWERS. Lovely, somewhat larger images. And they're just beckoning to be colored, agree?

I have been Pinteresting lately (real late to the party, I know) - in preparation for Thursday's card actually - and fell in love with this card. I think you can see how it influenced today's card.

Some stamping, some masking and some coloring with my Zig Clean Color Brush pens on watercolor paper. Adhered to a purple cardbase. And voila! Farmers's market-y, eh?

Check out what the rest of the team made! You'll find links to all our projects here.

As always, Shery is being generous with the prizes:

• SEVEN (7) commenters randomly drawn from the designers' blogs will each win a $10 gift certificate.
• ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $25 gift certificate.
• THREE (3) players randomly drawn from the Fall Flower Flash Linky Party will each win a stamp set from the new release.

I'm joining the fun at Just Us Girls #315 this week.

funky, frozen, semi-spooky

OK, this one's out on a limb. But this Love Struck Lucy from Dylusions came to live at my house and hasn't seen ink yet. She just keeps staring at me. And then I see the current challenges for

Time Out #42

Stempelkueche Challenge #30

Since I'd opted to use her, those candlesticks immediately made me think of this funky Sizzix frame die. Cut it from a cereal box and painted it glossy black with nail polish. And, well, a few Avery Elle Modern Leaves sketched circles hit with a waterbrush and a Hampton Art personalized sentiment later... this card was born. Please pardon my weirdness. It gets even worse... I started humming "Let it Go" when I saw what I'd created. A funky, Frozen, semi-spooky card.

I'm also hooking up at these fun challenges:
Simon Says Monday - Wonderful Watercolor
Addicted to Stamps and More - #160 Anything Goes

Thanks for looking!

spotlight - random stamping

I'm over at STAMPlorations today with a spotlight tutorial sharing my method for not-so-random
random stamping. Check it out here.

STAMPlorations inspiration #42

Ready for more inspiration from Dee's fun Santa images from Santa is Here?

I was completely and totally inspired by Virginia's current challenge titled "All Things Colored". And you say to yourself, "What? She didn't even color anything!" True. But I wanted to show how important color is and the effect it can have on us.

First, what do you think of when you see red and green? I bet 99% of you would answer that with "Christmas". Talk about powerful, that stuff called color.

And second, notice how that bit of super strong color along the edge of my otherwise white card absolutely forces your eye to the black sentiment. And then you notice the simple Santa sharing his present with you. I seriously debated coloring the ribbon on the present metallic gold, but I think that would have ruined the effect.

BTW, I created that strip of color by sponging various red, yellow and green Adirondack dye inks through ARTplorations Just Squares stencil.

Hope you enjoyed. Wanna CASE my card? Please do, and hook up at the CASEplorations Inspiration Playground for October.

I'm hooking up at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday's - CAS Christmas.

One more look at that luscious color before you go ;) Have a great day.