Poppies!

Hello!! I have a new card for you today from Rubbernecker Stamps using one of the many watercolor stamp sets they have. I love working with these, and I think I have finally gotten the hang of it! This was my first try! I used the Layered Poppy Set, along with the coordinating die, and a sentiment from the Butterflies are Free set. 

I cut the die first. I thought it would help me line the stamps up. Sometimes that can be a little challenging with these multi-piece sets. This set is two stamps: the outline and the petals. I stamped the outline with Ranger Archival Ink and gave the ink a few minutes to dry to make sure it wouldn't bleed when I wet the paper. While it was setting, I prepped my petal stamp with three different colours, using SU Stampin' Write markers: Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise, and Daffodil Delight. I randomly applied the colour because the watercolour effect you are trying to achieve will look more natural if you are a little loosy-goosy with the ink. 

I wet the paper (Rubbernecker Water Color Paper) with a spray bottle, let it sit for a few seconds, then sprayed it again. Then I sprayed the inked stamp with water and pressed it to the paper. I let it sit on the paper for about five seconds or so, to let the colour absorb into the paper. I used the Cuttlebug embossing folder "Juli's Garden" on the paper for the back mat. All the paper I used is SU Brights  cardstock, that coordinates with the ink. I glued some rhinestones into the little circles created by the embossing folder, and added some string pearls to the sentiment square. Those rounded square die cuts, by the way, Rubbernecker dies!! But you probably already knew that because I LOVE them and have been using them a LOT lately!!

So that's that! I hope you like it, and are inspired to try these watercolor stamps out. I've added all the links to all the Rubbernecker products I've used today below so they are easy to find:

Layered Poppy stamp set - http://www.rubbernecker.com/product-p/860.htm&Click=176

Layered Poppy die - http://www.rubbernecker.com/product-p/860d.htm&Click=176

Butterflies are Free - http://www.rubbernecker.com/product-p/3020.htm&Click=176

Nested rounded square corner stitch dies - http://www.rubbernecker.com/product-p/5018d.htm&Click=176

RN Watercolor paper - http://www.rubbernecker.com/product-p/wcp.htm&Click=176

Poppy Field

It's time for Team 1's Sweet Sunday post! I used the watercolour stamp Poppy Field for today's card. I also used a sentiment stamp from the Freehand Border Phrase Set.

I mixed the crimson and the blue from the Ken Oliver Color Burst Brights set with some water in a mister and made a dark purple. I sprayed the watercolor paper with water, then sprayed the stamp with my purple mist and stamped it on the damp paper. I held it down for about ten seconds to let the colour soak into the paper and then lifted the stamp. I was lucky to find some paper scraps that perfectly match the colour I created with the Color Bursts. I embossed them with a Cricut embossing folder. I added black dots with a Perlen Pen from Viva Decor randomly around the card to finish it off. I love that Perlen Pen. I think I need to buy a whole bunch more in a variety of colours. 

A new challenge was launched on the Rubbernecker Blog on Valentine's Day, so make sure you pop over there and check it out. There are two prizes of $25 and $15 up for grabs!

Rubbernecker Stamps - Poppy Field

I'm back with another watercolour stamp from Rubbernecker Stamps called Poppy Field, using a different sentiment from the Freehand Border Phrase set that I used on my last card. I also used the Large Freehand Border stamp in the making of this card, which is a standard A2 size.

I stamped this on watercolor paper, and matted it on Stampin' Up Garden Green cardstock. I used Ken Oliver Color Burst Brights for my poppies and the border stamp, and Stampin' Up Garden Green Ink for the stems and the sentiment. While you can click on the embedded links in my post, I've also added links to all my supplies below:

http://www.rubbernecker.com/index.php/poppy-field.html
http://www.rubbernecker.com/index.php/freehand-border-phrase-set-900.html
http://www.rubbernecker.com/index.php/freehand-border-large-889-01.html
http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ItemList.aspx?categoryID=22202

Check out the Rubbernecker Blog to see the lovely creations from all the other DT1 ladies!

Rubbernecker Stamp Showcase - Blooming Poppies

I recently was asked to join a newly formed Design Team for Rubbernecker Stamps. My friend Cristena is leading the group so that was a bonus, then I took a look at their store and that was ANOTHER bonus! Holy smokes! They have some super awesome stamps in there!! Sentiments, watercolor stamps, backgrounds, images, you name it and they have it! Check out the blog launch HERE, and all the creations from the rest of the DT.

For my debut card, I'm using Blooming Poppies watercolor stamp and the Freehand Border Phrase Set.

Blooming Poppies

The poppies are a two stamp set, consisting of the stems and the petals. I used black Memento Ink for the stems, and Ken Oliver Color Burst Brights in Alazarin Crimson and Violet for the petals. I mixed the two together to create a deep burgundy. My DP is from DCWV Green Stack. I thought the red of the poppies really complimented the smoky blue of the paper. I used By DIEzyne stitched circle dies to cut out the poppies, sentiment, and an accent circle, which I placed behind the sentiment.

I was a little out of my element doing a stamp only card with no colouring involved, but I think the end result turned out pretty nice. I hope you like it, and make sure you check out their store and the new blog. xoxo

New Release at The East Wind

Hello Tuesday!! It`s New Release day over at The East Wind, and today is a fantastic one! (Well, every new release is fantastic, but this one is extra fantastic!) It`s called Marvelous Spatuletail and it is beautiful!

I coloured this with Copic markers, and did a watercolour background. The background didn't come out quite like I hoped, but I wasn't fussy cutting the image out to put it on a different background, so next time I will do the background FIRST. ;-) I printed it out at 5"x5.5" because I wanted to have a lot of space to get in and do her wings. I usually print out at 3.5" (no bigger than 4") for images I'm going to put on a card, but I knew I was going to need a bigger image with this one. 

Pop on over to the Facebook group and join us for contests, and also on the BLOG because they have twice monthly challenges over there! And if you sign up for the newsletter, Unky will send you a sweet freebie on the 1st of every month! On top of that, The East Wind just became a sponsor of Kit and Clowder, so you can see some collaboration between us and Alyce in the near future! See you around crafty land!

Thanks for stopping by!! 

Once Upon A Time

It is time for a new challenge in The East Wind Facebook group. The theme is Once Upon A Time. We are challenging you to find an image from The East Wind's Etsy shop and make it fit a fairytale or story book theme. Think outside the box. Think of villains and not just the protagonists of the story. Think of the original stories, and not the Disney versions we all know so well. I took the easy way out, I will admit. I chose Lucy Loo "Mermaid", but I researched a bit and found a quote from the original story by Hans Christian Andersen. His story is a bit darker than the animated movie we are more familiar with, and I think the darker story goes with Unky's images. 

Lucy Loo "Mermaid"

I coloured this with Copics. I added some scales to her using a technique I learned in the Skin & Hair Class at Kit & Clowder. It had been a while since I did them so I was crossing my fingers they turned out. They didn't blob together, which is good, but they are hard to see in the picture. I had some Canson watercolor paper that I used to watercolor a background. None of my papers really gave it that sea feel I was looking for, but this turned out pretty well, I think.

After reading some excerpts from the original story, I think I might have to give it a read. The Sea Witch cuts out the little mermaid's tongue, which is pretty hardcore. I wonder if it would give my kids nightmares. 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my DT inspiration for the new challenge. Make sure you head over there and pop your own make into the challenge folder. Check out the blog too! There are two challenges a month there, including the 1st of the month challenge which involves the freebie you get in your newsletter. You're not getting the newsletter? Sign Up!! There's a bright pink box near the top of the page for you to enter your email address.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:
Freshly Brewed Designs - Let's Go Swimming
Crafty Sentiments - ATG
Digi Choosday - All About the Girl
Through the Craft Room Door - ATG
Artistic Inspirations - ATG
Craft Your Passion Challenges - ATG

xx

Movie Inspiration

Over at Open-Minded Crafting Fun Challenges our current theme is Movie Inspiration. We have some wonderful sponsors providing us some wonderful images to work with too: Ike's Art, Sami Stamps, and Sassy Studio. I chose an image from Sami Stamps called "With You". At first, my inspiration was supposed to be The Notebook. I haven't met a woman yet who doesn't love The Notebook. The image I was working with wasn't exactly like the scene in The Notebook, but it was close enough. THEN I saw Little Women the other day. The one with Winona Ryder as Jo, and I forgot how much I loved that movie. At the end, Friedrich comes while Jo is gone and drops off her book that he's arranged to have published. She comes home, realizes he's been there, and runs after him. She brings him his umbrella that he's left behind, and it starts to rain; he opens his umbrella, asks her to marry him and there they are, under the umbrella, living happily ever after. So romantic! It doesn't hurt that I've always had a thing for Gabriel Byrne. So, in the end, that was my inspiration for this.

I used Copics to color the image. The background is watercolor. I used an Art Impressions cloud stamp at the top with water-based ink and dragged the ink out with a wet brush, the rest of it I did freehand.

Their feet are flat against the paper, but I used 3D foam circles under the umbrella, and I curved the umbrella so that it pops out from the paper. There's quite an exaggeration at the top where the umbrella pops out and curves over.

I used a watermark pen to go over the umbrella and then I embossed it with clear embossing powder. I wanted it to have that shiny vinyl finish some umbrellas have.

Make sure you check out Open-Minded Crafting Fun Challenges! We love to see a variety of projects, not just cards!

Well, that was my movie inspiration! Now I want to watch Little Women again. And The Notebook. :-)
I hope you liked it. Please feel free to leave a comment below; I love to hear what you have to say!

Myndi xx