Golden Wings

The Fusion/CASe This Sketch challenge this week really caught my eye.  Loosely following the sketch I chose to pull in the gold, swirl on the votive, and gold-rimmed clear plate from the inspiration photo.

First I used painter's tape to create the gold band on the transparency film, stamping the edge in Versamark and heating embossing in gold.  I did the butterflies and sentiment similarly.  I really like the resulting texture of the gold.  It looks hammered, doesn't it?

I cut out the butterfly die in gold mirror board and the backing butterfly in white vellum so that the wings would really be showcased.  I mounted all that on a folded cardstock base where I had dry embossed a swirly design.

I wish my photo could capture the shine of the transparency film better; at least you can see the transparency film at the edges.  It's a very cool effect.

The Details:  PTI white cardstock, copier transparency film, gold embossing powder, Versamark, Memory Box butterfly dies, Paper Studio embossing folder, Inkadinkado Patterned Bugs stamp, My Favorite Things Contempo Cage sentiment, blue painter's tape

I'm entering this in Fusion, CAS(E) This Sketch #81, Addicted to Stamps & More #101 Anything Goes

Now I'm CASing Pamela

Pamela is another card maker whose work I have admired for a while.  In CASing her design below, I gave it a twist with elements from my city.  I used Distress Inks as watercolors for the stamped image and background--really dig how that rainbow umbrella turned out.  Note that I mixed colors quite a bit for the dark blue and violet shades; I do love the easy mixability of the inks.  I did a one layer treatment of the dies which I think is my first time doing that.  It's a cool effect but fussy.

I didn't have a Happy Birthday that I thought worked as well as the Mama Elephant sentiment so ME on the outside and "hope it's a day filled with cake, etc." on the inside.  Oh, dang, it just occurred to me I could have stamped the inside sentiment in rainbow colors.  Next time!

The Details:  Mama Elephant Up & Away stamps, Versamark Onyx Black, Memory Box cityscape die, Savvy Stamps Space Needle die, Le Plume #22 for the windows, Distress Inks (Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Fired Brick, Faded Jeans, Seedless Preserves, Tumbled Glass), Tim Holtz watercolor paper, PTI white and gray card stock, Pop Tone Black Licorice card stock, Fiskars sentiment inside

I'm entering this in CASE Study #196, Less is More #177 Watercolour, Addicted to Stamps & More Photo Challenge, Little Tangles 39 Watercolor, Seize the Birthday Anything Goes 

Oh, Donna

I hope you're familiar with the work of Donna Mikasa, who makes some really fab cards again and again.  Totally inspiring.  So I just had to join in the latest Time Out Challenge CAS(ing) one of my fav cards from her. 

I took my honeycomb stencil and coated it with rubber cement (sticky!); while it was still wet I applied it to the watercolor paper and lifted it up after a couple of minutes.  After drying, I wet down the paper with water and applied Distress Inks in broad strokes.  Later, after it had dried again, I rubbed off the rubber cement.  Voila--essence of honeycomb.  Glammed it up with gold elements (so in love with that right now) then mounted it with foam tape to the bright pink base.  I really love how this turned out and love that it stretched me.  Normally I would have probably used black for the sentiment and mounted on a black base but this so works.  Thanks, Donna!!

The Details:  Hero Arts Operation Write Home (partial) sentiment, Inkadinkado Patterned Bugs bee, gold embossing power, Cherry Lynn Designs birthday die, Distress Inks, Versamark ink, My Favorite Things Razzle Berry cardstock base, gold sequins, foam tape

I'm entering this in TIME OUT #8 Case Donna Mikasa, Little Tangles 39 Watercolor, Seize the Birthday Anything Goes 

If Nothing Ever Changed . . .

This one is a mix of freehand and watercolored stamps (you know, where I inked up the fern stamp, misted it with water then stamped).  I put those down first then freehanded the flowers around them.  Also, I used regular watercolor paints for the flowers and found it much easier to get the delicate effect I had been looking for than in previous attempts using Distress Inks.  The color moved more easily.

I did use Distress ink for the ferns and sentiment.  I also tried to add in some freehand fern-like greenery in the depths.  Not too shabby.

My goodness, I do love how that mirror board butterfly looks.  I've been resisting the gold trend but cannot deny that it looks fab with this palette.

I'm going to send this card to my kid sis.  Seems really perfect for someone going through a divorce.

The Details:  My Favorite Things Butterflies sentiment, Stampendous Summer Leaves stamp, Distress Inks (Peeled Paint and Weathered Wood), watercolor paints, gold mirror board, Memory Box butterfly die, My Mind's Eye My Favorite Things 6x6 designer paper, Flavours Gourmet 12 PT Smoked Sea Salt cardstock, Aquarelle watercolor paper

I'm entering this in Make My Monday Pretty in Pink, Little Tangles 39 Watercolor
Love to Create #120 Anything Goes, and Paper Crafting Challenges #12 In Summer

Freehand Watercolor

This was a liberating (eventually) technique where I watched one of The Storyteller's videos, put away my reservations and dove right in.  The first couple of attempts were painful but by this one, my fourth, maybe fifth, my kid sis said my leaves finally looked a bit like leaves.

You should give this a try and don't give up.  You will definitely see improvement the more you do it.  I'm going to keep practicing so I have a more delicate greenery look and greater dimension.  My fav part of this card?  The way the green bleeds away to the right.  So pretty on the cream watercolor paper.

The Details:  Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Picked Raspberry, Fired Brick, Faded Jeans, Peeled Paint), Aquarelle watercolor paper, Flavours Gourmet cardstock in lemongrass 12PT (seems about 80 lb), Martha Stewart corner rounder, My Favorite Things sentiment from IB Flowers 3

I'm entering this in Make My Monday Pretty in Pink and Little Tangles 39 Watercolor

Spreading a Little Happiness

I had made the butterfly background while practicing Tim Holtz's technique and didn't like how it turned out then but looked at it again over the weekend and decided it was totally useable.  It just didn't turn out like I had in my head.  :)

These summery butterflies are a bright spot of color since our unusually warm spring weather turned wet and cold overnight.  I am wearing a sweater today, people.  A sweater!

The Details:  Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Artist's Loft watercolor paper, Mama Elephant Up & Away stamps, TCW Zenspirations Mini Solid Butterflies stencil

I'm entering this in Paper Crafting Challenges #12 In Summer and Simon Says Wednesday Stencil It 
Also entering this in Crazy for Challenges 240 Stencilling

Daisy Birthday

I'm super busy at work right now, let alone trying to fit in gardening and landscaping, so haven't had much time to craft.  :-(    At least I am creating prettiness in the great outdoors or I'd be totally pulling my hair out.

This card is inspired by the current House of Cards inspiration picture/blog hop/DT call.  That's a lot happening in one place, right?!

I immediately focused on the flowers, the boldness of the numbering and the cork.  I stamped the sentiment first then the flowers before applying ultra fine embossing powder.  I brushed off any powder that covered the letters before heat setting.  I then took my watercolor pencils (any would have worked since I didn't wet them) to add white, yellow, and a couple of shades of green.  That bold yellow base and hint of blue in the stitching is also taken from the inspiration photo.

The Details:  Penny Black Flower Festival image, PTI sentiment and kraft cardstock, MFT Lemon Drop cardstock, Versafine onyx black ink, Versamark, Stampendous Detail White embossing powder, Derwent color pencils, foam tape

I'm entering in House of Cards DT Call and Seize the Birthday Summertime