Watercolored Unity

I have two cards for you today using some Unity stamps. I love that their stamps are huge and still the old-fashioned rubber on cling.


The first one was stamped on watercolor paper and colored with Distress inks. The sentiment is by Penny Black. The wings and tag were highlighted with some fancy Want2Scrap bling. The card base, tag and lace are by Hobby Lobby. I hope you're not getting tired of the striped backgrounds. I bought a 50-card set at 50% off. You can't beat the price and the colors are lovely.

The layout was inspired by the Unity Be Inspired Challenge and the colors by ColourQ. I'm also entering this to the SSS Wed challenge.

For my second card, I colored directly onto the stamp and spread the color around with water on the stamped image. I splattered some water colors to add interest. The sentiment is by Penny Black and bling by Want2Scrap.

This card is inspired by the Color Throwdown, I'm also entering this to the SSS Wed challenge.

This is it for me today. It's a scorcher here in the south. I hope you're enjoying fine weather where you are.

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Watercolored Butterfly Cards

Before I show today's cards, a few people asked about what I meant by wet on wet technique from a previous post. here's a Youtube video that shows you what it is and how to do it. I love it for coloring backgrounds.

I have 2 CAS cards for you today using a big butterfly stamp by Indigo Blu. These were so quick and easy to make. I applied Distress markers directly on the stamp before making an impression on the water color paper.

For the first one, I added more watercolors on the stamped image and while it's wet, I loaded my brush with clean water and barely touched the wet color on the paper. This made the ink "bleed" as you see on my card. The sentiment from Tim Holtz Just Saying was heat embossed. The pearls are by Want2Scrap.

This card is inspired by the following challenges: Paper Players (colors), Fusion (inspiration photo), Our Creative Corner (smile), SSS Wednesday (favorite technique: watercoloring), Card Concept (Butterfly effect), Muse (inspiration), ATS Challenge (CAS).

For my second card, I spritz water directly onto the stamped image. Because orange and blue are complementary colors, when they are mixed, they make a neutral color. In this case, a dark grayish brown. The sentiment is by Avery Elle. The rhinestones are by Want2Scrap.

This card is inspired by the following challenges: Fusion (inspiration photo), Our Creative Corner (smile), SSS Wednesday (favorite technique: watercoloring), Card Concept (Butterfly effect), ATS Challenge (CAS).

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Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

I've been so busy with life and the added holiday goings-on. It's all good, but it's nice to take a little break to take part in today's blog hop. My friend, Amy Tsuruta, is spearheading this event with coffee-loving paper crafters like yours truly. And we have a ton of surprises and prizes for you. Make sure you comment to be eligible for my own blog candy below.

As I was planning my card, I realized of all the many stamps I own, I only have one that's coffee or tea-themed. It's a tiny 3x2 stamp set that didn't inspire me. So, since I've been loving experimenting with my watercolors, I decided to draw my own mug of hot yumminess and color it with watercolors. As you can see I'm still new at this, but the flaws add to the cup's character. :)

I wanted it holiday-themed as well, so I heat embossed a snowflake from Penny Black's All is Bright set right on the mug. The stamped tag was made using Papertrey Tiny Tags. I received that as a gift many years ago and just now it's being used. I added a Want2Scrap pearl in the center and also some fancy bling along the bottom. The panel and tag were attached using Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Foam Squares.

Now on to giveaways. The first is mine: some lovely Want2Scrap bling! Use these to decorate your coffee-themed stamped images like I did above. I will pick the winner from the comments below.

Here are the Super Sponsors of the hop. Some info about the giveaways:

• Everyone who links up with a newly created holiday coffee/or other favorite hot holiday drink project is eligible (No back linking). 
• You can add your project via inlinkz, which will be available on Amy Tsuruta's blog at 6 am PST on Wednesday, December 10th, until 11:55 pm PST on Friday, December 12th.
• 5 prizes will be awarded to people who comment on ALL of the linked blogs!
• Please make sure to turn off word verification.
• When commenting, please make sure you leave info on how you can be contacted, so we can notify you if you're the winner.
• The blog hop is open until Sunday, Dec 14th.
• Make sure you check Amy Tsuruta's blog for more detailed info.

Happy hopping!

17Turtles	Veronica Zalis	Chris Franco
Add a Little Dazzle	Butterfly Reflections Ink	Color Cast Designs
Create a Smile	Hero Arts	Kraftin' Kimmie
Kreative Kymona	Latina Crafter	Neat & Tangled
Newton's Nook	Pickled Potpourri Designs	Poppystamps
Reverse Confetti	Stamp Academy	Stamp Simply Ribbon Store
STAMPlorations	SugarPea Designs	Sweet 'n Sassy
The Alley Way Stamps	Two Paper Divas	Verve Stamps
Whole Wild World	Your Next Stamp	Paper Smooches

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Mixed Media Sunflower Botanical Card

Hi, all. Aren't you glad it's Friday? I have another mixed media card today. I have been inspired by many challenges that seem to highlight the fall colors of yellow and orange. I didn't want a fall card, so decided on a sunflower. I freehand painted the sunflower with watercolors. I meant for it to be just a plain painting, but I messed up on some of the petals, so I decided to use it as a background for my card. I love that I didn't have to throw it away.

I stamped the Penny Black Music Background stamp with Distress ink and spritz it with water. When it dried, I white embossed Penny Black Letter background with white on the lower right of the panel. I tore some paper scraps for the corner, distressed the edges then stitched the whole thing on the card base. The bird stamp I got from ebay and was water colored as well. The sentiment is from PB Amazing! I adhered Want2Scrap pearls on the corners. Adhesives by SA by 3L.

Challenges: Fusion, Diecut Divas, SSS Monday Challenge, Card Concept, Mixed Media Card Challenge, Color Throwdown, Curtain Call, Card Mania, 

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Fallish Spring Mixed Media Card

***Before I begin, please check out the stamps and dies I have for sale. They're heavily discounted (at least 40% off). The Craft's Meow, GinaK Designs, Layers of Color, Spellbinders and Other Items***

It has been a very busy week. Our family celebrated 3 birthdays and I had to finish my Christmas cards by Sunday night. I had to send them off through someone heading back to the US. It saves me a ton of money that way. :)

I have been playing around with water colors and other media. For my birthday, I got some fancy water colors by Lefranc & Bourgeois. I'm not sure yet if it's really that much better than my $10 tube set from Hobby Lobby. I have also been playing with Distress inks. So far, I think my favorite is the Distress brand. I will let you know if I change my mind. I have been eying one brand that I've seen online, but that will have to wait till Christmas, I guess. :)

I have a mixed media card today that uses watercolors, stamp inks, pigment inks, and embossing paste. The background is watercolored then stamped with the Penny Black Letter background. After that dried, I used an old favorite LOC stencil to create the raised lace design using embossing paste. I then inked the edges of the panel before adhering them with SAby3L foam squares.

The butterflies (Penny Black Social Butterfly) were stamped in coordinating colors and adhered them to the panel by stitching them through the middle. The stamped and die cut (PB Triple Banner) sentiment banner (Amazing!) is also by Penny Black. I adhered Want2Scrap pearls on the butterfly bodies. Doily by SRM Stickers and adhesives by SA by 3L.

I'm entering this to the following challenges: Runway Inspired, Die Cut Divas, SS Monday Challenge, Mixed Media Card Challenge, Fusion,

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Bright Fancy Pants Cards

***Before I begin, please check out the stamps and dies I have for sale. They're heavily discounted (at least 40% off). The Craft's Meow, GinaK Designs, Layers of Color, Spellbinders and Other Items***

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you had a great weekend. I actually had some down time and was able to craft. I've been playing around with freehand water color painting and really enjoyed learning something new. I hope to make something worth sharing soon. :) 

The Want2Scrap® team is featuring Fancy Pants all month. I love this combo so much that I made at least a dozen cards with many different styles using the same beautiful Fancy Pants Me-ology Collection and Want2Scrap embellishments.

I have to say that my first card is not classically elegant. It also touches on the fun & cute style. The papers, banners, sentiment and birdhouse are by Fancy Pants. Also note that I'm using a non-holiday paper collection for a Christmas card! :)

I adhered the Vintage Fancy Frames and the Sleek Strips 6" Silver Rhinestones along the bottom. I then mounted the birdhouse adorned with Beautiful Blooms in the center. I then covered the with Fences with DecoArt Gesso and adhered on the side. I finished by adding Silver/Clear Rhinestones on the banners and tag.

For my second card, I made a shabby chic card with lots of stitching, pearls, pretty ribbon, and flowers. I adhered the left over cutout of the Vintage Fancy Frames from the card above and Sleek Strips Pearls under the sentiment.

I used some pretty Mulberry Paper Flower Pink on the seam binding. I finished the card with some Baby Bling Pearls White on the center of the die cut flowers.

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