CAS Christmas Card June challenge with Linda ~ Gifts

It is official friends, halfway through the year...let's get going on these Christmas cards!

Please join us at CAS Christmas Card Challenge, you still have time to make a card with gifts on it!

 I saw this cute stamp from Newton's Nook and couldn't resist using it here!  And don't you just adore that sentiment?  Of course, I kind of think she was shopping for a favorite friend, what do you think?
Linda is our hostess this month looking for Christmas packages on our cards!

Heart Hugs, friends!

Another Technique from the ESCR Retreat!

My BFF, Linda showed us a fantastic technique with Distress Oxide inks and silhouette type or outline) images to make quick and easy cards.

Her technique is to apply ink to cover a whole card face...that way you get two cards out of it when you cut it in half.

After the distress ink is dried you can go back in and apply the  powder buddy and then stamp with versamark and white emboss your image (or stamp with black ink and then emboss with clear)

I have several examples I will share here with you!

 this is one that when cut in half allows you to get two cards from the sponged area.

And since this was created with bright and cheery colors I thought it would make a great birthday card, I chose to add a die in black...nice and big and bold!  the image reminded me of the dandelion flower that we would pick as kids and blow the seeds all over and make a wish!!...I wouldn't think of doing that today!! LOL

I hope this has inspired you to get inky and blend some different colors to go for different looks and sentiments you plan to use!

Heart Hugs, friends!

Water color brush tip to colored pencil tip

I wanted to share another coloring technique that I learned at the ESCR retreat.  This one was brought to us by Darnell!  She had stamped and printed on watercolor paper for us an assortment of images and we passed them around and picked one.  This is the one I selected:

I tried to get some shading on the balloons and an ombre look on the sentiment.  I found I had a lot more control with the colors doing this method.  I splattered some blue ink after I was done with the image.  I still have a long ways to perfect this way of coloring, but I think this is going to be my go to watercolor technique!

One more card showing this technique of water brush tip to tip of colored pencil:

Thanks for stopping by friends...more techniques to come

Heart Hugs, friends!

Seize the Birthday ~ No Topping ~

We have NO Toppings for this Seize the Birthday Challenge friends!

Anything goes as long as it is a BIRTHDAY CARD!

My BFF, Linda was so generous for my birthday, this is another stamp she gifted me!

It is Penny Black: Painter's Vase

I have made quite a few cards with this stamp...all with different sentiments because it is just so versatile!  With this one I added a little bit of copics to highlight some of the shading on the petals!

We both loved playing with this stamp set!

And now I hope you will join us in the gallery and make a birthday card!

See you there friends!

Heart Hugs, friends!

Stamping and bleaching with Susan

I have another technique that Susan showed us while at the ESCR retreat.

It was called stamp bleaching with Powdered Inks or Distress Inks.

This was done with powders like brushos and then spritzed, once it was dry I stamped the image then took a brush to it to draw the color out with the bleach.  I wiped off the excess onto a paper towel as I removed the ink.

 

 And this one I did at home using Distress Inks and a stamp from Hero Arts called Florals Nasturtium and removed the color with a brush used only for bleaching.  Did you know there is a "splashless" bleach?  New to me, but that is what I bought!  I also clear embossed this after stamping and before using the bleach.  You could keep your stamp in the MISTI and restamp it afterwards to redefine the image.

Well, I still have a few more techniques to share...but I will wait for another day. 
My granddaughter Ellie (the volleyball player) graduates from high school tonight

Here we are with her at a graduation party on Sunday!
She got a 4 year athletic scholarship to play volleyball at Portland State University.

Heart Hugs, friends!

Double Embossing with dies and Embossing folders

This was a technique that had my jaw dropping, I thought it was so cool and had me wondering how the heck did she do this?  This technique was from Trina and I loved it!

I made this card at the retreat:

Trina had the dies and the EF for us to use, we also had to use a piece of a negative masking paper, then we blended in colors in the center.  I added the sentiment when I got home.

When I got back to my BFF's house, we looked for dies and folders we could use.  I came up with a solid heart die (did I tell you the die needed to be solid?)  I used some masking paper and then I colored in the heart with blending brushes that Trina gave all of us at the retreat...I LOVE them, thank you so much Trina!

Well, that is it for this technique?  Do you think you will want to try it?

Heart Hugs, friends!