colourQ challenge #307

Big shocker! I had none of this week's colourQ challenge colors! Not a single one, so I subbed SU! Kiwi Kiss and Tim Holtz's Aged Mahogany, Seedless Preserves, and Milled Lavender. I sponged on the Kiwi Kiss and then stamped a floral image in the other colors, stamping several times before re-inking. This simple, one-layer card is great when you need an easy, beautiful card. This Sunday is Grandparents' Day (get on it if you've forgotten!!) so I made this card for Chris's grandmother. There's still time to make something beautiful for the grandparents and great-grandparents in your life so celebrate them this weekend!

colourQ challenge #306

I hate to say this, but some weeks I really don't like the colors in the colourQ combo, but I ALWAYS appreciate the talented people who make the challenge happen every week because I constantly need inspiration!! I took my inspiration from a card I saw on Instagram. I subbed Lovely Lilac for Wisteria Wonder, and I pulled out good ol' Daydreamer from PTI for the little flower bouquet. I used my Silhouette to cut the black stripes, which I LOVE!! It's called Horizontal Stripes Overlay if you want to find it in the Silhouette store. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great weekend!

colourQ challenge #305 (part 2)

I needed a quick card to send to some friends that we've been missing at church so naturally, I used this week's colourQ challenge colors! I used PTI's Splat set, which I LOVE and is so great for easy cards! The sentiment came from a Paper Smooches set that I recently bought from a friend. Have a great night!!

colourQ challenge #305

Hey, there, friends! For this week's colourQ challenge, I'm trying a batik technique that I saw on Heather Nichols' blog. Hers is GORGEOUS!! Mine, not so much. I'm so timid when I try new ideas that I don't really get in there and experiment, I tried twice to get something I liked and this is the better of the two. I had to sub Bermuda Bay for Taken with Teal and Daffodil Delight for So Saffron (I can't believe I don't have that one!). I used PTI's Daydreamer set and Keep it Simple: Praying for You. I stamped the sentiment on vellum and embossed with clear embossing powder which set and brightened the Bermuda Bay ink. The button was a last-minute addition to anchor the vellum strip. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!!

colourQ challenge #304

I am getting my card in just under the wire this week! I absolutely LOVE the colors in this week's colourQ challenge!! This is such a bright and happy color combo and I am super excited about my card, the inspiration for which I found on Pinterest. I know I would be thrilled to receive this card, and it's simple to make. I used Papertrey Ink's Splat stamp set and their Wonderful Words Birthday stamps and die. Additionally, I used Tim Holtz's Festive Berries distress ink - I had the rest of the colors. Thanks for stopping by - I hope this card brightens your Monday a bit!

Back to School

Here in East Tennessee, most kids have been in school for more than a week, except for the preschool set, who may NEVER start, but I digress! A good friend of mine is starting a new adventure as the school year begins - she is going back to teaching full time and her kids are changing schools to be with her. Wow! Big, exciting changes for her family so, of course, I thought she needed a card to commemorate these events! I found the inspiration for this card on Pinterest and fell in love with the paper pencil! I scored, corrugated, rounded corners, used decorative scissors and almost every other trick in my craft room to make it! I freehanded the doodles and added a few hearts for color. This would be a perfect card for any kid - or teacher - who is heading back to school. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy this rainy day!

colourQ challenge #303 (part 2)

One of my best stamping friends is a teacher and she started back to school recently. Sadly, she had to change grades and give up her beloved classroom for one that was decidedly subpar so, today, I made this card for her (using this week's colourQ challenge colors) and included a Starbucks gift card because we both LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our coffee fixes!! And this little coffee stamp set from PTI could not be any cuter! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day!

colourQ challenge #303

This week's colourQ challenge colors are gorgeous! The addition of Taken with Teal makes the rest of the color palette pop. Sadly, my Taken with Teal ink pad has seen better days so I subbed Tim Holtz's Peacock Feathers which is an absolutely beautiful shade of turquoise and one of my very favorites. Two friends of mine (sisters) lost their mother this past week unexpectedly so I made this card for each of them, along with a chocolate chip pie. I hope this little token will help them feel loved and supported during this very difficult time. My 14yo daughter accompanied me to the receiving of friends since she knows the grandchildren and, in true 14yo style, was very uncomfortable with the whole scene. I explained to her that these times aren't really about her but about the family who's grieving and just being there means more than she'll ever know. I read an article several years ago entitled "Always go to the Funeral" and it made a profound impression on me because we are all too willing to celebrate happy occasions with others, but often reluctant to mourn with them. The article reinforced to me how it may be even more important to mourn with a family than to celebrate because it's so much harder to do. Thanks for stopping by for today's story time! Have a blessed weekend!

colourQ challenge #302

This week's colourQ challenge colors are lovely, especially Bermuda Bay! I saw a card on Pinterest that I wanted to create - a watercolor background with a bokeh design. Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light." The bokeh effect in this project is very subtle. I used Hero Arts unicorn pigment ink which is my favorite white ink. I used watercolor paper and a regular paint brush and an aqua painter to apply the colors, but I didn't like how light the colors were so to add some bold colors, I applied the ink directly to the paper and then softened the lines with a wet brush. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!!

colourQ challenge #301 (part 2)

I was super disappointed with my first colour Q challenge submission for this week, but I found the inspiration for this card on Pinterest and was re-energized! I still don't particularly like these colors together, but the simplicity of this card makes them a little more palatable. I cut out some white birthdays but thought the white on the strips above and below the colorful birthdays would be enough for this layout. I am so impressed by anyone who can achieve crisp white images because I have tried many times and never really perfected it. For the "happy" and "to you," I used Hero Arts Unicorn pigment ink and then embossed with SU! white embossing powder. Still not perfect, but the embossing powder really helps the images pop. Thanks for stopping by again and have a great week!!

colourQ challenge #301

Surprisingly, I had all the colors for this week's colourQ challenge, but they did not speak to me. I tried a couple of different layouts and just couldn't come up with anything I loved, so this card will have to do. Mustard is a very hard color for me to use, especially combined with lighter and brighter colors. So, this will have to do it for this week, kids! Hope you have a great rest of the week!

colourQ challenge #300!

This week's colourQ challenge colors are gorgeous, but I wasn't in the mood for ink, so I cut strips of paper from each color and made little banners. I needed a thank you card for my little one's camp counselor so I stamped a piece of vellum with Hero Hues Unicorn pigment ink using an image from PTI's Wet Paint stamp set. I embossed it with SU! white embossing powder. Because I have a habit of ruining cards at the last minute, I stapled the sentiment instead of taking the risk that my adhesive would show. I love the texture! Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Make it Monday #218 Watercolors with Die Cut Stencils

Happy Tuesday! As soon as I watched Lexi Daly's video for watercolors with die cut stencils on Nichole Heady's blog yesterday, I knew immediately which PTI die I was going to use - Mighty Oak!I've had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this impression plate (mostly hate), but today it was all love! I pulled out all my Tim Holtz Distress Inks for this project - Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Bundled Sage, Aged Mahogany, Fired Brick, Dried Marigold, and Rusty Hinge. All these fall colors have me absolutely pining for cooler temperatures and fall festivals and boots and all things PUMPKIN!! Yes, I'm one of the ones who drinks pumpkin spice lattes as soon as they make their first appearance in September even though it will be hot and humid here in Tennessee! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

colourQ challenge #299

I'm not overly thrilled with my card for this week's colourQ challenge, but here it is anyway. I like the way it started with the floral focal point, but somehow, I couldn't quite get it the way I wanted it. Plus, I smeared purple ink on the two spots that I had to cut off. The only color from the palette that I had this week was Rich Razzleberry and I substituted Tim Holtz's Abandoned Coral and SU! Pink Pirouette and Kiwi Kiss. Thanks for stopping by - have a great day!
 

colourQ challenge #298 (part 3)

I have gone completely crazy making cards recently as you can probably tell since this is my THIRD card for this week's colourQ challenge!! I really wanted to make a video for Altenew Stamp's challenge ($100 prize gift card!) but I never figured out a way to do it so I just made a card using Altenew's Painted Flowers set. It's an awesome, awesome set that you should order immediately if you don't currently own it. Thanks for stopping by and have a great Monday!

colourQ challenge #298 (part 2)

My sweet stamping buddy, Mary Ann, is sick this week so I decided to make that bouquet card I mentioned in my previous post just for her. OMGosh!! I LOVE THIS CARD!! The bouquet die coordinates perfecting with PTI's Brush Blooms, but takes a little bit of practice to perfect. I also bought PTI's Mason jar die because I can hardly call myself a Southern girl without it! Now I just need a deviled egg plate, but that will have to happen at a later date. I used this week's colourQ challenge colors again so I could show off this beauty. I'm getting ready to die-cut more white bouquets so stop back often to see what other color palettes I'm using.

colourQ challenge #298

This week's colourQ challenge colors look lovely with my new PTI stamp set Brushed Blooms. To have such a black thumb, I sure do love floral stamp sets! This set has a die that is shaped like a bouquet and I can't wait to make a card with it. I had not a single color this week, so I subbed Tim Holtz's Seedless Preserves and Milled Lavender, and SU! Kiwi Kiss and Pool Party. How do I not have Cool Caribbean?!?! I have really been a slacker or something! Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you're keeping cool - it's in the 90s here in beautiful East Tennessee.

colourQ challenge #297

This week's colourQ challenge colors are gorgeous but, of course, I only had two - Pool Party and Kraft. I substituted Tim Holtz's Chipped Sapphire and Barn Door for the other colors. My card is super simple and I used a vintage PTI stamp set that I received at Stamp-A-Faire the year it was in Cincinnati. I am so bummed that the event is now online! My stamping friends and I had the BEST time that year! Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed week!