Yikes! Stripes!

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

As you may hove noticed, using various colored strips as a background on cards is a current trend. Because trendy is something for which I strive (ha!), I decided to give it a whirl.

I love this stamp - "Hello Lovely" from Concord & 9th - but I am not good at coloring flowers. So a design like this is just perfect.

I mounted my striped panel onto black and put it on a yellow card base. A sentiment and sequins were added. Love the look of this!

Thanks for the visit! Stay well and keep crafty,

Maureen does Mixed Media

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

I have been doing lots of work lately with  pigment powders. I've been comparing and contrasting the different brands, trying lots of techniques, using different applications, different papers, etc. It has been fun. I've learned so much and gotten so messy! I'm actually preparing for a demonstration I'll be doing at my Paper Arts group.

The most difficult thing for me using this medium is the lack of control. I am a real "control freak" and these powders just explode, mix and delight all on their own!

For this card I used a combination of Color Burst and Cosmic Shimmer Shakes in a wet-on-dry technique on watercolor paper. Sometimes the backgrounds become so busy and bright that it is difficult to pair them with images and sentiments. This is one of those.

I used Concord & 9th products here. I love this "Friend Like You" die because can be used in so many different ways. That just wasn't enough on this colorful background; I felt I needed some images to ground my design. I stamped and die cut some of the smaller images from the "Wonderful Florals" set, also by Concord & 9th, using Delicata silver ink. I added silver Wink Of Stella and Glossy Accents to the word "friends" to help it pop.

This is headed for the current challenge at the Where Creativity Meets C9 Blog which is "Mixed Media".

I hope you will challenge yourself with some new techniques and products - it is so rewarding. Thanks for the visit and have a terrific week,

HELLO!

Hi, Blogging Buddies!

My crafty pals and I have playing with pigment powders - lots of brands. Having a grand (and dirty!) time. Today I made a card using Color Burst pigment powder mixed with embossing paste and pressed through a stencil.

This was the perfect background for a fun die by Concord & 9th called "Everyday Circles" I added wash tape, Glossy Accents and some glittery stars to add to the "mixed media" concept.

The texture here is much more pronounced in person.

This is headed to the current challenge at Where Creativity meets Concord & 9th - "Mixed Media".

I hope you are having a wonderful summer weekend. Thanks for the visit,

What's to Celebrate?

SPRING, my dear Bloggin' Buddies!

I see it on the horizon, too. I made this card for my sweet 97-year old Aunt who lives in Upstate New York. She is so sick of winter and her very favorite color is yellow. She seriously celebrities Spring, and will this year, especially with the weather that she's had.

I took advantage of the current challenge at the Creativity Meets C9 blog which is "Spring". I love using stencils, but I honestly wasn't too sure about using this "Flora Fill-In Set" with coordinating Patterned Paper - mainly because the paper is pre-printed. I wan't sure how it would come together. But, I figured that Concord & 9th has never let me down and they have some of the most inovative products on the market, so why not give it as shot?

I am so pleasantly surprised! I love the elegant softness of this card. I wasn't going for bright and flashy, so I used Distress Oxide inks to stencil over the paper. I love how it looks over the grey shades.  I popped-up a few of the images to add some dimension and picked up the grey tones with the die-cut ovals and added sunshine-colored sequins. My sentiment is from a set called "Birthday Stacks Stamp Set", which is so versatile - I can't wait to play with it further.

If this doesn't usher in Spring, I sure don't know what will.

Thanks for the visit and I hope Spring happens soon wherever you are,

A Friend Like You

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

Another card this week in shades of purple? One of my favorite colors and I've been neglecting it lately.  Today's card is inspired by the current challenge at the Concord & 9th Challenge blog, "Where Creativity Meets C9".

The challenge is a sketch challenge, something I haven't done in some time. These always help me get out of my design rut!

I decided to keep the design simple and use a die that I've had, but never used.

The stripe element is a slice from a background I made using the "Triangle Turnabout Stamp Set". I love this set and continue to frequently reach for it (and, yes I have other 'Turnabout' sets, too!). I went kind of nuts with my Distress Oxide Inks, Perfect Pearls and metallic splatter and I love the results.

The diecut is from the "Friend Like You" die. I kept it simple and white because there is so much going on behind it. I raised it up with some dimensional tape and added some sequins. Not my normal style, but I really like it and that is why these challenges are so great.

Thanks for the visit!

I {heart} Hearts!

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

Yes, I do. Most of my life I've loved hearts. I used to own way too many and I used them everywhere.......now, although I still love them, I've settled to using them (lots) on cards and wearing them as jewelry.

I wanted to put together another card for the current "Where Creativity Meets C9" challenge which is watercolor.

I just got my first shipment of the Concord & 9th new release and I am just tickled pink! They are such a great company. I haven't had a chance yet to do more than catalog and organize my new products, but I did use a sentiment from the amazing new "Birthday Stacks" stamp and dies set for this card. I heat-embossed it onto back cardstock with liquid platinum embossing powder.

I chose the wooded heart from the "Cozy Up" stamp set and used my Zig Clear Color Markers to watercolor it. It is mounted with some Fun Foam for added dimension. I added some sparkle with Wink of Stella and used a woodgrain Sizzix embossing folder for the back piece of the card.

I can't wait to play with and share with you projects I make from this latest release. I already have my second shopping list started.......maybe I should be drafting up an addition to my craft room!

Take care and have a wonderful weekend. I appreciate the visit.

Concord & 9th

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

I admit to having my favorite stamp companies. And, yes, they have frequently changed a little over the years (remember, I've been stamping and making cards since 1969!). But in recent years I have added a new one to my list of very favorites - Concord & 9th! They have some of the most innovative and unique designs I've ever seen in stamps. Simply amazing! I love their "turnabout" line of stamps = big fun.

Have you see the newest Concord & 9th release? I think I NEED it all. I've already placed an order, but.......I do have a budget (tell that to my patient hubby - ha!).

Since I haven't done much watercoloring in the past few months, I decided to take up the current Concord and 9th "Where Creativity meets C9" challenge, which is "watercolor". I used an old favorite, "Hello, Lovely" and clear-embossed the image onto watercolor paper. I broke out my Distress Markers to layer lots of watercolor richness and had so much fun.

I tired several basecard colors and settled on a deep green that brings out the darker colors in the card. I added a white heat-embossed sentiment which is part of the stamp set.

Please explore this great company and have fun with some of their amazing products. Thanks for the visit and have a wonderful weekend,