WWC321 - Tristan's Challenge: All Things Masculine

Time for some adorable little Gnomes at the beach!  I just got this set from Stampendous and have to use it for Tristan's masculine challenge.

For this card I decided to use a top fold since I had plans for the inside, as you'll see.  My base is a Heavy Whisper White followed by a matte of Pool Party.  For the images, I used a piece of Mixed Media paper and stamped my scene.  I love the fact that this set has lots of background images as well as images of the gnomes.  It really helped a lot since I didn't have to go hunting through various stamp sets just to set a scene.  For a change I watercoloured my images and background using a variety of Stampin' Up! stamp pads as well as my Stampin' Markers.

I love the way I was able to have a veritable waterfall of images by using this top fold, don't you?  The background paper is stunning and I'm so glad I got it from the Craft Consortium.  The grunge colours really compliment the colours in each scene, don't they?   I've even added one extra frame with the sentiment stamped right on it and waiting for personal greetings to the birthday boy/man.  I love that there is such a variety of images with which I could play.  This set will definitely be used many more times, it's such fun.

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, August 9th, 2021.

I've also entered my card at the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #151 - Anything Goes

Unicorn Challenge #67 - Summer Time

{PIN}spirational Challenge #279 July

WWC289 - Heidi's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

I love the wonderful images created by Bonnie Krebs for Art Impressions, don't you?  In the set which I'm using, Bonnie has brought the adorable Opossum images to life.  I had such fun using them.

 

A lot of little things came together to make this card work.  I began with a base of Garden Green cardstock.  Then I added a layer of Whisper White which I first embossed using the confetti embossing folder and then adhered to the base.  For the background oval I used a piece of Pool Party cardstock to which I adhered three clouds which I had fussy cut from some retired patterned paper .  Then I heat embossed the sentiment using White Embossing powder.   To give it some added interest, I ran the piece through my Big Shot using the Subtle embossing folder.  I like the  way the  embossing makes those clouds appear to be part of the paper and yet still lets the sentiment be legible.  Win/win.  

 After stamping my little Possum on a piece of Mixed Media paper,  I carefully fussy cut it out and then used my Aqua Painter to watercolour it.  I kept the colours neutral but layered them to give a sense of dimension and shadows.  I used Crumb Cake, Gray Granite, Petal Pink, Pink Flamingo (for that sweet little nose), Garden Green and Pineapple Punch.   After the watercolouring had completely dried, I added some Shimmery Crystal Effects to both the balloon and that cute nose.  I love the shimmery shine, don't you?

 The oval is raised above the base and matte with a ring of Adhesive Strips around the perimeter.  I love the effect!

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, September 21st.  

 I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #128 - Anything Goes

 Creative Craft Cottage Challenge #133 - Include an Animal

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Frame It

WWC288 - Kath's Challenge: All About Occasions

I am falling in love with the wonderful images by the Craft Consortium.  The one I've used this week is from the "It's Snome Time', by the talented British illustrator, Helz Cuppleditch.  The stamps are beautiful and the premium patterned paper pads are even more so.  But judge for yourselves.

Isn't that the cutest Gnome ever?  I had such fun watercolouring him with my Aquapainter and stamp pads.  The red is Real Red, the blue is Pool Party, the tips of his boots are Gray Granite, the lowlights in his beard are a very pale Smoky Slate and, finally, the nose and hands take their colour from the Petal Pink Stampin' Marker.

I used a base of the Heavy Whisper White.  Actually I had meant to use a base of Garden Green but when I checked out the layers against both the white and the green, the white made it look lighter and more festive, so that was an easy decision.  Behind the adorable Gnome is a strip of patterned paper with a matte of Real Red and then a layer of another design of the patterned paper.   It's difficult to see in the photo, but those snowflakes all look as if they've been heat embossed onto the paper.  It's a lovely effect.

While the layers of paper are all adhered directly onto each other, the Gnome is raised up on Dimensionals.  I thought a very small sentiment was best so that no attention was taken away from the gorgeous colours and design.  I love the way it turned out, don't you?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, September 14th.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #128 - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #78 - Anything Christmas Goes

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #506 - Use some patterned paper

WWC275 - Karen's Challenge: All About Occasions

As a rule I don't make Sympathy cards ahead.  I know some people like to have almost every occasion on hand and, generally, I do that as well.  I just don't make Sympathy cards ahead because I prefer not to think someone I know will pass away.  Just a little mental block.

Unfortunately not making a card ahead doesn't stop people from passing away, either.  I'm glad that I had this stunning stamp on hand.  It's by Stampendous and is probably the most moving stamp of its type that I have seen.  From the delicate foliage and blossoms to the beautifully written sentiment, this stamp took some of the sting out of the reason for the card's creation.

For the foliage, I first coloured the images with various greens and the purple and then used my stamping platform to stamp it on Mixed Media paper.  After that, I covered the image with Versamark and stamped it again, over the colours.  Taking the paper from the platform, I heat embossed the image using clear embossing powder.

With the stamping platform it's an easy matter to get the paper in precisely the same spot.  This was necessary because the actual rubber stamp is in one piece: both image and sentiment are combined.  I first stamped the sentiment using Smoky Slate ink and then covered the sentiment with Versamark and stamped it once more.  Taking the paper from the platform, I heat embossed the sentiment using silver embossing powder.

You can see in this image for which I used a flash, the sparkle of the clear embossing powder where it stands out against the watercolouring.  The silver, too, shows up   better with the flash.  I used a base of Heavy Whisper White and then added a matte of Gorgeous Grape.  The Mixed Media paper was roughed up along the perimeter with my distressing tool.

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do, too.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, June 15th.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #121 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Something Metallic

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog #244 - June 1st, Anything Goes

WWC270 - Tristan's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

Mother's Day is almost here.  In Canada, we're celebrating it this Sunday, May 10th.  Since Tristan's Challenge this week is an Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist, it's a perfect time for me to show off my Mother's Day card.  If my Mum were still alive, I think she would love it!

The images are so sweet, aren't they?  They're from Stampin' Up!'s Wildly Happy stamp set.  I thought it was perfect for such a special day.  I kept the colours rather neutral, not wanting to shift attention away from the darling Pandas.

My base is the Heavy Whisper White with a matte of Pear Pizzaz which I first embossed using the Subtle 3D embossing folder before adding it to the base.  Next, I embossed a piece of Soft Sea Foam using the Layered Leaves 3D embossing folder.  I cut the bottom on the diagonal before adding it to the card.

For the centre oval, I stamped the Pandas on a piece of Mixed Media paper using  Black Versafine ink and, once it was dry, used my watercolour pencils and Aqua Painter to colour the images. I used the Leaf Punch to cut out two pieces of vellum which I sponged with Mossy Meadow ink.  Once that had dried, I added white lines and then added the sentiment which I cut using the stitched circle die.

I love the way the card turned out and hope you do as well.  Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, May 11th.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Cuttlebug Mania - To all kinds of Moms out there

 Lemon Shortbread Challenge #119 - Anything Goes

Always Fun Challenges #161- Female or Mom

Dream Valley Challenges #224 - Our Four-Legged Friends

WWC268 - Dawn's Challenge: All About Occasions

There is something about ducks and chickens that appeals to me, especially in a stamp.  Of course when I saw this adorable Penny Black image called "Cluck, Quack", I couldn't resist buying it.

I used a base of Heavy Whisper White and then decided to use a lovely wood-print as a matte.  For the image layer, I used a piece of Watercolour paper and my stamping platform to stamp the image in Black pigment ink.  Just to make sure it set perfectly and wouldn't smear, I used my heat tool to dry it thoroughly.

I used my Daler-Rowney Aquafine travel watercolour set to colour the images.  I love the variety of colours and the ability to mix some of the colours to get precisely the tone I want.

I love the way the card turned out and, of course, the fact that the silly "cluckers" and "quackers" make me smile.  I hope you do, too.

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on April 27th.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:  

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #118 - Anything Goes

Always Fun Challenges #159 - Chicks or Farm Animals

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #386 - Anything Goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters:  Happy Birthday or Fun Fold or Both

WWC239 - Helen's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

I had so many ideas for this masculine challenge!  Finally I decided to use that wonderful "A Good Man" stamp set for my card.  With some masking and several other stamp sets, I created a scene that I'm sure would work for a birthday or some other celebration.

I combined the "A Good Man" set with the "Waterfront" set as well as the retired "Carols of Christmas" set.  I used a lot of inks for my watercolouring.  The background combines the Balmy Blue, Smoky Slate, Pear Pizzaz, Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Crumb Cake and Gray Granite inks.  The trees are stamped using Mossy Meadow while the deer is Black.  For the people I've used primarily Stampin' Markers in Cajun Craze, Balmy Blue, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Poppy Parade and the retired Blush Blossom.

My base is the Heavy Whisper White while the matte is Gray Granite.  I love how this turned out, don't you?

I hope you'll check out the wonderful creations by the Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #102 - Anything Goes

Cute N Crafty Challenge #31 - Family

Creative Craft Cottage Challenge #122 - For the Men in your life