Splashes of Watercolor

I have 2 friends who both have a birthday this Thursday.  They live in different states and don’t know each other.  It’s ok to send them each identical cards, right?

Well, that’s what I’m doing!

I used Beate’s WSC98 sketch (which I love and will definitely use again), and Fifth Avenue Floral (which I love and don’t use often enough).  This is a new color combination for me too and I really do like it!  The flower is shaded with Copics, the patterned paper is Thoroughly Modern DSP from SU, and the center is sparkly ’cause I used a yellow metallic gelly roll pen.

I’m keeping it short today, folks!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

If you’re looking for the Stampers United blog hop post, you can find it ->-> HERE.

• Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral
  
• Paper: soft suede, rose red, Thoroughly Modern DSP
  
• Ink: Versafine - onyx black
  
• Other: Martha Stewart arch lattice border punch and frond punch, yellow metallic gelly roll pen, Hibiscus Burst ribbon (Papertrey Ink), Copic markers: 0, R22, R39
  

For this week’s Color Throwdown challenge, I decided to go with a simple layout and minimal stamping.  And I like the result!!  Our exceptionally talented team member Barbara chose some gorgeous colors:

Our sponsor this week is  Denise January (Sassy Stampin’), an independent Stampin’ Up! demo.  She is generously providing a free stamp set from the new holiday mini catalog to one lucky winner!  Now there’s a wonderful reason to join in on the fun!!

I used Tres Chic background and Great Friend, both from Stampin’ Up! .  I wanted the background to be subtle, so it’s stamped in Versamark on chocolate chip cardstock. The butterfly is stamped twice in regal rose on whisper white and clear embossed. The bottom one is popped up on dimensionals and the top one is only attached along the center. Pearl stickers were added on top. The always artichoke layer is distressed along the edges.  The label image is stamped in chocolate chip and the sentiment and branch are both stamped in always artichoke.

We’d love it if you played along with our challenge this week!  You can get all the details on the Color Throwdown blog and more inspiration from the design team here:

 Barbara * Cathy *Danielle

LeAnne * Tammy * Kristin (Guest Designer for September)

We’re so thrilled that Kristen is joining us as Guest Designer for the month of September!  Her blog is full of wonderful eye candy….take a look…Mindless Creativity.

Thanks for stopping by to check out what I’m doing!  I’m so grateful that you do!

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• Stamps: Great Friend, Tres Chic background - Stampin’ Up!
  
• Paper: whisper white, chocolate chip - Stampin’ Up!, Porcelain 6×6 - Basic Grey
• Ink: chocolate chip, always artichoke, regal rose, Versamark - Stampin’ Up!
• Other: clear EP, pearl stickers
  

I’m still playing around with the multitude of Papertrey Ink stamp sets I purchased at CHA!  So much fun!

This is a birthday card for a friend using Tea for Two, Damask Designs and a sentiment from Friends ‘Til the End.  And my new favorite SU color combo of Bermuda Bay and Soft Suede!

Sorry to be so brief, but thanks for stopping by!  I’ll be back tomorrow with a 3-fer!

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• Stamps: Tea for Two, Damask Designs, Friends ‘Til the End - Papertrey Ink
  
• Paper: vintage cream- Papertrey Ink, bermuda bay & soft suede - Stampin’ Up!
  
• Ink: Ranger clear resist, SU bermuda bay & soft suede
• Other: clear EP, bermuda bay ribbon, PTI button & rustic cream twine, wonder tape, corner rounder punch, Ranger glossy accents

This week the Color Throwdown challenge is being sponsored by Rubbernecker Stamps!! So my Color Throwdown card is also my Wacky Wednesday challenge card.  Yeah, my head is spinning too!

Be sure to check out both blogs for all the details of the challenges….you could double your chances of winning great prizes by posting links to your creation in both places!  And there’s a special something extra just for you too!!

Here are the colors I’ve chosen to work with this week:

And here are the Prism alternates just in case you don’t have the new SU In Colors:

Bermuda Bay - Prism Vibrant Teal

Dusty Durango - Prism Desert Coral Dark

Soft Suede - Prism Suede Brown Medium

I LOVE this Small Sunrise Palm (1532 SO) and I loved coloring it with my Copic markers.  I didn’t, however, love cutting out the top of the palm to layer it!

Check out all the wonderful stamps at Rubbernecker Stamps….there’s definitely something for everyone.  You can find details of the challenge HERE and HERE and both have links to the super talented designers’ blogs.

Thanks so much for visiting me today!!  Now go forth and stamp!

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• Stamps: Small Sunrise Palm (1532 SO)
  
• Paper: Prism - simply smooth white, SU - Bermuda Bay, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Basic Grey - Marrakech
  
• Ink: Memento - tuxedo black
  
• Other: circle & labels four Nestabilities, ribbon, foam tape, button, hemp twine, Copic markers:

I’m headed down the road to visit my Mom, so I won’t have time to play today.

I thought I’d show you a quick birthday card I had made for a male friend whose special day was July 4th.  Hi, Stevie!

Sorry, I just HAD to add the little flower with the knot tied in the center.  At least there’s no lace or frilly bows!  And I KNOW he likes cupcakes!

It’s hard to tell in the photo, but the cupcake liner was crimped to make it look like a real one.  Ya gotta love die cuts for a quick, yet impressive card!!

Thanks for stopping by!

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• Stamps: Sweet Little Sentiments, Crosshatch background - Stampin’ Up!
  
• Paper: Dusty Durango, Bermuda Bay, Basic Grey Two Scoops 6×6 pad
  
• Ink: Chocolate Chip, Dusty Durango
  
• Other: Big Bold Cupcake Sizzlits, ribbon, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder, foam tape, Tombow Aqua mono glue
  

Hi all!  It’s time for another Color Throwdown and this week LeAnne presented a REAL challenge.  At least for me.

I had a hard time with these colors.  But, you know, I think it’s because my entire house was once decorated in these colors when I was going through a country phase, and now I try to stay as far away from this particular color combination as possible!   Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful combination.  Just not for me!  LOL!

I used Natasha’s FTL52 sketch for this card.  And I used all Stampin’ Up! stamps and mostly all SU papers and inks.  The image was first stamped in mellow moss.  Can’t remember the last time I used that color!  The flowers and bird were stamped again separately in their respective colors, cut out and popped up on dimensionals.  The bird’s eye, the flower center and the sentiment are each embellished with a Swarovski crystal.

Please visit the Color Throwdown blog for details on the challenge and check out the wonderful creations of the design team here:

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Barbara * Cathy * Danielle * LeAnne * Tammy * Juliana (Guest Designer/July)

Thanks for visiting today!  I won’t be participating in the Rubbernecker Wacky Wednesday challenge this week…I’m in Orlando for CHA!  And yes, I’m a CHA virgin, so you can just imagine how excited I am!!

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• Stamps: Wings of Friendship, Friendly Words jumbo wheel
  
• Paper: Prism - simply smooth white, SU pink pirouette, rose red, bordering blue
• Ink: Versafine onyx black, SU rose red, bordering blue, mellow moss, versamark, rose red marker
  
• Other: SU scallop punch, ribbon, Spellbinders ribbon tags trio, dimensionals, Swarovski crystals
  

It’s time for another Wacky Wednesday challenge!  Juliana is our incredibly talented hostess this week and we have an inspiration challenge.  We were to choose an item from an Etsy website with all kinds of super cool bags and totes.  Check the Rubbernecker blog  for the link and all the details.  This is the bag I chose to use as my inspiration:

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And here is my card:

So what do you think?

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I used one of my most favorite Rubbernecker Stamps images Chrysanthemum (340-10), and embossed it using Ranger Clear Resist ink and vanilla EP.  There are 3 layers to it, each popped up with foam tape.

We hope you’ll be able to join us this week for the challenge.  Please visit the Rubbernecker Blog, choose an inspiration piece, and start creating!  Here are links to the design team blogs, for even more inspiration:

Bev * Candy * Joan * Juliana

Kittie * Linda * Shelly * Sherry

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Thanks for visiting with me today!  Come back anytime (preferably often)!!

I just love the color combination of this Stampin’ Up! Urban Oasis designer paper, so I chose to play off of that for an anniversary card for my DD and her husband.

I also decided to try the ribbon rose that I had seen and was totally wowed by on Christine’s blog.  She has a great tutorial HERE.

The paper rose is done in 3 layers (of course!), and shaded a little with a Copic marker.  I also thought there should be 3 ribbon roses as well.

A simple card really, but I just love the visual impact of the kiwi on the basic gray!

Hey!  I just realized this is an SU only card!  I don’t know when the last time I did that was!  So simple and coordinated!

Thanks for another visit!  I really appreciate your visits and comments, and I sure hope you’ll keep coming back!

• Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Congrats - Stampin’ Up!
• Paper: kiwi kiss, Urban Oasis DSP
  
• Ink: Versafine - onyx black
  
• Other: ribbon, N1 Copic marker, corner rounder, wonder tape, foam tape

It’s HOT outside!  I don’t know about where you are, but the temperatures here have been in the 90’s for a couple of weeks, with no relief in sight!  Thank goodness for pools, lakes, rivers, beaches, and beer!!

The hugely talented and effervescent Bev is hosting our Wacky Wednesday this week.  She’s come up with quite a title for this one: Hard & Soft.  Now get your mind out of the gutter…she’s referring to what you use on your card/project this week!!  She’s asked us to use metal and ribbon.  This is what I came up with:

I have to tell you that I am IN LOVE with the new In Color from Stampin’ Up – Soft Suede.  It works with everything!  And just look how perfectly the gorgeous May Arts ribbon matches both Soft Suede and the new Bermuda Bay (another new favorite for sure)!

My metal is the tiny seashell charm and of course the ribbon is pretty obvious.  The umbrellas are from the Kittie Kit Scene #6 set.  I liked the way the umbrellas looked so much, I decided to use this image as my summer blog banner.

Please join the Rubbernecker Red Hot Mommas for this week’s Wacky Wednesday challenge.  You can check out all the details at the Rubbernecker blog then be inspired by checking out all the wonderful creations of the design team members:

Thank you so much for visiting with me again this week!  I appreciate that you took the time to stop by!

• Stamps: Kittie Kits – Scene #6, It’s Summer text
• Paper: soft suede, bermuda bay, melon mambo, crushed curry (Stampin’ Up!); The Travel Stack (DCWV)
• Ink: tuxedo black – Memento, soft suede (Stampin’ Up!)
• Other: Prismacolor pencil – sienna brown, gamsol & stump, RoseArt silver pen, May Arts ribbon, seashell charm, linen thread, corner rounder punch, foam tape 

Items available at Rubbernecker Stamps.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to play along with the Featured Stamper challenge at Splitcoaststampers, so when the opportunity arose this morning I jumped right on it!

Today’s featured artist is Christy S.  She’s got a great gallery!  This is the card I chose to CASE.  I used the same stamp from the same set and the same basic layout.  Everything else is changed a little.

Thanks for stopping by to look!

• Stamps: Forest Friends & Great Friend - Stampin’ Up!
  
• Paper: Prism - Simply Smooth white, Island Mist Dark; Poppy - SEI paper stack
  
• Ink: Adirondack -stream, SU - going gray
  
• Other: Labels One Nestabilities, C1 Copic marker, tangerine tango ribbon, buttons, cotton thread