FTHS Sketch w/ a tWiSt #161

Morning everyone- 

I bet you are as excited as I am to see the FTHS

 blog back up and running!  :) 

Just a few subtle changes have been made so not to overwhelm Faith as we welcome back the challenges.   So make sure you stop by the FTHS blog and read about those changes as well and check out this weeks' design team samples. 

{SS} Eskimo Folklore

Morning everyone. 

Today I am sharing a card made with the beautiful quote from the Eskimo Folklore stamp set.  

I have a hard time with sympathy cards, not making them, just finding the right words. 

That is why I love the sentiment because you can use it on the front of a card like I have or on the inside. 

I created the background using Tim Holtz distress inks: 

Seedless Preserves, Dusty Concord, Blue China and Faded Jeans

Then I lightly misted the watercolor paper, so that colors would blending, but not too much water.  I didn't want them to run into one another too much. 

I then took my Tim Holtz Splatter brush and Lumin-Arte: Heavenly White, to give it some shimmery splotched.  Stamped the scroll star stamp with pigment ink. 

The sentiment is embossed using SweetStamps Detailed White embossing powder on Parchment paper.

Hope you've enjoyed my card today! 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Hug

{SS} Happy Day Wishes

Good morning everyone.

Chiming in a little late this week.  Trying to get back in the groove and find my mojo spirit. 

Do you ever sit at your desk and just stare at your supplies?

When I get crafters block, I turn to my distress inks. 

With no plan in mind, without a guide, I just color, blend, spritz until something clicks. 

So before I move into my card today, I want to remind you to check out January's release HERE!!

So for my card today, I am playing with my distress inks. 

I used the following colors on my card today: 

Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot 

I painted my Piccolo: Cock A Doodle Do with black gesso and simply laid it on top of the colored background.  I then stamped the sentiment using Versafine ink. 

I would like to participate in the following challenges: 

Crafty Friends #24

Creative Artiste Challenge #10

Thanks for stopping by today. 

See you back tomorrow! 

Hugs.

{GDT} Little Miss Muffet #108: Anything Goes

Morning lovies-
Hope you are having a fabulous week so far!!  I finally got some rest over the weekend, thanks to my awesome husband!!  Our schedule has changed since my oldest son got a job working graveyard and I've been only managing to get about 20-25 hours of sleep.  Yeah I know..It's been dreadful!!
My husband just looks at me and says, I don't know how you do it!!!

So anyhow...Let's get to this weeks card!
This weeks  challenge over at Little Miss Muffet Challenge Blog is:
ANYTHING GOES

I love to watercolor and I have been trying to find ways to do so with my digital images.  Now there are certain printers that use a particular ink, that make it possible to do us, but I do not want to buy another printer!  So I was playing around with my pens the other week and rediscovered my jelly pen.  

This what the image looks like coming out of my printer.  I have to use washi tape to holds down the watercolor paper, since it's so thick.  BTW, I am using TH: Distress Watercolor Cardstock which has a 118lb weight.  It starts to print fine and then it seems to stress towards the bottom causing a trail of residue.   Do you see the shiny substance on the image. I went over the entire image using this pen.  It dries quickly and I the results were wonderful!! 

The image is called Desert Cactus and I used the following distress inks to color this scene: 

Cactus: Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint

Cactus Flower: Worn Lipstick, Festive Berries

Ground: Antique Linen, Walnut Stain, Gathered Twigs

Sky:Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon and Vintage Photo

Hope you will join us this week.  

Can't wait to see what you create with week. 

I would like to share this card in the following challenge: 

Addicted to Stamps #139

Monday Mood Board #9

Hugs. 

*SweetStamps #134: ATC's

Good morning and happy Tuesday to you!!

Are you ready for this weeks challenge over at SweetStamps?

This weeks challenge is:

ATC

(Artist Trading Cards)

This was my very first time making these and I LOVED it!!

It was like making  miniature mixed media canvases. 

Since these little cards are made for trading at swaps and/or among other crafters, I decided to make 4. 

So if anyone that plays along this week and wants to trade, send me an email.  :)

I have used a combination of new and older SweetStamps on my cards.

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Join our weekly and monthly challenge

You can use any stamp on your challenge entry, but if you use a SweetStamps image, you will get two entries into the giveaway! To enter the challenge, please add the URL to your actual blog post or online gallery to the InLink at the end of the post. Please do not link to your main blog, we want to be able to find your post to leave you comments. Also, please link back to the SweetStamps blog.

Remember, you can only enter the challenge one time, use a SweeStamps image to get an extra entry in the challenge. Please limit the amount of challenges to 10 (including SweetStamps). You must link back to SweetStamps on your blog post.

Next week's challenge #135 is:

Western

Our monthly challenge, can be found HERE

Theme is:

Masking

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I would like to enter the following challenge:
Allsorts #223
Imagination Crafts Challenge #3

Hugs, 

Calypso

*SweetStamps Challenge #133: Butterflies

Morning sweeties-

Thank you for stopping by today!!  

So, were you lucky enough to have the day off yesterday?

If so, hope you enjoyed the day off, with some good and relaxation.

So today at SweetStamps, we have a brand new weekly challenge for you!!

This weeks theme is:

BUTTERFLIES

For my cards today, I kept them very simple with lots of white space. 

I am using a brand new SweetCuts die called: Butterfly Window.
This is such a unique and wonderful die to have, for anyone for love butterflies.
I masked the edges of my paper and rubbed the distress inks to create the background. 

For the first card, I used white cardstock to cut the image and then filled the empty spaces with black cardstock, which were leftovers  from the card below. 

The sentiment is from another newly released stamp set: Swirly Doodle Butterflies

Just love the way this looks and the colors are so bold .

Really love this butterfly die.  This has become a new favorite of mine!

So I hope that you will join us this week and show us your beautiful butterfly creations. 

Can't wait to see what you create for us. 

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Join our weekly and monthly challenge

You can use any stamp on your challenge entry, but if you use a SweetStamps image, you will get two entries into the giveaway! To enter the challenge, please add the URL to your actual blog post or online gallery to the InLink at the end of the post. Please do not link to your main blog, we want to be able to find your post to leave you comments. Also, please link back to the SweetStamps blog.

Remember, you can only enter the challenge one time, use a SweeStamps image to get an extra entry in the challenge. Please limit the amount of challenges to 10 (including SweetStamps). You must link back to SweetStamps on your blog post.

Next week's challenge #134 is:

ATC

Our monthly challenge, can be found HERE

Theme is:

Masking

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Hugs, 

Calypso

*Stamp and Create w/ Magnolia #17

Morning-

School has started around these parts and the neighborhood sounds a lot more quieter!! :)
Today, at Stamp and Create w/ Magnolia, we have a new challenge for you.
The theme of this fortnightly challenge is:
BIRTHDAY SUMMER

For my card today, I am using Tilda As A Clown!!

I colored her using my Copic markers!!  I was shocked that I didn't pull out my distress inks!!  :)
I already had her colored and figured I would get her onto a card.
The paper is from Prima Marketing and I love the SC wood veneers!!
Card is very clean and simple, but I think it makes for a gorgeous birthday card.

What is a Summer themed image?:

Flowers, Butterflies, Sports, Vacation, Sunshine/Outdoors, Father's Day, water/beach, Birthdays. Colors are Bright and Vibrant.

Prize:

The rules for our challenges are:

~ Each Challenge has a Seasonal Theme as well as a standard challenge. You must comply with both themes to enter the challenge.

~ You must use a Magnolia stamp to enter the challenges.

~ You are welcome to combine your card with as many other challenges as you wish.

~ No back linking - your entry must be a new creation.

~ You must be a follower of the challenge blog to enter the challenges.

~ You must include a link to our challenges within your entry post.

Failure to follow the rules of the challenges will result in your entry being deleted from the challenge.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Paperplay Weekly (Sketch #65)

Magnolia-licious Challenge: CAS

ABC42

Hugs, 

Calypso

*Seize the Birthday

Where is the week going?

It's Thursday already and time for another fortnightly challenge over at Seize the Birthday!!

Yippee!!!

I am so glad to be on this team, because I have pulled out some stamps that I won and never got around to using til now!!  I know shame on me, especially since they are so darn cute!!

Stamp: Fun Birthday: LOTV, Ink: Black: Versafine; Paper:Fly A Kite; MME; Embellishment: Pearls; Die: Horizon Square Boutique Stacker Frames, Lace Corner Deco E

For my card today I am using LOTV: Fun Birthday and I've colored it using distress inks. 

I really have to thank my online Janne for all her help, tips and supplies in getting me started towards my venture, towards coloring with distress inks.  I still have lots to learn and trust me, I ask a lot of questions!! :) 

Challenge Rules (to keep things fair):

1. You must make something with a BIRTHDAY theme. 

2. Please add a direct link to your blog or to an online gallery.

3. Feel free to use other challenges or for a stamp release, it doesn't matter, as long as you add this challenge link to your post.

4. Any offensive posts or cards that do not follow the guidelines will be removed out of courtesy to fellow bloggers and the design team.

Looking forward to seeing what you create for us.

I would like to enter in the following challenges:
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge #95
SweetStamps #132
Dutch Dare Card Challenge #232

Hugs,
Calypso

*SweetStamps August Technique Challenge

Good morning-

Are you ready for this month's technique challenge over at SweetStamps!!

I hope you are because it's a fun one and one that I love doing often. 

This months technique is all about:

MASKING

I really love how my card today came together.

For my card, I am using Mermaid Shaleen and she is simply stunning. 

I have even created a picture tutorial, of the steps I took in creating my card. 

Here goes:

• Step #1: Stamp your image image on your coloring paper and vellum.
• Step #2: Cut out your image and apply two-way glue to the back of the vellum.  Let it dry completely.
• Step #3: Lay the vellum on top of your other image. 
• (I have also left my die in place, to create an additional mask for my edges)
• Step #4: I stamped my grass
• Step #5: I removed the mermaid mask, so that you can see the grass around the image.
• Step #6: I laid my first initial color on the ground, created a mask for the ground as well.  Laid the mermaid mask down as well and started sponging the water scene using distress ink.
• Step #7: I removed all the mask, so you can see what it looks like again.
• Step #8:  A picture of all my vellum mask, including the die.  (I keep all my mask I create with the stamp, just in case I were to ever need it again, I would already have it.
• Step #9: My finished product.  Colored and glittered up!!  :) 

What do you think? 

How did I do....was it easy to follow? 

I really hope that you will join us and show us what you can do with the masking technique.

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Join our weekly and monthly challenge

You can use any stamp on your challenge entry, but if you use a SweetStamps image, you will get two entries into the giveaway! To enter the challenge, please add the URL to your actual blog post or online gallery to the InLink at the end of the post. Please do not link to your main blog, we want to be able to find your post to leave you comments. Also, please link back to the SweetStamps blog.

Remember, you can only enter the challenge one time, use a SweeStamps image to get an extra entry in the challenge. Please limit the amount of challenges to 10 (including SweetStamps). You must link back to SweetStamps on your blog post.

Here are the current & upcoming techniques:
Sept 15 - Oct 14: Paper Piecing
Oct 15 - Nov 14: Center Step Card

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I would like to enter the following challenge:
Fetch A Sketch #56

Creative Moments #23
Whimsical Designs (die cut, stickles, ribbon, emboss and stamps)
Cuddlebug Mania: Anything Goes (Sizzix Dot Matrix)

Hugs,
Calypso