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Sunday I moved all of my potentially freezable art supplies to my temporary studio (i.e. inks, paints, adhesives) and then had a little time to create.
I started with the Colors from the Fab Friday Challenge.
The puffy heart stickers pull in the Grapefruit. The Happy For You stamps and Happy die cuts are from Pink and Main.
I'm also joining the Love is in the Air Challenge at Just Us Girls.
It's time for a new release of stamps at Technique Junkies ... remember you can use my discount code TJ10Stephanie for 10% off your order ... on top of all new stamps being on sale through February 8th (so make sure you stack your discounts).
The first stamp from the February Release that I created with was the gorgeous Just a Hug Stamp.
I wanted to see what it would look like on different Distress Oxide Backgrounds.
I started with Barn Door and Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide applied to my craft sheet and sprayed with water. Next I used watercolor paper to pick-up the ink dipping in multiple times for a nice overlapping effect with the inks. This was how they looked when they were still wet ... a bit messy, but they dried beautifully.
I did a second set with Festive Berries and Victorian Velvet that were a bit more vibrant.
For my first card, I stamped Technique Junkies Just a Hug in Medieval Blue Versafine Clair Ink on the pretty muted background using my MISTI for perfect placement & ink coverage. After the ink dried, I gave the paper a liberal spray of Dazzle Shimmering Bliss which provides a gorgeous overall sparkle.
I rubbed the dark blue ink pad along the edges of my paper to give it contrast from the lavender framing mat.
This one is linking-up at the Inspired by ... Kissing Booth Challenge.
Next I stamped two more of the Just Hug hearts ... one on this color combination and a second on the more vibrant red ... as always using my MISTI for perfect ink coverage.
I just love how the variation of colors works with the words inside the hearts ... so watery and wonderful.
I paired this one with red & black for a more dramatic look.
This pretty Red Heart is linking-up at the Time Out Challenge.
For my third card I went back to the more ethereal colors with a white woodgrain background.
I"m linking up at the Creatalicious Challenge Which is Anything Goes Hearts.
Another new stamp in the release is the Heart Be Your Compass sentiment. I thought it would pair perfectly with the Technique Junkies Map Collage for a lovely masculine design.
The Map Collage was stamped on a beautifully aged piece of vintage paper that really soaked up the ink. I used my ink pad to distress around the edges a bit.
I used another of my inky backgrounds with the new Retro Blooms Background for some tone-on-tone stamping.
I mounted it on an ombre note card & added the The Get Well Soon sentiment, which is also from the new release.
I used my new Cut-Align ruler from My Sweet Petunia to get the perfect sentiment strip ... I will confess, I've never been a knife user, but I'm a convert now ... I love the precision I can get down to 1/16" of an inch.
Here are the links for the rest of the team:
This week's Inspiration Challenge at SplitCoastStampers comes from the stores of Sherwin-Williams. I chose this lovely room in neutral palettes to inspire my design.
The current challenge at Unity Stamp Company is to Let Your Designer Paper Shine, so I featured an Itty Bitty Sentiment Haters Gonna Hate {wit & wisdom} stamped in Catherine Pooler Black Jack Ink paired with Botanicals Paper from The Paper Studio. I used my MISTI to get solid coverage.
I framed the top & bottom of my sentiment with Love from Lizi Pin-Stripe Peel-Off Stickers. The layout is this week's Freshly Made Sketch I used two widths of Glittery Washi Tape for the vertical element in the sketch.
The design team at the CASology Challenge this week was super-creative in interpreting this week's Cue Card.
I had lots of ideas (the first one I had to trash because I couldn't find the stamp set I was looking for ... don't you hate when that happens. I'm sure I will find it next week when I'm looking for something completely different). Finally I went with a Glass Coffee Pot ... the epitome of The Office (and my Office).
I paired it with the final line from the TV Show The Office ... which is so true. And sometimes the most beautiful things is that first taste of morning caffeine.
Both Stamps are from The Ink Road Scranton, PA.
I also took my inspiration from the glass of wine at the Fusion Card Challenge (and used the Fusion Sketch too for my CAS Design).
When I saw the theme at CASology was Compliment ...
I looked down at the Pitch, Please Stamp Set (love me some Pitch Perfect) from Ink Road Stamps on my desk ... and knew I had to make this card ... some days, Fat Amy is my spirit animal.
The hearts seemed like the perfect background for this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch (keepin' it CAS).
Aca-Believe it!
No matter how fantastic the travels, there is always something comforting about creating in your own studio again.
I decided to ink-up some new stamps from Lesia Zgharda Design in the Ukraine. I had seen some of her images at Alexandra Renke and enjoyed perusing her entire gallery. When Julia posted a card with one of her images, I finally added some to my collection.
I used three stamps with this week's CAS(e) this Sketch.
I started with the Flower Whale stamped in VersaFine Clair Medieval Blue and then added the Geometric Snowflake & Love My Tribe Sentiment in VersaFine Clair Fantasia.
My first attempt to stamp this card, I managed to get a nice blue inky fingerprint on the top right ... I decided rather than toss it, I would trim it down and add a sentiment from Have Courage and Be Kind ... I really love that whale.
And tomorrow Art Camp 2018 officially comes to an end as I return to the office. I'm so grateful for creative breaks in my life to give my analytical brain rest & recovery time.
PS - and the winner of my Birthday Giveaway is ...
I am having such a relaxing birthday morning ... rain outside, but it is light enough to have the windows open and let in the cool autumn air ... Premier League Soccer on the television ... and lots of ink in my studio ... nothing better.
I'm still joining the Winnie & Walter World Card Making Day Challenges. For my next card, I made a Clean & Simple Card Design. I used my MISTI to do more ink blending with the Morse Code Stencil from A Colorful Life ... I used Dusty Concord, Broken China & Seedless Preserves Distress Inks and my Make-Up Brush on Water Color Paper.
I used the same three colors of Distress Ink with my MISTI to ink the sentiment from Winnie & Walter The Big, The Bold and You.
For my next card, I used the Winnie & Walter Coordinating Die Cut Coloring Challenge with Kelly, since it was a technique I had never seen before. It was a very fun & easy technique and produced a great background for my card.
As I mentioned, my Winnie & Walter Stash is limited to sentiment sets, so I had to pull out a Stamp set with Coordinating die from Reverse Confetti Hey Sugar for my card (because it's my birthday, I have cake-on-the-brain).
I used Wilted Violet Distress Ink for Stamping and Shaded Lilac Distress Ink for the stenciling. I added a Hugs Sentiment from Winnie & Walter's The Big, the Bold and Comfort. I'm also joining the Stock Your Stash Challenge at Reverse Confetti with my Friendship Card (because true friends are the ones who take you for some cake).
Remember ... it's my Birthday & I'm giving away goodies.
I wanted to join in the Winnie & Walter World Card Making Day Challenges (you can see my CRAFTIE photo here) ... only one slight problem ... I only have 3 stamp sets from Winnie & Walter & 2 of them are sentiment sets (they do make amazing sentiment sets). So clearly, I need to win this challenge, so I can add to my stash.
I started with inspiration from today's Featured Stamper at SplitcoastStampers ... the talented Jennifer Jackson. I took my inspiration from her lovely stenciled design.
Unfortunately, most of my stencils have been mailed to New Jersey for the Gel Press Extravaganza that Lauren & I have planned for this week, so no pumpkins or leaves ... but I did have this lovely Classic Harlequin Stencil from Technique Junkies by A Colorful Life. Remember, there's a World Card Making Day sale going on at Technique Junkies.
I pulled out my MISTI because it's not only a helpful tool for stamping ... I also use it for Stenciling. I positioned my water color paper and held it in place with my long magnet. Next, I placed my stencil in the corner of my MISTI, so it stays in place in place and then I only have to add a single piece of tape at the top (rather than taping down multiple sides).
Iliana is having a great WCMD Sale Too.
I used my make-up brushes (life changing) to Ink Blend three colors of Distress Ink for the Winnie & Walter Ink Blending Challenge with Lea.
I started with the lightest shade and moved to the darkest, going back with some Mustard Seed at the end. That is one of the make-up (aka Stencil) brushes from this Set of 6.
Another great thing about using this MISTI Technique for Stenciling, is it's easy to lift up your Stencil and see how things look, and then put it right back in place to add more ink ... look at that gorgeous blending of color.
For my finished card, I used inspiration from Jennifer to mat my card with gold (I normally would have reached for a darker brown) and added a wrap of twine, as well as some glittery autumn leaves. Rather than stamp my sentiment on a strip of paper (I felt like it covered-up too much of that gorgeous ink-blending) I used Acorn Versafine Clair ink to stamp the Sentiment from Winnie & Walter The Big, The Bold, and Comfort on top of my blended Distress Ink. I also used Jennifer's inspiration for a combination of a bigger & smaller word for my sentiment.
I'm also linking-up at the Trees & Leaves Challenge at The Paper Players.
AND remember ... Stop by and leave a comment on my Birthday Giveaway for a chance to win a Medium Size Flat Rate Box stuffed full of stamps & coordinating dies.
Joy Clair is offering a chance at a Grand Prize for participating in four of their World Card Making Day Challenges, so I had to give it a try (the first was my Studio Post Here).
I started with the Rainbow Colors Challenge. I stamped my new Joy Clair Coffee To Go Background in Monarch Versafine Clair ink on white cardstock and clear embossed.
Next I painted with a rainbow of watercolors. Sentiment is from Joy Clair Coffee Talk using this week's Freshly Made Sketch on a kraft card base.
Next Challenge was Make & Mail - to make a card and coordinating envelope to put in the mail.
I incorporated the Simon Says Stamp Tag It! Challenge and stamped on a kraft tag using Joy Clair Coffee Talk Stamps and Versafine Clair Inks.
I stamped my Envelope with the Joy Clair Coffee To Go Background Stamp.
My third challenge was to use the Ink Smooshing Technique ... I used two colors of Pink Distress Ink and instead of water, I used my Technique Junkies Iridescent Shimmering Bliss Spray for a gorgeous all-over shimmer.
I used Joy Clair Creeping it Real Stamps for a Pink Halloween with the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers ... because Later Witches.
I'm also linking-up at Simon Says Stamp for World Card Making Day.
I have had a fantastically creative World Card Making Day ... I did some shopping (with my Impression Obsession Winnings and their 20% off sale) and lots of creating ... so fun!
Today is World Card Making Day ... tomorrow is my Birthday. I always secretly believed that they picked this weekend for World Card Making Day, so I absolutely HAD to spend my birthday weekend making cards ... and so that is what I will be doing today (because there are lots of prizes ... and prizes are like presents).
I also like to give presents (seriously, I like to give them more than I like to receive them ... just ask my family ... I'm weird that way). So I filled an entire MEDIUM FLAT RATE BOX with stamps (seriously, there are a lot of stamps) for one lucky winner. It includes all of my retired Essentials by Ellen stamps and lots of others that are ready to move on to a new crafty home (I see a couple of large Hero Arts backgrounds and some brand new Kitchen Sink Stamps at the top of the pile). I'm heading to New York City next week to hang out with Lauren (my favorite birthday present), so I'll pick a winner a week from SUNDAY (October 14th) when I return.
So what do you have to do to be eligible for this beautiful box to come live with you ... just leave a comment telling me one of your favorite Autumn Memories. Fall is also my favorite time of the year, and some of my favorite memories involve the Maple Leaf Festival in my home town ... riding on floats or marching in the parade, the Band Festival, and just seeing the beautiful Maple Leaves in full splendor.
I started with the October Challenge at Paper Smooches is a Sketch (personally I love that Kim's sketches are still hand-drawn).
I'm still making encouragement cards for a co-worker and this one features Paper Smooches Hope Stamp Set (remember, Lauren & I are each donating $2 for every PINK for the CURE Christmas Card you Link-up at Jingle Belles).
I used a strip of Gel Press done on navy cardstock for the vertical piece in the sketch and then trimmed bits of two designer paper scraps that were on my studio table.
I also am focusing on making cards with Never Been Used Stamps in my studio (after my Junkiefest purchases this summer, I still have quite a pile). I used this Cassette Tape from Darkroom Door to make a card for their Facebook World Card Making Day Challenge.
I added an SRM Sticker on the Cassette Tape and then lots of other bits and bobs using the sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketches.
Remember ... favorite Autumn Memory comment for a chance to win the box-o-stamps.
And ... in case you don't have a MISTI ... or already have a MISTI and need a second or third (because seriously, everyone needs multiple MISTIs), there's an awesome sale at My Sweet Petunia.
Now I know how they came up with World Card Makers Day's date....your birthday weekend! Makes perfect sense NOW. ;) Hard to choose just one favorite Autumn memory but in younger days it would have been getting "floats" decorated week of homecoming and of course the homecoming dance. But older memories involve my daughters and helping them find their Halloween costumes plus taking them trick or treating. Fun times! AND happy birthday! Enjoy a piece of birthday cake...cause birthday calories don't count! ;)