Lawnscaping Coffee Blog Hop!

Hi Everyone! I'm so excited to be participating in the Lawnscaping Challenges JUNE Coffee Blog hop today! You should have just arrived from Coralynn's Blog and if you have you are exactly where you should be! If not, be sure to go back to the beginning at the Lawnscaping Challenge Blog for ALL the details and begin the hop. If you encounter any errors along the hop, please email Laurel directly at laurelbeard at me dot com. Please do not leave them in the comments.

For my card, I had to be a bit creative since I didn't have any specific coffee stamps from Lawn Fawn even though they have a couple super cute ones! So, I pulled out one of my Favorite Lawn Fawn Stamp Sets ( Feathered Friends) and Violet's ABC's to create my own custom sentiment. I also used some stamps from Sweet Stamp Shop to help me along with the coffee theme. ;)

I am loving watercoloring right now, so I stamped all of my images with Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black ink on Canson 140lb Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper. Then I colored everything with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush watercolor pens. For an accent, I used some Pretty Pink Posh Summer Mix Sequins. I matted my image panel on some Lawn Fawn Pint-Sized Patterns 6x6 Paper (Beachside) and that completed my card! I hope you enjoyed!! 

Now for some details about the hop. Prizes?! Yes!! We have lots of sponsors, which means lots of prizes so encourage commenting because winners will be chosen by unique comments left on the hoppers blogs. (What I mean by unique, is no copy and pasting the same comment over and over.) You have until the end of the day on June 28th to get their comments we. We are Eastern Standard Time so 11:59PM EST, June 28th. Winners will be announced on the Lawnscaping blog later that week.

Here are our AMAZING sponsors: Lawn Fawn, Ellen Hutson, The Ink Road, Crafters Companion, Spectrum Noir, The Alley Way Stamps, Newtons Nook, Faber Castell, and Right at Home! 

Here is the full list of everyone participating in the hop so you don't miss a beat!

Lawnscaping Challenges 

Niki G. 

Gray Whiskers Crafts

Melissa

Kristina B.

Lysa

Dianchik

Yolanda G. 

Jennie M. 

Julie C. 

Ellen 

Nina-Marie

Michele S. 

Anni

Michelle L.

Lydia

Oreet

Tammy H.

Shannon M. 

Kim

Kelly S. 

Trish K. 

Tanja

Amy

Kim H. 

Monica M. 

Beau Monde Designs

Valerie W. 

Maria

Wiebke

Maia Ink

http://melissabowden.com/

Vicki

Chitra

Tracy

Curl E. Cue's

Coralynn

Carisa You are here!

Dawn E.

Kate 

Kristina P. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you liked my card, please click on the button below to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post! Now it's time to hop on over to Dawn E.'s Blog!!! Happy Hopping!

Supplies:

Lawn Fawn stamps (Feathered Friends, Violet's ABCs)

Lawn Fawn pint-sized pattern paper 6x6 (Beachside)

Sweet Stamp Shop (Coffee Town)

Canson 140lb Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper

Tsukinkeo Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Zig Clean Color Real Brush watercolor pens

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins (Summer Mix)

Zig Wink of Stella (clear)

Thermoweb Zots Bling

Scotch ATG Adhesive

Making Cards with Paper Smooches

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to be the June Guest Designer for Paper Smooches! This is my LAST Wednesday this month to share new inspiration using stamps and dies from their June Release! I'm so sad but like they say all good things must come to an end. I have really enjoyed my time spent with Paper Smooches this month. It is always an honor to be able to work with a company I absolutely love and adore and I am so glad I got that opportunity this month. I hope you have enjoyed it just as much. I didn't want this month to end so I decided to make two cards for my final post today.

My first card uses the Sugar Rush stamp set with the Sugar Rush Icons Dies. I had this idea to create my own pattern paper with all the different sweets and just took four of the images from the set and placed them on an acrylic block to stamp randomly around the paper. I knew I was going to use my Copic Markers to color so I stamped them in Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Copic Xpress It Blending card. I cut a strip of coordinating pattern paper and used the Fringe 2 Die to create a border for my sentiment.

I was extremely happy with my chocolate iced donut - those are my absolute FAVORITE kind of donut and I couldn't resist adding glossy accents on the top. I stamped my sentiment with Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black ink and used Imagine Crafts Clear Embossing powder to set it. Then I stamped and colored my cream soda and used the Sugar Rush Icons Dies to cut it out. For a little extra pop, I used Zig Wink of Stella Clear and Imagine Crafts Amplify in Neon White.

For my second card, I used Gently Seasoned Two. I love this tree that can be decorated for any season but what inspired my card were the circle stamps. I just couldn't wait to create a bokeh effect with those stamps! I decided to get a head start on my Christmas cards and created a wintery background with my Peerless Watercolors and added my sentiment from A Blessed Christmas with Imagine Crafts Silver embossing powder. I'm so happy with how this card turned out! Such a versatile stamp set for sure.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you liked my card, please click on the button below to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post! 

Supplies:

Paper Smooches (Sugar Rush, Sugar Rush Icon Dies, Fringe 2 Die, Gently Seasoned Two, A Blessed Christmas)

Tsukineko Memento Ink Tuxedo Black 

Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Tsukinkeo Memento Luxe Wedding Dress

Imagine Crafts by Tsukineko Embossing Powder (clear, silver)

Copic Markers

Peerless Watercolors

May Arts Gold & White Bakers Twine

Vellum

Ranger Glossy Accents

Zig Wink of Stella Clear

Lawn Fawn 6x6 Paper Pad

White Gel Pen

Scotch ATG Adhesive

Tip Me Tuesday over at The Greeting Farm!

Hi Everyone! I shared this picture on instagram a few weeks ago and when I was asked to share some tips with The Greeting Farm's Tip Me Tuesday, I knew I wanted to show you how to get this awesome ombre color. 

So, head on over to The Greeting Farm's Tip Me Tuesday Blog post today and check it out. I offer step by steps of how I use my Copic Markers to get this color and offer tips to get depth and texture when coloring hair on your favorite stamped images!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Please click on the button below to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post! 

Watercolor Wednesday with Paper Smooches

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to be the June Guest Designer for Paper Smooches! Join me each Wednesday this month for new inspiration using stamps and dies from their June Release!

Today, I am using the Gently Seasoned 2 stamp set that was released this month. That tree is absolutely adorable and I love that you can dress it up for every season of the year! There is even a cute little Christmas Lightbulb that I can't wait to use for some Christmas cards. I kept this card pretty simple so it could be used for any time of the year and just created a pretty watercolor sunrise/sunset background with the Zig Clean Color Real Brush watercolor pens.

I first stamped my tree with Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black ink and colored the background. Due to all the layers, I under up needing to re-stamp the tree and I was able to do this because I used the MISTI stamping tool. I was able to put my paper back in the exact same spot with this tool and since I had not removed the stamp could ink it back up and get the perfect placement. When I re-stamped it, I decided to make it pop even more by adding a coat of clear embossing powder. I was able to salvage a card I probably would have had to throw away if it wasn't for the MISTI tool. I'm completely sold on it!

Here is a close up of the watercolor. I love creating these clean and simple cards using watercolors! I stamped the birdhouse from the same set with some distress ink and gave it a bit more watercolor using more distress ink before fussy cutting it out. I added some twine to hang the birdhouse, used some foam adhesive and adhered it to my card. A sprinkling of some fun Summer Mix sequins by Pretty Pink Posh and this card is complete! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you liked my card, please click on the button below to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post! 

Supplies:

Paper Smooches (Gently Seasoned 2)

Tsukineko Memento Luxe Ink (Gray Flannel)

Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Imagine Crafts by Tsukineko Embossing Powder (clear)

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens

Lawn Fawn Lawn Trimmings (Silve Sparkle Hemp Cord)

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins (Summer Mix)

Helmar Zap Dots

Thermoweb Zots Bling

Scotch ATG Adhesive

MISTI

Interactive Card with Sweet Stamp Shop

Hi all you sweet fans! Carisa back with you today for my last project this month. I had an absolute blast hanging out in the Sweet Stamp Shop with all of you the past couple weeks and I had a few different ideas for my last post and honestly this actually came out of left field as I scratched idea after idea off the drawing board! I hope you enjoy it as much as I had fun creating it for you. 

I fell in love with the Super Boy set this past release and really wanted to color it up for a Father's Day card for my hubby. He wears glasses so the sentiment "The glasses don't fool me…" just fit for him! I also wanted the card to be somewhat interactive so I came up with an idea of creative a flap on the front so when you open it you see the Super Boy and sentiment! I love how it turned out and here is how I did it.

First, I started by coloring my images. I knew I was going to use both of them, the alter ego for the front and then Super Boy inside the flap. I wanted them to be colored with the same colors so what I used for the one, I also used for the other. It keeps it consistent, plus it's just easier to not have to think of different color combinations for both images.

Next, I started to die cut my card design. I love nesting coordinating dies and this is when I decided to create the flap. I cut the negative and then again with a coordinating piece of paper. I planned to nest it inside after I created the inside scene.

I took this piece and scored it at the first score line of my Scor-pal which is at 1/2". Then I took some more coordinating papers and created my inside scene behind the main panel. 

I cut a notch using a 3/4" circle punch centering it and only putting the paper halfway in to create the notch. This make sit easier to open the flap, plus it lets the recipient know there is something to open - kind of like the lift and flap books! 

Finally, I just added adhesive up to the score line and adhered the flap to the main panel. Next it was time to add my sentiments and images to create the card!

Here is a close up of the flap closed. I just adore this little guy and that sentiment! I kept the front simple because the POW! is when you open the flap. 

Here is a close up of the inside. It just makes me smile when I see it every time! This was one of those crazy ideas, I wasn't sure if it would work or if it was even a good idea! LOL I am glad I followed through to the end. I created the custom sentiment by pairing the Superhero part from the set and spelled out dad with the Outline Lower Alpha set. This is one of my all time go to sets. You can customize anything you want to say! I colored the letters to match my image, again keeping the same colors to keep it all cohesive.

So, that's it! Pretty simple, when all is said and done! I hope you are inspired to think of different ways to create interactive cards with your favorite Sweet Stamp Shop stamps! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you liked my project, please click on the button below to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post! 

Supplies:
Sweet Stamp Shop (Super Boy, Outline Lower Alpha)
Copic Markers: (skin) E00, E11, BV20, BV11 / (hair) E79, E57 / (clothes) R89, R85, B99, B37, B16, B06, C10, C7
Doodlebug Design, Inc. 6x6 Paper Pads (Patriotic Picnic, Sunkissed)
WPlus9 Dies (Sunshine Layers)
3/4" hole punch
Wink of Stella (gold)
Scotch ATG Adhesive
Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue

Watercoloring Prima Bloom Girl Paige with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens

Hi everyone! Today I'm sharing a simple one layer watercolor card using Paige from the Prima Bloom Girl collection! I have had this stamp in my stash for quite awhile and this my first time stamping and coloring her.

I am using the Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens to do all of my watercoloring and I have a video for you sharing my process and thoughts on these markers. I have had a LOT of people ask me what I think about these markers since they are all the rage right now. It is easier for me to ramble on about what like and don't like in video rather than go into everything in a blog post or by answering on Facebook or Instagram so I hope you don't mind taking a couple minutes to watch the video. As always, I tried to keep it  under 10 minutes for you but that meant putting into super speed as well! haha

I love creating simple cards using the stamps from the Bloom Girl collection, in fact, I stamped all my girls onto the same Strathemore watercolor cards to create a few different cards to have on hand. These stamps are so beautiful and you can add as much color or as little and they still look beautiful on your cards. A simple sentiment to let someone know you are thinking of them and you are good to go.

I hope you enjoy the video and I will see you next month with another Bloom Girl project!

Supplies:

Prima Bloom Girl (Paige) Item #980054

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens: (skin) 071 Flesh Color, 028 Pale Pink, 072 Beige, 021 Light Carmine / (hair) 038 Peacock Blue, 010 Black / Teacup 092 Blue Grey, 063 Ochre, 065 Mid Brown, 066 Oatmeal, 062 Dark Brown / Flowers 003 Fl. Pink, 051 Lemon Yellow, 052 Bright Yellow, 083 Lilac, 045 Pale Green, 091 Light Grey / Background 036 Light Blue

Strathmore 5x7 Watercolor Cards

Tsukineko Versafine Ink (Onyx Black)

Zig Wink of Stella (clear) 

WPlus9 Sentiment (Doodle Buds stamp set)

Ranger Watercolor Brush

Inlaid Die Cuts with Paper Smooches

Hi everyone! I am SO excited to be the June Guest Designer for Paper Smooches! Join me each Wednesday this month for new inspiration using stamps and dies from their June Release!

Have you ever had a card design in your head that just haunted you? LOL You know, the one that seems so perfect and beautiful in you mind that you just can't wait to get into your craft room and create it?! Well, this was one of those cards…but it haunted me in that it took several tries to get it JUST RIGHT!!! I'm not going to lie, the Botanicals 3 stamp set was probably my most challenging as it is a filled stamped with nothing to color!!! Yikes, me, not color?! ;) So, it was time to pull out my favorite colored inks, the Tsukineko Memento Luxe ink pads. I love these ink pads because they are so vibrant and rich. I stamped one of the big flowers and 3 of the smaller flowers in a diagonal from the bottom left to the upper right with different inks. Then, I did a bit of masking to stamp the leaves in to fill the white space. 

Next, I outlined the stamping with a marker and sponged the edges in Tsukineko Memento Ink in Toffee Crunch. I placed my Happy Birthday Word Die diagonally across the stamping and ran it through my die cutting machine. Then I ran it three more times on plain white card stock. I layered all the pieces and placed them in the negative space that remained on my main image panel. I love the look of popping up your word die like this!!! Seriously, it was WORTH the effort to make such an elegant statement card. I had been wanting to try it for a long time and I am so glad I did. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you liked my card, please click on the button below to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post! 

Supplies:

Paper Smooches (Botanicals 3, Happy Birthday Word Die)

Tsukineko Memento Luxe Ink (Radiant Neon Electric Blue, Rhubarb Stalk, Pear Tart, Expresso Truffle, Love Letter)

Recollections Glitter Enamel Dots

May Arts Gold & White Twine

Scotch ATG Adhesive

Sweet Stamp Shop: Using Miskit for Masking & Watercoloring

Hi all you sweet fans! I have a fun project for you today. Watercolor is ALL the rage right now and it is a trend that I hope is around for a long, long time because I absolutely love it. My card is all about watercoloring and I'm going to show you how I used Miskit to protect my image while I painted my background. 

First, I stamped the absolutely adorable Oolong stamp on watercolor paper (140lb cold pressed) using Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black ink. Then I used a small brush to paint the Miskit over the entire image. Be careful to go all the way up to the edges but not outside the lines. Allow the Miskit to dry fully. Once it is dry it will feel slightly tacky to the touch. It starts to dry really quickly so you want to make sure you clean your brush as soon as you are done with soap and water. I suggest setting aside a paint brush just to use with your Miskit.

Once it is dry, you are good to go painting over this area while you create your background. If you are like me and you like to use your heat tool to dry your watercoloring, be careful not to heat the area with your Miskit on it. I didn't want to take the chance so I just let my paper air dry. 

Once my entire background was dry, it was time to remove the Miskit. All you need to do is gently rub it with your finger until it starts to peel up. You can also use an eraser. I love removing any type of masking to reveal my image and this was double the fun because I got to peel it up and rub it away. LOL 

Once it was removed, I was all set to color in my image!!! The image has been protected perfectly from all those layers of watercolor I used to create my background. You want to use Miskit to mask your images when you are watercoloring because all of that wet medium will bleed through your traditional masking papers. You can also use Miskit when you are coloring with any medium to create different kinds of texture on your images. The possibilities are endless with this product! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and will give Miskit a try on your next watercolor project. 

To color my image, I used Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens. These are watercolor pens that have a unique brush tip instead of a felt tip. They are great for coloring smaller images like this one. 

I couldn't resist adding some Clear Wink of Stella on my sugar cubes with a coating of Glossy Accents on top! I think it adds such a cute element of surprise with this image. The watercolored background is the true star of this card so I kept embellishments simple with a scattering of sequins.

Here is another look at my finished card. I love this cute image, it just makes me so happy and is sure to brighten the day of someone you don't get to see often. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you liked my project, please click on the button below to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post! 

Supplies:
Sweet Stamp Shop (Oolong stamp)
Versafine Ink (Onyx Black)
140lb Cold Press Watercolor Paper
Grumbacher Miskit Liquid Frisket
Watercolors (Peerless, Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens)
Watercolor Brush (Size 2, 4)
Zig Wink of Stella (Clear)
Ranger Glossy Accents
Pretty Pink Posh Sequins (Peridot Mist, Bermuda Blue)
Foam Adhesive
Thermoweb Zots Bling

Pretty Pink Posh Watercolor Blog Hop!

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be participating with MarkerPop! in the Pretty Pink Posh Watercolor Blog Hop! I actually have TWO cards to share with you so this is going to be a pretty long post today - hope you will stick around!!

After I sent in my card, I thought I would create a video sharing how I created my watercolor background using Faber-Castell Gelatos and then creating a card with that background by using my Copic Markers to color my images - who says you can't combine watercolor and Copics?! In fact, I have seen this type of technique used quite a bit and loved it because I have to admit, I'm a bit of a compartmentalized crafter. If I am using my watercolors, I tend to stick to that and same goes for Copics - it was flying against the wind for me to put this card together, but I honestly love how it turned out and don't be surprised if you see this more from me! 

Here is a close up of the Cute little critters from Paper Smooches Party Posse stamp set. Seriously, they just make me smile and they are looking pretty awesome all stacked up in all their Copic colored glory against that beautiful watercolor background! Do you see that I used the same brown color combination throughout each image on different parts? I learned that from the amazing Sandy Allnock and it seriously is a brilliant way to tie together different elements on your card when you are building a scene or just using different images together like I am. I will definitely remember that tip from now on.

Of course, what is a card without some Clear Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents as that perfect bit of subtle embellishment. I even threw caution to the wind on this card and added some twine and gorgeous Pretty Pink Posh sequins - I have DEFINITELY been bitten by the sequin bug for sure! I can't seem to create a card without them lately!

And as promised…here is the video tutorial showing you how I created the watercolor background on this card and the one below that I created as a special guest with MarkerPop! for the Pretty Pink Posh Watercolor Blog hop.

I would also like to enter this card in the current Paper Smooches SPARKS Anything Goes challenge! 

Supplies:

Papers Smooches (Party Posse stamps)

Tsukineko Memento Ink (Tuxedo Black) 

Copic Xpress It Blending Card

Copic Markers: Turtle (BG93, BG96, BG99, G07, G09, YG67, R22, R24, R29) / Dinosaur (YR14, YR16, YR09, BG15, BG57) / Hamster (E23, E28, E27, E33, E35, Y02, Y08)

Lawn Fawn (Pint-Sized Patterns Beachside 6x6 paper pad)

My Favorite Things Die-Namics (blueprints 24)

Faber-Castell Gelatos

140lbs Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper

May Arts Jute Twine

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins (Bermuda Blue)

Thermoweb Zots Bling

Wink of Stella (clear)

Glossy Accents

White Gel Pen

Here is my card for the Pretty Pink Posh Watercolor Blog Hop. I used the same technique above to create the background. I love these new iridescent sequins from Pretty Pink Posh. I love how they pick up the light and show different tones of color.

I just adore this little elephant from the WPlus9 Unforgettable stamp set. I stamped him in Versafine Onyx Black ink and then used the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens to watercolor him (see, I told you, compartmentalized cardmaker!)

I love the shimmer on his hat and the balloon - I used a new medium for me, the Winsor & Newton Iridescent Medium for watercolors. I just used it straight from the bottle on top of my already colored image but I would love to try mixing it in with colors on future projects. I hope my two cards and video have inspired you to join in the Pretty Pink Posh Watercolor Hop starting tomorrow! Be sure to check out THIS POST for all the details on how you can join us.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and sticking around! If you liked my cards today, please click on the button below to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post! 

Supplies:

WPlus9 (Unforgettable Stamp)

Tsukineko Versafine Ink (Onyx Black) 

My Favorite Things Die-Namics (blueprints 24)

Faber-Castell Gelatos

140lbs Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins (Bermuda Blue, Peridot Mist, Summer Mix)

Thermoweb Zots Bling

Imagine Crafts Embossing Powder (Clear)
Cosmo Cricket Just Add Watercolor Paper,
Distress Ink (Cracked Pistachio
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Watercolors
Winsor & Newton Iridescent Medium

Die Cuts with Paper Smooches

Hi everyone! I am SO excited to be the June Guest Designer for Paper Smooches and today kicks off my month with them! Have you seen the new release?! There are tons of cute new stamps and dies - you gotta check them all out HERE. I had a hard time choosing what I wanted to use first! I have so many ideas for this month - I'm glad I have 4 weeks of inspiration to share with you!

For my card today, I used the beautiful Stitched Flourishes 2 Dies and the fun Fringe 2 Die. As soon as I saw the stitched flourishes, I knew I wanted to pair it with the Hello Words Dies. I love how the word Hi is in a thicker stitch so it looks like it is bold and makes it pop more. I tucked in a piece of coordinating pink paper to give it more dimension. I cut the Fringe 2 Die twice and just lined them up behind my main panel to adhere. I used my scissors to "fluff" them for some added dimension. I finished off my card with some sequins. This is a fun card and would be very easy to create multiples of.

I even decorated the inside! I used this great sentiment from the Group Hugs stamp set. I added some more flourishes around the sentiment along with some stamping of the hearts in that same set. I absolutely adore the Stitched Flourishes 2 Dies and can see using them on so many cards as a great embellishment that doesn't add any dimension. I'm all about being able to mail my cards without extra postage! ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you liked my card, please click on the button below to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post! 

Supplies:

Paper Smooches (Stitched Flourishes 2 Dies, Fringe 2 Die, Hello Words Dies, Group Hugs stamp set)

Tsukineko Memento Ink (Grey Flannel, Pear Tart, Angel Pink)

My Favorite Things Die-Namics (Blueprints 24)

My Minds Eye (Cut & Paste "Adorbs" 6x6 Paper Pad)

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins (Periodot Mist, Strawberry Burst)

Sequins (large miscellaneous)

Thermoweb Zots Bling

Scotch ATG Adhesive