WCC27 -- Picture Perfect for Canada Day!

I love our Watercooler Challenges and this one is no exception.  What really appealed to me about Jackie's Iris Fold Challenge was the fold itself.  I had never created an Iris Fold, whether a simplified version or the original version.  Finally I had to try one in order to be part of the challenge.  First of all I did some research.  Like I said, I hadn't made an Iris Fold before and so I had to find some instructions and some good samples.

Somehow in the middle of all my research, I lost track of the fact that Jackie had suggested the simplified version.  And so my card is made with the original version which includes folding each piece.  So much for paying attention to the screen capture picture of the simplified version which Shelli Gardner made.

If you live in Canada, you'll know that in just a couple of days we'll be celebrating Canada Day.  What better image to use for my Iris Fold, therefore, than an artistic version of our Canadian flag?  With the wonderful patterns available in the new In-Colors Designer Series paper stack and also in the new Envelope paper, I had no trouble at all finding a variation to use for the rows of Iris folds.  Of course I used the new Watermelon Wonder patterns and the heavy weight Whisper White.  First I used the brand new Leaflets Framelits to cut the maple leaf out of the Whisper White.  Placement was so easy since the framelits can be put it any position on the cardstock.

For the sentiment, I chose to use the Project Life Remember This set.  After stamping it on a scrap of Whisper White using Memento ink, I centred it in the iris "hole" left in my pattern.  Then I mounted the entire "flag" onto a base of Night of Navy.  

I hope you'll join us for this challenge.  Just click here and check out the rest of the Watercooler Artists' creations.  Then go and make your own and share it with us by linking it up to our challenge.

The best laid plans...

This is a difficult time of the year to plan a stamping get-together.  Everyone is either off to begin their holidays because the kids are out of school OR their child is graduating this weekend OR they have visitors.  Even I had trouble finding a weekend that I thought might work because so much has been going on.  In 20 minutes my New Catalogue get-together was supposed to begin.  Supposed to?  Yup.  It didn't happen and now it can't happen because, again, timing isn't working in my favour.  Ken and I are off to Alaska in two weeks and I wouldn't be able to distribute any orders made later than this weekend.  So now we're looking at the end of July/early August.  We'll see how that goes.

One of the make-and-takes I had planned for today was this card featuring an old stamp set as well as a new one.  It also features one of the new In-Colors and the  wonderful new heavy-weight Whisper White cardstock.  

My base is the new heavy-weight Whisper White.  The next layer is the new In-Color, Delightful Dijon.  The next layer is regular weight Whisper White -- yes, still available and wonderful for stamping.  First I used Delightful Dijon ink and the background image from the You've Got This stamp set.  Then I used the new Cucumber Crush ink and stamped a number of the fern images from the Butterfly Basics stamp set that was introduced in the Occasions catalogue and has carried over into the Annual Catalogue (Yay!).

For my butterflies I used the brand new Watercolor Wings stamp set and, since it's a two-step stamp set, I first used Blackberry Bliss and then I used Bermuda Bay.  I loved the look of the stamped butterflies and was unsure whether I wanted to use the solid framelit to cut it out or the lacy framelit.  As it turned out, I cut one with each and then discovered I liked the look of the lacy better against my background and recut the solid one with the lacy framelit.  This was only possible because both framelits are precisely the same size.

The beauty of the photopolymer stamp sets is that you can see right through them.  With this new Watercolor Wings stamp set you also get images to stamp the body and the antennae.  Great?  Definitely.  But it certainly would be a challenge to use those effectively and easily with a rubber stamp.  I was able to stamp the body right in place on the already-die-cut butterfly.  Then, after glueing the butterflies in place, I was able to stamp the antennae in the right spot.  I absolutely love the way the butterflies look as a result.  What a fun stamp set!

Finally, to finish off, I took one of the sentiments from the You've Got This stamp set and placed it along the upper right of the card using Memento ink.  I think this would have been such fun to make with my friends.  But at least I can share it with them.

PCCCS150 -- Hello!

It's time for another Paper Craft Crew Challenge design and this sketch is a big one!  Well, it's no larger than any other card but this is the big 150, a milelstone, for sure.  Because it's a milestone, all cards linked up for this challenge will be eligible for the Blog Candy draw.  Isn't that exciting?

The sketch this week was such fun to use.

I immediately reached for the beautiful Awesomely Artistic stamp set.  The dragonfly and those dainty flowers are just irresistible.  For this card I kept primarily to monochromes, featuring a combination of Mint Macaron and Bermuda Bay with Whisper White.  And then, for some fun, I three in some Blackberry Bliss.  

One of the things I particularly like about the Blackberry Bliss is the variety of colours that one ink provides.  I used only the Blackberry Bliss and my Aqua Painter for the flowers and it appears as if several different colours were used, doesn't it?  Especially when you consider that the dark square behind the flowers is a piece of Blackberry Bliss cardstock.  Like I said, it provides a huge range of colours.

My dragonfly is stamped on a piece of vellum in Bermuda Bay and then, because ink remains wet for quite a while on vellum, I covered it with Irridescent Ice embossing powder and heat embossed it.  Doesn't it look great?  Of course I fussy cut it to make it appear as if it just landed on the card.  I wanted a very lightweight ribbon for the card so that the airy feel of the dragonfly wouldn't be overwhelmed and so reached for my 1 1/4" White Jute Ribbon.  Instead of a bow, I cut a piece of the jute in half and made a knot in the centre.  After that I just pulled the threads apart.  Doesn't it look great?

The sentiment is Whisper White cut with the brand new Greetings Thinlits.  I like the size of these words---they're not overwhelming.  Finally, those shiny white dots along the right side of the card---those are the new White Perfect Accents.  They're like the Candy Dots but come in three sizes and are super shiny.  Love them!

I've also entered my card into the Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge.  

With Sympathy -- A combination of challenges

It's fun when challenges work well together.  This week's Friday Mashup Challenge, for example, asks for a project with stencils or a monochromatic theme, or, since it's a mashup, a combination of the two.  This week's Stamp Ink Paper Challenge supplied a sketch.  Putting the two together was a lot of fun and helped me design this card.

I decided to use the new Tip Top Taupe combined with Sahara sand and Whisper White for my monochromatic theme.  For my stencil, I used one of the new Stampin' Up! Happy Patterns Decorative Masks.  Of course I already had my layout from the sketch.

My base cardstock is that wonderful, new heavy weight Whisper White.  It's quickly becoming my favourite base for cards.  I used the Tip Top Taupe script pattern from the 2015-17 In-Colors Designer Series Paper Stack for my next layer.  For my narrow rectangle, I took a piece of Sahara Sand and used the Decorative Mask and sponged Sahara Sand ink over it for a subtle stencil pattern.  Then, for the narrow stripe, I used a piece of the gorgeous Tip Top Taupe Dotted Lace Trim and also added two strands of the Linen Thread along the right side.

I decided not to use another rectangle for my image, but instead used a combination of circles and scalloped circles.  I began with my 2 1/2" circle punch and cut out a piece of Whisper White.  Then I used my 2 3/8" scalloped circle punch to cut out a piece of Tip Top Taupe.  Finally I cut out another piece of Whisper White using my 2" circle punch.  After stamping the circle image from the Serene Silhouettes stamp set onto the 2" circle using Tip Top Taupe ink, I assembled the pieces and added them to the card using Dimensionals.  For my sentiment, I turned to the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.

For more cards using this sketch, check out the Stamp Ink Paper Challenge.

For more cards using this monochromatic theme or templates, check out the Friday Mashup.

The Wacky Watercooler Welcomes the New Catalogue

It's always exciting to have a brand new catalogue in hand and even more exciting to share the products that first caught my eye.  I began my list of "must-haves" with the stamp sets and products that I'm about to share in today's creations.  Let me know if my new favourites match yours.

As you will remember, if you've wandered through our blog hops before, our blog hop is presented in a circular fashion.  What does that mean?  Wherever you begin in our blog hop, whether you go forwards or backwards through the participants, eventually you will wind up precisely where you began.  I hope you'll take time to visit all the participatings blogs and, perhaps, leave a short message letting us know  what you've thought of our posts.

If you've been moving forwards through the blog hop, you'll have arrived here from the wonderfully creative Deborah Smart's blog.

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My first project uses the Awesomely Artistic stamp set.  The moment I saw the dragonfly image, I added the set to my list.  I love butterflies but have been waiting for a good image of a dragonfly. All the images in the set compliment each other beautifully and will lend themselves perfectly to a collage-type card.  A great addition to my stamp collection!  I'll bet you think I'm going to create a collage-style card, right?  Well, not this time.  This time I've taken the dragonfly and added it to a watercoloured piece of the gorgeous Timeless Elegance Designer Series paper.  Don't the new In-Color inks look beautiful?

You'll notice that there is no sentiment on this card.  I had some major arguments with myself over this and, finally, decided that I preferred it without anything.  Of course a sentiment could be added later, but I like the idea of leaving it simple and having all the writing inside.  

Love the sparkle of the Irridescent Ice embossing powder!

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My next project is all about the little Gift Bag Punch Board.  I chose to use the new Envelope Paper in Delightful Dijon.  I love the patterns and I love the strength of this paper.  Yes, it feels light-weight but that is totally deceiving.  I added a border using the Delightful Dijon pattern from the new In-Color Paper Stack and tied it up using the wonderfully soft and so-easy-to-tie 1" Dotted Lace Trim in the same colour.  I also added some tiny white flowers cut from Whisper White using the new Tree Builder punch.   

My little card has a base of the Delightful Dijon cardstock with a layer of white stamped with the flowers from the Birthday Blossoms stamp set and coloured with the Delightful Dijon Stampin' Marker.  Of course a scattering of pearls finish the set up beautifully.

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My final project uses my favourite of the stamps in the new catalogue.  I love foxes and the fox image in The Wilderness Awaits stamp set is beautifully realistic.  Of course I had to have him as the little "star" of my easel card!  I can't look at him without smiling.

I had given the layout of my easel card a lot of thought over a number of days before even beginning to create the card.  There were so many elements I wanted in the card and so it kept changing inside my head.  I wanted to use the new Brick embossing folder.  I wanted to create a scene.  Oh, I wanted so many things.  

I began with a base of Tip Top Taupe.  My next layer was Basic Black.  My brick wall was also Tip Top Taupe but before using the embossing folder, I used my brayer to add some Whisper White craft ink to the lines and then embossed the cardstock.  The finished embossing was exactly what I had hoped it would be.

For my background I first stamped the hound on my Whisper White cardstock and then stamped him again on some regular copy paper.  I cut out the image on the copy paper and used it as a mask so that I could stamp the trees from the Lovely as a Tree stamp set as his background.  After that I watercoloured everything using my ink pads and Aqua painter.

I ripped the brick embossing to make it appear as if the wall was crumbling.  Then I attached it to my background scene using Dimensionals.  I wanted the fox for my foreground and so I stamped him on Whisper White and then watercoloured him using my inks and Aqua painter.  Then I fussy-cut him and the grass surrounding him.  For the remaining grass, I cut a 1" strip of Crushed Cucumber and used my Fringe Scissors to cut the grass.  By first cutting regularly and then cutting back into the fringe from one angle and then the opposite angle, I managed to make my grass quite believable.  I used my Aqua painter to put a light wash of Mossy Meadow ink over the grass to give it more texture.  I added the fox using Dimensionals and the grass using my Tombo glue.

For the inside of my card, I kept it simple.  I needed something to hold back the standing easel and so used the heart framelit from my Circle Card thinlits to cut two hearts from the Burlap Ribbon.  The leaves are from the Lovely as a Tree stamp set and the greeting is from the Guy Greetings stamp set.

I love the finished easel and the way the fox appears to be looking me straight in the eye, hoping I won't make the hound aware of his presence.

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Well, that's it for my projects.  I hope you enjoyed them as much as I've enjoyed creating them.  If you get a moment, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought of them.

Your next stop will be with a very talented and creative member of our group, Marsha Reed.  I'm sure you'll be amazed with her wonderful projects.

SIP #1 --- Picking favourites isn't easy!

I found a brand new challenge!  And when I say brand new, I'm not just talking about it being brand new for me.  No, this challenge is truly brand new.  I'm submitting my card for the very first challenge they are having.  Excited?  I surely am.

This challenge is all about using favourites.  So it's the cardmaker's choice as to the ink colours, stamp sets and papers which will be used.  For me, whatever I am using at the moment is a favourite.  I'm a lot like my young grandson who, when he's asked which colour is his favourite, always answers that they're ALL his favourite.  And really, depending on the stamp set used or the occasion for which the card is being made, each colour has its "day".  Yes, there are some I reach for more frequently, but it's probably because of my style rather than because they're my favourite.

The same goes for stamp sets.  At the moment I have several that I absolutely adore.  Yes, they are my temporary favourites but that's because they're new.  When I first saw them in the new catalogue I knew I would include them in my first order.  I've used all three and am still totally in love.  Today I'm going to use one of them, the From Land to Sea stamp set.  The other two will be featured among my projects in tomorrow's Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop.  Oh, and they're amazing!

I began today's project with a piece of Shimmery White specialty cardstock and some inks drawn over a plastic window sheet and sprayed with Isopropyl Alcohol.  Once I had the colours all mixed and "swirly", I put my piece of cardstock into the mixture and spritzed it a bit more with the alcohol.  Then I took it out and let it dry.  The colours I used were Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, and Hello Honey.  Mixed and swirled together, they remind me of an underwater scene, which is good because that's what I was aiming for.

I took another piece of Shimmery White paper and stamped the sea turtle image onto it using Memento ink.  Once my coloured piece was totally dry, I used Versamark and white embossing powder to heat emboss two Jellyfish images, leaving lots of room in between for the turtle.  Once I had coloured the turtle, I fussy-cut the image.  Those who know me are aware of my addiction to fussy-cutting.

For my base, I used the new heavy Whisper White, then a layer of Hello Honey and then a layer of Bermuda Bay.   My turtle is raised up on Dimensionals to add 2-D effect.  My sentiment is stamped in Memento black ink and is from Guy Greetings.

I hope you'll check out the new Stamp Ink Paper Challenge.

PCCCS149 -- For you, Dad!

It's going to be Father's Day this weekend and as soon as I opened my box of new goodies and saw The Wilderness Awaits stamp set, I knew what I would be using for my card.  The sketch at the Paper Craft Crew Challenge lent itself perfectly to my plan.

I took my colour choices from the Sunday Stamps Challenge which is all about Neutrals.  My base, therefore, was Basic Black with a layer of Tip Top Taupe which I first embossed using the new Boho Chic embossing folder.  My banner coordinates perfectly and is cut from the new Go Wild Designer Paper Stack and backed with Basic Black.  For my image, I used Whisper White, also backed with Basic Black.  Because I had planned to use the Mallard duck image but wanted a narrower rectangle, I cut around the wing tip and, quite honestly, love the effect.  Funny how it happened...

I finished up with a star cut from the Crushed Cucumber design from the 2015-17 In-Color Designer Paper Stack, also backed with Basic Black and a few strands of Linen Thread tied around the card.  Simple, neutral, for the most part, but very striking, don't you think?

For more cards using this sketch, check out the Paper Craft Crew Challenge.

For more cards using the neutral colour pallette, check out the Sunday Stamps Challenge.

WCC26 -- Happy Father's Day!

Welcome to our new Watercooler Challenge.  This one is a colour challenge presented by Jean Fitch.  With Father's Day right around the corner, I was so happy to see Jean's choice of colours.  They were perfect for the Father's Day card I intended to create.

What I especially liked about Jean's challenge is that she indicated that similar colours could be used.  Well, with that wonderful new brown tone in the brand new 2015-16 Annual Catalogue, how could I resist using Tip Top Taupe?   The other colours were perfect and needed no substitutions.

I used the thick, new Whisper White for my base and then added a layer of Tip Top Taupe.  First, however, I stamped the Tip Top Taupe with the reeds image from the Wetlands set using the same colour ink.  I had already cut a Whisper White oval and held it in place so that part of the reeds image would be stamped on it.  Then I embossed the Tip Top Taupe layer using the Woodgrain embossing folder.  Since my card is in the landscape mode rather than the portrait, the woodgrain looks a lot like ripples on the water and so is perfect for the images I've used.  

The Wetlands stamp set remains one of my favourite sets.  There are so many ways to use it.  This time I used a circle mask to first create the setting sun by sponging Daffodil Delight inside the punched out area of my paper and then used the circle die-cut to cover the sponged sun so that I could stamp the Marina Mist grid over it.  The grid image is from the new You've Got This stamp set.  After that it was easy to stamp the images of the sandpipers across the sun and water so that they appear like silhouettes.  You can see that I used the retired feather stamp and matching framelit to create my feather out of vellum.  It's the perfect spot for my sentiment, isn't it?

For more cards using this colour theme, check out the Watercooler Challenge.

I've also entered this card in the Friday Mashup Challenge which is all about Dad.

PCCCS148 -- Adventure Bound

It's getting close to Father's Day and, of course, Graduation has been happening for some and is coming very soon for others.  What a great opportunity to use the Traveler stamp set with some masculine flair!  I thought the sketch for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge lent itself to that idea perfectly.

What came to mind was travelling.  And so I pulled out the pages from the  beautiful Typeset Specialty Designer Paper which had the map illustrations on them and cut a piece for one side of my card.  For the smaller strip along the right side I chose not to use Designer Paper but, instead, used a piece of Very Vanilla upon which I stamped images of the ship and the locomotive from the Traveler stamp set.  Then I used the new Boho Chic embossing folder on the stamped piece, following which I lightly sponged it with black ink.  

A traveller needs a suitcase and so for the showcase piece, I stamped the suitcase on Very Vanilla, sponged the edges  of the cardstock using black ink, and added touches of Real Red to portions of the suitcase.  The Real Red repeats in the three stars to the left of the stamped piece as well as in the ribbon and in the banners.

I love the simplicity of the colours of this card.  It was such fun to create!  Of course I also loved the chance to use my Traveler stamp set again.

For more cards featuring this sketch, check out the Paper Craft Crew Challenges.

For more cards featuring a masculine theme, check out the fun challenge that the Paper Players team has come up with this week.

FM212 -- I'm Here For You!

Isn't it funny how things turn out?  I wasn't in love with the You've Got This stamp set when I first saw it but decided to put it on my sneak peek order.  So far I've created four cards with it and I haven't even had it very long.  And there are a few stamp sets that retired and yet I hadn't introduced them to ink.

This time I'm using the set to meet two challenges.  One is for the Friday Mashup and the other for Pals Paper Arts.  The challenges are perfect for each other since one is a colour challenge which just makes it so much easier to do the other.  One less thing to fret about.

This card would be classes under CAS (clean and simple) if not for the embellishments.  I've stamped the flower on a piece of Whisper White using Soft Suede ink and then, using a cut out of the flower, masked it and stamped the grid background over it, this time using Watermelon Wonder ink.  Becuase the Friday Mashup challenge is for an ombre effect, I first stamped off some of the Watermelon Wonder ink in three stages, leaving less and less ink on the stamp.  As you can see, the finished effect is definitely an ombre.

I coloured the flower using So Saffron ink and my Aqua Painter.  The two little butterflies which I stamped using Soft Suede and cut using the matching punch are also coloured using So Saffron and Watermelon Wonder, but this time I used my Stampin' Markers.

I finished up my "cluster of embellishments" with pearls down the centres of both butterflies.  By the way, do you feel as if you're seeing double with those butterflies?  Well, that would be the Soft Suede solid butterflies which I attached under the coloured ones.

For more cards showing the ombre/embellishment cluster, check out the Friday Mashup.

For more cards using these colours, check out Pals Paper Arts.

I Think You're Purrrrfect!

If you love cats, you probably have the You Little Furball stamp set.  The images are very simple but convey the typical cat postures.  This one just begged for some silver and a rhinestone because she was obviously quite regal.  What better way to tell someone you love that you think they're perfect?

I kept it simple.  That's really all this card needed.  To put some added attention to the kitty, I drew a diamond around her using my Versamark pen and heat embossed it in silver to match the bow and the sentiment.

I'm entering my card in the "Less is More" challenge which is calling for two legs or four legs.

I'm also entering my card in the Addicted to CAS challenge because, clearly, it is clean and simple.

PP247 -- Thinking of you

It's been some time since I played along with the Paper Players.  Life has been rather busy.  Today, however, I took the opportunity of playing with some of my new "toys" and decided to indulge in the fun Tic Tac Toe challenge that the Paper Players have posted this week.

Of course it took me almost as long to decide what direction to play as  it did to make my card.  Finally, having decided on my cardstock and the rest of what I was going to use, I realized that subconsciously I had already made my decision.  My conscious mind just had to catch up.  I chose to go diagonally and do the Die-cut/Embossing/Sequins.  My colour choice would be perfect for that.  I had pulled out some white and some Mint Macaron.  The clear choice would be to use silver sequins with that, die cut a silver foil butterfly, and heat-emboss my sentiment in silver embossing powder.

I also added some of that soft and so exceptionally-easy-to-tie Dotted Lace Trim in the Mint Macaron.  Each time I use the ribbon I fall more deeply in love (and I'm not usually a ribbon user).  I also used the new Bojo Chic embossing folder on a piece of the Mint Macaron cardstock and the Decorative Dots embossing folder on a layer of white cardstock.  

I love the results, don't you?

For more cards playing with the Paper Players' Tic Tac Toe, click here.

PCCCS147 -- Just Because

It's time for another Paper Craft Crew Challenge and the sketch for this week is simply "yummy"!  I love the wide open area that is just begging for something special.

Of course with what I had in mind, the sketch would work best flipped over into portrait style---and so that's what I did.  I decided to give the wonderful blossoms from the Indescribable Gift stamp set one last go.  I'm also stuck in a bit of a watercolouring "mode" and so, of course, this would be created with watercolour paper.  First I heat embossed the branch of blossoms using white embossing powder.  Once that was nicely cooled and set, I used a large, flat artist's brush and my Pacific Point ink and added some strokes of colour to the upper area.  Then, using the Melon Mambo, I did the same to the lower area.  I love the way the two blended together into a warm purple where they met.

That gave me the idea to turn to Rich Razzleberry for all the cardstock and background touches, and, of course, for the blossoms themselves.  Once the background had dried, I went to work colouring the blossoms using my Rich Razzleberry ink and my Aqua Painter and did the same to the leaves with Wild Wasabi.

Those three large pearls?  They're long retired but seemed to be screaming to be used.  Because there are some great new Metal Rimmed Pearls in the new Annual Catalogue, I thought I'd see what they might look like.  I punched out 5/16" Silver Foil circles and mounted my pearls on those and then glued them onto my card.  I think I'll like the new Metal Rimmed Pearls when my order arrives.  It's a great new look.

I hope you'll find time to join us this week for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge.

Just for fun I decided to enter my card into the Friday Mashup challenge as well.  They've been such fun to work with and are having a watercolour challenge as well---perfect, right?