WWC206 - Anything Goes Challenge

It's the fifth week of January and so the theme for our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge is "Anything Goes".  What could be better than using the brand new House-Mouse Design, "Sweet Workout"!  It's a huge stamp but, oh, was it ever fun colouring it and bringing it to life!

I love the detail in this image, don't you?  I decided to use my Faber-Castell colour pencils and Gamsol for this.  I find layering the colour and blending it with the Gamsol and my little Blending Tortillons really added dimension to the images.  After colouring the adorable little Mudpie Mouse and the tasty looking fruit candies, I added a soft grey to the floor and a soft blue to the wall.

The Poppy Parade cardstock came closest in colour to those yummy looking candies and so I used that as my matte.  Of course I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment using the same colour of ink.  My base for the card is the Heavy Whisper White cardstock.

I hope you'll check out the wonderful creations by the Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

I've also entered this creation in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbreat Challenge #86 - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #424 - Anything Goes

House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenges #283 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

WWC205 - Donna's "All About Holidays" Challenge

I love the "All About Holidays" challenge but decided that I had to get away from Christmas cards this month.  What could be better than making an Easter card, especially since I was dying to use the gorgeous new Sale-a-Bration stamp, Lovely Lattice.

I love the colours I chose for this card, don't you?  My base is the Heavy Whisper White followed by a layer of Calypso Coral and then a layer of Soft Sea Foam.  Before adding the Soft Sea Foam, I ran it through my Big Shot in the Subtle embossing folder and then cut it using the lovely stitched Rectangle framelits.

For the actual image from the Lovely Lattice stamp set, I decided to heat emboss it onto a piece of vellum cardstock with the Silver embossing powder.  Once that dried and cooled, I carefully fussy-cut it out.  Then I used my Calypso Coral, Old Olive, Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight, and Mint Macaron Stampin' Blends to colour the image from the back of the vellum.  I love the beautiful colours and especially love the look of the coloured vellum.

For the sentiment I turned to the You're Inspiring stamp set because of its size and the pretty Font.  It's stamped with Calypso Coral ink and then cut out with the stitched Oval framelits.  The matte is cut out of Calypso Coral with the Oval framelits.

Remember, you can get the gorgeous Lovely Lattice stamp set free with a qualifying purchase from Stampin' Up! until March 31st.

And let's not forget that the talented Sandie Munro is our Guest Designer this week as well.  Check out her work and the wonderful creations by the Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

I've also entered this creation in the following challenge:

Stampin' From the Heart #235 - Anything Goes

WWC204 - Gail's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Both my husband and my son-in-law are avid fly-fishermen and so the brand new Best Catch bundle in the Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalogue was on my very first order.

I used a special "X" fold for this card because it added dimension and spotlights the action.  I thought the wonderful Floral Romance Specialty Designer paper would be perfect for the card and so I took all my greens from the paper.  The hardest thing about the card, I will admit, was the fussy-cutting I chose to do along the left side of the card.  I wanted those leaves hanging over the opening and love the effect, don't you?

For the base of my card I used the Mossy Meadow cardstock.  I love the way it compliments the other colours and also gives a real "out-in-the-woods" feel to the card.  For the narrow panel I made a background using my re-inkers and some of my Brushos.  It looked like moving water--perfect for the die-cut fisherman.

For my fish I wound up using two layers.  The top layer is vellum onto which I've heat embossed the trout using silver embossing powder.  Then I used my Stampin' Blends to colour both the front and back of the vellum.  I found that intensified the colour, which I was hoping it would.  The second layer isn't stamped at all, but is merely a piece of Whisper White which I've also die-cut with the same die.  It really helps the colours to "pop".

The reeds and grasses are included among the dies in this bundle but don't have a stamp to go with it.  I found it was easy to colour the grasses and reeds using my Stampin' Markers.  The cattails have an extra glow thanks to my Wink of Stella.

Finishing off, I stamped the sentiment on Whisper White, cut it out with my 1" punch and then mounted it on a square of Mossy Meadow, cut with the smallest of my Stitched Squares.

The above pattern should help should you wish to try this fancy fold pattern.

And let's not forget that the talented Sandie Munro is our Guest Designer this week as well.  Check out her work and the wonderful creations by the Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

I've also entered this creation in the following challenges:

Crafty Creations Challenges #382 - Anything Goes

The Male Room #102 - Anything Goes

Simply Create Too #145 - Anything Goes

WWC203 - Karen's "All About Occasions" Challenge

I am super-exited to announce that I was the winner of the top prize at the House-Mouse & Friends Challenge for this card.  What a super celebration! 

I was so excited to have found this wonderful House Mouse stamp set!  It's perfect for this week's challenge, too, since it's quite normal to celebrate occasions, isn't it?

Don't those little characters look as if they're bringing in the New Year or, perhaps, celebrating a birthday?  I love the way little Monica is jumping around, don't you?  I used my Pencils and Gamsol to colour the images.  Afterwards I added a bit of ground to anchor them (can't have my images floating about, can I?)

And let's not forget that the talented Sandie Munro is our Guest Designer this week as well.  Check out her work and the wonderful creations by the Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

I've also entered this creation in the following challenges:

House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge #282 - Anything Goes 

Simon Says Monday Challenge Blog - Use Something New

WWC202 - Dawn's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Happy New Year, everyone.  I'm excited to show off the card which I created for Dawn's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge.  It's a fun (and easy to do) double easel card.

I created this card after seeing Rick Adkins' lovely double easel card.  I love special folds and this one is showy but, oh, so easy.  If you want the instructions and measurements, they're all over on Rick's post.

I have to admit that I've fallen madly and deeply in love with the Floral Romance Suite.  For this card I used some of the gorgeous Floral Romance Specialty Designer Series paper.  The leafy background is a normal, two sided print while the design in the foreground is only printed on one side and is vellum.  Set against the white background, the colours really shine.  I cut the twig and leaves with the Wonderful Floral Framelits dies and love the way they emboss the veins of the leaves so deeply.

Of course I had to use the new Nine Lives set.  I still have the cat punch which goes with this stamp set and love that I can stamp so many types of cats.  Don't you just love the orange tabby?  He's happily sitting on some of the logs which I cut from the Wood Textures Designer Series paper.  After all, he doesn't want to be hidden behind the front easel.

I hope you'll check out the awesome creations by the other Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge blog.

And, of course, enjoy the wonderful creation by our January 2019 Guest Designer, Sandie Munro.