WWC312 - Helen's Challenge: All About Occasions

I was thrilled to discover that my card was chosen as one of the Top Three winners for the challenge.

We're having an early Spring this year.  Naturally those stamps which I have that suggest Spring and Robins and blossoms jump out at me and beg to be used.  This adorable House-Mouse scene by Ellen Jareckie is perfect for the way I'm feeling.

I used a base of the Heavy Whisper White cardstock and then added a Pear Pizzaz matte with a shorter and wider striped matte underneath.  I love that the  colours reflect the colours which I've used in watercolouring the scene, don't you?  Most of the colours are from my Derwent watercolour pencils but the bare wood fence as well as the background sky are from my Stampin' Up! stamp pads.  The Gray Granite was perfect for the look of the weathered wood and, of course, the Balmy Blue was perfect for the sky.

I simply love the look on this little mouse's face as he looks up at the offered worms and grubs and points to his friends, suggesting they are hungry rather than himself.  On the stamp it appears as if the Robin has a fly or other winged insect in its beak but I thought grubs and worms would be more effective.  First of all, they are slimier looking and second of all, they are easier to identify in the picture.  It wasn't difficult to take one of my permanent journaling pens and create the changes I wanted.  As usual I finished up by adding a touch of the Nuvo Aqua shimmer.  I think it's perfect on the buds and flowers, don't you?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, April 5th, 2021.

I'm also entering my card in the following challenges:

House-Mouse Challenge (HM&FMC #336) -Anything Goes with an Option of Bugs

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Whatever the weather

Lemon Shortbread #142 - Always Anything Goes

Inkspirational Challenge #235 - Fur/Feathers

WWC311 - Kath's Challenge: All Things Feminine

I'm enjoying the early Spring we're experiencing at the moment.  Yes, I know as far north as I live, actual Spring weather normally comes sometime in April if we're lucky.  Most likely there will be another snow storm, more cold weather, and just the memories of this warm spell to sustain me.  But for now, it's lovely and so I had to find an image which reflected my mood.  This House-Mouse image by Ellen Jareckie comes close.

I used a base of Heavy Whisper White followed by a matte of Balmy Blue cardstock.  My image is stamped on a piece of Watercolour paper using the VersaFine "Morning Mist".  I love the lighter grey because it leaves the watercoloured images showing off without much in the way of intrusive lines.

I used my Derwent InkTense Watercolour pencils for the images and then used my AquaPainter and Balmy Blue stamp pad to watercolour the background.  I love the results, don't you?   If you look closely, you'll see a bit of sparkle on the butterfly's wings as well as in the centre of the wide open flower.  For that I used the Nuvo Aqua Shimmer.  I love that stuff!

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, March 22nd, 2021.

I'm also entering my card in the following challenges:

 Lemon Shortbread Challenge #141 - Anything Goes

HMFMC #335 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Use Something Green (used green watercolour pencils)

WWC310 - Marsha's Challenge: All About Occasions

This is the first of our bi-weekly challenges for our awesome Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  I have to admit that it feels good to have decided to make the change from weekly challenges.  It was a matter of facing a total "burn-out" or making the change.  I think we've made the right decision.

I'm back to using an "old friend" this week.  I fell in love with the wonderful Foxes Clear stamps by C.C. Designs a while back and couldn't resist using another image this week.   

I kept this card very simple.  My base is the Heavy Whisper White and then I've just added the die-cut image and a simple sentiment.  For my image, I turned to my Derwent Watercolour Pencils and Aqua-Painter.  I added a wash of colour for the sky and then grounded everything with a wash of  brown and green, mixed.  

 But of course I had to add just a little bit extra.  After my watercolours had dried, I added some Shimmery Crystal Effects to the sweet fox's eye and then gave the butterfly a bit of dazzle with a wash of Nuvo Aqua-Shimmer.  I think it works beautifully, don't you?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, March 8th, 2021.

I'm also entering my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #140 - Anything Goes

Try It On Tuesday - Oh So Cute!

AAA Cards: Fame #184 - Sketch and optional twist Watercolour

WWC309 - Dawn's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

 For Dawn's Masculine challenge I decided to revisit the adorable Gnomes in Fran's Stampendous stamp set.  They really adapt well to almost every occasion.

I decided to keep this card clean and simple.  For my base I used the Heavy Whisper White and then allowed a large frame around the actual image, with a Cajun Craze matte around the stamped and watercoloured image.

My little Gnome is sitting in the grass with a present which could be for a birthday, valentine's or even an anniversary.  The sentiment certainly works for any of those occasions.  It's what  gets stamped or written inside which will decide.  I love the way the Derwent watercolour pencils add so much bright colour, don't you?  They're so easy to use with a little bit of water and brush or an Aqua Painter, which is my favourite. 

 In this slanted view  you can see the shine on the silver-coloured bow.   I added a few black dots for interest.  This was an easy card to make but I love the results.

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, February 22nd, 2021.

I'm also entering my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #139 - Anything Goes

Always Fun Challenges #201 - Anything Goes

Cardz 4 Guyz #264  - Clean and Simple

WWC308 - Tristan's Challenge: All About Occasions

 Ooooh!  I have a fun birthday coming up and am excited to be able to use a brand new stamp set: Art Impressions by Bonnie Krebs, Frog Set.  I know my grandson is going to absolutely love the card!

My base is the Heavy Whisper White followed by a matte of Old Olive.  I did the stamping on a piece of Mixed Media paper and watercoloured the images using my Derwent watercolour pencils and Aquapainter.

At this angle it's a bit easier to tell that I've coloured the confetti with my silver pen and added the Shimmery Crystal Effects to the flame of the large candle.  All the "bodies" of the candles also have a layer of Nuvo Aqua Shimmer on them and, in real life, are quite gorgeous.  Of course I had to ground the group but felt a huge waterlily leaf would be more appropriate than actual ground and so sketched one in.  I used my Stampin' Up! Mossy Meadow ink for that, fading the colour as I came to the front of the group.  I love that the Mossy Meadow is different enough in colour to compliment the green of the frogs, don't you?

For the inside of the card I decided to use a matte as well, again in Old Olive.  Then I used another sentiment from the set for the centre and the bullrushes from the retired Wetlands stamp set for the right-hand side.  I was excited to use a craft "spring" for my frog.  It allows the card to close tight for the envelope and doesn't create a bulge but when you open the card, Mr. Frog is suspended outwards from the paper by about half and inch.  I'm just crazy about these springs and will use them again for certain.

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, February 15th, 2021.

I'm also entering my card in the following challenges:

Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge #264 - CAS

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #139 - Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenges #241 - Add Some Green

WWC307 - Heidi's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

 After getting an amazing sentiment stamp made by Stampendous, I began checking my (way too many) stamps to see what image would fit.  Sometimes oldies are the best.  I combined two of my favourite Stampin' Up! sets and did some free-style drawing to wind up with a card that I love.  I hope you love it, too.  

I love this image from the Beautiful You set.  It is definitely my favourite, although I love the other images, too.  In order to make the image fit the sentiment, I added a puddle at her feet and then sketched two boots to fit her feet.  Since this is a very stylish girl, I had to ensure that her hat matched those boots, right?  And then I sketched in a little jacket since the rain is seldom warm.  All the colours I used to watercolour my image are from Stampin' Up!  We have Daffodil Delight for her hat, crinoline and boots, then her jacket is a combination of Basic Black and Smoky Slate.   That pretty dress is the lovely, bright Poppy Parade, the puddle and raindrops are Balmy Blue and then the sentiment is Pacific Point.

I'm not sure if you can tell from this angle that I covered the puddle with some Shimmering Crystal Effects.  After all, puddles are shiny, aren't they, even in the rain.  The raindrops are from the Weather Together stamp set.

For the inside, I cut a broad stitched frame from a piece of Balmy Blue cardstock and then stamped the remainder of the sentiment inside.  Then I went on a hunt for a boot stamp.  Believe me, with all the stamps I've accumulated, I knew I had a stamp which would be perfect.  And I was right.  This image is from the Craft Consortium Farm Meadow.  I love the style and went wild with the colours, of course adding polka dots to make them perfect. 

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, February 8th, 2021.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #138 - Anything Goes

Addicted to CAS Challenge #190 - Pattern

WWC306 - Michelle's Challenge: All About Occasions

I used another new House-Mouse image for Michelle's challenge this week.  It's a card I could give to a friend or someone could give to their mother.  It's just about the little things and I couldn't resist.

My base is the Heavy Whisper White.  I used a narrow matte of Pacific Point (one of my favourite blues) and then adhered the image panel.  I stamped the image on Mixed Media paper using my new Tsukineko VersaFine Clair Morning Mist ink.  I love the less intense lines around the images and think it looks a lot more natural than black ink.  For the colouring I turned to my Derwent Watercolour pencils and AquaPainter.  I love the results, don't you?

I used a brownish green to ground them and show the shadows.  The sentiment was the hardest part of the card this time.  I knew what I wanted to say but wasn't certain I actually had a stamp which said anything that was close to what I had in mind.  This was from the Stampin' Up! set, Wonderful Moments.  I think it works perfectly.

I took this close-up to show the shimmery light around the candle flame.  It's understated but shows a pretty, soft glow.  Perfect for this adorable scene.

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, February 1st, 2021.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges: 

House-Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge #332 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Monday Challenge Blog - Let's be on Time (and when Mama says it's bedtime, it's time)

Crafty Creations Challenge: January #417 - Anything Goes

WWC305 - Helen`s Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

Oh, I do love these popular slimline cards, don`t you?  I just got this awesome slimline die the other day and had to find a way to use it.  It's actually several scalloped rectangles, overlapping to fit into a slimline card and as usual I kept skipping from one idea to another until I saw the little owl on my Art Impressions set and suddenly it all fell into place.

I began with a white cardstock base, followed by a narrow matte of Shaded Spruce.  Then I added a piece of patterned paper with snowflakes in several sizes and colours.  My little scalloped frames needed filling and so I cut two vertical pieces and one horizontal piece to fit into the left two and right one.  For the rectangle at the right top, I cut a piece of vellum onto which I heat embossed the sentiment using Black embossing powder.  

For the centre rectangle I decided to stamp the little owl from the Art Impressions Woodland Holiday Set.  Echoing the colours of the treed landscape, I also added a touch of red, yellow and orange.  To finish up and add a bit of shimmer, I used my Nuvo Aqua Shimmer pen to cover the background as well as the owl's eyes. 

It's hard to see in the photo, but in real life there is such a pretty sparkle.  I just love the way it all came together in this pretty die-cut frame, don't you?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, January 25th, 2021.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges: 

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #137 - Always Anything Goes

Cardz 4 Guyz #262 - Let it Snow

Dream Valley Challenge #239 - Winter and/or Snow

WWC304 - Kath's Challenge: All About Occasions

Even though it's only January, I had to use this adorable House-Mouse image for my card this week.  Isn't it just the perfect Valentine?

This image is aptly named "Love Treat".  Don't those adorable mice look like they're deep into a sugar high?  Where a candy heart like this might be one of many we might consume in one sitting, I think it's going to last  Mudpie and Amanda at least a week. 

I used a base of the heavy Whisper White.  Then I added a much smaller rounded corner matte of a sparkly pink glitter paper.  On top of that I glued the watercoloured image.   Of course I used my Derwent Watercolour pencils for this job.  They offer such pretty, bright, clear colours.  Besides, I  love watercolouring.

This time I used a much lighter ink than normal to stamp my image.  The Versafine Toffee is closer to the colour I imagine the hair would be on these mice.  As a result, the image wound up looking much more like a no-line watercolour.  I love the results, don't you?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, January 18th, 2021.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges: 

House-Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge #331 - Anything Goes or New Beginnings (and what is a better new beginning than Love)  

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #137 - Always Anything Goes

WWC303 - Karen's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

Wow!  We're in a new year!  I can't say I'm sorry to have said goodbye to 2020.  Let's all hope that 2021 is a much better and kinder year.

I fell in love with this adorable Stampendous stamp set designed by Fran Seiford.  Not only are there three sweet images with kittens, but the set includes a stencil with tiny kitten paw prints.  The "Awwwww" factor is absolutely enormous!

I used a base of the Heavy Whisper White followed by a matte of Highland Heather cardstock.  On a piece of Mixed Media paper I stamped the image with the five kittens and proceeded to colour them using my Koh-I-Noor Woodless Colour Pencils combined with the Gamblin Solvent Free Fluid.  I tried to give each a different colour of fur as well as different eyes.  They may all look quiet and sweet in the picture, but I'm sure within moments they were running all over the place, tumbling and playing with anything not tied down. 

After colouring the kittens, I added a light purple mat on which they're sitting.  They had to be grounded, after all.  I also stamped one of the three sentiments in the set. "Hugs and Kittens" simply seemed perfect, don't you agree?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, January 11th, 2021.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:      

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #136 - Anything Goes    

Show Us Your Pussycats Challenge #62 - Any Furrything Goes   

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Use a New/Unused Product    

                         

WWC302 - Marsha's Special 3-Week "Anything Goes" Challenge

Oh my!  This is the final Watercooler Wednesday challenge for this year.  Just when I was thinking this year would last forever, it's almost over. Unlike the others, however, this challenge will last for 3 weeks, giving  us a bit of a break before we begin again in 2021.

I decided not to make a Christmas card for this challenge since, after all, it lasts well past that holiday.  Just for fun I played with an upbeat, purely fun honeybee set which I've had waiting at the side of my desk.  With the matching dies saving me time from some fussy-cutting, this was a pure pleasure to create.

I began with a base of the Heavy Whisper White, added a matte of Basic Black cardstock and then proceeded with the creation of the honeybees.  I stamped all five at once, spacing them so that using the dies all at once would not be a hardship.  Once I had them all cut out, I proceeded to watercolour them using my Derwent pencils and Aqua Painter.  I love the vivid yellows and reds, don't you?  To add a special sparkle, I added some Nuvo Glitter Gloss Aqua Shimmer.  

For the background, I took a piece of the Craft Consortium Light Tones Grunge paper.  Then I used my Tim Holtz stencil to add some hexagonal colours to the edges.  The deep yellow, purple and aqua shapes look great against the softer similar shades underneath, don't they?  Before placing my bees, I stamped the sentiment in the centre.  I love the way this turned out.  It makes me smile and look forward to "flying" into the new year.

 Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, January 4th, 2021.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #135 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge #416 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments Challenge #204 - Anything Goes

The Paper Funday Challenges #24 - Anything Goes

WWC301 - Dawn's Challenge: All About Occasions

With Christmas a bit over two weeks away (eek!), I had to make a Christmas card.  Of course it features the adorable House-Mouse images.  Even with all the other gorgeous stamps I own, this year I'm drawn to the sweet and funny ones.  The ones with a bit of animated magic.  The ones which make me smile.

The image by Ellen Jareckie is called "Squirrel Singers".  I love the combination of realism and fantasy.  As always, I checked to see what colours would be best for a squirrel and the pine tree.  The mice have their own, individual colours, set by Ellen.  I love that each one is a little bit different, not just in size, but also in colour.  This time I turned to my Derwent watercolour pencils since I have a large selection and was able to get all the colours for this scene.  I love how the Aqua Painter brings the colours to life after I've pencilled them in.

I was happy to find this lovely Christmas coloured tartan paper in my stash.  It sets off the colours in my little scene perfectly, doesn't it?                                                                                  

 I've taken this photo at a slight angle so that the candle flames caught more light.  After everything was dry, I covered the flames with some Shimmery Crystal Effects.  Once that had dried, I added a second layer.  It gives the flames substance and a 3-D effect.  I love it!

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, December 14th.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

HM&FMC #330 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Monday Challenge Blog - Favorite Technique (watercolouring)

Crafty Animals Challenge #45 - Must Have Animals

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #134 - Anything Goes

WWC300 - Tristan's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

 We have snow outside but my eyes keep falling on the stamp sets which show flowers and sunny days.  So I'm giving in.  While I work on my "happy" cards, I can forget the cold outside and pretend I feel the sun on my shoulders.  This adorable scene with the ginger cat in front of its best friend, surrounded by green grass and gorgeous blooms is making me happy.  I hope it does the same for you.

I like to imagine this is my daughter with her rescued ginger, Honey.  I used a base of Heavy Whisper White and then added a matte of Melon Mambo cardstock.  After stamping the image using Memento ink, I decided to colour with my wax-based pencils.  Usually I use the wax-based pencils along with Gamsol and paper stubs to blend the colours into the paper.  This time, however, I chose to use a new product I found.  Made by the Gamblin Artists Colors in Portland, Oregon, this product is a solvent-free fluid made primarily from a safflower-alkyd medium, I found that it actually worked better with my wax pencils, blending the colours beautifully and giving it a look almost reminiscent of watercolouring.  Bonus, I was able to use artists' brushes rather than the paper stubs.  The added control was fantastic. 

You can reall see the blending in this close-up of my finished image.  I will probably never go back to Gamsol again.  Oh, and in this close-up, you can see the centres of the flowers, to which I added a touch of Gold Nuvo drops for effect.  

 As you can see, I also outlined all the tiny black ink paw-prints using my Uni-Ball silver pen. Since I also added a matte of silver to my die-cut sentiment, I think it looks great, don't you?

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, December 7th.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #134 - Anything Goes

Show Us Your Pussycats Challenge #61 -  Meowy Christmas/Furrything Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2048 - Animals

WWC299 - Heidi's Challenge: All About Occasions

 I am so very excited!  A few weeks back, for Challenge WWC294, my card was the winner of Sue's hostess prize over at the House-Mouse and Friends Challenge.  That's exciting in itself, but the prize was a gorgeous House-Mouse rubber stamp of a Hallowe'en scene.   I have a lot of House-Mouse stamps, but this stamp would be my very first for Hallowe'en.  So please forgive the sudden upset in seasons, but I have decided to use that wonderful stamp for this challenge.  It is the challenge I'm hosting, after all.

 Aren't the little characters in this scene absolutely adorable?  I love the various costumes and all the wonderful detail which Ellen Jareckie has added to her creation.  She's a terrific artist and brings these images to life.  I'm just excited that I can work with them and try to do justice to her magic.

I began with a base of Heavy Whisper White.  With all the colours I've used, I had to think about what I would use for the matte and, in the end, decided on two colours which are in the scene and which also suggest Hallowe'en to me:  Gorgeous Grape and Pear Pizzazz.  For the colouring of this very detailed image, I used a combination of Stampin' Blends and my Koh-i-Noor and Derwent wax-based pencils.  The pencils are fun to use along with the Gamsol to blend and "melt" the wax.  I love the finished product and the nice, bright colours which resulted, don't you?

I'm so grateful that Sue Drees picked my card and sent me this wonderful stamp.

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, November 30th.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

HMFMC #329 - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #133 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge 79 - Anything Goes

Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge - November Anything Halloween

WWC298 - Kath's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

With the idea of gratitude in mind for the USA Thanksgiving, I decided to use an adorable Fall set featuring Ellen Jareckie's wonderful little House-Mouse images.  I hope you love them as much as I do.

I began this card several weeks ago and put it aside.  I had done a lot of masking and didn't like the cluttered results.  This week I took it up again and used the Stitched Nested Label dies to cut out the portion which most appealed to me.  After that it was easy.  I found some retired Designer Paper which suited the image very nicely as well as supporting the colours I had used for watercolouring.  Big win there!

My base is the Heavy Whisper White to which I added a matte of Merry Merlot before adding the Designer Paper.  Then I took the cut out image, added a matte of Merry Merlot to it by using the next size up of the Stitched Nested Label dies, and attached that to the card.  For the sentiment I turned to the lovely Country Home stamp set.  I think it's perfect for the time of year and also for the card, don't you?

It's so hard to see some details in photos.  In this close-up you can just tell that some of the twigs on the Designer Paper are metallic.  That really adds a nice touch of elegance.  To make the nut portion of the acorn show up against the rougher "cap", I added a layer of the Shimmery Crystal Effects, which really looks awesome in real life.  I think you can tell by the highlights in the photos just how shiny the results are.  I love the way the colours work together and the way those adorable images seem so animated, don't you?
 

Have fun checking out our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I hope you'll link your creation before the deadline on Monday, November 23rd.

I've also entered my card in the following challenges:

Dare 2 B Artzy November Challenge - Thankful

HMFMC #328 - Anything Goes OR Option Theme Use a Die or Punch

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #133 - Anything Goes