Pretty Pumpkins

These cards make me so happy!  You know why?  Because I love Pumpkins, Teal, Fall and Succulents!

When I saw this new stamp from Impression Obsession, I knew I had to have it, and I knew that the first time I stamped it and colored it, it would not be Orange...it would be Teal!

The teal pumpkin was stamped with Versafine Onyx black ink and colored with Zig Kuretake Clean Color Brush Markers.  

The Orange version is a bit different.  I stamped it with a very light ink and tried my had at the no line watercoloring technique.  I'm not too confident with that yet, but I'll keep working at it.

So, which one do you like?  Orange or Teal?

Supplies used:

Stamps: Succulent Pumpkin, Autumn Greetings

Arches Water Color Coldpress paper

Colored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers

That's all for today!  Thanks for stopping in!

Peace,

Jacquie

Exciting News and sneak!

Here is a sneak of a fun new Shaker card I made for a very special reason! ;)

I can't tell you how excited I am to announce that I will be joining the fabulous Butterfly Reflections Ink Design Team for the fall term!

If you have not ever visited this online store, you should!  They have the fastest shipping, they carry everything and more and they have great prices, plus a fabulous rewards program!  I have been a customer for some time, and Butterfly Reflections Ink is my "go-to" crafty store
.
 I'm completely honored to be chosen along with other super talented designers!  You can read the announcement here!

Be back soon!
Peace,
Jacquie

Sketchy Florals - 2 ways

Good morning crafty peeps!  Today I have 2 cards that share completely different ways to use Copic on this big beautiful stamp from Altenew, called Sketchy Floral.

I know it may be difficult to tell but this first card (above) was done on glossy paper.  Glossy paper is a unique medium, as it really gives a different look to your card.  It's almost like it is a photograph.  In fact, you can stamp and color on Glossy photo paper.  I had a package of glossy photo paper that I got from a thrift store.  I don't remember the brand, but it was a buck, so I thought....let's try this!  I first heat embossed that floral on to the glossy paper using Altenew Antique Gold Embossing powder.  Then I colored using the Copics.  The colors are darker on glossy paper than they would be on other Copic friendly paper because the color does not really soak in the same way.  You also cannot blend them the same way either.  You can build up color with one shade though, which I think is awesome, especially if you don't own a ton of markers.  You can see that I did several different Copic techniques, dots, flicks to try and add dimension.  The card came out really cool, and in person, its beautiful and shiny!  I added a die cut from Concord and 9th and a few Pretty Pink Posh sequins to finish off my card.

This card was stamped in a light ink from Memento and colored using the no line coloring technique.  I used my Copics for this also.  I am not an expert on no line coloring-it takes a lot of practice.  I was so intimidated by this but one day I just sat down and tried it.  There are a lot of You Tube videos out there by many talented crafters that show different ways to do this.  I think this particular stamp is a good one to try it on because it is very forgiving and a bit abstract and that means anything goes! I finished off this card with some Nuvo drops that add a really fun, controllable dimension!  If you have not tried them, you really should!  I have a (ahem) collection of a lot of colors. :-)


That's all for today - I've listed the supplies below with links.  (no affiliate links).


Supplies Used:
Stamp: Altenew Sketchy Floral
Die: Concord and 9th Beautiful You
Copic sketch markers
Embellishments: Sequins from Pretty Pink Posh
Nuvo Drops


Thanks for swinging by! 

Peace,
Jacquie

Mermaids and Toucans! -Summer Card Catch up - Part 2

This is the summer in which I started to attempt to make cute little character cards.  I will admit to owning just about every floral stamp made and very few of the cute character stamp sets that companies like Lawn Fawn, and My Favorite Things make.  I tend to think I am not as good at making those sorts of things look good, so I stayed away...until recently.  I picked up the Polynesian Paradise set from MFT and colored all the little pieces, cut them out, and then sat there and was like, now what?  I have to make a scene.  (And, I am good at making a scene, but not on a card!)  So, these were my first attempts at using sets like this.  And while they are not scenes, they are colorful, and interesting.  (I'm in love with coloring that Toucan by the way)

 (sorry for the wonky lighting on this one, I think it was storming or something when I did this, because I tried all sorts of ways to get this to photograph better)

Then, I jumped on the Mermaid bandwagon!  Oh my gosh, everyone came out with the cutest mermaid sets this summer!  I love Mermaids!  (Splash was one of my favorite movies ever!)

This Mermaid set is called Mermazing, from My Favorite things...its just so awesome! I could not wait to make something with it!

This beautiful Mermaid set is from Stampendous.  I just love her too.  I am not going to admit how many Mermaid sets I own, but let's just say, these are not the only ones! ;)

I'm sure there will be more mermaid cards from me to come.  So stop back!

Supplies used:

Card 1 and 2:

Stamps: MFT Polynesian Paradise

Colored with Copic Markers

Dies: Hero Arts Infinity Dies - Circles

Card 3

Stamps: MFT Mermazing

Dies: Die-Namics Mermazing

Background created with: Distress Oxide Inks

Colored with Copic Markers

Card 4

Stamps: Stampendous Mermaid

Colored with Copics

Stencil: Unknown

Happy Cardmaking friends!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

When the moon blocks out the sun

I will admit that I am kind of a geek when it comes to stuff like what is happening today.  I have always been fascinated by space, and nature.   So, today the United States will have a total Solar Eclipse.  I do not live in the path where the Sun will look this photo above, however,

we will have about a 66% coverage of the sun, so that is still cool in my opinion.  And unless you have been living under a rock, I don't need to tell you to not stare at the sun today (or any day HA!) 

Summer Card catch up -Part 1

Yikes!  Where has the summer gone? Sorry I've been gone, but I've had so much going on this Summer.  Mostly, moving my parents near us.  It's been a long process, but now they are much closer and this is a great thing!  My Mom is also a card maker, and I've been helping her get her new craft room set up.  (I love organizing!)  I made quite a few cards this summer - just didn't get around to blogging them here. So, here goes!

 This first card was made for my parents, and it went with a Housewarming present.  The stamp set is from Altenew, and I colored with Copics and made a very simple CAS card.    I have REALLY gotten in to my Copics this past year.  I am completely self taught, but I do learn quite a bit from watching YouTube.  I would love to take a class some time.

 This card was another favorite!  The stamp set was part of my birthday gift from my sister.  (She is also a stamper, how awesome is that!) This large floral stamp is from Penny Black, and I'd never seen it before, but oh. my.  How beautiful it is to color!  Again, with the Copics, I know, I know.

 This last card was another one of my happy accident cards.  I had a completely different outcome envisioned, but this is what I ended up with.  The stamp is from Altenew - and I colored this with my Zig Clean Color real brush pens.  I really need to use them more.  Last year I used them on everything, and I forgot how awesome they are!

Here are some links to the supplies, in case you are interested.  (No affiliate links)

Card 1 Supplies:
Stamp: Altenew Succulents Stamp and Die set
Coloring: Copic Sketch markers


Card 2 Supplies:
Stamp: Penny Black
Coloring: Copic Sketch markers
Embellishments: Dew Drops - Pretty Pink Posh and Nuvo Jewel Drops


Card 3 Supplies:
Stamp: Altenew Enchanting Iris
Coloring: Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
Border Die: Pretty Pink Posh




And that's all for today folks!  Stop back soon for some more Catch up Summer cards and also a feature on my Craft space!


Peace,
Jacquie

Creating with Alcohol Inks

Lately I've been trying to use supplies that I bought and then....ahem...neglected.  When the Adirondack alcohol inks first came out, I had to have them! They were so cool.  I bought a bunch of them, and then, I made a few projects and then put them away.   They were collecting dust in my collection, so I thought...lets see what we can do with these.

This card is the finished card that I made, but as you'll see below, this is not what I was making to begin with.





Alcohol inks are like a box of chocolates...you know, you never know what you're going to get.  I started off with an A2 size piece of glossy card stock.  I started dropping the inks all over, I added blending solution, I used a straw to move it around, I used my heat gun.  And I ended up with a big blobby hot mess.  Go home Alcohol Inks, you're drunk!  I almost trashed this piece, but I set it aside and started to work on my next piece, with different colors, and a different idea.





This is where I started taking pictures.  I had no intention of turning this creative mess into a blog post, so I apologize.

I stamped the floral heart image with a very light dye ink on my glossy cardstock.  I used my MISTI stamping tool.  (IMPORTANT:  I left the stamp on the tool, because I'm going to stamp again later!) Dye ink dries super fast on glossy paper.



Then, I dropped alcohol inks on the image in a very unintentional way.  Meaning that I did not try to get the colors in each petal,  but rather just drop a little here and there and let the ink do its thing.  I did try to keep the ink within the image, but as you can see that yellow on the top left...it was going rogue.  I had to let it go.

 After the inks had dried ( I used a heat gun to speed up the process), I put the card panel back in to my MISTI, and stamped over the top with the heart image from Concord and 9th in versamark ink and embossed with Gold embossing powder. Since I had left the stamp on the Misti, the embossing ended up in the right place.  So easy!

I decided to leave this one pretty simple, I stamped a sentiment, added a few sequins and mounted to a red notecard.
I think these are pretty neat, they resemble a stained glass piece.


Here are the supplies I used for the cards


Versamark Ink
Stamp Set - Concord and 9th
Sequins - Pretty Pink Posh
Background die on first card - Altenew Medallion die B
MISTI Stamping Tool


I hope I did not leave anything out!  Be sure to comment below and subscribe to my blog!


Peace,
Jacquie

Colored embossing powder

I've been stamping for a long time, something like 20 ish years or maybe longer. I started as a stamper, got in to scrapbooking, and here I am, making cards again.  One of the first things that hooked me on stamping was heat embossing.  It was like magic to me when that heat gun melted that powder.  Even today when someone who is not a card maker sees a heat embossed piece, they are always commenting on it.  Heat embossing gives a something special element to every card, I think.

When I received this stamp from The Ton's latest release, I knew I had to heat emboss it.  Many of the Ton's floral designs have these solid images that just scream emboss me!  My normal "go-to" colors are gold, black, white, silver and clear.  But for this card, I wanted something different. So I dug through my stash and found turquoise embossing powder.  I'll admit that I was not sure if I'd like this, but was very pleased with the results.

I colored the flower using Ken Oliver Color bursts.  I like these because they provide a very intense color, and I wanted a big punch of color on my card.

Here are the step by step instructions and supplies I used to make this card.

1.  Stamp flower image multiple times using Misti tool and Versamark Ink on watercolor paper.
2.  Heat emboss image with colored embossing powder.
3. Color image with watercolor brush and color bursts.
4.  Fussy cut finished floral image.
5. Die cut scalloped floral panel, mount on A2 sized card panel.
6. Stamp greeting and heat emboss with white embossing powder.
7. Cut out greeting and mount on card panel.
8. Embellish with some pretty sequins.

Products used

Stamp set - Dearest Peony from The Ton Stamps
Die -  Mix and Mat Scallop from Papertrey Ink
Ink - Versamark
Watercolor - Ken Oliver Color Bursts
Embossing powder - Zing
Paper- strathmore 140 lb cold press.
MISTI Stamping Tool
Sequins - Sparkling Clear from Pretty Pink Posh, or you can get here.

That's all for now! Thanks for stopping by!

Jacquie

Coloring with Zig Clean Color Real Brush

One of the easiest ways to get vibrant, eye popping color on your images, is to use Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers.  They go on like butter, and they blend just beautifully.  Up until recently, I had mostly used them with water, so they were more like a transparent, soft watercolor application. 
They are wonderful for that as well, but I recently gave them a go, alone. 
And the results are...WOW!

I inked up this gorgeous stamp from Mama Elephant, and went with a tropical palette of colors from my Zig collection.  Isn't it pretty?  It's so vibrant!  I stamped the image with Versafine Onyx ink on Strathmore Bristol smooth paper.  I have found this is the best paper for this application.

Here is another one that I did...different color palette, but still as vibrant and lovely.


That's it for today.  Please comment below, and also follow me. :)  I love comments!


Supply list:

Mama Elephant Botanic Hello Stamp
Zig Kuretake Clean Color Brush markers
Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock
Versafine Black Onyx Ink

Coloring book style stamps

As paper crafters, we all love color.  And coloring.  I know that when adult coloring books came out a few years ago, I started to get interested in coloring again.  It is relaxing.  I collected a few coloring books and brought out my colored pencils and started getting lost in shading, selecting colors and finding another way to feed my creative needs. 

Recently, I was on a business trip, and I brought along some stamped images and markers.  It was the perfect way to de-stress from my long work and travel days.  This stamp is from My Favorite Things.

When I first saw these stamps from Honeybee, I knew I had to have them because they offered so many fun coloring options! 

This beautiful floral corner is from Lil Inker Designs.  It is by far a favorite of mine simply because the arrangement has already been done and it is SO pretty!  I colored this one with my Copics.  I also used a die and stamp sentiment set from Lil Inker Designs.

What are your favorite new coloring stamps?  I would love to have a comment from you!

Peace,

Jacquie

No Scraps Left Behind

First off, I want to thank everyone who bid or left a comment on my cards for Blogging for Boobies.  I have not heard a final number (in total) but I'm sure that a generous donation is being made!


So, on to new things!  I have been on vacation, and was really busy before, and after (laundry anyone?) and so I went several weeks making nothing.  Nada. No Crafty at my house. :(  This past weekend, I finally got around to at least doing some coloring.

I'm in love with the flamingo and pineapple trend!  I don't have any pineapple stamps (yet) but I have a few of the flamingo sets out there!  I played around with my Copic markers to color these guys.


I also colored some flowers that I'd stamped awhile back.  I'm not a good blender at Copics.  I've never had a class, and completely self taught.  I love coloring, but I find some of the blending very challenging.  I made this card for a friend with my flowers I'd colored. 

I absolutely love this Sketch Ranunculus set from Simon Says Stamp.  It's so cute, and so forgiving, and so different of a floral.  It's whimsical! 

I also made this card with the scraps and remnants of cards I'd started, flowers I'd colored, etc.  I keep a little basket on my desk with homeless card parts in it and I find myself reaching in to try and figure out a way to use my scraps up.  It's fun!  Some of my best creations come from the hodge podge of experiments!


Anyway, that is my post for today.  I need to figure out what to do with my flamingos!


Peace,
Jacquie

Blogging for Boobies Blog hop and auction!

Last month, Heather from Skipping Stones Design asked if I would be a part of her blog hop, called Blogging for Boobies.  This blog hop consists of over 60 fabulous card makers in the crafting community who have created beautiful cards that are up for auction.  All the proceeds from these auctions go to the Susan J Komen foundation.  They are dedicated toward finding a cure for Breast cancer. 

I have created 3 cards that are being auctioned as one set.  They are all A2 size and come with envelopes as well as some other fun goodies, including the stamp set I used from Skipping Stones Design and some of the clear droplets from Pretty Pink Posh.   I hope you like what I have created.

I'll be honest, I've never thought about auctioning off my cards, however this is such a worthwhile cause. So many of us have been touched by breast cancer in our lives. My Grandma had breast cancer, and so have 3 of my friends. My BFF Mom passed away from breast cancer.

Here are some close ups of the individual cards.  I really enjoyed making these.

Of course, they needed to be pink, the color for Breast cancer awareness!

This may be my favorite one, I love the light pink embossing with the ombre effect watercolor wash.

This is the beautiful stamp set that will accompany these cards to the winning bidder!

There is also a blog hop that you showcases all the beautiful cards for auction.  Click on the link below to see them all!

Blogs for Boobies blog hop!

Please enter your comments (and bids) in the comment section below.  If you have any issues commenting, please email me directly at ashwyness@gmail.com

Thank you all so much!

Have a blessed day and let's stamp out breast cancer!

Jacquie

It's Margarita time, and stamp sale!

I've had a few really cute stamp sets sitting on my desk for a few weeks and finally got around to playing with them last weekend.  This one is called Margarita Birthday and it is by Skipping Stones Design.  You can find it here .

I love Margaritas and Margarita stamps are even more fun!  I stamped a card panel with several different color inks with the Margarita glass.  I cut a few banners out of white cardstock and then colored them with ink pads so they matched.  I stamped the sentiments on these in Versafine black ink and mounted the banners with foam tape.  I thought the card still needed another focal margarita, so I used brush markers to color the margarita stamp and then fussy cut around it and mounted it with foam tape.

I finished off the card by die cutting the panel with my wonky stitches die and then added some sequins and a little bit of "salt" around the rim with Stickles and Wink of Stella.  Isn't it a fun, bright birthday card for a friend?

I'm also going to be participating in a fun blog hop called Blogs for Boobies next month.  See some details below!

I hope you will support this cause!

Back soon!

Jacquie

 

No Line Watercoloring with Mama Elephant and The Ton

If you are like me you have seen some beautiful cards done with a technique called "no line coloring."  This technique basically involves stamping the image with a very light ink, and then coloring it until you blend the lines to make it look like there are not any lines on the finished piece.  Sounds easy enough...and if you watch the many talented artists on YouTube, you might even think to yourself "I can do this."


So, I was feeling brave and decided I could try this.  Let me tell you, it's NOT easy.  However, it is very relaxing and fun.  And I think with time and lots of practice, you can do a passable job.


My first card was done with a stamp I purchased at my LSS, called "Organic Blooms" from Mama Elephant.  It's a beautiful lined stamp bouquet.  I snapped this image shortly after I began.

  You can see I had used a very pale ink to stamp my image.  I stamped on watercolor paper, using Altenew crisp ink to stamp the image.  And I used distress inks to color my piece.  I was very careful to not color areas that were touching and to wait until they were dry to bring in water.

This is after the entire image was colored.  I added some more blending and details before the card was completed.

I don't think by any means I am now an expert on this technique.  In fact, it is very challenging, but also SO relaxing.  I encourage you to try it.  I had so much fun, I made a second card.  The second cards was using the Ton Loose Peonies stamps.  And quite frankly, this was a practice piece I made on the back of a scrap piece of watercolor paper (that had other stuff on the other side, LOL) and I decided to cut it out and use it, even though I know it is very amateurish.

I hope you've enjoyed my blog post today!


Peace,
Jacquie

I've Moved!

I decided to join blogger since the format is much easier than the old account I had.  Never fear, all the content on the old blog is still there.
Stay tuned for more frequent posting of my cards and other random stuff.
Peace,
Jacquie