Less is More in Metallics

Metallics are the theme of this week's Less is More challenge.  I was excited to use my new Coliro mica watercolors, and I wasn't disappointed.  I'll be looking for all sorts of images to paint in metallics now.  The image is "Sunny" from Penny Black; the sentiment is from River City Rubberworks (a very old sentiment).  

A Bouquet of Poppies

Watercolor markers and a little Wink of Stella for some shine decorate this card for CAS Watercolour in July.  The poppies are Penny Black's cling stamp and the sentiment is from Stampabilities. 

Angles for CAS Colors & Sketches

The DT cards were really an inspiration for this particular sketch (CAS Colours & Sketches); I'm keeping several in mind to CASE later!  For my own card, I started with a multicolored piece of DSP from Lawn Fawn's "Really Rainbow" petite paper pack.  Then I chose the solid orange for the angled piece.  The image of poppies is a Penny Black stamp and the sentiment is from Wordsworth. 

Color Throwdown #536

For this particular Color Throwdown challenge, I have been selected as the  Guest Star Stamper! I just felt that I wanted to do something different from what I usually do...and this cute little Penny Black image was just the ticket.  A corner punch from EK Success reveals the two primary colors while an old Hero Arts sentiment finishes the design.  The coloring is all accented with Clear A Wink of Stella, but it doesn't show up in the photo.  Under light, it sparkles, though.   I also chose to try to match the color swatch instead of the color names.  That in itself is always a challenge.  (The card front is cream-colored, but seems to photograph as white.)

Mix Up with Metal

The CAS Mix Up Challenge involved metal this month...which allows for all sorts of faux metal techniques.  I chose some copper cardstock, which I dry-embossed for some texture.  Then I cut the maple leaves with a PoppyStamps die. The stamp is an old one from Penny Black.   The card is actually already in the mail to a couple who includes us in their dinner invitations to our daughter-in-law when our son is traveling and we are providing support for our toddler granddaughter.  

"Metal" cardstock+stamping+die cutting+dry embossing. 

A Double Decker in a Short Time

I finally got back to the craft room, but we're leaving again tomorrow for 10 days.  So this post includes two separate challenges:  Case This Sketch #291 and Less is More #381, which also happens to be a CASE challenge.

             Case This Sketch

The designer paper has metallic copper printing; the Hero Arts leaf was stamped twice on a watercolor background and cut out to make the focal piece.  Leftover watercolor paper was die cut for the sentiment. 

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Rebecca

      Less is More

This card is 5x5, dry embossed in a folder.  The Penny Black leaf stamp was colored with markers and spritzed with water before stamping.  It was then cut out and applied to the embossed card front.  The sentiment is from Inkadinkado.  Copper colored pearls accent the focal piece. 

Sunflower Watercolor

I don't know why it is so difficult to start stamping and blogging again after a long break.  That has happened to me, so I worked diligently these past two days to "kick start" my crafting activity.  Major cleaning in my craft room (1) to simplify my life and (2) create a space for a portable crib for our baby granddaughter.  Simplification was often overwhelming and emotional, but I've taken large positive steps.  Our granddaughter --and her parents--weren't able to visit for a family wedding as planned because our son got stuck in Atlanta when his flight from New York was delayed.  

Once I started working on challenge cards again, I made a concerted effort to keep the craft room organized.  That's a first for me, and it feels good.  

For CAS Watercolor this month, I used a Penny Black sunflower image that was inked and spritzed before stamping.  (I've included the photo of a sunflower I took earlier this week.  Sunflowers are grown as a crop in this area, and this sunflower was one of thousands in a huge field.)

Freshly Made Sketch 342

This Freshly Made Sketches card was made with papers from Authentic's paper pad "Carefree."  The sentiment is from Penny Black. 

Less is More with "Friendship"

Keeping CAS ever in mind (I tend to forget when I get caught up in a theme), I chose one of my much-loved Penny Black sentiments and kept it all very simple: a swish of watercolor, some dots, and lots of white space.  I believe I achieved Less is More.

Tuesday Card

I was going to deliver this personally on Tuesday, because Chelsea and I were having lunch together.  However, I left it in the car in the parking lot across the street.  So it goes in the mail on Wednesday.  

I'm not terribly fond of this design...the stripes just don't do it for me.  However, it's a completed card, so I'm sending it.   Penny Black image and SU! sentiment.  After I applied the stripes to the card front, I dry embossed everything.  The image was colored with watercolor markers (the color is really more of a cantaloupe shade than the orange).  

Tuesday Card

For this week's card, I chose to make one from designer paper. This is from a Prima pad "Romance Novel" and the sentiment is one of those great Penny Black ones.  I covered the card base with the floral print, and then cut the ledger sheet with a stitched rectangle die and tied a bow with skinny twine.  The yellow dots are those pretty matte adhesive ones.  

Less is More in Blue

Less Is More provides a CASE card for the current challenge.  It's a beautiful bunch of blue flowers.  

Here's Aileen's card

For my card, I stamped Penny Black's "Gossamer" on watercolor paper painted with Distress Oxide ink.  "Hugs" is  an Impression Obsession die. 

CAS Watercolor Birthday with Bister

For the January CAS Watercolor challenge, I took on a challenge of my own...Bister.  I've watched videos, seen examples, tried and tried -- it's still an experiment each time. How much powder? How much water?  But I stuck with it. It didn't turn out to be as dramatic as I intended, but it works. And I was able to use the quirky sentiment from Penny Black for a different birthday message.  (Edit:  the sentiment is an Inkadinkado stamp, not Penny Black.  It is a Dawn Houser design.)  

Freshly Made with More Shine

I'm continuing with Christmas cards for all the challenges, and I'm using delicious metallic cardstock again.  This Freshly Made Sketch was perfect for glittery silver snowflakes and a scalloped oval diecut on an embossed background of snowflakes. Under the card front is a layer of matte silver cardstock. The sentiment is from Penny Black. 

Tic Tac Toe with the Flower Challenge

This month, The Flower Challenge provides a tic-tac-toe challenge.  I went a bit beyond my three, I admit: embossing, watercolor, color (blue)...with a sentiment (and white?) thrown in.   It's a Stampendous flower and a Penny Black sentiment, with Sky Blue Peerless watercolors over black embossing. 

Back to the real world... Mojo Monday

Amazing how a week away from home for Thanksgiving makes it difficult to get into the swing of things again!  I have three card challenges ahead of me, and Mojo Monday is the first --- here on Wednesday!

I went to the obvious Christmas theme (I actually have my 45 cards made already) and chose Penny Black for the die and the sentiment.  Embossing folders provide the texture on the background layers. 

More Stickeroo Christmas Cards

Finally, I'm using the Penny Black Stickeroos that I buy so readily!  My previous card-making stint produced 17, and I have completed 5 of this particular theme.

A Flower for a Birthday

(I just learned that this particular card was honored on The Flower Challenge blog!)

Stamping with flowers is an appealing challenge, but for me, choosing which flower stamp to use is the real challenge.  For this month's "The Flower Challenge" occasion theme post, I picked Penny Black's "dotted petals" and an old PSX birthday greeting.  The flower was stamped in black and heat-embosssed; I colored it with SU! markers and a blending pen.  Then I added sparkle to the flower and sentiment with some Stickles Lace. 

A New Challenge -- Flowers

A new challenge blog is now available:  The Flower Challenge. The first  is "Anything Goes." So here goes.

The Penny Black poppies were heat-embossed in white and colored with Distress markers (Barn Door and Peeled Paint) and a paintbrush. I no longer have the ID for the sentiment because I threw away the packaging except for the acetate sheet with the cling stamps.

Less is More with Stickeroos

The challenge on this week's Less is More is a recipe:   use a sticker, a sticky label or a peel-off.   I immediately thought of the stack of Penny Black Stickeroos stashed in a drawer.  As usual, in my hurry to use the stickers, I completely dismissed the CAS standard!   Well, I now have three cards I can use for mailings, only one of which features plenty of white space.  I'm posting the two that use my favorite sheet of stickers: Romance of Flowers.

Below...the one that uses stickers but isn't at all CAS.