Artfully Inspired

Another great challenge by the As You See It Challenge blog has influenced my card design.

This week is a sketch challenge:

I decided to use the Artfully Aware stamp set for this card and I used a sentiment from the Sale-a-bration stamp set called, Part of My Story.  This stamp set is available for free for only a few more days as the Sale-a-bration promotion is coming to a close at the end of this month. With every $60 purchase, you can choose from multiple items in the promotion. Most of the products available for free will never be available again.

Have a look at my online store and order before March 31 so you don’t miss out on free product!

I love how the Heart Epoxy Droplets add just a little more to the look of this card. They come clear on a package, but you can colour them, like I did here, to customize them for your card.

Do you see the textured Gray Granite cardstock on this card? This subtle texture is created with the Subtle Textured Embossing folder with the Big Shot die cutting machine from Stampin’ Up! I love how much this texture adds to a card without taking your eye away from the main elements of the design.

Other elements on this card include Wood Textures Designer Series Paper, the oval from the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies, White Baker’s Twine, Gray Granite 1/2″ Textured Weave Ribbon, and many different colours of the Stampin’ Blends Markers. If you want to see more details of how I made this card, check out the video below.

Love it? Let me know with a comment. I enjoy hearing from you!

 

Watercolour Hummingbird

When I saw this colour challenge, I have to admit that I wasn’t excited. The colours together seemed drab and dreary, though I normally like earth tones. However, once I started working with these colours, I realized their potential. I focused on the greens and kept the Soft Suede as an accent.

Here’s the colour challenge from the As You See It Challenge blog:

I was inspired to use the hummingbird from the Humming Along stamp set that I received as a gift at the Stampin’ Up! event last November. If you do a google search of images of hummingbirds, you will see that they come in all sorts of beautiful colours, so I knew that the greens would work great!

Here’s my card using Soft Suede, Granny Apple Green, and Shaded Spruce:

The Rectangle Stitched Framelit Dies make a beautiful layer, don’t you think? I used Watercolor Paper and stamped the hummingbird image from the Humming Along Stamp Set with Versamark ink. Then I applied White Embossing Powder, tapped off the excess and heat set the image. Once that was cooled, I watercoloured the image with my two green inks, Granny Apple Green and Shaded Spruce, using an Aqua Painter. You might not be able to see it in the photos, but once the watercolouring dried, I added some highlights in the feathers with my clear Wink of Stella brush pen.

With the hummingbird as my focus, I embellished the card with a strip of Soft Suede woodgrain patterned paper and some Granny Apple Green 1/2″ Textured Weave Ribbon. To the ribbon, I tied some Linen Thread in a bow. Over top of those embellishments, I added the Watercolor Paper die cut and sentiment. The die is from the Wonderful Floral Framelit Dies and was stamped in Soft Suede ink with a sentiment from the Sale-a-bration Part of My Story stamp set.

On the inside of the card (not shown), I used another Rectangle Stitched Framelit die and Whisper White cardstock to create a nice defined space where I can write a message.

Be sure to watch for a video of the creation of this card on my YouTube channel to be posted in the next couple days. I will be showing you the technique that I used to paint my hummingbird.

All of these products and more can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE. You can earn products for FREE with every $60 or $120 purchase until the end of this month. Don’t wait, though, as some items have already sold out!