Watercolor - Clean and Simple...

Happy Monday, everyone!

Lately I've been working on some projects that are detailed, and filled with techniques and embellishments. My mojo needed a bit of a reboot...it was tired. So I pulled out one of my floral stamps, and the watercolors, and made a card, start to finish, in 2 hours.

I can hear you now, saying to yourself, "that's fast?" Yes, for me, that's fast. I tend to start in one direction, then change to another..for me to design in my head, paint, and assemble in 2 hours is a major accomplishment!  :)

I did add a bit of "shabby" to the card with distressed edges, including, this time, the edges of the card base itself. But I kept the embellishments to a minimum, with a twine bow, a few purple sequins, and a couple lacy die cut corners...

Supplies:

Stamps:   Unity Stamp Co., "Imperfection is Beauty";   Simon Says Stamp "Summer Garden"

Die:   Spellbinders Lace Hearts           Watercolors:   Sakura Koi

Miscellaneous:   black hemp twine,  sequins,   Uni Posca white paint pen

Thanks so much for visiting today. I'll be back Wednesday with another project that's pretty much a total departure from my usual style.

Until then, I hope your week is starting with a smile!

LOTV - We Wish You a Merry Christmas...

TGIF...happy Friday! Today I have another shabby chic card to share with you, only this time it's as Christmas-y as it can get, and it's once again made with lots of pretty papers from Lili of the Valley. 

The "Pretty Papers" monthly challenge is still going on over at the LOTV Ideas to Inspire blog - you still have a few days to enter and be eligible for one of the three prizes up for grabs this month!

Today, I've used papers from the new 'Twas the Night paper pad, and lots of glittery die cuts, for this fun card...

I simulated the look of snow on the die cut pine branch by mixing coarse clear glitter with Polar White Flower Soft...

 

More coarse clear glitter was used on the die cut poinsettia, with tiny gold bells in the center to simulate yellow stamens...

Although the name of this particular doily die has nothing to do with Christmas, it makes me think of a snowflake when I tuck it behind other papers, so it was used to brighten up the corner of the card. (And, of course, the edges of the die cut doily had to be glittered, too!)...

This fun shaped sentiment is from LOTV's latest Christmas release - it's in the Set 75, Christmas Wishes  sentiment stamp set...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   LOTV 'Twas the Night 

Sentiment stamp:   LOTV Set 75, Christmas Wishes

Dies:   Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Squares,  Classic Squares Large,  Classic Squares Small,  Layered Poinsettia,  Gold Elements One;      

Memory Box Star of Wonder;      Impression Obsession Pine Branch;

Prima Doily #2 Pineapple;      La-La Land Crafts Christmas Tree Hill

Embossing folder:   Cuttlebug Geometric Rings            

Miscellaneous:   Martha Stewart Clear Coarse Glitter;   Polar White Flower Soft;   mini bells; cheesecloth;  white craft paint

Thanks for visiting today...have a wonderful weekend!

LLLC - "Show Your Style" All Occasion Card...

Happy Wednesday...it's La-La Land Crafts Wednesday, and our inspiration challenge this week is "Show Your Style."

I seem to have quite a few "styles" these days, since I started playing around with watercolors and mixed media. But I went back to my roots...shabby chic...and used the elements that are most common to my "fully loaded" cards - lots of layers, distressing, flowers, pearls, and lacy accents.

I used the Scallop Bracket Die Set to create the layers on the front of the card, choosing to place my layers going up toward the top of the card rather than my usual top-to-bottom arrangement. Each scalloped layer, and the Heart Doily on the side, were outlined with dry-brushed white craft paint to accent the edges...

The die cut Berry Flourish was also dry-brushed with white paint, and it, and the flowers, were all accented with clear gel to look like dew drops...

To complement the pearl accents scattered around the front, I embellished a Maya Road heart stick pin with a couple spacers and pearl beads...

Supplies:

LLLC Dies:   Scallop Bracket Set of 4;  Heart Doily;  Berry Flourish

Patterned papers:   Prima Sunrise Sunset (6x6)

Scalloped lace:   TheFunkieJunkie.com          Flowers & stamens:   Wild Orchid Crafts

Pearls:   Recollections

Miscellaneous:   Viva Glass Effects clear gel;  Hug Snug seam binding;  Maya Road heart stick pin;  cheesecloth

You can see more team members' projects over on the La-La Land Crafts blog and over on the LLLC Facebook page.

Thanks for stopping by to visit today!

Make Time...a Mini Mixed Media Canvas...

It's the start of another new week...Happy Monday, everyone!

There's a fun September color challenge posted over at  Lindy's Stamp Gang, and I wanted to give this a try - I was intrigued with the bold, deep colors and ready to work with the darker tones for a change.

I started playing around with some ideas and materials, on a small 6 x 6 canvas, and when I was finished, I liked it...now what to do with it? :)

I started digging through my stash of embellishments and "fun stuff"...continued spraying, and custom-coloring, layering pieces on the canvas - my mojo was on a roll. I had a quote in my little notebook of "quotes I'll use some day" that was perfect - about making time for the have-to-do's and taking time for the love-to-do's (the words are different, and I may use the whole quote one day). But this time, the piece is only 6 x 6...the whole quote would almost fill the square! So I shortened it...and this is how it turned out in the end...

This is how the canvas looked after I finished playing with color and art mediums, and decided I might be able to turn this into something fun - the shading around the stenciled clock and strips of tissue tape hadn't been added yet. (There's a linked list of the specific background color mediums I used at the end of this post)...

I layered a metal clock embellishment, that I tinted with turquoise and terra cotta alcohol inks, over the stenciled clock in the upper left corner...

The only pre-made flower in the bunch is the golden tinted rose in the center. I assembled all the others using flat flowers, spraying and layering and shaping to make a few roses and mums, and a large layered multicolored flower...

The metal leaves started out a beautiful vintage bronze color, but they needed to be brightened and colored to stand out just a bit more. I added green and terra cotta alcohol inks to them...

I found an adorable white resin bird on a branch in my stash...perfect once I sprayed and brushed it with a few colors of Flat Fabios...

This little gold clock charm was treated to a coat of terra cotta alcohol ink, and now it was a little touch of copper on that side...

Supplies:

Color Mediums:   Lindy's Stamp Gang Flat Fabios (Danny Zuko's Denim,  Kissin' Kenickie Coral,  Ocean Breeze Blue,  South Shore Sand);    Lindy's Stamp Gang Flat Magicals (Tres Chic Collection - Cafe au Lait  and  Bonjour Butter);   

Adirondack Alcohol Inks (Stream, Terra Cotta, Meadow)

Art Mediums:   Golden Modeling Paste,  Golden Crackle Paste

Stencils:  The Crafters Workshop Chickenwire Reversed, and Mini Time Travel;   Heidi Swapp Chevron

Dies:   My Favorite Things Royal Leaves            Flowers:   Prima

Stamens:   Wild Orchid Crafts              Resin bird/branch,  metal clock:   Prima

Lace, white burlap, metal leaves:   TheFunkieJunkie.com

Miscellaneous:   Tim Holtz Tissue Tape ;   Uni Posca white paint pen;   Stabilo All pencil

Miscellaneous craft store supplies:   cheesecloth,  wooden scroll

Thanks for visiting today...I hope your week is starting with a smile!

LOTV - Treasured Friend...

Happy Friday, everyone! Today's card for LOTV's Pretty Papers Challenge is another showcasing several paper lines, and definitely fall-themed!

This time, I used patterned papers from Enchantment (brown stripe, small leaves, large leaves), Father Knows Best (gold solid, text), and Snow Princess Solids (dark purple) paper pads to create a card that mixes rustic and elegant together on a shabby-chic card...

Foam tape was used beneath each layer to give the sentiment block more dimension in the center of the card. The sentiment is from Set 29, Vintage Sentiments-Just to Say ...

In opposite corners, there's a small floral cluster centered with a rose made using Spellbinders Rose Creations dies...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   LOTV Enchantment, Father Knows Best, Snow Princess Solids

Stamp:   LOTV Set 29,  Vintage Sentiments-Just to Say

Dies:   Spellbinders Labels 18, and Rose Creations;   My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Burlap paper:   DCWV            Purple roses:   Wild Orchid Crafts             Pearls:   Recollections

Miscellaneous:   Maya Road leaf stick pin,  hemp cording

Tomorrow's the next open day at LOTV's shop...hopefully, if you're nearby, you can stop by the shop and join in the fun!

Thanks for visiting today...have a wonderful weekend!

LLLC - Thank You...

Hello, all! It's Wednesday, and that means it's time for the Wednesday team for La-La Land Crafts to show you some more fun creations using their wonderful dies!

This week, our inspiration challenge is washi tape. I don't have a lot of rolls of washi tape in my stash, but I have a few that I really like, so this was a fun challenge to get me to actually USE these in a fun way...

I covered a piece of cardstock with the same washi tapes that I had adhered along the side of the front left of the card, and die cut that piece using the Honeycomb die. I chose a few of the interior pieces, and popped them up with foam tape inside a random few of the open honeycomb spots. (Before I adhered the honeycomb piece to the card front, I embossed the die into the white background. This makes the diecut lie flush with the front of the card when it's adhered, and allows the dimension of the "popped up" inside pieces to show.)

The die cut arrows and sentiment block were cut from the new Stitched Elements die set. I chose to use the arrows as pointers to add focus to the sentiment block below them, and "shabbied up" the arrows and sentiment block with ink and a white paint pen to accent the stitching holes...

Next to the floral cluster, and the sentiment block, are die cut leaves using the Open Leaf Flourish die, which was also shabbied up a bit with ink around the edges...

Supplies:

LLLC Dies:   Open Leaf Flourish,  Stitched Elements,  Honeycomb

Sentiment stamp:   Simon Says Stamp "Friendship Messages"

Flowers and stamens:  Wild Orchid Crafts

Pearls:   Recollections            Miscellaneous:  white hemp twine

You can see the rest of the team's wonderful creations over on the La-La Land Crafts blog, and on the LLLC Facebook page.

Thanks for visiting today!

Autumn Blessings...

Happy Monday! Even though temps are still near 100 degrees around here, it's almost officially fall, and I'm in the mood for some fall colors...how about you?

Today's card is made in traditional fall tones of brown, rust, and tan, with a single dark purple accent for fun...

If you've been looking in here at the blog for a while, you might recognize that twig wreath...I used one like it last season, only with a totally different color scheme in the background. This year, I've added some more accents to it, and backed it with a large, more formal die cut that I've shabbied up by accenting it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I added an embellished stick pin and a small purple twine bow at the top of the heart and flower cluster this time around...

and this year, all the leaves are accented with Cinnamon Stickles...

I printed the sentiment on my computer and die cut a tag for it before tucking in it under the heart flower cluster...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   Glitz Designs French Kiss collection

Dies:   Spellbinders Gold Majesty Circles;   Impression Obsession Twig Wreath;   My Favorite Things Royal Leaves;

Xyron ShapeZ-Heart;   Sizzix Flowers Branches & Leaves

Pearls:   Recollections            Miscellaneous:   Cinnamon Stickles,  stick pin,  purple twine

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today...I hope your week is starting with a smile!

LOTV - Sending You Love...

TGIF...happy Friday, everyone! Today I have another card for this month's Lili of the Valley Pretty Papers challenge. There's still plenty of time for you to enter, and there are prizes involved...I hope you'll check it out and join in the fun! :)

There are two adorable new image stamps that were added to the shop this week - Bonfire and Halloween. And if you're short on time, or prefer to use images already colored, and haven't already checked out the eight new Art Pads for holiday cards and projects, you really should!

But today, I'm straying from the holiday theme, and showing off a "fully loaded shabby chic" card using beautiful papers from Snow Princess, Snow Princess Solids, and a coordinating striped paper from Pastel Dreams ...

The little tied bundle of post cards is made using a stamp from Set 46, Background Bits-Notes, and the sentiment from Set 29, Vintage Sentiments-Just to Say is stamped onto a little die cut heart and tied below a small trio of roses...

Up in the corner is a larger cluster of roses...there's even a light and airy die cut peeking out from under the postcards...

And down in the lower corner, another small cluster of roses...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   LOTV Snow Princess,  Snow Princess Solids,  Pastel Dreams

Stamps:   LOTV Set 46/Background Bits-Notes, and Set 29/Vintage Sentiments-Just to Say

Dies:   My Favorite Things Royal Leaves;   Memory Box Queen of Hearts

Flowers:   The Paper Studio,  Wild Orchid Crafts            Striped twine:  The Twinery (lilac stripe)

Miscellaneous:   white hemp twine, cheesecloth

Thanks for stopping in for a visit today...have a wonderful weekend!

LLLC - Halloween and Christmas/Winter Release Fun!...

Sit back and grab a cup of your favorite beverage (and maybe a snack or two), and stay a bit...it's a fun and photo-heavy post today showing off the latest release from La-La Land Crafts!  It's Halloween and Christmas/Winter release time, and the Wednesday LLLC team has some fun creations to share with you.

I'll start off with my Halloween project...it's a haunted birdhouse using the Birdhouse with Base Kit all "spooked up" and ready for new residents. It's sitting on a wooden spool base ("permanently borrowed" from a roll of burlap ribbon from my stash, and painted with black chalk paint)...

and here's a quick little tour all around the sides and back (I brightened up these photos a bit so you could see the details...IRL this is a pretty dark and spooky little house!)...

On the front of the house, I added one of the new Stitched Nested Circles dies around the scalloped chipboard piece that comes with the birdhouse kit. It adds a bit of brightness to the otherwise dark and spooky birdhouse. :)

On the front and back eaves, I added a few of the new Spiderweb and Spider Dies, accenting the webs with a Gelly Roll Clear Star pen that sparkles when the light hits it just right (you can see the spider from this die set hanging from the eaves in the photo above)...

 

     

Adding the Wrought Iron Fence was a lot of fun.  I intentionally "leaned" it as I adhered it against the base, and added strips of knotted heavy-duty thread to make it look as though the fence was wired together to hold it up. Beacon 3-in-1 glue was used as an embellishment this time, by adding bits of glue here and there, and when dry, scraping it with the tips of small scissors to distress it and make it look more like "globs of goo" on the fence.

Inside the fencing, on the two front corners, are the new Tombsones, also propped crookedly, as if they've been there for a very, very long time...

And last but not least, the roofing got a bit of detailing with some colored mica bits...

Supplies:

LLLC Kits:   Birdhouse with Base Kit

LLLC Dies:   Wrought Iron Fence,  Stitched Nested Circles,  Spider Web and Spider,  Tombstones

Patterned papers:   Authentique "Enchanted";  Graphic45 "Halloween in Wonderland"

Flowers:   Wild Orchid Crafts and local craft store

Bird and ribbon spool:   local craft store

Miscellaneous:   Gelly Roll Clear Star pen,  cheesecloth,  Beacon 3-in-1 liquid adhesive, Folk Art Home Decor Chalk Paint

I'm not done just yet...next up is a shabby and fun Christmas card using many of the new dies...

On the left side, the focal point is a triple-cut and layered tree using the new Fancy Christmas Tree Die - it's sprinkled lightly with glittery Stickles, embellished with a strip of ribbon covered in mica flakes, and adorned with a topper of pearls and a crinkled seam binding bow...

At the base of the tree, banners cut from the new  Stitched Elements die set hold the rub-on sentiment...

The oval cutout in the center was also made using a die from the new Stitched Elements set, and inside it, the new Snowflake Banner shining over the new Christmas Hill Border...

Supplies:

LLLC Dies:   Stitched Elements, Fancy Christmas Tree, Christmas Hill Border, Snowflake Banner

Patterned papers:   Pink Paislee Cottage Farms

Sentiment:  Tim Holtz "Christmastime" rubon set            Laces:   local craft store

Miscellaneous:   Hug Snug seam binding,  Frantage Shaved Ice Fragments,   Diamond Stickles

Here are all the NEW Release products that are in the store right now...

You can see many more creations using the new release products over on the La-La Land Crafts blog.

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today!