Sponged Dry Embossed Card

Hi, everyone!

During my break at work today, I started imagining card ideas, and thought, "Wouldn't it be great if I can add a touch of color to dry embossed images?"

Hmmm.  Why not?  I couldn't wait to try it out when I got home (and of course, I was also working late today, of all days!).

I am so excited, I  just couldn't wait to share this card with all of you.  I snapped a photo as soon as I finished the card, I don't think the ink was even dry yet...

I ran my embossed my cardstock with an embossing folder and Big Shot, and used a sponge dauber and some distress inks to color the embossed images.

My sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp.

Not bad for my first try, right?  This card reminds me of spring, which is around the corner (I have to keep telling myself that, especially since we are buried in snow and it's freezing cold here).

I am entering this card to the following challenges:

Less is More (Challenge Week 211 - 1 layer card)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (Add a Litte Texture, using Simon Says Stamp products)

I used these products (with links to where you can buy them) on my card:
White cardstock (Georgia Pacific)
Spring Tulip embossing folder (Darice)
You stamp set (Simon Says Stamp)
Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko)
Worn Lipstick distress ink (Ranger)
Mustard Seed distress ink (Ranger)
Mowed Lawn distress ink (Ranger)
Sponge dauber (Tsukineko)

Thanks for looking, and have a great day!

Dinosaur Birthday Card

Hi, everyone!  I can't believe I finished this card, and just in time, too, for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.  The challenge this week is "All Creatures Great and Small," featuring Paper Smooches products.

I was excited when I saw the challenge, because I just ordered some Paper Smooches stamps, and I needed an excuse to break them out of their packaging and use them!

Today's card is a birthday card:

I recently discovered watercoloring using distress inks, and I'm really loving this technique.  The dinosaur and the images are stamped on watercolor paper, which I've matted with black cardstock over the turqouise card base.

I cheated a little bit on the sentiment (it's not a Paper Smooches product, but I think it fit perfectly with my card).

I used these products for my card (with links to where you can get them, if you're interested):
Black and turqouise card stock (my stash)
Watercolor paper (Strathmore)
Cuteasaurus stamp set (Paper Smooches)
Chit Chat stamp set (Lawn Fawn) - I bought the coordinating dies with the stamp set
Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky, Brushed Curduroy, Mowed Lawn Distress inks (Ranger) - I bought 10 of the 12 mini sets (so cute!), and I'm waiting for the other 2 to become available again
Versamark watermark stamp pad (Tsukineko)
Black embossing powder (Stampin' Up!)
Foam tape (Scotch)
Big Shot (Sizzix)

Thanks for looking, and have a great day!

Bright Pink and Gray Card

It's been a while since I joined challenges, but I just couldn't pass up this challenge from Less Is More and Simon Says Stamp.

The Less Is More blog is celebrating its 4th anniversary, and the challenge this week is to make a card with pink and gray.

Meanwhile, the challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge blog is "All things bright and beautiful," highlighting Hero Arts products.

I am excited for this challenge, because I have a lot of Hero Arts stamps.  They were one of the first stamps I bought when I first started stamping five years ago.

Here is my card:

I used this Hero Arts stamp set for the different splashes of pink.

The image and the sentiment came from two different stamp sets.  The bicycle was from this set.

The sentiment was from this set.  I love how the two stamps complemented each other perfectly.  I embossed both the bicycle and the sentiment using silver/gray embossing powder.

I love how this card turned out.  I am working on having a stash of handmade cards that I can readily pull out for different occasions, and this card definitely fits the bill.

Here is a complete list of products (and links to where you can find them):
White cardstock (Georgia Pacific)
Dark and light gray cardstock (my stash)
Brush Strokes (Hero Arts)
Joy Ride stamp set (Hero Arts)
Friendship Messages stamp set (Hero Arts)
Rose Bud ink (Memento)
Angel Pink ink (Memento)
Pixie Dust ink (Versamagic)
Pink Petunia ink (Versamagic)
Versamark ink pad (Tsukineko)
Heat gun (Nicole)
Embossing powder (Stampin' Up!)
Embossing powder tool (Inkadinkado)
ATG gun (Scotch)

Thanks for looking, and have a bright and cheery day!

Watercoloring with Distress Inks

Hi, everyone!

Today I'll share with you a card I made using disress inks.  I bought some distress inks two years ago, so I could ink my scrapbook/mini-album pages.  I bought the full pads (the mini's were not available at the time), but did not get to complete the "collection."

I saw some YouTube videos of other papercrafters using the distress inks to watercolor, and I was itching to try it out, so I broke out my distress inks and started watercoloring:

I stamped the image in watercolor paper, die cut it, and then embossed using Versamark and black embossing powder.

Then I got carried away, and decided to try my hand at blending with the blending tool, too:

I used the blending tool for the sky.  First, I made mask for the buildings in the background, then blended the blue (Salty Ocean) around them.  Then, I stamped the buildings (sorry, as you can see, they were not spot-on) in black ink, and colored in the windows with a marker.

I'm entering this card to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.  They are highlighting Tim Holtz's products this week, and the challenge is to make a masculine card.  I hope my card fits the bill!

I don't think I did an awesome job with watercoloring or blending, but I think it was not too bad -- especially since this is my first time to try out both techniques.  I definitely need to work on them, but I love how well the inks flowed into the watercolor paper.  I will definitely be purchasing more of this distress inks in the future.

I used these products for this card:

White cardstock (Georgia-Pacific)

Black cardstock (Recollections)

Watercolor paper (Strathmore)

Stamp set (Paper Smooches Super)

Dies (Paper Smooches Super 1)

Blending tool (Ranger)

Distress inks (Tim Holtz:  Salty Ocean, Black Soot, Barn Door, Faded Jeans, Wild Honey)

Watermark ink (Versamark)

Black embossing powder (Stampin' Up!)

Foam tape

Big Shot

Magnetic platform

Thanks for looking, and have a great day!