amazing watercolor backgrounds

My favorite 5-year-old co-cardmaker and I once made these backgrounds. They were laid aside for another day and now using the Flourishing Phrases stamp set and Flourish thinlits dies, I created these cards with those backgrounds. It's our version of doodling! Ha!!
By the way, if you purchase this stamp and die bundle you save 10%!!! Let me know if I can grab them for you!!

i'm here for you

I just love this sentiment. It's so caring. So this whole post is full of cards that tell you "I'm here for you!"

Besides challenging myself to use DSP, the following card has the added interest of holes punched in it and butterflies on the INSIDE of the card!

wild roses on the pebbles (CYCI#73 A Color Challenge) (picture tutorial)

"Can You Case It" Week #73  is a color challenge this time, using Sahara Sand, Blushing Bride, and Black. I KNEW I had to join this challenge since color SPEAKS to me! See which colors these are right below:

And now I must really give credit to whom credit is due...for the card I created this week! My Very Creative son brought me several wild rose buds sitting atop some pebbles in a bowl full of water. Soooo beautiful. So perfect for the color challenge this week! Now follow me on how I did it.

 First cut a piece of Sahara Sand cardstock 3" by 4 1/4".

 

Since I could find absolutely NO tutorials on how to make nice pebbles, I decided to just wing it, using a sort of Bokeh technique. I punched circles and tore shapes for masking from a piece of white paper.

 

Using ink black and different browns and tans, I "Bokeh-ed" (sponged) around, alternating masks, until I was happy.(I was happy the whole time, but this made me REAL happy!)

And THEN, I took those gorgeous Crystal Effects which I can't figure out how I ever managed without them, and I squeezed little water ways among the pebbles. I didn't let it dry enough, but you don't know that!!! Anyway, I attached it to my card front, a piece of black cardstock.

 

For my wild roses, I simply stamped a flower image from "Flower Shop" using Cherry Cobbler ink onto a piece of Blushing Bride cardstock. Then I punched it out and adhered it to my watery pebbles and black background.

 

The bird builder punch gave me some nice green leaves which I touched up with markers and gel pens. Oh! And I also added some verrrry thin pink strips to the edge of my pebbles to define them better. And that's all folks! Now YOU go make yourSELF a nice bowl of wild roses!

a tough week (good-bye is hard)

A young wife is left to raise her children alone after her husband died in a logging accident early last week. Her parents and siblings live close to us, so we are well acquainted and feel the deep sadness along with the family. While listening to an audio streaming of the funeral service with all the gorgeous singing that seemed to be coming  straight from heaven, I idly made cards. Keeping my hands busy helps me understand better, seems like. This one (above) almost made itself since I wasn't really concentrating on my art. I was surprised to find myself using a stamp from Just Kidding for the sentiment. Truly, saying "goodbye" is hard. And I'm glad to be able to use this stamp set for something sad as well as humorous. I don't have anything inside the card since I do love having lotsa room to say my own thing now and then. Especially for an occasion such as this week's tragedy.

Another card borne out of an aching heart. Same occasion; same soothing tear-stained colors. I love using watercolor paper and re-inkers. Here I was also able to use my new Little Letters dies. Since I couldn't bear to toss the little strip I had to remove to fit my card base, I adhered it into the inside of the card. Nice touch, anyway!

watercolor pressed roses

After trying the Bokeh Technique for hours and then finding how much I loved it, I decided to try something similar yet different. I soaked both sides of a chunk of watercolor paper with water and an artist's brush. Then I dabbed drops of slightly watered down reinker ink onto one side of my retired Manhattan roses embossing folder. When I ran the soggy paper through that inked up folder, this is what came out! I love love love it!

fairy skies (Challenge Spark---Bokeh Technique card #5)

A few posts ago I told you how I came up with this technique. This is the link where I've given you that info. I got so carried away I couldn't quit making these watercolor wonders!

Pure magic!

sunset sympathy (Challenge Spark---Bokeh Technique card #4)

Here's the fourth one! I'm not listing all the links and facts about the Challenge Spark on every Bokeh technique entry I have, but if you scroll down to the first and second posts on this topic, you'll find the necessary info!

(I know I'm cheating...taking a short cut! Go ahead! Say it!)

northern lights love (Challenge Spark---Bokeh Technique)

Another card using the Bokeh technique I'm so so so in love with!

(Blame my boys for the name! They thought it looked like our northern lights we see from our big living room window!)

fly into the sunset...for Kayla (Challenge Spark...Bokeh technique)

I'm quite sure Jane from White Orchid had more of this type of card on her mind for last week's challenge than my previous "Bokeh" card. If you head over to her blog (link just above) she explains the technique as well as gives you this tutorial link which I found extremely helpful. I used Stampin' Up reinkers and artist's brushes and LOTS of water on watercolor paper. FUN AND EASY!!!

And ADDICTING!

And now I have a delicious wedding card to send to my friend, Kayla, for her wedding!

(Happy wedding, Kayla!!)

Meet "The Challenge Spark"! Week 1...Bokeh Technique (revised)

Along with a co-Stampin' Up Demonstrator and good friend, Jane Reimer, over on The White Orchid we have begun a weekly Challenge Spark.
We called it the "Spark" because it's from the teeniest sparks that the best inspirations burst! And while we each come up with our own idea sparks quite often, it's nice to have someone else spark that challenge and help us pull out inspirations we maybe didn't know we had stored inside us!

For this first week, Jane challenges us to do the Bokeh technique in any way we like. I hadn't even heard of Bokeh (where have I been??!!) but upon doing a Pinterest search...well, WOW!! There's lots out there!

The card above is my entry for this week. Sorry about the lighting...I had difficulty getting a clear pic on this one. (Advice welcome!) I love the simplicity of this technique. Yet how stunning the results! Come on, crack out the ink pads and daubers with us! We'd love to see what you come up with! It's easy! Punch out several different sizes of circles in a scrap paper and then use those empty circles as masks and sponge circles wherever you want them on your card face. Overlap them, stagger them, use different colors or all one color. It's gonna be gorgeous, whatever you do! I advise you to ink the circles heavier on one side. Looks more 3-d then. (And now that it's finished, it almost seems more in keeping with a masking technique...more on the Bokah coming!)

Next week, my challenge is to  create a "Vintage Emboss Resist" card. Keep watching for those beauties!

Why not enter your email address at "follow by email" (lower, right) and you'll get these Spark posts as soon as we hit "publish".