WWC258 – Marsha\’s Challenge: All About Occasions

February 12, 2020 Karen Brown15 Comments

Hello and welcome! This week is all about occasions at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge Website and Marsha is our hostess.

I wanted to make a CAS watercolor valentine for my husband this year. With pencil, I drew a heart shape in the bottom right corner of a Brutus Monroe Aqua Pigment panel. Next, with a brush, I filled the heart in with clean water and then dropped Kuretake watercolors into the heart. I wanted the pinks and purples to blend. After the panel was dry, I heat embossed the sentiment (My Monthly Hero, January 2019). I erased the pencil lines, trimmed with a stitched rectangle die and mounted onto a top folding A2 card that I had made.

I am very pleased with the valentine and hope Mark likes it too!

I am entering this valentine in:

Clean and Simple on Friday: #173 Love I made this card for my husband.

Casology #361: Sweetheart I made this card for my sweetheart…my husband.

AAA Cards #158: Up to 1/3 + Optional Hearts I added the optional twist of a heart.

The Card Concept: Be Mine Valentine My card is a CAS/Clean and Graphic valentine. I was inspired by the heart theme and the large \”love\” sign.

A Place to Start – Masculine Card I made this valentine for my husband

Allsorts – Add a Heart A heart plus a simple sentiment

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

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WWC257 – Heidi\’s Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

February 5, 2020 Karen Brown19 Comments

Hello and welcome! This week we are making feminine cards at the Watercooler Challenge and Heidi is our hostess.

xoxo hugs and kisses from Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments.

I had a lot of fun making this valentine for my daughter. I started with a piece of wet watercolor paper and then I applied pink, purple, red and a hint of yellow Kuretake watercolors to the panel. I swirled, blended and then heat dried the paint and then repeated the process so I wound up with layer upon layer. Because I added several layers, the watercolor appears much more vibrant than most watercolors I have done in the past. After the panel was nice and dry I die cut a bunch of hearts in three sizes. I stamped the sentiment, played with the layout and came up with this random pattern that I liked. I adhered the hearts with foam tape so there is lots of dimension to the card.

Supplies:

Kuretake Watercolors

Brutus Monroe Aqua Pigment Paper

Sentiment: Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments

Gemini \”Loving Tags\” dies

Kuretake watercolors

I am entering this card in the following:

Inspired By Challenge: XOXOXO

The Paper Players: PP476

Make My Monday: I Heart You

The Rainbow Card Challenge #14 – Fiercely Fuschia

UPDATE: I am so pleased that this card was chosen as \”A Cut Above\” by The Paper Players Challenge!!!

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

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WWC256 – Kath\’s Challenge: All About Occasions

January 29, 2020 Karen Brown2 Comments

Hello and welcome. This week is all about \”Occasion\” cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Kath is our hostess.

I started by making an \”ink-smoosh\” panel. Here was my technique:

I liberally inked an 6×6\” acrylic block with Distress Inks. I wanted an ombre gradient look so went in rows across the page. I used Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean and Twisted Citron.
I liberally sprayed the inked block with water
\”Smooshed\” the block onto a piece of watercolor paper
Weighted the ink/block with a book for 5-6 minutes
Uncovered. If the ink pooled, I dabbed with a paper towel.

The next day, after the panel was dry, I die cut the B using the Altenew Mega Alphabet \”B\” die. I heat embossed the birthday sentiment and die cut a cover frame using Sunny Studio \”Frilly Frame Stripe\”. I glued the striped frame, B and sentiment to an A2 card. I like the clean simple lines of this card.

I am entering this card in Simon Says Stamp\’s Anything Goes Challenge

I am so pleased you stopped by!

Karen

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WWC255 – Marsha\’s Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twis

January 22, 2020 Karen Brown10 Comments

Hello and welcome! This week, at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge, we are creating cards for the men in our lives. Marsha is our talented hostess. I made this card for a male friend that turns the BIG 60.

$A masculine card using Hero Arts Tribal Print Background stamp and Catherine Pooler\'s Blue Suede shoes ink.$

This card is all about the background and sentiment. I used Hero Arts Bold Tribal Print background stamp and Catherine Pooler\’s Blue Suede shoes to stamp the background. After cleaning off the stamp, I restamped with the background stamp using clear embossing powder and then heat set. This created a lovely shiny blue pattern. After the background cooled, I ink blended Twisted Citron onto the card base using blending brushes. This filled in all the white areas.

On Fog grey cardstock, I stamped the sentiments (SSS Big Birthday Wishes) and then die cut. I adhered the sentiments with craft foam for some nice dimension.

I think the end result is a bold masculine card with nice shine and texture.

I am entering this card in:
Allsorts Challenge #555 – More than a single word. I wanted the emphasis on the words so I used two sentiments for this card.

Always Fun Challenges The challenge this week is use your favorite stamp so I used my favorite background stamp. Masculine cards are always a bit harder for me and I find this bold background stamp works well for a lot of cards for the men in my life.

Shopping Our Stash – Winter Blues Lots of blue on this card. I just received Catherine Pooler\’s Blue Suede Shoes ink and wanted to try it out.

Sisterhood of Crafters \”New\” Challenge I just received Catherine Pooler\’s Blue Suede shoes ink and wanted to give it a try on a card.

Update: I was so pleased to discover that this card was a \”winner\” in the Always Fun Challenge.

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

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WWC254 – Tristan\’s Challenge: All About Occasions

January 15, 2020 Karen Brown8 Comments

Hello and welcome! This week it is all about occasion cards at The Watercooler Wednesday challenge website and Tristan is our talented hostess.

$Handmade card with background pieced from alcohol ink scraps and an overlay with Simon Says Stamp\'s Outline Clustered Leaves die.$

I had some lovely left over alcohol ink scraps that I wanted to use on a background. I trimmed the pieces to a variety of widths and then pieced them together to make a solid background. Blue, aqua and lime is a favorite color combination of mine. My original intent was to cover the background with a circle die cut panel and sentiment, but I thought that looked a little plain so I added some interest with Simon Says Stamp\’s wonderful Outline Clustered Leaves die. I cut the leaves from some Recollections embossed paper. I like the end result and gave this card to one of my girlfriends.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Addicted To Stamps – Make Your Mark

Just Us Girls – Dimension.

Southern Girls \”Anything Goes\”

Happy Little Stampers \”Die\”

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

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WWC253 – Karen\’s Challenge: Anything Goes With A Feminine Twist

January 8, 2020 Karen Brown7 Comments

Hello and welcome! I can\’t believe it is a new year…and a new decade. This week we are making \”feminine\” cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge Website and I am the hostess.

$Ink Smooshing with Altenew\'s Mega Alphabet T die and Large Thanks die.$

I ordered some Altenew Mega Alphabet dies and the Altenew Large Thanks sentiment so I could make some thank you cards. I wanted a bright happy card so I decided to do some \”ink smooshing\”.

I started by making two inked panels. Here was my technique:

I liberally inked an 6×6\” acrylic block with Distress Inks. I wanted an ombre gradient look so went in rows across the page.
I sprayed the inked block with water
\”Smooshed\” the block onto a piece of watercolor paper
Weighted the ink/block with a book for 5 minutes
Uncovered. If the ink pooled, I dabbed with a paper towel.
I made a \”second generation\” panel for the background by taking a piece of Bristol Cardstock and soaking up the excess ink on my work space. I had never done this before but I like having a softer but coordinated background for my card.

Panel one was made with Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio, Twisted Citron and Mustard Seed.

Panel two (thanks) was Abandoned Coral, Carved Pumpkin and Mustard Seed.

After the panels were dry, I die cut the \”T\”, thanks and floral images (Spellbinder\’s Month 7 Die of the Month and Newton\’s Nook Flower Trio die). I also die cut Sunny Studio\’s Frilly Frame to go over my second generation background. I used Gina K Connect glue to adhere everything to the A2 card.

I am pleased with this bright vibrant card.

I am entering this card in:
As You Like It Thanks Challenge

Dies R Us Challenge I used Spellbinders floral dies.

Always Fun Something New Challenge I made a second generation ink smooshing panel to coordinate with my die cuts. I had never thought to coordinate like this in the past.

Alphabet Challenge Try Something New I made a second generation ink smooshing panel to coordinate with my die cuts. I had never thought to coordinate like this in the past.

UPDATE: I was very pleased to be chosen \”Top 3\” at As You Like It!

I would love to see YOUR creation in our challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

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WWC252 – Marsha\’s Special 3- Week "Anything Goes" Challenge

December 18, 2019 Karen Brown3 Comments

Hello and welcome! The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge is changing things up during the holidays and we have a three week \”Anything Goes\” challenge. Marsha is our special hostess.

$Simon Says Stamp Li\'l Gnome die plus Ranger Silver Sparkle Cardstock with alcohol inks.$

I ordered this adorable Simon Says Stamp Li\’l Gnome die this year and went a little crazy. I made 18 gnomes to put on tags and Christmas cards. I really like this \”glitter\” gnome.

I took a sheet of Ranger Ink Silver Sparkle Cardstock and added alcohol ink. The panel was very pretty. I then die cut the gnome. The beard and nose are cut from leftover scraps from previous ink smooshing projects. I love how the blond beard has orange streaks.

For the background I used a scrap of Lawn Fawn\’s Perfectly Plaid paper. I also die cut a rectangle to act as a backdrop for the gnome. I felt like it looked like a plaid belt with a big white buckle.

I heat embossed the sentiment (Stamps of Life Elves2Stamp) and attached all the elements to a kraft notecard.

Little Red Wagon #528

Allsorts \”Inspired by a Song\” Challenge
My Inspiration was The Gnome Song The Gnome Song

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

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WWC251 – Dawn\’s "All About Occasions" Challenge

December 11, 2019 Karen Brown12 Comments

Hello and welcome. This week we are making \”Occasion\” cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge which means holiday cards to birthday cards to sympathy cards…the list is vast. Dawn is our talented hostess.

I chose to make some thank you cards to use during the holiday season. I wanted bright, festive and fun so I opted to go with my Zig markers.

I stamped, colored and die-cut my wreath. My wreath has five Christmas colors. I wanted a clean and simple look but with a bit of interest on the background so I dry embossed an A2 panel. I liked that the planks look snow covered when embossed on white paper. I also wanted a small sentiment that would fit inside the wreath and within the boundaries of the plank so I looked through my sentiments and found this cute little one.

I like the top folding cards I see online but I had never made one until this card. I do think it adds a fun little twist to cards. While I was at it, I made a batch of top folding cards so I will be making more in the future.

ZIG Clean Color markers in 036, 031, 033, 053, 041, 200, 202, 029

Supplies:

Weekend Doodles Stamp and Die Bundle

Tim Holtz Alterations Wood Planks Embossing Folder

Bristol Cardstock

Zig Markers: 036, 031, 033, 053, 041, 200, 202, 029 + blender

Versafine Black Ink for wreath

Gerda Steiner Hedge Hog Sentiment (with Archival Jet Black ink)

I am submitting my card to:

As You See It \”Holiday Joy\”

Bright happy colors raise my spirits and bring me joy.

Make My Monday \”Anything Christmas\” Challenge

Time Out Merry and Cheerful Challenge

Happy Little Stampers December Die Challenge

UPDATE: My card was selected as a Top Pick at The As You See It Challenge:

Thank you for stopping by!

Karen

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WWC250 – Helen\’s Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

December 4, 2019 Karen Brown4 Comments

Hello and welcome. This week we are making \”feminine\” cards at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge. Talented Helen is our hostess.

I wanted to do a pretty thank you card so I started by stamping, coloring and die cutting this favorite wreath. I wanted a subtle white on white backdrop so I die cut a basket weave panel and affixed to an A2 card base. I love the pretty little sentiment which I heat embossed.

Supplies:

Avery Elle – Festive Wreath stamps and dies

Frantic Stamper Basket Weave die.

Bristol Cardstock

Zig Clean Clear Markers (May Green 47, Pale Green 45, Lt. Carmine Red 21, Red 20, Light Blue 36, Cobalt Blue 31).

Sentiment: Photoplay Paprika

I am pleased to be entering my card in:

Sunday Stamps \”Feeling Festive\” Challenge

Just Us Girls \”Anything Goes\” Challenge

A Place to Start December Challenge

Shopping Our Stash – Happy Holidays Challenge

UPDATE: My card was selected as a \”Top Cup\” at The Sunday Stamps Challenge:

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

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WWC249 – Karen\’s "All About Occasions" Challenge

November 27, 2019 Karen BrownLeave a comment

Hello and Welcome! This week is \”All About Occasions\” at the Watercooler Wednesday Website and I am the hostess. Today, I am sharing a card I made in Laura Griffin\’s DFW Copic Class.

We used LOTS of die cuts on this card. For the door, we free hand drew the wood grain and stained glass inserts. I personalized my Christmas door and added my mini-Aussie \”Scout\” to the front porch. I think she looks adorable in her little Christmas cape and hood.

Supplies used: