Uncategorized

WWC226 – Dawn\’s Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Karen Brown6 Comments
Hello there and welcome!  It\’s all about masculine cards this week at Watercooler Wednesday and Dawn is our hostess. I hope you will stop by the website, see what the artists have created and then submit one of your cards.  
A handmade card featuring the Altenew Pinstripes Background Stamp.
In my family, men (and ladies too!) enjoy a good humorous card.  This dog (Fetch by Photoplay) makes me smile every time I use him.  This is a simple one layer panel mounted on a Lilac A2 card.  


Supplies used :

Photoplay Fetch
Altenew Pinstripes Background Stamp
SSS Brush Stroke Messages Sentiment
Hero Arts Lilac Ink
Copic markers
MFT Stitched rectangular die STAX set 2
Inkadinkadoo Stamping Mask Paper


I stamped Fetch, colored with Copics, masked and then stamped the background stamp in lilac.  I love how the dog almost makes a perfect square.

I am entering this card in:
June Papercraft Challenge

I am so pleased you stopped by today! 

Karen
Image may contain: text
Uncategorized

WWC225 – Donna\’s "All About Occasions" Challenge

Karen Brown6 Comments
Hello there!  Today starts Watercooler Wednesday\’s \”All About Occasions\” Challenge and I\’ve created a Get Well Scene card. Donna is our hostess and I hope you will stop by our website to see what the other artists have created.   This is such a fun prompt because there are dozens of occasions you can create a card for. 
Last year, I ordered one of Simon Says Stamp\’s \”Mystery Sacks\” and Clearly Besotted\’s \”Lift Me Up\” was one of the sets in the package.  I don\’t think I would have purchased this set, but I\’ve had a lot of fun playing with it. So far I\’ve made a birthday card, baby shower card and this Get Well card.  



You can mix and match hot air balloons and baskets so I went with the duck balloon and puppy basket. I thought it would be fun to have a friend on the ground so I added the Scottie from MFT\’s Lucky Dog set.  I colored and die-cut the pup and then adhered him to the bottom with foam tape so he would have dimension.
  • I stamped my little scene on an A2 panel and colored with Copic Markers. 
  • I cut some masks because I wanted to add a \”cloud and ground\” background with Tumbled Glass (Tim Holtz) and Sand Dunes (Altenew) Die Ink.  I used my new Picket Fences Life Changing Brushes.  
  • Finally I die cut with a stitched rectangular die.
I am entering this card in:
Pile It On\’s Transportation Challenge

Crafty Catz Anything Goes Challenge #465

Update:  I was very pleased to see that my card received the \”Sweet Sprinkles Award\” at Pile It On Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Image may contain: text
Uncategorized

WWC224 – Karen\’s Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Karen Brown3 Comments

Hello there!  Today I am hosting Watercooler Wednesday\’s #224 – Karen\’s Feminine \”Anything Goes\” Challenge and I am so pleased you stopped by.  

I\’ve been playing with alcohol inks and had some scraps I wanted to use to make into a floral card.  I just ordered these fun floral die-cuts (Newton\’s Nook Flower Trio) for this idea.  

Die cut alcohol ink flowers using Newton\'s Nook Floral Trio Die

I started by die cutting the parts to each flower/leaf and then assembled.  I wanted a textured background so I used an embossing folder (Sizzix/Tim Holtz Alterations) on a neutral cardstock panel.  I like that there are different sizes of \”dots\” as well as empty spaces.  I also diecut my sentiment from an alcohol ink scrap.  I added the  dry embossed panel to a white A2 card and then added the flowers with foam dots for added dimension.  I like this cheery card and it is going to my mom on her birthday.  Red is her favorite color so I thought she would like to top bloom.

I am entering this card in Alphabet Challenge \”E is for Embossing Folder\”.  I love the texture that embossing folders add to a project.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Image may contain: one or more people and text

Uncategorized

Using Alcohol Ink Scraps with Papertrey Yellow Sunshine Die

Karen Brown4 Comments
Good Morning and Hello!  I\’ve been wanting to make a card with the scraps leftover from my alcohol ink projects and I thought Yellow Sunshine by Papertrey Ink  would be perfect!

I selected scraps of my favorite summertime hues and die cut a bunch.  I also die-cut a coordinating sentiment and  then worked on my layout.  I cut a negative die for another card and used that as my template to place all the little tear drops.  

This card was a lot of fun to make and I like that I was able to upcycle  some beautiful scraps.

Lil Red Wagon \”Upcycle/Recycle\” Challenge

Update: My card was selected as a \”featured\” card.
 Featured Button


Thank you for stopping by!
Karen
Uncategorized

WWC223 – Anything Goes Challenge

Karen Brown1 Comment
Hello there!  So glad you stopped by.  Today is Watercooler Wednesday\’s Special Absolutely Anything Goes Challenge. Dawn is our hostess this week.
Pretty Pink Posh Buttercream jewels.
I needed some Thinking of You cards so I looked through my stamps to find floral images I thought would blend together.  I used stamps from 6 stamp sets:

  • WPlus9 Doodle Buds
  • Photo Play Thinking of You
  • Create a Smile In Bloom
  • SSS Hello Friends
  • Ink Blot Shop This and That 
  • Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments
I stamped a random pattern on Xpress It paper with Memento ink.  I colored with Copic markers:
  • V01
  • YG25
  • YG17
  • Y21
  • Y17
I really like this color combination and will use it again.  I added some Pretty Pink Posh Buttercream jewels. 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen
No photo description available.
Uncategorized

Summertime Beverages

Karen Brown8 Comments
Hello there!  It\’s Memorial Day Weekend and time for parties and festive warm weather beverages.  I combined the \”beverages\” theme from Shopping Our Stash \”Get Your Drink On\” Challenge with the color and tropical theme (lei in particular) for Time Out Challenges \”Home Sweet Home\” photo challenge.
I LOVE Sunny Studio\’s Tropical Paradise set for fun summer cards.  This is one of the first stamps sets I bought when I started cardmaking.   I started by stamping the beverage images on Bristol card stock and then colored them with my new Zig Clean Watercolor markers.  

I wanted to subtly frame the grouping so I die-cut a stitched rectangle as a backdrop.  I die-cut Celebrate three times and glued them together for a substantial looking sentiment strip.  I glued the rectangular panel and back 2 drinks directly to the A2 card with Gina K Connect Glue. The front two beverages are adhered with foam squares for a bit more dimension. 

I am proud to enter this card in the Time Out and Shopping Our Stash Challenges (links in first paragraph).
      Grab Our Badge!
Thank you so much for stopping by!

Karen
Uncategorized

WWC222 – Helen\’s "All About Occasions" Challenge

Karen Brown15 Comments

Hello and Happy Wednesday!   This week is \”All About Occasions\” on the Watercooler Wednesday Website where Helen is our hostess.

I\’ve created a card I really like, in fact I did a series of four of them.   I came up with the idea of watercoloring each of the giraffe\’s \”spots\” with two colors and then letting them organically blend.  I knew that giraffes spots are all unique like human fingerprints, so I thought a vibrant rainbow giraffe would be fun to create.

On this card, I started by embossing (Impression Obsession Baby Giraffe) in black on Bristol paper and then selected bright Tombow watercolor hues.  For my series, I changed the look by using gold, black and brown embossing and using watercolors and Tombow markers.  It is impossible to create identical cards.  It reminds me of working with alcohol inks. On this card I also fussy cut the giraffe and made a spotlight background using distress inks (mustard seed,  squeezed lemonade and shimmer spray).

You can see my Clean and Simple Rainbow Giraffe card here.

I am pleased to enter this card in the following:
Craft Stamper\’s Take It Make It May \”Anything Goes\” Challenge

Update:  I was so pleased to learn I was selected as Craft Stampers Design Winner!

This is the cover of the August magazine where my card is featured:

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Uncategorized

Humorous Dog Card

Karen Brown8 Comments
  Hello there!  I was at a cardmaking convention in February and saw this humorous dog and die set (Photo Play – Fetch) and knew I could make some really fun cards.  Don\’t you love how the dog almost makes a perfect square?
Photoplay Fetch stamp and die set.
I started by stamping Fetch and the small bird (SSS Stacking Animals), coloring with Copics and die-cutting.  I knew I wanted to frame the little vignette so I die-cut a large frame.   I had previously  made the background (Tim Holtz Bricked Layering Stencil) in a bright vivid blue.  Next I stamped the Hello sentiment (Altenew Pinstripes Background Stamp Set) on the frame.  I wanted to emphasize the frame so I used foam tape to adhere the frame and animal die-cuts to the bricked background.  I think this is a cheery little card that will be fun to send to a friend.  

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Dar and Diane \”Frames\” Challenge


The Card Concept #115 Mosaic Challenge  I focused on the vivid blue, yellow, orange and brown color pallet.


Thanks for stopping by!
Karen
Uncategorized

WWC221 – Tristan\’s Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Karen Brown1 Comment

Happy Wednesday and thank you for stopping by!  Today is all about masculine cards on the Watercooler Wednesday Website and Tristan is this week\’s hostess.

I\’ve been playing with alcohol inks a lot and made this card for one of my nephews.  I made an alcohol ink panel in bright masculine colors and then set the card aside to dry. I took a piece of white cardstock and negative die cut  MFT\’s dienamics Happy Birthday sentiment.     I saved the die-cuts for a future project. Next, I die cut the panel with a stitched die. I wanted a CAS look but the card seemed a little plain so I die-cut a heart to attach to the card.  I assembled and the card is ready to go.

Joining in at Simon Says Stamp \”Stitched\” Challenge

Wishing you a great day!
Karen
Image may contain: one or more people and text

Uncategorized

Birthday Balloons

Karen Brown5 Comments
Hello there!  Last year, I ordered one of Simon Says Stamp\’s \”Mystery Sacks\” and Clearly Besotted\’s \”Lift Me Up\” was one of the sets in the sack.  I don\’t think I would have purchased this set, but I\’ve had a lot of fun playing with it. So far I\’ve made a birthday card, baby shower card and Get Well card.  

MFT Lucky Dog Chihuahua

You can mix and match hot air balloons and baskets so I went with the duck balloon and puppy basket. I thought it would be fun to have a friend on the ground so I added the Chihuahua from MFT\’s Lucky Dog set.  I colored and die-cut the pup and then adhered him to the bottom with foam tape so he would have dimension.

  • I started by inking the \”grass\” with Pink and Main\’s Pattern Maker Pinstripes with Twisted Citron Distress Ink.
  • Next I stamped my little scene on an A2 panel and colored with Copic Markers. 
  • I cut some masks because I wanted to add a \”cloud\” background with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.  I used my new Picket Fences Life Changing Brushes.  
  • Finally I die cut with a stitched rectangular die.
  • I think this is a cute little scene card and I am entering in the following:

Seize the Birthday Balloon Challenge – I definitely went all the way and included the optional \”Balloon\” toppings prompt!
Allsorts Transport Challenge – This duck balloon will transport you…but who knows where you\’ll land!
Grab our logo
Alphabet Distress Challenge  I used distress ink for the \”grass and cloud\” background.
Thanks for stopping by!
Karen