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

May 15, 2019 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
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Birthday Balloons

May 11, 2019 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.

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!

Alphabet Distress Challenge I used distress ink for the \”grass and cloud\” background.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

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Die-Cut Alcohol Ink Flowers

May 7, 2019 Karen Brown4 Comments

Hello there! 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.

$Die-cut alcohol ink flowers using Newton\'s Nook Flower Trio$

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 on a yellow 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 yellow 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 girlfriend on her birthday.

I am joining these challenges:

The Flower Embossing Challenge (#32)

Inky Paws Challenge #97

I am so pleased you stopped by!

Karen

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Coffee in the Garden

May 4, 2019 Karen Brown20 Comments

Hello and thank you for stopping by! I always love a good scene card and I came up with the idea of \”Coffee in the Garden\” using Altenew\’s Garden Grow and Tea Time sets. Garden Grow is a longtime favorite set that I love to pull out and create little vignettes with and Tea Time worked just great to finish the scene. I am entering this card in the Altenew May Challenge.

Handmade card with Coffee in the Garden theme.

I watercolored a background with two shades of yellow and then set my panel aside to dry. I stamped, colored (with Copics) and die cut the garden and coffee images and then adhered to the background panel with foam squares for added dimension. I think I\’ve created an idyllic little scene that is going to my sister on her birthdy.

Altenew May Challenge: I loved this close-up garden scene inspiration. I chose to back up and create the macro view.

Coffee Loving Card Makers Spring/Summer Hop I am so excited to participate in this hop. My entry is \”Coffee in the Garden\”.

UPDATE: I was so pleased to see that my card was selected as one of Coffee Loving Card Makers Designer Picks. and Flash Prize Winner. Thank you to Cats Pajama\’s Art Stamps for the gift certificate to their store!

Karen

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Impression Obsession Rainbow Giraffe

April 24, 2019 Karen Brown14 Comments

Hello and thank you for stopping by! I am very excited about this bright fun card!

One of my most used and loved stamps is Impression Obsession Baby Giraffe. I came up with the idea of watercoloring each \”spot\” 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.

I started by embossing in brown on watercolor paper and then selected bright watercolor hues. I made four cards changing the look with gold and black embossing and whats fun is that it is impossible to create identical cards. It reminds me of working with alcohol inks. I wanted to keep the design clean and simple so that the focus was on the giraffe with rainbow colors. I matted on a neutral card base and it is ready to send.

Casology\’s Africa Challenge – Giraffes are definitely my favorite African animal and I have to say that I LOVE hand feeding giraffes lettuce leaves.+

Happy Little Stampers \”Bright\” Watercolor Challenge

Karen

UPDATE:My card was selected:

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WWC218 – Marsha\’s "All About Occasions" Challenge

April 24, 2019 Karen Brown1 Comment

Thanks for stopping by! This week is Watercooler Wednesday\’s All About Occasions Challenge. Marsha is our host. Head over to the website for further details.

I started with Lawn Fawn\’s Perfectly Plaid paper and used a 2 1/2\” circle punch near the top of the panel. Then I distressed the edges and around the circle with Seedless Grape Preserves dye ink.

Next, I stamped Impression Obsession Baby Giraffe, colored with Copic markers and then fussy cut. I arranged him peeping out of the circle window at a jaunty angle. I added some flowers from Sunny Studio Tropical Paradise and embossed the birthday sentiment. I wanted a bit of dimension so attached the Perfectly Plaid layer to a lavender card base with craft foam and glue. I added sequins, Wink of Stella on the blooms and horns, and Tonic Nuvo Glaze on the eyes. I think the giraffe has a lot of personality and I love using this stamp.

I am entering this card in Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

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Altenew Garden Grow Birthday Card

April 19, 2019 Karen Brown4 Comments

Hello and thank you for stopping by! I was asked to be a \”Guest Designer\” for the CAS on Friday \”Butterfly\” Challenge.

Altenew\’s Garden Grow stamp set is a longtime favorite so I thought it would be fun to have a gardening vignette with pink and yellow butterflies landing on the watering can and potted plant.

I started by making a simple blue watercolor background. Next, I stamped and used Copics to color my gardening trio. I wanted a spotlight circle so I used a stitched circle die. I assembled the card and added a birthday sentiment.

This card is for my mother-in-law who loves butterflies and gardening.

I am entering this card in:
Altenew\’s April Inspiration Challenge. I used the pink, yellow, blue color scheme for my background and butterflies and used the rainbow colors for the flowers in my pot. I just adore this Altenew Garden Grow stamp and die set. Every spring I seem to pull it out and make loads of cards.

Allsorts Blossoms, Butterflies and Bugs Challenge. I chose to focus on the blossoms and butterflies for my spring gardening card.
Grab our logo

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge. I love the spring mood board this week and thought my garden vignette worked well.

Karen

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WWC213 – Karen\’s Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

March 20, 2019 Karen Brown9 Comments

What a day….it is my turn to host Watercooler Wednesday\’s Anything Goes Masculine Challenge! I am very excited. 🙂

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I recently purchased a die cutting machine (Gemini Junior) and ordered this fun die cutting set from Spellbinders. This card is for my new son-in-law. He drives a pick-up truck, so I thought this would be perfect for him.

I started by die cutting a kraft card base (Sugar Pea Design Builder). I used Nuvo Hot Cholcolate embossing powder for the sentiment (Ranger Letter It Birthday). Next, I cut out all the truck pieces using Bohemia Blue Bird \”All Boy\” card stock (coordinating double sided paper). I enjoyed the die cutting and paper selection. I wanted dimension so I used foam tape for the truck body and then an additional layer of foam tape for the license plate and bumper. I tucked in a few gifts die cut from scrap paper I had left over. The ribbons on two of the packages are light green but they did not photograph well.

$Spellbinders Truckin\' Through the Seasons handmade card.$

$Spellbinders Truckin\' Through the Seasons masculine birthday card.$

I am entering this card in:
Cardz 4 Guyz \”To Die for Challenge\” I lost track of how many dies I used on this card, but I think my son-in-law will really like the card.
Cardz 4 Guyz Logo
Happy Little Stampers \”Die\” Challenge I\’ve never made a card with so many dies before, it was kind of like doing a fun puzzle.

The Male Room \”Do It Yourself Challenge\” This card is for my son-in-law. He drives a pickup and for Christmas he asked for tools so he could do maintenance and repairs himself. So we got him a variety of DIY tools.

Brown Sugar Transportation Challenge – A pick-up is my husband\’s primary mode of transportation.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge I think this little pick-up is as \”cute\” as can be!

Thanks for stopping by! I truly hope to see your masculine creation on the Watercooler Website.

Karen

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Seaside Village Watercolor Card

March 16, 2019 Karen Brown13 Comments

I had the idea of creating a 3D seaside village for my aunt\’s birthday. She loves watercoloring so that is the technique I chose. I love this beautiful Art Impressions Shoppes stamp set.

Village Shoppes

I started by stamping the two shoppes with grey ink on Ranger Watercolor paper. Then I used my new watercolors to bring my scene to life. Next, I took another panel of watercolor paper and created my background. After the shop images were dry, I fussy-cut and used foam tape to adhere to the background panel. Last, I stamped the sentiment (WPlus9 – Doodle Buds) in the sky area.

I am happy with the card and hope Aunt Nancy will like it.

I am entering this card in:

Art Impressions Cutting Edge Challenge. Fussy cutting was my \”cutting
edge\”.

Day of the Month Inaugural Card Challenge What fun to participate in Challenge #1!
Unser Logo zum Mitnehmen! / Our logo to take away!

Allsorts \”Favorite\” Challenge. Two favorites on this card: the idyllic shoppes stamps and the sentiment stamp.

Sisterhood of Crafters \”Ladies\” Challenge. I think this scene is one most ladies would appreciate.
Please Grab Our Badge!

Time out 5th Birthday Challenge Happy Birthday to Time Out Challenges! Love the theme \”Hugs, Kisses and a lot of Birthday Wishes\”. This is a birthday card I made for my aunt.

Thanks for stopping by,
Karen

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Pink Dress Shop Scene Card

March 2, 2019 Karen Brown8 Comments

I\’ve combined two of my favorite stamps sets (My Monthly Hero: April 2017 and January 2019) to create this pink scene confection. The card is girly and feminine and is for one of my BFFs.

I started by applying Distress Ink Spun Sugar over my bricked layering stencil. Next I stamped the Hero Arts Images, colored with Copic markers and then die cut.I\’d left the \”window\” uncolored, and after die cutting, I applied Distress Ink Spun Sugar with a hint of Pickled Raspberry.Then I assembled my scene using foam tape.

$Stamper\'s Anonymous Bricked Layering Stencil$

A Blog Named Hero Challenge I love this card because it combines two of my favorite Hero Arts Stamp Sets: My Monthly Hero April, 2017 and My Monthly Hero January, 2019.

Addicted to Stamps Photo Inspiration– I was drawn to the color scheme in this photo inspiration: pinks, aqua and neutrals with a hint of purple.

Dar and Diane \”Pink and White Challenge\” I was drawn to the soft pink, white and gray on the mood board.

Just Us Girls Birthday Challenge – Like Vicki, I am in need of a bunch of birthday cards, so this prompt was perfect for me!

Southern Girls \”Girl Power\” Challenge Such a fun prompt!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen