Summer Coffee Lovers Hop featuring Create a Smile Stamps

Hello crafty friends! Today I am sharing a card for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. Since I saw the Coffee First stamp set from Create a Smile I wanted to use the tiny coffee cups with a critter so I paired it with the octopus from Underwater Love. Check out the video for more on how I made this card.

I did some water coloring with Koi watercolor and Distress Markers on Distress Watercolor Cardstock. I can't wait to see some of the fabulous cards on this hop and be sure to join us with your coffee card before June 12th.

Mother's Day Card with Distress Markers and Lawn Fawn Let's Play

Hello crafty friends! Today I have a card using Lawn Fawn's Let's Play and Quinn's ABCs for the Lawnscaping Watercolor challenge. I used Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock for the first time on this card. I am really impressed with how the Distress Markers blend on this cardstock. Other watercolor papers absorbed the ink too much and I didn't get a great blend. Check out the video for more details on this card.

I know a lot of Mother's Day cards feature flowers or butterflies and other classic motifs but my mom loves this set. I'm sure you can guess what her favorite color is. I made a little gift box for her present as well which I'll be sharing later. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Challenges:

Lawnscaping: Watercolor

Hello You Party Animal with a Video

Today I have the same set as yesterday but an alternate way of coloring the image for those of you who prefer Distress Markers and Ink over alcohol markers. In the video I explain how I colored this cutie from Gerda Steiner Designs Three Monsters.

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Anything Goes

Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes

Sugar Pea Designs: You're So Punny

Hey Foxy

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This week at Lawnscaping they are having a Distress challenge. I decided to use Distress Ink to make a watercolor background. I combined Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves, and Milled Lavender. Then I colored in the letters from Quinn's ABCs for a sentiment and used Distress markers to color the fox from Into the Woods. 

Other Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Artsy Stamp (background)

Creative Knockouts: Coloring Show Off

I Love You!

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For this card I started with the Runway Inspired Challenge from the picture below. Of course the green drapery is very eye catching, but my card focuses on the lace top of the dress. I stamped a Hero Arts background stamp that had straight lines and florals similar to the lace then added some Antique Linen Distress Ink to mimic the skin tone. I added in the green by coloring the floral images and then tried to invoke the layered green with the green lace trim. I also put the two solid black bands along the side to invoke the black bands on the dress. I think I went a little dark with my greens, but I wanted to work with Distress for the techniques and it is generally a more muted palette. This is also for the Open Minded Crafting: Use Some Ribbon challenge.

Sister Act Card Challenge #57

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I just joined the team over at Sister Act Card Challenges. I love their challenge because it's a simple anything goes card only challenge that gives people a platform to share their work. So please feel free to join us a link up a card anytime. I would love to check out your work. This week we are being sponsored by Deasy Designs whose images I adore and I was so excited to work with their Space Adventure set. The little martians are just so cute! The coloring is done with Distress Ink and Distress Markers. I am still experimenting with coloring digital images as I get a lot of smearing with Copics, but I think I will try some more with the Distress products as I like the ease of coloring with them. I think I will try colored pencil as well and pick my favorite.

Other challenges

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge- M Challenge M is for Martian

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge Blog- Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Challenge- Anything Goes

Welcome Baby Inky Paws 9

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The Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge #9 is a fantastic color combination. I used the brand new Wild Child set because I knew the giraffes would work perfect into the yellow aspect of the color scheme. I used Distress Markers to color the giraffes and Distress Ink for the pink background. I cut out the image with a Spellbinders die and then layered it up with some simple papers to tie in all the colors of the challenge.I'm linking this up with Addicted to Stamps Make Your Mark, Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Not So Mellow Yellow, Pile It On Ink on Paper Stamping, and The Squirrel and the Fox Use a Die Cut.

Party Time Fox

 

Today I was inspired by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge Confetti Crush photo which you can find at the bottom of this post. I was thinking about how big round confetti might look falling from the air. I got out a party themed American Crafts paper pad and went to town cutting out circles. After putting them in an arrangement I liked, I knew the next step would be adding a focal point. I decided to go with the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of Animal Antics. So I reached for my Newton's Nook Designs Sweetheart Tails set. I love this fox and haven't used it enough yet. I added some white details to the fox using the Picket Fence Distress Marker. When you draw it on you can't even see the ink but it dries white on colored paper and adds a quick easy touch to patterned paper critters. Speaking of the fabulous Newton's Nook Designs they have some new sets this week including Wild Child which I've included a picture of below. How adorable is that penguin mama and baby or those giraffes. I will be using the code I won in their latest challenge to add this cute set to my collection. I'm also linking this card to the Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes challenge.

 

AEIHeartU Watercolor Challenge

The current Avery Elle AEIHeartU challenge is to use watercolor. Like many crafters I have fallen in love with this trend. I recently treated myself to my first Avery Elle set Handwritten Notes. I love this set because it has great sentiments for every occasion, but also because you can mix it up with the fun extra sayings. For this card I decided to pop in the 'really' for emphasis. I wanted to make the sentiment the star of the show for a create a fun rainbow panel using Distress Markers. I laid down a few streaks of each color on some watercolor paper and then blended them a little with an aquabrush. I added a bit of shine to the hearts with Brush Pewter Distress Stain. I created a simple background with an Impression Obsession Cover a Card background stamp. If you love Avery Elle go check out this fabulous challenge!

Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge #7 Take 1

Newton's Nook is hosting another fun Inky Paws challenge. This time the challenge is to use green as your main color. I like green well enough but it's not a go to color for me. But that's the best part of a challenge, when it challenges you. I used a lot of Tim Holtz on this card. I created the stenciled color fade with Distress Inks and colored the image with Distress Markers. So I'm also entering this into Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge D is for Distress. Go check out Newton's Nook super cute stamps which are also available at Simon Says!

Newton's Nook Love Card

Today I was really excited to see I was one of the winners in the Newton's Nook Inky Paws challenge. I love their adorable stamps especially this cute little bear from Campfire Tails. I'm so excited to hear their new release will feature a stamp set with a new bear. Check out their Facebook page to vote on the bear's name and be entered to win the new set. The colorful strip behind the bear was created using the Distress Stain splatter technique shown on a video by Newton Nook's DT member Christine. Such a fun technique. It's great to have another way to use the Distress Stains. I bought them at the Ranger Warehouse sale with no idea what to do with them but am so happy I have them. The tie dye background around the bear was however just a mistake. There was some left over orange in my water brush and it mixed with the blue in a funky way that I like but was not going for. This card is great for the Simon Says Stamp Have a Heart challenge, The Pink Elephant Happy Valentine's Day challenge, and the Shopping Our Stash Love challenge.