Sunflower Collage - Stampendous

Hello, blogging friends! It's time to share a wonderful new stamp for the new Moving Along With The Times Challenge! I hope you can play along. Challenge #74's theme is JUNE BLOOMS - just make sure your card's focal image is a flower(s) and share your card!

We have a guest sponsor this month who will be providing a prize to one lucky player: Crafty Ribbons. My card features Yellow Ric Rac Ribbon. Challenge ends July 4 at 11PM Eastern Daylight Time. Looking forward to seeing your floral creations on the challenge blog!

Today's project contains a bit of mixed media styling, using every bit of this gorgeous 6x6 Stampendous Stamp called Sunny Sketch!

I loved the way it looked with only the color - no glitter or embellishment.


But we all know I can't NOT add glitter! (love the double negative?)

After heat setting with White Detail Embossing Powder, I used assorted Watercolor sprays, markers, and reinkers - whatever was in my stash with colors I wanted to achieve. It was fun and easy! An acrylic block was my palette and I scribbled, dabbed and sprayed whatever color onto it. Then an Aqua Flow brush made easy work of the colors. Be sure to wet your paper before applying color for more fluid blending.

  

Nuvo Aqua Flow water brush

This two-pack includes one medium brush and one fine brush.

I stamped a 2nd flower, embossed it, and spritzed with Nuvo Mica Mist in Turkish Rose and Violet Lustre. This effortlessly produced a pearly iridescent flower, resisting the White Detail Embossing Powder. The flower was spritzed with water, and each petal was crimped and shaped. Every 2nd or 3rd petal was cut off so the flower beneath could be seen:


The flower center was fun! I adhered layers of Pink Fizz MicroFine Glitter, Glass Glitter in Fuchsia and Silver, Silver Leaf Tinsel Glitter and some micro beads on top of Dimensional Glue:



Raspberry Pink Crystal Drops have been used inside the yellow flower, along the bottom border, and a few other places. Dimensional Glue with Starfire Ultrafine Glitter was also used along the border and elsewhere:

Products Used:

• SNS Stampendous Sunny Sketch 6CR004 Rubber Stamp on Cling
• SNS Hampton Art Word Layering Greetings SC0752
• SNS White Detail Embossing Powder
• SNS Nuvo Mica Mist in Nebula Blue, Turkish Rose, Violet Lustre
• SNS Silver Leaf Tinsel Glitter GT3004
• SNS Glass Glitter in Fuchsia and Silver
• SNS Pink Fizz MicroFine Glitter GM2050
• SNS Starfire Ultrafine Glitter
• SNS Raspberry Pink Crystal Drops
• SNS Dimensional Glue, Brushable Glue
• SNS Nuvo Aqua Flow water brush (has medium and fine in the pack)
• Assorted Watercolor sprays, water-based markers, water-based reinkers
• Papers: 110lb Neenah cardstock in white, turquoise, sunny yellow
• Spellbinders: Grand Nestabilities Labels One, Grand Nestabilities Decorative Labels One
• Beadies

Challenges this card is submitted to:

1. As You Like It Challenges (June 21) Wet or Dry Embossing - Which is your Favorite and Why? - I have always enjoyed wet embossing because of the richness it affords. Watching it raise up into shiny, creamy textures, and marvelous colors, I can't help but be addicted to the possibilities such as resist techniques, simple golden elegance, or making my own metallic or sparkling paper for die cuts. It's a great distressing tool, too. I love playing with my EP! 7/5
2. Cardz 4 Galz Challenge #74 Sunny Summer Days 7/5
3. Dare 2B Artzy (June 3) Bright Colors 7/1
4. Crafting from the Heart #211 Anything Goes 6/27
5. Crafty Cardmakers #214 Wet or Dry Embossing (white detail EP around all the images). 7/1 (C15)
6. Creatalicious Challenges #141 AG with flowers 6/29
7. Morgan's Art World Challenge (June 15) 7/15
8. Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges #1824 Anything Goes 6/25
9. Stamping Sensations (June 3) Anything Goes 7/1 (sep post aft)
10. The Creative Crafters #5 Anything Goes 7/12
11. We Love 2 Create (June 3) Anything Goes Mixed Media (same post) 7/1
12. World Wide Open DT Challenge #6 - AG for a DT 7/15

On a Personal Note:

My Hoya plant (commonly known as Hindu Rope) is blooming again! Each year, there will be more blooms, as long as I don't trim it, because Hoyas tend to bloom in the same spot each year. Here are 2 draped "ropes" with blooms:

In this bloom, the tiny waxy shell that contains the velvety starburst can still be seen at the bottom of the bloom. It has not burst open yet:

Like Christmas Cactus, Hoyas grow up trees in the wild and have many air roots.

Thanks for visiting today!
love,

House Mouse Challenge with "ANYTHING CHRISTMAS GOES" theme

Not a creature was stirring...
not EVEN a ...



Greetings, friends!
In my last post, I mentioned that we had beautiful warm weather and were still using air conditioning. Today's weather is different. We are below freezing! I feel sorry for all the wildlife, farmers, and our plants - they don't know what is happening!

Sigh. All good things must come to an end. This is my final Guest Design card with my wonderful mice buddies at House Mouse and Friends!

SPECIAL HOLIDAY CHALLENGE

#256 Anything Christmas Goes

December 11th through January 8th

There are so many darling stories these House Mouse stamps tell. My imagination smiles and giggles while coloring them, and putting the cards together.

These two characters were misbehaving all night, when they were finally told that Santa would not come until they ceased their shenanigans and went to sleep. They stopped right where they were, closed their eyes -- and

did they REALLY fall immediately to sleep? Or are they pretending?

What do you think?



Colored with Copic Markers, the darling House Mouse image (called FRIENDLY DREAMS) was die cut with a pretty Sue Wilson die - Indian Ocean - Maldives CED10015.

Bringing out more of my AGES OLD K&C paper, it has been embellished with awesome Champagne Glass Glitter. I wish you could see it in real life - what sparkle this has! AND easy to use without glittery particles floating around, too!
(click on the photo below for a close-up of this glitter please)



The glass glitter was adhered with Nuvo Glitter Accents Aztec Gold. I chose this as "adhesive" because all the crevices were covered with the same color of glittery goodness between the chunky glass glitter pieces. It really affords a nice dimensional look whether used alone, or adding more glitter atop.



It's been such a pleasure designing with the Mousie crowd these two months!

Products Used:

• Images: Stampendous House Mouse "Friendly Dreams HMCM06"
• Glass Glitter: Champagne Glass Glitter GG02C
• Nuvo Glitter Accents Aztec Gold 
• Dies: Sue Wilson Indian Ocean - Maldives CED10015, SB Grommet Tags
• Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stormy Sky Distress, Shabby Shutters Distress
• Papers: Express-it Copic, K and Company, Certainly Celery Green
• MISC: Copic Markers, Satin Ribbon, Lace, Brads

Lovely Challenges to play in please!

1. Addicted to Stamps #159 "Seasons Greetings" (animals are rubber, sentiment is digital) 12/24
2. Animal Friends Challenge #57 (Dec) Anything goes with an Animal 1/1 (sep post)
3. Classic Design Team Open Challenge #20 Anything for a DT 1/1 (sep post)
4. Come and Get It Challenges (Dec) Christmas 1/7
5. Crafty Animals #9 Anything Goes with a Critter 1/1 (sep post)
6. Christmas Card Throwdown  (Dec 2) (choose a challenge from 2012-2013) I chose the Animals from Challenge #15 March 16-2013. 12/30  (C12)
7. Let's Craft and Create Challenge #132 Anything Christmas Goes 12/31
8. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1750 Anything Goes 12/18 (sep post)
9. Pile It On Challenges #137 Non-Traditional Colors  1/7 
10. Merry Monday #269 (color challenge) 12/18 (sep post) comment on 3

Warm Christmasy Stamping Hugs,

Fields of Butterflies {Fred She Said}

Welcome, friends and visitors! It's great to see you this morning, and I hope you are doing well.  
In case I don't convey it often enough, thank you for your kind comments, and especially, for sharing a little something about your lives, joys and suggestions.

Today I'm featuring some beautiful background papers and precious butterflies from
  Fred She Said Designs!

Tracey-Lynn recently created beautifully romantic, flower-filled fields (SAY THAT THREE TIMES FAST) of Nature's Majesty, and paired them with two species of colorful butterflies in two styles - regular and distressed. Fred She Said Designs has recently come out with several new products that will bring your paper crafting to a new level. She also has a blog with great design ideas and tips - Fred She Said Blog.

For my first card:

Tip:

Donna Phelan of Crafting By The Beach inspired me 

to use vellum for the sentiment.

Pink Crystal Drops were put on the butterflies.

For the interior, I flipped the background horizontally, and added the verse.

For the second card:


Tip:

The backgrounds are GORGEOUS, and there is a color for just about any color theme.

Tip:

I distressed the edges of this card with sparkly Hanauma Bay Glitter from Sparkle N Sprinkle (on the inside of the frame). This color was chosen because of the variety of blues and greens (the deep vibrancy of a healthy ocean). Then Dimensional Glue was used around the outside of the regular glitter, and chunky Oceanic Glass Glitter was applied for better texture. I hope you can see the 2 different kinds of glitters below, to see how they complement one another:


A little Hanauma Bay Glitter has also been applied to the butterflies' bodies.

Products Used:

• Fred She Said Store
• Fred She Said Butterfly Dreams Sentiments
• Fred She Said Black and White Distressed Butterflies and Flowers
• Fred She Said Color Distressed Butterflies and Flowers
• Fred She Said Designer Cut Files flower borders and butterflies 
• Fred She Said 3 Backgrounds with 3 oval inserts
• Fred She Said 7 Floral Foliage Backgrounds
• Fred She Said Monarch Butterfly set - colored
• Fred She Said Monarch Butterfly set (black and white) and Cut File Set
• SNS Glass Glitter (Oceanic GG15C, Fuchsia GG16C)
• SNS Hanauma Bay Glitter
• SNS Dimensional Glue
• SNS Cobalt Blue Microfine Velvet Glitter (behind the Sue Wilson sentiment die cut)
• SNS Carnation Nuvo Crystal Drops (butterfly bodies)
• Sue Wilson Tag Die set, MS Laurel punch, Taylored Expressions Banner Dies, Cuttlebug embossing folder

On A Personal Note:

Stamping Hugs,