Mica WaterColors on Dark Card Stock

Hello, my dear blogging friends! I hope the recent weather upheavals were not too harsh for your areas.  

I was inspired by the mood board over at Beautiful Blossoms this month, showing bright flowers atop a dark background in the photo. To accomplish this in my card, mica watercolors were painted on turquoise card stock, after heat embossing my image. With a VERY finely-sharpened white colored pencil, the image was outlined to make the dark outlines stand out a little more:

The card base was dry embossed with Craft Essentials Basket Weave EF and distressed with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink. 

A FUN EXPERIMENT:

Using a product we all have in our stash: a stencil was placed atop the image panel, and randomly colored with WINK OF STELLA for a bit of sparkly background. 

Colored With:

Products Used: Mica Watercolors, Wink of Stella, VersaFine Clair Warm Breeze, Mermaid Lagoon DI, Clear Detail EP, Waffle Flower Stamps (310321 Bouquet Builder 5), background stencil, white prismacolor pencil; Craft Essentials Basket Weave EF

Challenges:

1. Beautiful Blossoms #28 mood board (see above) 05-12.

Remember PSX?

Hi! Gosh - I was inspired to make these cards last summer for my friend, whose brother passed away from COVID. Apparently, I wrote a post but forgot to upload the photos and publish! Sure do wish my brain was active again! Hope you enjoy them.

I needed a few sympathy cards, and thinking of you type cards, so I looked in my "unfinished box" and found some gold embossed PSX Calla Lily botanical flowers needing to be colored. I used some very forgiving watercolor Mica paints, knowing that coloring outside the lines wouldn't really show up much.

Lapsing into the "old styles" of designing, I found myself wanting to make the shabby chic look. Lots  of my blogging
friends successfully use printed papers in their die cutting, so I tried it here on one card with the leaves. I am in love with that idea! 

THANK YOU, FRIENDS, for the fine inspiration!

It was also relaxing doing ink-distressing, and paper distressing. The sentiments and images were gold embossed:

Though these cards are hardly difficult, it did take me nearly 8 weeks to get them made, so it was a true labor of love.

The mica paints made lots of sparkle!

Included are two NBUS (never before used supplies) products (do the lily stamps count even though they were in my stash box? I had never before made a card with them), and the Anna Griffin Slim Line "Gentlemen's Study" die set (sentiments). 

Darkened photo to show sparkly-shimmery pearlessence:

Even though I could not capture the pearlessence of the watercolors, I must say they made me quite happy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Products: Stamps: PSX Calla Lily Araceae, SU! Elegant Cheer - Paper: Nitwit Paris Collection, Brown-Tan, White - Dies: SU Labels Punch, SB Chantilly Paper Lace, SB Foliage S4-328, Anna Griffin Slim Line "Gentlemen's Study" die set - Inks: VersaMark, Versafine Clair Golden Meadow, Distress Pumice Stone - Other: Gold Detail EP, Copper Dreams EP, Watercolor Mica Paints, Copic Marker Warm Gray01

I would like to play in the following challenges please:

1. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2220 AG 5/22 (sep post)
2. A Place to Start Challenge #052022 AG w Twist: Lillies and Lace (calla lilies and Chantilly Paper Lace die) 6/6 
3. Creative Crafters Challenge #52 AG 6/8
4. Inspiration Station #30 Flower Shop (What a beautiful photo of a flower shop! Flowers always brighten a person's day to let them know someone cares about them and is thinking of them) 6/6
5. Dies R Us #193 AG dies DRU carries 5/28 (sep post) (using SB Chantilly Paper Lace, SB Foliage S4-328)
6. A Perfect Time to Craft #5 AG Flowers 6/1
7. Classic Design Challenge #5 AG 6/1 sep post

Lovingly,

Moving Along With The Times - Stars and Stripes Theme

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY to my American Friends,
and heartfelt love to all my international friends and followers!
Thanks for your ongoing support and encouragement.

GASP! Today's card has no glitter and no die cuts!

It's time to share a Project for the new Moving Along With The Times Challenge!

Challenge #101's theme is STARS AND STRIPES - for the next 2 weeks upload your creations featuring any stars and stripes theme! 

Today's card is a bit of mixed media, and a collage effect. Actually, I had prepared a few other items for the card, but my husband said he didn't understand the correlation, so I thought maybe others wouldn't either (smile).
(I had vintage elements of a dove, a time piece, and a butterfly).
It probably looks much better like this!

While the US has her flaws (since we are a flawed people), I am so grateful to live here, at this time, and in this place. I am grateful for all the lives over the centuries who made it possible for our country to exist, and for those folks with my DNA who endured so I could be here today.

Probably my biggest wish for everyone worldwide is that they could enjoy a blessed Freedom. A Freedom of both Daily Living and of Sacrificial Responsibility.

OK - on to my card! (those of you who know me, know I can be a little sappy) (giggle).

This vintage flag is the result of a Rubber Monger Rubber Stamp, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Walnut Distress ink, Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 Color Pencils, Prismacolor Pencils, and Gamsol. The background paper is pieced together from something found on Google, and the Statue of Liberty was found on Pinterest, did a little manipulation with my trusty iMac, and shaded with Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 Color Pencils.

Fran-tage Bronzed Mica fragments were adhered on two borders, and the sentiment was stamped on vellum and heat set with an antique gold EP.

Thanks for stopping by today! Looking forward to seeing your projects using stars and stripes of ANY TYPE at Moving Along With The Times.

Products Used:

• Image: Rubber Monger Flag rubber stamp, SNS Patriotic rubber stamp set, Digital Statue of Liberty.
• Misc: Antique Gold EP, Bronze Fran-tage Mica fragments, Martha Stewart Starlight punch. 
• Paper: Vellum, digitally made designer paper, Navy, White
• Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, VF Clair Golden Meadow, Walnut Distress Ink, two types of colored pencils, and Gamsol

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. International Art and Soul #61 Stars and/or Stripes 7/7
2. Always Fun Challenges #117  Patriotic 7/7
3. Stinkin' Inkers Challenge (July) Stars and Stripes 8/7
4. World Wide Open DT Challenge (June) AG DT 7/15
5. Fab N Funky Challenges #447 "Stars and/or Stripes" 7/10
6. Simon Says Stamp Wednesdays Challenge (July 3) "Stars and/or Stripes" 7/10
7. The House That Stamps Built Challenge DCCJ319 Red White Blue 8/1

Stamping hugs,