{Watercolor} Hexagon Notecards

Today's projects were created for a couple of challenges.  They were inspired by the Runway Inspired Challenge, RIC63, below:

The first project was entered in the Mojo Monday Challenge, MOJO352.  

And here's another...

• Spritzing the watercolor paper with clean water first makes it ready to receive the colors from the ink pads.

• Refer to this video for tips on using the Hexagon Hive Thinlit:

• Hide the adhesive on the vellum piece behind the other layers.  It's hard to hide adhesive with vellum, so you have to be tricky...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  A Happy Hooray (W134009, C134012)

Papers:  Watercolor Paper (122959), Pacific Point (111350), Basic Black (121045), Whisper White (100730), Bermuda Bay (131197), Melon Mambo (115320), and White Vellum (101856) Cardstocks

Inks:  Daffodil Delight (126944), Melon Mambo (126948), Pacific Point (126951) and Bermuda Bay (131171) Classic Inks, and VersaMark (102283)

Artist's Flair:  Hexagon Hive Thinlit (132965), Big Shot (113439), Honeycomb TIEF (129378), Circles Collection Framelits (130911), Label Bracket Punch (132153), Hexagon Punch (130919), Heat Tool (129053), White Stampin' Emboss Powder (109132), Aqua Painters (103954), Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246)

Outgoing Mail! New Video

Here's a new type of video which I'll post every once in a while to give you a quick glimpse of some projects which may not have been featured here or entered in any online challenges.

Below you'll find pictures of the projects as well as links to previous posts.

Click {HERE} to read a past post about this project.

Click {HERE} to read a past post about this project.

Click {HERE} to read a past post about this project.

Email me (button on the right) if you've got any questions.  Click the {SHOP} button in the top right to purchase from my Stampin' Up! online store.

{Watercolor} Mother's Day Card

This card was created for Mother's Day and I entered it in a couple of challenges.  I *LOVE* to watercolor with my Aqua Painter and had a ton of fun putting this card together.  

First, I entered this card in The Shabby Tea Room Challenge #216.  We were given a Bingo card and asked to choose from each "winning" row.  I chose flowers, pennants and vintage trim.  I don't have vintage trim, so I used Crumb Cake Classic Ink to "tea stain" my Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon.

I also entered this card in the fun Seize the Sketch #19 challenge.  I love the sketches there!

My flower image comes from the retiring Hostess set, Simply Sketched.  Since I was going to watercolor, I inked the image in Jet Black StazOn.

By adhering a smaller layer of Calypso Coral on top of the Calypso Coral card body, I was able to hide the ends of my 1-1/4 inch Burlap Ribbon and Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon.

Don't forget to check the {Retiring Stamps} and {Retiring Accessories} Lists.  Items from both lists are only available as supplies last, so I'm checking daily to see what is running out.  If you've got something you've gotta have, please don't delay.

Stampin' Supplies:

Stamps:  Simply Sketched {Hostess} (C129672, W129669)

Papers:  Calypso Coral (122925), Watercolor (122959), Tea Lace Paper Doilies (129399)

Inks:  Jet Black StazOn (101406), Calypso Coral (126983), Crumb Cake (126975) and Wild Wasabi Classic (126959)

Accessories:  Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon (120999), 1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon (132140), Aqua Painter (103954), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

{Video Tutorial} Watercolor Tulips in a Spring-y Shaped Card

Hello, Studio Visitors!  While spring has sprung, the April showers have returned to my neck of the woods.  We've got tulips and hyacinth blooming (and the raindrops on them are so pretty!).  The trees are finishing their bloom and leaves are starting to emerge.

This card was inspired by nature and the fine folks at the Colour Me Card Challenge, who put forth the challenge of using Daffodil Delight and Bermuda Bay.  I enjoyed making a shaped card, using my Labels Collection Framelits.  What a simple way to make fun, shaped cards! Click below to watch a tutorial outlining this simple process:

The Square Lattice TIEF added Easter basket-like texture to the Daffodil Delight piece and is mirrored by the Burlap Ribbon (also fed through my Big Shot with the Labels Collection Framelit).  

This beautiful image comes from a single stamp in the Occasions Catalog called Blessed Easter.  It includes the sentiment, "Wishes for a Blessed Easter," but I want to use this card all spring long, so I omitted the sentiment in my inking.  

I watercolored my blooms using the Aqua Painter and my Daffodil Delight and Bermuda Bay Classic Inks.  Since I was limited to those two colors, I had to lay down Daffodil Delight first in the stem and go over it with the Bermuda Bay to achieve something close to green.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Blessed Easter (OC, W133212)

Papers:  Bermuda Bay (131197), Daffodil Delight (119683) and Whisper White (100730) card stocks

Inks:  Jet Black StazOn (101406) and Daffodil Delight (126944) and Bermuda Bay (131171) Classic Ink Pads

Artist's Flair:  Big Shot (113439), Labels Collection Framelits (125598), Magnetic Platform (130658), Square Lattice TIEF (119976), Daffodil Delight Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (126872), Burlap Ribbon (OC, 132140), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Spring-y Watercolor for Challenges at Mojo Monday and The Shabby Tea Room

Today's project was created for a dear, dear friend for her birthday. A Sister Friend, actually. Unfortunately, we don't live in the same neighborhood anymore (or even the same state), but our friendship is one that will last a lifetime.

I love the promise of spring in this stamp.  I also love the gentleness of watercolor...

This card was entered in the Mojo Monday MOJO336 challenge as well as the Spring Is Near #309 challenge at The Shabby Tea Room.

This is the picture we were to use as inspiration from the talented gals at The Shabby Tea Room:

Here are some close-ups of the details:

I used my Aqua Painter  (103954) dipped in Soft Sky Classic Ink to brush color on the Whisper White card stock.  The image from Simply Sketched, a Hostess Benefits set (W129669, C129672), is inked in Jet Black StazOn ink (101406) so as not to smudge.  The doily makes for an easy frame.

A distressed blossom punched with my Pansy Punch (130698) is placed on the Black Chevron Ribbon (130010) and sentiment strip.  The Basic Black flower center was created using the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309).

Studio Suggestions:

• I used my Heat Tool (129053) to dry the Whisper White circle after I did the watercolor wash so that it was ready to receive the StazOn ink.

• The Soft Sky Pansy punch-out and the Basic Black strip along the right side are distressed.  Click {HERE} for a recent post using distressing and {HERE} for a post and video tutorial.

• The Sale-a-Bration freebie, the Decorative Dots TIEF (133520) was used with a piece of Soft Sky to add subtle texture beneath the sentiment and ribbon strips.

• From now until March 31, enjoy Sale-a-Bration freebies with each $50 merchandise purchase.  Click {HERE} to shop or click on the Sale-a-Bration catalog pic on the upper right side of this page to see what you can earn!

{Stamp Set Spotlight} Home for Christmas: Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the Home for Christmas {Stamp Set Spotlight}! If you missed Day 1, click here.

Here's another example of how I didn't watercolor the ENTIRE image. I just highlighted a few parts...I love this simple treatment with the sentiment. Layering punches is such a quick way to add contrast between colors, texture and dimension. For this treatment, I used the Designer Label and Modern Label Punches.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Home for Christmas

Paper: Old Olive, Real Red, Early Espresso and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Jet Black Staz-On, Real Red, Early Espresso and Old Olive Classics

Accessories: Blender Pen, Early Espresso wide grosgrain, Designer Label and Modern Label Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals,

Thanks for your visit! As I said in Day 1, I hope you find yourself "Home for Christmas", whatever that means to you, this season...