Peace on Earth

 Ok, I'm back again with a new card I made from a challenge I found online that I'm pretty excited about! I have never heard of this challenge, but I stumbled across it while looking for online paper craft shops. It's called Addicted to CAS. CAS means Clean And Simple. I love that!

So the theme is : BRRR!

I chose a stamp set that I found at a crafter's Garage Sale. It's a cute stamp without a name, but I think it's from a UK company called Lily of the Valley. I watercolored it in with Letraset Watercolor markers.

Then I used Spellbinders "Scalloped Symphony Notecard" die set to create the card base, with Kraft paper. I cut out a banner for my sentiment with MFT's "Skinny Strips", and stamped a sentiment from Power Poppy's "Heavenly Peace Dove" stamp set.

I kept everything CAS and though the card feels a little naked, it's nice to keep the focal point on the stamped images and the message.

I'm looking forward to their next challenge! :)

Lift Up My Eyes

Hello again Friends! Today I have a Clean And Simple card to share.  

A few weeks ago I got a message from a friend I'd lost touch with, telling me that he was in the hospital and his body was essentially breaking down to the point of paralysis. My heart broke for him and I created this no frills, simple card, to be and encouragement.

I used a leafy stamp from an Altenew set called "Rosy Blooms" and watercolored it with a combination of Aqua Markers and Arteza watercolor brushes. I paired the image with a verse from Verve Stamps I've had for years, to offer encouragement.

I matted it with Bazzil "Jade" green cardstock and cut a decorative edged bottom with a Spellbinders die. Then added a watercolored butterfly I put Popdots under it to give it lift and dimension so it looks like it just landed on the leaf, and some pearl gems to finish the card.

I kept it clean, simple, and as masculine as I could, keeping the focus on the message and not the image, for once.

I hope it brings the encouragement and comfort, that I'd try to give if I was able to see him in person.

Fuchsia Flowers

 I made a couple of watercolor Postcards just for fun, a while back and decided I should post them.

One of the Postcards I watercolored was of a Fuchsia vine. I decided I was going to use some pretty strong colors on the flowers instead of using some softer colors I would normally like to use for this image, for no reason other than to do something different.

I believe this is a stamp set from Stampendous or Heartfelt Creations I stamped and colored in using Distress Inks and my Aqua watercolor markers. After coloring the image, I sponged a background and border in with more Distress Inks.

This isn't the most prominent image I've ever made or anything, but there's beauty in the simplicity of all art and I love that. I love the shadows and colors I chose for the flowers. They're so unique and different, I love how it turned out, and if I tried to create those flowers again I'd never be able to duplicate them, and I love that.

Delight in the Unexpected

 I'm back with a new card and a happy surprise.

This month's card is inspired by Power Poppy's challenge this month : Going Sentimental.

I've been playing around with an idea to make a black and gold card for quite sometime, and after I saw this month's challenge, I knew I had to try to combine my idea with it. 

Speaking of Power Poppy, I'm both stunned and thrilled to find out that I won last month's Blossom Challenge on their blog! I sincerely can't believe it, they have such beautiful stamps!

I stamped out my card and watercolored it, then matted it with Tim Holtz's Metal Cardstock. I placed some Popdots under the gold cardstock to pop it off the black and gold patterned paper background and give it depth. I added some lace and back striped paper from Simple Stories called "Vintage Lakeside" to the black and gold patterned paper. I matted it all in more black and gold cardstock and placed three small black pearls on the card to complete the look.

Every card is a fantastic journey into learning something new or creating a unique look, and I love the process! There are days I get stuck, but I refuse to re-invent the wheel. Rather, I like to find the beauty in an image and enhance it as best as I can while still making sense. I think many of us feel pressured to create something amazing every time, but there's no need because every card is beautiful.

I hope you all have a great day and I'll see you all next week with another card!

Bring Your Sunshine

 Have you ever met that someone somewhere in life that "Brings the Sunshine" wherever they go? That one person who's unflappable, always laughing, and full of joy? Yeah, those are my people. They're hard to find, but once you do you simply can't get enough time spent with them. I've met one or two in my life time. Until then, I like to live by the idea that I can be that sunshine to or for someone else I may meet.

That's why I love this stamp set. I love the sentiment and how the woman seems so relaxed, content to just simply enjoy the flowers and life.

Doesn't she just exude peace and sunshine? She looks like she Always brings her Sunshine anywhere she goes, with her.

I chose to use Sheena Douglas's "Wouldn't It Be Lovely?" stamp set that I bought from Crafters Companion. I watercolored it in with my Distress Inks from Tim Holtz because I wanted something soft and not harsh. I wanted the flowers to POP and everything else to be there but be more of a "background" to the floral colors shown. I sponged a "border" of color around the image using more Distress Inks, masking off a "colorless/free" border with painters tape. Then I mounted the watercolored image on an old scalloped precut card mat that I've had for years and years. I can't even remember where I got it, but I wish I bought more of them.

This scene just makes me smile and reminds me to always bring my own sunshine and stop waiting for people to bring it to me :)