The Card Concept: Autumn Blessings

 

Autumn Blessings my friends! Hope you are enjoying cooler weather, and all

the blessings that come with the season. 

Speaking of Autumn Blessing, we're starting a new challenge at the Card Concept

that just happens to be titled, Autumn Blessings. Here's the photo

Rich colors, textured contrasts, and full of inspiration!

Julie Gearinger picks our photos, and she's been hitting it out of the park!

I zoned in on that silver aluminum pail, and all the layers of flora in the

photo.

Style? Mixed media; watercolor, embossing and stencil paste, and lots of layers too!

I used a couple of sets from the Greetery, (supplies at end of post), and used the pitcher 

from Pitcher-esque.

You barely see it, but on the left of the card is a pewter pitcher, that was a gift to my

mom from her great aunt in Boston. We used that pitcher every Thanksgiving, and

it graced our table during the holidays. I loved it so much, my mom gave it to me, 

and it continues bringing beauty to my table on special occasions. 

The pitcher is filled with watercolored autumn leaves, and I brushed on embossing

ink along the edges before adding gold embossing powder. Just couldn't be 

happier with this inspiration photo. There's so much to be inspired by, and I 

can't wait to see what you all create! 

Have a wonderful creative, crafty week! 

Supplies:

The Greetery: Pitcher-esque stamps and die, Bittersweet Bouquet, Botanicuts

Mighty Oak Die, Berry Branch Stencil

Winsor Newton Watercolors, Nuvo Dream Drops: Indigo Eclipse,

Strathmore Watercolor Cardstock

Stampendous: Detail Silver Embossing Powder, Ranger: Gold ep. 

Dreamweaver Embossing Paste

The Card Concept #142 {Autumn Bounty}

Keeping Christmas: August

Welcome to August's post of Keeping Christmas. We're a group of friends who post

Christmas ideas for cards, tags and Christmas decorations each month. Hope my

post today inspires you. The holidays couldn't come quick enough for me.

I've used a new Memory Box embossing folder called, Magnificent

Poinsettia. It touts a 3D image creation, and believe me, it's an impressive

embossing!

The first card, is embossed on Kraft, with white pencil with shading. My sentiment

is a new die from Poppystamps, Holly Merry Christmas. And that dp is also

new from Memory Box. Has a gold stripe running through each paper in the pack.

Card #2 was painted with metallic watercolors. Take a closer look for the sheen.

The impression made by the folder is super deep and textural. Let me just say, I use

a die cutting machine that adjusts for the thickness of the embossing folder.

The last card was touched lightly with copics, and then 'painted' with glue,

and sprinkled with glitter.

Each card has an envelope, a promise I made myself when I started with the Keeping

Christmas crew.

The Greetery has a trio of Christmas stencils for the flap of an envelope, one

of which is poinsettia. 

Each stenciled envelope completes my card, and will help make life 

a little easier during the Christmas rush.

Memory Box also has glitter paper I used for this card. 

My supplies will link you to the store. 

Be sure to visit each of the other designers for more inspiration!

Kelly Lunceford (Creator)

 Claire Broadwater

 Lori Tecler

 Nance Salkeld

 Nina Forsyth

 Nancy Guse

 Marybeth Lopez

 Nancy Penir

 Carol Hintermeier 

Supplies

2393 Holly Merry Christmas craft die

GP1001 Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad

FP1001 Polished Foil Pad pack

PP1009 Christmas Plaid 6x6 pack

The Card Concept:

It's time for a new challenge at the Summer Session of the Card Concept.

'Sunset at the Shore'

The shells were my inspiration for my mixed media scripture card.

Betsy's beautiful scripture verses were first stamped, then clear embossed onto

watercolor paper. I used an acrylic stamping block with water colors to 'stamp'

my background. 

Such a meaningful Bible verse for today. Might have to do several of these!

 Have a blessed week, friends!

Supplies

PapertreyInk: Simple Seashells, Sand Swatch, (stamps and dies)

The Greetery: Comforting Commands

Windsor Newton watercolors

Altenew Inks

The Card Concept #138d {Sunset at the Shore}

Thank You Altenew

A wonderful surprise came in the mail the other day... a stamp set, personalized for me,

from Altenew. A celebration of their 6th anniversary, and we get the gift!

I was really moved by the generous gesture, and set about creating a couple of cards.

It seemed to me a perfect stamp for watercolors.

The stamp has 2 blooms, which I masked on the bottom so I could add a few more

details. My watercolor is done with pencils, Derwent Watercolor pencils, that I darkened a 

bit with added color once the bloom dried.

And of course I had to use my new personalized stamp on the back too!

Background stamp is from Altenew's Dot Art Stamp Set

Sentiment: Majestic Bloom (stamped on vellum and fussy cut)

Thank You, Altenew! 

Thinking of You

My card's on the Poppystamps blog today!

Thinking of You, and definitely Thinking of Spring!

So many new spring products. Come take a look Thinking of You by Nancy Penir

Happy Easter

I've had my Greetery order on my desk for days, and finally had time this past 

weekend to play with Betsy's Botanicuts: Lily. If you're not familiar with the

I've had my Greetery order on my desk for days, and finally had time this past 

weekend to play with Betsy's Botanicuts: Lily. If you're not familiar with the Botanicuts, it's a series of assembly dies that create a bloom. Welcome, Lily!

My husband blessed me with a Valentine bouquet that had lilies and roses, and the 

colors on the lilies were spectacular.

I wanted to try to capture the watercolor effect plus the amazing colors on each petal.

Mimicing God's creation is impossible, but we can come close with the right tools.

The pieces were 1st cut with Poppystamps' Open Studio new watercolor paper. 

It boasts a delicate finish, useful for mixed media, paper arts and card making, 

and comes in a package of 10 4.5 x 5.75" cards. Die cutting is a breeze 

with this thickness of paper.

I used my Windsor Newton tubes for this project, the colors are intense and 

transparent like no other I've found.

These are 2 of my favorite blooms for an afternoon of painting. (LOL, the first petals were 

heavy with paint, and didn't define. But I kept going until something pleased.)

I do send out Easter cards, mostly to family, and plan to more of this magical lily.

Betsy has a youtube video to help with coloring and assembly,

New Die Intro + How-to: BotaniCuts Lily

Since my palm fronds are considered leaves, I'm adding my card to 

the Flower Challenge

The Flower Challenge #41 Reminder

Did you get this die? I'm afraid to say I'm hooked on all things Greetery,

especially these Botanicuts! 

Have a blessed week!

GD for the Flower Challenge

It's December and the holidays are here!

I have the most exciting news, and a card or 2...

I'm guest designing for the Flower Challenge! 

Now the challenge this month is to use a die, and I've chosen Altenew's Festive Poinsettia

die. This card is a watercolor.

I kept thinking how dramatic it would look on black cardstock, so I did another with

my metallics. 

Hope you like it, and hope you all get a chance to play along!

The Flower Challenge #39 'Use a Die'

Boy Card: Wonderful Whittles

Hello Poppy Peeps! 

I have a sweet little card for a guy this morning, (Could be a girl's card too) with an

animal theme. Poppy's new 'whittle' animals!

Whittles Boy Card

All the info on making this card is on the Poppystamps' blog this morning.

Stop by and see all the new dies and stamps, already in the Poppystamps

store. And while you're there, a reminder that there's a blog blitz going on!

Leave comments for a chance to win!!! 

Have a great day!!!

Tag You're It: Spring Colors

Hello and welcome to a new Tag You're It Challenge!

I'm up today with this photo and 'Spring Colors'.

Check it out here: Tag You're It #87

And here's a little inspiration for you using the colors in the photo. 

I watercolored the tag from Stamplorations, and the bird & branch from

PTI's Songbirds. The stamped black leaves are from PTI's Doodle-Do.

 Hope you play along!

Thanks for the visit!

A Lovely Birthday

Good Monday Morning!

I'm playing along with Win It Wednesday, Laurie's Fabulous Favorites.

This week Laurie challenges us to use our favorite coloring techniques.

I've chosen a couple for my birthday card.

Ink stenciling is a favorite for a subtle background. 

And above all others, watercolor. So relaxing, and always a delight to

see where the water will take the color.

The leaves were shaded with copics, another favorite.

Getting this one under the wire. 

Hope your week is full of crafty goodness!

Vintage Linens Stamp Set

Papertrey Ink - Vintage Linens Die

Papertrey Ink - Cover Plate: Angles Die

Windsor Newton watercolors

Cold Press watercolor yardstick

Black embossing powder

Ranger Distress Oxide Inks

Winter Watercolor

Ashley shows us some wonderful tips to creating our Winter Watercolor

cards, this week for PTI's Make It Monday. 

My card is slightly larger than an A2, because I wanted my Amaryllis to take center stage.

Watercolor paper makes the technique a breeze, blending and dragging one color

into the next. 

A closeup of the Amaryllis blooms and a few drops of Nuvo to highlight the stamens.

Not exactly a one layer, as was Ashley's example, and I didn't add any gesso.

Loved that dimensional addition of gesso, but did stamp the leaves onto

my background for a bit of dimension of my own.

Stamps and dies link directly to the PTI item. Happy Shopping!

Blooming Amaryllis Stamp Set

Papertrey Ink - Blooming Amaryllis Die

Words to Live By: Happiness Mini Stamp Set