A Starry Fish

Hi All,

Here is the final card in my Watercolor series.  This one is actually a watercolor print that we made in my workshop last week.  I usually don't do a lot of 'techniques', but I wanted to create a card featuring this starfish and a watercolor background seemed like a perfect fit.

The starfish is from the Picture Perfect stamp set.  I had actually bought this set specifically for this image, but ended up playing with the hummingbird first.  The starfish is a two-step stamp.  I stamped the first image in Baked Brown Sugar (stamped off first) and the second image in Crumb Cake (stamped off first).

Item # 140520 Picture Perfect $27.00

Item # 140520 Picture Perfect $27.00

The watercolor technique is pretty easy to do and fun to play with.  I squirted a bit of the Island Indigo reinker in the lid of my Island Indigo stamp pad.  I then grabbed an Aqua Painter and added a bit of water from the brush tip till the ink was a bit watered down.  The more water you add, the lighter blue you will get.  I then brushed it onto the Watercolor Paper.  I like cleaner lines, so I did diagonal brush strokes, but you could do circles or curly-cues if you prefered  Tip: I did try this on regular cardstock and watercolor paper.  The watercolor paper works much better.  It helps absorb the water and blends the colors together nicely.

Item # 122959 Watercolor Paper $5.00

Item # 122932 Island Indigo Reinker $3.25

Item # 103954 Aqua Painters $17.00

Item # 141487 5/8" Burlap Ribbon $7.00

The beach is one of my favorite places to be.  There is just something so calm and serene that draws you in.  I think this card captures a bit of that.  If you'd like to add any of these products to your collection, just pop me an email or click on the 'Order Online' icon in the top right-hand corner. Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Stamps: Picture Perfect, Happy Harmony

Paper: Baked Brown Sugar & Very Vanilla Cardstock; Watercolor Paper

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake and Island Indigo Classic Pads & Island Indigo Reinker

Accessories: 5/8" Burlap Ribbon, Aqua Painters, Brown Brads and Pop Dots/Dimensionals

A Bit of Beach

Yes, this is really me...I'm not incognito, nor have I stolen this picture from someone else. This picture was snapped in my craft room one night, so it doesn't have the normal background image you're used to seeing.

I needed a birthday card for someone who loves the beach. I soon realized that I do not have one stamp set that is beach themed. I think I have everything but.

So, I started brainstorming. What reminds me of the beach? I immediately thought of color --- blues! I chose three different shades to represent the different colors of water: Not Quite Navy, Marina Mist and Bashful Blue. They are gorgeous together.

I then began to peruse all of my mom's die cuts (which happen to be on vacation in my craft room.) I came across a sand dollar. This just happens to be one of my favorite things about the ocean. I thought it would be a perfect addition to the card.

I think there is something very peaceful about this card...and reminiscent of the beach. It makes me want to be there right now ;)

Stamps: Happy Harmony
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla Cardstock
Ink: Chocolate Chip & Crumb Cake Classic Ink
Accessories: Petal Cone Die, Fun Flowers Die, Sand Dollar Die, Scalloped Edge Border Punch, Brown Buttons, Linen Thread, Brown Sheer Ribbon, Sponge and Glue Dots

Little Things

I saw this card by Julie Lacey and had to CASE it. I loved the layered scallops and the Top Note. The colors are inspired by the new DSP: Elegant Soiree. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Originally, I put the card together with the just the flower image and the message. But, when I went to photograph it, the top left corner looked completely empty. So, it was back to the drawing board. I went through all my brads and settled on this Dragonfly that I've had laying around forever. To give it a flying trail, I pulled out my Classy Brass Template and punched some holes.

I love how it turned out. Of course, I did use some of my beloved Baja Breeze Ribbon...but it was worth it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Happy Harmony (Retired) & Of the Earth (Retired Hostess)
Paper: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede,Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake Cardstock
Ink: Soft Suede Classic Pad
Accessories: Top Note Die, Scallop Edge Punch, Classy Brass Template, Rhinestones, Baja Breeze Satin Ribbon, Dragonfly Brad, Paper Piercer and Dimensionals/Pop Dots

Tiles for Every Season

I have a Tile/Coaster Class coming up in a couple of weeks and this is one of the design options they'll have. I got inspiration from these coasters by Meg Loven.

These are so easy to make and are great for personal use or as a gift. To start, you just need some natural, unfinished tiles that can be purchased at any Home Improvement Store. I've used 4" x 4" tiles here. Wipe them down with a wet cloth to remove any dust. Next, you'll need some Craft Ink to do the stamping. StazOn Ink would work as well. Finally, pick your stamp set and stamp away. Once you've finished stamping, spray them 2-3 times with a Clear Acrylic Spray (I use Krylon.) When dry, apply felt tabs to the bottom.

Voila! The options are endless. Weddings, Anniversaries or Birthdays are just a few occasions you could tie a ribbon around a set of these and give as a gift.

Stampin' Up now sells their Craft Ink in the Stampin' Spots. These are little mini stamp pads. You can purchase them as a set for each of the (4) Color Collections. That's 10 different colors per set. That's a great deal!

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: A Season of Friendship & Happy Harmony (Retired)
Paper: None
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Brocade Blue, Garden Green, Rose Red, Real Red and Pumpkin Pie Craft Pads
Accessories: 4x4 Unpolished Tiles & Self Adhesive Felt Pads