It's a Tri-Colour Challenge at Sunday Stamps!

Happy Sunday! This week we've got a fun colour combo for you - Early Espresso, More Mustard & Marina Mist. Feel free to substitute similar colours if you don't have the Stampin' Up! ones. Here's my card:

Paper: Watercolour Paper, Naturals Ivory, Early Espresso
Ink: Marina Mist, More Mustard, Early Espresso, StazOn
Stamps: Serene Silhouettes
Tools: Big Shot, Ovals Framelits, Paper Piercing Template
Accessories: Linen Thread, Naturals Designer Button
Techniques: Watercolouring, Paper Piercing, Distressing

I started with a piece of watercolour paper. I used my clear blocks (A, B, & C) to watercolour my background. I took each block, coloured on it with my Stampin' Write Marker (make sure the block is clean!), spritzed with water and stamped on my paper. If needed, I used my Aqua Painter to blend in a bit more. Once all was stamped and blended, I set it aside to dry. It didn't take long, but you can also use your heat tool to speed things up.

I cut out an oval shape with the NEW Oval Framelits found in the Spring Catalogue and stamped my image from Serene Silhouettes with StazOn ink. I glued the oval on an angle on my card base. On the "scrap" piece, I used one of my Paper Piercing Templates (this one from the Spring Catty) and pierced around my oval. I then threaded Linen Thread through every other hole and finished off with a Naturals Designer Button at the top.

I distressed the edges of my watercolour paper a bit for an added effect and I love, love, LOVE how this card came out. Way better than what I had pictured in my mind.

Hope this card inspires you to play along with us. Please check out what the rest of the Design Team has created for you & play along this week over at Sunday Stamps!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Tranquility for Sunday Stamps

It's Sunday, so that means it's another challenge over at Sunday Stamps! This week, Hayley has a great colour combo for us - Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple & Pumpkin Pie. Not a colour combo I would've ever thought to put together, but I love it now!

Paper: Whisper White
Ink: Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple, Pumpkin Pie
Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Sincere Salutations (retired)
Techniques: Sponging, Inking with Multiple Colours

I masked off a section of my Whisper White piece with stickies and then sponged from lightest to darkest. After removing my mask, I inked up my stamp from Serene Silhouettes with my ink pads, making sure to ink my stamp starting with the lightest colour. This is important because you don't want to get a dark colour ink on your light ink pad! I know there's an official name for this technique, but I can't remember what it is. :)

As I was looking for a sentiment, there just wasn't one I owned that worked other than the retired Sincere Salutions. It's such an elegant stamp set and the sentiments are perfect. I couldn't resist using it for this card.

To finish off, I popped up my piece on my Whisper White card base. I wanted this card to have lots of white space...

Hope you'll play along with us this week!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Serene Silhouettes for FMS

Today's card is inspired by both the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches, and my upline, Leena Girsa. In fact, my card is pretty much a CASE of Leena's beautiful card (see it here), but with a few twists.

First, here's the sketch:

When Leena designed her card for our monthly team meeting, I just fell in love with it and knew I had to one day recreate it. I just didn't want to completely copy it, so here's my version based on the sketch above:

Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Marina Mist
Ink: So Saffron, Old Olive, More Mustard, Riding Hood Red, Cherry Cobbler, Black
Stamps: Serene Silhouettes
Tools: Big Shot, Woodgrain TIEF, Post-It Notes
Accessories: Naturals Button, Twine

Aside from the tree image from Serene Silhouettes, I sponged the entire image. When I saw the three layers in the sketch, I had the idea to carry the image across all three... kind of like the Triple Time Stamping technique I featured last week (see card here), but with a twist.

I first sponged all three layers with So Saffron and after masking my sun with a 1-3/8" circle, I started adding my layers of colours until I achieved the look I wanted.

I decided to add a tiny black border around all layers - a last minute decision - and I think it works. I glued the initial layer to the card base and then popped up each additional layer. To finish off, I added a button with some twine and I just love how this card turned out!

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph