Simon Says Challenge::Chic to be Shabby

Nothing says Shabby Chic to me like the soft colors of Tsukineko's Walnut Ink Sprays!  I actually started these postcards a couple of days ago and thought I'd finish them up to meet the challenge at
simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com

Willow Walnut Ink Spray

Combination of Walnut Ink Sprays

Cornflower color

The cards measure 4" by 6" and are cut from 140# watercolor paper.  I coat each card with a small amount of gesso and allow it to dry before spraying water on the surface.  The light spritz of water is quickly followed with a generous spray of Tuskineko's Walnut Ink Spray.  For one card I chose Willow, the second one was sprayed with a combination of Lilac, Cornfllower and Willow Walnut Ink Sprays and a third was sprayed with  Cornflower Walnut Ink spray.  After I spray the colored Walnut Ink I allow the ink to run all over the surface, spraying a little more water if necessary, blotting here and there with a paper towel and then thoroughly drying it with a heat gun.  As a final touch I spray a little bit of Tsukineko Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Frost or Sparkle.  I allow this to move around the card by lifting and turning it, then a quick dry with the heat gun.  Now I have a muted color that feels a little shabby but still chic at the same time.  After I achieve what I feel is an understated, elegant background color then I add my clip art, DeviantScrap.com has a wonderful selection, and some rubber stamping.  StazOn is a perfect permanent ink for this and comes in a variety of colors.  I turn to my "stash" to see what other embellishments/scraps I can use.  Each card has the edges distressed with coordinating StazOn inks.  I love the intense colors that StazOn provides.  I have found that StazOn ink is not just for stamping, it can be blended using Imagine Crafts Ink Blushers.  The colors are gorgeous!
Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting my blog.  It makes it even more fun if you have time to leave a comment, I love to read your input.  Talk to you soon, have a great weekend.  We have some sunshine here in New England for the moment.  I noticed yesterday that my spring bulbs are starting to pop their little heads out, all we need is a couple of warm, sunny days and everything here will be an explosion of color!
Here's a list of the products I used on these cards.

Products Used

Watercolor paper 140# cut to 6" by 4"

Tsukineko Lilac, Cornflower & Willow Walnut Ink Sprays

Imagine Crafts Sheer Shimmer Spritz/Frost & Sparkle

StazOn Royal Purple, Cactus Green, Black, Forest Green inks

Memento Peanut Brittle ink

StazOn Opaque Cotton White & Black Inkers

Hidden Vintage Studios clip art found at DeviantScrap.com

K & Co self adhesive butterflies

Memento Markers

Tools

Fiskar Paper Cutter

Scissors

Glue

Stamps:    Dina Wakley's Boys Star, River City, Stampers Anonymous, Dyan Reaveley leaves, Impression Obsession flower stamp

old credit cards

Water Spray bottle

Paper towels

Imagine Crafts Ink Blushers (sponges)

Simon Says "Numbers"

The challenge on the Simon Says site this week is a project that includes numbers in some way.  I made a postcard the has a number block stamped on it (JudiKins) and a circle with numbers on it (Invoke Arts).  I did attach some tiny playing cards but my husband pointed out they don't have numbers on them.  Oops, but there is a clock face and it does have numbers.  The background color is done with StazOn Teal Blue and Forest Green.  A little stenciling with gesso topped with Memento Peanut Brittle ink.  A light rubbing of black gelato around the edges.  A few other additions and we're all set. 

If you get a chance hop on over to Simon Says Stamp and check out all of the wonderful entries.  You still have time to enter a project.  Talk to you soon!

Simon Says Challenge::What do you say?

The Simon Says Challenge this week is to use a sentiment in your project.  It can be stamped, written, pretty much how ever you want to share a thought.  I've been working on a series of dress template projects using the Tempting Template printed in the current issue (jul aug sep 2012) of The Stampers' Sampler.  If you want to submit some projects you have until Nov. 15, 2012 to do so.  You can find the template on their website.
The little dress and apron made me think of family dinners and all the women in our family who work so hard to make them special.  There are 4 different phrases or words on the card:  Capture Life's Moments, Love You, Kisses, and Memories.  I think that just about says it all.  Personally I love to cook and bake so any type of a shared meal is based on me wanting to make everyone happy with some kind of food that they love.  I never look pristine when I do this, like the sweet dress, I usually look like I've been through the mill.  But I love it and I love the food memories that I help create in people's minds and hearts.

Instructions:  Print out a copy of the template.  Trace and cut out the dress and apron.  Spritz Bubblegum Glimmer Mist on the wide ribbon used for the apron.  Cut out pieces of patterned paper for the hem and sleeves of the dress.  Glue the apron to the dress and glue the paper on the hem and sleeves, attach 2 pearls by Queen and Co.  Randomly stamp hearts by Rubber Stampede on the light colored paper using Spun Sugar DI by Ranger, heat emboss with clear powder.  Glue the decorated dress to the paper.  Attach to navy cardstock, glue to pink patterned paper.  Wrap tiny pink ribbon around the panel attaching the Tim Holtz metal word band in the center.  Glue to a blank card.
Speaking of baking.....I'll be doing my annual baking day with my teenaged neighbor, Kristina, next week for the Bolton Fair.  We're doing Cherry Pie for the fruit pie competition.  It is always fun teaching her how to bake, it certainly brings back memories of all the women in my past that spent a day with me teaching me how to make pie crust and bake bread.  Ah, memories.  Makes me smile.

Simon Says Challenge: Hey Girl!

The challenge at Simon Says this time is anything with a feminine touch.  That does not necessarily mean pink...whew!  I'm still not crazy about pink and I don't see that changing any time soon.  I used a feminine looking stamp by Alpha Stamps called "Why She Sings".  I stamped her on a kraft colored paper and then used a phrase by Hampton Art.  The borders are all Dyan Reaveley stamps.  All the coloring was done with Distress Markers and Gelly Roll pens.  I matted this panel to white paper and then to a patterned paper.  The entire unit was glued to a piece of paper from Tim Holtz's collection called Paper Stash.  I cut the paper to become a folded card measuring 5" x 6 1/2" and used the patterned side of the paper as the outside of the card.  For a tiny bit of bling I added a few dots of Ranger's Liquid Pearls in the Bisque color.  The flowers in the lower right corner match the paper used in the matting.  I distressed the paper, cut the flowers using Tim's die called Tattered Florals, put a brad in the center of one and then glued all three down with glue dots.

Have a great day!  The weather here is perfect, I hope yours is too.

Simon Says Challenge: No Rules!

The Simon Says Challenge is a "no rules", do whatever you like type of challenge.  My favorite.  I have chosen to do a tag using Dyan Reaveley's stamps.  The face is from the Dylusions collection called "Bits of This".  First I sprayed a manila tag (Ranger's size 8 tag) with Dylusion spray inks.  I used Fresh Lime and Vibrant Turquoise.  A quick dry with my heat tool.  I stamped a large leaf pattern with Ranger's Rusty Hinge Distress Ink randomly on the tag.  I stamped the face on a scrap piece of practice paper card stock using Ranger's Black Archival Ink and then colored the lips in with my Distress Markers.  Using my Gelly Roll pen called Clear Star, I added some highlights and sparkle to her face.  There was an acrylic butterfly in my stash left over from some long forgotten class so I dropped a little alcohol ink on it, dried it, then stamped a crackle finish on it using a crackle stamp by IndigoBlu.  The butterfly stays in place nicely with the help of some Glossy Accents.  Next came the phrase by Stampotique and a piece of ribbon dyed with spray inks to match.

New Challenge: Simon says Stamp and Show Kings and Queens!

A beautiful Monday and a new challenge from Simon Says.  For my entry I have created an ATC (Artist Trading Card) that measures the standard 2 1/2" by 3 1/2".  I first used Tim Holtz's color blocking method, applying the ink pads in various colors directly to the card, masking off areas with post-it notes until the entire background was complete.  My lovely queen is the "Prom Queen" from Stampotique.  She was stamped on the card with Black StazOn ink.  Catslife Press makes the phrase "Queen Bee" and her wings are really flowers cut in half, made by Jolee, like the flower topping her crown.  I stamped the crown, also by Catslife Press, with Ranger's Embossing Ink and then applied some Queen's Gold Embossing Powder and melted it on with my heat tool.  You can almost her her buzzing can't you?

Simon Says.....New Something "Challenge"

The challenge this time for the "Simon Says challenge" is something NEW.  How about a card celebrating a new job?  That should make anyone happy in this economy.  I used Stampotique's "girl with lunchbox" and stamped her with Memento Black Tuxedo ink and then colored her in with copic markers.  I stamped her lunchbox a second time, cut it out and popped it up with a pop-dot to give it a little dimension.  She looks a little overwhelmed with all the Blah, blah, blah (also Stampotique) going on around her.  The encouraging words are from Authentique and the blue pearls are made by Queen & Co.