Impression Obsession Rainbow Giraffe

Hello and thank you for stopping by!  I am very excited about this bright fun card!

One of my most used and loved stamps is Impression Obsession Baby Giraffe.  I came up with the idea of watercoloring each "spot" with two colors and then letting them organically blend.  I knew that giraffes spots are all unique like human fingerprints, so I thought a vibrant rainbow giraffe would be fun to create.

I started by embossing in brown on watercolor paper and then selected bright watercolor hues.  I made four cards changing the look with gold and black embossing and whats fun is that it is impossible to create identical cards.  It reminds me of working with alcohol inks. I wanted to keep the design clean and simple so that the focus was on the giraffe with rainbow colors.    I matted on a neutral card base and it is ready to send.

Casology's Africa Challenge - Giraffes are definitely my favorite African animal and I have to say that  I LOVE hand feeding giraffes lettuce leaves.+

Happy Little Stampers "Bright" Watercolor Challenge


Karen

UPDATE:My card was selected: 

WWC218 - Marsha's "All About Occasions" Challenge

 
Thanks for stopping by! This week is Watercooler Wednesday's All About Occasions Challenge.  Marsha is our host.  Head over to the website for further details.

 I started with Lawn Fawn's Perfectly Plaid paper and used a 2 1/2" circle punch near the top of the panel. Then I distressed the edges and around the circle with Seedless Grape Preserves dye ink. 

Next, I stamped Impression Obsession Baby Giraffe, colored with Copic markers and then fussy cut.  I arranged him peeping out of the circle window at a jaunty angle.  I added some flowers from Sunny Studio Tropical Paradise and embossed the birthday sentiment.  I wanted a  bit of dimension so attached the Perfectly Plaid layer to a lavender card base with craft foam and glue.  I added sequins, Wink of Stella on the blooms and horns, and Tonic Nuvo Glaze on the eyes.   I think the giraffe has a lot of personality and I love using this stamp.

I am entering this card in Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Bridal Shower Card

Hello and thank you for stopping by.  I am going to a bridal shower and did some brainstorming.  I wanted to make a dramatic alcohol ink background and came up with the idea of using a white wedding dress die cut in a stitched circle spotlight.

 The dress is from the My Monthly Hero April 2017 kit, which is a favorite of mine.

I started by making an alcohol ink background with flamingo, sunset orange and sunshine yellow.  I set the panel aside to dry and went to work die-cutting the wedding dress and stitched circle frame.  After my background panel was dry, I assembled my card and stamped my sentiment.  I am very pleased with my card.

I am entering this card in the A Blog Named Hero CAS Challenge.

Altenew Garden Grow Birthday Card

Hello and thank you for stopping by!  I was asked to be a "Guest Designer" for the CAS on Friday "Butterfly" Challenge.

Altenew's Garden Grow stamp set is a longtime favorite so I thought it would be fun to have a gardening vignette with pink and yellow butterflies landing on the watering can and potted plant.

I started by making a simple blue watercolor background.  Next, I stamped and used Copics to color my gardening trio.  I wanted a spotlight circle so I used a stitched circle die.  I assembled the card and added a birthday sentiment.

This card is for my mother-in-law who loves butterflies and gardening.

I am entering this card in:
Altenew's April Inspiration Challenge.  I used the pink, yellow, blue color scheme for my background and butterflies and used the rainbow colors for the flowers in my pot.  I just adore this Altenew Garden Grow stamp and die set.  Every spring I seem to pull it out and make loads of cards.


Allsorts Blossoms, Butterflies and Bugs Challenge.  I chose to focus on the blossoms and butterflies for my spring gardening card.


Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.  I love the spring mood board this week and thought my garden vignette worked well.


Karen

WWC217 - Michelle's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Hello and thank you for stopping by!  This week the theme for Watercooler Wednesday is Masculine "Anything Goes".  Michelle is our hostess.

Once a quarter, I take a Copic class with Laura Griffin.  Recently, instead of coloring with Copics, we used Copic refills to make alcohol ink backgrounds.  I've been playing with alcohol inks, but had never tried re-inkers.  Reinkers make a vibrant glossy creation!

For this card we layered on three different colors of Copic ink and used straws to move the ink around on the Yupo paper.  When we were satisfied with the result, we added a bit of gold.  Then we die-cut our sentiments (Papertrey "Count My Blessings".  I used bold jewel tones that I thought would be suitable for sending to a man yet still fun and festive.

I am, entering this card in Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Mood Board Challenge

Karen 

WWC216 - Dawn's "All About Occasions" Challenge

Hello and welcome to Watercooler Wednesday's All About Occasions Challenge.  Dawn is our hostess this week.

I needed an Easter card so I challenged myself to use patterned paper with limited stamping.  I chose  bright cheery Lawn Fawn "Perfectly Plaid".  I used one pattern to cover an A2 card and then selected a second pattern to die-cut SSS's Plush Carrot.   The carrot top is die cut from green embossed paper for some added texture.   I think this would make a darling stuffed ornament, but I needed a card.  Next, I embossed Rubbernecker's Three Line Frame on sherbet colored card stock.  I assembled the card using craft foam and Gina K connect glue and then added Lily of the Valley Jewels from Little Things from Lucy.

I am entering this card in:  The Paper Players Plaid or Checks Challenge


Thanks for stopping by?
Karen

Handcrafted Easel Card

I came up with an idea to combine two of my favorite Hero Arts sets:  My Monthly Hero January 2019 kit and Hero Arts Fun in the Rain.

The pup from this set looks like my mini-Aussie so I colored her with markings like my "Scout".  I think it is so cute that she has a raincoat on and I thought this would be perfect for a Spring card.

Since this is an easel card, I die cut some thick leathery textured paper from The Paper Company.  I used black paper to simulate a blackboard and then heat embossed with a bold birthday sentiment to get that chalkboard look.

I am really pleased with the way this card came together.

I am entering this card in:

A Blog Named Hero Embossing Challenge

Cardz4Guyz "Let's Get Messy" - For me, I always make the biggest mess with embossing powder.  No matter how neat I try to be, little bits of powder wind up all over my work surface!

The Male Room "Spring" Challenge - This cute pup is sporting her raincoat for the spring showers.


Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Ombre with Alcohol Inks

I have been somewhat obsessed with alcohol inks for the last month or so.  I used the "side to side" method where I put blending solution on yupo paper and then added three lines of alcohol ink  and tilted side to side until the colors were blended.  Lots of fun and very quick. You want to blend quickly so that the colors flow into one another.

Sunshine Yellow, Sunset Orange, Flamingo

I set the yupo paper aside to dry and then die cut using Papertrey's Yellow Sunshine.  I added a quick sentiment and the card was done.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Addicted to CAS "Ombre" Challenge

AAA "Made in Minutes" Challenge

Casology "Burst" Challenge - I was going for a sun"burst" look with my alcohol inks.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

WWC215 - Donna's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Hello and welcome to Watercooler Wednesday's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge.  Donna is our hostess this week.

Feminine cards are so fun to create and I really enjoyed making this one.  My daughter is a scientist with the Environmental Protection Agency and I wanted to make a special card for her.  

I started by stamping the image and sentiment from Stamping Bella's "Sage the Scientist" onto XPress It paper.  I then selected fun bright Copic colors and colored away.  I wanted the test tubes to stand out so I added a coating of Nuvo Crystal Glaze to each of them.  I used MFT's Die-namics stitched die and then popped it on a bright green note card.

Head over to the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge website for all the details.


I am entering this card in Simon Says Stamp Animal AnticsChallenge.  Aren't those little lab assistants adorable?

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen