WWC256 - Kath's Challenge: All About Occasions

Hello and welcome.  This week is all about "Occasion" cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Kath is our hostess.  

I started by making an "ink-smoosh" panel.  Here was my technique:

1. I liberally inked an 6x6" acrylic block with Distress Inks.  I wanted an ombre gradient look so went in rows across the page.  I used Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean and Twisted Citron.  
2.  I liberally sprayed the inked block with water 
3. "Smooshed" the block onto a piece of watercolor paper
4. Weighted the ink/block with a book for 5-6 minutes
5. Uncovered.  If the ink pooled, I dabbed with a paper towel.

The next day, after the panel was dry, I die cut the B using the Altenew Mega Alphabet "B" die.  I heat embossed the birthday sentiment and die cut a cover frame using Sunny Studio "Frilly Frame Stripe".  I glued the striped frame, B and sentiment to an A2 card.  I like the clean simple lines of this card.

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

I am so pleased you stopped by!

Karen

WWC255 - Marsha's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twis

Hello and welcome!  This week, at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge, we are creating cards  for the men in our lives.  Marsha is our talented hostess.  I made this card for a male friend that turns the BIG 60.

This card is all about the background and sentiment.  I used Hero Arts Bold Tribal Print background stamp and Catherine Pooler's Blue Suede shoes to stamp the background.  After cleaning off the stamp, I restamped with the background stamp using clear embossing powder and then heat set.  This created a lovely shiny blue pattern.  After the background cooled, I ink blended Twisted Citron onto the card base using blending brushes.  This filled in all the white areas.

On Fog grey cardstock, I stamped the sentiments (SSS Big Birthday Wishes) and then die cut.  I adhered the sentiments with craft foam for some nice dimension.

I think the end result is a bold masculine card with nice shine and texture.

I am entering this card in:  
Allsorts Challenge #555 - More than a single word.  I wanted the emphasis on the words so I used two sentiments for this card.  

Always Fun Challenges The challenge this week is use your favorite stamp so I used my favorite background stamp.  Masculine cards are always a bit harder for me and I find this bold background stamp works well for a lot of cards for the men in my life.  

Shopping Our Stash - Winter Blues  Lots of blue on this card.  I just received Catherine Pooler's Blue Suede Shoes ink and wanted to try it out.  

Sisterhood of Crafters "New" Challenge I just received Catherine Pooler's Blue Suede shoes ink and wanted to give it a try on a card.  

Update:  I was so pleased to discover that this card was a "winner" in the Always Fun Challenge. 

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

WWC254 - Tristan's Challenge: All About Occasions

Hello and welcome!  This week it is all about occasion cards at The Watercooler Wednesday challenge website and Tristan is our talented hostess.  

I had some lovely left over alcohol ink scraps that I wanted to use on a background.  I trimmed the pieces to a variety of widths and then pieced them together to make a solid background.  Blue, aqua and lime is a favorite color combination of mine.  My original intent was to cover the background with a circle die cut panel and sentiment, but I thought that looked a little plain so I added some interest with Simon Says Stamp's wonderful Outline Clustered Leaves die.  I cut the leaves from some Recollections embossed paper.  I like the end result and gave this card to one of my girlfriends.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Addicted To Stamps - Make Your Mark

Just Us Girls - Dimension.   

Southern Girls "Anything Goes"

Happy Little Stampers "Die"

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

WWC253 - Karen's Challenge: Anything Goes With A Feminine Twist

Hello and welcome!  I can't believe it is a new year...and a new decade.  This week we are making "feminine" cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge Website and I am the hostess.

I ordered some Altenew Mega Alphabet dies and the Altenew Large Thanks sentiment so I could make some thank you cards.  I wanted a bright happy card so I decided to do some "ink smooshing". 

 I started by making two inked panels.  Here was my technique:

1. I liberally inked an 6x6" acrylic block with Distress Inks.  I wanted an ombre gradient look so went in rows across the page.
2.  I sprayed the inked block with water 
3. "Smooshed" the block onto a piece of watercolor paper
4. Weighted the ink/block with a book for 5 minutes
5. Uncovered.  If the ink pooled, I dabbed with a paper towel.
6. I made a "second generation" panel for the background by taking a piece of Bristol Cardstock and soaking up the excess ink on my work space.    I had never done this before but I like having a softer but coordinated background for my card.  

Panel one was made with Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio, Twisted Citron and Mustard Seed.  

Panel two (thanks) was Abandoned Coral, Carved Pumpkin and Mustard Seed.

After the panels were dry, I die cut the "T", thanks and floral images (Spellbinder's Month 7 Die of the Month and Newton's Nook Flower Trio die). I also die cut Sunny Studio's Frilly Frame to go over my second generation background.  I used Gina K Connect glue to adhere everything to the A2 card.    

I am pleased with this bright vibrant card.  

I am entering this card in:
As You Like It Thanks Challenge

Dies R Us Challenge I used Spellbinders floral dies.

Always Fun Something New Challenge  I made a second generation ink smooshing panel to coordinate with my die cuts.  I had never thought to coordinate like this in the past.  

Alphabet Challenge Try Something New I made a second generation ink smooshing panel to coordinate with my die cuts. I had never thought to coordinate like this in the past. 

UPDATE:  I was very pleased to be chosen "Top 3" at As You Like It!

I would love to see YOUR creation in our challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen