The Best of Both Worlds

Here's my dilemma: I have a nice collection of stamps and dies and I have a Cricut Explore.  If I use my stamps and dies, I feel like I should be using my Cricut more, and vice versa.

So for this card, I used both!  I cut the tree with leaves and the grass with the Explore.  The Explore did the writing for me too.  I really love using it this way when I don't have a stamp for a sentiment I want!  For the other elements I used 2 sets from WPlus9, the Happy Mail and Sending Sunshine stamps w/dies.  I also used Spellbinder's Celebra'tions Pierced Rectangle dies.

I used watercolor paper so I could watercolor the sky and ground.  I colored the bear, birds, banner and flowers with my newly purchased Spectrum Noir pens.  What fun!

I added a bit of clear Wink of Stella to the sunshine and some of the leaves.

Well, I had fun making this card and my husband really liked it too!

I don't know if anyone actually looks at what I post (if it's not an Online Card Class) but if you are looking, I thank you!!!!

Floral Watercolor

I decided to do one more card for the Pretty Pink Posh Watercolor Blog Hop.  There have been so many beautiful cards posted--I'll be looking at them for days!

I've been wanting to do a pink card and I believe I've accomplished that!  I used Heartfelt Creations Botanical Rose stamps and coordinating dies.  The background was stamped with JustRite Ticking Stripe background stamp.  The sentiment is from JustRite as well.

I used Spun Sugar Distress Ink for the background and flowers.  I don't think it shows in the photo but I used a yellow Wink of Stella for the flower centers.  The leaves are Distress Inks in Mowed Lawn and a touch of Twisted Citron.  I love using these inks for watercoloring!

I had to add just a touch of bling with Distress Stickles in Clear Rock Candy!

Here is a close up of the flowers and leaves embossed in white embossing powder.

Thank you so much for taking a look!  I love comments and all are so appreciated!  

Freezer Paper Mask!

Yes!  I did it!  I actually used the freezer paper mask that I pulled off of my card shown in yesterday's post.  When I took it off, I just thought it was so pretty so I set it on my desk instead of trashing it.

I'm posting this in the Online Card Class, Mask-erade, Day 4 gallery.  Also, I'm stepping outside my comfort zone, and posting it in the Pretty Pink Posh blog hop.  Because, after all, the mask was watercolored too!!

So today, I took a Scor-Tape sheet, stuck it to white card stock, peeled off the other protective sheet and  (carefully!) stuck down the freezer paper mask!  THEN, I used the same die with freezer paper and cut it again.  I used all the little freezer paper pieces to mask the holes/open areas.  I hope that make sense!  :)

And because I LOVE glitter, section by section, I peeled off the little bits adding the different colors of glitter.

I used the same colors of Distress Inks to die the seam binding ribbon.

I guess the glitter wasn't quite enough bling!  So I added a few bits of bling from Want2Scrap.

Here are the two cards.  The differences are interesting to me.

I know glittery cards aren't really on trend, however, I do like sparkles on my cards. :)   I am really enjoying watercoloring too!  The Online Card Classes are totally awesome.  I have learned a lot from them.  The great thing is that you can sign up and take previous classes too!

Online Card Class, Mask-erade, Another Day 4 Card

Thought I'd have some more fun with the technique using freezer paper as a mask.  I cut a mask using Spellbinder's die called Butterfly Magic.  I then used several colors of Distress Ink to do the watercoloring!  I really enjoyed this!

The pretty pearl swirl is from Want2Scrap

I added some clear Wink of Stella to the butterfly for a little sparkle!

I've really enjoyed these classes and can't wait to see what class they offer next!

Thank you for checking out my card.  Comments are very appreciated!  :)

Online Card Class, Mask-erade, Another Day 5 Card

I decided to attempt Laura Bassen's technique of heat embossing clear powder on the balloon and star images.  I didn't have a tag die or a stripe stamp. Sometimes you just gotta go with what you've got!

I used my Cricut Explore to cut the cute tag onto striped paper.  (Because this was truly paper, I cut an additional tag from white card stock with Stick It to reinforce the paper.)  The balloon and star stamps are from a cute Simon Says Stamp set and also the word "birthday".  I used Broken China Distress Ink to ink over the striped paper.

I also used the Explore to cut out the "Happy" sentiment.

This technique was fun!  When you wipe the ink off of the embossed areas, it really is like magic!! :)

Thank you for checking out my card.  I'm very thankful and appreciative of your comments!

Online Card Class, Mask-erade, Day 5 Card

Well, I sure thought this technique of Jennifer McGuire's wouldn't, and shouldn't, be too difficult.  Even though I feel like this card is missing/needing something I decided to go with it to keep it all one layer like Jennifer's.

I wonder, is there such a thing as bad and/or low quality embossing powder?  After heating the first layer of clear embossing powder, it had an orange peel, dimpled look.  The overlapping layer's ink soaked in.  So for the 3rd! attempt, I used my embossing pen for a 2nd and sometimes 3rd layer of embossing powder.  I love this technique, but my embossing powder made it very annoying!  LOL!

I used masking paper to mask the little label that holds the sentiment.

This angle shows the embossing powder.

Well, that's it.  Not totally happy with it, but it is what it is!  :)

Thank you for looking at my card.  If you have an idea of what this card is missing let me know!

Any and all comments are appreciated so much!

Online Card Class, Mask-erade, Day 4 Card

For the 4th day of the online card class, they showed us how to use freezer paper as a mask.  I decided to CASE Shari Carroll's card (mainly because she's left handed, like me :) and I also think her's is very pretty.

There is definitely a learning curve to the watercoloring so that you don't end up with the hard lines.  Shari's is much smoother.  But I decided to go with what I did anyway.

I used the same colors of Distress Inks as Shari's example: Picked Raspberry,
 Spiced Marmalade, Peacock Feathers, & Mustard Seed

I decided to make my own layering strip using the leftover inks.  At least I was a bit creative on my own!  LOL!

Thank you for looking--any comments are very much appreciated!