Nature Silhouettes

Hello and thanks for stopping in.  Nothing is more appealing to me than silhouette images set against a colorful background.  The concept for this card came to me a few nights ago and I had to sit down and make it happen today.  Does that ever happen to you?  You get an idea in your head and can't wait until you can sit down and make something with that idea?

I loosely watercolored a small background panel of watercolor card using Picked Raspberry, Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio Distress Inks.  I've had the nature foliage dies in my stash and bring them out when I want to add fillers to floral arrangements.  This time, my idea was to let the die cuts be a focal set of images.  I die cut them from 110 lb black card for stability.

Once dried, I splattered the background with white acrylic gloss spray and the silhouettes with gold watercolor paint.  The sentiment is from the Altenew Beautiful Quotes Stamp Set.  The foliage has been adhered flat to the panel, the panel and sentiment strip have been popped on craft foam for dimention and clear sequins added for added interest.

I love this color combination and will ink blend the same 3 colors next time for a different look.  Thanks for visiting and until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Allsorts

Krafty Chicks

SSS Wed Challenge

Word Art Wednesday

TTCRD

SSS Mon Challenge - What's Love Got To Do With It....because of the sentiment

Double Trouble

Use Your Stuff

Happy Little Stampers Watercolor Challenge

Creative Crafters

Crafting Happiness

Love to Craft

The Four Seasons Challenge - Month #2 Summer

Hi Crafty Friends and Happy FRI-YAY!  I hope you have something extra special planned this holiday weekend (it's the 4th of July Holiday weekend here in the States).  I am hoping for good weather with lots of sun as we want to BBQ, swim and watch fireworks.  We live on a lake and our neighborhood puts on a nice fireworks show every year.  They are beautiful to watch as they burst in the sky over the lake.

Today begins a new challenge at The Four Seasons Challenge Blog.  We are continuing this month with the Summer Theme and the inspiration photo follows:

July is my favorite summer month because of the 4th of July and my birthday.  I was inspired by the patriotic scenes in the photo so I've created a card featuring a Statue of Gnome-erty, the digital image is from TLC Designs and it's Gnorman for All.  I recently won a prize from TLC Designs and this set was the 1st one I picked out...isn't he adorable?

I love the way this Gnome is drawn and I love the distressed sentiment.  The 4th of July designed Digital background papers are from Design Lover Studio on Etsy.  At the time of this writing, the papers are on sale at a 70% savings.  

The image has been colored with Spectrum Noir Illustrator Alcohol Markers and I've added blue gems to complete the design.  The focal and sentiment panels have been popped on craft foam for dimension.

Please join us at The Four Seasons Challenge this month.  Please use the photo prompt as inspiration, we enjoy seeing all the entries and visiting everyone.  

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Your Next Stamp

Creative Fingers

Pattie's Creations

Creatalicious

Crafting Happiness

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper

NBUS

Love to Craft

QKR Stampede

A Perfect Time to Craft

Crafts Galore Encore

Mirtillamente

SSS Wed Challenge

Word Art Wednesday

SSS Mon Challenge - Coming to America

Creative Moments

Colorful Options

Love The Person You've Worked to Become

Hello and Happy Thursday!  Today is a quick post sharing an ATC featuring images from Art by Marlene.  For those who are not familiar with ATC's, they are also known as Artist Trading Cards.  They measure 2.5" x 3.5" and are typically traded in swaps groups, etc.  

It's been a very long time since I've created any ATC's, I've traded with crafty friends a few times but I mainly created them to leave in random spots while I was out and about.  I hoped someone would find the card, it would give them a smile and they would either keep it or leave it somewhere for someone else to find.  People do that with painted rocks now.

ATC's are quick to make as they are so small.  I've created the background on watercolor card using collage paper, inks and paint.  I've adhered the images I thought were fun and added my own doodling to the images and as a border. 

This card went into my bag and while I was shopping the other day, I left it at the supermarket.  I wonder if it's been found, if someone benefited from the message, got a chuckle from the quirky images and what they did with it.  I hope they paid it forward and left it somewhere for someone else to find.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Krafty Chicks

SSS Wed Challenge

Penny's Challenges

The Sisterhood of Crafters

Double Trouble

4-Season Challenge

 

Not 2 Shabby Critter Pops

Hello Crafty Friends and Happy Tuesday!  Today is my last DT project for the Not 2 Shabby Digital Design Team.  It's been so much fun this last 3 months and the time flew by!  

I'd like to share this  bright and colorful card created using one of the images from the Critter Pops Stamp Set from Not 2 Shabby.  This set is the June 2022 Stamp of the Month and has a matching die set.

I've colored the image with Alcohol Markers and the papers are stash snippets from Recollections and Color Bok.  I love the summer color combination of orange and pink, it's cheerful and happy.  Since the Pop is a Unicorn, I went with a Rainbow theme.

The layering banner die is from Alina Craft on Amazon and the sentiment strip was cut using a die from Kat Scrappiness.  The Critter Pop and sentiment have been popped up using craft foam.  Lastly, I've added black licorice twine and clear gems.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Passion for Markers

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper

Die Cut Divas

Let's Craft and Create

CCC Digi Creations

Send a Smile 4 Kids

Creative Knockouts

Aud Sentiments

Krafty Chicks

AYLI - I like both feminine and masculine but have much more feminine in my stash so I gravitate to that most often.

Polkadoodles Digi Choosday - Vacation Winnie

Hello Everyone and Happy Tuesday!  Today begins a new bi-weekly challenge round at The Polkadoodles Digi Choosday Challenge Blog.  The theme is Anything Goes Bright and Colorful; I've chosen to use Vacation Winnie from the Special Moments Collection for my team project.  

I've colored Winnie using Spectrum Noir Illustrator Alcohol Markers.  The papers are from the "Summer" 6x6 paper pad by Carta Bella and the sentiment is from a Cardz TV set.

The image is adorable and I wanted to keep it large enough to be the focal of a 3.75" x 5" panel.  I couldn't resist giving her Posh Designer Sunglasses to wear so I've added Glossy Accents to create lenses.

Lastly, I've added yellow enamel dots from Kat Scrappiness because I simply cannot go without adding embellishments before calling a card complete.

Please join us this fortnight at the Digi Choosday Challenge Blog, we love seeing all the entries and visiting everyone's blogs and social media posts.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna  

**Challenges Entered:

SSS Mon Challenge - Movie:  Beach Blanket Bingo

Try It on Tuesday

Make My Monday

CD Sunday

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Dragonfly Dreams

Clever Dexter

Crafting Happiness

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper

Die Cut Divas

All Sorts

Aud Sentiments

Spring Rolls

Hello and Happy Monday!  I hope your weekend was wonderful and you had the opportunity to have some fun.  This weekend I had a chance to play in my Art Journal.  I've created a page featuring some quirky images from Studio Light Art by Marlene. 

I prefer to cut a panel of watercolor card and create the page outside my journal; once complete, I then adhere the panel inside the journal.  The journal pages are thick watercolor paper also and can handle water, paint, etc. but I prefer this way of creating my pages.

To start the background, I adhered a piece of Collage Paper from Art by Marlene.  The paper is blue so I had that much of the background ready to go.  I stamped images, words and did a bit of stenciling with texture paste and brushed watered down pink acrylic paint over the panel.

Washi Tape was added as a place to "ground" the images.  I've added splatters with white and black acrylic paint.  The images were arranged on the panel and picked up with Press and Seal Plastic Wrap.  This is a great way to pick up images once you have them arranged the way you want.

Using Matte Gel Medium, I've adhered the images and went over the entire panel with the gel medium.  I needed the panel to become non-porus so I could do some highlighting with my Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pens. 

Once the gel medium was completely dry (it must dry completely or the tips of the markers will be ruined), I highlighted around the images and touched up the colored areas that became a bit subdued with the matte medium.  

Lastly, I've adhered the sentiment strips, which are from the Art by Marlene Sticky Quotes Sticker Pad.  I absolutely love the sentiment and when paired with this Curvy Lady (who resembles me in my swimsuit although I don't have the courage to wear a 2 piece), it puts a huge smile on my face...and that's what Art Journaling is about for me...having fun, experimenting with techniques and letting the creativity flow.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

SSS Mon Challenge Movie:  Barb & Star Go to Vista del Mar

Double Trouble

4 Season Challenge

Hero Arts Stay Crafty

Crafting Happiness

Mixed Media Lovers

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity

All Sorts

Crafter's Cafe

 

Rediscover Your Supplies Instagram Hop

Hello Crafty Friends.  Today I'm participating in an Instagram Inspiration Hop highlighting re-discovery....of your supplies. Today my crafty friends and I are sharing inspiration wth our stash supplies with a theme of Summer.  You can hop along with us starting HERE...please visit and get inspired.

My project today features the Radiating Squares 4 part layering stencil from Simon Says Stamp.  The inks are Catherine Pooler and the sentiment die set is from Kat Scrappiness.

I love stenciling and this stencil set is so versatile.  The amount of different designs is endless and I think the pattern would be great for those quick and easy masculine cards.

Catherine Pooler Inks are so vibrant and I adore my collection of them.  I chose 4 complementary colors I felt "spoke" Summer - the theme of this inspiration hop.  The sentiment was die cut and popped on craft foam for dimension.  I've added sequins from my stash; it's kinda my thing to add embellies to my cards.  It's difficult for me to call a card complete without adding them.

Please join us for this inspirational hop.  There are lots of stops and loads of inspiration by my crafty friends.  Have a great day and until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Krafty Chicks

As You Like It - I always gravitate to and prefer Feminine. I am trying to create masculine themes so I have them ready to go.

Creative Knockouts 

Aud Sentiments

Cardz 4 Galz

CCC Digi Creations

Let's Craft and Create

Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge

Creatalicious

QKR Stampede

Creative Crafters

TTCRD

Die Cut Divas

Morning Glory - Varada Sharma Designs

Hello and Happy Saturday!  Today I'm sharing a card created using the new Morning Glory Digital Stamp from Varada Sharma Designs.  This image and set are part of the larger Bold Blooms Digital Release for June 2022.

I've colored the image using alcohol markers and kept the card design simply sweet, only adding a black mat before mounting the focal panel to the card base.

The focal panel and mat were cut using stitched rectangle dies from Kat Scrappiness.  The sentiment is from the same digi set and has been backed with gold thread and popped on craft foam for dimension.

I'd like to invite you to visit the Varada Sharma Shop HERE for the June 2022 release in addition to so many other wonderful images.  

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Alphabet Challenge

Beyond the Blue

Creative Fingers

Crafting Happiness

Friendship Challenge

NBUS

QKR Stampede

A Perfect Time to Craft

Ching-Chou Kuik Challenge

Your Scrapbook Place

Mirtillamente

Morgan's Art World

All Sorts

Crafty Calendar

Colorful Options

Colour Crazy Challenge - Strawberry Fields

Hello and Happy Friday!  Today begins a new bi-weekly challenge at the Colour Crazy Challenge Blog and our sponsor this round is the Cute and Creepy Oddball Art Co.  For my team project, I've colored the Strawberry Fields Digi Stamp and created a 5.5" square Birthday card.

I die cut the focal image and mat using nesting circle dies from Kat Scrappiness.  The papers are a digital download set from Polkadoodles and the sentiment was computer generated by me.

I've followed a card sketch I found by Googling "Square Card Sketches".  I utilize sketches when I've run out of ideas and my card layouts start looking the same.  I love this image, it's nicely drawn and an easy color. 

I popped the main focal image and sentiment strips on craft foam for dimension and added light blue gems for a finishing touch.  It's hard for me to call a card finished without adding gems and enamel dots, what are your "must haves" on your projects?

Please visit us at Colour Crazy this round, we so enjoy seeing all the entries.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

My Time to Craft

Creative Knockouts

Krafty Chicks

Penny's Challenges

The Sisterhood of Crafters

Word Art Wednesday

Crafty Gals Corner

Paper Minutes

TTCRD

SSS Mon Challenge - Strawberries

Passion for Markers

Critter Clan by MFT

Hello and Happy Monday!  I hope your weekend was enjoyable and you had an opportunity to what you love.  Today begins a new challenge week at Pammie's Inky Pinkies with a theme of Anything Goes.  There is a Gift Voucher from My Favorite Things up for grabs so you'll want to join in the fun!

For my team project, I've created a card featuring the horse and cactus from the Critter Clan Stamp Set.  The background has been stenciled using a Mountain Scene stencil from Erin Lee Creative.

To create the background, I've stenciled using distress oxide inks in shades of blue for the mountain range and browns for the ground.  The images have been colored using alcohol markers.

The images have been fussy cut and the I've cut the focal panel using a stitched rectangle die from Kat Scrappiness.  The paper are stash snippets from Color Bok and the faux gems are from Kat Scrappiness.  The sentiment is included in the stamp set and the strip has been popped on craft foam for dimension.

Please join us at Pammie's this week, we love seeing all the entries.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies

Get Creative

Make My Monday

Ally's Angels

Sweet Stampers

Creatalicious

WWO DT Challenge

QKR Stampede

Crafty Animals

Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Mon Challenge - Stenciling