Color Throwdown

It's Wednesday and that means there's a new Color Throwdown Challenge on board! Lori is our hostess with the mostest this week and she has a warm and cozy photo for our color inspiration: pale pink, pale yellow and red.

I know...I know...you're thinking when am I ever going to stamp

with any set other than Pretty Peonies!  Yes, I have a problem!  I'm a fan of this easy watercolor look. :-)  I colored the stamps with Tim Holtz distress markers (Spun Sugar, Barn Door, Mustard Seed, Pumice Stone) and stamped on TH watercolor cardstock.  I did very little blending with a brush since I used 2 step stamping this time.  I found these "In Bloom" papers by MME that fit the colors very closely and thought this stamp set would coordinate well.  The layout is based on Freshly Made Sketches challenge #157.  The sentiment strip is barely visible, but it's there...stamped on vellum.

Our star stamper this week is the talented Lin Brandyberry!  You don't want to miss her gorgeous card!  

For more inspiration, be sure and check out the rest of the design team's creations with the links below:

Barbara Anders
Broni Holcombe 
Joan Ervin 
Jodi Collins 
Lori Tecler 
Monika Davis 
Vickie Zimmer 
Wanda Cullen (you are here)

Tara Godfrey - October Guest Designer 

STAMPS: Pretty Peonies (WPlus9), Hand Lettered Thanks (WPlus9).

PAPER: MME In Bloom 6x6 pad, Vellum, White.

Retrosketches & Color Challenges

More wind and rain today...one of those days when it's so hard to crawl out of bed. I finally did get moving and couldn't resist playing along with the 500th Color Challenge on SCS!! Wow! That is quite a milestone! They have a unique "seasons of color" option with 4 different color palettes to match the 4 seasons. I went with the fall combo: Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Bermuda Bay, and Baked Brown Sugar. It was perfect to break in the latest SU set (Work of Art) I ordered with our last stamp club meeting.  It pairs up well with Gorgeous Grunge and you know I love that set!  The layout is using the current sketch from Retrosketches Challenge.  I lined up the zigzag pattern using a Stampamajig.  Thanks for stopping by...

STAMPS: Work of Art (SU), Gorgeous Grunge (SU).
PAPER: White (PTI), Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry (SU).
INK: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Baked Brown Sugar.
ACCESSORIES: Wood veneer leaves by Hobby Lobby, Fishtail Flags Die-Namics (MFT), Soft Suede satin ribbon (SU), Jute twine.

Never Give Up

This CAS card is for Susie's Hope You Can Cling To challenge on SCS (Heart Song theme - use music, birds, hearts, words of encouragement) and for Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge.  I fussy cut the hexagon "circle" from designer paper then popped with foam tape over some looped thread.

STAMPS: Hope Blooms (Verve).
PAPER: Follow Your Heart "Be Happy" by MME, White.
INK: Versafine Onyx Black.
ACCESSORIES: Clear embossing powder, Wood veneer heart (Studio Calico), Enamel dots (Teresa Collins), Black thread, Corner chomper, Fishtail Flags Die-Namics (MFT).

"Some days there won't be a song in your heart.  Sing anyway."  ~Emory Austin

Mojo Monday

Good Monday everyone! It's time for a new Mojo Monday Challenge and Sarah is our sketch designer this week!  I went a little batty using  a lot of patterned papers- lol!  Papers are from a Halloween Basics paper pad by Recollections.  I added a strip of black glitter tape and some twine with a gold thread running through it.  I also added some clear Wink of Stella shimmer marker highlights to the leaves.  IRL this card has more shine and pops of sparkle than the photo shows.  I colored this trio of pumpkins from Verve's Bountiful Harvest set with Copics, then fussy cut and popped with foam dots.  The Pennant Trim die border is also by Verve.  

Copics used: YR20, YR12, YR16, YR18, YG95, G99, E55, E57.

If you'd like some more inspiration...check out the rest of the mojomakers' blogs below:

Carole Burrage

Debbie Carriere

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen 

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Wanda Cullen (you are here)

Thanks for stopping by...hope to see you in the gallery!

Just Us Girls

Hi, everyone! I'm back again as this month's guest designer for the Just Us Girls challenge and this

week it's trend week.  Ombre is something that is becoming increasingly popular in the papercrafting world and it's a look that can be achieved in so many different ways.  It's a French term meaning "shaded" with colors graduating from light to dark.

I created the ombre effect by watercoloring on a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" panel of Ranger distress watercolor cardstock and applied about 5 different warm shades of yellow, gold, orange, rust and a barn red using Pelikan watercolor paints.  I then used the Arboscello Tree die by Memory Box to die cut my tree.  The stitched squares were cut from scraps in my massive scrap pile (Tip: This is a great design to use up those odds and ends that many of us save!).  The tiny metal leaf is actually a brad (I cut off the prongs and attached it with a glue dot).   The sentiment is a Wet Paint die by Papertrey Ink.  

Appreciate the warm welcome last week and hope to see you joining us for the super fun trend week!

Hello Autumn

I was so disappointed when it ended up raining most of the day on my day off! When it gets near peak foliage time in VA,  I love to drive to the mountains and stop at overlooks.  But...it wasn't meant to be today.  So, I brought some fall foliage to my card creation for the CAS(E) this Sketch challenge instead! These are not traditional fall colors, but I'm a papercrafter and I figure I can tweak the routine a bit. :-)  Guess I'm feeling rebellious today!  I used a couple of the new in colors from SU and paired them up with Sahara Sand - the colors in this fun Moonlight designer series pad.  The leaves and coordinating dies are by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.  I die cut the sentiment twice and layered it to give a bit more dimension.  

STAMPS: Season of Change (Sweet 'n Sassy).
INK: Hello Honey, Blackberry Bliss, Sahara Sand.
DIES: Small Hello by Simon Says Stamp; Season of Change (Sweet 'n Sassy).

It's that time of year again, so I'm putting a plug in for you to get your flu shot!  I checked that off my to do list today.  I've been a believer in this vaccine for many years.  No, it doesn't cover all strains, but a former doctor in our clinic used to say you will not get as bad of a version of the different strains if you do get sick.  Remember, it takes up to 2 weeks for your antibodies to build up so you have to allow for that build up time before you're "covered".  Have I convinced you yet? :-)   For more information, here is a link to the CDC information sheet.

Color Throwdown

Check out this fabulous color combo that Tammy has chosen for the Color Throwdown Challenge! Happy, happy colors! 

I die cut the scalloped frame from Elegant Eggplant CS.  After die cutting then watercoloring the flowers and leaves using Tim Holtz distress ink markers (coloring directly onto the stamps, stamping on watercolor CS then blending slightly with a brush lightly loaded with water), I started layering up the floral collage basing it on this old Retrosketches layout.  Their current challenge #135 was to honor World Cardmaking Day this past Saturday and we had the choice to use any of their previous sketches in their archives!  I LOVE this sketch from July 14, 2012!

Here's what I used...
STAMPS: Pretty Peonies (WPlus9), Strictly Sentiments 2 (WPlus9), Ink Splats (WPlus9), Tape It (SU).
PAPER: Watercolor CS, Elegant Eggplant, White.
INK: Elegant Eggplant, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie.
ACCESSORIES: Rounded Scallop Frame Die (Verve), Pretty Peonies dies (WPlus9), Rhinestones (SU), TH distress markers  Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Dusty Concord, Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive.

For more inspiration, be sure and check out the rest of the design team's creations with the links below:

Barbara Anders
Broni Holcombe 
Joan Ervin 
Jodi Collins 
Lori Tecler 
Monika Davis 
Vickie Zimmer 
Wanda Cullen (you are here)

Tara Godfrey - October Guest Designer 

Angie Anny - Guest Star Stamper