FaLaLaLa Card at CAS-ual Fridays

 Happy Monday everyone!! Today I am on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog with a Christmas card using some old and some new products. Below is a sneak peek of my project:

Hop on over to my POST see the complete card and the directions on how I created it!!!

Thank you for stopping by!! Have a FABULOUS day!!!

Holiday Card Homework Day 1 and Day 2

 Happy Sunday!! Just popping in with some cards that I created for the Holiday Watercolor Class that I am taking. Let me tell you-I am EPICALLY failing at this class. I SUCK at watercolor. 

Here are a few things I have learned:

1) I am not patient enough to watercolor. I took a watercolor class in college 20 years ago and thought I enjoyed it, I learned then that I was not really patient enough for the medium. It takes too long to let things dry and I have too heavy a hand with it.

2) I used the wrong kind of watercolor paper. I have a ton of different brands and used the cheapest I had. Wrong move!! The color does not soak into the paper that well.

3) I should have used the real watercolor I have. I have tubes of good watercolor but was just too lazy to squeeze it out and use. I also need to invest in some better brushes and dedicate them strictly to watercolor.

4) Frisket + Me = DISASTER!! I remember hating using frisket when I was in school. The one I have must have been bad or again, I used too heavy of a hand. When I went to erase it, it left a STAIN on my cards. This was so annoying because these cards took a lot of time for me to make!!

The first three cards are homework from Day 1 of the class.

My first card I like BUT the color is way to dark and the ribbon is not straight. This was the first card I did so I give myself a pass on it being perfect.

I am actually showing it extra large so you can see all the fun mistakes!! I chose to use stamped greetings as the class is strictly watercolor. My handwriting is HORRIBLE.

My second card I "stacked" presents. I like this one a bit better BUT if you notice the top present, some of the green soaked through the bottom. I chose to create a card with it anyway.

If someone doesn't like it, are they really going to tell me? It is a handmade card!!!

Again, I embossed a simple sentiment to match the red card base that I mounted the watercolor panel on.

My last card that I created for day one of the class is a tree that I masked off with tape. I then added some sequins as "ornaments" when I was finished.

I used the golds in the "Starry Colors" Gansai Tambi watercolor and I was a bit heavy handed.

I need to learn to do just a light coat, let it dry, and do another. I get too impatient, though!!

I also had to cut down the card panels and do a bit of "doctoring" because I tore the background of the paper when I took the tape off the edges. Some cards were worse than others.

Day 2 Homework:

I only have one card for the second day of the class. My first two cards were EPIC fails. I used the Frisket on them and it stained when I took it off. I didn't even bother to photograph them but just threw them away. However, the second technique I did was a masking with tape and the card did come out.

I am going to admit two things here-this paint is NOT strictly watercolor but Twinkling H2O's. You cannot tell from the photograph but it has a shimmer to it when put in the light.

The sequins that I added were not part of the class. They are covering up some boo boos that leaked through!!!

I like this technique but again, would try it with a lighter hand next time. Not sure I would use that green again either. It is a bit too "earthy" for me.

Well, that is all from me tonight. I did cards for Day 3 too but have not edited one of them to post. I still have to watch the video for Day 4 but ran out of steam when some of my cards sucked so bad. 

All in all, this class has been a lot of fun and I have learned a TON. I just need to practice some patience and all will be well. I also need to buy some better frisket and lower tack tape!!!

Have a fabulous night!!!

Happy Mail!

It has been a rainy Tuesday so what better way to brighten it up than with a card!!! 

I had fun coloring some Lawn Fawn squirrels this weekend from the Let's Go Nuts stamp set and then cut them out with the matching dies. They sat in a pile on my desk until I saw a couple of challenges to inspire my card. 

I used the Library Challenge #69 book cover and the Lawn Fawnatics Challenge #86 as inspiration to create my card. The tree and squirrel in the book cover inspired mine and the colorful leaves from the photo badge I duplicated on my card. 

Instead of making my squirrel red or brown like a lot of the cards I have seen using the Let's Go Nuts stamp set, I chose to color my little critter in gray like the squirrels in my area. They have been quite a nuisance this fall, running in front of my car but so far I have not harmed any.

The background was done with ink smooshing Ranger Scattered Straw Distress Ink with Tiki Torch and Tutti Frutti inks from Catherine Pooler Designs onto watercolor paper.

The tree is from the Lawn Fawn Lift the Flap Tree Backdrop die. This die was a bit pricey but I LOVE that I can cut it out of the backdrop and use it on its own!! I colored the trunk in by blending Walnut Stain and Ground Espresso Distress Ink with a touch of spritzed water and layered this over a My Favorite Things Wonky Circle die cut. 

The Taylored Expressions Simple Strip Friendship sentiment was popped up with foam adhesive. The last little touch was to cover the leaves with some Nuvo Aqua Shimmer. 

That is all from today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by tonight. 

Sending Strength

Happy Monday!! 

I have had the day off and since I a finally feeling better after a week of being sick I have given myself some creative time. I had my eyes dilated today and found out that I need a stronger prescription for reading glasses. For someone who has always had stronger than 20/20 vision, this has been a bit disappointing for me. However, new glasses will help with the headaches I have been getting.

Today is also a sad day for me every year. I am actually glad that Columbus Day fell on this date. It is the 27th anniversary of my mother's death. I miss her each and every day but this day is always bittersweet.

Onto something happy!! Today I am posting a card that I created using the sketch from the Paper Craft Crew. I adore their challenges but alway am finishing up my projects after they close. 

The sketch below is what inspired my card. 

Instead of the circle, I decided to do a leaf that was die cut using Lawn Fawn Stitched Leaves dies out of paper that I had done some ink smooshing on World Card Making Day. 

I paired the leaf with Feathered Friends Mini 1 from Ink to Paper. The sentiment is Simple Strips Sympathy by Taylored Expressions. 

I paired these with some pattern paper that I die cut using The Greetery's  Crimped Frame dies. I have been trying to use more patterns in my cards as of late because I have SO MUCH PAPER and I just keep buying more. A nice pattern paper is my weakness!!!

The paper I used is Crunchy Leaves by Prima and Full of Joy by American Crafts. I popped these up on a kraft card base that was embossed using the Sunny Studios Woodgrain Embossing Folder. I just LOVE how this card came out and will be sending it to a friend that I know is having a rough time of it right now.

Fall is my FAVORITE time of year and I did a bit of decorating a couple weeks ago but am just downloading my photos now. I created a wreath for my door.

I put my old scarecrow out with some mums. I don't decorate for Halloween anymore as we don't tend to get trick or treaters.

Above is my kitchen door and below is my front door.

I try to cover up my front stoop as we don't really use that door that much. I would rather people use the kitchen door because I can talk through the screen door!!

Well, that is all from me today. I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!!

Thinking of You

 Happy Sunday!! Just a quick jump in with a post for a couple of challenges. 

I used two challenges as the inspiration for my card. I used this weeks Freshly Made Sketches #456 and the Inspired By Challenge: Pumpkin Spice. 

As you can see, I flipped the sketch for my card design. I was inspired by the gray gingham from the badge and the yellow/gold accents.

Everything is from The Greetery, with the exception of the paper. The gingham is from Lawn Fawn and the strip on the side is a scrap.

I really love how this came out but wish the gingham was a brown gray rather than a blue gray. I think it came out really nice, though.

I added some Nuvo clear shimmer pen on the leaves and some Glossy Accents on the berries.

Well that is all from me today. I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS night!!