Beautiful Birds

Hello Sweet 'n Sassy friends!

It's Ceal, here to share a couple cards with you using a couple of sets that were released back in April, Beautiful Birds and Friendship is a Blessing.

For both of these cards I created a watercolor wash background using Distress inks Peacock Feathers, Speckled Egg and Salty Ocean. I used some Paper Glaze mixed with water for the gold specks. I stamped the images and colored them both using Karin Markers and also added a little gold Paper Glaze watered down on each bird.

Going Vintage

Today I have a couple of cards using two of the April release sets Country Garden and Beautiful Birds.

Both of the images I chose were colored with Copics then cut out and adhered two distinctly different backgrounds. One clean and simple and the other mixed media with oxides, stencils, and texture stamps. They both look very vintage to me and I really love the results. I completed them with sentiments from the Friendship is a Blessing stamp if the Month. This set is so perfect - especially to let a friend know you are thinking about them, praying for them, and so grateful they are in your life.

Here is the clean and simple one using the chair from Country Garden

Here is the second one using the chickadee from Beautiful Birds. This one also uses Wood Background and Psalm 23 for texture as well as a couple of Tim Holtz stencils.


As we spend more time at home, I find myself trying to mix things up and challenge myself. Going CAS and definitely CAS at the same time was a challenge for sure! I hope this inspires you to try the same.

Thanks for stopping by today! 

Hugs,
Lyn

Two Cards, One Color Palette

Hello All! 
I am back with a couple of cards to share today, both using the same color palette. 
I was itching to use the hummingbird in the Beautiful Birds Stamp Set. I  matched the bird up with the peonies in the Peony Cluster Stamp Set. 

Here is the how-to~ 
1.  Using MISTI, stamp peonies on edge of 51/2 x 4 1/4 panel of Neenah Solar White CS using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. 
2.  Color peonies and background with Copics.
3.  Determine position of hummer on the panel, and mount onto MISTI door.  Mask the area of the flower that is a part of the hummer image.
4.  Stamp the hummer with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and color with Copic markers.
5.   Draw a very light pencil line with a ruler, from the top of the panel to the bottom of the panel, avoiding the hummer. 
6.  Fussy cut around back end of hummer up to the pencil line. 
7.  Cut the rest of the panel along the pencil line, using a trimmer.
8.  Add Wink of Stella to the hummer.
9.  Fold a kraft cs cardbase and determine placement of sentiment. 
10.  Stamp sentiment with MISTI using Versafine Onyx Black Ink.  Sentiment is from the Mason Jar Bouquet Stamp Set.
11.  Adhere image panel to card base using dimensional adhesive. 

Next up, a card using the Country Garden Stamp Set~

This one has a little surprise in it! 
1.  The bike was stamped on a piece of Neenah Solar White Cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. 
I did not want to put grass behind my bike again as I had done that with my previous bike card.  I thought a flowering bush or garden of some sort would be pretty, but I doubted my ability to pull that off.  Then I got an idea.  I used the wheelbarrow image from the Country Garden Stamp Set and using Memento Desert Sand Ink, stamped just the flowers in the wheelbarrow- twice.  I masked out the wheel barrow to the best of my ability but other than that, I pretty much stamped right over the bike as I new I would be coloring over it anyway.  I think I may have masked out the basket of flowers. 
OK, back to the steps.
2.  Stamp the flowers in the wheelbarrow two times behind the bike.
3.  Loosely color in the flowers with Copics. 
4.  Color the bike with Copics.
5. Using Copics, color in a side walk and a bit of grass along the edge of the sidewalk. 
6.  Stamp the sentiment from the Beautiful Birds Stamp Set using the MISTI with Versafine Black Ink.
7.  Mount image panel on black cs. 
8.  Add patterned paper to horizontal card base. 
9.  Add white gel pen to centers of flowers in the bike basket.  Add sequins to finish off the card.

 I have not written up a blog post in this step by step fashion before.  I usually just do a narrative of how I made the card.  I would love to know which style of write up you prefer!  Please comment and let me know! 

OK, that's it for me!  I hope I I have inspired you to get out your stamps! 


Lee Ann 

Beautiful Birds and a New Technique

Hello All,

Hope you are all doing well in this strange world we find ourselves in.  Today I am sharing two cards using the Beautiful Birds Stamp Set.  I decided to try an altered version of a technique I saw a couple of years ago, but it was done with flowers and Copic markers.
 

The general idea is to start your panel with watercolor paper and distress inks.  Some call this ink smooshing (Karen did a tutorial on this the other day) and some call it wrinkle free distress technique.  I smooshed some red and brown distress inks on to my craft mat and spritzed it.  I then placed my watercolor paper into the droplets.  This was then dried.  I repeated the steps multiple times to get the desired look.  I had in mind where I wanted my cardinal to go, so I tried to get my ink colors in appropriate areas. 
Once my paper was dry, I placed it in the MISTI and stamped the bird in red distress ink and the branch in brown distress ink (as best I could) right over the inked area.  I then painted the image with my Ken Oliver Colorbursts (which would be directly onto the distress inked areas).  I tried to keep the whole thing 'loose' but I found myself wanting to add in shading and detail.  When all was done, I stamped the feathers around the beak in black and then colored it in completely with a black Prismacolor pencil.  I added some details to to other areas as well with the Prismacolor pencil. 
Lastly, I spritzed some white acrylic paint on the image and also added 'snow' with a white gelly roll pen.  The sentiment is from the Christmas Wordfetti Set and is heat embossed in white. 
The bird was die cut out and framed with some die cut patterned paper.  The sentiment and a few sequins finish it off. 
The second card uses the Beautiful Birds Stamp Set as well.

The process was the same; ink smooshing in greens and blues.  Then the image was stamped in blue and green.  I cam back in with the watercolors to add additional color and details to the image.  I did overstamp the image with a dark ink to make the image crisper as things got a little muddied.  Details were added with Prismacolor pencils.  The sentiment is from the Precious Poppies Stamp Set.
The panel was die cut and adhered to the card base.  The sentiment is popped up on dimensional tape and sequins were added. 
This was a fun experiment and I am pretty happy with the results.  Here's to hoping you have time to play this week!  
There is still time to grab the new release bundle and get a 10% savings!  And to sweeten the deal, shipping is free when you spend $75 or more!  Wait, a little sweeter still- get the Stamp of the Month, Friendship is a Blessing, with a purchase of $75 or more through the month of April. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Lee Ann 

beautiful birds

Good morning! Today I have a few cards to share with a beautiful new stamp set from this month’s release at Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps. I used the Beautiful Birds set to make my cards. These bird images are great for many occasions. I made the first two cards with a simple "hello".

For my last card I fussy cut the hummingbird and flower, then framed it on a white on white card to make the hummingbird pop. On this card I also used Texture Tiles 1 and the new Friendship Is A Blessing stamp set (the April Stamp of the Month!).

Have a great day and stay safe!