Vintage Romance and a Christmas card

 Hello, Hello!  

I hope you all had a very blessed Thanksgiving, despite the fact that some of our gatherings may not have looked like they did in past years.  I have learned to be grateful for and enjoy the quiet, no frills holidays as I have no family in town.  That means more turkey for me!   

Jenn Nilsson knocked it out of the park with her newest stamp set in the December release, Vintage Romance.  Have you checked out the whole release yet?  If not you really should go see all of the pretties this month.  

There are no references to Valentines Day in this set, so it is really quite versatile- I'm thinking anniversaries and birthdays in addition to Valentine's Day.  

My first card is done in red with a touch of blue, perfect for a Valentine card for your sweetie~ 

 The locket was colored with Copics and fussy cut out.  I paired it with a bit of a background panel I had in my stash; it was made by inking up bubble wrap and stamping with it!  A bit of red patterned paper and a kraft colored mat are all that was needed to finish the card.  The sentiment is separate from the blue panel as I wanted to pop it up on dimensional tape.  

The next card using the Vintage Romance set is a lovely bit of mixed media and no red to be found anywhere on the card!  

This beauty was colored with Copics and fussy cut out- I searched 'perfume' bottle on the web and found a perfume bottle of green glass.  That was my inspiration.  

The background was done with a stencil and embossing paste.  To get the gold specks, I dropped in course ep while the embossing paste was still wet.  When the paste was partially dry, I hit the ep with the embossing gun.  Once the paste was dry, I used some distress inks as watercolors and painted the background in.  

This set- it is a must have!  I love, love, love the images~

And how could I not share a Christmas card with it being December 1st??

The background is basic ink blending with Distress inks.  I used Picked Raspberry,  Seedless Preserves, and Chipped Sapphire inks.  Using my MISTI, I stamped the trees on the left with Versafine Onyx Black Ink, then stamped the tree on the right, and then stamped the deer.  I filled in the ground with a black Sharpie.  The moon was stamped on white cs and fussy cut out.  All of these images as well as the sentiment are from the Thrill of Hope Stamp Set.  I used watered down acrylic ink for the snow.  

That's all for me!  I hope I have inspired you to get creative- not an easy thing to do during the busy Christmas season!  Thanks for stopping by, 

Lee Ann  

Snarky is My Superpower!

 Hello Hello!

It is so good to be back after a month long break.  We are celebrating Sweet n Sassy Stamps' 13th birthday this month!  I can still remember the first stamp set I bought from SnSS- cutest snowman ever!  We have so many fun stamp sets to share with you this month; many of them are birthday themed.    

One of my favorite sets is the A Little Snarky Stamp Set-oh how we have needed this set!  LOL!  

I colored the snarky lady with Copics and fussy cut her out.  My card background was done using a stencil and sponging on color in ombre fashion.  I have finished it off with my favorite sentiment, Sarcasm is My Superpower (and it is, lol).  

Next up.  Make a Wish Stamp Set~

This is such a versatile set!  Love, love, love it.  The piece of cake was colored with Copics and then fussy cut out.  I stamped and masked a single candle multiple times to get a grouping of candles.  These were colored with Copics as well and fussy cut out.  I picked out another stencil, this one scattered numbers, perfect for a birthday card.  I sponged the background, then stamped the sentiment from the Humorous Birthday Innies Stamp Set.  I grounded the cake and candles with a black circle and added black sequins to finish off the card.  

Lastly, I had a little bit of fun with the Make a Wish Stamp Set!  Is it bad that this is the first thing I 'saw' when I saw this icing???  

I kept the card CAS, stenciled a background and popped up the 'emoji' on dimensional tape.  I added a sentiment from the A Little Snarky Stamp Set.  

Head over to Sweet n Sassy Stamps to check out all of the November release stamps.  Buy the bundle and save some money!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a blessed week all!

Lee Ann  

Vintage and Versatile!

 Hello, Hello!  

The new Vintage Van Stamp Set is just adorable; better yet, it is soooo versatile!  

It is certainly fun to use for Christmas cards as in this card below~

The background was made with various blue and purple Colorburst Watercolor powders.  I simply wet the paper, sprinkled on color and wet some more.  I dried with my heat gun and then sprinkled and spritzed another layer.  Voila!  Prefect night sky!  For a more wintry look, I splatted the background with water and pressed a papertowel to it to pick up the water along with some of the color.  Then I splattered lots of watered down white guoache paint to create a blizzard. 

The van was colored with Copics but first,  I masked off the logo/heart in the center of the van and then stamped the wreath with the word 'Joy' in green.  I used a black water based marker on the word 'Joy' and stamped over it several times.  Once I was happy with the wreath, I colored the rest of the van with copics and fussy cut it out.  I also stamped the tree with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and fussy cut it out, then adhered it to the back of the van. 

The Sentiment comes from the set Christmas Pine.  

This next card has more of a 60's vibe with a background that was made with the shaving cream technique. 

 

 It was the perfect background to pair with a van that was colored orange with a pink heart.   I added the bunch of balloons and the roof rack of presents, all colored with Oranges, yellows and pinks.  I colored in pavement under the van and then fussy cut the pavement and around the top and sides of the van.  I adhered it to a white panel matted in pink.  The sentiment was stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I popped the panel up on dimensional tape and adhered it to the psychedelic background.  A few sequins finish it off.  

I love the two very different looks AND uses for these cards!   

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann

Two Cards, Same Color Palette

Hello! 

I hope you are enjoying all of the new release inspiration; I have been having so much fun creating with the August stamps. 

I decided it would be fun to make two completely different cards , but in the same color palette.  Let's start with the more subtle of the two~

This beauty is from the stamp set, Bushel of Blessings; the image is stamped on Neenah Solar White cs and colored with Copics.  I am really trying to loosen up in my coloring; I hope it shows here!   I used a sentiment from the set as well- don't you just love the font!!?! - and stamped it in a dark brown ink.  Then I embellished the image panel with layers of patterned paper and cardstock.  A few sequins and a hemp twine bow finish it off. 

Next up, the EXACT same marker colors, using the Like a Sunflower Stamp Set.   

Yep, this one is BOLD!  I stamped the image multiple times on Neenah Solar white cs with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then colored the images and the background with the Copic markers.  I also added Glossy Accents to the flower centers. The sentiment, from the Rose Banner Stamp Set, was heat embossed in white on black cs.  I die cut a small circle from a sponged scrap panel I had sitting on my desk and used it to ground the sentiment strip. 

Here are the marker colors that I used~

That's it for me!  Don't forget, you can get a great discount on this month's release when you buy all 4 stamp sets! 

And with a $75 purchase you get the August Stamp of the Month for Free! 

And if that isn't enough, a $75 purchase gets you FREE shipping!  (US only)

Have a crafty day! 

Lee Ann 

Roses for Days!

Hello Everyone! 

Have you checked out July's release?  Yes, I did say July!  How can that be???  I happen to be in Florida right now, visiting my parents.  I feel like once I get home, I am going to blink and the summer will be over. 
Anyway, back to the new stamps.  True Beauty.  It IS a beauty!  So versatile! 

My first card was super fun to make.  I really did not even plan it out; I was crafting with a friend and it just happened, lol.  I may need to craft with her more often! 

This was so so simple; I did not even put the image on a stamp block!  I used the rose image in the bottom right hand corner.  I simply inked up the stamps with distress inks to create an ombre design. 

Once the background was done, I stamped a butterfly from the Made New Stamp Set with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it with Copics.
The butterfly was grounded with a sprig of leaves die cut from vellum, as well as a sentiment strip in black.  The sentiment is from the Sentimental Mash Up Set ( I love this set!) and is heat embossed in white embossing powder. 
This next card came out of that same crafting session~

This time I used the solid rose image and the outline rose image.  I stamped the outline first, and then, using my MISTI, I inked up the solid image, using two different colors of distress inks on each rose.  Then, using some very simple masking, I stamped the outlines of the leaves followed by stamping the solid leaves, again, using two different colors of green distress inks.  I die cut the rose panel with a scallop frame die and popped the frame up on dimensional adhesive.  The sentiment, from the Mason Jar Bouquet Stamp Set, was heat embossed with white embossing powder.

And lastly, a more typical card, at least for me- there is Copic coloring!

 
I did some no line coloring this time, using the outline rose image again.  The image was stamped with Antique Linen Distress Ink on Neenah Solar White cs and then colored with Copics markers. 
After fussy cutting the flower out, I went to work on the background panel. 
A stencil and some Coloringz spray is all that was used for the background.  And that sprig of leaves pops up again, this time die cut from white cardstock.  'Hello' is stamped in a yellowish green ink that looks more black here than irl. 
That's it for me!  I hope I have inspired you to just PLAY with this set!  I promise you, you will love it. 


Thanks for visiting!

Lee Ann 

I Thought it Was a Birthday Card!

Hello All!

OK, you can just call me crazy right now.  It is May 19th and I am posting a Mother's Day card.  That's right a day late (or a week and a half) and a dollar short, as the saying goes.

I really thought I had made this as a birthday card, but as you can see, that is clearly not the case.  But I had to share anyway because I love how this turned out and it is not often that I do lots of paper layers.
The butterfly, from the Begin Again Stamp Set, was stamped with Versamark ink on vellum.  I decided to use some embossing powder which I have had, NIP, for years.  It is a Verdigris color, a Tim Holtz distress embossing powder, which they apparently don't even make anymore, lol.  So, I am a little slow to use things!
Anyway, I loved the look; the butterfly was fussy cut out.  I had a piece of a monoprint that I made with my gel plate and the colors looked beautiful together.  I added several layers of patterned paper to make the butterfly pop.  Some twine around the monoprint and some sequins finish it off.  The sentiment is from the In This Together Stamp Set, but since it is past Mother's Day, I would recommend something else, lol!
Next up, a card with a sentiment that is actually perfect for the present time.

I was so excited to get this Life and Lemons set!  The lemons and stylized leaves...so fun! I colored up 3 sets of lemons and leaves with Copics and fussy cut them out.  Using a card sketch from CASE This Sketch, I assembled a super easy and very CAS card.  And in this case, that sentiment is timely!  I hope you are making lemonade where ever you are.  God is in the business of lemonade!

Have a great day, y'all!

Lee Ann  

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 

For Such a Time as This

Hello All!

I have a couple of cards to share with you today using the Succulents Stamp Set.

These were easy-to-color images that I did not get all detailed with, nor did I think about things like light source much.  I just did some basic coloring with Copic markers.
The 3 images were fussy cut out; then came trying to figure out what to do with them.  Nothing seemed quite right until I landed upon a monoprint made with acrylic paint and my gel plate.
The background panel was cut with a stitched rectangle die.  The succulents were attached, using foam tape to pop up the top most image. The sentiment is from the Love Wordfetti Stamp Set.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a colorist.  I typically shy away from silhouette stamps.  I was determined to use a silhouette stamp from this set.  The outcome was this wreath, made with the larger of the two silhouette images in the stamp set.

I stamped my wreath in desert-like colors and then fussy cut the wreath out.  I die cut a white frame and then used my Wood Background Stamp Set to create a wood grain effect on the frame.  I stamped in a light grey ink.
The inside panel of the frame was done on a medium grey cardstock and again stamped with the woodgrain stamp, this time in time in a darker grey ink.
The sentiment is from the Sentimental Mash Up Stamp Set.  I stamped the 'Hugs' in Onyx Black Versafine Ink directly onto the card and then heat embossed it with clear ep.  'To you' was stamped on a dark gray strip and heat embossed in white.
After spritzing the wreath with an irridescent Shimmer Spray, I popped it up on dimensional tape, surrounding the word 'Hugs'.  I glued the 'to you' onto the wreath and added a few sequins to finish it off. 
I made these cards to send to my parents to encourage them during this unsettled time.  Being in their 80s, they are pretty much house bound for the long haul.
It sure is easy to get caught up in the panic of it all, but believers can get out there and share God's love.  For we were created 'for such a time as this.'  

Have a blessed day all! 

Lee Ann 

Rustic Easter

Hello! 

Lee Ann here, with a couple of cards made with the new Rustic Easter Stamp Set, illustrated by the talented Jenn Nilsson. 

This cross and nails image is just amazing, and so central to the real meaning of Easter.  I just had to use this image. 
I stamped it using my MISTI in Memento Desert Sand ink and then colored with Copics, using the no line coloring technique.  Once I was done coloring the image, I put the panel back in the MISTI and inked up the wood cross portion with Memento Rich Cocoa ink to add some of the definition of the wood back in.  Finally, I fussy cut the image out. 
The background panel was one from my stash, made with leftover distress inks from a previous smooshing or painting project.  I loved how the bluish gray color of the background panel draws the eye to the gray nails.  Lastly, for a bit of interest, and even more so, to represent the strips of linen that Christ left behind in the tomb, I added some cheese cloth  behind the cross.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set and is stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink. 

This time I used the Easter lilies image.  I used a fun technique for this bouquet.  I stamped the image 3 times, but 1 of the 3 times I stamped the mirror image.  You can do this a variety of ways but I happen to own a water media mat and was able to use that in the MISTI to do the mirror image stamping.  For an explanation of mirror image stamping, check the tutorial out here. 
Once the flowers were colored with Copics, I fussy cut them out.  I did the same for the sentiment sign.  The background panel was done by debossing the white cs with a cover die.  I spritzed some Shimmerz spray on the panel and splattered some black acrylic paint as well.  To tone down the blue spray some, I watered down some white acrylic paint and applied it to a few areas spritzed in blue. 
I added a few overlapping fine frames in varying sizes to the left hand side of the panel and then adhered the bouquet over that.  A few spring colored sequins finish it off! 
I love the variety of images in this set~

You can get the March Release Bundle at a generous savings through March 9th. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

Lee Ann 

Birthday Borders and More

Hello Friends!

Today I am sharing cards using the new Birthday Borders Stamp Set.  Best thing is, this set is not just for birthdays!
What's Valentine's Day without sweet treats?

The cupcakes are perfect for your Valentine Day cards, especially with the adorable little hearts on top of the cupcakes.  I colored the image with Copics and then fussy cut it out.  I added three 1.5" panels of cardstock in ombre teal colors to my card base.  I added some detail to the edges of the strips with a stitched edge die.
The heart was die cut from white cardstock and adhered to the panels.  I stamped the sentiment, which is from the Lots of Love Stamp Set in Versafine Black Ink using my MISTI.  The cupcakes were popped up on foam tape and adhered to the card.  A few sequins were added to finish.

Next up are those fabulous balloons.  I seem to have a thing for balloons lately...

Before doing any stamping, I painted a light wash of yellow watercolor paint (I used Ken Oliver Color Bursts), along with drips on my watercolor paper panel (I used Canson Watercolor Paper).  
I stamped the balloons using Versafine Black Ink.  I created a mask for the balloons and stamped the image 2 more times to the top of the panel.  I then stamped 4 of the balloons from the row.  They were later fussy cut out.  Stamping was done with the MISTI so I could stamp over the image multiple times, which is necessary given the rough texture of watercolor paper. 
The balloons were water colored with Arteza Brush Pens.  I added strings to the balloons using a 01 Pigma Micron Pen.
I added splatters in orange and teal with Ken Oliver Colorbursts.  The sentiment is from the new set, Sentimental Mash Up.  I love this set!  You get so many options and so many fonts; it is a super fun set.  Even the name is fun!  This set also happens to be the February Stamp of the Month.

And being the beginning of the month, you can take advantage of the February Release Early Bird Bundle!

That's it for me!  I hope I have inspired you to craft today!

Lee Ann 

Winter Friends

Hello All!

The countdown to Christmas is on!  Are you still making Christmas cards?

Today I am sharing a couple of cards that can be Christmas or general winter cards.  The first one uses the brand new Winter Hugs Stamp Set.

He is just the cutest!  I colored him with Copics, using the pointillism technique to give him a bit of a warm, fuzzy, baby penguin look.
The background was actually a reject from a prior project.  I stamped snowflakes from the Folk Art Stamp Set in Versamark ink and heat embossed them in white.  Then I used the Smooshing technique to add pink and red color to the background.
Snowy hills, a sentiment and a few sequins finish it off.
This next card uses some oldies but goodies stamp sets.

I started with the line of trees from the Thrill of Hope Stamp Set.  I used my MISTI to get perfect placement and did second generation stamping in red ink.  I stamped the larger two trees in the same red ink, again using my MISTI so I could get good coverage of ink.
Next, I stamped snowflakes from the Thrill of Hope Stamp Set as well as the Snow Much Fun Stamp Set in grey.  Lastly, I stamped the deer image in the Thrill of Hope Stamp Set in Versafine Black, using the MISTI to get solid ink coverage.
I was inspired by some of Korin's recent cards to use patterned paper and do some layering; this was difficult as it is not something I do often anymore!  I do like how it turned out though.  I added a sentiment strip across the bottom, heat embossing several sentiments from the Christmas Wordfetti Stamp Set in silver ep.  Some embellies and a linen thread bow finish it off!

That's it for me!  I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I will see you back on the blog next year!

Lee Ann 

Poinsettia x3

Hello Everyone!

Lee Ann here, with more Christmas cards using the gorgeous Poinsettia Greetings Stamp Set.

First up is a pink Poinsettia, colored with Copics.  I CASed this design from an amazing talent in blogland, Yana Smakula.  The poinsettia was initially stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink using my MISTI, then colored with Copics. Once I was done coloring, I put the panel back in my MISTI, stamped the image with Versamark ink and heat embossed it in gold.  I then fussy cut the flower out.
I did some tone on tone stamping with the flower in the lower right hand corner of the card.  To allow the large, Copic colored flower to blend into the card front better, I colored the outer edges of the fussy cut flower with a pink Copic that matched the pink cardstock.
I selected several sentiments from the Christmas Wordfetti Stamp set and heat embossed them in white across a black sentiment strip.

Next up, I decided I needed a softer poinsettia, as everything that I had done so far was very bold in color.

I used a bunch of Shimmerz Paints products on the card and love how different it turned out from all of my other poinsettia cards.  Details for this are on my blog.
For the third poinsettia card using the Poinsettia Greetings Stamp Set, I CASed myself, making a green poinsettia similiar to the blue one I shared earlier this month.

You can probably guess that I love this stamp!  It is a real beauty.  I got out my trusty Ken Oliver Color Bursts for this card and stamped the image in Versafine Black ink on watercolor paper.  I used mostly green Color Bursts (Pthalo Green, Lime Green), but I did add in a bit of Turquoise to the flower and a lot of it to the background.  I spattered the card front with black watercolor splatters and watered down white acrylic paint.
The image panel is matted on shiny gold paper and mounted on the white card base.  Sequins finish it off.  
Thats it for me! 
I hope I have inspired you to try different methods of coloring with this stamp! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lee Ann
www.greytpapercrafts.blogspot.com

Snow Much Fun!

Hello, Hello!

Yes, it is that time of year, when everything seems to revolve around Christmas preparations.  That includes greeting cards!  This month's stamp sets have wowed me!  Versatile, compatible with each other and just plain fun!  Like these snow peeps!

These adorable snowmen are from the Snow Much Fun Stamp Set designed by Krista Hamrick.  Gosh, they are cute!  I colored this one with Copics and fussy cut him out.
The background is done with the new Folk Art Snowflakes Stamp set by  NinaB Designs.  I stamped the largest of the flakes in Versamark ink on watercolor paper and heat embossed white.  Next, the background received a light wash of Daniel Smith Watercolor paint in blue.  I let it dry and then added a second layer. 
The smaller snowflake was done similarly, then it was fussy cut out.  I layered the snowflakes and popped the snowman up on dimensional tape. 
The perfect sentiment seemed to be 'Be Jolly' from the Deck the Halls Stamp Set.  I was able to get a nice,solid image because I used my MISTI which allowed me to stamp multiple times, getting good coverage on the watercolor paper. 
The next card is similar (and I do seem to be in a color rut, LOL!), as I used the same Snow Much Fun Stamp Set and did a watercolor wash on the back panel. 

Mr. Snowman is again colored with Copics and fussy cut out. 

The snowflakes, some of which are from the Snow Much Fun set and some from the Folk Art Snowflakes set, were stamped in versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  Next, I did a wash of Daniel Smith Watercolor in teal/aqua shades.  I let the first layer dry and added a second layer after that. 
Instead of stamping a sentiment, I used a die cut 'Be Jolly'.  I came up with the idea of him twirling atop the 'l' in Jolly.  I die cut the words 4 times in white cs and glued them together for dimension, after coloring the top die cut in aqua/teal Copics in ombre fashion.  Sequins and some Wink of Stella were added for shine. 

That's all for me today! 
Don't forget, this month's FREE stamp set is the stunning Poinsettia Greetings, with a purchase of $75 or more. 
Plus, You can save 10% on the new release bundle until November 9th, so if you were considering shopping, now is the time! 
AND, it is Sweet n Sassy Stamps 12 Birthday and we are celebrating this amazing company!  All month long you can save 12%- and that includes the new release bundle!  See site for details. 

The Splendor of Autumn

Hello Everyone!

Lee Ann here, sharing cards using the new set, Autumn Splendor.  I have been crafting up a storm with this set, ever since it actually started feeling like fall here in St Louis.  I love the different sized leaves, allowing for a lot of flexibility with how you use the stamps.

I used the larger of the images for this card as I planned on covering the card front.  Once I stamped the leaves onto Neenah Solar White CS using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, I used the Typewriter Text Background Stamp-without mounting it on a block or the MISTI- and partially inked it with the same black ink and randomly stamped it over the leaves.  I love the texture it gives the leaves.
Then it was just a matter of coloring everything.  The entire card is colored with Copics, including the background.  I really did not do much shading. I tried to keep one half of each leaf darker than the other to give it dimension.  I colored the background similarly, darker around the darker side of the leaves.
The sentiment is heat embossed with Rose Gold embossing powder, which in real life, matches the orange colored leaves well.  I bit of linen thread behind the sentiment strip finishes the card.

My second card is water colored with my favorite Ken Oliver Colorbursts.  I love the vivid color you get with these powdered water colors. 

I did no line coloring; the leaves were stamped in Memento Desert Sand ink on water color paper.  I used the wet on wet technique, dropping in various shades or yellow, orange, and red.  When the leaves were dry, I added the veins with Burnt Umber paint.
I stamped the sentiment, from Inspirational Word Art 1 and then framed it with a scalloped rectangle die and patterned paper.  I embellished it with my leaves and a bow.

That's it for me!  Don't forget the New Release Blog Hop tomorrow!  

Happy Stamping! 

Lee Ann  

Warm Cocoa Wishes

Hi Everybody, Regina here.... 

It has been in the high 70's the last few weeks and now it's in the low 60's and 50's.  That's COLD for Mississippi weather lol.  I know, if you live up North you're chuckling right now. :)

I love to drink flavored coffees and hot chocolate when it starts getting cooler outside so I thought it was time to pull out this stamp set by Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps called Winnie's Warm Wishes. 

I used a Tim Holtz stencil for the background called Holiday Knit.  I love this stencil for holiday and winter cards.  For the very first time, I used my new Clarity Stencil Brushes.  I like the soft look but you do have to apply many layers.  I tend to press harder with a jumbo sponge dauber and always seem to make it darker than I would've liked so these definitely will solve that problem.  I used Gina K Designs Ocean Mist and Jellybean Green Inks and card stocks. 

I colored the cups with Copic Markers and added Nuvo drops in Gloss White on the marshmallows for some dimension and shine.  For some subtle shine on the hearts, I used the Sakura Glitter Pen in Clear Star.  You'll notice there is one cup in this set.... I mirrored it to make the other one. I used a piece of acetate and stamped the cup in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and pressed it gently on the card stock.  It's not going to stamp as crisp as the original one but I went over it with a black Faber Castel PITT Artist Pen with super fine tip and cut them out. 

Next I embossed the words I wanted for the card on Gina K Designs Black Onyx card stock with Brutus Monroe Alabaster Ultra Fine Embossing Powder and cut into strips. 

To finish it off, I used clear sequins which I think add such a lovely touch without interrupting the other items on the card. 

I like this stamp set also to make cards to send out after the New Year as well. 

For more inspiration, please visit my blog at http://cardsbyregina.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Regina

Christmas Blocks

Hi Everybody,

Have you started making your Christmas cards?  Hopefully I will inspire you to start them with this super cute stamp set from Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps.

The stamp set I used is called Christmas Blocks, the blocks are easy and quick to color and so many ways to use them.

I used kraft card stock for the base, layering white for bottom layer and cherry red card stock for the plaid die, all card stock from Gina K Designs.

I decided to go with a star theme since the reindeer has stars in his block.  I used Copic Markers to color the blocks and added a little shine with a clear Spectrum Noir pen.  I used Gina K Designs cherry red ink to match the card stock, don't you just love when things match like that? I stamped the sentiment on a banner die using the MISTI.  To add a little more embellishment, I used the Star Dies from Sweet 'N Sassy.  Matter of fact, the star dies are currently on sale.  I cut them out with red glitter paper. 

This card has several layers but is an easy card to make.  I hope I inspired you to start your Christmas cards in September lol. 

For more inspiration stop by my blog at http://cardsbyregina.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Regina