Abstract Grunge

I was trying to create some abstract art for my card. I used distress paints. The daisy from STAMPlorations Bloom Sketches set, the grunge from their new Mixed Media Grunge set, and the leaves and dots are old stamps I had. The card has that abstract look I was going for with a bit of grunge.

Abstract Grunge is linked to:
STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2015/04/bi-weekly-sketch-challenge-32.html
Simon Says http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2646
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html
Just Us Girls http://justusgirlschallenge.blogspot.com/2015/04/just-us-girls-290-photo-week.html
STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/p/stamplorations-anything-goes-challenge.html

How Punny!

Now this is a funny pun. Two roosters having cocktails!! Simon Says Wednesday challenge is having a clean and simple thme. I thought this image would be perfect with a little color, glitter and a pun!!

How Punny is linked to:
Simon Says http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-clean-and-simple/
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html

Numbers and Roses

Just posting a card I made for STAMPlorations stamps and numbers. I could not get the number embossing out of my brain so I used yellow roses from the Blossom Overture set for this card.

Numbers and Roses is linked to:
STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/p/stamplorations-anything-goes-challenge.html
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html

Feel Better

A simple card made for STAMPlorations stamps and numbers.

Feel Better is linked to:
STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/p/stamplorations-anything-goes-challenge.html

Daisy Patch

I love this Bloom Sketches stamp set from STAMPlorations. I am not a flowery person and it took me a while to order it. After seeing all the cards that were being made with the set, I took the plunge. I have not used the set but not all the sentiments yet...that will not work. So today, I took purple, orange and blue distress paint and put it on the daisy stamp. Then I stamped on the card alternating the colors. I just love the fun look of it. A solid color was needed so I used green distress paint and stamped some leaves. I need some cards with different sayings, and you're special is a good one to use. I stamped it in black.

Simon says has a clean and simple challenge that I would like to enter Daisy Patch into.

It took me a while to invest in distress paints but now that I have I love them! They are easy to use and I am sure I have not even used them to their potential!! I need more colors!!

Daisy Patch is linked to:
STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/p/stamplorations-anything-goes-challenge.html
Simon Says http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-clean-and-simple/
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-thankful-thursday-154-challenge.html

The Mixed Media Challenge http://themixedmediacardchallenge.blogspot.com/search/label/challenge

Hello Ewe

Just a card with the Mojo Monday sketch. A few of my family are getting together this week and will make this card along with some others. I love my family!! Five of us are going to the library to take a class making a sewing kit out of paper. She just started doing two classes a month so we could all sign up!!

I accidently grabbed the gold paint and put it on the ewe so I had to cover it with white. We say smears to you when we do this!!

Hellow Ewe is linked to:
Mojo Monday http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2015/04/mojo-monday-394.html
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html

Circle This

Sketch number 32 at STAMPloratioons is a stumper. I am not a clean and simple card maker and I think this sketch lends itself to the CAS style. I also wanted to incorporate Due Date from Simon Says Monday Challenge into the card.

I cut a circle in the center of the card and stamped a grunge image on the inside. A date stamp was also stamped into the image. Then using Distressed paints, flowers were stamped. Love the orange and purple together. I took a paint brush end and dotted around the outside of the circle. Sequins and bling were added.

Circle This is linked to:
STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2015/04/bi-weekly-sketch-challenge-32.html
Simon Says http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2614
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html

Spring Flowers

Tim Holtz did an April watercoloring tag. I wanted to try his technique and did a Spring Flowers tag.

I stamped the flowers and leaves. Using my paint brush, I watercolored the flowers and leaveswith Worn Lipstick and Mowed Lawn DI. I tryed to make different shades on the flowes and leaves. I stamped specks with Vintage Photo DI. Then I used Peacock Feathers DI to watercolor the background. I added hello dipped in Vintage Photo DI and a Worn Lipstick stamped with specks banner.

Spring Flowers is linked to:
Tim Holtz 12 tags of 2015 April Challenge http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-april/

MIxed Media Flowers

I am CASing Shery's inspiration project post number eleven with a mixed media card http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2015/04/inspiration-post-april-10.html. I just love this style and had to try it again. I used DI paint and inked the flower and hexagon stamps. The distressed look is great. I added the black paper strip and stamped with the postage and arrow stamp. I added the sentiment from STAMPlorations Fond Expressions. I LOVE this stamp set! I inked the flower center up with yellow DI paint and added it randomly to the card and the center of the flowers.

Mixed Media Flowers is linked to:
The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge because April Showers bring May flowers http://mixedmediamc.blogspot.com/2015/04/mixed-media-monthly-challenge-11-april.html
STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/search/label/April%20CASEplorations
The Mixed Media Card Challenge http://themixedmediacardchallenge.blogspot.com/2015/04/mmcc-10-flowers.html
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-make-your-own-background-2/

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

Earth Day-recycle is the theme of this weeks Bugaboo challenge. Since we have been hearing about water shortages in many areas of the country, a water image was perfect. This little duck is sailing in clean, fresh water.

I used the Mojo Monday sketch for this card and I think it came out pretty cute. I embossed the background paper and the blue strip. The black paper is an adhesive paper no glue required...LOVE it. A gold string and star complete the card.

This card is linked to:
Bugaboo http://catchthebugblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/weekly-challenge-earth-day-recycle.html
Mojo Monday http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2015/04/mojo-monday-393.html

Scraps

Digging through my scrap box I found these papers to make a card completely out of scraps because my nieces challenged me to. I have to say I cut an old Christmas card apart and the green is what is left of it. I love watermelon and I love how this card turned out. Arouund the sentiment I used a tear drop punch to make the watermelon seeds.

Scraps is linked to:
Hiding In My Craft Room http://www.hidinginmycraftroom.com/2015/04/himcr-195-super-scraps-saturday.html
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html

Graffiti Butterfly

House of Cards has a great color challenge with the optional element of butterflies. The colors to use are white, black, red, blue and yellow.

I saw Shery's card on STAMPloration's inspiration post number eleven http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2015/04/inspiration-post-april-10.html and fell in love with it. Shery's card needed CASing!! She also sent a thank you with my last stamp order with the graffiti. It is such a cool look and very far out of my neat clean lines style. I have to tell you, I had so much fun making this card.

So I stamped the butterflies and went over them with different DI paints. Since I do not have red, I used Fired Brick DI and painted it on. Then I stamped the images and added the paper strip.

It is fun creating your background and letting go of the straight lines. I love this card and I am sending it to my sister Julie as she likes her straight lines and clean look more than I do!!

Graffiti Butterfly is linked to:
House of Cards http://www.houseofcardschallenge.blogspot.com/2015/04/april-challenge-week-one-add-butterfly.html
STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/search/label/April%20CASEplorations
Simon Says Monday http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2600
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html

Wild Thing

Lately I am sending out cards hot off the press. This card is going to a CCC friend. Shery at STAMPlorations has been providing so much inspiration for me lately. Today I am CASEing her card from inspiration project post number twelve.

Using one of my favorite Stamping Up flower stamps and this great new Fond Expressions set. This Fond Expressions set has paid for itself already as it is my go to sentiment set. I also used the Mini Mixed Media Backgrounds set.

This weekend I tried my hand at watercoloring. I love it. So I colored the flowers with Worn Lipstick DI and wanted a deeper, brighter color so I just put the paint brush on the ink pad and brushed away. Then I added Mustard Seed DI to the flower centers. The Mini Mixed Media Backgrounds added the grunge amongst the flowers. Then a strip of paper was added with the sentiment.

Wild Thing is linked to:
STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/search/label/April%20CASEplorations
The Mixed Media Challenge http://themixedmediacardchallenge.blogspot.com/2015/04/mmcc-10-flowers.html
DL Art April Challenge http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html
Red Rubber Inspirationals http://blog.red-rubber-designs.com/2015/04/inspirational-215-spring-flowers.html
Craft Stamper Magazine http://www.craftstamper.blogspot.com/2015/04/take-it-make-it-april-challenge.html
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-april-showers-andor-spring-flowers/

Here FISHY in Acetate

So I wanted a fish to look like he was looking through and aquarium. I took the sketch from STAMPlorations and added acetate to the front of the fish image. Stamplorations has a new stamp set call Fond Expressions I could not wait to use.

Here FISHY in Acetate is linked to:
STAMPlorations

Here FISHY

This is one of my favorite fish images. Using the Mojo Monday sketch and DL art has a challenge to use orange Here FISHY was created.

There is seaweed and a jar of fish flakes in the lower right of the image.

Here FISHY is linked to:
Mojo Monday http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2015/04/mojo-monday-392-contest.html
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-thankful-thursday-challenge-154.html
Crazy 4 Challenges http://crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/2015/04/crazy-4-challenges-c4c281.html

Feeling Crabby

This is a cute Bugaboo stamp http://www.bugaboostamps.com/Crab-scuba_p_2776.html

and I have a niece/Goddaughter that has a birthday this weekend. When I saw the Stella Says Sketch #307, I knew this crab was perfect for it!

I ran a piece of terquoise through the bubble embossing folder. Using large zig zag scissors, the green was cut. After the image was colored and ran through circle die cuts, it was ready to assemble.


I hope Heather's birthday is as fun as this card is. She has four kids even though there is a crab on her card...I have never seen her one bit crabby!!

Feeling Crabby is linked to:

DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html

Catch the Bughttp://catchthebugblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/stella-says-sketch-challenge-307.html
Simon Says A is for Aquariumhttp://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2577

Stamps and Numbers

What an honor to get to guest design at STAMPlorations. After telling Shery I would do it, it kind of felt like I was in a pressure cooker...I am out of my comfort zone. Usually, I enter challenges, no problem. But somehow, this was different. What if I have a mojo block? What if I had an ugly card. I had an end date knowing I had committed to make a card...could I have a committment problem?? Perhaps I will self diagnose and say I have anxiety issues. So I calmly told myself...just make a card...you have done this before.

I was sent the theme of stamps and numbers. I made several cards and asked my family which one they liked best. Who would of thought each one would like a different card. That meant I had to go with my gut instinct and chose the card I liked best!! I used the Bloom Sketches stamp set and an embossing folder.

I wanted to represent the numbers so I also embossed a number in the leaves so it would look like the leaf veins.

I have to say this was a great experience...getting out of the comfort zone is good. I do not know why I was worried about making a card. This has been a great opportunity and I thank Shery at STAMPlorations. I have great respect for the design team that come up with great inspiration weekly, bi-monthly and monthly.

Stamps and Numbers is linked to:
The Challenge(one year anniversay celebration)http://www.alwaysplayingwithpaper.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-challenge-one-year-anniversary.html
DL Art http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2015/04/dlart-april-linky-challenge.html
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STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/p/stamplorations-anything-goes-challenge.html

Light It Up For Autism Awareness

What a great cause to bring out the blue! It is such an honor to make a card for the awareness of Autism.

For my card, I went out of my comfort zone and purchased distressed paints. Using blue and green, I dabbed them on an embossing folder and sprayed it with water. Then I took the cardstock and placed it on the inked embossing folder and gently touched it to soak up the color. Then, it dried. I love the image!! Then I stamped the goldfish image and colored it with Copics and fussy cut it. I added birthday fishes, sequins and the goldfish bag to the card.

Best Fishes is linked to:
Simon Says http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-happy-birthday-3/
Eclectic Ellapuhttp://eclecticellapu.blogspot.com/
Simon Sayshttp://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2568
STAMPlorations http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2015/04/caseplorations-april.html I CASEd Deepti's card from this weeks CASEplorations. She covered the entire background with an image. Then she added a small image with a sentiment to make a beautiful card.

A Quartet of Bunnies

Hiding in My Craft Room has an any holiday t challenge this week. This bunny image from Bugaboo is so sweet. I used the woodgrain embossing folder with kraft cardstock and black ink to created the bottom wood wall. Then I cut a strip of this paper to create the ledge the bunnies were sitting on. I used brown ink and sponged under the strip to create a shadow. After coloring the bunnies and their baskets and eggs, I colored the bee and lady bug sandwiched with them. Glitter was added as highlights to the eggs and bee's wings. Then I sponged clouds in the sky...looks like Easter will be a beautiful day!! Then the sentiment, flowers and leaves were added. The last step was to add the bling to the center of the flowers.

A Quartet of Bunnies is linked to:
Hiding in My Craft Room http://www.hidinginmycraftroom.com/2015/03/himcr-193-any-holiday.html
DL Art

Simon Sayshttp://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2568