FRIENDLY FRIDAY

I am traveling this weekend with my husband and friends to a music festival upstate.  Today, Friday, we are to wear red to honor all of our military.  So I decided to share this swap I received at convention.

The card uses the For Your Country Stamp Set.  It also uses the Star Framelits, one of the framelits in the Chalk Talk Set, the Small Star Punch, and the Lucky Stars Embossing Folder. 

Unfortunately there is no name on the swap so I don't know who created it.

THANK YOU to all those who have given their service (and some their lives) for this our USA.

THIS & THAT THURSDAY

This is my roomie's convention swap:

It looks like DSP but is actually the Garden in Bloom Stamp Set.  It is a Two-Step set, which means you stamp the outline stamp and then the fill-in stamp on top of it.  The other cool product used is the very think Metallic Thread.

Thanks, Sondra Jumper, for a great card!

WOW WEDNESDAY

WOW!  I won a prize from our leader, Connie Heisey, for my July color challenge entry.  We were to use Wisteria Wonder, Soft Sky, and Early Espresso Stampin' Up colors.  This was my take on the challenge.

I used the Choose Happiness Stamp Set.  The brown is heat embossed and I did that by inking the stamp first with VersaMark and then inking with Early Espresso.  After stamping, heat with the heat gun.  I did the same thing with the bird, using Soft Sky ink.  The dots in the background are from a stamp in the Awesomely Artistic Stamp Set.  Two of the flowers are stamped right on the card stock.  The third flower and the bird are cut out and popped up with Dimensionals.

Can't wait to receive my stampin' prize in the mail!

TECHNIQUE TUESDAY

Today's post will show you an easy way to make a watercolor background.  First here is the card I created using the technique and the From Land to Sea Stamp Set.

The colors are Lost Lagoon, Crumb Cake and White.  First I embossed the Lost Lagoon layer with the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder.  To create the water color background behind the turtle:

Take the block size of your choice (here it is Block D) and scribble on it with the Stampin' Write Marker of your choice (here it is Lost Lagoon).

"Spritz" your block with a water spritzer.  This only takes 2 - 3 light spritzes at a distance of about 6-8 inches from the block.

Stamp your block onto your white card stock.  If you place your card stock on your Stampin' Pierce Mat, you will get more even coverage onto your paper.

Here are 2 different looks.  On the left, I spritzed more heavily and I also tilted the block a little to make the water and color "run".  The one on the right is just spritzed and then stamped.





The turtle and the little lantern on the card are colored, cut out, and popped up with Dimensionals.
Try this easy, fun technique and see what you come up with.

MISCELLANEOUS MONDAY

Here is a card I submitted for our Proverbial Stampers' Group July Sketch Challenge.

I saw a similar card posted by fellow demonstrator Crystal Komara and did my take on hers.  It reminds me that summer is still in full swing.