Autumnal Sunshine

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I've been for a walk 
On a winter's day

                                                               "California Dreamin' "

Mother Nature seems to have skipped over fall and sent us right into winter...it is 28 degrees in central Louisiana this morning! I haven't even had a chance to enjoy the cool, sunny fall days that I love. I will be taking advantage of the warmer temps next week!

There's a new challenge up on the Southern Girls blog and the theme is to use inks or sprays. The sponsors for this challenge are Neat and Tangled and A Day for Daisies . Each company is generously offering gift certificates to our randomly chosen winners, so be sure to link up your inky creations for a chance to win!

I created an autumn themed art journal layout for my design team project. I found a quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne that sums up exactly how I feel on beautiful fall days!



I used three digital images from A Day for Daisies in my design, A Barrel of Blossoms,  Catching Leaves, and Joy. I love the versatility of using digital images in my designs! I created my design in Photoshop Elements, printed on mixed media paper, and used Gansai Tambi watercolors, distress inks and Prismacolor pencils to color the images.

I can think of so many fun techniques with inks and sprays, but I chose simplicity for this project.  I added some background spatters with an OLD bottle of metallic copper Memories Mist. I haven't used it in years and it still works! The spray mechanism was clogged, so I just took it off and used it to flick droplets onto the background. I also added some water droplets to lift some of the distress ink from the background for added interest. All of the different mediums worked well together. I even blended the colored pencils with Gamsol and didn't get any lifting from the watercolors or distress inks. This is definitely a combination I'll use again! 

Be sure to visit the Southern Girls blog for more inspiration from the Design Team and link up your "inked and sprayed" creation for a chance to win one of our prizes or be one of the Southern Girls' top 5!

I'll look for you in the gallery! 

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Frame of Mine

This month's Club Scrap Artist Team Challenge Blog Hop was inspired by the July NBUS Challenge on the Club Scrap chat forum. The challenge is to make pages, cards, or other projects featuring a “frame” (or frames) designed using rubber stamps or stencils. I took a few creative liberties with this challenge...and made them frames of mine!

Card #1 CAS (Clean and Simple)

No layers, just CAS! I used Club Scrap® 's Vintage Botany dandelion overlay stencil paired with the "wish" sentiment from the Jumbo Unmounted stamp images from the same kit. Then, I went waaaaaaay back and used the stitching stencil from the 2012 Navajo kit to create the frame. I used different colors of Gansai Tambi watercolors for the colorful splatters. 

Card #2 Shadow Box Card

I absolutely LOVE this fun card! I pulled out my Club Scrap®  Paradise stamp images (and I even had some scraps of the card stock left) to create this fun shadow box card! (these Paradise kit items are 50% off through today!)



The stamp images just beg to be colored and that is exactly what I did. I colored them with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and fussy cut them out to create the tropical clusters.



The 3D effect on this card is so intriguing! You automatically want to turn it upside down and look inside!



Card #3 Four Flap Card

[vimeo 5805045 w=640 h=368]

Four Flap Card from Club Scrap on Vimeo.

You gotta watch the video, this card is such a fun card to decorate! I used card stock and stamp images from Club Scrap® 's 2009 Artifacts kit.



Unfold the four flaps and voila, a hidden panel to add a note or decorate any way you like!



I added a little flair with Versamark ink, copper foil embossing powder and some gem eyes for sparkle.





I fussy cut the frog image and added a mini action wobble! I love playing with those things!

[wpvideo ksLEXkFZ]

Your next stop on the hop is Karen on the Club Scrap blog, where you’ll also find the full list of bloggers. Glad you stopped by to visit and come back anytime!



SUPPLIES LIST:

I link to sources for your convenience. Affiliate links are used at no extra cost to you.

Club Scrap Paradise Kit Items on Sale Through TODAY! 50% off! 

[gallery ids="9256,9257,9258" type="rectangular"]

Vintage Botany kit 

[gallery ids="9263,9264" type="rectangular"]

Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers



Gansai Tambi Watercolors



Art Impressions Mini Action Wobbles



CHALLENGES ENTERED:

Seize the Birthday "Splatter"

Just Us Girls #404 Wild Card Week

Color Throwdown #453



Muse Challenge #227 Anything Goes



Club Scrap 07/17 NBUS Challenge Frames/Make a Frame

Cupcake Inspirations # 416 "Beachy" Theme! 



 

 

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Wobbles, Pop Ups and Gift Cards...Oh My!

I just love interactive cards...wobbles, pop ups, pull tabs, etc. I really wanted to make something that I had never made before and dug around in my stash of tutorials. I found a little gem called the Pop Up Gift Card by Andrea Luhman in one of my old Stamp Rap publications from Club Scrap® . This is my version using her instructions!

[wpvideo AxRNgwon]

I used the Steam Punk Balloon stamp from JFF Stamps for the focal image on the front of my card and some FABULOUS card stock from the Club Scrap Delft kit!



AND of course added an action wobble!

[caption id="attachment_5689" align="alignnone" width="800"] Stamp images colored with Kuretake Gansai Tambi Water Colors.  Club Scrap Delft card stock[/caption]

The gate fold card opens to reveal two pop up bicycle motif images and a place to insert a gift card in the center.

[caption id="attachment_5692" align="alignnone" width="800"] JFFRS High Wheeler Bicycle Motif stamp image.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5693" align="alignnone" width="800"] JFFRS Old Time Bicycle Motif stamp image.[/caption]



There's plenty of room to add birthday wishes or a sentiment of your choice!

Speaking of birthday cards, the monthly challenge is ON and waiting for you to link up your artwork for a chance to win a gift certificate to shop at JFFStamps! Click here for more details AND be sure to follow JFF Rubber Stamps on Instagram for daily inspiration!

Do more of what makes you happy!



 

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Miaou!

"In France, flirting is like a way of life – it is an art form to them. It is in their culture, in their nature, in their blood. Flirting is very innocent, sweet, and never negative (like how it is sometimes perceived in the American culture)[...]

Miaou!

Yes, “meow” is correct. In France, it is quite normal for a man to say this to a girl/woman he finds attractive. It is the French catcall – and unlike in America, women typically find this flattering."

Emmanuel N., Flirting in French: 25 Head-Turning Phrases You Need To Know, Take Lessons

I have heard my share of catcalls, but never a "meow"! That would have gotten my attention and a good laugh! Most of the time it was the "wolf-whistle"but never anything that I found offensive. If anything, it made me feel pretty damn good! The thing that sucks is the day you realize that "catcall" wasn't for you! (Insert howling laughter!) Sigh...C'est la vie!

I have an innocent, sweet card to share for the Cupcakes Inspiration Challenge...I've heard this one from my husband a time or two, along with some eyebrow raising! Jeez! I can't type that without laughing! He knows when I laugh, I'm caught!

[caption id="attachment_5529" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Newton Dreams of Paris stamps and matching die set. Colored with Kuretake Gansai Tambi Water Colors, 36-Color Set and Club Scrap® cardstock from the Paris Flea Market collection[/caption]

My card features the Newton Dreams of Paris stamp and die set from today's sponsor Newton's Nook Designs. They are generously providing a $25 gift certificate for the randomly chosen winner for this week's challenge.



I am NOT a cat person, but those Newton stamp sets are super cute! I ended up buying two sets with matching dies...*eyeroll*



They are so fun to color!



Check out what the rest of the design team created here, then go make a card and enter the challenges!

Do more of what makes you happy!



Challenges entered:

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge 396

MOJO Monday 485

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Two Lost Souls Swimming in a Fish Bowl

I tried to relax on the ride home from work. The weather was cool, I had the windows down and I was in the first stages of "Aaaaahhhh...it's Friday". Then, "Wish You Were Here" started playing on the Pandora station I was listening to...such a great chill out song!

How I wish, how I wish you were here. 

We're just two lost souls 

Swimming in a fish bowl, 

Year after year, 

Running over the same old ground.

And how we found

The same old fears. 

Wish you were here.

I was tired when I got home, but knew I needed to make a card for my blog post. I picked up a little bit and sat at my craft table. I wasn't in the mood...I had just bought some Kuretake Gansai Tambi Water Colors and decided to made a color swatch on some watercolor paper to engage my creativity.

I liked the rainbow effect, so I painted some on a card sized piece. I freed myself to explore and let my creativity flow, then the ideas started rolling! I had the JFF Stamptangle Fancy Fish, Fish Bowl  and Sentiment Hearts Mini Cube stamps sitting out on my craft table and my card came together!

I liked the "see-through" effect on the fish and added the little heart to look like it had sunk to the bottom of the fish bowl.

I wrote the sentiment with a Ranger - Perfect Pen and heat embossed with white embossing powder.

I distressed the edges of the card panel with a Tim Holtz Paper Distresser, added some paint spatters and highlighted the fish bowl with the silvery pearlescent water color. I mounted the card panel on Club Scrap® card stock. I love the grungy graffiti art look that evolved!

BLOG CANDY ALERT!

 (Enter the challenge to win a gift certificate!)

CLICK HERE to join the challenge and see more inspiration from the design team!

Do more of what makes you happy!

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