Aqua-inted with Aqua Markers

We are wrapping up the summer of masterclasses at StampNation with one last class from our very own Chrissie Tobas.  This might just be one of my favorites because I love the look of watercolor and I'm always on the hunt for new ideas, tips & techniques.  Of course I signed up this week's challenge at StampNation. It is to add water.  Here is a sneak peek of my card.

Stamps: My Sunshine (Crafter's Companion) Enchanted Garden (SugarPea Designs)

Ink: Midnight (Catherine Pooler Designs)

Cardstock: Midnight, White (CPD) Distress Watercolor Paper (Tim Holtz)

Accessories: Aqua Painter Bundles in Earth and Landscape (Spectrum Noir)

Clear Embossing Powder (SU)

To go along with this masterclass we also have a challenge and a HUGE prize pack from Crafter's Companion and Spectrum Noir.  Clicky to check it out.

I didn't stop here.  I have another card coming tomorrow using my new Spectrum Noir Aqua markers, so you'll want to be sure to check back with me and see it.  

Masking Challenge Sneak Peek & Winners

Happy Wednesday!  It's the first week of Spring, so I felt the need to make a floral card for this week's challenge over at StampNation.  I used a double masking technique to create this one layer card, and spotlight some of the flowers with a bit of color.

Stamps: Enchanted Garden (SugarPea Designs)

Ink: Fiesta Blue, Midnight (Catherine Pooler Designs) Various Copics

Paper: Bright White (CPD)

The design team had a lot of fun with challenge! If you are a StampNation member and want to check out the full card along with the rest of the design team and member pictures, clicky.  If you aren't yet a member, sign up today and have full access to the site.  :)

Michele has announced the $15 CAS-ual Fridays Stamps winners from our Calling All Sistahs blog hop last week.  Were you a winner?  Clicky to go find out!  Our next hop will be on the 17th and we would love to have you be a part of it!   

Featured On

Catherine Pooler asked me if I wanted to do a guest post on her blog , so of course I jumped at the chance!  Today is the day.  I CASEd her card and my card at the same time!   Clicky to head on over there to see my full card & video.  Be sure to tell her I sent you.  :)

Stamps: All About You (CASual Fridays Stamps for SOA Beautiful World) Enchanted Garden (SugarPea Designs for SOA Beautiful World)
Ink: Black (Staz-On) Versamark
Paper: Distress Watercolor (Tim Holtz) Whisper White (SU)
Accesories: 2 Yous Fri-Dies (CASual Fridays Stamps for SOA Beautiful World) Enchanted Garden (SugarPea Designs for SOA Beautiful World) Alizarin Crimson, Pthalo Green, Violet (Color Burst Ken Oliver) Silver Embossing Powder (SU) Wonky Stitch Circle (My Favorite Things) Aquapainter

Ken Oliver Color Burst, Alizarin Crimson

Ken Oliver Color Burst, Pthalo Green

Ken Oliver Color Burst, Violet

My Favorite Things Die-namics, Wonky Stitched Circle STAX

Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush, Medium Fine Point (22653)

Ranger Distress Watercolor Cardstock

VersaMark Ink Pad

Stazon Solvent Ink Pad, Jet Black

Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, Silver

Tic Tac Toe with Mon Ami

It's Wednesday.  That means challenge day at StampNation.  For this week's challenge I created a fun game of tic-tac-toe.  Just wait until you see all the combinations you can use to inspire your creativity!  Here is a sneak peek of my exclusive card for StampNation.

To create my tic tac toe I used the prompts Circle - Square - Flower.

Stamps: Be Blessed (Verve) Beautiful Word (Gina K for SOA) Enchanted Garden (Sugar Pea Designs for SOA)

Ink: Black Onyx (Versafine) Lilac to Grape Ombre (Hero Arts) 50(Zig Clean Color Real Brush) Squeezed Lemonade (Distress)

Paper: Whisper White (Stampin' Up) Woodgrain (Essential by Ellen)

Accessories: Black Twine, Spring Flowers Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh) Enchanted Garden Dies (SugarPea Designs for SOA) Square Framelits, retired Corner Punch (SU) 

The circle in a square started off my card, so I just needed a flower.  I looked through my scrap pile to see if I could find one and that led to my second card.  :)

On the top of my pile of saved pieces was this Mon Ami flower stamped and die cut in New York last Fall.  I borrowed the stamp from Michele Gross and the stitched square dies from Maureen.  Today I colored the flower with my Zig markers, then I layered it on a piece of watercolor wash paper that was also die cut.  That was a super simple thing to create and I'm not sure why I never used it.  Basically I used a very wet brush, dipped it in purple watercolor and swiped it across my paper.  The finishing touch to this card was a leftover heart vine from one of my videos last month.  It's amazing to me how pretty this card turned out when it started with just some scraps and a little tic-tac-toe inspiration.

While I was making this card I came up with an idea for a 3rd card.  Imagine how many cards I could make if I keep trying other ways to make tic-tac-toe.  I might have enough inspiration to last me a month.  :)  That's a good challenge!

Stamps: Mon Ami (CASual Fridays Stamps) Enchanted Garden (Sugar Pea Designs for SOA)
Ink/Paint: Black Onyx (Versafine) 40, 41, 81, 82 (Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers) Simply Art Paint (Loew Cornell)
Paper: Distress Watercolor (Tim Holtz) Whisper White (Stampin' Up)
Accesories: Clear Embossing Powder (SU) Enchanted Garden Dies (Sugar Pea Designs for SOA) Blueprints 27, Zig Zag Stitched Square Dies (My Favorite Things) Wink of Stella (Zig)

Ranger Distress Watercolor Cardstock

Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Tip Marker, Clear

Loew-Cornell Simply Art Watercolor Paint Cakes 36/Pkg

My Favorite Things Die-namics, STAX Zig Zag Stitched Square

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 040, Green

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 041, Light Green

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 081, Light Violet

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 082, Purple

My Favorite Things Die-namics, Blueprints 27

Coloring Enchanted Garden

You requested it, and I made it!  Several of you asked for a video tutorial on how I colored the heart vine leaves on my cards last week.  You asked, I answered.  :)

Direct link to youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt-1J9ZiC1M

Supplies- Bristol is a must with Zig CC markers!

Scribble & Squirt (with water)

Color in outline with darkest shade.  Add wink of stella for sparkle.

Stamps: Enchanted Garden (SugarPeaDesigns for SOA Beautiful World)
Dies: Enchanted Butterfly, Enchanted Garden (SugarPeaDesigns for SOA Beautiful World)

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 033, Persian Green

Strathmore Bristol Pad 9x12

Essentials by Ellen, Julie's Smooth Bristol, 10pc-8.5" x 11"

Essentials by Ellen, Julie's Smooth Bristol, 20pc-5.5" x 5.5"

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 040, Green

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 041, Light Green

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 042, Turquoise Green

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 025, Pink

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 026, Light Pink

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 202, Peach Pink

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 082, Purple

Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black

Hero Arts Water Mist Bottle

Tim Holtz Tonic Retractable Craft Pick

3M Micropore Paper Tape, 2 pk

Memento Ink Pad, London Fog

Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Tip Marker, Clear

You Make Me Smile |SOA| Beautiful World

I am blown away by all the comments left on my blog yesterday for the blog hop. There are 450 at the time I am writing this post.  I'm working my way through them and reading them all.  You have no idea how much your comments mean to me. There is still time left to comment for your chance to win one of the 2 free boxes Catherine is giving away.  Clicky for deets.

Today is the official release of the new Beautiful World collection for Catherine Pooler's stamp of approval.  If you were on the wait list you should have the email with your link in your inbox.  If not, please email her.  In honor of this special occasion I pulled out my 3 favorite dies included in the collection.  

The coloring for this card is easier than you might think.  Be watching for a youtube video in the future for the techniques I used.  First I scribbled some Zig markers, then I spritzed with water.  Next I stamped, then I die cut.  Super easy to do!

Stamps: All About You (CAS-ual Fridays Stamps for SOA Beautiful World) Enchanted Garden (Sugar Pea Designs for SOA Beautiful World)
Ink:025, 082, 033, 040, 041, 042(Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers) Onyx Black (Versafine) Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper: Bristol Cardstock (Strathmore) Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper, Vellum Cardstock, Whisper White (Stampin' Up)
Accessories: 2 Yous Dies (CAS-ual Fridays Stamps for SOA Beautiful World) Enchanted Butterfly, Enchanted Garden (Sugar Pea Designs for SOA Beautiful World) Clear Embossing Powder (SU) Wink of Stella (Zig)

We are celebtrating release day on StampNation with a beautiful challenge.  Literally.   The challenge is to create a beautiful card, and let me just tell you each and every one of the design team members and guest designers did!  Here is a sneak peek of mine.

Stamps: Beautiful World (Gina K for SOA)
Ink: 080, 081, 082 (Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers) Pool to Navy (Hero Arts Ombre) Onyx Black (Versafine)
Paper: White Pure Luxury (Gina K Designs)
Accessories: Circle Framelits (Stampin' Up!) Sparkling Clear Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)

It's obvious I fell in love with the gorgeous Gina K stamp set, isn't it?   How could I not?    It's so elegant with a touch of whimsy.   To ink up the circle frame I used my ombre ink pad.  Would you like a video to see how to do that too?  Let me know in the comments below.  I love sharing videos that help spark your creativity!  

Hero Arts Ombre Ink Pad, Pool To Navy

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 080, Violet

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 081, Light Violet

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 082, Purple

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 025, Pink

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 033, Persian Green

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 040, Green

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 041, Light Green

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 042, Turquoise Green

Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black

VersaFine Ink Pad, Onyx Black

Strathmore Bristol Pad 9x12

WOW Embossing Powder, Super Fine - Clear Gloss

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, Sparkling Clear Mix (4mm, 6mm, 8mm &10mm )

Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Tip Marker, Clear