Flutter By

Hello, Hello! 

Low MOJO has pushed me back to messier crafting, otherwise known as mixed media or distress (in the Tim Holtz world)!  Distress inks and my MISTI were used along with the faux watercolor stamping technique to ink up this gorgeous butterfly from the Begin Again Stamp Set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  Once inked up, they were spritzed with water and then stamped onto the Canson watercolor paper. 

This was my final card after playing around, making many panels.  I stamped multiple times and with multiple colors, sometimes drying in between.  I also spattered water as well as watercolor paint spatters at then end.  Sentiment is from the Encouraging Thoughts Stamp Set. 
Here are other cards that I started out with.  Some are first generation stamping, some are second.  Some are multi stamped, some are dried inbetween, some are not. I just experimented and played! 
They all ended up being a set of cards that I gifted to a friend of mine.

Sentiment is from Encouraging Thoughts Stamp Set.

 

Sentiment is from Encouraging Thought Stamp Set. 

Sentiment is from Encouraging Thoughts Stamp Set. 

 Sentiment is from the So Thankful Stamp Set.  

Sentiment is from Sympathy Morning Glories Stamp Set.  

A few sequins on each card and some simple matting was all they needed.  

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a blessed week!

Lee Ann 

Freshly Made Sketches Gets Splattered!

Hello, Hello!

Welcome back to another Wednesday and new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches!  Our sketch designer this week is the talented Jen M.

Here is your sketch.  I stayed pretty true to the sketch this week. It is a fun one!

So I mixed up my dates and sketches and because of that you are getting a sneak peek of a new stamp set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps that will be available May 1st! 
I have been watching Tim Holtz videos to get inspired and get some mojo back.  So for this card, I made good use of my MISTI.  I placed the stamp and watercolor paper in the MISTI, inked it up with a Peacock Feathers Distress Ink, spritzed it with water and slammed the lid down on the paper.  Yep, I did say slammed.  Carefully!  I don't want you to break your MISTI doing this.
I repeated this multiple times, going back and forth between Peacock Feathers, Broken China and Evergreen Bough Distress inks.  Sometimes I sprayed the inked stamp, sometimes I spritzed the panel and sometimes I spritzed both with water.  My goal was to get splatter and spreading of the ink.  When the paper was really wet, I also tilted it and tapped it on the counter to get drips. Sometimes I dried in between inkings and sometimes I did not. In  the process of doing this, I got a solid, dark butterfly image, surrounded by a blend of blue green color.

I then stamped the image a second time on water color paper, only this time I stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed with black ep.  I used orange and pink Ken Oliver Colorburst Watercolors to paint the butterfly and then fussy cut the butterfly out.
Before finishing the card, I spritzed the image panel with an irridescent Shimmering Bliss Spray.  The fussy cut butterfly was offset so that the dark butterfly image is visible.  The sentiment was stamped using the MISTI and a few sequins were added.

My colors are from Fab Friday~

As well as Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes. 
Head on over to the blog to check out all of the inspiration from the rest of the talented team and then join us!  Can't wait to see you in the gallery!

Lee Ann 

Desert Sky

Hello and happy Weekend!

I am playing along in a couple of challenges using this awesome silhouette stamp from Technique Junkies.

The stamp is aptly named Desert Landscape Border.  I lightly sketched in a sun and mountains; using Ken Oliver Colorbursts, I colored these areas in.  Dick Blick currently has some of the best prices, if not the best price, on these watercolors right now.   Lastly, I stamped the Desert Landscape Border image, doing a bit of masking to place the large saguaro cactus over the sun.  I was able to do this with my MISTI.  Everything at My Sweet Petunia (MISTI maker) is 25% off now through August 5th in celebration of their 5th birthday!
 I got to see these cacti irl a couple of years back and am looking forward to traveling to Arizona again to see these kinds of landscapes again.

I am linking up to Cupcake Inspiration Challenge~

Just Us Girls- Summer

And to Just Add Ink~  Just Add 'C'.  I hope it is obvious I am adding Cactus!

That's it for me!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Lee Ann 

Teacher Thanks with CASE This Sketch

Hello!

Happy Summer to you!  Summer vacation officially starts for me today! Woo Hoo!  Let the travel and crafting begin!
I have the pleasure of guest designing with CASE This Sketch this week.  I decided to use the sketch for the multiple thank you cards I needed (end of the year school nurse gifts).

 Here is your sketch~

I used this fabulous apple image from Technique Junkies.  The design reminds me of mid century Pyrex patterns.

 My MISTI allowed me to use multiple different ink colors on the apple image. 

I used Lawn Fawn's Stitched Border dies for the linear elements in the sketch.  My sentiment is from the Technique Junkies Grand Greetings Stamp Set.
Looking to save some money?  You can get these stamps and other products including the MISTI, from Technique Junkies at 10% off with code TJ10LeeAnn.

Thanks so much for stopping by and can't wait to see you in the CASE This Sketch Gallery!

Lee Ann 

Celebrating Mom

Hello All!
With Mother's Day right around the corner, I have a few Mother's Day cards using Technique Junkies products to share with you.  You can shop and get 10% off your TJ order with code TJ10LeeAnn. 

I started with Neenah Solar White Cardstock and a A Colorful Life stencil (Scribble Roses), sponging a background on the right side of the panel.  Next, I stamped the stylized roses from the Technique Junkies' Faith, Hope and Love Stamp Set in a light color (Memento  Desert Sand) and colored with Copics, using the no line coloring technique- my first time doing this. I am pretty happy with how it turned out.  I also stamped the image in Versamark ink and heat embossed it in gold.
I added two different washi tapes to the bottom right corner and then used a scalloped rectangle die to die cut the panel.  I rotated the scalloped frame 180 degrees around the rectangle and the mounted the scalloped frame and the rectangle to the pink card base.
I added a small pink cardstock die cut fishtail banner and then added the fussy cut roses and leaves, using dimensional adhesive.  The sentiment is from the All the Moms Stamp Set.  The sentiment is in a single line, but using masking and my Misti, I split the sentiment up into two lines.  Some Wink of Stella and sequins finish off the card.

The image, Itoh Peonies, was stamped with white ink on navy cs and colored with Prismacolors.  I had a vision in my head of how this would turn out, but it was not happening.  I cut the main peony out of the navy cs and then stamped the image a second time on patterned paper.  I fussy cut out the flowers that frame the main peony and assembled the flowers onto purple cs.  The sentiment is from the All the Moms Stamp Set from Technique Junkies.

For this last card, I used the new All the Moms Stamp Set and  paired it with the Lollipop Flowers stamp to create a 3-D greeting for mom.

Had a heck of a time getting a good picture of this.

I used my MISTI to stamp both images.  This allowed me to ink up the stamps with multiple colors.  Once the images were complete, I fussy cut out the Lollipop Flowers and fussy cut the All the Moms image on two sides.
The images were layered onto a green cardstock background.

 I added a few pearls as flower centers.  This really turned out beautifully, but as I said,  it was a stinker to photograph.  To get the green background right, the main images were too bright.  Get the stamped images right and the green background was too dark.  :(  I tried!!!

That's it for me; thanks for sticking with me on this long post if you are still reading! 

 Remember, if you do any shopping at Technique Junkies, you get 

10% off your purchase with code TJ10LeeAnn 

(with the exclusion of new release and clearance).  

New release stamps are 15% off through May 8th. 

A Very Happy and Blessed Mother's Day

to all the Moms out there!    

Lee Ann  

Pugs and Kisses

Hi Everyone!

Time for another Technique Junkies new release card!  I have used the image, The Kiss, and the sentiment, from the Love You More stamp set.  You can get 10% off of these cuties when you use code TJ10LeeAnn.  If you find other things you just have to have, you can get 10% off as well- any stamps you choose.
So this card was done on watercolor paper~

Aren't they cute???

My MISTI helped me to add color in layers to this image.  I used Distress Inks- by masking the image in spots and inking up specific areas I was able to add color in layers.  Once I stamped the color, I moved it around with water to fill in the image.  I repeated this process 'til I reached the desired look. I love how it turned out!
What do you think?  I hope I have inspired you to give it a try!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann

My Sweet Petunia and Unity Hop!

Hello Everyone!

Today I am excited to be participating in a blog hop featuring two of my most favorite companies, Unity Stamps and My Sweet Petunia!  If you are looking for the Growing in Unity post, go HERE. 
If you follow my blog, you know how much I use/love Unity Stamps!  What you usually don't see is the incredible stamping tool that is used behind the scenes- the MISTI.  The MISTI is amazing for so many things- mass card production, perfectly straight sentiments, perfect stamping of solid images and so much more!!
Of course there are prizes for this blog hop!  Everyone who leaves a comment on all the blogs in the hop will go into a drawing for 3 prize packs from Unity and winner's choice of an Original or Mini MISTI. Please comment by May 30th at noon Central to be eligible. Winners will be posted on both the Unity Blog and the My Sweet Petunia blogs on May 31st.

I have two different takes of one stamp for you today~

This gorgeous floral image is from a Unity KOTM, Midnight Kisses.

The image is of two flowers.  I stamped the image with my MISTI, then positioned it a second time exactly where I wanted it with the MISTI.  The first two flowers were masked and the third was inked up and stamped.  The sentiment is from the same set.
Then I tried a different version of the above card.  I stamped the three flowers, as above.  Then I added more flowers using the Single Flower Miracle stamp.

And this is what I ended up with~

Same basic design, extra flowers and different colors gives you a very different card.  I love these flowers!  The sentiment is from the Girl Truly Sentiment Kit.  Flowers on both cards are colored with Copics.
Your next stop on the hop is Lisa Arana's blog.

My Sweet Petunia

Heather Hoffman

Ilina Crouse

Echo Noble

Jeanne Streiff

Angie Blom

Maureen Wong

Kary Lim

Kia Gibson-Clapper

Angeline Choo

Giovana Smith

Stephanie Gold

Lee Ann Barrett

Lisa Arana

Chris Dayton

Maria Levine

Dina Kowal

Sharon Nettleship

Vicki Garrett

Karen Maldonado

Stephanie Severin

Donna Baes

Julie Warner

Mandi Mance

Anna Wight

Noelle Reece

Angela Bode

Shemaine Smith

Tosh Leyendecker

Kris Lancaster

Kelli Hull

Gaylynn Martling

Marci Snee

Joslyn Nielson

Maria Sabina

Stephanie Muzzulin

Ceal Pritchett

Robyn Weatherspoon

Unity Blog

Thanks for stopping by and for hopping with us!

Lee Ann  

Mother's Day Butterflies

Hello Again! 

Back for a second post today- Yes, I was a busy crafter this weekend!
Can you believe that Mother's Day is right around the corner?  I whipped up a card for my Mom so I could get it in the mail. It takes a few days to get to Florida. 
I inked up my new April KOTM from Unity. 

I was drawn to the large butterfly in the set and decided to use distress inks for water coloring them. 
I did not want to take away from the butterflies, so I kept the layout simple, with a cs strip for the sentiment.  Doilies add a bit of girly-ness to the card. 
I used my MISTI to stamp my butterflies in the color of choice, and then once colored and dried, I stamped the image again in dark brown.  I love how this turned out.  The purples in the photo did not photograph well; the purple butterfly and the purple mat are much closer in color irl. 
I am playing along in a few challenges~

Just Us Girls- Mother

Watercooler Wednesday- Feminine Anything Goes

Stamp, Ink, Paper- Mother's Day

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge- The Great Outdoors

That's it for me; thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann  :)