I Wuff You

Ha!  I love this sweet little sentiment that comes with the puppy in the Woof Set from Art Impressions.  This is one of the Ai Zoo Babies - and Lora has all four Zoo Babies in the One Crazy Stamper store, so you'll want to check them out!  I decided to do something different with today's cards, as I'm usually a bit of a patterned paper junkie.  I love all the watercoloured backgrounds that I'm seeing on people's blogs, so I cut some small rectangles of watercolour paper, grabbed some of my mini Distress Inks and got to work.  Here's what I came up with:

 The first card uses Mustard Seed and Picked Raspberry Distress Inks.  I tapped each ink onto a clear acrylic block which I used as my watercolour palette.  Then I dipped my paintbrush into clean water and wet the cardstock.  With a slightly damp brush, I picked up the Raspberry (pink) ink and dabbed it three or four times onto the wet area of the paper.  The ink immediately started to spread wherever the paper was wet.  After cleaning the brush, I then picked up the Mustard (yellow) ink and did the same thing.  You can see the areas where the two colours met and blended - forming an orange shade.  I love the randomness of the pattern!  The ink will only go where the paper is wet, which allows you to have some control.

The second card uses Peacock Feathers and Mustard Seed again.  I love watching the colours blend!  And if you don't find the colours to be deep enough, you simply drop more ink onto the paper until you achieve a colour that you're happy with.  You'll get the best results if you remember how we all learned about the colour wheel in school... red + yellow = orange, blue + yellow = green etc.  But I encourage you to get out your Distress Inks or a set of watercolours, and play! 

 I coloured the puppies with Copic markers, picking up the colours of the background for their ribbons.  Then I fussy cut them out, and popped them up on pop dots.  Here's what you can find in the OCS store:

Art Impressions Woof Set (Sku#4532)

Fabriano Watercolor Paper

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Mini Kit #1

Copics used: E57, E55, E53, E51, E50, YR18, YR16, YR12, BG15, BG13, BG11

Got any cake??

It's a new month, and a new challenge over on the One Crazy Stamper blog!  Our April challenge is "Anything Goes" - you can use any products you like, just no digi stamps please :o)  I have a fun Front & Back image from Art Impressions called Any Cake Set :

After stamping & colouring both the front and back images, I cut them out, and glued them together.  I cut a window through all the layers on the front of my card, just large enough for the little group of raccoons to peek through:

Here's what they look like from the inside - I like to put a piece of patterned paper on the inside behind the window for a little added colour:

 Be sure to check out the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team on the OCS blog, and get ready to link up your creations to our April challenge!

There are quite a few of the Art Impressions Front & Backs sets in the One Crazy Stamper store - here's a list of the products you'll find there from today's card:

Art Impressions Any Cake set

Xpress It Blending Cardstock

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Copic Markers: W7, W5, W3, W1, E57, E55, E53, E51, E50

Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Pumice Stone

Happy Campers

I am sharing a card that I've made using one of the wonderful Ai clear stamp sets available through Michaels stores.  Ever since I first saw this set - I've envisioned it as a pop-up card, and have finally made it happen!  The set includes the four images that I've used, along with four sentiments. 

Isn't she fabulous?  You can tell she'll freely give out advice, when asked or not :o)  I cut one of the sentiments into a speech bubble shape to go with her.  Here's the inside:

I used a background die for the hillside, and manually cut out a chunk of the green to form a lake shape behind him.

I think this would make a great retirement card, or maybe a bon voyage card for someone setting off around the country.  Here's a picture to show you the little cutouts that I made in the green cardstock so that the images would stand up:

I added a little die cut shape to the inside, for a spot to write a message.  I think my bright and cheery colours would qualify it for our current Spring Colors challenge on the Art Impressions blog!  If you haven't already linked up your creation - there's still time.  Happy stamping!

Copics used: Skin tones - E13, E11, E00, E000

Reds - R37, R35, R32, R30

Greens - YG05, YG03, YG01

Blues - B26, B24, B23, B21

Yellows - Y38, Y35, Y32

 Browns - E57, E55, E53, E51, E50

Greys - C7, C5, C3, C1, C00

New Windows to the World

We're launching 8 brand new Windows to the World images on the Art Impressions blog today, you may have seen a post I did with these a few months ago - Ai has dozens of these cute little square images, literally fitting every occasion.  The images are 2" square, and they all have a lovely hand written sentiment written around them.  The images themselves look great on the front of a card, but I've put them on the inside, and paired them with the Window (Sku #3169) stamp, to make a couple of window cards.  Here's what they look like closed:

I've stamped the window on cardstock, and used a craft knife to cut open the windows and each pane of 'glass'.  I glued it down over a 2" square opening in my card base.  Then I centered my square image underneath it, and glued it down on the inside.  (Now, I don't have one yet, but Ai now has the window available as a die!!)  Here is the inside:

This is With a Friend Window (Sku #4583), the sentiment says "In the garden with a friend is the best place to be."

And here is a close up of  Joy Found Window (Sku #4585).  The sentiment is "Joy is found in the firendships we make along life's way." 

Today also marks the start of a new challenge on the Art Impressions blog, we want to see your projects using Spring Colours!  Be sure to link up your creation - there are always fabulous prizes to be won!

May Contain Rum!

 I am posting on the Art Impressions blog today! I'm a big retro fan, so I love the 40's/50's images that are in the new Vintage Vixens collection.  Today I'm using Contains Rum Set (Sku #4594):

 As soon as I saw the Vixens, I ran out and bought these papers especially for them, as they remind me of aprons & home baking!  When I added the blue outline around her, I intended to go back in and soften the halo a bit, but I like the sort of cartoon element it gave to the image so I left it as is.

Don't forget that our Vintage Vibe challenge is still happening on the Ai blog, we would love to see your creations with a vintage feel to them - and there are always fabulous prizes to be won!

Copics used: Skin tones - E11, E00, E000

Greens - G46, G43, G40

Reds - R27, R24, R22, R20

Yellows - Y26, Y23

Blue - B21

Grays - W1, W00

Wine Sipping Girlfriends

I know you've seen this image on my blog several times (coloured exactly the same!)  When I first used it about a year ago, I stamped it four times, and coloured them all up to go with these Cosmo Cricket papers.  Now I'm finally getting them made up into cards, just enjoying doing them differently each time.  So here is the Art Impressions set, Wine Tasters (Sku #4383):

Patterned papers are Art Angel by Cosmo Cricket; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento; Copic Markers; Stamp set is Wine Tasters Set (Sku #4383) by Art Impressions.

Little Stinker

I am posting on the Art Impressions blog today!

I made three cards to share, using Little Stinker (Sku #4318) - one of the sweet Ai Little People.  I always find when I use one of these little guys, that I can't stop at one... so I usually stamp several, and I wanted to try out a few different skin tones as well!

Do you know, that I think I would actually struggle trying to do a pastel baby card?!  I always envision bright & fun, and the Little Stinker image is perfect for that look.  I added a little bit of orange zigzag stitching across the top, and left the thread ends loose.

Don't forget that our Vintage Vibe challenge is still happening - we would love to see your creations!

Copics used: Skin tones - E37, E34, E31, E51, E50, E11, E00, E000, R20

Oranges - YR18, YR16, YR12, YR00

Teals - BG15, BG13, BG11

Blues - B28, B26, B24, B21

Greys - C7, C5, C3, C1, C00