FM186 Surprise Element Finger Painting

Tara has an interesting challenge this week for the Friday Mashup, an unexpected embellishment along with a sketch. 

I combined this challenge with Mix-Ability #73, Round and Round, and Mix-Ability #74,  Part of the Package.  My unusual embellishment is actually the background layer, a cardboard cracker box cardboard.  I stamped the background, then applied white acrylic paint and Gesso.  It was a little too opaque for me, so I actually ran it under running water as well.  The main panel is created with acrylic finger painting.

This week's Mashup Challenge is:

• Create a project using the "Sketch". 
• Create a project using a "surprise element, something you wouldn't expect to see on a card/or an unexpected embellishment". 
• or Mash it Up! and create a project "using the Sketch and a unexpected Embellishment".

Stamps: Good Greetings, Sip by Sip, Dictionary BG; Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Cardboard packaging; Ink: Black Stazon; Accessories: Baker's twine, Basic Silver Button, Acrylic paint, Gesso, Watercolor brush.

A couple reminders -

• I still have a few retired stamp sets left at 50% off (or more!), but they are going fast.
• In need of all the colors of ribbon?  I still have both the 2013-14 ribbon share and 2012-13 ribbon share available, while supplies last.

Truly Grateful For All Things

Another stamp club card, focusing on warm and gold colors of the season.

This card is based on clean&simple layout #303.  I double-stamped the background swatch to bring in some brown and gold tones.  I love the golden and vellum feathers!

Stamps: For All Things, Four Feathers, Truly Grateful; Paper: Baked Brown Sugar, Very Vanilla, Vellum; Ink: Hello Honey, Baked Brown Sugar, Versamark; Accessories: Gold baker's twine, Gold Sequin trim, Gold EP, Stylus, Watercolor brush, Feathers framelits, Big Shot.

Sunshine Happiness

I just love sunshine cards.  They make me so happy!  Here is a fun card we made at stamp club this month, focusing on stamps in the annual catalog.

I paired Hello Honey with Crushed Curry for a multi-toned look, and I also snuck some Basic Gray in there.  I suppose that color combo is no longer trendy, but I still like it!

Stamps: Ray of Sunshine, Feel Goods, Positively Chevron BG; Paper: Crushed Curry, Hello Honey, Basic Gray, Whisper White; Ink: Crushed Curry, Hello Honey, Basic Gray; Accessories: White baker's twine, Basic Metal button, Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, 1-3/4" Circle punch, Sponge, Word Bubbles framelits, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

It's the second week of the month, which means a new photopolymer stamp set has been released, Banner Blessings, and will be available for 6 months.

Don't forget to check out this week's Weekly Deals -

1/2" Circle Punch Price: $5.95 $4.46	7/8" Circle Scallop Punch Price: $12.95 $9.71	Blushing Bride 3/4" Chevron Ribbon Price: $8.95 $6.71	Brights Designer Buttons Price: $7.95 $5.96
Daffodil Delight 1/2" Ribbon Seam Binding Price: $6.95 $5.21	Window Frames Collection Framelits Die Price: $26.95 $20.21	Wonderfall Kit - Digital Download Price: $7.95 $4.77

MDSM90 Muir Woods

Beth is bringing us this week's MDS Monday sketch.

I was so enamored with the card sketch on page 25 of the Holiday Catalog, I used it as a background for my page.

Here's Beth's sketch -

MDS Elements: Game Day, Autumn Days, Snowy Soiree striped overlay, Always Artichoke textured, First Edition DSP, Back to School ribbon; Font: Bernard MT Condensed, CK Alis Hand.

FM185 Razzi-Indi-Green Too Kind

Oh boy, Sara's color combination for this week's Friday Mashup was a real challenge for me.  I had to think for a long time on what stamp set to choose.

I finally went with flowers, and I also turned to Mix-Ability Challenge #69,  Faux Tile, to help me out.  The main panel was created by stamping and watercoloring.  For the background, I did a watercolor wash, then created the "grout" with painter's tape and sponging.  I wanted to lighten up the background, so I applied a layer of gesso by pouncing.  I sanded some areas of the background, once dried, and then added a layer of vellum.

Alas, once I was nearly done, I realized I forgot the diamond dust technique, so I guess I won't be mashing it up this week.  This card uses Freshly Made Sketches #159.

This week's Mashup Challenge is:

• Create a project using the "Diamond Dust Technique" Tutorial Here. 
• Create a project using the colors "Island Indigo, Garden Green & Rich Razzleberry (or similar colors if you don't have these exact colors). 
• or Mash it Up! and create a project "using the colors above and the Diamond Dust Technique".

Stamps: Too Kind, Petite Pairs; Paper: Garden Green, Very Vanilla, Polka Dot Parade DSP, Watercolor Paper, Vellum; Ink: Island Indigo, Garden Green, Rich Razzleberry; Accessories: White baker's twine, Silver brads, Circle punches, Sponge, Sanding block, Gesso, Watercolor brush, Painter's tape, Dimensionals.

Don't forget this week's Weekly Deals, available through Monday -

Basic Black 3/4" Chevron Ribbon Price: $8.95 $6.71	Boys Will Be Boys Wood-Mount Stamp Set Price: $24.95 $18.71	Grateful Heart Thanksgiving Ensemble - Digital Download Price: $14.95 $8.97	Island Indigo 3/4" Chevron Ribbon Price: $8.95 $6.71
Large Triangle Punch Price: $15.95 $11.96	Shaker Frames Price: $4.95 $3.71	Silver Stampin' Glitter Price: $3.95 $2.96	Twine Baker's Early Espresso Price: $2.95 $2.21

MDSM89 Easter Fun!

We have our first MDS Monday sketch from Anita.  She wanted us to play with the strips, maybe think of an alternative to the sketch.

Well, based on my photos, I needed to rotate the strips and place the other elements from there.  Does that count as a little different from the sketch?

I needed some light pastels for my Easter page.  It is a combination of the 2014 One Big Sale-a-Bration items and Epic Overlays.

Here's the sketch -

The Stamp Review Crew: Kinda Eclectic

Welcome to another Stamp Crew Review Blog Hop!  We share our take on a selected stamp set every first and third Monday.  This time we are hopping along with the wonderful collage set, Kinda Eclectic.  If you are hopping around in a circle, you have just come from Mike Funke's blog.  I love his classy stampin' style!

In general, I find this stamp set pretty easy to put together a beautiful card.  Just find a nice layout you like and apply the images to it.  I would call it more of a minimal layer set, such that is it easy to layer the images on one piece of card stock and get them to work beautifully together.

The above paragraph applies to YOU.  Me?  I had some trouble.  :)  I reworked and reworked my card and finally got something I liked better.  There were a lot of iterations, but I'll just share the end and beginning (farther below).

This one uses Mojo Monday Sketch #369.  Love a tall, skinny sketch!  I liked my seashore scene too much, and I couldn't give up on it.  This is a good card for Jen's HYCCT challenge, Hope Soars.

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic; Paper: Very Vanilla, Whisper White; Ink: Marina Mist, Lost Lagoon, Crisp Cantaloupe, Hello Honey, Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake, Memento Tuxedo Black; Accessories: White gel pen, Elegant Butterfly & Bitty Butterfly punches, Cupcake builder punch, Handheld Stapler, Brayer, Watercolor brush.

Here's the original card -

Playing along with Mix-Ability Challenge #71, Sandy Shores, I started by brayering the seashore scene and kept building from there.  Things continued to get more dirty, and I went off the deep end of sponging, splattering, and texture.  Like with a lot of my mixed media, I wasn't sure if I liked it a lot, or it looked like snot.  I'm sharing it, because well, I put a bunch of time into it for one.  And two, it illustrates that you can really change the feel of your card if you tear it apart and change a couple colors.  :)

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic; Paper: Lost Lagoon, Very Vanilla, Whisper White; Ink: Marina Mist, Lost Lagoon, Crisp Cantaloupe, Hello Honey, Tangelo Twist, Crumb Cake, Memento Tuxedo Black; Accessories: White gel pen, Elegant Butterfly & Bitty Butterfly punches, Cupcake builder punch, Dots & Stripes decorative masks, Handheld Stapler, Brayer, Sponge, Embossing paste, Watercolor brush.

Now make sure you check out the next stop to see what fabulous projects Beth Beard has put together with Kinda Eclectic.