I used the Art Impressions “Blessings To You MFT” (mini tri-fold) stamp and die set, but I replaced the sleeping bunny with 2 pups from the Art Impressions “WC (water color) Dogs Set” and stamped and die cut out a card base using Strathmore Bristol Paper cut down to 4.5″ x 11″ and folded in thirds (at 3 5/8″).

Using Black Onyx VersaFine Ink (best for watercoloring without bleeding) I stamped the largest stamp on panel 1 of the card (left third), then die cut out the center. Next I lightly outlined the opening of panel 1 onto the face of panel 2 (right third) with a pencil so that I could center the second stamp onto that outline. Then I die cut out the center of that stamp with the coordinating die. I outlined the opening of panel 2 onto the center panel so that I could center the images of the puppies, which I masked and layered. After all the stamping and die cutting, I erased all the pencil marks (checking that the ink was fully dried beforehand, of course).

I had so much fun using the Viviva Watercolor Sheet colors (after making swatches — a must do since the colors on the sheets are so saturated that looking at them will NOT give you a sense of how they’ll look when you watercolor with them):
*     The sleeping pup (Bandito) was colored with a blended Burnt Umber and Persian Blue, and the sitting pup (Babaloo) was colored with watered down Slate Black.
*     I used the Persian Blue and Violet for the tulips.
*     The drooping pink flowers with yellow centers were colored with Magenta and Chrome Yellow.
*     The yellow flowers were colored with Chrome Yellow and Vermillion.
*     Light Green, Sap Green and Viridian were used for the leaves and grass, and the sky was done with watered down Persian Blue.
Watercoloring is such a forgiving medium. Just blend, dab off excess, and apply second, third or even fourth coats to get beautiful results! I used a single Pentel Water Brush and just cleared the watercolors onto a tissue every time I switched colors. It was so easy!

Lastly I looked for sentiments that I thought would work well for Mr. CraftyPaws and me for our anniversary. I had an old Cloud 9 Designs “Simple Thoughts – Dog” stamp set that had the perfect sentiment that I could stamp in two parts for the first and second panels: “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” — Roger Caras {with 2 paw prints — perfect for our two dogs). Then for the last (center) panel, I used “happy” and “anniversary” from the Neat & Tangled “A Long Time Ago” stamp set and the “happily ever after” from the Clearly Besotted “Mr & Mrs Hoot” stamp set.

CLICK on the following picture to watch the process video:

Disclosure: The Viviva watercolor sheets were sent to me at no charge for my honest review. I really enjoyed them, thought the colors were very vibrant, and found them super easy to carry and use.  Many of the supplies I’ve used for today’s project are linked. Some may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog!

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Art Impressions To Die For Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Stamp it Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with Optional Pearls or Lace Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge

The drawing of the stamp is very artistic, and I thought coloring it up with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers and Pentel water brush would be a great way to dip my toe back into watercoloring. I stamped out the image onto Strathmore Watercolor Paper using VersaFine Onyx Black Ink and used the following Zig colors:
Puppy: Light gray (091); Light Brown (061); Brown (060); Mid Brown (065)
Girl’s hair: Light Blue (036); Black (010)
Girl’s skin: Flesh (071); Pale Pink (028)
Girl’s shirt: Yellow (050); Persian Blue (032)
Floor: Brown (060); Dark Brown (062)

I then stamped the sentiment, “I Just Love You So Very, Very Much.” centered above the image. Then to keep it simple, I used a Lawn Fawn Fancy Scalloped Rectangle Stackables Die to cut out the image and mounted it on a shimmery dark blue card base. I like how the die cut has the tiny cut out circles to let through the blue color and shimmer of the card base.

For the inside liner, I used the other sentiment from the stamp set, “Together is a beautiful place to be” in the lower right corner. I really love the font of this sentiment and I liked it off centered like this. To add a delicate finishing touch, I colored in the tiny heart at the end of the sentiment with a Carmine Zig Clean Color Real Brush Marker.

Please CLICK on the following picture to watch the process video of crafting this card:

Disclosure: Many of the supplies I’ve used for today’s project are linked. Some may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog!

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional no rectangle or square cards
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday Pet Project Challenge
Crafting by Design Anything Goes Challenge
Penny Black and More All Things Feminine Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge

I also got a chance to re-evaluate some more Arteza products (I’ll be sharing a full separate video review of these in a following post). In short, I LOVE the Arteza Fineliner Pens. To color up this image, I used 8 of them: brown, tan, yellow, red, black and three greys and a fine point Arteza water brush to blend out the inks for a watercolored look. Getting into tiny nooks and crannies of the image was so easy with these fineliner pens!

I also used the Arteza Arctic Blue (117) Real Brush Pen and a water brush to create a soft blue haloing background. For some highlighting details, I used a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen on the sun glasses, noses, hooves, boots and gloves; and I added some magical shimmer to the antlers and Santa’s white fur trim with a Clear Wink of Stella Pen.

For the card front, I used scraps from my scrap box from a 2012 Recollections Christmas paper pad called “Memories Never Melt” and inked the edges with some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Faded Jeans. For a little sparkle, I added a thin strip of silver glitter washi tape on one side. To add the look of a film strip cell (like this was a pic from a music video – hahaha), I used one of the Neat & Tangled Tiny Cuts border dies on the two sides of the image, again inking the edges with more Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Faded Jeans to maintain a cohesive look.

Inside the card, I used the remaining scraps of the Recollections patterned paper from my scrap box. To make it a little more festive, I doodled some bursting stars with the Arteza Black Fineliner Pen. Then to drive home the fun Gangnam Style theme, I used Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder on a scrap of dark blue card stock to heat emboss the sentiment from the stamp set. I cut it into a simple banner shape and added that as the final touch on the card liner.

Disclosure: Many of the supplies I’ve used for today’s project are linked. Some may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog!

Arteza Coupon: If by chance you want to purchase any Arteza products, you can use the COUPON CODE (BOE-TOZ-460) for 10% off.

The following is a video sharing the coloring of this image:

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Birthday
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional Reuse/Upcycle Challenge
Art Impressions Water Color Wonders Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Card Mania Embossing Challenge
Penny Black and More Feature a Creature Challenge
Stamp Sensations Forest Friends Challenge
MFT Sketch 376 Card Challenge

I first stamped out the monkey using VersaFine Onyx Black Ink onto Strathmore Bristol Paper. Then I stamped him out onto a post-it note and fussy cut that out to make a quick mask. Placing the post-it monkey on top of the VersaFine monkey, I next made my own background aura/halo by inking up a decorative doily stamp with the following Tim Holtz Distress Markers Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Broken China and Blueprint Sketch. Although the Broken China turned a little green mixing with the Spiced Marmalade, I was able to bring in the light blue again by adding a round of dots around the doily. Actually, I added Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Broken China dots all around the doily to give a feeling of radiating shimmer. I also softened the stamped lines and added points to the doily a bit by blending out the ink with a Fine Pentel Waterbrush.

For the monkey, I used Antique Linen for the face and belly and Vintage Photo for the rest of the body. For the headdress and feather earring, I used more Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Festive Berries. Lastly, to ground the monkey, I used Hickory Smoke to create the essence of a floor.

I used the largest of the My Favorite Things Stitched Rectangles STAX Die Set to cut out this card front and then matted it on dark blue cardstock and a thin matting of yellow copy paper before adhering it to a white card base. For the inside liner, I used more yellow copy paper to stamp out a sentiment that I hope will let the recipient (who is attempting something scary, innovative and challenging) know I’m thinking of them. It’s from the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Life’s Possibilities Stamp Set and reads, “to be all that is possible, we must attempt the impossible. to be all that we can be we must dream of being more.” I hope this silly monkey card will bring a smile to the recipient’s face and be an encouragement to him as he tries to find a totally new solution to something (definitely not found on Google – lol).

The following is a watercoloring process video of creating this card:

Disclosure: Many of the supplies I’ve used for today’s project are linked. Some may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog!

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Thinking of You Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with Optional Make Your Own Background Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional Masculine Card Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
MarkerPOP Fall Video Contest Challenge
Just Keep On Creating Anything Goes Challenge
CASology Odd Challenge
MFT Color Challenge #79

This is not a nesting die set, nor is it a die set with separate flowers in varied sizes. This was an actual single die that had the flowers all connected together. How cool, right?!

I made the first card into a shaker card by cutting out two card stock card fronts, layering in a piece of plastic to create a kind of sandwiched window. Then I cut two fun foam layering pieces to adhere to the back of the card front assemblage to add enough depth to create little floral wells for shaker pieces. To make a rainbow of flowers, I filled each flower well with different colored seed beads, confetti pieces, vase fillers, well, you get the idea–little bits and pieces of whatever I had on hand in the right colors. After all the flower wells were filled, I adhered a card stock card base, careful not to disturb all those shaker pieces from their positions. For the sentiment, I used a Lawn Fawn stamp from the “Color My World” mini stamp set, and used the MISTI to make sure that I got good, solid ink coverage.

For the second card, I basically took advantage of the design of the die and cut out a card front and a single layer of fun foam to make floral windows in ascending size order. I thought about backing each flower window with a different colored patterned paper in rainbow order again, but then I came across a scrap of watercolor paper that I had in my scrap box that had some lovely mottled blues and blue-violets splatters. I backed all the flower windows with this one scrap, which just fit to cover all the openings. Then I adhered the whole front to a card base. For the sentiment, I stamped a simple phrase from the Cardz TV “Just Saying” stamp set that reads, “Just saying…” Then for the inside sentiment, I used an Inkadinkado “Kids Quotes” stamp set that reads, “If you’re feeling blue — try painting yourself a different color.”

Easy peasy, clean and simple floral cards and will be nice additions to my handmade card stash — ready to go when I want to send a little uplifting note to someone. 🙂

Diemond Dies SALES: My readers can get 15% off and free worldwide shipping at Diemond Dies through June 19, 2017 by using the coupon code spring15 (no minimum purchase required). Additionally, if you are interested in buying the whole May 2017 Bundled New Release, there is a special bundled sale price of just $59 (which is lowered to $50 if you also use the spring15 code — that’s 44% off the individual die prices!), good through June 25, 2017. After June 19, 2017, you can use my coupon code thankskristina for 10% off and free worldwide shipping on all orders of $35 or more. 

These cards are being entered into the following challenges:
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Touchy Feeling Challenge: shaker card
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Die Cuts or Punches
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Cards Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes Challenge

The background of the IC (measuring 5″ x 3″), the digital images, and the doodled poodle were all printed on Strathmore Bristol Paper. Then the background was watercolored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers and a Pentel waterbrush. I used Light Blue and Cobalt Blue for the sky and Light Green and May Green for the grass. The edges are checkered for a funky frame with a Fine Point Sharpie Black Marker.

The Poodle was water colored with Pale Pink, Light Pink and Oatmeal for the body; Pink and Light Violet for the flower around the eye; and Light Blue for the eye balls. The goofy pup on the right I colored up to represent my Bandito with brown markings using Oatmeal. The girl jumping/dancing up into the air (representing me) is colored with: Skin: Flesh, Pale Pink; Hair: Black with dot detail added with a White Uniball Signo Gel Pen; Eyes: Green and Light Blue; Dress Bubble Polka Dots: Geranium Red; and Flower around Eye: Orange and Pink.

I girl and the pup on the right were printed directly onto the background and drew some jumping up lines beneath her feet and arms with a black Uniball Pen and the White Uniball Signo Gel Pen to give a sense of action. I also added some fun Prima “Say it in Crystals” bling from the “Lady Bird Collection” in the same areas to emphasize the feeling of lift with some sparkle.

The IC is a cartoon-ized portrait of me and my fur babies. The sentiment, which is also from the digi stamp set says, “Whatever is good for the soul… Do that.” I printed that out and added some doodled lines around the phrases to help them stand out from the background. With the past month being so rough health-wise for my sweet Biscuit and for my dad (who was finally discharged from the hospital with a new pace maker today — YAY!), crafting (and supportive and encouraging crafty friends) has been good for my soul, so this IC speaks to my frame of mind and emotions right now in many ways. I feel like flying/jumping for joy with so much gratitude bursting from my heart for my Biscuit and my father coming through all these illnesses.

The following is a share of this IC and the prior post’s ATC:

This ATC is being entered into the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional Create a Container
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday A Bit of Sparkle Challenge
Crafty Purple Frog Fabulously Floral Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Use Stencils
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Card Mania Life is Colorful Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Fab ‘n’ Funky Use a Background Stamp or Create a Background Challenge
MarkerPOP Rainbow Color Challenge

This is my first attempt at watercoloring a girl image (not just critters which I think are more forgiving and have fewer details), so I was nervous, but I knew that (1) I wanted to push myself craft-wise, (2) the soft watercolor look is perfect for Prim style projects, and (3) the friend this was going to would appreciate the love that I was going to put into this card. So I took a deep breath and cut down some Strathmore Bristol paper (this is great for watercoloring and has a smoother finish than most watercolor paper) and pulled out my Prima watercolor pencils and Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils.

To get the softest look possible, I decided to try no line watercoloring (if you’re going to go for it, you may as go all the way, right?!). I did a second generation stamping onto the paper using Ranger Archival Ink in Sepia and it gave me a pale but clear image. Then I took my time and started layering in the following colors (it took about 3 applications to build up the color intensity I wanted), making sure to let each prior layer dry before adding the next so that I didn’t get too dark, which can happen if you touch watercolor pencils to wet surfaces:

Hair: Prima 120 and 64 (this is a light blue that I thought would add a nice shiny look to the black hair)
Skin: Prima 05 and 09 with 25 for blush
Dress: Derwent Inktense Poppy Red (0400), Tangerine (0300) and Sun Yellow (0200)
Dog: Prima 86, 89, 102 with 120 for eye and nose
Sky: Prima 64 and 71 with Derwent Inktense Fuschia (0700) for interest in clouds
Grass: Prima 44 and 47 with Derwent Inktense Apple Green (1400) and Teal Green (1300) for deeper, richer colors to give enough visual weight to support the little girl and dog

Then I used the largest die from the My Favorite Things Die-Namics Cross-Stitched Rectangle STAX to cut down the little painted scene. I think the cross-stitched look adds a nice homespun feel. To add texture and softness, I backed this with a paper doily that I cut in half and attached askew to the lower left and upper right sides of the scene. Then I backed that with a piece of vellum to add another layer without adding too much visual clutter. I matted the whole assembly with a yellow scribbly patterned paper from the Amy Tangerine Sketchbook paper collection that I thought grounded the whole thing and echoed the yellow from the little girl’s sleeves. Finally, I took everything to my sewing machine and sewed three wonky lines close to the top of the scene. I love the look of real stitching on cards (but it takes a really special project to motivate me to get down and unpack my sewing machine), and this addition I think adds a great Prim finishing touch and echoes the yellow scribbly patterned paper too.  I added double sided foam adhesive to the back of everything all assembled and put it on a pale blue handmade paper card base.

The following is a video share of this card:

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
MFT Superstar Card Design Challenge – 3rd entry (prior entires are #145 and #371)
MarkerPOP For the Girls Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Gift It Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Addicted to Stamps Make Your Mark Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge
Just Keep on Creating Anything Goes Challenge
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes Challenge