Muse Challenge #69

My friend Cornelia is the Muse this week with this cool card

which inspired me to make this very CAS card

It's even a one layer card (well, for me the "happy" die cut is an embellishment, not a layer) which I don't make very often!

Sending this to the Muse Challenge #69 and to Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes".

Have a wonderful weekend,

Susanne

Stamps: Mama Elephant (arrow border),  Simon Says (sentiment)

Die: Simon Says (happy)

Happy Birthday, Ardyth!

I am late but it's still the 29th so I would like to wish Ardyth of MASKerade all the happiness for her birthday!  My card is very heavily influenced by Ardyth's awesome and unique style - rainbow colors, sparkle, and lots of white space. The paper strip is made with torn tissue paper glued onto a piece of cardstock.

Ardyth, I hope you had a wonderful day and that the new year of your life brings you only good things!

Hugs,
Susanne

Two Sympathy Cards

Hello there,

The Watercolor Class must be over because I am not posting as often any more...
I have been making lots of cards this past weekend mostly for teachers. Since I used some of the same watercolor techniques that I have shown you already I won't post them.

Last Thursday night my stamping friends and I made some backgrounds using a circle punch to make a mask and sponging. This weekend I made two sympathy cards out of them. If you want to see what my friend Dora B. made out of hers, check out her blog.

Hope you can see the little vellum butterfly on each of them.

The branch on the green card is a stamp from my friend L and I don't know the company. If you are really interested let me know and I can ask her. The flowers on the blue card are from Endless Creations, the sentiment is from Stampabilities.

These are the first non-watercolored cards that I posted in quite some time! But I am still having fun with watercolors so there will be more coming....

Thanks for stopping by,
Susanne

Watercolor Class - Day 9 / Splatter Tree

How are you all today? Hope everything is alright!
I am here today to show you a card I CASEd from Jennifer Rzasa's first video on Day 9. As you probably know by know I really love trees and I especially love the one she made by splattering watercolor paints. So, of course, I had to give it a try. And I can tell you it has not been my last one. It was so much fun!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink

Hugs,
Susanne

Watercolor Birthday

The Watercolor Class is over but I am not done playing yet! In fact, it will keep me amused for a very long time. So I hope you are not getting tired of my experiments with watercolors!

Now after my very systematic beginning I was "naughty" and jumped to Day 11 because I wanted to see what tricks Mr. Tim Holtz had up his sleeves. He taught us monoprinting with stencils, something he apparently has covered in one of his online classes and books in case you have taken/read them.

I used a Plaid stencil, Distress Inks, a sentiment from Avery Elle on vellum because I didn't want to take anything away from the background, and lots of bling.

While I was typing this post the phone rang. It was my older son's teacher telling me that my son had fallen off the stage during a play and he thought we should get his arm x-rayed as my son was in pain and couldn't turn his hand. So instead of me trying out a new watercolor technique we spent the afternoon in the emergency room. Fortunately the elbow is only badly sprained. Phew!

Take care,
Susanne

Watercolor Class - Day 5

My card today was inspired by Jennifer Rzasa's video on Day 5 coloring a stamped image using watercolor pencils. I didn't have her cool city skyline but used another very old (yet NBUS) unmounted stamp by an unknown company.  I loved to see the peaceful scene come to life with the watercolors.

Like Jennifer I cut around the scene (minus the sun) and mounted it with foam adhesives on the painted background. A greeting from Stampin' Up and a card base also from Stampin' Up and that's it.

Thanks for stopping by!
Hugs,
Susanne

Watercolor technique with half dried markers

I am back with another card that I made after my "science project". Remember yesterday I told you that I tried to color with my rather dry Marvy markers on the Hero Arts Real Flowers stamps, spritzed it with water and stamped it. It worked! So before you throw out your dried markers use them for this technique!

Stamps: Hero Arts (flowers, sentiment), Heidi Grace (words in background - NBUS!)

Die: Die-namics (scallops)

I am sending this also to the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge where everyone is die-crazy this week ;)

Hope you are enjoying your weekend! Thanks for your visit,
Susanne

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - die cuts

On day 4 of the Watercolor Class Shari Carroll showed us how to use Gelatos and Markers directly on bold stamps. I dug out some old Hero Arts Real Flowers stamps (anybody remember those?) that I think are perfect for the watercolor technique. I started with Gelatos and then got on a roll and tried the few Distress Markers that I own and then I even used my half dried up Marvy Markers. Each time I spritzed it 2 to 3 times without reinking. So far I only have on finished card to show you. It's the one with the Distress Markers. First the result of my "scientific" project. On the right you see the image after the first spritz, on the left after I spritzed it again.

I was looking to add some interest to the mustard layer but all my border punches were too overpowering. I think the Simon Says curved edge is just perfect. I received it yesterday and used it on the same day!!! That has never happened before, I think!

As the theme at their Wednesday Challenge is die cuts I am sending it over there. 

I hope to show you my experiments with Gelatos and dried Markers next time. Stay tuned...

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,

Susanne

Stamps: Hero Arts (flowers), Stampabilities (sentiment)

Die: Simon Says Stamp (curved edge)

You guessed it... more watercolor homework

Ok, remember that I had difficulties with the technique Jennifer Rzasa showed us in the very first video? Well, I looked around in the Forum and discovered that I was not the only one struggling with this. After several more attempts it worked and I made a card with it today. It's great to be able to ask questions and find tips and tricks on the Forum! Because my watercolor paper was very textured the paint made an interesting pattern where it pooled. I might try it again with a smoother paper now that I have some of the often mentioned Tim Holtz watercolor paper.

I CASEd the layout from Jennifer's card which was of course much better. I really liked how she took the ends of her thread and taped them on the back of the paper. The class is full of these cool little details.

Stencil: TCW

Stamp: Hero Arts

And then I made a card inspired by the first video on Day 4 by Yana Smakula. I love her card but didn't have any of her supplies. I was disappointed at first because it didn't work so well but then I made a card and really liked it... until I saw it on the screen. Does that ever happen to you? Anyways, here it is:

Stamps: Hero Arts (rays, small words), Mama Elephant (sunshine)

In real life the rays are lighter. 

I discovered that I have a new follower "windycindy" but I haven't found a blog (maybe because I am not on Google+ ???). Welcome windycindy and please let me know your blog address so I can come and visit you too! I picked this quote by Thomas S. Monson for you:

We cannot direct the wind

but we can adjust our sails. 

As always your visits and comments make my day! 

Thank you so much,

Susanne

Watercolor Class Homework - Day 3

I know, I know, I am way behind not only in my homework but now also with watching the videos. It's a VERY good thing that participants in this class have lifetime access to all the videos! And by the way, it's not too late to sign up for it.

Last weekend we visited my MIL so I didn't have time to play or watch all the videos. Yesterday I made some backgrounds like Jennifer McGuire showed us on day 3 with an acrylic block, versamark and watercolor paints. When they were dry today I made some sympathy cards out of them because a friend needs some.

Unfortunately the flowers and the fern stamps are unmounted rubber and I don't know the company. If one of you knows, please let me know. The sentiment is from a set by Stampabilities that I bought on Saturday during my first visit to a Hobby Lobby. 

ETA: My friend Dora let me know that the flower stamp on the top card is from Endless Creations.

I am having so much fun making all these background! You will certainly see more... 

Since the first card has flowers on it I am sending it over to the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Flowers".

Be well,

Susanne

More Watercolor Homework from Day 2

Thank you so much for all your encouraging comments! I love to read them all - they warm my heart! You are the best!

Today I am showing you a card that I pretty much CASEd from the card Agnieszka Malyszek made. I used my watercolor pencils (that I've had forever and don't use often enough) to make a background.

I have never used that Hello stamp (NBUS!!!) and unfortunately don't know who makes it. ETA: Anita in France told me that the stamp set is from Stampendous and it's called "Window Box"! Thanks Anita! The flower is colored with a sparkly Gel marker and I finally used some messy thread behind a panel. I love the look and admire it often on different blogs but had never done it. Next time I might try to get less ink splatters...

I also want to enter a photo over at Our Beautiful World. This weeks theme is Mirroring. I took this photo on our recent trip to NYC. I always love modern glass buildings reflecting older buildings and this one was especially interesting. But don't ask me where exactly it is...

Have a great weekend everyone!

Susanne

OCC Watercolor - Day 2

Help - I am getting behind with my homework! I watch the videos but then don't have any more time to play because for some weird reason my family still wants to eat and have clean clothes, etc...! Why does the day not have 48 hours???
I made a card after watching Debbie Hughes' (love her) video. I didn't have the stamp she used so the effect is a little different.

I am going to keep this short so I can squeeze in some play time...

Thank you all so much for coming to my little blog and leaving me those sweet comments! You make my day!

Hugs,

Susanne

Stamps: Hero Arts (number background), Lawn Fawn (speech bubble), Savy Stamps (words)

Dies: Memory Box (numbers), Lawn Fawn (speech bubble)

Ink: Distress Ink (spiced marmelade)

OCC Watercolor - more of Day 1

I am back with another card for Day 1. This time I tried the technique from the third video of the first day. Kristina Werner showed us how to do the emboss resist technique using watercolors. Without further ado

It is hard to see on the photo all the different shades of blue I used. The background is from Hero Arts, the sentiment from Studio G, and the die cut from Impression Obsession (NBUS!!!).

I tried the technique from the first video of the first day two more times with heavier paper and it still didn't come out like in Jennifer's video. I might be able to use part of it, we'll see...

A little while ago I learned through the grapevine in blogland (should we call it blogvine?) that my friend Cornelia's had a birthday. This is the card I sent her. This was before the class started when I was playing around with my watercolors as they recommended. I used colors that I have seen on her blog in the hopes she would like them.  I had so much fun just painting those stripes that I could see myself doing only that forever! The sentiment is from Avery Elle in my favorite font at the moment.

Ok, time to do more homework and watch more videos...

I am glad you stopped by! Enjoy the day,

Susanne

Online Card Class "Watercolor", Day 1

Thanks to a very kind friend I am taking the Online Card Class on Watercolor that started yesterday. I've often seen homework from these classes on other blogs but this is the first time I am taking an Online Card Class and I am very excited. They are really well organized I have to say.

So yesterday morning I watched the three videos and then got to work. The first technique did not work out so well for me so I don't have a card to show. I don't know if I didn't use enough water or my cheap watercolor paper was too flimsy or both.

I had better luck with the technique of the second video but ran out of time to finish a card. I did that this morning and here it is:

Instead of Distress inks like Laura used I wanted to see if it would work with watercolors and it did! I embossed the little sentiment from Hero Arts in white and die cut a new-to-me die from Memory Box (NBUS - click on the link if you want to know what that means and who coined it) three time and glued them together for a bit of dimension.

This is for

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes

keep it simple - Watercolor

I am off to watch todays videos...

Thanks for visiting,

Susanne 

Simon Says Wednesday (Anything goes)

Hello - is anyone still out there...?

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth...
Oh, you didn't even notice that I wasn't posting and commenting...
Oh, well, anyways we were in NYC last week and my time on the computer was very limited. We are very lucky to have my brother-in-law and family there who are very kind and gracious hosts. It was a lot of fun but now I am back and even have a card for you. I made a thank you card for them and finally used my Memory Box skyline dies that I've had for a while but were still NBUS (never before used stuff).

The sky is made with watercolor crayons and baby wipes, my go-to technique. The windows are different shades of yellow which is hard to see, made with the same technique. The moon is hand drawn with a silver pen. The saying is from an old Stampin' Up set. 

I am entering this one at the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes.

And now please help me welcome a new follower:

Manuela from elasdistrict

I "met" her over at Our Beautiful World. She takes gorgeous photos, posts quotes every Sunday, and makes fun cards. Click on the link and go for a visit! 

Manuela, thank you for joining me and I hope you will like what you see. Now, I usually welcome new followers with a quote and hope you don't already know this one by Basho:

Sitting quietly

Doing nothing

Spring comes

And the grass grows by itself.

Hope to see you all soon again,

Susanne