Addicted to CAS and a Sympathy Card

Hello Everyone!

I am pleased to be a guest designer at one of my favorite challenge blogs this week, Addicted to CAS.  I keep a stash of sympathy cards handy, but I seem to always come up short on masculine ones.  This challenge seemed to be a perfect opportunity to make a CAS sympathy card~

 Can you guess what the challenge is this week?

I love how this turned out.  I used the  Sea Grass Lighthouse stamp from Technique Junkies. I started by cutting approximately 1/2 inch off along the bottom of the image panel.  Using my MISTI, I stamped the image in versamark along the bottom and then embossed it in gold.   The sentiment, from the With Sympathy stamp set from Technique Junkies, was stamped in grey using my MISTI.
The card base is Smokey Slate cs from SU.  I used a Lawn Fawn stitched border die to add some detail just below the sentiment panel.
This was super easy- the hardest part was getting the photo!  I had forgotten how hard it is to photograph metallic embossing powder, especially on a mostly white card...
Anywho, I hope you join us at Addicted to CAS this week!  And if you are interested in the stamps I used on this card, You can purchase them and get 10% your entire cart with the discount code TJ10LeeAnn over at Technique Junkies.

Thanks so much for visiting!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Lee Ann 

Simple Elegance

Hello All!

I am up on the Technique Junkies blog today with this easy yet elegant wedding card.

I used the stamp, Black and White Swirls from Technique Junkies.   If you like this card, you can shop and get 10% off with code TJ10LeeAnn. 
The stamp was inked up with Versafine black ink and stamped using my MISTI.  I stamped several times to get good coverage. 
Once I was happy with the black ink, I stamped a light grey drop shadow using ink from Altenew. 

I used a MFT edge die along the bottom edge of the image panel. The sentiment is Love Complete from Technique Junkies.  I used the MISTI for perfect placement.  The finished panel is popped up on dimensional adhesive and embellished with 3 gold pearls. 

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

Lee Ann 

Power Poppy Tulips

Hello Everyone!

Are you a watercoloring fan?  I sure am; I really enjoy seeing so many brilliant watercolor projects out there.  When it comes to doing, though, I find it very difficult. I either ace it, or it looks like a kindergartener did it.  No inbetween.  Can you relate?
It was time to change that.  I purchased the Arteza Real Brush Pens- got them at a great price and much more cost effective than the Zigs- yes, I have been spending too much $ lately.  It was time to practice watercoloring.
So here is the first piece I did with the Artezas~

I have a loooong way to go, but I do like how this turned out.  I used the sketch at Fusion Card
Challenge and the colors are from PowerPoppy's Hues to Use- I am about a week late with Power Poppy, but it took forever to get good lighting to get a pic.  I am also linking up to this month's 'Anything Goes' challenge at Die Cut Divas. 

On a side note, I had the privilege to see this beauty of a piece of artwork and more of Marcella's when I took part in the St Louis Coloring Road Trip with Kathy Raccosin. Amazing stuff I tell ya!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Sunday!

Lee Ann  

It's a Dog's Life

Hello Everyone!

Today I have super fun cards to share, using the new Technique Junkies, All Shapes Stamp Set.
 One stamp, three different cards.  These cuties are so much fun to play with and inspiration for the designs came from The Twofer Challenge, where the theme this challenge is 'Pets'.

Here is the stamp in its pristine state (see how to get a 10% discount on your order, including this stamp, below)~

Super cute, right?!  A Great Dane is on my wishlist of dogs.  I would love one of every breed, but, if I had to choose, the Great Dane is right up there. Anywho, on to my Twofer cards.

One is a friendship card- a play on words- and for some reason I hear Josh Groban singing when I read this!  Am I the only one?! 

The other makes me laugh- a big neighborhood of dogs, welcoming the new family to the hood!

 Both cards used masking.  Both were colored with Copics.  The friendship card has a sponged background using a stencil.
I LOVE these dogs!

Should you decide to do some shopping, you can get 10% discount on your entire cart 

by using the code TJ10LeeAnn.   

Shopping with this code earns me a small commission; however, my opinions are my own.
Thanks in advance if you shop!

Have a blessed weekend!

Lee Ann 

Birthday Bird

Hello Everyone!

Mixed Media!  Yep, having a little fun!  Several different Technique Junkies stamps were used on this card.  You can get 10% off your entire cart at Technique Junkies with code TJ10LeeAnn, should you decide to go shopping!  Whoop!  Whoop!

This was just plain fun to make.  I started out with some translucent Yupo and alcohol inks.
I created a alcohol ink background in shades of blue.
Next, I wanted to try J. McGuire's ghost image technique.  I inked up my Technique Junkies Stencil Rings background stamp with Archival Ink.  I only had black, so that was going to have to do.
The alcohol inked background was stamped with the Stencil Rings stamp and then the ink
was immediately wiped off, taking the alcohol ink with it.  Such a cool technique.
Once the background was done, I brushed on Flitterglu to the bird from the Technique Junkies She is Fierce Stamp Set -Love this bird- stamped the image in the glue and then foiled the bird in gold.  I do not have a laminator, so I just sandwiched the foiled bird in between a folded piece of copy paper and ran it through my Big Shot.  It worked!  The bird was fussy cut out. 
I added a bit of glue to the background and added foil to that.  The speech bubble die cut was stamped with the Donuts Happy Birthday stamp.  A white strip of cardstock scored with a stitch die finishes off the card. 
I am linking up to these challenges-
Die Cut Divas- 'Anything Goes'
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge- 'Add some Texture'.
Happy Little Stampers 'Anything Goes with Dies' Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope the rest of your week is amazing!

Lee Ann 

Going Vintage with Altenew

Hello, Hello!

I could not resist the Sweet Rose Bouquet Stamp Set from Altenew.  I told myself no more...
Then the March release happened!

I was in the mood to stamp on patterned paper and this newsprint dsp seemed perfect for a vintage look as these flowers screamed 'vintage' to me.
As luck would have it, Alenew has a gorgeous inspiration photo for their April challenge~

I am not a big purple fan and I guess that is why I did not have much in the way of good purple inks so I also had to have the Shades of Purple Mini Ink Cube Set.  Love, love, love them.  The leaves are stamped with the Green Fields Ink Cubes.  I did notice that once the ink dried, it was considerably lighter than when first stamped.
I added a doily and a floral spray, along with a Mom's Day sentiment from the Extra Special Stamp Set.
Edit-
Not sure what happened to my blog post but a challenge disappeared from it.  Seems to have reverted to an earlier draft.  Strange.  Anyway, I am also linking up to The Die Cut Divas- 'Anything Goes Challenge'.  

Hope you like it!  Thanks for stopping by,

Lee Ann 

More Cacti

Hi All!

Yeah for weekends!  This weekend I am playing with my new Arteza Brush Pens.  So far, I am really liking them.  There were some great colors for this Impression Obsession Prickly Pear Cactus stamp.

I clear heat embossed the image on Fabriano watercolor paper and then played with the brush pens.
The sentiment is from Impression Obsession's Grunge Map stamp set.
I am playing along in the Impression Obsession Challenge this week, which is 'Pink and Green'.

The sketch is from Tuesday Morning Sketches.

Thanks for visiting and have a blessed weekend!

Lee Ann

Time Out and The Ton

Hi Everyone,

The inspiration at Time Out Challenges caught my eye and left me wanting to play.  I finally got a stamp set from The Ton and decided it would be a great image for some yellow, springtime inspiration~

The retirement sentiment was perfect too as I have 4 co workers retiring at the end of this school year.

Time Out inspiration~

 I used my Sizzix card front die to mimick the beautiful vase in the photo.

I am also linking up to Die Cut Divas-'Anything Goes'
and Addicted to Stamps-'Anything Goes'.   

That's it for me; hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Lee Ann 

More Negative Die Pretties

Hello All!

I was puttering around again, this time breaking out some watercolors.  I decided to do some emboss resist using the newTechnique Junkies Stencil Rings background stamp. This stamp, and all of the new release stamps are 15% through April 8th. I discovered some pretty, soft spring colors at Sunday Stamps~

 I stamped it onto watercolor paper using my Misti and then heat embossed with clear ep.  Next, I watercolored the piece with Peerless Watercolors.  Using a Sizzix die, I diecut the watercolor/emboss resist background and kept the pieces in the die.
Then, added dimensional adhesive to the back of the individual pieces that I wanted to use on the card front.  Placed the die over the card front and pressed the taped pieces onto the paper and out of the die.  This gives you perfect placement of the pieces.
A baby sentiment seemed appropriate for the colors, so I used my Altenew Congrats die and sentiment, which I heat embossed on black cs.
I really love how this turned out!  And I have two mommas-to-be who might get this card!

I am also linking up to
Happy Little Stampers April Watercolour Challenge- 'Anything Goes' optional 'Rainbow'

AAA Cards- 'Favorite Technique'.  As I  alluded to in the blog title, i currently am loving playing with negative die pieces. 

If you do any shopping at Technique Junkies, not only will you get 15% off the new release stamps, but you can get 10% off the rest of your cart using code TJ10 LeeAnn.

That's it for me, for now anyway!  Have a blessed week!

Lee Ann 

Trying a Jennifer M Technique

Hello Again!  Told you I was a crazed crafter this weekend!
I have been wanting to try a technique that Jennifer McGuire shared a couple of weeks ago.
I had just purchased a couple of new stencils and they were perfect to give it a go~

I took inspiration from Addicted to Stamps and More~

Fabulous colors and great waves, amiright?
Sentiment and word die are both Altenew.  I heat embossed the die cut and love the effect of a
single, light layer of ep.  It mimics the salt on the margarita glass, I think.

I am also linking up to Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge-'A Trio of Something'.  I chose 3 butterflies.

Stamps- Altenew
Dies- butterflies- SU, heart, word Altenew
Paper- PTI, Neenah
Inks Catherine Pooler, PTI
other- stencil Stencil Girl



Thanks for stopping by!   


Lee Ann  

Rain, Rain...

Hello Everyone!

I went on a card making binge this past weekend, including putting this sweet image on a card.  I had colored him up at Kathy Racoosin's Coloring Road Trip a couple of weeks ago.  He was perfect for the challenge over at Addicted to CAS, 'Rain'~

This is a Lil' Inkers image that I just love- such a wonderful vintage look.  He is colored with Copics.  Dies used are SugarPea Designs, ZigZag Stitched Rectangles and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Happy Happy Die Set.


I am also linking up to Just Us Girls- 'CAS'.

Have a blessed week! 

Lee Ann 

Hello Easter!

Hello, Hello!

Hope you are all having a wonderful Easter Sunday; oddly enough, we are expecting
snow here in St Louis.
 I dug out a stamp that I have had for ages, one of my first line image
stamps that I bought.  Nothing shouts Easter and spring more than a couple of sweet bunnies and a brightly colored bird!

Aren't they sweet!?!  The image is colored with Copics.  I used sketch number 281 from Sketch Saturday for this card.

 I am also linking up to Penny Black's current Saturday challenge, 'Easter/Anything Goes',
as well as Modsquad Challenge, 'Ready for Spring'.

Paper- PTI, Lawn Fawn, Neenah Solar White
Die- WPlus9
Other- sequins SSS, doily SU

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Easter!

Lee Ann 

April Means New Technique Junkies Stamps and That's No Joke!

Hello Everyone and Welcome to the April New Release

Technique Junkies Blog Hop!  

I think this is my favorite release to date.  LOTS of goodies!  And if you shop now, ALL of the March release stamps are 15% off from now until April 8th.  No code needed, just put your items in the cart and the discount will be applied at checkout.Want something outside of the new release?  No problem, you can get a discount of 10% on those items by using code TJ10LeeAnn.

Let's get hopping!  If you came from Jeanne Streiff's blog, you are in the right place.
If not, you can start at the Technique Junkies Design Team Blog to view the entire hop.

My first card uses the new WildFlowers stamp.  This card was just plain fun to make.

I started out with a piece of watercolor paper; I stamped the image using my MISTI to get good ink coverage and then stamped a mask for the image.   Playing with some Colorbursts and Brushos, along with a stencil, I created a background for the girl.
Once the watercolors were dry, I removed the mask and colored the image with colored pencils.  I finished it off with turquoise sequins to frame her.

I am linking up to Happy Little Stampers Watercolor challenge with my Wildflowers card.

My second card uses the Butterfly Woman stamp~

I was doing all sorts of playing with this card.  As alcohol inks have made a huge comeback, I was experimenting with them as well as with gold foil.
I started with a piece of translucent Yupo paper and several shades of aqua blue alcohol ink.  I was playing around with the stencil-rings background stamp as well (you might be able to see a shadow of them on the background) but I did not like how it turned out and figured that the Yupo was trashed.  However, when I turned it over, It had what looked to be a beautiful blue sky with clouds.  To make the most of the prettiest pieces of the Yupo I cut it in pieces.  I just purchased some FlitterGlue for the foiling, so I gave it a go at foiling the sentiment, which is the new, Began to Fly. 
The Butterfly Woman is colored with Copics and fussy cut out.  The card edge is die cut with a butterfly die.

Head on over to Cheri's blog where she has some amazing inspiration waiting!

Enjoy the hop and Hoppy Easter!

Lee Ann