Florals, Guest Designing and Divinity Designs!

Hello!

I am absolutely thrilled to be guest designing for Divinity Designs this month.  And they have florals!  I told Kelley, the owner, you can never have too many flowers!

Hibiscus.  I do not have any hibiscus in real life or in my stamp collection.  Well, I do now; these beauties from Divinity Designs are from the Great Faith Stamp/Die Duo Set.  I absolutely love that the dies come with the stamps.  But, I am getting ahead of myself.
I started by die cutting an oval frame using the Pierced Ovals Dies.  I backed it with a piece of vellum.  The flowers were stamped and colored with Copics, then cut with the coordinating die.  The sentiment was heat embossed on the vellum mat.  The oval frame and flowers were arranged on a background panel using paper from the Weathered Wood Paper Collection.  The weathered wood was die cut with the matting rectangle die.
Check out two more cards I made using this stamp set over on the Divinity Designs Blog.

Thanks for stopping by,

Lee Ann 

Freshly Made Sketches Gets Splattered!

Hello, Hello!

Welcome back to another Wednesday and new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches!  Our sketch designer this week is the talented Jen M.

Here is your sketch.  I stayed pretty true to the sketch this week. It is a fun one!

So I mixed up my dates and sketches and because of that you are getting a sneak peek of a new stamp set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps that will be available May 1st! 
I have been watching Tim Holtz videos to get inspired and get some mojo back.  So for this card, I made good use of my MISTI.  I placed the stamp and watercolor paper in the MISTI, inked it up with a Peacock Feathers Distress Ink, spritzed it with water and slammed the lid down on the paper.  Yep, I did say slammed.  Carefully!  I don't want you to break your MISTI doing this.
I repeated this multiple times, going back and forth between Peacock Feathers, Broken China and Evergreen Bough Distress inks.  Sometimes I sprayed the inked stamp, sometimes I spritzed the panel and sometimes I spritzed both with water.  My goal was to get splatter and spreading of the ink.  When the paper was really wet, I also tilted it and tapped it on the counter to get drips. Sometimes I dried in between inkings and sometimes I did not. In  the process of doing this, I got a solid, dark butterfly image, surrounded by a blend of blue green color.

I then stamped the image a second time on water color paper, only this time I stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed with black ep.  I used orange and pink Ken Oliver Colorburst Watercolors to paint the butterfly and then fussy cut the butterfly out.
Before finishing the card, I spritzed the image panel with an irridescent Shimmering Bliss Spray.  The fussy cut butterfly was offset so that the dark butterfly image is visible.  The sentiment was stamped using the MISTI and a few sequins were added.

My colors are from Fab Friday~

As well as Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes. 
Head on over to the blog to check out all of the inspiration from the rest of the talented team and then join us!  Can't wait to see you in the gallery!

Lee Ann 

Love You, Friend!

Good Morning and Happy Monday to You!

Today's card was made for a very special friend and former coworker.  I worked with Eva for 13 years, each of us in our own schools in the same school district.  We became unlikely friends with very different personalities, but both with a desire to take better care of our students.
Eva has moved on to greener pastures, now in the role of a nurse practitioner.  I will miss her dearly.  She was our fearless leader, go getter, and best of friends.
She is used to getting cards from me but this one is different as it is a nod to her new nurse practitioner role.

This bear is a new digital image, Healthcare Bears,  from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  I normally don't do digis as I can never get the paper to feed through the printer well or at all, nor I am I technical person what so ever, but I discovered, without even trying, that Xpress-it Blending card goes through the printer with ease.  I drew in a little IV pole behind the nurse, to add a bit of 'workplace' behind him/her.
The bear is colored with Copics, the IV pole is drawn with a a Kuretake Zig Millenium Marker.  I even added Glossy Accents to the IV bag, though you really can't tell in the photo.  Sentiment is from the God is Bigger Stamp Set.

I am linking up to
Addicted to Stamps and More- Anything Goes
Krafty Chicks Challenge- All Occasions
Festive Friday~ being a nurse myself, I just had to get in on this challenge!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann  

In a Field of Flowers

Hello All! 

Hope you are doing well.  This whole stay- at - home thing is starting to feel normal.  I thing it will feel strange when things get back to 'normal'.  Whatever that is.  But regardless, I am getting lots done around the house.  And when it rains?  I am crafting!
Today's card is a union of two unlikely stamp sets~

I cannot take credit for this general idea.  The ever talented, Jill Foster, came up with the idea of combining a more formal floral with a contemporary critter stamp. 
This just takes a bit of time, patience and masking.  I started by getting a general idea of where I wanted things.  The chick, from the Springtime Stamp Set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps, was stamped in Versafine Black ink on Bristol cs. 
The chick was masked and I started stamping the Irises from the Happy Irises Stamp Set by Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  As I went along, I needed to mask some of the irises as well. 
Once everything was stamped, I colored everything with Arteza  Real Brush Pens.  Boy, do these pens give you a vibrant color!  I did not pay much attention to lighting and shadows, etc., I just tried to get a lot of variation in colors. 
I filled in the background with green brush pens; it is not as scribbly looking in real life- the editing seemed to intensify that.  :( 
The sentiment is from the Sweet Little Lamb Stamp Set. 
I am linking up to~

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge- 'Flower Power'
Addicted to Stamps and More- 'Anything Goes'
Addicted to CAS- Animal

Thanks for stopping by! 

Lee Ann 

A New FMS Sketch

Good Morning!

Jen Timko has a great CAS sketch for you this week!

Here is your sketch; isn't this a fun one!!

My inspiration came from the amazing and talented Marcella Hawley.  Marcella, besides being a fabulous artist, owner and illustrator at Powerpoppy, is also an avid gardener.  I had the pleasure of checking out her garden yesterday- which happens to be her entire yard- and her spring florals inspired this card.

I used the Natural Beauties Stamp Set from Power Poppy and colored up some daffodils like ones in her yard.  I ringed the flowers with a blue circle and backed them with a bit from a monoprint that I had made quite some time ago.  The sentiment strip was made using the Simon Says Stamp Tiny Words Stamp Set. I used some good old fashioned pearls to finish it off.

I am linking up to Retro Rubber Challenge, 'Anything Goes'.  The Natural Beauties Stamp Set  was released in 2017 and I have had it for about 2 years. 
I am also linking up to Sunday Stamps for their color challenge.
  
Check out what the rest of the team has for your inspiration over at Freshly Made Sketches, then join us! If you are interested, check out some pictures of Marcella's garden below!  Excuse the poor quality photos.

 See you in the gallery!

Hummer

Hello All!

It's Monday, for those of you who need the reminder, lol. Days are certainly blending into one another.
Today's card is for a few challenges. I used a couple of sets from Sweet n Sassy Stamps to create this~

I started with the Peony Cluster Stamp Set, stamped on Neenah Solar White cs and colored with Copics.  Next, I lined up the hummingbird from the new, Beautiful Birds Stamp Set with the colored peony image.  I  masked off the flower portion of the bird stamp after positioning him in the MISTI, then inked him up with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and stamped onto the floral panel.  The hummer was colored with Copics as well.  Some detail was added to the flowers and hummer with Prismacolor pencils.
Next, I drew a pencil line down the panel, crossing the hummer.  I fussy cut along the hummer up to that line and then cut on either side of the hummer with my paper trimmer. A sentiment from the Mason Jar Bouquet Stamp Set was added to a kraft cardbase using the MISTI.  I scored around the card base, then added the image panel, popping it up on dimensional tape.  Wink of Stella was added to the hummer and a few sequins were added to the card to finish it off.

I am linking up to The Flower Challenge-

Just Add Ink (used the colors)~

And The Mod Squad Challenge, Add a Bird~
And lastly, Sunday Stamps for their color challenge~

 Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week, all!

Lee Ann

Today I Played

Hello Everyone!

Today, I played.  And I enjoyed it! 
I have been in a crafty rut and really struggling with the creative process.  I came upon the Tim Holtz videos that he has been doing weekly, and started watching.  I have a few of his products, mainly inks, and I do enjoy some mixed media, but I have never done the kind of experimenting that he encourages.  You need to just go for it.  Be loose, lol.  That is sooooo not me.  I tried my best to just play, be loose, and go for it.  I did find myself trying to plan and did make an entire card in the end, but I PLAYED.  And I learned. 

Not the best card ever, but, someone will like it!  I started with Distress Paints that I have had for ages.  Not even sure why I bought them in the first place.  I quickly realized that you have to have colors that will go together well.  I did not have a great palette for that.  I ended up working with Barn Door, Wild Honey and Forest Moss.  In between the layers, I added some text using the Typewriter Text Background Stamp from Sweet n Sassy Stamps with Versafine Onyx Black Ink.  The Forest Moss quickly muddied everything so I dabbed a lot of that off.  I needed more color though, so I decided to use a stencil  and some Distress Micro Glaze.  Lesson Number 2- the Distress Micro Glaze does not work on top of acrylic paint; so when I applied my Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide over my stenciled with Distress Micro Glaze areas,  I just ended up with large areas of solid Peacock Feathers.  More dragging through the Barn Door and Wild Honey paints.  Colors started to blend and I ended up with lime greens, pinky purple and purple in the end.  I then spattered the entire background with black acrylic paint. 
It was looking a bit dark and muddied in areas and since the first go of stenciling did not work, I stenciled on some  Embossing paste with the Tim Holtz Burlap Stencil.  That was a bit too white, so I sponged on a bit of Peacock Feathers.  THAT was too blue so I patted on some white acrylic paint (insert eyeball roll here). 
Next, they easy part.  I stamped a  bird from Bird Crazy in Memento Black ink and loosely colored it with Copics, trying to mimic the colors in the background.  I fussy cut him out, stamped him directly onto the background with Versafine Onyx Black Ink and then adhered the colored version onto the card (once the ink was dry).  The sentiment is from an old retired SNSS set; I stamped it in the Versafine ink and then heat embossed it in clear ep.  Lastly, Glossy Accents was added to the eyeballs.  Final mistake- I forgot that I had added the Glossy Accents and stood the card up.  Of course the liquid pooled to the lower part of the eyeballs (insert another eyeball roll). 
I am so glad that I am trying new things.  I have always said I never have enough time; well now I have it.  May end up taking a class or two as well.  I have been wanting to take a drawing class from Sandy Allnock.  I certainly have the time! 

I am linking up to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge- E is for...
In my case, E is for embossing- both heat embossing and embossing paste.
 
I am also linking up to The Mod Squad Challenge- Add a Bird. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Lee Ann 

A new Freshly Made Sketch by Me!

Hello All!

It's Wednesday and that means it is time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches already.  If you are looking for the Sweet n Sassy Stamps blog hop, go HERE.  Time is flying, and it is already time for me to share a sketch with you. So without further ado...

Here is your sketch~

I did some no line coloring with Copics and a digital image from Sweet n Sassy Stamps, Coneflowers and Butterfly.

Detail was added with Prismacolor Pencils.  Enabler Alert!  Dick Blick has a great price on the 72 count pencils right now- almost 1/3 of the retail price! My sentiment is from the Happy Irises Stamp Set and is heat embossed in white on black cs.
The kraft background panel was debossed with the Dotted Swirls Cover Die from Altenew.  The card is finished off with some Pale Pink sequins from Simon Says Stamp and some Summer Fusion Sequins from Studio Katia.
See what the rest of the team has for inspiration and then join us on the blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann

Celebrating Sweet n Sassy Stamps in April!

Hello, Hello!

So, I know I say this every month, but this month, Korin REALLY knocked this release out of the park.  My favorite Sweet n Sassy Stamps Set this month?  Country Garden by Jenn Nilsson.  I have 3 cards to share with you using this set.  Hop along with us to see more inspiration!  Leave some love (in the form of comments along the way) for a chance to win a voucher to the Sweet n Sassy Stamps store.  Winner will be announced on the snss blog on April 23rd.

I adore this stamp set.  The flowers- oh my!  Look at this bucket of flowers!  I colored this image with Copic markers and then fussy cut it out.  The background was done on a piece of mixed media paper.  I tinted some embossing paste with some purple'y' pinky ink and then applied it over a Stamplorations stencil, Gridlocked.  I let the paste dry.  I added some diluted, black, Ken Oliver Colorburst watercolor paint in the 'grout lines to make it look old and weathered, then decided that the pinky purple was too bright, so dabbed some over that as well.
Lastly, I added some green and blue Colorburst watercolors to the remainder of the background- loosely- to give the illusion of grass and sky.  To finish the scene, I added a sign to the side of my building; the sentiment is from the By The Sea Stamp Set and is heat embossed in white ep on black cs.  The wood sign pole was done by stamping the brown cs with the Wood Backgrounds Stamp Set with brown ink.  sequins finish it all off.
I am linking this card up to Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, 'E is for'.  In this case, E is for embossing paste. 

This peony in a jar is another image in the Country Garden Stamp Set.  What a beauty!  This was colored with Copics and fussy cut out.  I kept things clean and graphic by covering the white cardbase with a black, multifaceted cardfront die cut.  The floral image was grounded on a die cut from Altenew- Midcentury Frame.  The center of the frame was colored with Copics and the sentiment, from the same Country Garden Stamp Set, was stamped in Versafine Black ink using my MISTI.   The image is popped up on dimensional tape and rhinestones were added around the frame.

Same colors, new image!  Yep, I tried to keep a theme of using the same colors on all three cards, yet you can see how different all three are.  This bicycle reminds me of growing up.  I had a yellow Schwinn bike that took me everywhere!  This aqua bike was colored with Copics, as was the grassy scene behind it.  The sentiment, which is from the Beautiful Birds Stamp Set, is heat embossed in white on black cs.  Some patterned paper, sequins, and  a bit of hemp twine finish this card off.

Ready for more inspiration?  Check out what the rest of the design team has for you!

Sweet n Sassy Stamps
Julee Tilman
Ceal Pritchett
Diane Zechman
Esther Asbury
Jane Bosi
Karen Decknick
Lee Ann Barrett- You are Here!
Lucinde van Ballegooijen
Lyn Tomlin
Sheri Gilson

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann  

A Rose

Hello All~!

Are you trying to keep up with Kathy Raccosin's coloring challenge?  I usually only make it about three days, but I am having a bit more success this go around, thus far. 
I colored this gorgeous rose image with Ken Oliver Colorburst Watercolors. 

This gorgeous rose is from the Rose Banner Stamp Set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  I stamped he flower in Memento Desert Sand ink and then watercolored the image with my much loved Ken Oliver Colorburst Watercolors. 
I die cut a scalloped rectangle frame in watercolor paper and painted it with the watercolors as well. 
I am linking up to
The Flower Challenge~

Inspired By Challenge~

Inkspirational Challenge~ 'Spring'

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed week!

Lee Ann 

Happy Easter!

Hello Everyone!

Good Friday has come and gone, but Sunday is coming and soon!  Grateful that no matter what the circumstances, we get to celebrate or risen Savior!

This card showcases one of the gorgeous cross images in the Rustic Easter Stamp Set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  I colored it with Copics and fussy cut it out.
The background is a scrap piece of paper that I used to clean up any extra watercolor paint or distress ink on my craft mat.  The subtle colors were perfect behind he cross.  A bit of cheese cloth and a few sequins were all that was needed to finish off the card.

I am linking up to the Global Design Project~

 I am also linking up to Tuesday Morning Sketches~
 And The Card Concept;  my card is mixed media.

Happy Resurrection Day to you!

John 11:25, 26- Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.  Do you believe this?

Lee Ann

He has Risen Indeed!

Hello!

Easter is this weekend, and while it will be different for many, we will still celebrate!  I have a mixed media Easter card to share today~

 I first stamped the lilies from the Rustic Easter Stamp Set 2 times, colored with Copics and fussy cut out.  I stamped a third time, this time stamping a mirror image using my MISTI and my Waffleflower Water Media Mat.  This was colored and fussy cut as well.
The background was done with a card front die- I made an impression of the die onto the white cardstock using my rubber mat in my Big Shot.  Next, I spritzed the cardstock with some Well Blue Me Down Coloringz from Shimmerz Paints.  The color was a bit intense for what I wanted so I smeared a bit of white acrylic paint over some of the blue spray.  Lastly, I spattered the background with a bit of watered down black paint.
To ground the flowers, I used my new Fine Frames Dies from Altenew.
Lastly, I stamped the sentiment on a colored distressed 'sign' from the same stamp set, and fussy  cut it out.
I am linking this card up to the following challenge~

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge~ Add Some Texture

Mix It Up Challenge- Anything Goes

Inkspirational- Spring

The Mod Squad Challenge- Spring has Sprung

Word Art Wednesday- Anything Goes encouraging or uplifting

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a blessed Easter weekend~

Lee Ann 

Christmas Cardinal

Hello! 

It was 90 degrees here yesterday, so I cooled off a bit with a Christmas card! 

I used the cardinal image from the newest Sweet n Sassy Stamps Stamp Set, Beautiful Birds.  I tried a technique that I saw on IG from Jessica Frost Ballas but I added a twist to make it my own. 
I started with Arches Watercolor Paper and some distress inks.  I smooshed the ink onto a craft mat and then onto my paper.  Once I achieved the look I wanted, I stamped the image in distress inks right over the distress ink background.  I added more color with Ken Oliver Colorbursts.  In the orginal tutorial I saw, she added color with Copics.  For more detail on how I made this card, check out the Sweet n Sassy Stamps blog.  The sentiment is from the Christmas Wordfetti Stamp Set.

I am linking up to Krafty Chicks Challenge-'Christmas'. 

That's it for me! Thanks for stopping by,

Lee Ann 

A Freshly Made Sketch from Jacquie

Hello and Happy Wednesday!
I don't know about you, but I am starting to loose track of days.  Goodness this post almost did not happen!
 Jacquie has a wonderful and versatile CAS sketch for us today.  Her ability to do CAS with dies is amazing! 

This go around, I tried to go pastel, something that I do not find easy.
Here is your sketch~

The diamond shape on the sketch really caught my eye but I do not have diamond dies.  I ended up going with my go to, scalloped rectangle dies.  The image is brand new from Sweet n Sassy Stamps and is from the set Country Garden Stamp Set.  This set is right up my alley!  The image is colored with Copics and fussy cut out.
I used a piece of Tim Holtz watercolor paper for my background and painted a wash of pinky peach (Tangerine) and yellow (Naples Yellow) Colorburst Watercolors on it.  I then diecut the scallop rectangle from the watercolored panel and cut another from white cardstock, then used the inlaid die technique to finish the background off.  The image was popped up on dimensionals and the diecut was stacked.
That's it for me!  Now it is your turn.  Head over to the blog for more inspiration from the uber talented team and then join us!

I am linking up to the following challenges-
Color Throwdown~

I am also linking up to Inkspirational with a word prompt challenge 'spring',

As well as Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge-Spring Mood Board

Lee Ann

Floral Freshly Made Sketches

Hello All!

Hope social distancing is treating you well, lol.  It is such a strange time right now.  I thought I would have all sorts of time to craft, but somehow, I seem busier than ever.
 So I got this week's card for Freshly Made Sketches in just under the wire.  Our hostess this week is the sweet and charming, Judy.  I had the pleasure of meeting her in person at a retreat a couple of years back and she is even nicer in person!  She's a pretty good crafter too!  I love her mixed media. 

This sketch gave me fits- I guess I just don't know what to do with multiple circles.  But at the last minute, I got a burst of creativity (and a new die from Altenew) and I knew just what I was going to do.  Here is your circle-filled sketch!

Altenew 3D floral dies have been calling to me for quite a while.  But, I am a colorist and don't use many dies- until now.  I finally broke down and got the Peony Dream 3D Die Set.  My goodness these are easy to use!  Not sure what I was waiting for! 
To create my elements I pieced together two of the flowers completely in white.  The third flower was die cut in various colors of cardstock.  I still could not help but add a bit of shading with Copic markers, though it is a bit tough to see in this photo. 
My black and white striped panel of patterned paper down the right side is from MFT.  I stamped a sentiment from the Paint A Flower Poppy Stamp Set using my mini MISTI using Versafine Onyx Black ink.  I added a few black sequins and some Wink of Stella to the flower and called it done!
I am linking up to The Paper Players Challenge, which is tic tac toe this week; I have used patterned paper, pink and spring~

Hop on over the the Freshly Made Sketches blog to see all of the other amazing inspiration from the talented team.  Then I hope you have time to join us this week!

Lee Ann