Spring Coffee Lover's Blog Hop!

Hello, Hello!

I love the biannual Coffee Lover's Blog Hop Tradition!
Thanks to Amy Tsuruta for her time and the dedication she puts into these hops and the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's  Blog.

My card features the In This Together Stamp Set by Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  The image was colored with Copics and fussy cut out.  I had the sun ray panel in a pile of backgrounds (yeah for using stuff I already had)!  The blue portion was done with the smoothing technique and distress inks.
The sentiment makes the card, imo, and is from the Tea for Two Stamp Set.  I used my MISTI to stamp it so I got perfect placement around my main image.
I finished it off with Sakura white gelly roll pen for the flower centers and my favorite sequins, Moonshine, from Simon Says Stamp.
That's it for me!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day!

Lee Ann

Stamps
Sweet n Sassy Stamps In This Together, from SnSS
Sweet n Sassy Stamps In This Together from SSS
Sweet n Sassy Stamps Tea for Two from SnSS
Sweet n Sassy Stamps Tea for Two from SSS

Ink
Versmark Onyx Black Ink, SnSS
Distress Ink SSS
Distress Ink, Ranger

Paper
Copic Blending Card, SSS

Other
Sakura White Gelly Roll Pen from Dick Blick
Sakura White Gelly Roll Pen from SSS
MISTI , SnSS
Copics, SSS
Copics Dick Blick
Altenew Golden Trim Washi, Altenew
Altenew Golden Trim Washi, SSS

Getting a Little Holtz-Like'

Hey All! 

I have been really enjoying following along with Tim Holtz's fb live demos.  I did a lot of ink smooshing with Distress Inks for this card~

This was actually the first card I made for Freshly Made Sketches #436, but after I was done, I did not do a good job of following the sketch! 
I used Tim Holtz Watercolor Paper and smooshed distress inks in yellows, oranges, pinks and reds onto my craft mat, then spritzed with water with the Distress Sprayer and smooshed my paper into the inky goodness.  I repeated this multiple times, drying in between, to get the spotty goodness.
Once I was happy with the distress ink panel, I stamped the butterfly from the Perspective Stamp Set in Versamark ink and heat embossed in black with Brutus Monroe Raven Fine Embossing Powder. 
The image panel was then die cut with a stitched rectangle die.  
To add more texture, I used a stencil and  some transparent embossing paste randomly on the panel.  Before the paste dried, I sprinkled some chunky antique gold embossing powder on it and heated it. 
The sentiment is from the Sweet n Sassy Stamp Set, Encouraging Thoughts Stamp Set and was heat embossed in Gina K Designs fine gold embossing powder.   

That's it for me!  I hope you like it. 
I am trying something new by trying to link all products below for your convenience.  Let me know what you think and if it is helpful or not. 

Have a great day! 

Lee Ann


Products Used~
Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer 
Tim Holtz Watercolor Cardstock
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads
Tim Holtz Cling Perspective Stamp Set 
Ranger Transparent Texture Paste
Ranger Non Stick Craft Sheet

Gina K Fine Gold Embossing Powder
Brutus Monroe Raven Fine Embossing Powder 

Sweet n Sassy Stamps Encouraging Thoughts Stamp Set from SnSS
Sweet n Sassy Stamps Encouraging Thoughts Stamp Set from Simon Says Stamp

A New Sketch from Freshly Made Sketches!

Hello, Hello!

I took a break from the Freshly Made Sketches Team last week; sometimes I think creativity requires walking away from the projects for a bit.  Today's sketch is from the amazing Jen B.!  If you haven't already, you HAVE to go and check her card on the FMS blog!
  This sketch is wide open, anything goes.  I needed a masculine card and this sketch was perfect.

Here is the sketch~

For as great as the sketch is, I was only 'meh' about the card.  But the story behind the card is great!
My son is a math major at a university here in town.  He has been teaching/tutoring calculus for a few semesters now.  This past spring, about two weeks before the end of the year, he spent hours with a young man, helping him with calc.  Hours and hours at the dining room table, tutoring online.  It got to where I was encouraging this young man along as well.  He would get online and I could hear him calling 'Hey, Mom'!
So when he connected with my son last week to tell him that he passed the final, and not just passed but got 84%, we were ALL celebrating!  You see, this was the third time he was taking the class!  So there you have it, this card is for him, for all of his hard work and determination that paid off!
I used an old Darkroom Door stamp for the card, stamped it with Versamark Ink on Canson watercolor cs, heat embossed it and colored it in with Ken Oliver Color Bursts.  I finished the card off with black sequins. 

Check out what the rest of the team has to share and then join us!  I can't wait to see this gallery this week!

Lee Ann

***  I am trying something different by listing and in some cases, linking, products used down below.  Let me know what you think!  I am just experimenting!  

Products Used
Ken Oliver Color Bursts from Simon Says Stamp (while this is the same watercolor product, they are not the colors I used). 
Ken Oliver Color Bursts from Dick Blick

Canson Watercolor Paper from Dick Blick
Canson Watercolor Paper from Simon Says Stamp

Versamark Ink

Brutus Monroe Raven Embossing powder

Totally Random Sayings Stamp Set from Ellen Hutson
Circles Background Stamp from Deep Red

28 Lilac Lane Formal Sequin Mix

Life and Lemons

Helo Everyone! 

Today's card is bright, fresh and CAS.  I used the sketch from CASE This Sketch~

I love these fun, stylized lemons.  And one cannot go wrong with the amazing font from Rebecca Rios.  The set is Life and Lemons from Sweet n Sassy Stamps. The lemons/leaves are colored with Copics and fussy cut out. 
Here is the sketch I used; I did have to flip it to accommodate my large, 2-part sentiment.

Time to get some chores done!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

Lee Ann 

Flutter By

Hello, Hello! 

Low MOJO has pushed me back to messier crafting, otherwise known as mixed media or distress (in the Tim Holtz world)!  Distress inks and my MISTI were used along with the faux watercolor stamping technique to ink up this gorgeous butterfly from the Begin Again Stamp Set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  Once inked up, they were spritzed with water and then stamped onto the Canson watercolor paper. 

This was my final card after playing around, making many panels.  I stamped multiple times and with multiple colors, sometimes drying in between.  I also spattered water as well as watercolor paint spatters at then end.  Sentiment is from the Encouraging Thoughts Stamp Set. 
Here are other cards that I started out with.  Some are first generation stamping, some are second.  Some are multi stamped, some are dried inbetween, some are not. I just experimented and played! 
They all ended up being a set of cards that I gifted to a friend of mine.

Sentiment is from Encouraging Thoughts Stamp Set.

 

Sentiment is from Encouraging Thought Stamp Set. 

Sentiment is from Encouraging Thoughts Stamp Set. 

 Sentiment is from the So Thankful Stamp Set.  

Sentiment is from Sympathy Morning Glories Stamp Set.  

A few sequins on each card and some simple matting was all they needed.  

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a blessed week!

Lee Ann 

Proverbs 31

Hello Friends!

I am at it again with Bible Journaling.  This digital image from Sweet n Sassy Stamps-Love the Word- really got me thinking.  I LOVE the girl's hair and I thought how fun it would be to cover the page.  So...

I made her head/hair as wide as the 8.5 x 11 paper.  Printed on Expressit cs and colored with Copics.  I fussy cut her out to the best of my ability.  A couple of the curls would require being 'reattached', lol
I have been afraid to try my new Illustrating Bible- didn't want to ruin the pages.  But I finally jumped in yesterday.  At first I did not like it- had done some distress ink sponging.  But then I got bolder and used some acrylic paint and a diamond stencil.  I used red, magenta and yellow.  The paints were smeared on and through the stencil with a credit card.
The paint did not go far, so when I took the stencil off, I smeared the paint some more, but it still allowed he diamonds to faintly show through.
Next, I planned out my wording; it is always the most difficult part for me.  I used stamps from various sets-
Inspirational Word Art 1
Rebecca Script Alpha
School House Alpha
His Wings
The sentiment was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black Ink.  The hand done writing was done with a Kuretake Zig Millenium Pen.
The girl was glued down to the page.  I added some washi tape to the bottom and tops of the page.  Honestly guys, I do NOT know how to use washi!
The prettiest part is the diamond stencil that I used; this time I traced some of the diamond shapes with a gold pen.  The gold washi goes great with the gold pen work.

The message is simple, but yet another one I need to remind myself of daily, especially with all of the advertising out there about beauty. 
Have a blessed weekend!

Lee Ann 

Bible Journaling with Digis

Hello All! 

I finally have gotten more comfortable with digis, all in part due to the paper I started using.  Neenah Solar White 80# cs did not want to go through my printer, but it turns out that Ex-pressit cs does!  That makes me a happy camper!

I used the newest digi from Sweet n Sassy Stamps to give Bible Journaling a whirl again.  I have really been struggling with it; not finding my style and it is not coming naturally to me. 
When I saw this digi, I new it was perfect for journaling. I printed the Love the Word Digital Stamp
on Ex-pressit cs and colored her with Copics, then fussy cut out. 
The background was done with, you guessed it, my beloved Ken Oliver Color Bursts.   Once the background was dried, I ironed it to smooth things out, then stenciled on some 'clouds' using the Stamplorations Retro Circles Stencil. 
The wording was done with the following sets~
Sentimental Mash Up
Hello My Name Is
Choose Faith
His Wings
I determined their placement, then stamped them with Versafine Onyx Black Ink. 
Once I stamped the words, I filled in the words, Hope, and Lord with a White Gel Pen and outlined the word 'trust'.  Once the gel pen was dry, I went in with a black Micron Pen and did some zentangling in the word 'hope'. 
The Bible girl was adhered to the page and done!

I simple message, but one I need to remind myself of daily.

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed week!

Lee Ann  

Sweet n Sassy Stamps May Blog Hop!

Hello, Hello!

It is that time already, when we celebrate the new release of the month.  This month, we have some fabulous florals, wonderful, big butterflies, alphas- lots of goodness and we have been creating with it all!  Hop along with us and comment on each blog as you go and you will be entered for a chance to win a gift certificate to the Sweet n Sassy Stamps Store.  The winner will be announced on the Sweet n Sassy Stamps Blog on Wednesday, May 20th.
For my first card, I used the awesome In This Together Stamp Set.  Goodness, there are some fantatic sentiments, not to mention gorgeous flowers in this set.

For this card, using my MISTI, I stamped the teapot image on Neenah Solar White cs and colored it with Copics.  I then fussy cut it out and mounted it on a yellow doily die cut panel with a white cs circle in the center.  Some plaid paper, along with a grey and gold metallic strip were adhered to the card base, followed by the circle and teapot panel.   The sentiment, from the Encouraging Thoughts Stamp Set, was stamped in Versamark in on another shade of gray cs and embossed in gold.
I am linking this card up to the Krafty Chicks Challenge. 

Next up is a totally different card, using the same set!

This time I used the floral image.  I tried this for several reasons- first- I have been struggling with coloring lately.  Not sure why.  The creativity has been a bust so I am doing things that I do not normally do.  And I was trying to think like Jennifer McGuire, lol!  This shows you that you do not have to be a expert colorer to use line art.  I gathered a bunch of colored cardstock and cut them in 1/2 inch strips.  I mounted the strips in rainbow order on a scrap piece of computer paper.  Instead of using the whole thing on a card, I decided it would be fun to cut it in half to get two cards out of it.
The floral image was stamped in Versafine Black Ink and then heat embossed with clear ep. After it was heat embossed, I added some shading with Copics.  And isn't that a fantastic sentiment??!!!

Rainbow Strips, 2.0~

This card may end up going to my niece.  It is the perfect card for a twenty something year old trying to figure out life.  This time I stamped the large (have I mentioned how large this butterfly is!?) butterfly from the Begin Again Stamp Set in Versamark ink and heat embossed it in an embossing powder called Vintage Sparkle from Brutus Monroe.  This is the first time I have used it and it was perfect for the butterfly.  The sentiment is from the same set, Begin Again, and is embossed in white.
I am linking this card up to Addicted to Stamps and More for their clean and simple challenge.,
as well as Sunday Stamps for their sketch challenge this week.  

Check out all of the inspiration from the rest of the team!  Here is your hop list~
Sweet n Sassy Blog
Julee Tilman
Ceal Pritchett
 Diane Zechman
Esther Asbury
Jane Bosi
Karen Decknick
Lee Ann Barrett- You Are Here!
Lyn Tomlin
Sheri Gilson

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy the hop!

Lee Ann   

Feathered Friend

Hello All!

I have been playing around with mixed media again, as my hands have seemed to have forgotten how to color.  So lots of inky goodness today, compliments of Tim Holtz~

Gesso Resist is a technique I wanted to revisit and one that I love.  I started with some Tim Holtz Mixed Media Heavy Cardstock, gesso and an old credit card.  I loaded one thin edge of the card with white gesso and very lightly pulled the card along the surface of the cs.  The gesso coated areas of the paper very thinly and dried almost immediately.
Next up, Distress Spray Stain in Candied Apple, Evergreen Bough and Wild Honey.  I spritzed Wild Honey Spray Stain on my craft mat and pulled the cs through it, spritzing and spraying water as I went along as well.  Once that was dry, used the Wild Flower Stencil and dabbed on some Distress Micro Glaze through some of the flower areas.  The micro glaze seals the paper making it waterproof.  I then spritzed some of the Evergreen Bough Distress Spray Stain over the leaf and stem areas.  Once dry, I added more Micro Glaze.
I then played with the Candied Apple, Evergreen Bough and Wild Honey Stains until I was happy with the look. 
Next up, another Bird Crazy Bird!  I colored this guy on Neenah Solar White paper and fussy cut him out.  A sentiment from the Sweet n Sassy Stamps In This Together Stamp Set and a few enamel dots finish it off.

I am linking up to Mix It Up Challenge~

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

Lee Ann 

Teal Appreciation

Hello and Happy Monday!

Just a quick share today for a challenge over at Hero Arts.

The challenge is Stay Crafty with Hero and this week it is 'Essential Kindness'; in other words, make a card for an essential worker.  I thought something simple would be perfect for a grocery store worker.
I used the Hero Arts Antique Rose Stem image (I have the old wooden block image) and stamped it on kraft cs.  I colored the image in  with Prismacolor Pencils.  To add a bit of texture to the background, I sponged Hero Arts Unicorn ink through some drywall tape.  The sentiment is from Sweet n Sassy Stamps So Thankful Stamp set.
I am also linking up to Addicted to CAS Challenge which is 'flower' this week.

As well as Retro Rubber Challenge blog- spring flowers
Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed week!

Lee Ann 

And Happy Mother's Day Third Time Around!

Good Morning and Happy Saturday All!

It is a sunny but very chilly morning here in St Louis.  I have some windows to paint!  But first, one more Mom's Day card made with the sweet My World Stamp Set from Divinity Designs.

The roses were stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copics, then die cut with the coordinating dies.  Three Delicate Doilies were die cut, one in white and two in Coastal Cabana.  I backed a card front with yellow polka dot paper (even though it looks orange) from the Birthday Brights Paper Pack.  The polka dot panel was die cut with the layer from the A2 Portrait Card Base Die Set.  I arranged the flowers on the white doily, allowing enough room for my sentiment.  I tucked in leaves from the Bitty Blossoms Die Set that I die cut from lime green and a dark teal green cs and tucked them in behind the roses and glued everything down.  The doilies were adhered across the top of the card front, the whit one being popped up on dimensional tape.  A few sequins were added for shine.
I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday, only I turned the elements so they went across the top of the card panel versus down the card panel.

  

Thanks for stopping by! 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to ALL MOMS!  

Happy Mother's Day

Hi All!

I have another Mother's Day card to share using Divinity Designs My World Stamp Set.

This is simple and sweet, just like mom!  I stamped the largest floral image with Memento Tuxedo Black in and colored the image with Copics.  I stamped the 3 roses and did the same then die cut them out with the matching die.  I adhered this with dimensional adhesive over the first rose image after having die cut it out with a Pierced Oval die.
The oval was matted with a Delicate Doily die cut. On the lower half of the card base, I stamped the smallest rose image in light pink. On the top portion of the card base, I added pink stripes from the Pretty Pink Peonies Paper Collection.

I am linking up to Inkspirational Challenge~

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

Lee Ann

Divinity Designs and Celebrating Mom

Good Morning and Happy Thursday! 

I have some Mother's Day cards up on the Divinity Designs Blog today, including this contemporary design~

This was fun!  I started with the Pierced Oval Dies; I nested the dies evenly and then taped them together as seen below~

I die cut the entire set of ovals out of water color paper.  I planning on using all of the ovals, but it was too overpowering for the delicate roses.  Thus, I used 4 consecutively sized frames and watercolored them in teal in an ombre fashion.  I mounted the largest oval directly on my woodgrain textured card front.  Next, an additional layer of cs was added behind the next teal oval and then the unit was adhered to the card front.  On the 3rd oval, I added 2 pieces of cs behind it and so on, building up the height of the ovals to give them dimension as seen below~

The flowers are from the my World Stamp Set.  I just love how delicate they are- perfect for mom!
They were stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink and watercolored with Ken Oliver Colorbursts.  I also die cut leaves from the Bitty Blossoms Dies- some from white cs and others from watercolor cs.  The sentiment was stamped on black cs in Versamark ink and heat embossed with white ep.  A few sequins were added for sparkle and I called it done! 
Check out the Divinity Designs blog for my other cards. 
I am linking up to
The Mod Squad Challenge~A Day for Mothers
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge- Dies or Punches
My colors were inspired by The Cupcake Inspiration Challenge~

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful, blessed week!
Lee Ann  

Going Bold with Freshly Made Sketches!

Hello and welcome to another sketch challenge with Freshly Made Sketches!

This week our hostess is the amazing, Linda.  Every card Linda makes looks like it came together with ease.  Here is this week's sketch from her~

So that's the 'going bold' part!

 Great sketch this week that allows for alot of interpretation on what to do with the panels! 

I obviously chose to do some stripes of watercolor, ombre fashion.  I used my beloved Ken Oliver Colorbursts to do this.  My center panel, or image, is from the brand new Sweet n Sassy Stamps set, In This Together.  I stamped the image initially in Memento Desert Storm Ink as I planned on doing no line water coloring, but it was not working for me this week.  Once I finished water coloring the gorgeous cluster of flowers with my Ken Oliver Colorbursts, I stamped over the image with Versafine Onyx Black ink.  I used the MISTI to do this to get the perfect second impression.

Thanks for stopping by!  Check out all of the ways the team interpreted those panels this week!  Then join us!

Lee Ann 

Tropical Heat Wave

Hello All! 

I am getting tropical again today, using the Great Faith Stamp and Die Duo from Divinity Designs. While I am getting tropical on the blog, it is getting tropical outside- around 85 today!
I like to get inspiration from the internet when the MOJO is lacking.  That is exactly what I did on this card~

I love how this turned out.  My inspiration came from this artwork~

(source)

My plan was to watercolor the background but that just did not turn out.  Some days I feel like I water color like Rembrandt.  Other days I feel like I color like a kindergartener!  

I stamped the singe hibiscus image in Ranger Archival ink, Manganese Blue, on my background panel.  I colored in the stamens with a red prismacolor pencil.  

Next, I stamped the single hibiscus and colored it with Copic markers and die cut it out with the coordinating die.  I then spritzed some mixed media paper with yellow and orange ink sprays.  From that I die cut a Delicate Doily.   The sentiment was stamped on a panel that had been die cut out using a Pierced Rectangle Die.  The card was assembled, with a strip of polka dot paper from the Birthday Brights Paper Pad.  

I am linking up to Just Add Ink~ I have used both pencils and patterned paper. 

 

I am  also linking up to Simon Says Stamp  Wednesday 'Anything Goes Challenge.  

Thanks for stopping by!  

Lee Ann   

Tropical Wreath

Hello Again! 

I have another card to share with you, using those tropical Hibiscus flowers from the Great Faith Stamp and Die Set at Divinity Designs. 

I simply stamped, colored with Copics and die cut with the coordinating die, this trio of flowers 4 times.  Super easy but I think it packs a big punch! 
The card base was cut with the A2 Portrait Card Base with Layer Die, then layered a bright green cs which was die cut with the matting rectangle, then lastly, added a white panel that was die cut with the Pierced Rectangle Dies.  The wreath was arranged and popped up on dimensional tape.

I am linking up to the Krafty Chicks Challenge, Anything Goes.   
I am also linking up to Addicted to Stamps and More, Make Your Mark. 

Check out the Divinity Designs Blog where I have 3 cards using this stamp set. 

Thanks for stopping by, have a fabulous weekend!

Lee Ann