Old is New with Impression Obsession

 Hello All!  

Spring has finally arrived.  Can I get an Amen!?!!  While it was fairly mild, this winter seemed to drag on!  

Today the Impression Obsession Design Team is giving some love to older IO stamps. You can see the list of participants on the Impression Obsession Blog.  

 It seemed to be a perfect time to get out this absolutely adorable Garden Bunny.  I do tend to gravitate to realistic images so this cutie was right up my alley.  

The image was colored with Copics on Neenah Solar White Cardstock.  I stamped a sentiment from the oh so adorable Some Bunnies Stamp Set.  Then I gave the bunny a little greenery to rest on- I used the Hill Landscape Layers Dies for this and then added in some grass with the Small Grass Border Die.  3 sequins finish it off!  

I am linking up to the Tic Tac Toe Challenge- I have used die cuts, green and leaves, as well as Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes.  Lastly, I am linking up to Inkspirational Challenge for their Fur or Feathers Challenge.

 

Head over to the Impression Obsession Blog for more inspiration from the team~  

Thanks for visiting,

Lee Ann  

Loose Lotus

 Hello and Happy Monday! 

Spring break is over and it is back to work over here, but I know a lot of states are just starting their spring breaks.  If you are just starting yours, enjoy! 

I have a super loose Lotus card using the new Lotus Flower 1 and Lotus Flower 2 from Impression Obsession.  

I started out by using Tim Holtz watercolor paper and distress inks in pinks and corals-Picked Raspberry, Worn Lipstick, Festive Berries, and  Abandoned Coral and used the smooshing technique.  I tried to keep the color mostly to the bottom left corner of the card.  Once I was happy with the color distribution and it was good and dry, I stamped the images with a darker ink.  

I used Copic markers carefully and sparingly to better define the flowers.  Because distress inks react to water, I was able to moisten some of the ink around the flowers and dab off some color to lighten it up and better define the edges of the flowers.  I finished off the flowers with a white gel pen on the flower centers.  The sentiment, Feel Better Soon, was stamped with IO Black Ink using my MISTI.  A few dew drops finish off the card. 

These loose lotuses are a lot different than the meticulous ones HERE, but I like them both just the same.  

And speaking of lotuses, is there a difference between lotus and water lilies?  

Have a wonderful Monday, All!

Lee Ann  

Easy Alcohol Ink Swatching

 Hello All!  

Just popping in with a quick post about getting organized!!  OK, who am I kidding?  I will never be organized!  But I am trying.  I tend to avoid swatching of ink colors, but I was having a hard time with alcohol inks as you really can't tell their true colors in the bottle.  

Then along came this cute little die, the 3 Rectangle Frames Die from Impression Obsession.  I also came across some old photo paper that needed to be used up.  So, my rectangles became swatches.  

The best part?  with each die cut I got three swatch tags, not just one!  So time saved=WIN! 

Plus, I am just downright impatient with this sort of thing, so speeding things up is a positive for me.  

I colored each rectangle with alcohol ink and then just labeled the backside of the tag.  Once they were complete, I punched a hole in the top of each rectangle and put them on a binder ring.  

I am so tickled with how this turned out!  

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous and blessed week and we enter Holy Week!

Lee Ann  

Springtime Critters

 Hello and happy Saturday! 

It is another beautiful day here; I was just looking at the lawn and realized it needs to be mowed!?!  How did that happen??  And Easter is in a week!  I love this time of year.  

And certainly babies always seem to be a part of spring, especially those animal babies!  I used the most adorable set, and yes, you have seen it a lot lately, for this card.  Hoppy Spring has both the bunnies and the chicks.  And the eggs if you so desire.  

The chick was stamped and then masked and the bunny then stamped to get my chick standing on the bunny's head.  They were fussy cut out, along with an additional chick.  The background was sponged with distress inks and then I sponged light clouds using Hero Arts White Unicorn Ink and the Puffy Cloud Stencil from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  I sat my bunny and chick in some grass that was die cut and then sponged with distress inks using the Fence and Grass Die Set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.

The sentiment was pieced together using a couple of different sets and the new Blessings Die.  The word baby is from the Sweet Little Lamb Stamp Set.  

I am linking up to Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge- Spring Mood Board.  

The next card is simple and sweet, using a chick from the Hoppy Spring Stamp Set and the Fern Background Stamp.  

The background was done using a Jennifer Mcguire technique in which I stamped lots of words from various stamp sets onto my yellow cardstock using White Unicorn Ink.  I used my MISTI to do this, placing all of the words in the MISTI at the same time.  This allowed me to make several backgrounds in different colors.  Once the ink was dry, I did some tone on tone stamping with the Fern Background stamp.  

With the background complete, I die cut a circle from the panel, then added a black ring and the image panel with the sentiment and chick standing on the sentiment behind the panel circle.  The sentiment is from the Everyday Greetings Stamp Set and is stamped with Versafine Black Ink.  For a list of the stamps I used for the background panel, see the list below.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope spring is in your neighborhood as well!  

Lee Ann  

Stamps used for yellow background panel~

Happy Mail
So Thankful
Springtime
Sentimental Mash Up
Birds and Blooms
Sweet Little Lamb
Precious Poppies
Beautiful Birds
In This Together
Just Be

Easter is on It's Way!

 Hello Everyone!  

It is spring break here, and I have been enjoying getting things done around the house (if enjoying that is even possible!).  And out weather.  It.  Has.  Been.  Beautiful!  And the daylight savings thing happened.  

Spring is officially here!  And Easter is right around the corner.  I am looking forward to celebrating our risen Lord and Saviour!  I did have to sneak in some more bunnies though.  These bunnies from Impression Obsession- oh my goodness.  They are so stinking' cute!  Some Bunnies just had to fall into my cart.  

These cuties were colored with Copics and fussy cut out.  I created a fun little scene in a soft pink and brown color palette.  The slimline stamp, Wildflowers, was the perfect backdrop for these sweeties.  I stamped the flowers in Frosty Pink ink from Altenew.  I added grass using the slimline Grass Set stamps, stamping it in Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  The sentiment is from the same Some Bunnies Stamp Set.  I added a few Simon Says Stamp Moonshine Sequins to finish the card.  

I am linking up to Inkspirational Challenge - Fur or Feathers, as well as Addicted to Stamps and More Make Your Mark and The Mod Squad Challenge, Springtime Bunnies.   

Thanks for 'hopping' in!  

Lee Ann  

Sweet n Sassy Stamps March New Release Blog Hop!

 Hello, and welcome to the Sweet n Sassy Stamps March New Release Blog Hop.  

We will be giving away a $25 gift voucher to one lucky person.  Comment on the blog posts along the way to enter the giveaway.  The more blogs you comment on, the greater your chances of winning!  The winner will be on the SNSS blog on March 24th.  

There are so many great stamp sets in this release, but Hoppy Spring has my heart.  This bunny is just the cutest! 

This cutie was colored with Copics and fussy cut out.  If you do not like to fussy cut, there is a Hoppy Spring die set available as well.  I layered him on top of the wreath from the Flower Garden Stamp Set that had been colored with Copics and fussy cut as well.  

I wanted a mixed media background.  I started by watercoloring a light turquoise background with my all time favorite, Ken Oliver Color Bursts.  Once that was dry, I used the snss Grunge Dots Stencil and translucent embossing paste over the watercolored background.  I let that dry while I worked on other parts of the card. 

Once dry, I watercolored more turquoise and darker blue Color Bursts over and around the stenciled area.  Once dry, I adhered a sentiment strip across the card (You can see how I made the green strip HERE where I made the same panel in a coral color).  Next, I layered the wreath and bunny with foam tape over the sentiment strip. The sentiment is from the Love Wordfetti Stamp Set.   A few Simon Says Stamp Moonshine Sequins finish the card. 

I am linking this guy up to Addicted to Stamps and More- Make Your Mark and ModSquad Challenge- Springtime Bunnies.

The next card uses the same adorable bunny image, but is a baby card.  

One can never go wrong with plaid for a baby card.  I added a bit of detail at the top of the plaid panel by cutting a narrow strip of plaid paper off the top and then backing it with grey cs, leaving a narrow border along the top.  The strip was then popped up on foam tape.  I added a triangle of the same grey cs at the bottom of the plaid paper.  

The bunny was colored with Copics and fussy cut out.  I stamped the square from the Just Be Stamp Set in blue and fussy cut it out; I used it to ground the bunny.  The sentiment, from the Sweet Little Lamb Stamp Set, was stamped in grey on the plaid paper, using my MISTI to allow me to stamp multiple times for a crisp sentiment. 

I am linking up these cards to Darnell's  Twofer Card Challenge- 'Your Choice'.  

Last but not least, have you heard the news??  Sweet n Sassy Stamps is moving !!!  Korin has outgrown her office and will move to a retail location!  To help minimize the amount of stock that she has to move, she is having a moving sale!  Everything is 15% off (excluding bundles)!!! Check it out HERE!

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!
Lieschen Harshbarger
Lyn Tomlin
Michelle Hale
Sheri Gilson

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy the hop!

Lee Ann  

Impression Obsession March Favorites Blog Hop

 Hello, Hello!  Welcome to the Impression Obsession March 2021 Release Team Favorites Hop!  

Today we designers are sharing our favorite projects from this month's release.  If you came from Laura Williams's blog, you are in the right place.  If not, head over to the Impression Obsession blog to begin the hop.  

We will be giving away THREE Impression Obsession Grab Bags-so the more you comment along the hop (1 comment per designer's post) the more chances you have to win!  Comments will be open until Monday March 22nd at 11:59pm.  All winners will be announced Tuesday, March 23rd on the Impression Obsession Blog.  

This pot of flowers is the most darling image- it is the Big Flower Pot Stamp.  It paired perfectly with the Gingham Cover a Card Stamp and the Stitched Tag #5 Die.  

This came together so well-The black gingham really makes the flowers pop!  The Big Flower Pot was colored with Copics and fussy cut out.  It was then popped up on foam tape on the black tag that had the sentiment heat embossed in white.  The sentiment is one of seven sentiments in The Skinny Clear Stamp Set.  

I am linking up to The Tic Tac Toe Challenge- I have used Die Cut, Flower, Colouring.

We hop you have enjoyed the hop!  If you did not start at the Impression Obsession Blog, head over there now to complete the hop! 

Lee Ann  

Mixed Media Bird

 Hello All!  

Today I have a bit of mixed media to share, using one of my go-to stamp sets from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  

I used the set Birds and Blooms.  The bird and floral branch were watercolored and then fussy cut out.  

The background was done using the new Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Speckled Egg.  I sponged Speckled Egg and various other colors on the background and then distessed with water droplets using the Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer.  Next, I added ink using the direct to paper technique and then embossed it with Distress Embossing Glaze in Broken China.  I love the effect this created.  

The bird and branch are watercolored with whatever medium I had on my desk at the time and then they were fussy cut out and popped up on the card front.  The sentiment was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black Ink and is from the Begin Again Stamp Set.  I am linking this card up to the Tic Tac Toe Challenge where I used 'flower', die cut' and 'coloring'.  

My second card uses the same set, is more of my usual clean card with white space, but still is a mixed media card.  

I used a gel press print for my background circles; I have had it for a while and didn't want to use it because I loved the colors so much!  I bit the bullet and die cut several circles using the Wacky Stitched Circle Dies from Impression Obsession.  I stamped the floral branch from the Birds and Blooms Stamp Set in Versafine Onyx Black Ink and then fussy cut it out.  The bird was watercolored with Ken Oiver Colorbursts, my favorite watercolor medium.  It was then fussy cut out.  I arranged all of the elements on a mini slimline card base.  The sentiment is from the Everyday Greetings Stamp Set from snss.  Using my MISTI, I stamped the sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black Ink several times for complete coverage.  A few black sequins finish the card.  I am linking my card up to Fusion Card Challenge where I was inspired by the different shades of green and the circles.  

I am linking up to Darnell's Twofer Challenge.  This month it is 'Your Choice'! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann   

Love Me Some Gnomes with Impression Obsession!

 Hello!  Hello!  

Today the Impression Obsession Team is having fun with dies!  Have fun checking out what the design team has made for you today.  You can find today's design team partipants on the IO Blog.  

 I so love the new gnome die and had to make it into a bit of a romantic!  

I die cut Sitting Gnome and then colored his bits and pieces with Copics.  I used the Free Spirit Dot Cover a Card background stamp- I just love the one little heart; it was perfect for this card.  I die cut the background panel with the Crazy Stitched Die Set.  

I stamped the sentiment, Hello Handsome, with IO Black ink and then die cut it out on a banner with the Stitched Tag Die Set.  

Head over to the Impression Obsession Blog for more inspiration.  

Thanks for visiting!

Lee Ann  

Just Ducky

 Hello!

Back with another spring themed card.  I am so enjoying the sunshine and warmer temps; it is showing in my crafting!  

Isn't he just the cutest??!!!  He (or she) is 'Just Ducky' from Impression Obsession Stamps.  I started by stamping the image with Scattered Straw Distress Ink on Canson Watercolor Paper.  I used a wet brush to move the ink around and loose the lines.  I repeated this process, using Wild Honey and Mustard Seed as well.  I dropped in a bit of Worn Lipstick and Picked Raspberry.  My goal was to get loose watercoloring by stamping and moving the color around and then doing a final stamping with a darker color in the same family and calling it done.  However, there was way too much detail in the image for that look so I ended up inking it up with IO Black Ink once the watercoloring was dry.  

Once I had the black image, I played around a bit with the color, then got my Daniel Smith Watercolors out.  I added yellows, corals and oranges to the image.  Once I was happy with the duck, I painted in a blue sky background followed by grass.  When all was dry, I stamped one of my all time favorite sentiments- I Miss Your Face- in IO Black Ink.  

I am linking up to The Paper Players for their Spring is in the Air challenge~

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

Lee Ann  

CAS Chick

 Hello and Happy Weekend!  

I have a super quick and CAS share this morning using the adorable, Hoppy Spring Stamp Set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps. 

The cute little chicks in this set are perfect for CAS cards.  This one is a OLC of kraft cs.  

The image was stamped using my MISTI with a white pigment ink initially and colored with Prismacolor Pencils.  I did not care for the look of the white pigment ink so I then over-stamped

 it with Versasfine Onyx Black Ink.  This was possible as I had kept the image in my MISTI 

so was able to go back and restamp.  The MISTI also allowed me to get perfect placement 

of the sentiment.  Don't you just love that font!?!  

To finish things off, I scored a border around the whole card front.  

I am linking up to a a couple of challenges.   

Just Us Girls

Addicted to CAS

Color Hues-Yellow and Blue

Have a wonderful Weekend, friends!

Lee Ann  

Spring Has Sprung!

 Warmer temps, sunny skies.  Signs that spring really is coming!  The new release at Sweet n Sassy Stamps is full of fabulous spring goodies!  

My favorite is this adorable set, Hoppy Spring.  

Isn't he just the cutest??!!  I stamped the eggs first-I had a different idea for them that did not work, so on to plan B... They were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Neenah Solar White CS and then fussy cut out.  Ditto for the bunny.  If you are not into fussy cutting, there is a die set available as well.  

To ground the bunny and eggs, I stamped a floral image from the Long Stem Silhouettes Stamp Set, using two different greens and doing first, second and third generation stamping. Then I added a sentiment strip that was colored in ombre fashion using Copics.  The sentiment was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black Ink in my MISTI so I could get perfect placement.  I used two different sentiments from the Hoppy Spring Stamp Set to get my sentiment.  Simon Says Stamp Moonshine Sequins finish off the card.  I did add Wink of Stella to the eggs, but it does not show up in the photo.  

Hope I inspired you!  Thanks for stopping by, 

Lee Ann  

Day 2 of the Impression Obsession March New Release Blog Hop!

 Helloooo!  Welcome back!  It is Day 2 of our March Impression Obsession New Release Blog Hop.  If you came from Laura's blog you are in the right spot.  If not, head to the Impression Obsession Blog to start the hop.  

Each day (March 1st and March 2nd) you can find a list of participants on the Impression Obsession Blog.  We will be giving away THREE $25 Impression Obsession gift certificates for the event.  The more you comment through our release hop (1 comment per blog per day) the greater your chances of winning! 

All comments for each of the event days will be open until Monday, March 8th at 11:59 pm CT.  Winners will be announced on Tuesday, March 9th on the Impression Obsession Blog.

Flowers.  If you like flowers, we have them for you this month!  This Lotus Spray is magnificent!  

The image is colored with Copics and then fussy cut out (yes, I really did!).  I backed it with black and white striped paper above and black cs below.  The sentiment, Have Faith, is heat embossed with clear ep on the black cs.  A few black sequins finish the card.  

And we have some more fabulous dies~

I just love this Rustic Butterfly; it is sooooo detailed.  Initially, I die cut a butterfly out in white cs and left the pieces intact.  I then colored the yellow and orange parts of the butterfly with Copics.  I backed the die cut with a solid piece of cs to keep the die cut pieces together.  Lastly, I die cut the outline portion in black cs and adhered it over the colored die cut image.  

To ground the butterfly, I first water colored a light yellow and orange background on watercolor paper. Then I die cut the Three Rectangle Frames Die from gold paper and layered them over the water coloring.  I stamped the sentiment, Live for the Moments, in IO Black Ink and added a few gold sequins to finish the card.  

You can find all of the new release products HERE! 

Enjoy the hop!  Don't forget to comment along the way for your chance to win! 

Lee Ann