Deckled Window with Leaves

I created this card a while back and just found it hiding under a pile of UFO's in the studio.  You know what UFO's are, right?  Un-Finished Objects.  I have a ton of UFO's scattered all over the studio.  I tend to work in spurts and some days I might make a bunch of backgrounds, some days I might play with my gel press, and some days I might have 37 different things in various stages of drying.

This card was my first time playing with the Marvelous Masks Deckled Rectangle stencils from A Colorful Life Designs.  I taped the 4" stencil down over some white cardstock and very lightly brushed some Altenew inks into the opening (Lagoon, Teal Cave, Deep Iris).  I built up the colors very gradually to achieve that seamless blending.  While the stencil was still in place, I stamped the silhouette leaves (Floral Shadow from Altenew) across the top and the sentiment at the bottom with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink.

Please feel free to use this code, HollyFan10, when you shop at A Colorful Life Designs.  You'll save money and get some awesome new stencils.  Come on back in a couple of days to see a fun Christmas card that I created with a new holiday stencil.  Enjoy your weekend!

Gel Press Deer

I have a fun Christmas card to share with you today.  I was playing with some acrylic inks and my gel press plate and I created this fun background.  There was a lot of white area on this piece which reminded me of snow and I just had to use the Reindeer Names background stamp from Technique Junkies on this.  Doesn't that look like reindeer standing around in the snow?  

The sentiment is called Season's Greetings and it goes beautifully with this Reindeer Names background.  I need another weekend of "gel pressing" and then I can whip out a bunch of Christmas cards with these two stamps from Technique Junkies.  Have you started on your holiday cards yet?  You can save 10% by using this code, TJ10Holly, when you shop at Technique Junkies.

Glittery Snowflake Noel

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!  It got COLD today!!!!  I feel like we went straight from summer right into winter.  It was almost 100 degrees yesterday and now the temperature is plummeting down into the 40's.  It won't last long though, as we will be back in the upper 80's by Sunday or Monday.  I better enjoy this while I can, right?

I created this card using some glitter paints and a new stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.  This beautiful new stencil is called Snowflake Net and I sprayed it with Pixie Spray and placed it on top of some white cardstock.  With a palette knife, I spread three different colors of glitter paint across the stencil.  I used Bleu, Vert Pastel, and Blue Ciel glitter paints available from Technique Junkies.  I love how they blend together so seamlessly.

After my stenciled piece dried, I added the Joyeux Noel sentiment (also from Technique Junkies).  There is no need to add anything else because, really, those glittery snowflakes take center stage.  I'm going to go make some hot chocolate and run my fingers over this glittery card. 

Be sure to use this code, HollyFan10, to save when you shop for stencils at A Colorful Life Designs.  There are a bunch of brand new holiday stencils with your name on them, including this Snowflake Net. 

The glitter paints, the Pixie Spray, and the Joyeux Noel stamp are all from Technique Junkies, so feel free to use this code, TJ10Holly, to save 10% off your order.  If you love glitter, you need these paints. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Grateful for Friends and Pumpkins

Hi friends!  Did you do any crafty stuff over the weekend?  Saturday was World Cardmaking Day, and I spent the day buying digis from Power Poppy, printing them out, and coloring.  I am just now sitting down to blog this card that I made and enter into Power Poppy's fun challenge.  You can see the details of the challenge here.

I used a brand new digi from Power Poppy called Pumpkins and Pears.  I printed it out with my laser printer and colored this with Copic markers.  Then I cut it down to card size and sponged some Gathered Twigs Distress Ink around the edges.  To further distress the edges, I used a distress tool to rough them up.  The sentiment is from Power Poppy's Nice Things to Say clear stamp set and I stamped it with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink.

There is still time to play along in this challenge (til Thursday at 8pm) so pull out your fall themed stamps and have fun.  See you soon with a glittery stenciled card!

Glittery Season's Greetings

It is still in the high 90's here in Texas and we are more than ready for the "cold" front that is supposed to hit on Monday.  Until then, I am staying cool by playing with my stencils from A Colorful Life Designs and making Christmas cards.  Did you see this month's release?  There are a ton of gorgeous new Christmas and winter themed stencils available now.  I used one of these new stencils called Christmas Flowers on my card today.

I started by pulling out some pink cardstock and I placed the Christmas Flowers stencil on top.  Then I opened my Rose Poudre glitter paint and spread it all over the stencil with a palette knife.  After it dried completely, I added the sentiment strip (Victorian Greetings from Technique Junkies).  That glitter is so gorgeous, I can't stop staring at it.  Moving this card around in the light really makes that glitter shine.

What colors would you use with this Christmas Flowers stencil?  As soon as I clean up a 6x6 inch spot on my table, I'm going to make some more cards.  :-)  Don't forget, use code HollyFan10 to save money on stencils at A Colorful Life Designs.  If you go shopping at Technique Junkies for the glitter paint and stamps, use code TJ10Holly.  Enjoy your weekend!

October 2019 stamp release for Technique Junkies

Welcome to the October 2019 Technique Junkies blog hop!  This release is filled with gorgeous winter and holiday stamps, and we can't wait to show you what we created with them.  

All of the October 2019 New Release stamps are 15% off through October 8th.

We can all use a little bargain, right?
No codes needed, just put them in your shopping cart and the discount will be applied at checkout.

How about an additional 10% off at Technique Junkies?
That’s 25% off the New October release!
Use code TJ10Holly

For my first card today, I used the beautiful new Christmas Rose stamp.  I stamped this with Nocturne Versafine Clair ink onto watercolor paper and then watercolored this with some soft pastel colors of Daniel Smith paints.  After it was completely dry, I stamped the sentiment from the wonderful new Victorian Greetings set.  

For my second card, I broke out the silver embossing powder and used it on everything.  First, I stamped the Drizzle Dots background with Versamark onto some dark blue cardstock and covered it with silver embossing powder.  I hit that with the heat gun to melt the powder and set it aside.  Next, I stamped the beautiful new Happy in my Holidays with Versamark and repeated the embossing process with the same silver embossing powder.

I wanted some snowflakes in the background to echo the snowflakes that you see in the sentiment, so I pulled out some old Martha Stewart snowflake punches.  I punched three of them out of cardstock, pressed them into the Versamark ink pad, covered them with silver embossing powder, and melted them with the heat gun.   Embossing everything with the same silver powder really brings this whole card together.

Have fun checking out what the rest of the team has created with the new October release.  

Technique Junkies blog

Beth Norman-Roberts

Ceal Pritchett

Giovana Smith

Holly Brown

Janine Tinklenberg

Jeanne Streiff

Judy Jackson

Kia Gibson

Lee Ann Barrett

Lynda Pleckan

Pat Huntoon

Ro Donner

Stephanie Severin

Hearts Like Dogs

Did you see this adorable puppy in this month's Technique Junkies release?  I love puppies so I just HAD to have this stamp, which is called Hearts Like Dogs.  I stamped it with a gray ink, and then I stamped it again onto a sticky note.  After I cut out the dog on the sticky note, I used it as a mask by sticking it down over my original stamped image.  Then I placed the Circle Mosaic stencil over the masked image and very lightly brushed some gray ink around the sides and the top of the dog.  When I was satisfied with the stenciling, I removed the stencil and the mask and adhered the stamped/stenciled piece to a gray card base.

Did you see the new ink blending brushes in the Technique Junkies store?  They are super soft and they work beautifully to apply ink over stencils.  You can see how my stenciled mosaic fades out on my card.  Those brushes are magical!!