Seaside Greetings!

Hello, again! This post is for the new challenge over at Eclectic Ellapu, which beginning August 1 goes to once a month challenges (Pink and Purple)! I picked the theme for the Pink Team, this time, which is "Seaside or Nautical."  Given the time of year, perhaps you are already working on something that would fit this theme.  We sure hope you consider sharing with us over at EE!  If you need some inspiration, why not stop over to EE and see all the gorgeous samples the Pink Team has created for you?  For my own project, I gravitated to an 8" x 8" card.  The card front was stamped repeatedly using Ranger Black Archival Ink with gorgeous sea shells images from Red Lead Paperworks.  The shells were than hand tinted using Distress Inks in a variety of soft shell-like colors.  The black and white images and sentiments are from a collage sheet, also by Red Lead Paperworks.  Embroidered ribbon, a bit of lace, some burlap string, a gold shell charm and photo corners complete my card.  Thanks for stopping by and for you encouraging comments.  They are each read and treasured.  Hugs, Yvonne

She Sells Sea Shells

Greetings!  Thanks for dropping by today!  Today I am sharing with you a card made completely with Digital Images from Gecko Galz, featuring the She Sells Sea Shells Collage Sheet and the La Isla Bonita Paper Set released at the beginning of July.  Probably like many of you, I have been a rubber stamp purist for nearly 18 years. By fortune, Leanne, the owner of Gecko Galz, reached out to me and asked me to consider being a guest designer several years ago. Not being one to turn down an opportunity to grow, I said yes, and admitted I had never worked with digital images before.  I still rely heavily on my rubber stamp images, and probably always will, but I have finally become absolutely comfortable and feel very creative working with the stunning images featured at GG!  They are easy to re-size, take up no shelf space, and no matter how much I increase the size, the clarity remains perfect.  If you have not had the opportunity to visit Gecko Galz, I hope you will!  There's a great sale going on during July, too! Best, Yvonne

Child's Play

Greetings!  Thank you to my faithful followers and friends for continuing to visit my blog and encourage me in my artful journey! Already, two weeks have gone by and it is time for another challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenge.  Our challenge this time is around the theme of "Child's Play!"  

For my creation, I immediately knew I wanted to work with some images I picked up last year from Lost Coast Designs.  They were all stamped with Black Archival Ink onto scrap card, trimmed, lightly tinted with Distress Inks and mounted to my card front, which was first stenciled with Pumice Stone and Spun Sugar Distress Inks using stencils by The Crafters Workshop. The sentiments and "Jacks" are by Artistic Outpost.  A repurposed scrap of sheer ribbon was fashioned into a bow and added as the sole embellishment.  You will certainly want to view the other inspiration pieces of the rest of the Design Team over at FSC and we do hope you will share a creation of your own with us for a chance to win a $20 gift voucher from our gracious sponsor, FlonzCraft.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Best, Yvonne 

Splish Splash

Greetings! It's time for a new challenge over at Inkspirational and this time it's a Word Challenge!  The word is "Splash!"  Now there are lots of ways to go with this word, and if you pop over to Inkspirational, you will see how each of the Design Team interpreted the word!  For my own canvas, I decided to work with a gorgeous image released recently by Gecko Galz from a file called Splish Splash!  Isn't she a beauty?  I began by selecting various shades of greens and blues from my stash of Ranger Distress Paints and applying them to my Craft Mat, spritzing with water and dragging my canvas through the soupy colors.  When the spritzes appeared toward the top of the canvas I thought it looked a lot like ocean spray and so my design immediately fell into place.  I decided to cut away the background of my GG image and focus on just the girl.  I think she looks like she is swimming in the ocean!  Then it occurred to me that we are not alone while swimming in the ocean!  So, I added some fish (by Red Lead Stamps) stamped on tissue paper and colored with Distress Inks and stenciled some dolphins and a sea horse (also by Red Lead Stamps).  To add dimension and texture, I wrapped the bottom of my canvas with some of the very last of my star embroidered ribbon and adhered some starfish and seashells and some gold sea related charms (by Red Lead Stamps).  We cannot wait to see what you dream up for our Word Challenge at Inkspirational! Thanks for dropping by! Hugs, Yvonne

Get Your Kicks on Route 66!

Greetings!  Thanks for stopping by.  My post today is an 8" x 10" canvas that I created for the new challenge that starts today over at Eclectic Ellapu.  Our theme is "Around the World, Land, Country or Holiday." After looking through my stamp images, I decided to stay in the USA this time, and pulled out this vintage set of images from Artistic Outpost called Route 66. My canvas is a "Road Trip" on Route 66! There is a song call "Get Your Kicks on Route 66 from 1946 that has been recorded by numerous artists and pays homage to US Route 66 highway, which used to run a long distance across the US, from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA.  I began by selecting Ranger Distress Paints in colors that reminded me of the desert.  I stenciled some Wendy Vecchi Black Embossing Paste using a Tim Holtz Stencil in the bottom corner.  Images from Artistic Outpost were stamped with Ranger Archival Ink on tissue paper or scrap card stock and water colored with Ranger Distress Inks and adhered to the canvas.  A bit of burlap and some mini sprockets by Idea-ology add a bit of dimension.  I hope you will visit EE and check out all the other inspiration samples by the talented Design Team and then consider submitting a piece of your own for us to enjoy!  Thanks for stopping by.  Hugs, Yvonne

Dreaming of my Summer Vacation

Greetings! It is hard to believe that two weeks have flown by so soon and it is already time for a new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenge (FSC)!  Our challenge this time is "Dreaming of Summer."  When I started thinking about my own project, the first thing that comes to mind when summer approaches is vacation.  I LOVE to travel all over the place and see new things, try new foods, learn the history of a region, meet new people, but just now with my husband's health, we are staying much closer to home.  If I had to pick my most favorite place, hands down it would be the beach!  I was so excited a couple of years ago when Artistic Outpost released their Boardwalk Stamp Plate.  As a young girl and even a young adult, Atlantic City, NJ, was our vacation spot. I have fond memories of the Steel Pier, the Diving Bell, the white, sandy beach, getting dressed in the evening and promenading on the gigantic, wide boardwalk.  It was almost like being in Hollywood!  But I digress...For my card, I stenciled various Tim Holtz Stencils with Distress Inks onto the card front. The images were stamped either directly onto the card front or onto scrap card stock and watercolored with more Distress Inks. The edges of the card were also distressed with Distress Inks. Some of the images were popped up with foam dots.  I had fun digging through my stash of preserved, miniature starfish and sand dollars and adding them to the front as well.  To finish off my card I tied a scrap of gauzy cheese cloth to the top of the card and added a metal sand dollar charm by Red Lead Stamps for a bit of shine. I hope you will pop on over to FSC to see what else the Design Team has dreamed up for you and submit a creation of your own.  Remember, we are a stamping challenge, so your focal images need to be stamped.  One lucky submitter will be selected to win a $20 gift voucher from our sponsor, FlonzCraft.  Best wishes, Yvonne 

British Summertime at Inkspirational

Greetings!  I am so excited to share with you my first project after getting back into the swing of things over at Inkspirational Challenge!  We are creating projects, as we are inspired by this gorgeous picture below:

I was immediately drawn to this picture!  I love the colors, the ocean, the balloon, the sailor, the mermaid, the whale and the sailboats!  For my own card, I began by spritzing several shades of Dylusions Spray Ink onto my card base.  Next I stamped some new images from Red Lead Stamps onto scrap card stock, trimmed and water colored them with Ranger Distress Inks.  The ship in the top right is by Paper Artsy and was stamped directly to the card front.  A few bits of cheese cloth and a snippet of ribbon tape complete my card.  I hope you will stop over to see the rest of the projects the Design Team has come up with to inspire you and then submit one of your own!  

On the Fourth of July, Part Two

Hello! This is my second card creation in celebration of the Fourth of July, here in the United States.  In case you missed it, the post before this one has the first!  While there was a quiet dignity in my first card, this one is a bit more bodacious and cheeky.  I liked them both and so I created this one too.  Like the first I began by sopping up Faded Jeans and Barn Red Distress Inks.  I tried to go more blue, but it needed more pizazz so I grabbed a bottle of Dylusions Spray and added much more red.  The images were matted in black for depth and the sentiment is part of the collage sheet by Gecko Galz from which the images came.  It is entitled, "Little Miss Firecracker."  Thanks for stopping and have a great day.  Best, Yvonne

On the Fourth of July, Part One

Greetings to all my followers and Happy 4th of July to all of you in the USA.  My husband asked me to create a card to celebrate the holiday. Gecko Galz released two gorgeous collage sheets in June called Little Miss Firecracker (1&2).  This image reached out to my heart immediately.  The background is done with the Tim Holtz stencil using Tarnished Brass Distress Paint.  The rest of the card front was sopped up with Faded Jeans and Barn Red Distress Ink.  The edges were blended with the same inks, as well. The sentiments are from Artistic Outpost.  The metal disc by Idea-ology says "Inspire," however, the sunlight obliterated it. Speaking of inspired, Tracy Evans has a beautiful tag over at Artistic Outpost that I saw before creating my card.  I feel her influence in my card.   I found this faded red bow in my stash and am using up some of the last of my star ribbon tape.  Wherever you are, have a wonderful day.  I'll be sharing another Fourth of July card in my next post.  Hugs, Yvonne