Watercolored Stripes for Color Dare #170

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge blog post!  This week we are challenging you to use the following colors:  White Daisy, Cashmere, Cocoa, Fern and Cranberry.

I started my card by painting wavy stripes on my white daisy panel using the ink pads. ( I squeezed the closed ink pad lid against the ink pad to create a source of ink and added a little water and brush which gives a lighter tone).  From top to bottom my stripes are Cocoa, Fern, Cashmere and Cranberry.  The deer is from the Artbooking cartridge.

Close to My Heart products used:

     Artbooking cartridge

     White Daisy CS

     Fern CS

     Cranberry CS

     Cashmere CS

     Cocoa CS

     Cocoa Ink

     Fern Ink

     Cashmere Ink

     Cranberry Ink

     Holiday Tags stamp

I'm also entering this card into the Heart 2 Heart "Watercolor Wonder" challenge, the Cards in Envy "Extra Layers" challenge and Stampin' Royalty #305 "Winter Theme".

Now head on over to check out what the rest of the fabulous Design Team has created to inspire you. The challenge will end on December 3 at 9PM CST.  Hope you can join in on the fun!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Ice Cream Dream for Color Dare #146

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge blog post!  These color challenges really help me stretch my creativity.  This week we are challenging you to use the following color palette:  Colonial White, Cocoa, Barn Red, Glacier and Juniper.

My card was inspired by a card I found on Pinterest which you can find here.

Close to My Heart products used:

     Barn Red CS

     Colonial White CS

     Cocoa CS

     Glacier CS

     Juniper CS

     Ice Cream Dream stamp set (June Stamp of the Month)

     Sincere Expressions greeting (retired)

     Sponge Daubers

     Glacier Ink

     Barn Red Ink

     3D Foam Tape

Please stop by here and check out what the rest of the talented Design Team have to inspire your creativity.  We would love to see what you can do with these Close to My Heart colors. (If you don't have these colors yet, you can substitute similar colors so you can still play along.)

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Happy As A Bee Meets Paper Players Sketch #237

There is a new Seasonal Expressions catalog from Close to My Heart debuting next week which I couldn't wait to use with some retired CTMH paper called Buzz and Bumble.

Close to My Heart products used:
     Buzz and Bumble paper (retired)
     Autumn Terracotta CS
     Champagne CS
     Happy Everything stamp set--available April 1
     Perfect Fit Birthday set
     Cocoa Ink
     New England Ivy ink
     Gold Shimmer Trim
     Copper Shimmer Trim
     Brown and Tan Glitter paper
      3D Foam tape
     Shin Han Touch Golden Yellow marker

Here is the Paper Players card sketch that inspired me:

I'm also entering this card into the Seize the Birthday Anything Goes theme challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!
:) Marie

Roxie Rose for Try Stampin' on Tuesday #167

The sketch challenge at Try Stampin' on Tuesday really appealed to me so I made a second card based on the sketch.  (You can see my first card here). This time I met the option of "Roses". 

Close To My Heart Products Used:

      Roxie paper (retired)

      Rosy Regards stamp (retired)

      Say it in Style stamp (retired)

      Smoothie Ink

      Cocoa Ink

      3D Foam Tape

      Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel (retired)

I love how all these papers from the Roxie paper set look so good together in this sketch!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

It's Sketch Time at Sunday Stamps Again!

Welcome back to another Sunday Stamps sketch challenge!  Thank you to all who participated in the spring color challenge.  This week Steph has a great sketch for you to try:

How did I decide what to use to follow this sketch?  I looked at what new Close To My Heart papers I hadn't yet used and picked Jubilee for the vertical panel and paired it with Indian Corn Blue CS background. The starfish is another underused stamp from the Under the Sea stamp set (retired CTMH).  It was stamped with Cocoa ink onto Cashmere CS and popped up with 3D Foam Tape.  The sentiment is from Banner Wishes and the stars are stamps from the Artbooking collection.  The white squiggly lines were made with my new Coconut gelato by Faber Castell.

We can't wait to see what you create using this sketch!   Please use a direct link to join us here and include a link back to us in your blog post.  (Feel free to post our sketch graphic too to let your readers know about our challenge.)  You have until Friday, April 4 at 6PM EST to enter this challenge.

Please take the time to visit the rest of the Design Team's blogs and leave them some appreciation.
Hayley, Joan, Brenda, Holly, Steph and Kathya.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity! 

:) Marie

Watercoloring for Color My Heart Color Dare #61

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge post!  This week we are challenging you to create with Close To My Heart colors Olive, Autumn Terracotta and Goldrush--secondary colors.  (It's OK to substitute similar colors if you don't have CTMH colors).  

 
These colors remind me of falling leaves so I had to make a fall themed card! 

I used a Watercolor technique in which I placed drops of the challenge color reinkers onto an acrylic block, spritzed with water and placed onto an already dampened piece of watercolor paper.  I love how the colors blended together!  When it dried I stamped Quick Cards --Bountiful Season in Cocoa Ink and heat embossed with a little bit of old Polysparkle Tinsel.  The background CS is Colonial White with a vertical panel of Goldrush CS and a horizontal strip of Autumn Terracotta with a strip of Bronze Shimmer Trim.  The watercolored panel was placed on 3D Foam Tape to add some dimension.

We would really love for you to join us this week at the Color Dare!  Please use a direct link (going to your color dare #61 post and not to your home blog page) when linking up to our site.  There is a random monthly prize and weekly blog badges to be won!  

Check out what the rest of the Design Team and this week's fabulous Guest Designer Michelle has to inspire you: Sarah, Pam, Becca, Shirley, Sheri and Gretchen.  Don't forget to leave them some comments on their beautiful projects. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

p.s. Be sure to stop by on Sunday for new Sunday Stamps Color Challenge post and on Monday for new Heart 2 Heart Challenge post.

Color Dare #44--Creme Brulee and Juniper and Blog Candy Giveaway Details

This week's Color My Heart Color Dare features the Close To My Heart colors Creme Brulee and Juniper.  Several of the Color Dare Design Team members and I are also participating in this weekend's Operation Write Home blog hop so I will be using the same Operation Write Home sketch for today's post as well as tomorrow's.  I chose to use OWH sketch #71 which looks like this:

My card uses a Juniper colored patterned paper from Jingle which was available several years ago, Creme Brulee CS, a thin Cocoa CS stripe, Quick Cards--Bumblebee stamp, Cocoa ink, Versamark ink, Clear Embossing Powder, Creme Brulee ink with honeycomb stamp from Wicked stamp set (CTMH retired) and glossy paper (retired CTMH).  3D Foam Tape lifts the focus panel from the center panel.

Before I stamped on the center panel I used a Polished Stone Technique to create the background.  I soaked a cotton ball with Rubbing Alcohol and then put drops of Creme Brulee and Juniper reinkers on the cotton ball.  I then rubbed the alcohol and color soaked cotton ball over the glossy paper to create the multicolored or marbled effect.  (I did not add a metallic ink to the cotton ball as originally described in this technique here).  Although I have plenty of Glossy CS in my stash it may be hard to find.  The blue package of glossy photographic paper pictured here would be a source--I got this package at Dollar Tree.

 

This was a very easy sketch to follow as the paper dimensions are listed in the sketch photo.  I will definitely be using more OWH sketches in the future!

We hope you can join in on this challenge.  If you don't have Close To My Heart colors you may substitute something similar.  Please use only the 2 challenge colors (this week it is Juniper and Creme Brulee)--you may use neutrals to complement these colors but the challenge focus is to use these colors. Link up your papercrafted creation (it does not have to be a card!) here by Thursday, May 30, 2012 9PM CST.  There is a monthly prize to be won by one lucky person!  Don't forget to see what the rest of the Design Team has ready to inspire you!

BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

In celebration of our military heroes (proud Navy mom here) I'm offering a prize to one lucky person whose name will be picked at random.  The prize package will include 100+ assorted cardfronts (4.25" x 5.5").  All pieces are from Close To My Heart papers--some current and some retired along with some border strips.

 

To be eligible to win you must:

--Become a follower of my blog AND

--Write a comment on my 5/25/ 2013 Operation Write Home post indicating you are a blog follower

--Deadline to comment on my blog is midnight EST, May 31st, 2013

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!  Good luck in the prize drawing!

:) Marie