SNSS August Release blog hop: colorful sea creatures!

Good morning!

Today's the day for Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' August release blog hop!  The new dies that coordinate with three adorable summer-y sea themed stamp sets are now available for purchase - check them all out right HERE on SNSS online store.

My first card uses the adorable Flourish Sea Shells stamp set and their coordinating dies.

For all 3 of my cards today, I followed the same basic pattern.  First, I stamped the images in Versamark and embossed with white embossing powder.  Then, I used my Peerless Watercolors to color the images.  Finally, I lined up the coordinating dies and ran it through my die cutting machine.  The images were quite easy to line up this way/ I usually die cut and then stamp, but since I wanted to watercolor and specifically go 'outside the lines' this was the best way for me to do that with minimal mess... lol!

Card Details

Stamps: Flourish Sea Shells and coordinating dies

Ink: Versamark and Versafine

Card stock: SU notecard; watercolor; white

Other: PTI impression plate; Watercolor brush; Peerless watercolors; SU burlap ribbon; The Twinery turquoise shimmer twine; corner rounder; sewing machine

My second card uses the beautiful Beauty by the Sea stamp set and coordinating dies.  This set is just plain lovely - I adore how beautiful the shells are embossed and watercolored... such detailed images.  I stamped the Delightfully Delicate Background on the tag and then layered the shells over it.

Card Details

Stamps: Beauty by the Sea and coordinating dies

Ink: Versafine; Versamark; SU

Card stock: PTI and SU; watercolor

Other: Purple shimmer twine from The Twinery; doily; PTI impression plate; metallic rub-on paste (to use over the embossing to make it stand out more); Peerless watercolors and brush; corner rounder; Lawn Fawn tag dies

My last card is a fun one with the adorable Happy Ocean Friends stamp set and coordinating dies.  Just look at how adorable these critters are with googlie eyes on the beach scene! lol!

Card Details

Stamps: Happy Ocean Friends and coordinating dies

Ink: Versafine; Versamark; Versamagic

Card stock: PTI; Watercolor

Other: Peerless watercolors and brush; seam binding ribbon; MFT label die; Lawn Fawn journaling die; googlie eyes; PTI impression plate

And, now today's new challenge information for you:

Before I let you go, don't forget about our release day challenge and chance to win a $20 store gift code!

Our challenge is "Add a Die Cut"  Add at least 1 die cut to your card or project.  Use the Linky Tool below to add your card to the challenge gallery.  To be eligible for the prize, we ask that you create a new card (no back linking, please) and enter your card in No More than 3 Challenges.  

Just a few guidelines to remember as you play:

            

- You don't have to use a Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps image to enter (although we sure love when you do!)
 - You'll have until Thursday, August 21st at midnight EST to enter

- We'll draw 1 winner from this week's challenge to receive a $20 credit to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Store!  

If there are 25 participants, (not including the DT), we'll draw 2 winners!

- Please use code SNSAUG2014RC when uploading to Splitcoaststampers or other galleries 

To enter simply share a link to your creation below.

Thanks for joining us today!  Be sure to join us again on Friday, August 22nd to see if you've won and to check out the next Friday Feature & Challenge!

Have a great Friday!
Jessica

Let the Seas praise Him.

Good morning!

I have a card to share this morning using a few products that we will be featuring this Friday for Sweet'n Sassy Stamps August release!  I used the beautiful Flourish Seashells stamp set with the new coordinating dies that will be available at the end of the week! The sentiment is from the Beauty by the Sea stamp set.

I stamped the sea shells in versamark ink on watercolor paper and embossed with white embossing powder.  Then, I took a waterbrush and Peerless Watercolors and watercolored the images, being sure to go over the lines and edges to help the white embossing pop.  When it was dry, I used the coordinating dies to cut them out.  I did the same technique for the sentiment, die cutting an oval and then backing it with a vellum layer.

Have a wonderful day!
Jessica

Card Details

Stamps: Flourish Seashells & Coordinating dies; Beauty by the Sea sentiment (SNSS)

Ink: Versamark

Card stock: Lawn Fawn patterned; watercolor; vellum; PTI solid and patterned

Other: Peerless waterolors (basic pack); waterbrush; PTI 3 window die; PTI oval layers dies; seam binding ribbon; Karen Foster paper twine; button; sewing machine; white detail embossing powder

Stickles to the Rescue!

Good morning!

I know I already posted earlier this morning an ultra long post showing my Acrylic book, but I had to show my 'stickle-fied' Peerless Watercolor cards that I shared a few days ago. I didn't want to add any sparkle to the cards until the gals at the class last night saw them with just plain watercoloring. I was afraid that Stickles or any glitter might take away from the vibrancy of the Peerless watercolors.

How crazy was that, right? Glitter is always better - at least in my opinion! So, we pulled out several colors of stickles that Gina carries in her store and went to town adding their yummy sparkliness everywhere! Pink, turqoiuse, light green, orange, yellow, light blue, fruit punch, cinnamon - you name it - we used it!

On the first card, I added water and white perfect pearls to one of my Ranger Mini Misters and misted the mixture over the card a few times. It adds a subtle shimmer over the entire card. I think the camera picked it up a little... so, hopefully you can see it.

One of my favorite 'students' encouraged me to use colored stickles on the silver brads in the prima flowers. I've never used colored stickles on brads - just the clear ones. But, I took Barb's advice and Oh my word!! I LOVE them! Look - they look like faux jewel brads... how cool is that? Thanks for the tip, Barb!

Here's a closeup of the flowers... Then, Rhonda asked about using a heat gun to dry the stickles. She bravely tried it out on her card and it worked great! It's a nice alternative to letting the air dry and then getting them smudged - especially at classes.

So, as you can see - we had a great class! Thanks, Rhonda, Barb, Becca, and Marianne for coming and painting with me last night. I was so bummed that I forgot my camera because I wanted to take photos of their cards to show you today. I'll try to remember to do that next time. I think it would be fun for you to see how everyone's cards turn out - it's my favorite thing about teaching... seeing how different everyone's cards end up being when we use all the same products.

Have a great day and remember to use those Stickles! LOL!
Jessica

Class Cards and Audition Time

Hi there!

I spent the morning at the dentist getting my teeth cleaned, so my post is going up a little later than usual today. Unlike most people, I love going to my dentist. He has done a great job taking care of my teeth and all the ladies at the office have become some of my best stamping friends! They have come to many of my Stampin Up classes that I hold in my home and now have started taking classes with me at Gina's store. How fun is that?

These two cards are the ones we'll be making tomorrow at my Peerless Watercolors Class at Gina's store. These paints are so fun - they are very blendable and vibrant. The cool thing about this class is that every student ends up going home with a Peerless Palette that I've made up for them to use in the class. I use my Palette exclusively when I'm painting with them. It has lasted me a long time and I use it a lot!

We'll be using an aqua painter and a flat watercolor brush to paint 3 ways with these Watercolors. The first card show 2 techniques: watercolor washing (for the background) and painting the watercolors directly on the rubberstamp before stamping the image. The second card also shows a modified watercolor washing and then traditional watercoloring with an aquapainter.

These paints blend beautifully and allow you to layer colors over the top of them without them muddying up. (Is that even a word? LOL!) A great example of that is the brown sand and the green grass on the card above. I painted the brown sand over the entire bottom of the image - going right over the blades of grass. After it dried, I was able to add the green grass and it stands out great over the brown.

One thing that is really important in using these paints (and other watercolors), is to make sure that you have a good heavy, high quality watercolor paper. I used a 140lb. Cold Press watercolor paper. Because the paper is so heavy, it held up really well and didn't buckle at all. I used my heat gun to dry the image after my watercolor washing because I use a lot of water for this technique.

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Also, here's a reminder of an awesome opportunity that I want to make sure you don't miss out on. I've taken this information directly from Gina's Blog....

Starting August 15th, you are invited to be a design team member for Gina K. Designs. All you have to do is post your favorite Gina K. Design's projects on your blog and blog as if you were on our team. We want to see what you've got!

We will be scouring the web to find the perfect design team member and put him or her in the spotlight. We will read your blog posts and we will choose a new "In the Spotlight" designer each month who will receive all of the following month's new release sets. This designer will participate in all of the Design Team events and get all the Design Team perks for the whole month that they are "In the Spotlight!"

As soon as we announce the featured artist for the month, we will immediately resume our search for the next month! There are plenty of opportunities for you! I will also post many of your blog links on my blog and I may request some of your photos to feature on my blog each month as well. Feel free to send your links to us at ginakteam@yahoo.com (Just in case cause we wouldn't want to miss them!)

GinaK's Sketch Challenge

Card Details: Friendship Blooms (GKD), Cardstock: SU, K&Co. dsp; Black stazon, Peerless Watercolors, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug & Embossing folder, Paper piercer, Inkssentials White Pen, prima flower, SU felt flower, K&Co, Jeweled brad, Hero Arts red jewels, CrafT Pastel Embossing Paste, SU pink marker & spritzer, Sakura Clear & Glitter Pen

Good morning!

I made these two cards last night with GinaK's sketch challenge in mind. As you can see, I turned her sketch sideways for my first card. The image is colored in with my Peerless Watercolors. These watercolors are so bright which is perfect for the fun K&Co. Paper that I wanted to use.

I also used her paper piecing tutorial she shared last week on her blog. I stamped the vase on a coordinating scrap paper, glued it down, and then covered it with Sakura's Clear Glaze pen for a subtle shine. To add some pink shine, I rubbed my pink embossing paste on the edge of my oval and then spritzed pretty in pink marker over it all to help soften everything.

Card Details: Friendship Blooms (GKD), Cardstock: SU, Bazzil Textured, K&Co. dsp, Watercolor; Prima Flowers, India Black Ink; Prisma Watercolor Pencils, Aqua painter, Versamark, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Jeweled Brads, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Button, SU pink gingham & silver cording, SU square punch

My second card is another variation of her sketch. I had a large scrap of watercolor paper that I wanted to use, but it was too narrow for my petite oval nestability - so I cut part of the oval out and glued the image to the fold side of the card. Now it looks like I meant to do it like that, not that I was being lazy and just using up scraps! LOL!

After I finished coloring the image with my Watercolor pencils, I smooshed Versamark ink over the entire oval and then sprinkled it with Iridescent Ice Embossing powder. This technique is called Dazzling Diamond Dust - a tutorial that I learned years ago on Splitcoast. It's super sparkly in real life!

Have a great day!

Jessica

Animals with Personality!

Card Detail: Down on the Farm (GKD), Poultry in Motion (GKD); Cardstock: Bazzil & DCWV patterned; SU whisper white; Nestabilities; black stazon; OMS & Koh-i-noor pencils; Cuttlebug & Embossing Folder; Liquid Applique & glitter; Heat gun; Prima Flower & brad; ribbon; MM slot punch
Card Details: Just so Hoppy (GKD); Cardstock: Bazzil & DCWV patterned; Fiskars cloud scissors & Handheld star punch; paper piercer; brads; Tim Holtz distresser; crystal effects; black stazon; Peerless watercolors; aqua painter; EK success star punch
Card Details: Down on the Farm; Poultry in Motion; Bazzil textured paper & SU ww; black stazon; OMS & Koh-i-noor pencils; crystal lacquer; Marvy giga scallop punch; paper piercer; scor-pal
Card Details: Whimsical Valentine (GKD); Cardstock: Bazzil Textured; DCWV patterned; SU ww; Glitter dots; stazon; Sakura Glitter pens & aqua painter; Fiskars Mini Scallop scissors; paper piercer

If you are looking for animal stamps that are oozing with personality, you need to look no further than GinaK Designs! Just look at those faces? Don't they look like they're ready to jump off the paper and come to life?

No matter if you use her awesome Koh-i-Noor Pencils & Odorless Mineral Spirits, the amazingly vibrant Peerless Watercolors she sells in her store (although I can't find them on her online store right now), or even Sakura's Glitter pens, they all turn out so cute!

These are just 4 cards that I've made over the past few months that were super quick and easy. When you have awesome stamps, you don't need to do much work to show them off, do you?

Have a great day! We're off to a Waterpark for an over-nighter with the kids today! They are so excited!

Jessica