You shall be like a Watered Garden

PIP CHALLENGE # 1820

Welcome back to another PIP Challenge posting!  I know in many parts of the world and US Spring is already in full swing. But here in the Pacific NW that is not always the case!

We are loving more sunny days and greener lawns but here & there a little sleet & hail keeps peeking into our Spring!  Today I noticed the lilacs are nearly in full bloom though, along with the apples and I'm lucky enough to still have some colorful tulips lighting up the ground beneath it all!

This image definitely puts me in the mind set of Spring and reminds me that even during the hail storms my spirit will flourish, through the living water that is Christ Jesus.  I know the Israelites  were suffering from drought but I think flourishing in adversity is the message of hope here!! What  a beautiful word image as well as a beautiful digital stamp! Watered Garden Isaiah 58 was provided by our generous sponsor "Sparkle & Sprinkle" who is giving away a prize of $15 to use in their store!!  All you have to do is create a project, anything goes, and post it on the PIP Challenge Blog!!!!

This Digi has been enlarged to cover a full sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper!! Even at this size it still has great detail & smooth lines!  I am contemplating using it for the top of a calendar or as the center of a large cork bulletin board.  The beauty of it is I can print it again and again in any size to fit whatever project occurs to me!!  Digis are great that way!!

I have colored my image simply with gel pens & Zig water colors. The lettering was shadowed on one side to give the whole project a little more depth & color and a final application of white gel pen & crystal gem accents complete this easy but pretty  project!

 Just click on any photo for viewing in greater detail :)

News from the Ever Cool Originals (ECO) 4-H Club

Hello again friends :)  Thought I would share with you today a fun tutorial on masking!  I had this idea for my little 4-H Club so that every member would have some knowledge of the basics of rubber stamping and scrapbooking.



We are constructing our own little "Sampler Scrapbook" of techniques!!  Our first page was concerning "Resist", which I did not document.
But here's the final result. Each page includes one technique & defines it!
           


Our second page is all about masking!!  So much fun ~ the kids are visibly delighted with the results, especially since how great it looks can't be seen until removing the mask!

Here are the basic steps in photographs:


It may look confusing, but EACH TIME YOU STAMP cut out the identical image and place it over the one you've just stamped!  Don't remove any of the masks until you're finished. HINT:  I use inexpensive copier paper for masking, & sometimes acetate for hardier, re-usable masks!

ANOTHER NOTE OF IMPORTANCE: It is important when you cut out your images to "split the line" as you cut. With heavier materials such as cardstock or acetate you will want to eliminate the line as you cut. If you cut on the line or outside of it you will wind up with a 'glow' around your image where the ink can not touch!

As I stamped the last images I did not have to cover them with a mask since nothing more was going to go over or around them!  REMOVE the mask & color in any desired areas!  It is that simple (time consuming but simple)                          

Hooray! Next meeting is heat embossing and pressure embossing!! If you have any questions, ideas to share or need more clarity, please don't hesitate to comment below  !!  Have a great sunshiney day !!  😎

Happy Mail!!

Who doesn't love getting something fun in the mail??  As a grown-up it starts to be all about the bills!  That's part of the magic of sharing notes with others via snail mail!!  It doesn't have to be a birthday or Anniversary to send something so simple that makes others feel so special.

Here's Newton doing just that!! Do you know Newton?  Head on over to Newton's Nook Designs (NND) and there you can find out all about him (true story) and the great little shop of delightfulness that includes all his friends and so much more!!

It just so happens that NND is sponsoring our PIP Challenge #1818 this week too!!  The weekly  challenge is ANYTHING GOES and the prize is $15 to spend in their store!!!

One of my favorite things at NND is the stencils!  I thought this "Starfield" stencil looked like the bokah that fills the air in the summertime!  Doesn't it look a little like the out of focus, sundrenched seed pods etc that float around in the hot air??
                I was careful as I stenciled in selectively the dots from the stencil with the blue and then I added in the dots as well as the stars with the yellow after shifting the stencil a little.

Newton is stamped and heat embossed on a white circle die-cut & colored in with a combination of gel pens and watercolor.   The little leaf sprig is from the "Beautiful Leaves" stamp set & washi wrapped all the way around helps dress up the inside too.  

2 sizes of sequins finish it of with a little sparkle factor!(I added those in along with a some extra grass after I thought I was done!!)
Let's see what your friends can anticipate finding in their mail box! (or maybe tucked inside a book, bag, or locker!)  I promise I will check out your entries at PIP Challenges and maybe even leave a comment on your blog!!  Have fun 

Jewel Picker 101 🏶🏶 DYI 🏶

I have been watching with envy all the 'professional' paper crafters picking up delicate pieces and precisely placing them using an amazing tool with a tiny, tacky tip.  Unfortunately, the one I would like to have is over $30!!!! Others I have read reviews on complained the tip didn't last.

If you've read my post on turning wood mounted stamps into cling stamps then you know I have fallen in love with Aleene's TACK-IT Over & Over repositionable adhesive.  As I was making some glue dots with it ~ it suddenly occurred to me that it could be used on the end of any pointed object as a jewel picker!!!  I used a "Sheezley" tool for ceramics but you could use a toothpick (disposable, no storage!) a dried up pen with a cap to protect the sticky, etc!

Here you can see the completely dried blob of glue I put on the tip. It is super tacky and picks up even the tiniest bead with only a gentle touch.  I have even used it to clean some flecks of embossing powder off a project before heating. It can get into tiny tight places where it is hard to use even the tiniest of brushes to flick away culprit granules.

Once the tip doesn't retain the sticky (I used it a LOT!) just pull it off and put another on.  Be prepared, it does take 30 minutes or so to dry, so it may be a good idea to have 2 of them so one is always ready to go.

Good luck, hope this will come in as handy for you as it has for me!!  🏶

Graduation Season!

Oh my!  I am going to be facing days and weeks without one of my favorite people in the not too distant future.  Another HS Graduation is at hand!!

I was so pleased that this weeks PIP Challenge Sponsor is Sasayaki Glitter!  They kindly shared this great graduation image with me & it is my privilege to share my first project with it with you!!

So much happy energy in this one called Mia's Graduation.  Our school colors are red & black so it wasn't difficult to decide how to color her!  After water coloring with Zig Real Brush Markers I framed it with Spellbinders Nestabilities Majestic Elements Dies - Radiant Rectangles & added a wonderful little sentiment stamp from Unity Stamp Company embossed in red.  I made a memory board for her loaded with her favorite pictures and put this strategically on it!!

I am pleased with the little pop of energy and color it offers.  I think it will also be a stamp that makes great tags for our gifts to the other grads.  Because digis are so versatile I will be making it really big for the name tags that dangle from their "Senior Baskets". So much fun & versitality!!

Now it's your turn!!!  Time to make a project (anything goes!) and link it up at the PIP Challenge Blog!  Be sure to share the love and check out all of the DT Blogs & your favorite entries too.

AND DID I MENTION YOU CAN WIN?!!

Sasayaki Glitter is awarding 1 lucky entrant the digi of their choice!!  (Don't you just love the "win/win" of the crafting world!)

"Hello!"

Good Morning!!  I hope that as the sunshine is finding you and warming your heart if not your bones this chilly but gorgeous time of year.  I am so excited for the fresh light of Spring that I find myself hooked on a color theme build around icy coral and gleaming gold!! Birds are another herald of Spring here in the snowy mountains of the Pacific NW so I love using them prolifically as well!!

Today's card was inspired by the negative space left behind after die cutting the "hello" for a number of other cards.  I love the look of the see through & thought why not three; the number of completeness!  I am saying hello in the most happily complete way possible!!!



After cutting my panel I covered most of the back with dimensional adhesive, I didn't want any "sagging" spots. (esp since this is going through the US mail!!)

For the little bird accents I used matching coral paper dipping & heating each in embossing powder 3 times to get a nice coating - like enamel.  From there it is a simple matter of layering it up and adding some gleaming gold "washi".

I think this card is pretty Clean And Simple! Fresh and new like Spring!!!!


PS - the robins are talking in the bare apple tree!  Despite the snow on the deck every morning I think Spring really is on its way!

Looking for a great challenge blog?  I have linked this post to "The Artistic Stamper Creative Challenge on Facebook" AND Power Poppy - the blog By Marcella Hawley!!  Check 'em out!

Spring Mornings ~ Pip Challenge 1814

When the kids were little we had an old farm house on 5 acres in the rolling hills of the Palouse.  We had the only trees for miles, surrounded as we were by wheat fields. A beautiful old Beech had grown up through our patio, shading an upstairs bedroom.  Oh it was lovely, throwing dappled shadows across the bricks below and casting the bedroom into a shimmering shade in the heat of the day.  

That's what this lovely digital stamp "Winnie at the Window" reminds me of.  It just so happens to be made by Polkadoodles who is sponsoring this weeks PIP Challenge Blog #1814~anything goes! In fact Polkadoodles is also awarding our PIP Challenge winner 3 digis of their choice!!  Winnie is just one of many lovely creations you'll find at their site.(the underlined are quick links for your convience!!)


Since I most enjoy using my watercolor brush markers for coloring I printed this image out on watercolor paper.  I carefully painted it being especially cautious of the lines.  I could've sprayed it with workable fixative to be 100% sure the printer ink would not bleed, but I'm not always happy with the way watercolors move across it; so today I took my chances. Winnie is layered on top of 2 pieces of ridinghood red paper, the smaller is embossed with a brick pattern and then rubbed with brick colored ink for added texture.  
             Here is the image without added embellishments. I think she is so pretty!!  In the future I will either make the card a lot bigger or find a smaller branch die because the card was a little overwhelmed by the leaves and branches!

          

It was also really fun adding in the bird house ~ simply tied to a branch & left to dangle.   A few little flower die cuts centered with Nuvo crystal drops in black and deep purple. 

I have several ideas for the sentiment.  There are some great ones out there.  I like the ones that mention friends, gardens, nature and birds for this one. Unity Stamp Co has one that mentions "Bird Chirping Weather" and "Hello Tweet Friend", "be my bird", "enjoy the simple things.." 

I'm just waiting until I find the right person and occasion and I will stamp the sentiment & send it off!! 

Once again, I'm looking forward to seeing your beautiful creations! 

Remember, Anything Goes!!

If you can use any Polkadoodles images it would be a great way of thanking them for sponsoring our challenge!!

Hope you have a beautiful, bird chirping week 🐦

New Triple Layer Dies!!

Another beautiful Easter holiday has come & gone!! Wow, time waits for no one!  But what a great week it was.  Our school usually doesn't have the kids out on break during Holy Week so this year was an exciting exception. Another great exception was the weather. Usually AWFUL for Spring Break this year it was lovely, they went for runs (prepping for track season!), and played with the new calf outside!!

Me?  I had to work!! But it's only part time so I still got to enjoy their wonderful, young and energetic presence!!  I also had time to try out a new die set❣  I used Easter-y colors to make Easter cards! The ones I didn't use I will be able to make a quick Spring Birthday, Get Well, Thank You card, etc 🙂

Aren't they great!!  Super simple, fun and fast!!  Just a matter of die cutting and layering.  I used spray adhesive to quickly get an all over adhesion. 
              
HERE'S A TIP: if you would like to have glitter show in only 1 layer without bulk & rumple then spray the layer you want it on FIRST!(ie before other layers), layer the one on top of it to stick, THEN put glitter in the holes and work it in a little with a brush or finger tip.  To have no sticky residue (& no glitter)  be sure to always spray the top layer first (on the back of it) and work your way down in layers.
Just to help you get started with color ideas (I sometimes used only 2 layers to show more of the lower color) 
They are so pretty in person!  If you have any questions I'll be happy to get back to you ;)

Don't forget to make the back pretty!!

          
This is so much fun.  I cut several colors out of each layer and then messed with layering them up after I was done cutting.  I still wound up cutting a couple of extras as I had color epiphanies all along the way!!

               

                           

Since I didn't want to cover much of the card fronts, label style worked
well for me.  I think gems or 
Nuvo Crystal Drops would also have 
added a beautiful dimension! Alas, I was in a hurry to have them done and given away!!

I love these sentiments!!

He Has Risen Indeed!!

Splish Splash!

Well it's about that time of year again!!  Time for April showers!! AND time for another inspiration card for PIP Challenges!!

This week's challenge is #1812 and sponsored by DIGITAL DELIGHTS. Not only have they generously supplied our PIP Challenge team with digis, but they are offering a prize of $5 of in store shopping to our lucky winner!!

                    I am ... well, delighted!!  with my stamp choice, Splish Splash Susie   I have to admit ~ I've already used her 4 times!!!  She is so seasonally perfect and so perfectly delightful!!  Right now Splish Splash Susie is only $1.50, so you can see how the prize money can go a long way ;)

The 2 cards I have featured today are both printed on Watercolor paper.  I heat set the printer ink with marginal success. 


My first step was to spritz the whole thing with water and then watched in horror at the printer
ink began to spiderweb!!(Orange umbrella one!!) I let it dry and then was VERY CAREFUL as I colored, trying not to saturate the lines and also avoid the black bleeding into the colors. You can see in the close ups that I was maybe a little too careful to stay away from the lines!!


  The image with the blue umbrella, I printed about 1/3 smaller and did not spritz!!  I had a lot less trouble coloring it without the bleed.

To make a short story long, I used a splotchy technique to color the background and more carefully colored in the subject!  A few layers, jewels, some great sentiments (a nod to UNITY STAMP CO) and I suddenly have a couple of bright, cheerful cards perfect for this time of year!! I should note that the white streaks and smeared highlights are made with a white Uni-ball Signo pen and the texture on the blue umbrella is a result of Prima Oil Pastel in combo with Zig watercolor marker.





Good luck!  I am excited to see what you come up with :)  Have a great week & get those pinkies inky!!!!