Retiring Poppies and an SCS Tutorial

We are less than two weeks away from the items on the retiring list being gone forever, so I decided to show some love to some stamps that will be going bye-bye. *Sniff*

Of the four stamps sets used on this card, two are retiring.....Pleasant Poppies on the front, and the sentiment from Yippee-Skippee inside. I was inspired to watercolor the poppies by the Wednesday Tutorial over at Splitcoast Stampers, called Distress Stain Watercolor. Since I don't have any distress stains, I substituted Stampin' Write Markers and it worked out just fine!

This card is going to someone very, very near and dear to my heart. I hope this special person likes it!

Recipe:
5-1/2" x 8-1/2" Naturals White, scored at 4-1/4" for card base
4" x 5-1/4" Basic Black for mat behind image
3-7/8" x 5-1/8" Watercolor Paper
Use Real Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers, coloring direct to stamp, then spritz with water and stamp on Watercolor Paper. Don't clean stamp yet.
Follow tutorial linked above for coloring the image. I added highlights with Melon Mambo and Crushed Curry, then added black dots with Project Life Journaling Pen.
Stamp greeting in Jet Black StazOn, then add dots with white gel pen. Use scrap of Cherry on Top DSP to stamp butterfly, then punch with butterfly punch and adhere with half of a Stampin' Dimensional.
Adhere image to Basic Black mat and then to card front.
Stamp sentiment inside and huff on poppy stamp to add shadow image to side of sentiment.

STAMPS: Pleasant Poppies, Hello Life, Yippee-Skippee, Papillon Potpourri
INK: Jet Black StazOn, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, plus Real Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers
CARDSTOCK: Naturals White, Basic Black, Watercolor Paper, Cherry on Top DSP Stack
ACCESSORIES: Aqua Painter, Project Life Journaling Pen, White Gel Pen, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Hello Life Valentine

A stamping friend (and new demo!) needed some ideas for Valentines using the products she already has on hand. She has a group of friends interested in making cards, so I got a list of what she has and went to work designing a couple of cards. It was fun and a bit of a challenge, because I wanted to use ALL THE STUFF I have, but that wouldn't have been very helpful to her.

I hope she likes the designs, and her friends do, too! I got my inspiration for this card from Deb Currier's card posted January 1st.

STAMPS: Hello Life
CARDSTOCK: Real Red, Whisper White, Basic Black, Stacked With Love DSP Stack, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red

ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Happy Heart T.I.E.F., Hearts Framelits Dies, Tea Lace Paper Doilies, White 5/8" Organza Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Love Is....So Sweet

Here is another card using the Love is Kindness a la cart stamp but with soft, vintage-y feel. This is a totally different look from the bold look of the card posted last week. I did use the same Washi tape masking technique, though. (And remembered to remove it before stamping this time - yay me!)

The new Pink Pirouette and Wild Wasabi Blendabilities are a welcome addition to the bolder colors of the previously released assortments! In addition to the Pink Pirouette and Wild Wasabi, there are also Bermuda Bay and Soft Sky assortments available now!

I hope that eventually most, if not all, of the Stampin' Up! colors will be available in the alcohol markers. I just love to color, and feel like I get the best results (read - no streaking) when I use them!

STAMPS: Love is Kindness, Hello Life
CARDSTOCK: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Typeset Specialty DSP, Gold Foil Sheets
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Baked Brown Sugar, Pink Pirouette and Wild Wasabi Blendabilities
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Happy Heart T.I.E.F., Stamping Sponges, Blender Pen

LOVE

Love is Kindness, that is. This is one of the a la cart stamps in the the Occasions catalog that I just adore. It is so quick and easy to color with the Blendabilities markers, and depending on the colors used and other card elements, it can take on many different looks.

This stamp has the greeting attached, so I just masked it off with a bit of Washi tape, inked it up with Memento ink, and then stamped, after removing the Washi. Of course, the first time I did it, I forgot to remove the Washi before stamping, and had an ugly inky blob where there wasn't supposed to be! (Note to self......remove Washi before stamping!)

STAMPS: Love is Kindness, Hello Life

CARDSTOCK: Real Red, Whisper White, Stacked With Love DSP Stack
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities, Old Olive Blendabilities, White Gel Pen
ACCESSORIES: Real Red 1/4" Cotton Ribbon, Glue Dots, retired Washi tape