Water coloring with Distress Inks

Hi everyone!  I have a quick and easy coffee card to share today.  Full confession, I bought a fancy water color palette, and I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm intimidated by it! Honestly, I open it up and unless the exact color in the palettes are exactly what I want, I'm a bit lost.

SO... I'm in the process of starting an online water color class to help me with mixing colors and learn the basics.

But in the meantime, using  distress inks is a super easy way to water color images.

OK, this is nothing new and I've even done this before, but I need to remember it more often! Just tap your ink pad on a solid surface and spritz with water. Dip your brush and start coloring.

For my card, I stamped the coffee word cloud sentiment on water color paper twice using my mini Misti, wet my piece of water color paper, then dropped (painted) in some of the ink.

After it dried, I die cut it into my cup shape, moving the die around until I got the perfect pattern of colors.

The stamp and die set is called A Cup of Java  and I used the smaller of the 2 java cup sizes on this card. I just LOVE that I found Prima flower in my stash that coordinates perfectly. I pulled off the center pearl that came with it and put in a yellow rhinestone instead. The black flourishes under the flower are actually made from the steam die in the Java die set!

Here's a close up picture. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Other supplies used:
Distress ink in Worn Lipstick, Peacock feathers, Spiced marmalade
Prima Bloom Freshly Picked flowers
Kaisercraft Paisley Days paper pad
May Arts White Twill ribbon
Spellbinders Circle dies
Versafine Onyx Black ink
Number 8 water brush
water color paper

No line water colored summer roses

Hi everyone! I tried my hand at no line water coloring! It's not as easy as the talented designers on Instagram make it look. I went through several colors of ink before settling on Antique Linen distress ink. I think there are inks on the market that are made just for this technique, I don't have any, but if you have any recommendations leave me a comment.

This gorgeous image is from the Floral Cluster Summer Roses stamp set from Stamp Simply Clear Stamps. I used my Arteza brush pens to color them and after they dried, I went over the centers with a touch of white gel pen. The coloring process took quite a long time, so I kept the card layout pretty simple. Just a strip of patterned paper and a piece of embossed cardstock with a few pearls and string as embellishments. 

I kept the sentiment a simple hello to allow the pretty flowers to take center stage.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Other supplies used:
Floral Cluster and Sprigs die set Stamp Simply Steel Dies
Silver pearls

White gel pen

Number 2 water color brush

May Arts metallic string in silver
FSJ Embossing folder

Beauties from Picket Fence Studios

Hi everyone! Last month I was blessed to win $100 worth of stamps from the fabulous company Picket Fence Studios! I never win giveaways, so this was particularly amazing!!

Since I started relandscaping front yard (what WAS I thinking -we took it down to bare dirt!?!?) I haven't had much time to craft. But slowly over the last couple of weeks I made these 2 cards I want to share.

First up is a card using one of the Beautiful Girls series of stamps, this one is Sydnee:

I colored her with copics and used a piece of seam binding ribbon as a ruffle dress. Also used on the card are flowers from the Prima Abbey shades of gray collection, FSJ white flowers and floral embossing folder, a piece of the Kaisercraft Two Souls collection.

Next up is a card that uses the fabulous set, Rustic Floral.

I colored the simple flowers with copics and added a bit of ink splattering, branch die cuts from Stamp Simply Floral Cluster and Twigs die set and some twine and sequins.

That's it for today!

Stay tuned, due to a mix up in giveaway packages, I have a few stamp sets from Picket Fences to giveaway!! 

It will be hosted on my Instagram account, so be sure to follow me there (link on my sidebar).

Blue pansies with ink blending background

Hi everyone! I tried a little something different on today's card. I was inspired by all the monochromatic cards I've been seeing lately, so I pulled out my Floral Cluster Spring Pansies stamp set, stamped the flowers with blue ink and created a blue ink background.
I used my new Life Changing Brushes from Picket Fence Studios and did some ink blending with Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide ink. I have to say, the blending went pretty well vs. the old sponge daubers I used to use. I'm no pro either way, but it was a bit easier.

At the top ink blended portion, I splattered a bit of water to see the cool reaction it makes with the distress oxide ink. Then I mixed a few drops of water with the ink and splattered it on the panel, and added a few dark blue rhinestones at the flower centers. This one was quick and easy to make.
I could see making many more in a rainbow of colors! What a perfect little gift for someone.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Other supplies used:
Floral Cluster and Sprigs die set Stamp Simply Steel Dies
Number 2 watercolor brush
Brilliant Blue ink by Stampin Up

Cheerful note with spring pansies

Hi everyone! I have another fun card to share using the Stamp Simply Clear Stamps new Floral Cluster release stamp/die sets. This card uses the Floral Cluster Spring Pansies set. I love this set because the main flower in the image is large enough to use on it's own.

I used my copics to color these and fussy cut the large pansy out of the cluster. I love the little branch images from the coordinating die set Floral Cluster and Sprigs and used it for the leaf clusters. I love combining white leaves with pretty flowers. Such a crisp look.

The paper is from the Kaisercraft pad called Paisley Days. I love this paper!! You can kinda see in the photo that the sheets I used have embossing on them. Swoon!! I used a piece from the die cut borders at the back of the pack to tuck under the ribbon piece.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Other supplies used:
Spellbinders Classic Ovals Large and Small
Yellow stickles
Corner rounder
Kaisercraft Lippy Red rhinestones
May Arts faux canvas ribbon in White