Impression Obsession DT Challenge: Christmas In July

The Impression Obsession team's challenge today is to create a holiday project.

Here's one more silhouette image I didn't get to share last week - this is a big one, but it makes for quick and easy holiday cards - especially with this minimal coloring! I stamped onto a piece of decorative paper to add a little interest and color to the background. I love this subtle design... stamping in a really pale grey would be an option too.

I did add a few highlights to the image just to define edges - it's a simple way to add some pop to a solid silhouette.

Stamps I used: Christmas Morning Silhouette, Holiday Words

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration -

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Chris @ Cat Tales and Paper Trails
Daniela @ For the First Time
Ilina @ Creativity Within
Jeanne @ Inky Paws
Jenny @ One Krafty Kat 
Karen @ Paper Lilies and Ink 
Kelli @ Stamping with a Dream 
Kittie @ Kittie Kraft
Laura @ Laura's Stamp Art Journal
Vicki @ Summerthyme Studio

Remember you can enter these challenges too, using your Impression Obsession stamps! See the I.O. blog for all the details - you might even win a $25 gift certificate!! We'd love to have you join us.

Splitcoast Tutorial: Ink Spritzer Background

This week on Splitcoast we've collaborated with Clearsnap to bring you a fun background tutorial using Ink Spritzers! I made the video for the tutorial and these are the samples you'll see me make... this first one is made using the spritzers on a plastic folder on Neenah cardstock:

This technique produces a pretty direct print of the ink patterns, and since Neenah is pretty absorbent cardstock, it's a great paper for this method.

For this background, I used hot press watercolor and gave my ink spritzers a couple of mists of water before printing to help the colors blend together. It's a completely different look, and it was fun to experiment! The stamp set I used here is called Howl I Live, and it's from Whimsy Stamps - I colored it in with Copics and added some watercolor details.

This was another print I took after I finished the misted print, and I thought it was too beautiful to cut - it ended up as this beautiful nautical scene! It's in my store if anyone would like a print!

Hope you're having a great week! I've got a lot on my plate with a deadline for Valentine stamp art next week and a commissioned pet portrait in progress - wish me luck!

New Fall/Winter Stamps from IO - Day 5

The Impression Obsession team is showcasing new Fall /Winter images that are available NOW! You can visit the I.O. Blog all this week for links to the previews and ALL the challenge details. Leave a comment on our designers' posts throughout the week for a chance to win one of SIX $25 gift certificates from Impression Obsession!

(In case you didn't know, I have my own line of stamps at Impression Obsession, and I'm thrilled to be adding more of my original stamps to the collection. You can see all my designs HERE!)

To finish off the week, how about a couple of holiday animal images? This kitty is for the party poopers, with a little Humbug to go along with him.

For the puppy lovers, here's a little Frenchie - both images are colored with Copics and QoR watercolor paints on Canva-Paper - I love that this paper and the IO inks are versatile enough to take both mediums on together.

Both cards have a little Flower Soft detail on them - I have so much of that stuff and never use it! One of those 'out of sight, out of mind' deals. Such a fun accent though!

Stamps I used: Santa Cat, Humbug, Frenchie,  CAC Poinsettia 

Blog Hop links will be posted on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am EST July 17-21. The more blogs you visit … the better chance you will have to win!!! Comment entries will be open until 9pm CT on Sunday July 23rd and all winners will be announced July 24th. Good luck!

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration, and comment for more chances to win! 

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Chris @ Cat Tales and Paper Trails
Daniela @ For the First Time
Ilina @ Creativity Within
Jeanne @ Inky Paws
Jenny @ One Krafty Kat 
Karen @ Paper Lilies and Ink 
Kelli @ Stamping with a Dream 
Kittie @ Kittie Kraft
Laura @ Laura's Stamp Art Journal
Vicki @ Summerthyme Studio

New Fall/Winter Stamps from IO - Day 4

The Impression Obsession team is showcasing new Fall /Winter images that are available NOW! You can visit the I.O. Blog all this week for links to the previews and ALL the challenge details. Leave a comment on our designers' posts throughout the week for a chance to win one of SIX $25 gift certificates from Impression Obsession!

(In case you didn't know, I have my own line of stamps at Impression Obsession, and I'm thrilled to be adding more of my original stamps to the collection. You can see all my designs HERE!)

I love adding to my collection of silhouette stamps, so I have a few more for fall and winter scenes - this one is sweet for fall or Thanksgiving greetings. I masked off a border and brushed on some ink, then stamped the sentiment with my MISTI using coordinating inks. The enamel dots are from Whimsy Stamps.

I had a lot of fun making this next card - the background is a combination of layers of Distress Oxide ink and watercolor. 

I did a quick distress background first, then let it dry completely, stamped the image, and masked off the light beam from the lantern with Frog Tape. Then I did a watercolor wash over the panel, splattering water over as it dried to add interest.

Stamps I used:  Thankful Harvest clear set, Christmas Lights clear set

Blog Hop links will be posted on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am EST July 17-21. The more blogs you visit … the better chance you will have to win!!! Comment entries will be open until 9pm CT on Sunday July 23rd and all winners will be announced July 24th. Good luck!

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration, and comment for more chances to win! 

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Chris @ Cat Tales and Paper Trails
Daniela @ For the First Time
Ilina @ Creativity Within
Jeanne @ Inky Paws
Jenny @ One Krafty Kat 
Karen @ Paper Lilies and Ink 
Kelli @ Stamping with a Dream 
Kittie @ Kittie Kraft
Laura @ Laura's Stamp Art Journal
Vicki @ Summerthyme Studio

New Fall/Winter Stamps from IO - Day 3

The Impression Obsession team is showcasing new Fall /Winter images that are available NOW! You can visit the I.O. Blog all this week for links to the previews and ALL the challenge details. Leave a comment on our designers' posts throughout the week for a chance to win one of SIX $25 gift certificates from Impression Obsession!

(In case you didn't know, I have my own line of stamps at Impression Obsession, and I'm thrilled to be adding more of my original stamps to the collection. You can see all my designs HERE!)

I'm really thrilled with how this Bethlehem sillhouette stamp turned out, and found it very versatile for a clean and simple card design! I'll plan on sharing a video when I have the chance to show how I made these backgrounds - they require several impressions and gradations using the IO hybrid inks and the MISTI.

I used cool colors in this version, and then cut the panel in 4 to layer onto matboard squares.

On this card, I layered a sentiment by Alesa Baker over the finished background - it's such a bold and stunning combination!

IO Products I used:  Bethlehem, Peace, Jesus is the Reason (Alesa Baker); All-in-One Frames - Squares

Blog Hop links will be posted on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am EST July 17-21. The more blogs you visit … the better chance you will have to win!!! Comment entries will be open until 9pm CT on Sunday July 23rd and all winners will be announced July 24th. Good luck!

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration, and comment for more chances to win! 

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Chris @ Cat Tales and Paper Trails
Daniela @ For the First Time
Ilina @ Creativity Within
Jeanne @ Inky Paws
Jenny @ One Krafty Kat 
Karen @ Paper Lilies and Ink 
Kelli @ Stamping with a Dream 
Kittie @ Kittie Kraft
Laura @ Laura's Stamp Art Journal
Vicki @ Summerthyme Studio

Splitcoast Tutorial: Watercolor Imprints

This week it's my turn to share a tutorial over on Splitcoast, and I'm sharing my Watercolor Imprints technique! This is a fun and easy way to add a pattern into a watercolor or inky background as it dries.

You can use stencils....

...or stamps...

...and I even share ways you can use the residual ink for additional prints!

You can find the photo steps over at the link at the top of my post, but I thought I'd share the video here as well today - so you can watch it here or there - leave me a comment if you watch! 

Hope you'll try this one - it's easy and lots of fun, and the results with Distress Oxide inks are really cool. 

New Fall/Winter Stamps from IO - Day 2

The Impression Obsession team is showcasing new Fall /Winter images that are available NOW! You can visit the I.O. Blog all this week for links to the previews and ALL the challenge details. Leave a comment on our designers' posts throughout the week for a chance to win one of SIX $25 gift certificates from Impression Obsession!

(In case you didn't know, I have my own line of stamps at Impression Obsession, and I'm thrilled to be adding more of my original stamps to the collection. You can see all my designs HERE!)

I always try to add some masculine designs to my fall/winter release, so this is one of those. It's timeless and classic, and useful for a variety of occasions or non-occasions. I paired the image with some vintage papers and one of Seth Apter's word stamps, but it would work with a quote or snarky sentiment as well. :)

Stamps I used:  Gentlemen Silhouette, Journal Jargon One (Seth Apter)

Blog Hop links will be posted on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am EST July 17-21. The more blogs you visit … the better chance you will have to win!!! Comment entries will be open until 9pm CT on Sunday July 23rd and all winners will be announced July 24th. Good luck!

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration, and comment for more chances to win! 

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Chris @ Cat Tales and Paper Trails
Daniela @ For the First Time
Ilina @ Creativity Within
Jeanne @ Inky Paws
Jenny @ One Krafty Kat 
Karen @ Paper Lilies and Ink 
Kelli @ Stamping with a Dream 
Kittie @ Kittie Kraft
Laura @ Laura's Stamp Art Journal
Vicki @ Summerthyme Studio

New Fall/Winter Stamps from IO - Day 1

The Impression Obsession team is showcasing new Fall /Winter images that are available NOW! You can visit the I.O. Blog all this week for links to the previews and ALL the challenge details. Leave a comment on our designers' posts throughout the week for a chance to win one of SIX $25 gift certificates from Impression Obsession!

(In case you didn't know, I have my own line of stamps at Impression Obsession, and I'm thrilled to be adding more of my original stamps to the collection. You can see all my designs HERE!)

When I was working on illustrations for this release, all the world was abuzz with news about April and her pending delivery... so since we were waiting forever on the baby giraffe, I drew my own! There is a clear set with several sentiments and accessories (dies coming too!). The giraffe comes in rubber in 2 different sizes, and the sentiments are available in rubber as well. Love this one for a get well card.

There is a scarf in the set, a bow, and a bowtie, so you can dress up your baby giraffe as a boy or girl. The scarf and bow are so fun to paper piece! 

TIP: stamp the scarf directly onto the image first so you don't have to cut around the fringe when you cut out the pieced image.

This card would make a great encouragement card - again, I stamped the bow onto a piece of patterned paper and added some shading and highlights with colored pencil to accent it before cutting it out. Both cards are watercolored.

Stamps I used:  Baby Giraffe clear set

Blog Hop links will be posted on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am EST July 17-21. The more blogs you visit … the better chance you will have to win!!! Comment entries will be open until 9pm CT on Sunday July 23rd and all winners will be announced July 24th. Good luck!

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration, and comment for more chances to win! 

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Chris @ Cat Tales and Paper Trails
Daniela @ For the First Time
Ilina @ Creativity Within
Jeanne @ Inky Paws
Jenny @ One Krafty Kat 
Karen @ Paper Lilies and Ink 
Kelli @ Stamping with a Dream 
Kittie @ Kittie Kraft
Laura @ Laura's Stamp Art Journal
Vicki @ Summerthyme Studio

Splitcoast Tutorial: Duoprinting with Chlorophyll

This week's tutorial over on Splitcoast will have you seeing the plants in your yard in a whole new light! Duoprinting with Chlorophyll is a fun way to create botanical prints - using your die cutting machine!

I used leaves and flowers from my yard for my prints - here are 3 I took, and I'll share the others later.

The print above is a black walnut branch with multiple leaves.

This is clematis - the blooms are much darker purple with red undertones - I didn't expect a lavender print!

The last card is done with eastern redbud leaves - we have little saplings all over our property, and I used new leaves that still had a reddish tint.

So pretty!

I hope you'll have fun with this one! I was getting ready to travel, so I had to limit myself to just a few cards, but I could make prints all day! Be sure to check out Lydia's tutorial for some great tips!

In the Garden - process and print!

It's been a couple of weeks since I finished this painting, but I wanted to be sure to share - I know some of you enjoy seeing my process through a painting. This one is titled "In the Garden",  and I learned so much while I painted it!

These are irises from my garden, so I started with a reference photo and a background I had been buildling slowly while working on other projects. I love the serendipity of that process, and the beauty of unplanned layers of paint and color, stenciling, stamping, brushing or brayering. I also tested out a new-to-me product, Saral Transfer Paper. I was able to sketch out my design on butcher paper then trace it to transfer the lines to my canvas panel. I used the white, but there are other colors available - I think I'll be getting the graphite next.

To 'prime' the areas for the flowers, I started with a base coat or 2 of white acrylic paint.

I blocked in some color and shadow areas, then proceeded with layers of color, adding more details as I built up.

I love this next photo because you can see the contrast between the almost-finished bloom and the still-in-progress one. I added a gel transferred hymn sheet to the background after I had started adding details - that was a little scary, and also a learning experience. I do love incorporating hymns and songs into my work, and I'll continue exploring that theme in the future.

I finished this piece in time to enter it in a local show, and it actually won 3rd place in the professional mixed media division and got a lot of positive comments! I have really enjoyed connecting with the artists' community in this area.

I'd love to be able to share this artwork with you, and I have a couple of options - prints are available in my store, and I've also converted the sketch into a coloring page that can be printed on a full sheet or resized for a card front!

That's in my store as well, as an instant download. I'd love to see what you do with it, and if you'd like to see more coloring sheets like this, please let me know! I have lots of stamp art that would translate so easily into this format.

Cheers!