Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

It's time for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop, and I'm so excited to be a Super Sponsor again! Keep reading to find out how you can win these 3 art prints, and receive a special coupon code for my online store! You can find these and more in my store HERE!

I made a card for today's hop without any real plan... I think this one was meant for me, because I've been a little overwhelmed this week - our oven went out, my in-laws are on the way here, my oldest hasn't been feeling well, and I've had an additional work load with a painting in progress and card samples due for the Mixed Media show next month. All that to say... it felt good to pour some art out and process a little. Acckkk!

This teapot stamp is from my own line of stamps at Impression Obsession - you can see all my designs HERE, and if you hurry you can take advantage of their 25% discount code - it's only good through Sunday (6/25)!  You'll find all the details on their home page. 

I started with a white matboard square, stamping the background image in a light shade. I stamped the silhouette image then added some highlights and shading with pencils - the highlights were done with a white Coloursoft pencil, and the deep shadows and counter surface were done using Inktense pencils.

My base panel is from a file of gel prints and other papers I've used to clean my brayer - it's got some fun copper tones in it that play well with the blue of the tea pot.

Stamps I used: Small Teapot, Teapot Diagram, Better Tomorrow

For a chance to win prizes in our hop this week, you have to play along! Head over to the Coffee Loving Cardmakers blog for all the details, and to link up your spring coffee, tea, or cocoa themed project! 

One lucky winner will receive one of my handmade coffee art pendants for participating this week - You can find these and more coffee (and other!) themed gifts in my online store - and to thank you for hopping and visiting today, you can use coupon code COFFEEHOP for 20% off your entire order!

Thanks again - enjoy the hop, and go make something pretty! xoxo

Splitcoast Tutorial: Paper Bracelet

 This week's tutorial over on Splitcoast is a fun little Paper Bracelet - it's a fun way to use up some scrap paper and make a custom accessory!

The box is part of the tutorial too - I really like this style! Perfect measurements, and so much sturdier with the doubled sides.

 I tweaked the instructions and made my version with smaller beads (the tutorial uses a pencil as a form - for mine I wrapped the beads on a quilling needle). Here are both bracelets together so you can see the difference in size.

I used an elastic thread to string my bracelet - this is the thread I found (check with the other elastic products at Walmart, or you can find it on Amazon HERE) - the quilling tool is a great piercing tool and I use it quite often to release die cuts from detailed dies because the piercer on my Spellbinders Tool-n-One broke. It's this one.

Paper beads are fun to make - these were easy to roll and adhere - you can use a varnish to give them a little sheen as well!

Surprise summer sale is ON!

Use coupon code SUMMER25 to take a big 25% discount off your order of $20 or more at Impression Obsession from now until NEXT Sunday night (JUNE 25th) at midnight EST. 

This INCLUDES all clearance and sale items on the site and there are LOTS of those. We just refilled our cling stamp clearance section, our Cover-a-Card background 2nds, and our overstock dies section and we still have HUNDREDS of clear sets at 50% off PLUS the additional discount.

Go shop! You're welcome! :)

Ellen Hutson Summer Sale

Just a quick heads up - Ellen Hutson is having a sale! You can use the coupon code below for 15% off your entire order through Saturday. Clicking through from my blog to purchase will kick a small commission my way at no cost to you - affiliate links help me to fund this site and I am very grateful! Go shop!

Impression Obsession DT Challenge: Oh My Stars!

The Impression Obsession team's challenge today is to create a project with stars or a patriotic theme. Here's my card:

I've been wanting to play around with Distress Oxide inks on photo paper, so this was one of my experiments - I inked and misted the stars before stamping, and then as the ink dried, I spritzed the panel with rubbing alcohol.

The base ink (dye ink?) creates an instant 'print' on the photo paper, but the 'oxide' part of the ink dries as a chalky finish on the surface. The alcohol allows it to float and move a little, so the more vibrant base ink is exposed. You can buff it off when the panel is all dry for a vibrant effect, or you can leave the displaced chalkiness and spray it with a fixative - that's what I did here. I'll work on this more so I can work out a tutorial - I didn't get the same results the second time so I need to figure out some things first.

The sentiment is heat embossed which is a little scary on photo paper - you can't see it because I fixed it, but the paper did actually bubble and pop in one place!

Stamps I used: You Rock, Rock Silhouette, Grunge Star, Grunge Star 2, Woodgrain Border 

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration - and please welcome the newest member of our team, Chris Dayton!

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: Pencil Indenting

 It's my turn to share a tutorial over at Splitcoast, and I wanted to take one more opportunity to show off the Chameleon Color Tones Pencils with a fun and easy technique - it's called Pencil Indenting, and it's a great way to add texture and finely detailed highlights to pencil coloring.

I chose a couple images from Unity Stamps by Phyllis Harris because her images always have such beautiful details and motion in them. (This set is called Life Is Better, and I used a sentiment from Inky Antics.) In this card I used the technique to add highlights to the little girl's hair and shirt and the puppy's fur. 

On the second card I used the technique to add a pattern to the girl's dress, then added highlights to her hair, the dandelion, and the seeds blowing in the air. (This set is called Every Breath and the sentiment is by Marcella Hawley.)

This was such a fun card to make, and the Color Tones pencils made color choices and shading so easy. I worked from light pressure on the image to very heavy pressure in the background, and they performed just perfectly.

I also used a battery eraser to add highlights to the images, which you'll see in the tutorial video - this is the one I have:

... and you can find it HERE on Amazon! I was playing with it today on PanPastels as well as Distress Oxide inks - it's a lot of fun and such a useful tool to have.

By the way - if you're interested in purchasing a set of Color Tones pencils for yourself, be sure to use this discount code!

Thanks for visiting me today!

I.O. Veggie sets

 Just wanted to share, in case you haven't seen these adorable veggie pun sets by Kalani Allred...

Each stamp has an illustration along with a punny sentiment. You can obviously leave the stamps intact, or carefully trim the stamps apart (like I've done below) so the image and sentiment are separate. They're just so fun! 

 You can find all the sets by clicking HERE! These would make super cute mini notecards or veggie valentines.

Have a great week!

Splitcoast Tutorial: Cake Box

Today's tutorial over on Splitcoast is a fun Cake Box - a single box is shaped like a slice of cake - or you could make a plateful to create a cake for party or wedding favors.

The template is provided, and the box goes together very easily - the fun is in the decorating! I mixed up some modeling paste with a little acrylic paint to match my trim, then sprinkled the top with some festive confetti. So fun!

Speaking of sweet treats... I had the opportunity to take a class with a local pencil artist last weekend - this is what I came home with! I'm still working on some details, but it was fun to transfer my pencil skills to something a little larger scale.

Next month she's going to help me get going on a piece I sketched out probably 2 years ago. I just need a push sometimes!

No Better Friend

It has been so much fun guest designing for Whimsy Stamps these last few months! Here's one more card to share.

This little dragon from Whimsy Stamps is irresistible... his name is Freddie. So cute!

I started off my coloring by misting the watercolor panel and dotting in some paint with a wet-into-wet technique, and that gave me the undertones for the dragon as well as a matching background color.

I added in more details with Zig and Akashiya Sai markers and a little more watercolor.

Here's a look at the full background panel - I did this in 3 layers on my Gelli Plate - 1) a solid light yellow layer, 2) a layer of darker yellow pressed with an open embossing folder, and 3) a stenciled layer of light green.

Here's the combination - and the dragon image actually fronts a mini card that's mounted on a flat card base. The sentiments are from a new clear set called Magical Birthday Wishes, which is full of sentiments that are perfect for whimsical and fantasy stamps!

So much cuteness! I'm adding this to my etsy store - I've got a few cards in there, tucked in with the usual pendants and prints. Take a peek! 

I've got one more Whimsy project to share - next week! Take care!

Impression Obsession DT Challenge: Friendly Florals

The Impression Obsession team's challenge today is to create a project featuring flowers. This is another project I did when I was testing out the new IO Hybrid inks! These inks are grouped in color trios, which are perfect for layering stamps, like this rose set!

Using the MISTI, I stamped each layer of the flower, then moved the card up to stamp the other 2 at equal increments... this is a great way to stamp multiples on a single card, or mass produce a set of cards!

These are the inks that I used to get the effect you see here - this is a 5-step set, so the first 2 steps were done in the lightest color, the third and fourth in the medium color, and the last layer with the darkest color.

Here's a closer look at the finished image - I also added some shading around each rose to make it pop!

Stamps/sets I used: Rose Set 2, Strength

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

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
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.