Dare To Get Dirty 2018!

So fun again to be participating in the Dare To Get Dirty event for our Fan Club members over at Splitcoaststampers - our event kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 4, and we'll be posting 5-6 challenges each day through Aug. 10! I'll be hosting a challenge on Saturday, and sharing some samples along the way for some of the other challenges. It's so much fun interacting with the other past and present designers, and also encouraging our Fan Club members, who are soooo encouraging to us! 

Here's one of the samples I made to help kick off the challenges this weekend... I can't share the details here - you'll have to join us to find out more! This is one of my new clear sets at Impression Obsession - it's full of gems in different shapes and sizes, outlined and solid with negative lines. On this card I arranged several stamps on the MISTI for a quick background, embossed with clear powder, then watercolored, trying to get different concentrations of color in each section. So easy and fun! The set has some mix-and-match sentiments too.

Stamps I used: Precious Gems clear set

If you're a Fan Club member, we hope you'll come and join the fun! Here is your official permission slip! 

If you haven't joined the Fan Club yet - what are you waiting for?
 

Impression Obsession DT Challenge: Christmas in July

The Impression Obsession team's challenge today is to create a Christmas project!

I'm bending the challenge just a little bit to share a couple of winter silhouette cards - they could be great Christmas cards too! My first card has a stenciled background that was done with two layers of brushed ink, flipping the stencil once (you can find the stencil HERE). I added some snow dots with white gesso, applied with a ball stylus.

For the snow I used a curved hill die set that makes great scenes as well as card edges - that's linked below.

I stamped the Skater Silhouette over a gel printed panel, then embossed it with a snowflake folder and sanded lightly to give the scene some depth. Love that effect!

Stamps I used: Sled Silhouette, My Heart is Warm,  Skating Silhouette, Layered Bow clear set, Hill Landscape Layers die set

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

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Daniela @ For the First Time
Giovana @ Believe
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: Center Step Gift Card

This week's tutorial over on Splitcoast is a Center Step Gift Card - this is a fun and easy A2 size card with a little gift pocket inside!

The card base is simple to make, with 2 cut lines and a few scores... but it's impressive on display!

The stamps I used here are from Whimsy Stamps - this is their new Soul Mutts clear set... there are two adorable images in the set, along with lots of sweet sentiments, spots, and paw prints.

Here's a closer look at the main panel - I watercolored the image then added a few shadows with a dark brown colored pencil... one of my favorite ways to add a vintage tone to a colored image.

Here's the inside of the card - there's a little pocket ready for a gift card (the perfect gift, in my opinion!).

Hope you are having a good week!

New IO Fall/Winter Release Hop - Day 4

The Impression Obsession team is showcasing new Fall and 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 a $25 gift certificate from Impression Obsession! If you just happened on the blog hop because you're a regular reader of my blog, you can find a full list of participants at the end of my post. 

Today's the last day of the hop, but you still have some time to visit previous posts and comment if you haven't done so - remember that 5 gift certificates are up for grabs!

When my Introverting clear set came out in the Spring your response was overwhelming (thank youuu!)... but some of you said you weren't really cat people, and suggested a dog set next! Well - here it is! The stamps above are in a companion set called Introverting 2 - this is a fun set with a few mix and match sentiments and some more sentiments that express the joys of the introvert life.

The Dude clear set is another favorite of mine with some fun sentiments about the joys of adulting. I think you'll like it! The sentiments are all divided so you can stamp them separately for an inside-the-card punchline. My background here was stamped with Brusho - this is a really fun brush-stroke background that has lots of possibilities. It's one of Tara Caldwell's designs.

IO products I used: Introverting 2 clear set, Dude clear set, CAC Abstract Circles, Grunge Grids, Treat the World (text background)

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration! You're not required to comment on every one, but the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! Thank you for visiting me!

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Dina @ Dina Kowal Creative
Giovana @ Believe
Ilina @ Creativity Within
Jeanne @ Inky Paws
Karen @ Paper Lilies and Ink 
Laura @ Laura's Stamp Art Journal
Vicki @ Summerthyme Studio

New IO Fall/Winter Release Hop - Day 3 (video!)

The Impression Obsession team is showcasing new Fall and 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 a $25 gift certificate from Impression Obsession! If you just happened on the blog hop because you're a regular reader of my blog, you can find a full list of participants at the end of my post. 

I am smitten with this little penguin - this version of the image is a 3-piece cling set with separate flippers that can be popped and positioned for peeker cards like this, a peek-a-boo pose, or holding something like a die cut or gift card. He was a perfect fit for a square version of the Double Triangle Card, so I made a video to show how that was done. Hope you enjoy!

This would make a great store or show make-and-take, especially since you can make 2 cards at once! 

IO products I used: Peeking Penguin cling set, Warm Wishes clear set (sentiment builders, and smaller penguin and bear images)

**For another bonus project, click over to my Splitcoast gallery to see my sample for this week's tutorial - I used the Peeking Bear set on a cute gift bag!

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration! You're not required to comment on every one, but the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! Thank you for visiting me!

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Dina @ Dina Kowal Creative
Giovana @ Believe
Ilina @ Creativity Within
Jeanne @ Inky Paws
Karen @ Paper Lilies and Ink 
Kelli @ Stamping with a Dream 
Laura @ Laura's Stamp Art Journal
Vicki @ Summerthyme Studio

New IO Fall/Winter Release Hop - Day 2

The Impression Obsession team is showcasing new Fall and 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 a $25 gift certificate from Impression Obsession! If you just happened on the blog hop because you're a regular reader of my blog, you can find a full list of participants at the end of my post. 

I've added a couple of layering sets to my line - I hope you like them! I love how these turned out.

The Layered Bow set (link below) is a lot of fun to stamp, easy to line up, and easy to repeat on multiple panels for some Christmas mass production! The set also includes some words that can be mixed and matched for cute gifty sentiments.

IO hybrid inks I used for layering here:

Layer 1 - Blush x1
Layer 2 - Rose x1
Layer 3 - Rose x2
Layer 4 - Cherry x2

The Pinecone set stamps beautifully - I did a little multiple stamping here, because once you've got the layers lined up, why not? These are matboard twinchie squares.

IO hybrid inks I used for layering here: 
Layer 1 - Tan x1
Layer 2 - Tan x2
Layer 3 - Caramel x2
Layer 4 - Chocolate x2
Layer 5 - Black x1

If you don't have the time or patience for layering, here's a fun way to use one layer for a loose watercolor look! I stamped the 3rd stamp in the set with Colorbox dye ink, then spritzed with water to let the colors flow and added a little shadowing while the panel was still wet.

IO products I used: Layered Pinecone clear set, Layered Bow clear set, Bare Tree Forest (greenery on tag), Grunge Grids (small 'pinecones on tag), CAC Pinecones

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration! You're not required to comment on every one, but the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! Thank you for visiting me!

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Dina @ Dina Kowal Creative
Giovana @ Believe
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 IO Fall/Winter Release Hop - Day 1

The Impression Obsession team is showcasing new Fall and 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 a $25 gift certificate from Impression Obsession! If you just happened on the blog hop because you're a regular reader of my blog, you can find a full list of participants at the end of my post. 


If you're new to my blog, then you may not know that I'm not only on the Impression Obsession design team - I'm also one of their artists! It's always fun during these blog hops to be able to share my stamps, some thoughts behind them, and some fun ways to use them.

I wanted to add some masculine stamps to my line, and also pay tribute to veterans - this collage stamp is very meaningful to me, especially since I used my grandfather's draft card as a layer in this version! You can see his name on either side of the soldier's head.

This is a simple silhouette image with a big impact - the notes of Taps always bring me to tears, and the sentiment is the final line of the song... it's such a comforting phrase.

This second collage stamp combines some of the same images - I used Copic markers to color the background in simply, leaving the open silhouette white. 

IO products I used: Deployed, Taps Silhouette, Taps Collage, Honor and Gratitude, All Is Well, Grunge Circle Star, Grunge Star, Grunge Star 2

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration! You're not required to comment on every one, but the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! Thank you for visiting me!

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Daniela @ For the First Time
Dina @ Dina Kowal Creative
Giovana @ Believe
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: Mitered Frame

This week's tutorial over on Splitcoast is a Mitered Frame - these are easy to make and customize to any size! I had a 6" square of paper handy, so I folded it into a 4" frame...

I should have scored on the back side - next time I will do that... the paper was a little heavier so it cracked on the folds. I used it as an "opportunity to distress", and roughed up some more edges and surfaces with a nail file.

This is a sneak peek of one of my new sets coming out next week at Impression Obsession - if you like it, let me know, and stay tuned! The design team will be hosting a blog hop July 16-19, showcasing new designs.

Thanks for visiting today!

And the winner is...........

jeanchaneyaz! 

Jean - congratulations! Please email me your address and I will send this wood pendant off to you!

jeanchaneyaz7/04/2018 11:47 AM

Those pendants would make such nice gifts, Dina! Your dog is indeed awesome!

Impression Obsession DT Challenge: Happy Colors

The Impression Obsession team's challenge today is to create a project using a color that makes you happy!

Red has been making me happy lately! This is a fun and sweet image by my friend Lindsay, paired with one of my sentiments. Coloring is done with Copic markers.

Stamps I used: Polka Dot Boy, Hey

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

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet Notes
Daniela @ For the First Time
Giovana @ Believe
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: Embossed Wood Pendants

It's my turn to share a tutorial over on Splitcoast! This week I get to do a little collaboration with our friends at Clearsnap for the Embossed Wood Pendants tutorial. These are such a fun little project!

These started off as unfinished wooden pieces like these ones on Etsy. Each one has a coat of darker acrylic craft paint, then I stamped a pattern and embossed it. When that was dry, I rubbed another coat of paint over the embossing and removed the excess with a baby wipe, enhanced the edges, and then sealed it all with a clear coat of varnish. Check out the video to see how I attached the charm and created an adjustable length closure.

I'd like to give away this pendant that I made for the tutorial - if you'd like a chance to win the necklace above, leave a comment below! I will draw a winner Friday night at 9 central. I'll add the others to my Etsy store soon - there are a few more in there as well!

Clearsnap sent me a whole bunch of Molding Mats to work with - these are unmounted (naked) rubber molds that can be used to stamp or to impress designs into clay or foil. The one I used is above - the full piece is 2" x 7", and each little section is perfect for imprinting one of these fun pendants. Some of the mats have a long continuous pattern, and I have an idea to use one of those to decorate a handle I want to make for one of my drawing tools... if that works out I'll share it soon!

Speaking of drawing, I finished this portrait this weekend, and it's one of my favorites to date!

I'm starting to get more orders again and my queue for commissions is filling up - if you're thinking of ordering a portrait for Christmas, be sure to order early!

Happy 4th!