Painting Penny Black

I was asked to fulfill a very tall order in making a special card. Trust me, when I was informed of the recipient, I scratched my entire creative brain to come up with a card worthy of giving to her. All I knew was that I was using:

1- something floral from Penny Black

2- purple and red to color the flowers

3- something with shimmer/sparkle

Here's the end product and I am totally pleased with this card :)

What made this card so special in the end:

1. Ink smooshing for the win! I love this technique for backgrounds :) I used Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays in Luminous Lemon (no shimmer) and Bling-y Blonde (shimmer).
2. The Izink pigment inks- they provide great coverage (colored over the yellow) and they have a beautiful shimmer.
3. I created dimension by stamping and coloring a few extra blossoms and leaves to pop up with foam tape.
4. The added touches of white gel pen to the blossoms and leaves, the splatters (of course I couldn't resist), and the text stamping in the background (added it at the end actually).

I can't wait to hear how it went over! Thanks for stopping by and looking in on this card :)

xoxo Deidre

Crazy Bird at CASology

We have the perfectly fun cue card for you to play along with this week at CASology: DISTRESS. The "normal" crafting world would immediately think Distress Inks, Sprays, Stains, etc. But oh no, I immediately felt this summed up my week in the pharmacy in one awesome word :) Thanks to Tim Holtz' Crazy Birds stamps and Dyan Reaveley's Say It How It Is stamps, I think I nailed this one.

Can't you just feel how distressed this little birdie is with his twitchy eye (me all week), all colored with Distress Markers (Faded Jeans, Crushed Olive, Pumice Stone, Vintage Photo). I can even count this for The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge.

Swing by the other CASology Design Team members' blogs and check out

their awesome cards and our Guest Designer's card this week :)

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Deidre Payne (already here)

Hannelie Bester

Hazel Hodgkins

Jacquie Southas

Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg

Judy Marino

Kymona Tracey

Melissa Chipperfield

Sherrie Mannion

Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Annie (Pawsitive Thoughts by Annie)

 The super amazing Lawn Fawn is our sponsor this week!

I hope you'll pull out all the stops (or inks and such) and play along this week :)

More about me:

I truly hope no one is offended by this, as I have a brother with Bipolar Disorder and mental health is no joking matter to me. But I have learned from him, that it's okay to laugh; it's life, it's hard, but it's okay to enjoy the good and the bad. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and I love to read your comments and answer any questions!

xoxo Deidre

Wild About Stripes

This is a really fast and furious post to make the deadline for the challenge blogs...my crazy pharmacy brain was working overtime to make the design happen LOL!

Thanks to the really fine brush tip on Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens, I was able to hand stripe the die cut "hello" from Lawn Fawn. Took me a minute, but totally worth the impact! The background stamp is from Impression Obession.

I'm playing along this week with Color Throwdown and CAS(E) this Sketch!

Thanks!

xoxo Deidre

Soul on Fire ATC

If I am drawn to any color in the world, it's certainly RED!

When the Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge Blog announced

the theme of the week was "Seeing Red", I knew I was all in :)

Here's my ATC for the week:

Supplies: Ranger embossing ink and powder in Red, Orange, and Yellow, 

Dylusions spray ink, Pitt Big Brush pen, stencils, Canson Mixed Media paper

Happy accident:

I gessoed the heart/flame cut out and then using the dabber to apply the embossing ink all over it. I used a tiny spoon to sprinkle the red, orange, and yellow powders where I wanted them. As I started to heat set them, they started to spread and create the white patches you see. It was the residual moisture in the paper or gesso that rose to the surface and caused the separation. I loved the result! I'll  definitely play with that some more :)

Thanks for stopping by to see my little piece of energy today!

xoxo Deidre

Egg-cellent Ideas at CASology

It's CASology Tuesday and we're bringing you another egg-citing challenge this week! I'm sure you've already caught onto the cue card:

In true form, I had to deviate from the norm :) Here's my card this week:

Using a free digital coloring page, Hero Arts Sketchbook Letters clear stamp set, Copic markers, and Photoshop, this one-layer card really came together! I thought it would be a fun take on the cue card :)

Fun facts: eggs make me queasy, but this girl loves good bacon lol!

Take a hop over to the other CASology Design Team members' blogs and check out
their EGG-straordinary inspirations and our Guest Designer's card this week :)

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Deidre Payne (already here)

Hannelie Bester

Hazel Hodgkins

Jacquie Southas

Jen Wills (taking a break)

Joyce Mehrberg

Judy Marino

Kymona Tracey

Melissa Chipperfield

Sherrie Mannion

Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Gerrina (Gerrinas Creatieve Wereld)

 It's egg-tremely wonderful to have STAMPlorations sponsoring our challenge this week!
I hope you'll show them and the DT some love and play along :)

Thanks so much for stopping by and I love to read your comments and answer any questions!

xoxo Deidre

V-Day at CASology

I'm sure you've already finished your Valentine's Day cards and got them in the mail...said no cardmaker ever :) Well the CASology team has some fabulous inspirations for you this week to help you get them all done.

I love the look of subway art and couldn't resist making a "red lip" using this awesome stamp from Lil' Inker Designs! The sentiments and hearts come from Lil' Inker Designs, Concord and 9th, Paper Smooches, and Hero Arts.

To achieve the look:

1. Shuffle through all your stamps to collect different fonts, styles, etc to pull off the subway art look.
2. Stamp them all on little scraps and cut them out. You can move them around in your layout and see how they'll fit before actually stamping.
3. Stamp and heat emboss your focal point (the lips are stamped with clear Versa Mark ink then embossed with Ranger red embossing powder).
4. Stamp the lips again on masking paper (or a large sticky note like I did) and press into place.
5. Stamp your sentiments based on your layout.

 *I added Black Soot Distress Glitter as a border on the left side for a little extra dose of fabulous :)

Hop over to the other CASology Design Team members' blogs and check out
their LOVE-ly inspirations and our Guest Designer's card this week :)

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Deidre Payne (already here)

Hannelie Bester

Hazel Hodgkins

Jacquie Southas

Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg

Judy Marino

Kymona Tracey

Melissa Chipperfield

Sherrie Mannion

Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Lindsey (Bashful Blogging)

 How sweet is it that Uniko Studio is sponsoring our challenge this week?!
I hope you'll show us some love and play along :)

Thanks so much for stopping by and I love to read your comments and answer any questions!

xoxo Deidre

Up Close & Personal with Wicked Wednesday

I'm playing along with the "head shot" theme this week at the Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge blog. It's still hard to believe so much can go into creating a piece so small.

When I saw this digi stamp from The East Wind, I had to have it! Those eyes said it all- the hearts, the stars, the mesmerizing look. I colored the entire image using Zig Clean Color real brush pens and added clear Wink of Stella glitter. I fussy cut her and layered on top of a gelli print from my stash of extras...who can just pull one or two prints?? A handwritten sentiment and you're up close and sharing something personal. 

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to comment below!

xoxo Deidre

Sunshine Wishes in Watercolor

I signed up for Watercolor for Cardmakers: Intermediate Techniques from Online Card Classes, logged in to every class and watched all the videos, read numerous comments and forum posts, and I'm still terrified. The only thing I've managed to do is swatch my 7 lonely tubes of Winsor & Newton watercolor paints and complete the glazing chart. I haven't even started on my stash of Distress Inks and Peerless Watercolors. 

That said, I love the Arches watercolor paper...pricey yes, but totally worth it! This card is inspired by the Freshly Made Sketches challenge this week and made for a friend's grandfather that is battling pancreatic cancer....cancer sucks, by the way.

This was a great way to participate in Kathy Racoosin's 30 Day Coloring Challenge too! Thanks for stopping by have a happy Saturday!

xoxo Deidre

Wicked Wednesday's You Animal ATC

Time to get out the paints, gelatos, inks, and baby wipes! I'm playing along at the Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge blog. This week's theme: #194 You Animal! I had to incorporate an animal in my ATC...so of course two is better than one :)

Here's my entry :)

This took on a much more significant meaning as I continued to build and create this ATC. I'll spare you my deep philosophical thoughts on relationships that look so pretty and interesting, but consume you in some negative ways...soapbox over lol :)

These are some of my favorite stamps! I love these fish from Dylusions. And Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens are amazingly vivid when used straight to paper, undiluted! What a great way to get in my coloring today for Kathy Racoosin's 30 Day Coloring Challenge too!

Thanks for stopping by my blog and checking out my little 2.5" x 3.5" piece of expression! Have a great night!

xoxo Deidre

Sparkle & Shine with CASology

I'm super excited to share this week's fabulous challenge over at CASology! This week's cue card: GLITTER! I was instantly reminded of a hilarious little meme I saw months ago on Pinterest that said, "I craft, therefore I'm covered in glitter." That totally sums up my entire life when I pull out the glitter for a project lol! This card was no different, but I looove sparkle on a card :)

I knew exactly how I wanted my card to look, but had to wait for my new Concord & 9th Map Love stamp set to arrive. Thank goodness they ship so quickly, even though I ordered during a sale! 

Tips for working with glitter:

1. Use an anti-static bag or powder tool on your project! I actually pat my hands with it too. It won't prevent the glitter shower entirely, but you won't be finding glitter on yourself for the next week :)
2. I love to use Sticky Stuff embossing powder. It's a 2-step embossing powder that is clear and sticky on the first heating, then on the second heating locks down whatever you sprinkled on top of it.
3. Heat glitter or sparkly embossing powder from under the paper. No glitter blizzard when you turn on the heat tool :)

(Supplies: Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens, waterbrush, Elizabeth Craft Designs silk microfine glitter, Paper Smooches sentiment, Canson Bristol)

Pop in over at the other CASology Design Team members' blogs and check out
their shining inspirations and our Guest Designer's card this week :)

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Deidre Payne (already here)

Hannelie Bester

Hazel Hodgkins

Jacquie Southas

Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg

Judy Marino

Kymona Tracey

Melissa Chipperfield

Sherrie Mannion

Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Sarah (Funky Fossils Designs)


Don't forget to visit our awesome sponsor of this week's challenge, DeNami Designs!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I love to read your comments and answer any questions!

xoxo Deidre