Watercolor for the Win (CASology)

This week we're using one of my favorite mediums as our 

cue card at CASology: WATERCOLOR.

I wanted to use the cue card 2 ways-- actually whipping out my watercolor paints to color some water. And what's better in water than fish?! These are some digi stamps from the uber fun line of Vera Lane Studio called Oceans 11. I could color these guys for days! I paired them with a sentiment from Precious Remembrance Shops New Day stamp set.

Crafty tip for digi stamps and Copics or wet mediums:

I have an ink jet printer, so I've learned that it could take hours for the ink to dry when I print digi stamps; even after that, I would get bleeding if I used wet mediums or my Copic markers. To solve the problem:

1- Reduce the amount of ink that prints using my printer settings.

2- With an old (or craft) iron, turn it on high with no steam and iron the back of the paper after printing. This really sets the ink in a couple minutes...problem solved. 

Be mindful that the type of paper and printer may have variable results, but this works for me every time.

Time to swim over to check out the other DT members creations this week. 

And show some love to this week's sponsor, Craft Classes Online, and our Guest Designer!

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Deidre Payne (that’s me)

Hannelie Bester

Hazel Hodgkins

Jacquie Southas

Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg

Judy Marino

Kymona Tracey

Melissa Chipperfield

Sherrie Mannion

Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Anita

I'd love to hear your tips for using digi stamps, so feel free to share in the comments below.

I was inspired by the sketch over at Sunday Stamps: SSC 132

Thanks for stopping by :)

xoxo Deidre

"Clear" the Floor for CASology

Happy Tuesday! 

CASology is back this week with a new challenge! Our cue card is: CLEAR.

Playing with acetate sheets and see-through elements is truly a challenge lol;

and photographing them with ease....ha! :)

My take on the cue card:

This background stamp from Hero Arts...OMG! So pretty!

To create this card:

I stamped the background stamp twice (once to use as the frame, and a second

to have an additional full flower to adhere inside). Plenty of fussy cutting there :)

Getting that inside flower into perfect position...wooo :) I used white embossing

powder to complete the sentiment inside by stamping "friend" so it fit 

nicely inside the acetate window. Here's a snapshot from above too.

I hope this has got your wheels turning on how to add something "clear" to your design!

Hop over to the CASology Design Team members' blogs and their inspirations
and see what a sweet card our Guest Designer created 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: Natalia (Berry Cloud)

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

xoxo Deidre

Twice is Nice at CASology!

Wowsers! Who would have guessed that my cards would win in back-to-back weeks over at that the Casology challenge blog?? There are lots of fabulous cards and talent playing along each week. Can anyone say "cloud nine" :) 

With that said, I get to guest design again this week (woo hoo!). This week's cue card: TOY. My take on it:

Design defined:
Plenty of white space and some masking help to frame your focal image.

*DISCLAIMER: Long post ahead, but lot of details lol :)

CAS(E) this Sketch!- Playing with Layers in White

This week's challenge over at CAS(E) this Sketch! left my mind racing in a hundred different directions...

My first thoughts because of the holidays were snowflakes, Christmas trees, stockings, and ornaments, but I knew there was something else stirring deep in the recesses of my brain LOL....my totally unused Wildflower Garden dies from Ellen Hutson! A little watercoloring and lots of layers and here's my card: 

Finding the layout for all the flowers was a ton of fun for a spatially challenged person such as myself LOL, just ask my brothers :) I used some Peerless watercolors and a Pitt marker to outline the flower in black for an accent. I curved the sentiment on the stamping block and stamped it in the white space created from the layout. I can't wait to put this card in the mail to a friend!

Thanks for stopping in today :) Have a great hump day!

Deidre

Guest Designing Over at CASology!

Silly me :) I was so excited about winning the owl challenge over at the CASology challenge blog, that I forgot two major bonuses: 1- I won the Pop-Art Pineapple stamp set from Concord & 9th (yay!) and 2- I get to be the guest designer for this week's challenge (woot woot!).

This week's cue card: TREE.  My card for this week:

Design defined: Monochromatic layers of a single stamp keeps it CAS.

Pie...I Mean Pi

The nerd in me loved this week's CASology challenge code word: PIE! My mind definitely thought like Kymona's (DT member) on this one. So here's my take on this week:

Berry Merry Christmas!

Ok, time to make a confession...I'm a total nerd! I love to find out of the box ways to interpret every creative prompt provided by the challenge blogs. This week's Addicted to CAS challenge was code word: dimension. Hmmm. I thought about the galaxy, I thought about dimensional foam to add depth, then I was struck by last month's Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2015. Yes, yes, and yes! This Penny Black "Berry Merry Christmas" stamp worked wonders.

My card...and my entry for their design team too (fingers crossed)...couldn't have come out better. My photography skills were stretched a little bit too lol.

I bet you're asking about the dimension, aren't you?? Look what a very cool technique created!

CASology and Fusion Card Challenges

I'm excited to get some real craft time...that's not on my lunch break at work, or in the car during a road trip, or while waiting on car repairs :)

The CASology challenge blog had me at first glance with the cue card: owl. These mostly nocturnal birds bring back wonderful memories of my grandmother, who collected owl figurines made of every imaginable material. I wanted to do something special for this challenge around the holiday and found the extra umph I needed from the photo over at the Fusion Card Challenge blog. 

This card was fun to make, combining watercoloring, silver embossing (which I still think is real life magic lol), and a clean and simple one-layer look.

                    

I used Salty Ocean and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks and a cutie patootie owl from Lawn Fawn. Frisket (masking fluid) has become one of my best friends!! The absolutely waterproof seal it creates (like I did for this owl) allows me to go crazy with my watercolors and paints and still gives me a clean canvas for whatever I masked.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and make it a great day!!

Deidre :)

Batman or Superman??

I'm back "knocking out" challenges today. This one was "super" fun to make :) I was inspired by both the layout over at CAS(E) this Sketch! and the code word at Addicted to CAS. I think this card packs a real "ka-pow"!