Stellar Blooms

Simon Hurley's Stellar Inks from Ranger are, of course, outstanding for stamping and stenciling, but I also love to use them for watercoloring! I painted these big bold blooms by (sequentially) smooshing Stellar Ink (in Rosy Cheeks, Prom Queen, Slippery When Wet, Later Gator and Fore!) onto my craft mat, picking the color up with a waterbrush, and splashing it around on Simon's smooth, bright-white Watercolor Paper. When my blooms were dry, I added a dotty background plus a few outlines and details in similar shades of marker. 

HERD It's Your Birthday

If farm cards are your jam, Eyelet Outlet has all the brads you could possibly wish for. This scene features the cows from our Cow and Goat set; plus Sun and Cloud Brads, not to mention a soaring Eagle and a Tractor Brad; all set inside a border of Farm Animal Washi Tape. The Old Barn and Tree are from an older Art Impressions stamp set that I painted with my Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors.

Down on the Farm Shopping List:

Cow and Goat Brads

Sun and Cloud Brads

Eagle Brads

Tractor Brads

Farm Animal Washi Tape

There are also Pig and Sheep Brads, Horse and Pony Brads, Chickens, Roosters, Llamas and more. Check out the entire selection of farm animals, jungle beasts, pets, reptiles, dinosaurs and pretty much every critter you can name... all in the Eyelet Outlet Store!

Perfect Pearls Mandala Monday

I don't always fill an entire page in my Dina Wakley MEdia Watercolor Journal, but this time I was having so much mixing Perfect Pearls powders with clear water and painting shimmery concentric rings, that before I knew it I had gone from the bottom right all the way up to the top left corner.

After my rings were dry, I added lots of lines, dots, scallops, hearts and faux stitching with my Letter It Fineliners et voila: another Mandala Monday in the books!

Stencil Testing Pages

If you're anything like me, when you get new supplies you want to use them IMMEDIATELY upon unpacking... which is often considerably before you've actually got a plan as to HOW you want to use them. So here's my solution: the stencil testing journal page! 

This could not be easier, because it's literally just stencils in my Dina Wakley Watercolor Journal. Yes, I made an attempt to line them up somewhat neatly; and yes, I used shades of ink from the same family; so it makes the double-page spread look quite decorative. 

Technically, only three of these Simon Hurley Layering Stencil Sets are brand new, namely: Happy Arches, Star Tile and Trellis. I filled in the rest of the page with some older sets: Geo Leaves, Geo Circles, Deco Diamonds and Tiny Diamonds, to be exact. To make the page look more cohesive, I used Archival Inks in greens and blues: Avocado Toast, Olive, Emerald, Best Dressed, Beach Cruiser and Seafarer... with a little bit of Graphite to anchor them.

Next time you open that box of new goodies, have a journal or sketchbook handy and have some fun!

JB2608: Walkin' in a Vintage Wonderland

This fortnight at Jingle Belles, we're Walking in a Vintage Wonderland, which means creating a card with a vintage or retro design. 

That could mean incorporating actual vintage/retro elements; OR using new products that have a vintage style; OR using stamps or images that convey a vintage vibe; whatever says vintage to you. 

And to add a little extra incentive to your endeavors, this week we are sponsored by my very own Etsy Shop... Just Enough Stuff, so there's a sweet little pack of vintage Christmassy things for one lucky card member who links-up their vintage design.

My card is a mix of actual vintage and vintage-inspired papercrafting products, it breaks down like this: Background paper, mailbox, sentiment and holly are 49 and Market; the funky steampunk Santa and present are Graphic 45; I've added real vintage sheet music and S&H Green Stamps to bump it up a bit. Then I did loads of edge-distressing on everything and a bit of wonky machine-stitching to finish off. Not to brag or anything, but I love this card, lol!

JB2608: Walkin' in a Vintage Wonderland runs until 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, April 22nd. Hop over to Jingle Belles to see Stephanie's gorgeous vintage-inspired card and check out the little vintage holiday prize pack!

Got Maps?

Before you recycle your paper maps, you should know that they are the perfect background for Eyelet Outlet Classic Car and Driving Brads! As well as cards, old maps work brilliantly as gift wrap; which, in this case, has been adorned with some EO Road Washi Tape to continue the car theme. 

Revved Up Shopping List:

Classic Car Brads

Driving Brads

Road Washi Tape

Whatever plans you have for your next card, Eyelet Outlet has the brads to drive you stylishly to the finish line!

(For map nerd only: this is a 1976 edition of Alexandria Maps' Street Maps of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; part of an astonishingly cool collection of my dad's that was recently gifted by my mom... who, when she saw this card, decided she miiiiiiiiiight want some of 'em back!!!) :)

SOS571: Sparkle, Sparkle!

The new challenge at Shopping Our Stash is called, "I don't Sweat, I Sparkle" and if you've already guessed that we want to see projects that feature gems, glitter, sequins or bling, WELL DONE! Let's get right to the card:

I actually made TWO cards for this challenge because the first one (might show it next week) didn't look very bling-y at all in the photo. Possibly because I started with my design and then added bling around it. So I decided to try again, but this time START with the bling... a nice big swirl of black crystals from Eyelet Outlet. Or, more precisely, several smaller half-swirls that I Frankenstein-ed and re-arranged so they'd nicely fill up the area around the butterfly. My background was a collage-look paper from 49 and Market to which I added real tickets, vintage postage and tiny fussycut butterflies. Speaking of butterflies, that big chipboard one in the center is actually accented with glitter that you absolutely CANNOT see, but... just thought I'd mention, lol.

Oh and speaking of Eyelet Outlet, ALL their bling is currently on sale for just $1 a pack! But... when it's gone, it's gone, so get a-shoppin'! 

And be sure to check out the fabulous array of sparkliness at Shopping Our Stash and start planning what you'll link up with us!