Two cards, three challenges!

Hello again, my friends!  I have two cards for you today - one of them fits two challenges!  LOve when that happens!  Another is just for fun using the current Sketch from FMS - sadly, I think it is a little too 'distressed' for a clean and simple challenge... but I love it anyway and thought you might, too.

Peace on Earth Christmas #58 has a wonderful mood board filled with fun red and black plaid - which I totally didn't use!  I zoomed right into one of the pillows in the upper right-hand corner and found a Nativity Scene which reminded me that I hadn't used this set from Unity: Reason for the Season in a very long time.  I just loved the simplicity of it... so the simplicity of my water coloring seemed just the ticket...

The 'star of wonder' was stamped with gold Delicata ink, the

figures in Versafine then they were colored using a few of my CP inks and a water brush.

Thank you, POE!

Since it is a very CAS card, I'm sharing it with my friends at 

Simply Clean and Simple too!

I'll share the FMS Sketch that inspired my card panel below - but I went a little crazy after watching Dawn Woleslagle do her magic HERE.  Nobody does it better!  I used a different floral from HoneyBee: Cherry Blossoms.  Then a few of my favorites from Wplus9 to 'age' things.  Here is a closeup...

My cover panel was inked, stamped, aged, and cut into pieces based on this Sketch:

Then I stitched the pieces all back together again!

These are the inks I used for the Cherry Blossoms.  

Pumice Stone, and Ground Espresso inks were used for stamping.

Since I've included blooms and butterflies, it seems a perfect fit for 

second helpings in the Triple B gallery!

These two cards could NOT be any different and I'll go back to the drawing board for FMS - but I have to wonder why I don't challenge myself to this style more often!  What do you think? Do you like it?  Or should I stick to CAS?  Let me know!

Thanks for stopping by!

=] Michele

Sunday fun day with Wplus9 and card for Just us Girls #706

Laundry is going which means I have a bit of time between loads to share with you my Sunday fun using a favorite set from Wplus9 and how I put a Christmas spin on it!  

Dawn shared her 'foolproof' water coloring technique with us on her YouTube channel when she released this set.  You'll find it HERE.  It is a fun technique to try with any line-art set.  Tip:  use a good quality watercolor paper for the best movement of those wet inks!  I have my own favorite - Fabriano hot press 25% cotton which I found on Amazon.  But Dawn uses Tim Holtz watercolor paper in her video.

Ready?  let's go...

Wplus9: Just Breathe, Winter Greenery, Joyful Poinsettia, 

and Vintage Ephemera.

MFT Wonky Rectangles [embossed], PF Essential Labels

Distress Oxide inks: Hickory Smoke, Barn Door, Evergreen, and

Rustic Wilderness [and a bit of wonderful linen twine from LeAnne!]

Same supplies, and inks + Gathered Twigs

After splattering with Gansai Tambi metallic watercolor paints,

I gave my dove a little treat with the leftover on my brush.

I even uncovered my sewing machine!

Lastly, I was lucky enough to snag another 'new to me' set from the shop: Bells & Bows... here is her closeup...

Another sentiment from Right at Home: Peace, Love, Joy - stamped directly onto an Altenew Ornate die cut.

This last card is heading over to Just us Girls #706 where I found all the lovely colors for my greenery, berries, and bow from their beautiful mood board - at least in my more subtle greyed-down shades!

Hope your week has started off on the best note!

=] Michele

CAS Mix Up and CAS Christmas August 2022

 I don't often combine challenges but today's time in my studio turned into the perfect opportunity to combine CAS Christmas, and CAS Mix Up for August 2022!   It also gave me some time to play with my new inks from SU - thanks to a very sweet friend!

I reached for my much loved, annually used Altenew set: Holiday Bow.  The Pine Bough is a two-step session which is great because I could use CP sandcastle ink for the 'branch' after stamping the needles with Evening Evergreen, then again with Versamark, and clear heat embossing it all - that's the magic of Emboss Resist!  All the watery ink that I've added is resisted by the heat embossed images.  Here's a closeup for reference. 

I used that gorgeous Soft Succulent to loosely watercolor the background.  Here's the end result:

That pretty little duo of bells and the sentiment are Wplus9's Silver Bells set

What could be easier than using the same supplies for another card?  This one is heading to CAS Christmas where PINE is the chosen theme by Trina!  Thanks, Trina!  This time I stamped them with the Soft Succulent ink!

Another sentiment from Silver Bells and I'm revisiting those sweet little stitching dies from MFT -

I remember when nearly every one of my cards had it!

Okay, I'd better get these delivered to their galleries - the boss just came home early!

=] Michele