IO Challenge- It's Snow Time

Greetings friends.  The latest IO challenge is all about snow, so I decided to focus on a snowman....aka a "flakey person."

To make the card, I created my own watercolor paper.  I started with 140lb watercolor paper and painted it with blue and purple watercolor paint (with just a hint of green).  While the paint was wet, I placed my harlequin background on top of the paint and let the paint dry while the stamp was still on top of it.  It left a ghost of an impression on the watercolor paint.  Here is a close up:

Next, I cut out my snowman and added some snowman die accessories.  Notice I am continuing my theme of winter characters carrying their coffee with them.  We all need to stay warm after all!  As a finishing touch, I added a sentiment on a white snowbank, colored the top of the snow with a light blue Copic marker and added some sparkle with a little Stickles glue.

I absolutely love this sentiment, and I have to admit, the card was a bit of an excuse to use my sentiment!

Impression Obsession Items Used:
Flakey People B9824 
Large Snowman DIE884-U 
Snowman Accessories DIE885-Q 
Cover a Card harlequin CC004 

Want to have more information on joining the Snow Time challenge and to see inspiration for the other designers?  Be sure to stop by the Impression Obsession Blog.

Happy Fall and Sale Announcement

Greetings friends.  I wanted to share with you a sale happening over on the Impression Obsession site that starts today and extends through Sunday.  You can save 25%.  It is a great time to do a little Christmas shopping for those crafters on your list (or even yourself).

Impression Obsession

I also wanted the chance to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.  If you are traveling, I wish you very safe travels. 

My card today uses a favorite Impression Obsession image.  It is an older tree stamp designed by Leigh Hannan.  I painted the image with some Twinkling H20's (remember those?), spritzed it with water and then stamped it onto some watercolor paper.  Underneath the tree, I panted a ground using some regular watercolor paints.  To finish the card, I added a Fall sentiment.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Impression Obsession Items Used:
Riley Tree J2053 http://shrsl.com/1z76j
Happy Fall A13071 http://shrsl.com/1z76o

IO Challenge- Holiday Wishes

Greetings friends.  It is time for another challenge, and this time the theme is "holiday wishes."  Do you make holiday cards?  Are they finished or still on your "to do" list?  I hope you are inspired by the designer cards today!

For my card today, I wanted to use the super-cute penguin die.  Of course, it isn't enough to have a penguin.  You also have to also accessorize him! I had to add the hat and coffee cup from the Snowman Accessories die set and a scarf from the Penguin Outfits die set.  The nice thing about the two accessory sets is that you can use them interchangeably between the penguin and snowman.  After all, everyone needs to be stylish.

To make the card, I cut out the pieces of my penguin and colored the nose and feet with Copic markers.  I also edged the white body with a grey marker and the cheeks with a pink marker.
Next, I cut out the hat in red paper and then again in white so that I could make a striped hat.  For the coffee cup, I made sure to add a glossy gel pen to the lid to make it look like the lid was plastic.

For the background, I added some of the Primitive Snowflakes cut from glossy paper.  I liked the contrast of the glossy snowflakes on the matte background. Here is a close up:

The last step was to add a rhinestone to the center snowflake and add my sentiment in black ink.

Impression Obsession Items Used:
Penguin DIE 889-V
Penguin Outfits DIE 888-O
Snowman Accessories DIE 885-Q
Primitive Snowflakes DIE 893-YY
Stamp from clear stamp set CL973 Holiday Tree 


Need more Holiday inspiration?  Stop by the Impression Obsession blog for a full list of participating designers as well as information on how to join the challenge.

IO Challenge- So Thankful

Greetings friends.  The latest Impression Obsession themed challenge is "So Thankful." I thought it would be a good time to revisit an old (but good) stamping technique....stamp kissing.

In order to created this effect, you first start with a solid stamp.  I chose a stamp that had many solid leaves:

I inked it with some light brown ink and then set it aside while I inked my patterned stamp.  I chose a marble background that I absolutely love.  In case you didn't know, Impression Obsession bought all the designs from Serendipity Stamps.  If you were looking for their designs, you can find them at IO!  Here is what the marble background looks like.  Can't you imagine all the ways you can use this stamp?

I inked my marble stamp with blue, purple and green ink.  To make my leaves marbled, I touched the inked leaves  to the inked marble background (stamp kissing).  The pattern of the marble transfers to the leaves.  Next, I stamped the newly patterned leaves onto cream cardstock and edged the paper with brown ink.  Simple!

Want to see more thankful inspiration?   Visit the Impression Obsession blog.  There is a complete list of participants there as well as instructions of how you can also join the challenge.

Impression Obsession Items Used:
Leaves Silhouette K23047
Marble Background- Waves SS-752-L
Thankful B14798

IO Challenge- Harvest Treats (Fruits/Veggies/Pumpkins)

Greetings friends.  Today's challenge is all about the harvest....lots of fruits and vegetables.  For those of you who know me, you know I had to do pumpkins.  I also had to add a punny sentiment.  That's just the way I roll.

To make the card, I first started by making my frame.  I painted some 140lb watercolor paper with various autumnal colors of watercolor paint.  I spritzed it to let the colors blend and then let the paper dry.  Once dry, I cut out my frame using the Large Frame die.

For my gourd truck, I cut out the truck from light yellow cardstock and then deepened the yellow on the fenders using a Copic marker.  I made sure to sponge a lot of Vintage Photo Distress Oxide ink onto the truck to make it look like it was on a farm.  I then loaded the truck with some pumpkins and added my sentiment.

The punny sentiment comes from a clear set that has other puns such as:
Life is Gourd
Hello Gourdous
Oh  Gourd Gracious

I can't tell you how happy this set makes me!  Just FYI...the stamp set comes with a truck set.  I decided to use a die instead so that I could load it with pumpkins, but you could just as easily use the truck in the set.

Here is a close up of the truck:

Impression Obsession Items Used:
Large Frame DIE860-WW
Classic Truck DIE218-I
Pumpkin Patch DIE202-G
Sentiment from clear set CL977 Gourdous

Want to see more Harvest inspirations?  Visit the Impression Obsession blog for a full list of participants.  Also, create your own card for a chance to win a prize!

Impression Obsession- Die Cut Obsession

Greetings friends.  First, I wanted to let you know about a month long sale over on the Impression Obsession site.  If there is anything you need for your holiday stamping, now is a good time to buy.

Today the Impression Obsession design team is playing with dies.  Some of the cards will have some stamping, but the primary focus is all about dies.

For my card, I once again used the Large Frame die.  I think I have been using it on all my cards lately.  I cut the outside of the frame with light grey paper and the inside with dark grey.

In the center of the card, I used the Web Tag die. The set comes with the circle tag, the web and the spider.  You can use it for Halloween, but the circle tag can pretty much be used year-round.

To finish the tag, I added my boo sentiment and some Halloween baker's twine.

Clean and simple!

Impression Obsession items used:
Large Frame die DIE860-WW
Web Tag die DIE877-T
Boo die DIE852-F


Want to see more die inspiration?  Visit the Impression Obsession blog to see a list of participating designers.

IO Challenge- Halloween or Fall Colors

Greetings friends.  Today it is time for a new challenge.  This time the theme is "Halloween or Fall Colors." I know everyone doesn't celebrate Halloween, but I absolutely love making spooky cards.

For my card today, I started with a light grey card and stamped it with the Spooky Cover a card background in dark grey ink.

The center panel has pumpkins and a sentiment that come from the same clear set called "Fall Words." I like that you get both in the same set.  I stamped the pumpkins in black Memento ink and then colored it with an assortment of Copic markers.  I wanted to add a bit of interest around my saying and pumpkins, so I added a die cut checkered frame.

Really quick and easy card to celebrate the start of October.

Impression Obsession items used:
CL976 Fall Words
CC360 Spooky Cover a Card
DIE805-YY Checkered Frame

Want to see more Halloween/Fall color inspiration?  Visit the Impression Obsession blog.  There will be a list of designers participating in the challenge as well as all the information in participating in the challenge yourself.  Good luck!

IO Challenge- Pumpkin Spice

Greetings friends.  The current challenge theme is "Pumpkin Spice," which can include anything coffee and/or pumpkin related.  I actually have a couple of pumpkin spice sentiments, so I wanted to be sure to use them.

For my card, I first made a background out of watercolor paper, watercolor paints and a stencil.  I brushed watercolor paint onto my paper, spritzed it and then placed a stencil on top and allowed it to dry completely.  I then cut it out using one of the new frame dies.

For my coffee, I used the new tea cocoa die and cut it out using watercolor paper.  I watercolored it with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers and then assembled the pieces.

What about you guys?  Are you a pumpkin spice fan or not?  Just curious!

Items Used:
Tea Cocoa die DIE902-U
Pumpkin Kisses clear set CL979
Large Frame DIE860-WW


Need More Pumpkin Spice ideas?  Be sure to visit the Impression Obsession blog

Impression Obsession Winter Die Hop- Day 2

Welcome to the Impression Obsession Winter Die Release Celebration!

The Impression Obsession Winter Die Release Celebration starts today! Each day (September 16th/September 17th ) you can find a list of participants on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am. Every single blog will have a $25 gift certificate to give away for the event - so the more you comment through our Release Celebration the more chances to win! All comments for all of the event days will be open until Thursday September 19th at midnight CT. All winners will be announced on Friday September 20th.

All of the new dies are available now! You can find them all HERE  

Greetings friends.  Today I want to talk about using your die cuts with backgrounds you might have created and aren't sure how to use.  I created this background using 140lb cold press watercolor paper, some Distress Inks and an Impression Obsession Cover a Card background:

I dabbed the ink pads directly onto the watercolor paper, spritzed it with water and then set my background stamp down on top of the ink.  I weighted it down with some acrylic blocks and let it sit there until the ink and paper were dry.  The technique transfers the pattern of your stamp onto your paper.

When it was finished, there were parts of the background I liked and parts I didn't.  Papers like that are perfect for diecutting because you can pick and choose the parts of the paper that are the best.  I die cut out a couple of ornaments and then used the same pattern to stamp the kraft cardstock in brown ink.  I like that the background and the ornaments have the same pattern in different colors.

Next, I cut out some branches and my Christmas sentiment from more background paper that I had on hand.  I glued together all the pieces of the card and then added some neutral twine bows.

Items Used on the Card:
Retro Ornaments DIE897-Z
Winter Foliage DIE907-YY
Typewriter Sentiments DIE905-Y 
Dimensional Chevron Cover A Card CC176

Don't forget to hop along to the other designers for more chances to win!

Impression Obsession Blog 

Angela Bode 

Anna Wight

Daniela Dobson 

Dina Kowal 

Giovana Smith 

Ilina Crouse

Jeanne Streiff

Laura Fulcher (you are here)

Laura Williams 

Lynda Pleckan 

Susan Wymer

Vicki Garrett

Impression Obsession Winter Die Hop Day 1

Welcome to the Impression Obsession Winter Die Release Celebration!

 

The Impression Obsession Winter Die Release Celebration starts today! Each day (September 16th/September 17th ) you can find a list of participants on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am. Every single blog will have a $25 gift certificate to give away for the event - so the more you comment through our Release Celebration the more chances to win! All comments for all of the event days will be open until Thursday September 19th at midnight CT. All winners will be announced on Friday September 20th.

 

All of the new dies are available now! You can find them all HERE 

 

 

Greetings friends. Have you started making your holiday cards yet?  The new Impression Obsession Winter die release has such amazing products.  I hope you are inspired by them.

For my card today, I used the new St. Nick die.  I love him!  I think he is great for cards, but I have some ideas for using him for ornaments or a table decoration.  So many possibbilities.....

 

Instructions:

Cut out the Santa using white, red and black cardstock for his outfit.

Cut out the Santa face, moustache and beard using watercolor paper.

To color the Santa face, edge the sides of his face with the Blush colored Zig marker and then soften towards the center of the face using a waterbrush.  Remember, if you aren’t getting a gradient of color, wipe off your waterbrush and continue to blend.  You want to have the center of the face have very little color.

Dab a little of the Tea Rose Zig marker to the face to create cheeks.  You can soften the edges of the cheeks if needed with a waterbrush.

Color the nose with Tea Rose Zig marker

Glue scrap of black cardstock behind the eyes

Color the outside edges of the beard with gray marker and soften with waterbrush towards the center of the beard.

Color the top of the mustache with gray marker and soften with the waterbrush towards the bottom of the mustache.

Supplies Used on the Card:

Impression Obsession St. Nick DIE900-YY

Impression Obsession sentiment from clear set CL971 Holiday Words

Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers- Light Gray,Tea Rose, Blush

Don't forget to hop along to the other designers for more chances to win!

 

Impression Obsession Blog 

Angela Bode 

Anna Wight 

Daniela Dobson

Dina Kowal 

Giovana Smith

Ilina Crouse

Jeanne Streiff

Laura Fulcher (You are here)

Laura Williams

Lynda Pleckan 

Susan Wymer

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