Thursday, July 26, 2018

IO Challenge- Christmas in July


Greetings friends.  Today's challenge is all about finding inspiration for holiday cards while you aren't in a holiday rush to get everything else done.  I still talk about the one year I had my Christmas cards done over the Summer.  I was so happy!  Every other year I have pretty much procrastinated till the last minute.

Because it is still Summer, I decided I wanted to challenge myself and use warm Summer colors instead of cool Winter ones.  I rather liked the effect.  They are not colors I usually choose for Christmas, so it was fun to change things up a bit.  For the main part of my card, I stamped one of the new reindeer images onto 140lb watercolor paper with black Versafine ink and colored everything with Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers and a waterbrush.  Remember to let each section that you color dry completely before you more on to the next.  If you don't, all the colors will run in to each other.

For my background, I used two Cover a Card Backgrounds.  The first one is one I usually choose for Summer cards called Sand.  I stamped it in Impression Obsession Banana ink onto white cardstock.  I covered it with a second background image called Lattice, which was stamped in Impression Obsession Goldenrod ink.  Here is a closeup so that you can see the sand pattern better:


I love the mottled look it gives underneath the Lattice pattern.

Impression Obsession Items Used:
Sending Cheer B13678
Big Buck (Reindeer) C19884
Sand Cover a Card CC216
Lattice Cover a Card CC202
Banana Ink
Goldenrod Ink

Other Materials:
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

Need more Christmas inspiration?  Be sure to visit the other designers:

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Fall/Winter Blog Hop Day 4

Welcome to the Impression Obsession 2018 Fall/Winter Stamps Release Hop!

We have some beautiful new stamps to share AND Gift Certificates to give away!
The Blog Hop will be posted on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am EST July 16th – July 19th. Visit our fabulous IO Design Team’s blogs (only one comment per blog please) for a chance to win one of FIVE $25 Gift Certificates! The more blogs you visit … the better chance you will have to win!!!
Comment entries will be open on all posts until 9pm CT on Sunday July 22nd and all winners will be announced July 24th


Greetings friends.  Well, today is the last day of the new release blog hop.  I hope you have been inspired by the new stamps!

For the last day, I wanted to show you another background stamp.  This time it was Abstract Circles CC335:
https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1176319&u=1809425&m=79613&urllink=www%2Eiostamps%2Ecom%2Fmm5%2Fmerchant%2Emvc%3FScreen%3DPROD%26Product%5FCode%3DCC335%26Store%5FCode%3DIOSTAMPS%26search%3Dcc335%26searchoffset%3D%26filter%5Fcat%3D%26PowerSearch%5FBegin%5FOnly%3D%26sort%3D%26range%5Flow%3D%26range%5Fhigh%3D&afftrack=
Both cards were very simple in that I stamped the circle background with Versamark ink and then sponged them with various colors of PanPastel chalk.  Easy!  I used the background in both cards as a means to highlight two of my favorite sayings from the new release.

Items for Card 1:


I chose a closeup of card 2 so that you could actually read the saying.  

Items for Card 2:
Life Rules E19871

Thank you very much for stopping by this week and for leaving such nice comments.  I appreciate you all.

Don't forget to visit the other designers!

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Fall/Winter Blog Hop Day 3


Welcome to the Impression Obsession 2018 Fall/Winter Stamps Release Hop!

We have some beautiful new stamps to share AND Gift Certificates to give away!
The Blog Hop will be posted on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am EST July 16th – July 19th. Visit our fabulous IO Design Team’s blogs (only one comment per blog please) for a chance to win one of FIVE $25 Gift Certificates! The more blogs you visit … the better chance you will have to win!!!
Comment entries will be open on all posts until 9pm CT on Sunday July 22nd and all winners will be announced July 24th

Greetings friends.  Today I told you I would be sharing different card samples using the new Ribbon Weave Cover a Card background:

In the Season's Greetings card, I stamped the Weave Background in Caramel ink to create a patterned strip for the card. I then stamped the Mistletoe Branch several times and added my sentiment, both stamped in black Versafine ink.  I colored the scene with Zig Clean Color Brush markers and a waterbrush and then popped up the panel with foam tape.

Items for Card 1:


For the second card, I used several Cover a Card Backgrounds to create my own patterned paper and once again added a panel with the new Ribbon Weave background.  To create the patterned paper, I started with white cardstock and stamped the Metal CAC with Tan ink and then added the Dancing Leaves CAC with Caramel ink.  To finish the card, I added the cat image (Coffee Companion E21135) that was also colored with Zig markers.

Items for Card 2:

For the last card, I made a Halloween card.  The Ribbon Weave background was stamped in black ink onto a dark grey card to create a pattern for the entire front of the card.  All that was left was to add my sentiment banner and my pumpkin in a jar that were colored with Zig markers and a waterbrush.

Items for Card 3:

I hope you were inspired to try this background!

Don't forget to visit the other designers and leave comments...
 


Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Fall/Winter Release Blog Hop Day 2

Welcome to the Impression Obsession 2018 Fall/Winter Stamps Release Hop!

We have some beautiful new stamps to share AND Gift Certificates to give away!
The Blog Hop will be posted on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am EST July 16th – July 19th. Visit our fabulous IO Design Team’s blogs (only one comment per blog please) for a chance to win one of FIVE $25 Gift Certificates! The more blogs you visit … the better chance you will have to win!!!
Comment entries will be open on all posts until 9pm CT on Sunday July 22nd and all winners will be announced July 24th
Greetings friends.  Today is all about.....monsters! The two cards I am sharing are both using the clear set called Monster Mash (CL886) as well as the Monster Mash (C14744) sentiment.  I also chose to use two of the new Cover a card backgrounds for the cards.
In the card above, I stamped the three monsters onto 140lb watercolor paper with black Versafine ink and colored them with Zig Clean Color Brush markers and a waterbrush.  I cut out the monsters and popped them onto a card that I had stamped with the new Marble Scribble (CC334) Cover a Card background.  I love this background!  It adds such nice texture and will go with any occasion.  I can't wait to use it with bright Distress Inks and do a rainbow colored background for a birthday card.  
Here is a look at the background:
 And what it looks like on the card:
For my second card, I once again used my Zig markers and a waterbrush:

This time though, I paired it with the new Ribbon Weave (CC333) Cover a Card background.  I will going into this background in much detail tomorrow.  I am really drawn to "practical" backgrounds that can be used over and over, and this one really does that!  
This is what the background looks like:
Here is a close up (although you will see it better tomorrow in samples):

Impression Obsession Items Used Today:
Monster Mash (CL886)
Monster Mash (C14744) sentiment
Marble Scribble (CC334) Cover a Card
Ribbon Weave (CC333) Cover a Card
Other Items Used:
See you tomorrow!
Don't forget to visit the other designers.....

Monday, July 16, 2018

Fall/Winter Release Blog Hop Day 1


Welcome to the Impression Obsession 2018 Fall/Winter Stamps Release Hop!

We have some beautiful new stamps to share AND Gift Certificates to give away!
The Blog Hop will be posted on the Impression Obsession Blog at 6am EST July 16th – July 19th. Visit our fabulous IO Design Team’s blogs (only one comment per blog please) for a chance to win one of FIVE $25 Gift Certificates! The more blogs you visit … the better chance you will have to win!!!
Comment entries will be open on all posts until 9pm CT on Sunday July 22nd and all winners will be announced July 24th


Greetings friends.  There are lots of new products for Fall and Winter in the latest Impression Obsession release.  For my first project, I wanted  to make a Christmas votive instead of a card.  It uses the new Christmas Lantern image (J20585) as well as the Lantern Window Nativity (D20587).

Here is what the lantern looks like in more light:

And from the side.....

Or, in darkness:

The finished piece has four "walls" with no top or bottom.  I have a battery-powered votive in the center and the light shines through the top as well as the vellum of the votive.

To make the Christmas lantern, I first cut two pieces of navy paper that were 3" x 6 1/2" and scored them so that I had two 3" x 3" panels and a 1/2" strip:
**my strip piece in the photo was too big and was later trimmed.

Next, I embossed the Lantern stamp onto light gold metallic paper with gold embossing powder and embossed the Nativity onto heavy weight vellum with gold embossing powder:
I cut out the center of the lantern, placed it on top of one of the 3" x 3 panels of the blue paper, traced the opening and then used an Xacto knife to cut a hole in the blue panel to match the gold lantern.
I repeated this four times until I had all of the sides of my lantern:


The vellum went in between the blue base and the gold lantern.  All that was left was to fold the blue paper along the scores and tape the blue pieces to form a 4-sided wall to go around my votive.  The best part is that it folds flat to go in an envelope.

I chose the Nativity scene, but there are three other images that fit into the lantern.

These were the items I used:

Don't forget to visit the other designers for more inspiration and for the chance to win a prize!

Thursday, July 5, 2018

IO Challenge- Happy Colors

Greetings friends.  I really think you will all enjoy the IO Challenge today.  It is all about using colors that we consider "happy."  For me, that means bright colors.  I have to use turquoise since that is my favorite color and makes me happy.   I also chose to use hot pink and yellows.  It doesn't hurt to pair the happy colors with some happy flowers to really drive home the point.

To make the card, I started with a flower scene called Sierra Sunset and stamped it with black Versafine ink onto 140lb watercolor paper.  I then colored the flowers with some Zig Clean Color markers and a waterbrush.

To make the background, of course I had to choose a Cover a Card design.  I selected the Greenery CAC, which is a good generic design to use for all the seasons...it even looks good on Christmas Cards.  I stamped the greenery using Versafine Deep Lagoon ink.

As a finishing touch, I added a sentiment from the Flower Greetings clear stamp set.  Here is a closeup of the card:



Items Used:
Impression Obsession Stamps-
Sierra Sunset E19721
Greenery CC018
Flower Greetings CL830

Inks:
Versafine Onyx Black
Versafine Deep Lagoon (I couldn't find this online.  I'm not sure they still make it)
Possible Substitution- Versafine Clair Warm Breeze

Other Materials:
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

Don't forget to visit the other designers for inspiration!