No Line Coloring #2.....

Hello everyone: Yesterday I made THIS CARD to enter the Power Poppy February Challenge, among others that I will list at the end of this post. In this challenge our host Cindy Lawrence from The Creative Closet is asking us to create our cards using the No Line Coloring Technique.
I've watched several videos about this technique, they seem easy but it's a bit tricky, well at least for me so, here I am, with my second attempt, let me know what you think.

This flowers are from a set called Countryside Bouquet Delux from Power Poppy. This images are gorgeous, perfect for Spring themed cards.  So I stamped only the flower heads from one of the stamps in the set with Tumbled Glass distress ink because I was going to color them blue with the same ink and an aqua painter, the stems were done with a SU marker in Wild Wasabi. I made a little mask of one of the front faced flowers to stamp the image a second time. The sentiment is from a retired Flourishes set called "Tulips for Friends".  The grass is from a stamp by Art Impressions and the dots from a retired SU set called "Gorgeous Grunge"

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Here is a picture of the finished inside of my card.

The sentiment is from the same retired Flourishes set.

I'm entering this card onto the following challenges.

Power Poppy "Power and Spark" February challenge "Say Yes to No Lines"

Frilly and Funky Challenge Blog "Out of the Cold"

Crafting by Design "Polka Dots" challenge. I'm pushing the envelope with my "dots"

Addicted to Stamps and More "Clean and Simple"

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge #167 "No Red or Pink"

Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge BLUE.

Open Minded Crafting Fun Challenges #14 "Flowering February"

Thank you for stopping by, I always read every single comment you so kindly leave on my post, I want you to know I appreciate them more than words can express.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

No Line Coloring.....Attempt #1.....

Hello everyone: Well, there are a few things that kind of intimidate me a little in the world of card making, some are technical like, I have NO EARTHLY CLUE as how to use the Permalink thingy so my dear and ever so patient friends at my DT. challenge blogs, help me linking my card post to the challenge. I've tried, believe me, still the darn thing doesn't want to work for me, I'll keep trying though, I'm not one to give up easily.
Now, the other thing is the NO LINE COLORING technique.....Now, this is hard, I'm used to coloring my images knowing there is a dark line for me to follow but, in the "No Line Technique", the stamped image must be very, very faint, you shouldn't be able to actually see it so then, you can go with your markers or pencils and color it.
The fabulous Power Poppy Challenge Blog has a challenge for the month of February, Cindy Lawrence from The Creative Closet is the host and they ask us to create our cards using this technique so, after a few failed attempts, here is my first card, hope you like it.

I did struggle with this card, not only with coloring the actual image but with the layout too. I wanted some contrast with the soft colors of this flower so I chose this pattern paper from Lili of the Valley and die cut the left upper corner with a die from Tim Holts.

The image is from a Power Poppy set called Simply Camelias, which happens to be on sale now! I stamped the image onto a panel of Strathmore mixed media paper with Spun Sugar distress ink and colored it with Prismacolor Pencils and paper stumps dipped lightly in baby oil.

The sentiment is from a retired Flourishes set and the butterfly from Stampin' Up! "Papillion Potpourri" also colored with Prismacolor pencils.

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 This is a picture of the finished inside of my card.

The sentiment is from a retired Flourishes set, the rest is from a retired Stampin' Up! set called "Kindness Matters"

So there, my first attempt at No Line Coloring, I'm going to keep trying because I really want to do it better and besides, if you enter this challenge over at Power Poppy and your card is randomly chosen, you win a brand new set from Marcella Hawley, now..... what better incentive than this?

I'm entering this card onto the following challenges.

Power Poppy "Say yes to No Lines" Use the "No Lines" coloring technique.

Ike's World Challenges #82 "Anything Goes" with an optional twist "Nature"

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #35 Anything Goes.

Thank you for stopping by, I always read every single comment you so kindly leave on my posts, I want you to know I appreciate them more than words can express.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

A Little Reminder.....

Hello everyone: It's the half way point on THE FLOWER CHALLENGE #4, where we had the fabulous and talented Therese Calvird from LOST IN PAPER as our Guest Designer for this month and we asked you to join us in the gallery by CASEing her beautiful card.  She has a video on her blog where she shows how she made it so be sure to stop by.

Here is a picture of her card, followed by my CASE reminder card.

This delicate die is from Memory Box and it's called  Pennington Rose Corner Die.  I die cut a piece of white card stock and then, placed the negative over my card base to calculate where I needed to add the color using sponge daubers and distress inks in Pickled Raspberry and Shabby Shutters then, glued the negative onto my card base followed by the die cut. 

Now, I've come to the realization that I only have maybe 5 or 6 sentiment word dies, one with the word LOVE is part of a Christmas set, the other ones were not really suitable for this card so, I was in a bind trying to figure out what to do.  I have an old Cricut machine that I bought years and years ago as a kit when this cutting machines first came out, it has 2 cartridges with sentiments and figures but, I lost the manual and really didn't use it all that much so, I just packed it up and forgot about it.  But I needed a sentiment so I went to my basement and grabbed this dusty old thing hoping it will still work. Well, it does but the blade is as dull as a butter knife and the sticky sheet not to sticky anymore so I had to improvise, I had even forgotten how to use it, sheeesh!! But with the help of Google I found the directions and, well.....to make an already long story short and after a few failed attempts, having to use scotch tape to hold the card stock to the "sticky" sheet, I was able to cut 3 sentiments, which I glued one on top of the other, for some dimension.

Anywho, I think I will go and buy the blades, the sentiments on this cartridges are really nice but I will get me some sentiment dies for sure.
           Here is a picture of the finished inside of my card.
                                                             
 

The corner butterflies are made with a super old punch from EK Success, the sentiment is from a Power Poppy set called Springtime Love.

I would like to enter this card onto the following challenges.

Glitter and Sparkle Challenge #226 "Love is in the Air"

Crafting When We Can Challenge #137 "Flowers"

AAA Cards: CAS Game #83 "Shape your Love"

Well, I hope this card gets you in the mood to join my teammates and me in THE FLOWER CHALLENGE gallery. Don't forget to pay them a visit to get even more inspiration from their beautiful cards and also, please don't forget to include our challenge banner when you submit your cards to the gallery, here it is for you to copy and paste.

Thank you for stopping by, I always read every single comment you so kindly leave on my posts, I want you to know I appreciate them more than words can express.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

Heartless Romance.....

Hello everyone: Catchy title, eh? LOL!! The reason for it is that, over at SHOPPING OUR STASH, we want you to make Romantic Cards but without using hearts.  I fought the urge to add some hearts to my card but, after it was done, I'm glad I didn't because, even without hearts, this card is so romantic and sweet, well.....I think so.  Here it is, hope you like it and get inspired to join my teammates and me at the SHOPPING OUR STASH gallery.

Well, what do you think? this sweet little mice from the set HUGS by Penny Black, say it all without a word, I just love this image.

I stamped it onto a die cut panel with Stazon black ink and colored it with SU markers and the aqua painter, I stamped the little flower umbrella on a separate piece of paper, colored it and fussy cut it, curling the edges a little to give it some dimension then, using a glue dot, I placed it on top of the stamped image. I sponged Tumbled Glass Distress Ink for the sky and just a hint of Old Olive for the grass.

I wanted a border but the next die up was to big so I grabbed a doily and cut out the center, then, cut it to make a long strip which I glued to the back gathering it a bit as I went around. 

The pattern paper is from my treasured, one sided stash from Lili of the Valley, the ribbon from my bottomless drawer and the sentiment was found in a box where I put sentiments when I change my mind. I added a few Rhine Stones for a bit of bling.

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Here is a picture of the finished inside of my card.

The sentiment and the little flowers are from an old Flourishes set called "Picking Wild Flowers"

I hope you find some time to play along with us at SHOPPING OUR STASH, for more inspiration, go and visit my teammates blogs to see their fabulous cards.

I would like to enter this card onto the following challenges.

Dragonfly Journeys Challenge#85 "Love is in the Air"

Come and Get It Challeges "Love is in the Air"

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #141 "Love"

Glitter "N" Sparkle Challenge #226 "Love is in the Air"

Stamping Sensations February Challenge "Animal Magic" (must contain animals)

Thank you for stopping by, I always read every single comment you so kindly leave on my posts, I want you to know I appreciate them more than words can express.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

Eeekk!! Have a Mice Birthday.....

Hello everyone:  My teammates and I over at RETRO RUBBER, have a new and easy challenge for you this time around, we want to see Birthday cards, for kids and kids at heart 😉. I think Birthday cards are always in high demand so it's good to have some already made in your stash.   Those of you who know me well, know I love mice.  The real ones are adorable, although I don't think I would like to have them running around in my house, LOL!! but there are a few rubber stamp companies that have adorable little images of mice and one of my favorite is Lili of the Valley, my card was made with one of them.
This stamp line has been discontinued from Lili of the Valley, I had this stamp for 3 years along with the other 4 I bought when they had a sale. It's so sad when images like this one are no longer available, I'm sure glad I got them.

Aren't this little guys just so adorable? This image is easy to color, I did it with my Prismacolor pencils and paper stumps dipped in baby oil, added some gold gel pen to some of the bows and ribbons and a few Rhine Stones for bling. The background panel was stamped with a stamp from Impression Obsession called "Background Swirls".

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Here is a picture of the finished inside of my card.

The sentiment is from Penny Black and the little line of gifts from an old Flourishes border stamp that is at least 5 years old, colored with Prismacolor Pencils.

So now it's your turn to create a birthday card and join us in the gallery. Birthday cards are always good to have on hand so come aboard and play.

Please don't forget to check our challenge page HERE to get more inspiration from my fabulous teammates cards.

And also, please don't forget to:

Use at least one stamp older than one year.

You can use new papers, dies and embellishments.

Please, submit your card to only 10 challenges including ours.

Please, submit only new work, no back linking.

Have lots of fun!

Thank you for stopping by, I always read every single comment you leave on my posts, I want you to know I appreciate them more than words can express.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.