It's National Dessert Day!!

This week at Crazy 4 Challenges, we are celebrating DESSERTS!! Yummy! We Canadians have had our fill of food after celebrating our Thanksgiving, but really can you ever have enough sweets?! ...and its National Dessert Day!!!

I used one of Suzy Plantamura's Birthday Notes watercolour sheets from Simon Says Stamp for my dessert!  I watercoloured the image using Zig Real Brush watercolour markers - one of my favourite ways to watercolour.

After die-cutting my main image using Mama Elephant All Prettied Up, I adhered it to my background patterned paper from Lawn Farm Perfectly Plaid 6 x 6 paper pad.

A perfect Dessert for National Dessert Day!!

Link up to Crazy 4 Challenges won't you!

Relax!

Today is Hammock Day!! What a wonderful way to relax.....so for Crazy 4 Challenges this week, we would like you to create a card with the theme of relaxation in mind!

Now for me - relaxation is all about a spa and everything that goes with it!  I recently took my daughter for her birthday to have a pedicure and I am jumping at the chance to have the full treatment!

Sorry about the rotten lighting. I was taking this photo at night because I am such a procrastinator, I didn't make my card until the last minute this week! - and I honestly don't know where those two dots came from at the left....they are not on my card-weird.

I stamped the Spa lady and her mask 3 times-this set is called Spa Day by Essentials by Ellen - and proceeded to watercolour. I made a two toned background and then painted her gooey face :)

The candles were stamped, diecut and watercolored.  I popped them up to make it a bit more pleasing to the eye - my eye mostly.  I added some sparkle to the candles and spa masks because you can never have enough sparkle!!

Thanks for coming around and take a relaxing trip over to Crazy 4 Challenges and enter our weekly challenge!

Leave a note for me if you wish - I don't bite!!

Crazy 4 Challenges - C4C390

Hey everyone! Since it is the third week of the month for Crazy 4 Challenges, we have a sketch  - quite easy for you (and me-yay!).

I decided to do a bit of watercoloring - just a bit - and water-washed a blue and green background with Zig Real Brush Markers onto Crafter's Companion watercolour cardstock.

After drying with my heat gun - because I'm impatient - I diecut the watrecoloured panel with an MFT stitched rectangle.  I adhered that panel to a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 piece of patterned paper which was adhered to my white card base.

Using Papertrey Ink's Inspired by Prayer stamp set and Prayer die, I crafted my sentiment. A few sporadic clear sequins from Pretty Pink Post and it was finished!

Take a hop over to Crazy 4 Challenges and try out the sketch and link up!

SaveSave

Congratulations!

Good day - I am finally posting our Crazy 4 Challenges post - Blogger seems to be having a childish fit and my posts won't save, but I am going to go ahead and see if it will publish ----ugh, technology!

This week at Crazy 4 Challenges, we have a sketch challenge and I loved putting this one together!

I die cut three rectangles with a small die, and using the Verity Rose stamp set from Crafter's Companion, I stamped the beautiful rose three times onto the Crafter's Companion white watercolour paper.

I watercolored each rose and then added sparkly glitter to each rose.  The sentiment is also from Crafter's Companion as is the Verity Rose patterned paper - love this paper!

Take a boo over to Crazy 4 Challenges and try out the sketch - it's fabulous!!

Easter Egg Decorating Fun!

Good Morning.... I have a fun little video for you today to show you a new way to decorate your Easter eggs!

  

I'm using my fabulous Spectrum Noir Aqua Markers, paper towels, clothes pins and a water mist bottle.  It takes no time at all - except drying time of course.

My first video - be kind lol!

Hello Spring! Time Out Challenge

Thank goodness Spring is on it's way - I can feel it in the air YAY! I love birds and birdhouses so I was giddy to see the Time Out Challenge this week to case this card!

I've created a "Welcome Back" card for all the birds that have been conglomerating around our home and our feeders.

I used the new Crafter's Companion Essentials Nature Dies - a set of 19 dies full of birds, flowers, butterflies, leaves, clouds ETC.

I began by making a background wash using Spectrum Aqua water-based markers on Crafter's Companion white watercolour cardstock.  I love it. It's white - not cream or off-white - just beautiful white watercolour cardstock yummy!

Using my Gemini Die Cutting and Embossing machine, I embossed my background with one of the embossing folders included with the Gemini.

Focusing on the birdhouses, I diecut them in different colours and popped them up to hang from the adhered diecut branches. Then I diecut three of the sweet little birds and coloured them with my Spectrum Noir markers and adhered them to the bird houses.

Finally I added a ribbon, some twine and some sparkly clear sequins to finish!  Take some Time Out to join the challenge and then fly on over to Crafter's Companion to see all their product I have mentioned!

Being Kind is Never Wasted

I was able to get my hot little hands  on some of the new Concord & 9th stamps - specifically the new Kindhearted Bundle which includes the Kind die and Kindhearted stamp set - SCORE!

I was not aware that Concord & 9th had a challenge blog until yesterday - so I am just in time - even cutting it close hah! - to submitting my creation.

This month it is all about Sparkle and Shine so I stamped up Hello Lovely and set myself up to watercolour.

These sweet flowers remind me of Vinca flowers, so I watercolored them with a bit of purples and greys and blues.

I wasn't really sure of my finished product - but after adding some Wink of Stella, Diamond Dust Stickles AND some sequins I was sold!

I diecut the Kind die with Royal Velvet cardstock three times, adhered them together and then glued it to the bottom third of the watercolour panel.  I stamped the rest of the sentiment and added some sequins and DONE.

Pop on over to Concord & 9th to enter this challenge - but I think it ends today - so hurry!!!

Enjoy Your Watercolour Day!

Good Morning- we are certainly settled in to our winter home and LOVING it!  Punta Gorda is just beautiful and the surrounding area is full of antiques and unique stores.

I'm late for the latest Curtain Call Challenge (a natural thing that I do lol) but since I had just finished organizing my crafty space - and my Zig Markers were handy - I decided to use the photo as inspiration regardless.

Using one of Suzy Plantemura's Birthday Notes watercolour sheets exclusively from Simon Says Stamp - and my Zig watercolour markers - I had some fun!

These sheets are 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" - so after watercoloring, I trimmed down the panel and popped it up onto MFT Natural cardstock base, wrapping some MFT hemp cord around the panel before adhering. This twine is so popular that is is always out of stock - GAH!

Thank you for coming around - I hope to blog more often this winter now that I am situated again whew!

Sweet Treats!

Good Morning!  The Card Concept has a couple of days left to enter a creation for their challenge - so I was up for the game!

Look at this delicious-ness!

I just love Suzy Plantamura's watercolour sheets so I pulled an image from the Suzy's Birthday Notes group and, using my Zig Real Brush Markers, I watercolored to my hearts content!

This just happened to be my grandson's birthday card too - all yummy and fun!

I backed it onto some Papertrey Ink patterned paper and then added a few clear baubles for fun!

Thanks for coming around and check out The Card Concept won't you?!

A Fond Farewell

This is my last official week of designing for Cas-ual Fridays Stamps.  I have been so fortunate to be a part of this amazing company - I am truly thankful to Michele and our fabulous team!!

It is bittersweet that I am stepping down - we winter in Florida and I just don't take the time to stamp as much as I do at home where my permanent stamping area is located.  There is just too much to do with hubby!

I put together a watercolored thank you to mark the occasion using the leaves from Pretty Posies.

I stamped the leaves with Versamark ink onto white watercolour cardstock and then embossed them with white embossing powder.

Using my Zig Real Brush markers, I watercolored the leaves using various shades of green, pink, and yellow.

After it dried - you really have to wait for it to dry completely. completely. completely - I diecut a stitched rectangle from the watercolored leaves.  I popped that up onto a panel of Mint Julep Swiss Dot patterned paper which was adhered to my card base.

I fussy cut a flag  and popped it up onto the front and added a strip of the patterned paper.  I diecut the sentiment from white cardstock and adhered it to the flag.  I finished it off by adding a few Sparkly Clear Sequins from Pretty Pink Posh!

There is another Cas-ual Fridays release coming up soon - so stay tuned!!

I'm entering this card into the Simon Wednesday Challenge Blog which has a Totally Resistable theme this week!

August Inspiration with Altenew in Pink!

Good day!

Every month Altenew has an inspirational challenge, with adjoining colours that you can choose to use - or not - and I decided to join in the fun.

This month it is all about the pinks and grays... lovely!

Using Versafine Black Onyx ink, I stamped the Sketchy Rose onto watercolour cardstock, followed by the stem and the sweet rosebud. Using my Gansai Tambi Watercolours, - I bought my paint set on Amazon - I painted up this beautiful rose.

I added a bit of gray watercolouring around the rose and tucked in the sentiment alongside the rose.

After it dried (completely) I added some Sparkling Clear Pretty Pink Posh sequins for a beautiful effect!.

I adhered a pink strip of cardstock to the edge of the watercolour and popped it up onto Softstone patterned paper - and then onto my Soft Stone card base.

This challenge ends on August 31st so you still have lots of time to enter!

Call Me!

I'm continuing along with being the Guest Designer this month over at Your Next Stamp and we have another fun sketch/colour combo for you!  The idea is to use either the sketch OR the colour combination OR just go for it - and use both.

I love doing this sketch/colour challenge - I don't need to be the guest to play in it - for sure!

I decided to use the sketch this time and I pulled out my new set - Little Darling Mermaid! She is such a happy little mermaid just chatting away on her Shell-Phone - haha - so cute!

I stamped her twice onto two separate pieces of watercolour cardstock and painted away using my Gansai watercolours.  I painted the waves, sand and sky on one piece and then I painted the mermaid on the other.

I fussy cut the mermaid and adhered her ontop of the first painted image - popping up the tail end of her hair.  I also stamped, painted and fussy cut the shell, adding it to her hand for her shell-phone!

I added a little pearl to her phone because it had to be done :)  I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Black ink - so nice and clear!

Won't you join us for this fun challenge?!  Just head to Your Next Stamp to add your pinky links....and join me tomorrow when sneak peeks will be starting for August Release at Your Next Stamp wahoo!!

Pssst.....the Dare to Get Dirty Challenges are up and running over at Splitcoaststampers and this is for Lori's challenge!  I can't tell you the details - you have to be a Fan Club Member - but there are a ton of challenges along with prizes galore to be won!  Skip on over and check out how you can become a Fan Club Member and join in the fun!

Colour Throwdown Love!

Good day - another post in the same day - crazy right?  If you are looking for my  Your Next Stamp post - please scroll down or click on the link!

The colours at Colour Throwdown are so soft and pretty - peach, pink and yellow - what a lovely combo.... and a double challenge creation - because Splitcoaststampers has their Dare to Get Dirty Challenges happening this week - wahoo!.... check it out!

I decided to do some watercoloring - it seems that I really enjoy that medium lately - I find it quite relaxing, so using my Zig Real Brush watercolor  markers, I coloured up one of Suzy Plantamura's Every Occasion images from Simon Says Stamp.

I also added some Glossy accents to the two hearts and Pretty Pink Posh sequins - because they are just so pretty - and a great embellishment - very quick and easy!  I trimmed up the image and adhered it to Papertrey Ink patterned paper and then onto my yellow cardstock base.

Simon Says Stamp has an Anything Goes challenge this week too and this fits right in!

I have got to get going - we are having family for supper and I need to think about my supper plans - yikes!!

July Mix It Up with Neat & Tangled

I decided that I really wanted to colour up my new Neat & Tangled - Say Yes to Donuts - stamp set and so I looked up a video on colouring donuts - I know right? so pathetic - I don't even know how to colour a donut.....ugh.

I found a great youtube video from Not2Shabby and basically copied it - I mean how many ways can there be to colour a donut?! It turns out - many.....

 Ellen Hutson's Mix It Up Challenge is with Neat & Tangled this week - so YES! it's kismet honestly....

I coloured up my imaged with my copic markers and die cut them using the available dies - this really is the cutest set ever!

My sentiment is from Essentials by Ellen Up the Happy - I LOVE the funky font in this set! and really - if you are eating donuts - then it's fun, just gotta BE!

I popped up the images onto watercolored cardstock - I used Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolours to watercolour the background.....easy and FAST - all good.

There are only another day or two to enter this challenge so off I go!  Have a little FUN today!

CAS-ual Fridays Florals Challenge!

Hey there everyone - CAS-ual Friday's Challenges are back - and I am creating and watercoloring!

This week our challenge is Florals - and I know y'all have some flowers in your stash --so enter those cards.

CAS-ual Fridays stamps are not needed and there is a $25 gift certificate to the winner BUT if you use CAS-ual Fridays stamps - the prize is doubled!! A $50 gift certificate to the store - woohoo!!

Go and check it out and in the meantime I have some sugar to show you!

I am such a fan - dare I say stalker - of Debby Hughes blog/techniques/watercoloring and when I saw this creation of Debby's I tucked it away to CASE it - so I basically did everything that Debby did - only using CAS-ual Friday's stamps.

I masked and stamped the flowers from Wonderful Words in Versamark Ink and embossed with white embossing powder.  I also used the leaves from Pretty Posies in the same manner.

Using my Zig Markers, I watercolored the flowers and leaves, bring in some blues and greens to the leaves.

I stamped and embossed the sentiment in the same manner and then popped it up onto the flowers (ackkk - I have so much trouble covering up part of an image) with a bit of vellum behind.

I trimmed out the image panel and popped it up onto Soft Stone cardstock - just like Debby (I'm shameless).  A few sequins were added for effect!

Why don't you join in at the Florals CAS-ual Fridays challenge??!!

Papertrey Ink May Blog Hop

Yep - it's that time again for the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop and I am getting PTI creative whoop whoop!

This beautiful pastel-ly inspiration photo was right up my watercolour alley - so that is where I went this month.

I started by painting a little freehand watercolouring background onto Ranger watercolour cardstock.  

And then-- gah!!!--- I hated the blotchy, "out there", waaaay too colourful thing. 

However Betsy had a post about watercolour woes vs. watercolour wonders and loving your cards - use them differently blah blah blah - so I took the advice and just cut it up hah...  Thank. you. Betsy!

Using the Bitty Butterflies Coverplate,  I just diecut my little heart out and am quite pleased with the result -yay!  

I cut two of the cover plates -  one from the hateful watercolour sheet and one from white cardstock.  

I adhered the die cut watercolored butterflies onto the negative space of the white cardstock for my card front and stamped my sentiment which is from the Brushed Blooms stamp set with Smokey Shadow ink.

I splattered Smokey Shadow ink onto the front,  hoping it wouldn't make a HUGE mess :) and to mimic the splatters in the inspiration piece.

I tied a bit of ribbon and twine at the top and added a sweet pearl.  The butterflies were folded here and there for a bit more interest.

I hope you are enjoying the hop and keep on going - thank you for stopping by!

Leaping Lions!

Color Throwdown and The Paper Players are in my creative mind today!  Colour Throwdown colours are pink, kraft and grey - with whatever other neutral you want to thrown in there - and The Paper Players are looking for wild animals - yay!

I used Reverse Confetti product today - I mean isn't this just the wildest of all animals from in the animal kingdom? - This sweet little lion, from Leaping Lions,  looks like he is on a holiday from being mean - just a cutie of an image!

Using Kuretake Gambai Tambi paints - I swashed up a background in pink on watercolour cardstock. I die cut it with Your Next Stamp Stitched Rectangle Die Set.

I coloured Mr. Lion and his little stool with copic markers and then die cut them with the matching Confetti Cuts.  Using foam tape, I popped the images up onto the watercolour background.

The sentiment, from Leaping Lions, was stamped in VersaFine Smokey Gray and the hearts are from Reverse Confetti's Weather It Together.

I die cut the banner from Kraft and Smokey Shadow cardstock.

The watercolored panel was adhered to a sheet of Avery Elle Everyday Collection patterned paper - it's full of fun little grey triangles and I tied a bit of twine around the top for TONS of interest....

Glad you could come around today to visit - hurry back now!

I'm Thinking of You...

 Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge  has a floral theme this week - and you just know that I am all about THAT!

...and Oh boy- I've found a new-to-me challenge - Pinterest Inspired Challenge!  The idea is to be inspired by the photo that was chosen for the month.

This month's Pinterest photo is more of an abstract type - but I made it work for my card - the same colours and the same watercolored feel.

I used one of our new releases from CAS-ual Friday's - Pretty Posies - and the Fri-dies! I just love the possibilities with this stamp set.  At the end of my post see how you can save 15% off CAS-ual Fridays stamps and dies - yes I'm shameless LOL!

For this card I used the Pretty Posies Fri-dies to die-cut all the flowers and leaves from post it paper and added them to my 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" watercolour cardstock.   Being careful not to get the "masks" damp, I wet the cardstock using a watercolour brush.

I got out my Zig Real Brush watercolour markers and painted a light blue wash all around the "post it" diecuts.  When that dried I peeled away the masks and was left with the outlines of the flowers.

I stamped the flowers within the white spots with various colours of dye ink and then using a damp brush I painted over the inked flowers for a more watercolored feel.  I suppose when I think about it there is probably a much easier way to accomplish what I was going for Lol, but it was fun to experiment!

The sentiment was white embossed onto a slip of black cardstock and popped up onto the watercolored panel.  I added some twine and a strip of patterned paper to the bottom to finish it off!

Don't forget that if you use my discount code "Bonnie2016" (no quotations) over at CAS-ual Fridays, you get 15% off any stamps and dies!!

The Challenge is Colour!

This week's challenge at The Challenge (hehe) is full of colour!  Greens and blues and yellows oh my!

I decided to get out my watercolour paints and one of Suzy's Watercolor Doodles ready-to-watercolour images and PLAY! - I find it very relaxing to putter about with paints - I am no good freehand - nope......but give me an image and I'm all over it!

I used my Gansai Tambi Watercolor set - I love the brilliant colour and yet you can tone them down so easily to make a background wash....

After adding the colour to this fabulous image, I went back over again with a darker shade and added some highlights (lowlights?) to make them pop.

Then I decided to throw in some sweet little YNS gumdrops - they have all sorts of fabulous colours - yay!

Take a boo over at The Challenge and link up with these gorgeous colours!!

Do What Makes Your Heart Happy!

Good Morning - and it's time for coffee (waaay past time!)  - and hearts!

This week's inspiration at The Challenge has a Rainbow Heart theme !!- and I just happen to love rainbows - doesn't everyone?

Since the Gansai Tambi water-colour paints are so brilliant and beautiful, I painted up an easy rainbow on water-colour paper.

Using Cas-ual Friday's Heart Board Fri-Dies, I die cut the hearts from my rainbow paper, being careful to keep them altogether - I love them apart and I love them together!  I just used a piece of tape on the back of the hearts so I could move them around until I had finished with my fiddle diddling.

I needed to add something else - and I really, really, really wanted to add twine - it's a daily struggle I tell ya. I finally settled on some semi-messy gold thread looped around a red button.  I mean - GOLD at the end of the rainbow!!!

Perfect. I'm just brilliant.

I used the remaining water colouring for the base, layering white cardstock overtop.

I stamped the sentiment from Cas-ual Fridays Big Treble on my white cardstock and popped up the water coloured heart dies!

So pretty and so very trendy!  Take a peek over at The Challenge and link up those rainbow creations!