Horologium and Chicago Theater on Watercolor

My friend, Lynette, gave me this cool collage stamp. 

It's a wood mounted stamp made by Club Scrap.

The image has the words "Horologium Pendulum".

Had to look up "horologium"...it's an ancient clock, like a sundial or hourglass.

It's also a constellation in the sky.

I guess that's why there are lots of little stars on this stamp.

My "watercolor" background was made from left-over distress reinker and water 

that was setting on my craft sheet, previously described here.

Distress reinkers used:  peeled paint and dried marigold

Inks used: Versafine black onyx,

distress rusty hinge-on the word "Art" and also for the sponging.

The small square of burlap was attached with

Craft & photo tape by Scrapbook Adhesives

Stamps: Club Scrap, Hampton Arts, Printworks

Made this card from a watercolor test scrap

using a "new" set of watercolors that Lynette found for me at a garage sale.

Not sure of the brand because the label was missing.

This is much better than the watery Koh-I-Noor set I had.

As I have mentioned before, I am not impressed with the Koh-I-Noor watercolors.

Stamps: Chicago Theater by Putting on the Ritz

sentiment by Stampabilities

Versafine black onyx ink

Monday Card of the Day

Happy Monday! 

I'm card captain at the Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group today and Thursday June 11.

Today's card features Mike's Large Cloisonne Cat which was stamped with Versafine black onyx ink, then fussy cut and adhered with dimensional foam.

I colored it with worn lipstick and spun sugar distress inks. I used the same method as Friday, dabbing ink onto my craft sheet and used an aqua painter to pickup color and apply to the cat image.

Used the same techniques for the watercolor background and LH Bokeh as last Thursday's card of the day.

Sentiment is from Tim Holtz stamped on a rectangle and adhered with dimensional foam.

Thanks for visiting!

June 1st Stampfest with Lynette

Lynette and I spent this past Monday stamping at her house. 

She made a wonderful Chicken dinner in her George Foreman GV5 Roaster and Contact Cooker 

using a whole chicken, cut up potatoes and baby carrots! 

Everything tasted DELISH! Now I want to get the GV5 Roaster!

Ok, back to our stamping projects. 

Our tags (above) feature Julie Nutting's Mixed Media Doll stamp by Prima.

Our inspiration was from Vicki at Validation of Vicki's Dance with Butterflies post.

We used printed paper, colored pencils, stickles on our splotch stamping, 

punched butterflies, stamped and fussy cut butterflies, silk and paper flowers.

Our Astoria boat cards were inspired by a card made by Lynne Moncrieff

featured in the April/May/June 2015 issue of Stampers Sampler.

We stamped Astoria Ship by Rubber Stampede in Stampin' Up!'s close to cocoa ink 

on a piece of muslin.

Our sewing themed cards were inspired by a card made by Marge McGuire

featured in the above mentioned Stampers Sampler. 

We used the texture fade (embossing folder) called "Pattern" by Tim Holtz/Sizzix. 

We sponged the edges and the embossed areas with distress tea dye ink. 

After cutting the dress form with Stampin' Up!'s die, 

we stamped French Script with distress weathered wood.

We stamped Mon Amie (Stampin' Up!) with distress vintage photo ink.

Added lace, old pattern pieces and a button to finish our cards.

Friday Card of the Day

Happy Friday!
Today's card features  Michael Strong's Cloisonne Seahorse
and the shell from his Mini Cloisonne Creatures.
When I saw Laura Bomber's At the Seaside card on her Laurart blog I had to CASE it
With her permission I'm sharing my version.
I used a preciously made alcohol ink background-nothing special on mine.
She used a stencil when making her background, which is really pretty.
With Versafine black onyx ink,
I stamped the seahorse and shells on white cardstock.
I was happy to see distress inks peacock feathers and mowed lawn were a good match for my background.
So I dabbed some ink on my craft sheet and used an aqua painter to color the images.
 I added a Stampin' Up text stamp on the 2 plain corners
and sponged the edges with black soot distress ink.
Sentiment from Tim Holtz stamped on a small rectangle.
My layers were adhered with dimensional foam.

I have thoroughly enjoyed being card captain at the Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group.
If you are not a member, I hope you might consider joining! The only requirement is to have at least one Michael Strong stamp. I have made wonderful friends across the globe who I have met in person! It is a most friendly group of members who like to share their art with one another!
Thanks to all the generous compliments this week, my friends!

Thursday Card of the Day

Happy Technique Thursday!

Can you tell I have been having fun with the bokeh technique on watercolor backgrounds this week?
Maybe I should call it the "LH bokeh", ha!
You may have guessed how I did this from looking closely.
It's very easy! I like quick and easy!
 For more info on how I made my watercolor backgrounds, click HERE and HERE

 For "my bokeh" technique on today's card, I used square stamps in addition to circle stamps.

I experimented with several white inkpads.
My ColorBox pigment ink just happened to be nice and juicy.
(my white brilliance pad was rather dry, so I couldn't use that)
I randomly stamped the circles and squares then clear embossed them.

You may have noticed that I clear embossed the circles on Wednesday's Dragonfly Card too.

This may not be official "bokeh" technique, but it creates a fun look and texture, IMHO.


To complete my card, I added some fine twine.
Then, using white cardstock and distress inks, I stamped
Mike's Cloisonne Sea Turtle in peacock feathers,
Mini Shell in wild honey
Mini Gecko in peeled paint
and Mini Starfish in rusty hinge.
Fussy cut them and inked the edges.Attached to card with dimensional foam.
Added some dots of Viva Decor's transparent pen, sprinkling glitter on top.

Thanks for visiting! I hope you give this, or your own variation of bokeh a try!
I would love to see your creations! Have fun!!!

Stamps: 

Michael Strong Cloisonne Cloisonne Sea Turtle

Mini Cloisonne Creatures

Hero Arts Quatros-Retro Squares and Box of Dots

Inks
Frost White Colorbox pigment
 Distress: peacock feathers, wild honey, peeled paint, rusty hinge

Viva Decor Transparent pen with Hero Arts prisma glitter sprinkled on top

Wednesday Card of the Day

Happy Wednesday!
Today's card uses a bokeh technqiue over a watercolor background I made previously.
I will explain my version of bokeh on tomorrow's Technique Thursday post.
The dragonfly is Michael Strong's Cloisonne Dragonfly stamped in crushed olive distress ink,
clear embossed then fussy cut.
Wrapped some cotton cord over the watercolor layer before adhering it to the yellow card base.
Used dimensional foam to attach the dragonfly.

Tuesday-Card of the Day

Tuesday's Card of the Day for the Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group
features Mike's mini flower and mini creatures.
Starting with a watercolor background made previously,
I "painted" the entire surface with clear rock candy distress crackle paint.
I'm not sure how much of the crackle is visible. The surface is shiny and "crackly".
The colors of the background somehow remind me of sand, a red sunset and blue sky.
The sentiment is from Club Scrap.

Inks:
Distress: scattered straw, worn lipstick, wild honey, broken china
Versafine black onyx
Viva Decor Pearl, Glitter and Transparent pens:
Cream, Rose, Pea Green Glitter and Transparent

Monday Card of the Day

 Happy Monday!
This week I'm card captain at the Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group.

Today's card features Mike's Cloisonne Dragonfly.
I have added a bokeh technique to some watercolor backgrounds I made in April.
You can find more info on my watercolor backgrounds here and here.

I will give more details about my version of the bokeh technique on Thursday.

Mike's dragonfly and Tim Holtz's sentiment were stamped in versafine black onyx ink.

A piece of tulle was stapled on top. Then cotton thread was wrapped on that layer
before it was adhered to a green card.
Thanks for visiting! I hope you will "stay tuned" to this week's cards!