Crocheted Striped Baby Sweater

Made this crocheted sweater using

Simone Jaeger’s instructions on her 

6/15/12 Tutorial: simple crochet striped hooded baby jacket

My hood came out too big, so I made a collar instead.

Made the 3-6 month size with Red Heart Soft yarn and a size H (5.00 mm) crochet hook.

Sea Themed Anniversary Card

I guess I'm dreaming of a beautiful orange sunset on a sandy beach.

My anniversary card is

made with Michael Strong's Mini Creatures

stamped in distress sponged sugar, shabby shutters, dried marigold

and 

Stampscapes Couple stamped in Versafine black onyx.

Bottom of layer stamped with Stampscapes Hot Sun to resemble sand

using wild honey.

Sponging done with ripe persimmon and spiced marmalade.

Fibers tied onto a layer that was embossed with Cuttlebug tiny bubble

which was sponged in cracked pistachio.

2015 Summer Challenge Card

Here's my card for the Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group 

Summer Challenge: express "The lazy days of summer".

I just had to make another watercolor background as you can see
using Michael Strong's Alphabet set
and an oval punch to cut the letters.
Also used his Mini Creatures
stamping with distress inks, fussy cutting and sponging edges.
Distress inks:
wild honey, salty ocean, mowed lawn, abandoned coral, rusty hinges

July-August 2015 Sketch

I made this card for the July-August Sketch 

at the Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group

You can see the sketch here on Hetty's blog.

I'm just having so much fun with watercolors.

Just wanted to mention that my friend gave me my set of 28 watercolor "cakes".

I think they are made by Simbalion.

I cut a scalloped circle from my "faux" watercolor paper with a Nestabilities die.

Then cut a square slightly larger than the circle

and embossed it with Cuttlebug's Tiny Bubbles.

Cut a "paper ribbon" and sponged it with distress squeezed lemonade.

Stamped  Michael Strong's Mini Cloisonne Creatures on cardstock,

fussy cut and sponged all with distress inks:

shell-abandoned coral

starfish-wild honey

gecko-mowed lawn.

Used Versafine Black Onyx to stamp:

Stampscapes Gulls and Spear Fisher stamps

and the Hero Arts sentiment.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Aqua Painter Birthday Beach Cards

Inspiration for these two birthday cards was from Julie Gearinger's blog.

I used the same "faux" watercolor paper as on Thursday's post.

For the aqua painting:

Place distress inkpads directly on craft sheet.

Pick up color with aqua painter.

Use distress abandoned coral for the sky-mask the sun with a circle first,
 mermaid lagoon for water,

mowed lawn and frayed burlap for palm trees.

Trees were cut from Georgia Pacific 110 lb index paper awhile ago
with Lynette's Cutttlebug At The Beach die and embossing set.

Note to self: watercolor paper works better when aqua painting.

I ran the palm trees through my corrugation tool after the ink dried

because I had forgotten to emboss them.

Make "sand" from torn cream colored paper.

Stamp multiple times and with just parts of the Stampscapes Tonal Applicator 084E
with SU creamy caramel ink.

Stamp Michael Strong's mini creatures on scrap cardstock
gecko in mowed lawn
shell in scattered straw
starfish in wild honey.
Fussy cut, sponge color on edges and adhere with dimensional foam.
The blue card base is from my stash.

Using a kraft card base, I used a Woodgrain embossed layer in white
which was sponged in creamy caramel.
then a nestabilities die cut oval from my "faux" watercolor paper.

Aqua paint the coral and lagoon as the above card
but add aqua painted "sand" with Stampin' UP!'s creamy caramel.
Use Stampscapes Tonal Applicator stamp in Stampin' Up!'s creamy caramel ink

Stamp over the sand area multiple times
using parts of the toner stamp.
Stampscapes birds stamped in Versafine Black Onyx.
The Hero Arts birthday sentiment stamped in mermaid lagoon
on a separate layer that's sponged in lagoon.