June is all about the coloring!

Hi Friends!

If you are anything like me, you are 12 days into #thedailymarker30day Coloring Challenge with @KathyRac.  I've committed to carving out a little bit of me time each day to color!  It's fun, relaxing and at the end of 30 days I'll have tons of components for future projects.

Kathy says if you practice your coloring daily you will really improve your skills and I'm beginning to see the truth in that. You can follow along with me @cardhappyone on Instagram and see what I'm coloring.  It's a busy month in my family so some days it's just a critter or two...others something floral...and occasionally I will pull together an entire card.  Here is my favorite so far....

I made an ink blended background with Distress Ink and then topped it with images from the Essentials by Ellen So Matcha stamp and die set.  I love the way it turned out SO MATCHA!!!

I invite you to carve out 10 minutes for yourself each day to color and get your Zen on!  You'll find improving your skills is just an added bonus!!  Happy coloring😊😊😊😊😊

Seeing Black and White and Red all over!

Today I'm continuing the Black and White trend, but with a twist...RED!!!  As you know from my last post I'm crazy for black and white, but add in another strong color and its the bomb 💣.  My favorites are bright colors...especially turquoise, fuchsia, or yellow...the contrast is spectacular!

The first card mixes a technique I've been wanting to try for a while....creating a background with washi tape and a strong color palette.  I love washi tape almost as much as I love patterned paper (they come in so many color and print combinations). I just can't resist them and my collection of both continues to grow.  Is that a problem? if so...I'm thinkin it's a good problem😊.  Am I right?

So...I created my background using different widths of black and white and red and white washi tape on a red note card.  I used a criss-cross pattern and randomly added layers until I was satisfied with the overall look.  I also cut out some shapes from patterned papers and a few little critters that I previously colored with Copic markers. They were wearing red accessories...so of course they needed to jump on these cards!

For the Washi background, I decided on a red and white polka dotted hexagon using the Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Hexagons Die set.  Then I cut a circle out of it with the MFT Inside and Out Circle Stax.  I used the same die to cut out a black and white polka dot circle which I inset into the hexagon.

Finally, I added Birch the bunny from Purple Onion Designs with foam tape for dimension and a cute sentiment from the Koalifications stamp set from Neat and Tangled.  The finished product (although a little busy 😎) makes me smile.

I was having so much fun with this color scheme, I decide to make a second card using Blizzard the husky from Purple Onion designs.  Since the first card was a little busy🙈 I went for a more simplistic approach this time.

I began with the same red note card and added a stitched rectangle from MFT cut from black cardstock with a really subtle print on it.  I topped that with a red and white polka dot square with a pinked edged...and finally Blizzard!  Then I heat embossed a fun sentiment from the Essentials by Ellen set All Inside by Julie Ebersole and my second card was complete!

I encourage you to use a color palette as your inspiration and see where it takes you.  You might be surprised and delighted by your final destination...I know I was.  HUGS!!

Black, White, and Beautiful!

Hi all! 

Today I am mixing up some of my favorite things💟... Patterned Paper (polka dots, stripes and hounds tooth) plus Black and White❤❤👀! I started out with the Rustic Botanicals stamp and die set by Julie Ebersole for Ellen Hutson (I adore this set!!) and stamped them on Neenah white cardstock using Hero Arts Black Ink. 

For added impact I heat embossed them with Wow Clear Embossing Powder and cut them out with the matching die cuts. I love the gloss and slight dimension that embossing adds.  I have been borrowing a heat gun from my husbands work bench, but I think he was tired of having to search for it every time he wanted to use it so I ordered my own...and am so happy I did!

I picked a selection of black and white papers that spoke to me and then went about the business of planning out how I was going to put it all together.  I also cut out Brushstroke Hello by Julie Ebersole in black and white glossy cardstock.

 In the end, I was able to turn this collection of components into three cards using a strong black and white patterned paper as the background and a coordinating paper as an accent.  The sentiments and botanicals pop off the backgrounds and are fresh and fun!

The first one I left strictly black and white and just added 3 little enamel dots as a finishing touch...well, HELLO lovely!

On the second one I added just a hint of color by filling in some of the circles above the stripe with a
Ranger Distress Marker in cracked pistachio.  I think it added that little something that was missing.

 And on the final card, I decided to add the hint of color to the floral component by using Ranger Distress markers in Cracked pistachio on the leaves and Barn Door on the flower.  The final touch was an enamel dot in the center of the flower and the word Thanks.

I hope you will try using your favorite color combination to create some cards with a monochromatic feel...You may even surprise yourself with what you come up with!  HUGS!!