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Thursday, October 31, 2019

spotlight coloring with neat & tangled

Lately I seem to be returning to some favorite stamping techniques and it's been fun sharing them with you! This card is some simple spotlight (or selective) coloring.
I love to use spotlight coloring for a few reasons...
  • it creates a really fresh & modern look
  • you can use it to create a strong focal point
  • it is a fabulous way to experiment with new coloring mediums without too much commitment to a project
  • and it can just save time because you only have to color a portion of the image

For this card I used the large ring from the Neat & Tangled Circular set to spotlight part of the bouquet from the Heartfelt Thanks set.

These two sets work perfectly together for this technique and it gave me a small (and not overwhelming) section to practice my coloring with pencils. I'm on a mission to use my neglected Polychromos!

You can see a little more in this quick video...


Thanks so much for stopping by and make sure you head over to the Neat & Tangled blog to see more and learn about prizes!!!

Have a great day!
Carly

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

4 winter card ideas with catherine pooler designs

The holidays are busy so if there is only time for one handmade thing, I vote for creating cards. Well...I also vote for cookies so let's hope there is time for two handmade things but maybe I can help you a little bit with 4 ideas using stamps from Catherine Pooler's Retro Winter collection!
I'm loving this collection of products! The colors are dreamy and the stamps are perfect for all sorts of cards, from Christmas to birthday!
The Chillin Snowflakes set is just perfect paired with dots for a really fun, retro pattern.

For the first card, I used little circle stencils (really just acetate cut with circle dies) and blending brushes to create the pattern of colored dots.
For the second dot card, I used a big circle cut from masking paper to mask off a focal point before applying Hot Tub ink to the panel. BTW, isn't that a gorgeous color?!
 And you know I had to make a shaker card right? I love shakers and there's a new sequin mix so it was fate really! LOL!
I used glimmer paste over Hot Tub ink for the shaker background and topped it with a little mug of cocoa from the the Baby It's Cold Outside set.
For the last card, I tinted some white acrylic paint by swiping the Sangria ink pad on my non-stick mat and then mixing with a little bit of white paint.
Then I used the paint to make a messy striped background.




Thanks so much for stopping by!
Carly


supplies:
affiliate links may be used at no additional cost to you. thank you!
Catherine Pooler Designs Chillin Snowflakes
Catherine Pooler Designs Baby It's Cold Outside stamps & dies
Catherine Pooler Designs Inks Orange Peel, Pink Champagne, Sangria, Hot Tub & Midnight
Catherine Pooler Cincinnati Sequins
Copic Markers V05, RV52, RV66 & BG10
Watercolor Cardstock
Acetate
Masking Paper
Glimmer Paste

faux watercolor stamping techniques with neat & tangled

Do you have a stamping technique that makes you happy every time you do it? Maybe it's hard to pick just one but I think my favorite might be this faux watercolor technique!
I love this technique because it is so easy and I'm always happy with the results!

Here's what you need...
  • an outline stamp (I especially love florals like the Neat & Tangled Heartfelt Thanks)
  • water reactive inks like Distress or Distress Oxide
  • a spray bottle with clean water
  • MISTI stamping tool
  • watercolor cardstock
And here's how you do it...

  • ink up stamp with a couple of colors (make sure to apply inks lightest to darkest)
  • mist stamp generously with water and stamp onto watercolor cardstock (and leave stamp in place on MISTI)
  • let cardstock dry or heat set to speed up the process
  • clean stamp (without removing from MISTI), ink with black and stamp over the dried faux watercolor 

Thanks so much for stopping by and make sure you head over to the Neat & Tangled blog to see more and learn about prizes!!!

Have a great day!
Carly

supplies:
affiliate links may be used at no additional cost to you. thank you!
Distress Oxide Inks Picked Raspberry & Carved Pumpkin

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

joseph's coat technique with neat & tangled

You can called it "Joseph's Coat" or just plain ol' embossed resist but either way it is a fabulous stamping technique! 

And doesn't it look cute with dots?! In my opinion, everyone needs a good set of dot stamps like the new Neat & Tangled Circular set! :)
When I was a brand new stamper, this was one of the techniques that really blew my mind. How do you get rainbow colors on black?!?!
If you haven't tried it yet, here are the simple steps...

  • create a rainbow on white cardstock. I did a quick watercolor with Distress Oxides but you could ink blend or color with markers.
  • stamp dots from Neat & Tangled's Circular set onto the rainbow background with clear embossing ink and emboss with clear powder.
  • cover the entire panel with black ink and then use a barely damp cloth to remove ink from the embossed dots, letting the color show through.
Something to note...I used Black Soot Distress Oxide and since it is water-reactive, I sealed it with Distress Glaze AFTER I wiped off the embossed dots. Sealing with the glaze kept me from smearing black ink back onto my rainbow dots while finishing my card.

Thanks so much for stopping by and make sure you head over to the Neat & Tangled blog to see more and learn about prizes!!!

Have a great day!
Carly


supplies:

Monday, October 28, 2019

simple colored pencil shading with neat & tangled

I have a fabulous but neglected set of Polychromos and I know I need to challenge myself to learn some simple colored pencil techniques.

With beautiful new Neat & Tangled stamps in my craftroom, it seems like the perfect time!
For this card, I decided to start with just a little basic shading using the Neat & Tangled Heartfelt Thanks stamp.

I stamped and embossed it 3 different times on kraft cardstock to create the patterned card front. The kraft cardstock makes the card easy by providing most of the color. And it feels perfect for fall!
Then I used a brown pencil (Nougat actually,) to add a little bit of shading in the flower centers.

For the sentiment, I stamped and embossed it on pumpkin colored cardstock and I love the harvest-y result!
Thanks so much for stopping by and make sure you head over to the Neat & Tangled blog to see more and learn about prizes...you can win the Heartfelt Thanks set!!!

Have a great day!
Carly

supplies:

Friday, October 18, 2019

holiday shaker cards with essentials by ellen & mft

Are you looking for some Christmas card motivation and inspiration? Hopefully I can help a teeny tiny bit with some holiday shaker cards I created using Essentials by Ellen and My Favorite Things stamps, dies, stencils and more!
I am deep in my appreciation of October...scary movies, Halloween candy, cinnamon tea & fuzzy socks...BUT I am in holiday creating mode!
I have to admit that I have a hard time making many multiples of one card, even for Christmas, so these cards were a great compromise! The base was easy to duplicate but I can make unique little shaker "polaroids". 

You can see the process in this quick video...





You can check out what my friends have been creating by just clicking their pics...

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter


Thanks so much for stopping by!
Carly


supplies:

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

3 snowflake cards + the honey bee stamps season to sparkle hop

I love creating handmade holiday cards with snowflakes and sparkle! 

Hopefully you are joining us for the Honey Bee Season To Sparkle Hop Day 2 and arriving from Bobbi Lemanski's fantastic blog! 
Before you hop on to the fabulous blog of Jessica Frost-Ballas, let's talk about making some sparkly snowflake cards!



I recently rediscovered the Nuvo Shimmer Powders in my craft room...you find a lot of treasures when you have to pack it up for moving. The powders are a mix of dry pigments & mica and they are so fun to play with!

You can see how these cards came together in this quick video...





One more thing before you hop along, Honey Bee is giving away a $30 gift card to a lucky & random commenter so make sure to comment on each stop on the hop for a chance to win!


Thanks so much for stopping by!
Carly


supplies:

cards for infant & pregnancy loss with pinkfresh studio

Today is a special day that I didn't even know existed last year...Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day. 

This day is important because it raises awareness and support for the estimated 1 in 4 families that suffer this devastating loss. I can speak from personal experience that it truly helps to know that you are not alone.

Last winter my husband and I were expecting our son Lincoln. After two previous miscarriages, we were overjoyed. But at 19 weeks and 3 days my water broke and we lost him. I'm crying right now just trying to put the pain of our loss into words. It's the pain of losing him that day but also the pain of all the moments we will never have with him. It still takes my breath away.

And while it is hard to write this post, creating this card was a joy. Lea Lawson and Pinkfresh Studio have designed a truly beautiful stamp set to raise awareness, to convey love & support and to contribute to Lea's fundraiser in honor of her son Layton.
I hope you will head over to Lea's blog to learn more about Layton's Legacy.

And I hope you will take a little time to create something soon. Cardmaking has been such a gift to me while I grieve. Not only does creating make me happy, but I have met so many wonderful people through crafting and the cards they sent me after Lincoln died meant so much.

Now if you want to know a little more about creating this card, you can watch my video. I managed to get all the way to the end before I choked up.


You can find the beautiful Forever In Our Hearts stamp set HERE.


Thank you so very much for stopping by today! Hugs!
Carly


supplies:
Catherine Pooler Inks Coral Cabana, Party Dress & Pixie Dust
Copic Markers R21, R32, RV14, RV55, RV52, C5, C6 & 100

Saturday, October 12, 2019

easy diy pop-up card

I'm over on the Neat & Tangled blog today with a cardmaking video and an easy technique for creating a DIY pop-up card.

Come on over!
Carly

Sunday, October 6, 2019

cardmaking with felt + essentials by ellen october hop

Fall weather makes me want to add a little cozy to all the things, including my cards so I turn to felt!
Hopefully you are joining us for the Essentials by Ellen October Release hop and arriving from Jessica's amazing blog! And before you hop on to my sparkly friend Carissa's blog, let's talk about felt!!!

Felt is a fabulous addition to cards because it adds a little texture but isn't too bulky. Wool felt is also easy to die cut and just darn cute! 

Tips for using felt:
  • choose the right felt - wool felt die cuts beautifully but acrylic felt can be hard to get a clean cut.
  • choose the right adhesive - I like making felt "stickers" with double-sided adhesive.
  • be careful when using low-tack tape to hold down dies while running through die cutting machine. Try to place tape on the edge of dies because removing the tape after die cutting can pull/snag felt and you don't want that on the shape you are going to use.
See a little more in this quick video...




Thanks so much for stopping by! And don't forget to check out what Carissa has made!

Hugs!
Carly


P.S. See the whole new Essentials by Ellen release HERE!

supplies: