I love August and September the MOST in terms of crafting, because we get to focus on my favorite themed cards - Halloween, Fall and Christmas. You have to admit that those are the best stamping times of the year.
I'm hopping along with Technique Junkies today, because my sweet friend Jeanne showed me a stamp I had no power to resist. I'll get to that in a second. They are releasing 21 new stamp sets today!
But first - fall. Leaves are probably my favorite thing to watercolor, because they are so detailed and I can really use any colors I want - I don't think there's a color in the world that isn't represented on the foliage of upstate New York. I used to spend hours in the Mt. Hope cemetery on our campus in Rochester in the fall, alone, just looking at the leaves and enjoying the peace. I miss that a lot. So I put it on my cards a lot.
On the first image - I have no idea how one of my old gel prints made its way to the top of my "later" pile, but when I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for this stamp. It's actually not even a print - it's one of the pieces of cardstock I clean my brayer on after loading paint onto my Gel Press. It looks like the plaid in a taffeta dress I had when I was a kid that I loved.
I used kind of a layered process here. First, I set up the stamp in my MISTI, and stamped it onto the print. Then I took a small paintbrush and carefully painted over the leaves with Dina Wakley paint. After that dried, I re-stamped the image in Versafine, bringing the detail back to the leaves. I added embossing powder because the ink would never dry on that paint.Then I penciled in a shadow with a 90% cool grey Prismacolor pencil around each of the leaves, rubbing it with a Fantastix to blur it out a bit. They look so pretty sort of in reverse, with all the color in the background. This stamp set is called Beautiful Autumn.
For Christmas, I love to give treats. My two favorites are the Alton Brown Free-Range Fruitcake, which is the recipe that made me go from hating fruitcake to loving it, and my candied jalapenos, which I could eat every single day. I love decorating the little jars, and finally have a stamp set that's perfect for the accompanying Christmas card - Happiness is Homemade. It has three beautiful canning images. I wanted to get some purple in here, so I chose this image. I colored it like a Texas dewberry with Daniel Smith Watercolor. (Colors listed below the card). The sentiment is from Gifts of Christmas.
Now here's the stamp set Jeanne knew I couldn't resist. Christmas Kitty. Just HILARIOUS. I paired it with a stenciled background in Smoky Slate ink, after masking the kitty with masking paper. After I stenciled it, I removed the stencil and brushed grey all over to sort of blur it out. Then I added a sentiment from Gifts of Christmas, and peeled the mask of the kitty. I colored his hat and eyes with Tombow Markers.
The more you comment the more chances you have to win, so don't miss a single stop along the hop! Gift Certificate winners will be announced on September 5th. Only one comment entry per blog please.
All of the September 2017 New Release stamps are 15% off through August 8th! We can all use a little bargain, right? No codes needed, just put them in your shopping cart and the discount will be applied at checkout.
Ready for the next blog? Head over to Lanette Erickson's site next!
Thanks for being part of the Technique Junkies September release. You've made some beautiful entries. So glad to have you. Happy Hopping!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your great ideas using the new stamps!
ReplyDeleteI love all of your cards and am going to try the plaid looking technique on the 1st one. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteEllen
My goodness! What an amazing variety of cards! While the cat card softly scream "Lydia!" I'm 100% enamored by the background on the first card. How gorgeous! You rock!
ReplyDeleteI adore that kitty in the santa hat, and you used him to such great effect. That goofy expression, peeking out at you from the bottom of the card is brilliant. :)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about those plaid dresses and it does look like them! I love that first card with the leaves and how you gave them that look. The other two cards are adorable!
ReplyDeleteWow! Great use of the cast off paper!
ReplyDeleteI love how your cards are so unique. You put your designs together in ways I wouldn't imagine and come out with beautiful cards.
ReplyDeleteFell in love with the look of the first card with the color in the background. The leaves really pop! Can't wait until my stamp arrives.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards! I am a lover of jewel tones and fall. Thanks for sharing your wonderful art.
ReplyDeleteI really love your cards, Lydia! the first one is so beautiful, the second one makes my mouth water and the third one is too, too cute!
ReplyDeleteI also love leaves and just love the look you gave them. The other two cards are great too!
ReplyDeleteOh my! Oh my! I love them all. The 1st one is quite spectacular and to think that was created from rubbing your brayer off!!! The 2nd is simply lovely. You know what's coming......that cat!!! 4.95? Wowzers! I have to have it! Thanks for inspring!
ReplyDeleteI am in love with the leaves card esp. the colors you used...I might have to give it a try...thank you.
ReplyDeleteLydia, these cards are wonderful - I especially love the rich, beautiful colors in the first card! What a great new release! Can't wait to go shopping :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove all the cards, but the kitty one is especially precious!!!
ReplyDeletegorgeous cards! funny how your excess ink paper made a fantastic background! I am terrible, I save all those pieces but they don't seem to look as cool as yours.
ReplyDeleteAlicia
Wow! I love your colouring so much!!! The background of your first card is flawless!!!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are always fantastic Lydia and today's are no exception. I too love this "cat in the hat", (couldn't resist that one! LOL)
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I too love giving homemade treats as gifts like jars of pickles and jams. Although I don't make fruit cake (although I could), I love to eat it. I never understood why so many people hate it???
You make incredible cards! They are all gorgeous but this kitty card is just adorable. Love how you colored him or her. Great holiday card.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards! Love the autumn card!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love the card with the leaves! Love everything about it....the funky background (so laughing on how it was done), the contrast of black & white leaves and the sentiment. Priceless!
ReplyDeleteThe color on the first card is simply beautiful. I love all of them, but that was my favorite.
ReplyDeleteLove all of your cards but I think the kitty is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are perfect! I am in love with this cute cat one ! Thanks for the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the colours in the first two cards and then I saw the third one. I have two cats so it is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteThat is one stinkin' cute kittie ... and fabulous purple on the berry jar ... love them all.
ReplyDeleteFall leaves is stunning, all your cards are great, love the cat!
ReplyDeleteI have never understood a brayer, but your background is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your beautiful cards, Lydia. I also like to use my "brayer cleaning" papers as backgrounds on my cards so particularly love your first - really beautiful - autumn card!
ReplyDeleteWhat fabulous cards these all are!! Your leaves card is amazing and so unique!! I also enjoy giving homemade jams and treats for the holidays, so I obviously love your Christmas card tons and bunches!! And your cat card is cracking me up! I just might have to get it for my baby brother alone, as he loves funny cat things of any and all kinds, lol!! Thanks for the marvelous inspiration, Lydia!!
ReplyDeleteYou're sooooo amazing! I love them all. Gorgeous!
ReplyDeletelove your cards, especially the autumn one.
ReplyDeleteWonderful cards and love all of your backgrounds too! I am loving the way you showcased the kitten image : )
ReplyDeleteGreat cards! xoxo
ReplyDeletelove them mf!! love how you did the leaves on the first card, such a distinct and artsy look....the cat made me giggle...
ReplyDeletexx Karen
Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know which card I love more :-) but I think it's the kitty!!!! Great cards!!
ReplyDeleteTY for the wonderful ideas. I can relate to your cemetery posting. I used to do gravestone rubbings at cemeteries- can't get anymore peaceful.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous cards! I love the colors in the Autumn card and the saying too.
ReplyDeleteWonderful. I like the pretty background on the leaf card. Perfect card to give with your food gifts. I like the stenciled background for the Santa kitty.
ReplyDeleteAwesome. I love the fall as well. 😊
ReplyDeleteGreat cards! Love Santa Cat!
ReplyDeleteSooooo .... now I'm gonna need another of Technique Junkies' cat stamps!!! Darling! Gotta show that preserves project to my DD ... she's another that adores giving homemade goodies from the kitchen! Happy blog hop!
ReplyDelete~Bev
Love those Autumn colors! Thanks for putting all of the supplies down!
ReplyDeleteLydia, I love these cards! They are so amazing, each in it's own way. I love the kitty, too, I can see why you couldn't resist. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletesuch beautiful cards!
ReplyDeletePretty cards! I love the background on the first one, and the jam jar on the second... but that Christmas Kitty steals the show... love it! Want it!
ReplyDeleteWonderful detailed images.
ReplyDeleteFabulous cards!
Inspiring and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSuper cards.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work as always but oh my I LOVE your Christmas kitty card! That image looks just like one of my fur babies.....only he is not wearing a Santa hat. ;) Techinique Junkies is a new stamp company I have just "discovered." Glad I did!
ReplyDeleteThese are great cards. . .love the Autumn quote. TFS on the blog hop.
ReplyDeleteWow I like them all. Thanks for Sharing
ReplyDeleteVery creative!
ReplyDeleteThree beautifully crafted cards. Love all the new stamps releases. Thanks for the blog hop and chance to win some great stamps.
ReplyDeleteLovely cards. I will try some of your techniques!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards...thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are lovely. I especially like the kitty one, because I would not have thought about putting that image with those words, so clever.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful cards. Thank you for explaining how you designed each card. Love the leaves card and that saying which I'll just have to have!
ReplyDelete