Our Daily Bread Designs Shining Light Challenge #123

Well, I just realized I've missed the deadline for this challenge.  Dog gone timezones!  My card probably wouldn't "count" anyway, because after doing it I realized the challenge was to STAMP your own background.  Mine was a new technique to me, but it didn't use stamps!

The gears are from a package by Petaloo, Color Me Crazy chipboard Gears.  I placed them on white paper, then sprayed on Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist "Tattered Leather" -- but you can't see the "glimmer" in the photo.  Oh well, maybe next time.

Joan's Gardens Weekly Challenge #34

 The challenge was to use blue and white, have a tree, a snowman, and a corner embellishment.

The white paper is by Astrobrights, maybe "Stardust White", and the blue papers are from my stash.
  Northwoods Rubber Stamps made the Think Snow stamp.  It was stamped using the second-darkest blue in the Kaleidacolor "Blue Breeze" rainbow dye ink-pad, then I "stamped off" to get the shadow words.
  The tree is by Stampin' Up (maybe Lovely as a Tree set), and the snowman is from Stampin' Up in 2000.  The tree was stamped in Vivid! "Sky Blue" ink, with some VersaMark Dazzle in the background.The snowman was inked in Hero Arts Shadow "Soft Grey," then his snowflakes and strings were colored with the Stampin' Up "Pool Party" marker before stamping.  The stamped image was then colored-in using a variety of materials.  Stampin' Up markers for his carrot nose "Peach Parfait", his eyes & mouth "Pacific Point", and "So Saffron" for the yellow in his hat and scarf.  The blue in the hat and scarf, as well as his buttons were water-color painted using the same Kaleidacolor ink as the sentiment.  Copic markers were used for his stick arms E25 "Caribe Cocoa" and the shadows around him BG10 "Cool Shadow" (good thing it wasn't warm shadow - LOL!).
   The corner embellishment is a Stampin' Up snowflake punch.  You probably can't tell, but I used the matching stamp with VersaMark Dazzle and embossed the snowflake with an iridescent embossing powder before punching it out.   
    Play along at:  http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2012/09/this-weeks-challenge_20.html
P.S.  After I had posted the card and linked it to the challenge site, I decided the tree needed snow to tie it into the rest of the card. 

Red & Green - OWH Mid-week Throwdown

Operation Write Home (OWH) has a weekly sketch challenge on Sundays, and then a "mid-week throw-down" challenge.   This week the throw-down is to do red & green cards for our heroes to send home to their families.  Naturally, that said Christmas to me.

I may have to try some non-Christmas ones, too!  If you'd like to play along, here's the link:
   http://operationwritehome.org/stampers-best-giveaway/

Fisherman Colored

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Here is the fisherman image, colored with Copic markers.  I followed the colors on the wooden stamp block, but it's not a great result.  It seems to have lost much of the detail with the coloring.  I guess I just don't know how to color detailed images like this one.  Anyone have any tips to share?

OWH Sketch Challenge #138 – Hero Arts week!

This week's OWH sketch is a nice, simple one.  The distressing on my card image looks much better in person.  I stamped the two-step flowers in two shades of pink and two shades of purple. 

If you want to play along, here's the link:  http://operationwritehome.org/sketch-challenge-138-with-hero-arts/

Hope you are having a good week.