Jungle Animals

Hello Everyone,

I will be playing along with City Crafter Challenge, CASology, and Curtain Call. Here is my card for today, enjoy!

These baby animals are so cute cuddling next to each other.
All I did was stamp the animal image on kraft paper and colored it using PrismaColor Pencils. 

The sentiment was stamped in brick red directly on the kraft paper. I added the split banner to ground the animals and highlight the sentiment.

Challenges Entered:
City Crafter Challenge: Week 385- Jungle Animals
Curtain Call: Inspiration Challenge- Cuddle
CASology: Week 272- Cherish

Well, that should do it for me!! Thank you so much for stopping by and do appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to spend time with me. We will see you soon. Take care and happy stamping.

Hibiscus

Hello Everyone,

Today I am going to enter several challenges- Curtain Call, CAS watercolour challenge, CAS on Friday and AAA Cards. All the challenges were so inspirational for this project. Here is my card for today, enjoy!

My salt technique is ever so subtle.
All I wanted to accomplish was the faint texture of sand. 

A small simple sentiment goes nicely with the larger than life hibiscus.
I decided to reverse the Curtain Call photo and put the color in the background leaving the flower white. I think it really pops against these colors.  

This teeny tiny flower might have missed your radar.
Masking with post it notes worked well this little flower. The rest of the flower was also masked off using repositionable adhesive from my Zyron. Rolled some paper through the machine so the back would have the adhesive. Stamped on it, fussy cut and placed it over the original. 

 Challenges Entered:
Curtain Call: Hibiscus
CAS Watercolour: August 2017- Salt
AAA Cards: CAS Game- Masking
CAS on Friday: #115- One Layer Wonder

These flowers are so majestic and absolutely stunning! When discovering this flower I will usually stop and admire the sheer size of these things! And then there are the amazing variety of colors. Just awesome! Mother Nature sure knows what she's doing. 

Well, that should do it for me!! Thank you so much for stopping by and do appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to spend time with me. We will see you soon. Take care and happy stamping.

All the best, 
Shawna

Frosting

Hello Everyone,

For today I am going to be playing along with Curtain Call... I really enjoyed their inspiration photo. Just a side note, I also got very tempted to make some cupcakes!! Anyway, here is my card for today enjoy!

Challenges Entered:
Curtain Call: Frosting




Well, that should do it for me!! Thank you so much for stopping by and do appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to spend time with me. We will see you soon. Take care and happy stamping.

All the best,

Shawna

Fluttery Hydrangeas

Hello All,
For today I will be playing along with Curtain Call, Creative with Stamps and City Crafter Challenge. Here is my card for today, enjoy!!!

This card was actually inspired by a challenge by The Card Concept.
I had the idea in my head but didn't have time to get it
out on paper until I saw this perfect challenge!
Thank you!

The flowers were stamped and then heat embossed in white. This means when I colored the flowers using Distress Markers and an aqua pen. The ink would resist the embossing. This makes for an easy and full proof watercolor card. 

Hydrangeas can be vibrant and bold. However, in this case, I have decided to color them in subtle, soft tones. I also added a bit of Rusty Hinge around the perimeter of the flowers to add a bit of contrast.

Above/Left: I really enjoy the blue backdrop below the flowers.
I wanted it to resemble a vase. Below/Right: Fluttery butterflies die-cut out of patterned paper. I thought it was just enough pattern to make them pop.

Challenges Entered:

City Crafter Challenge Blog: Week 360- You Can Do it!

Curtain Call: Flutter

Creative with Stamps: Challenge #14- Flowers

 

I started this design with origami butterflies. I actually did a pretty good, and difficult, swallowtail. However, it just didn't blend with the flowers. Which is a pity because I wanted to showcase the little creature. I also made tiny origami butterflies for the card, but it was just too much... Maybe I will have to enter them separately... Who knows, maybe I will find time to make another card. 

Well, that should do it for me!! Thank you so much for stopping by and do appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to spend time with me. We will see you soon. Take care and happy stamping.

All the best,
Shawna

Watercolored Shell

Hello Everyone,

For today I am playing along Curtain Call and Inspired by All the Little Things. Green is one of my favorite colors. Both challenges have this component so I had to throw my hat in the ring. Here is my card for today, enjoy!

Behind the shell is actually a thank you stamp.
I really liked its detail.

Fussy cutting and raising the shell features the object.

Challenges Entered: 
Curtain Call: Green
Inspired by All the Little Things: Challenge #46

  

Well, thank you so much for dropping in to spend time with me. I really enjoyed this project. A lot of fun to create! I will be back, so until then take care and happy stamping everyone!!

All the best,
Shawna

Sweetness

Hello Crafty Friends,

For today I will be playing along with The Curtain Call, Freshly Made Sketches, and Cards in Envy. Here is my card for today, enjoy!

The color scheme for this card came directly
from Curtain Call. Glorious colors!! Great job DT's!!

I like the white pop of color coming from the edges of the images.
So festive and happy.

Below: Detail showing the hot choco cup and wonderful dry embossing .. 

Challenges Entered:

Freshly Made Sketches: FMS266

Curtain Call: Inspiration Challenge- Sweet

Cards in Envy: Wouldn't that be 'Sweet'

Well, that should do it for me!! Thank you so much for stopping by and do appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to spend time with me. We will see you soon, but until then take care and happy stamping.

All the best,
Shawna

Burlap Blessings

Hello All,

For today I am going to be playing along with Curtain Call! I loved the photo inspiration and thought I would throw my hat in the ring. Here is my card for today, enjoy!

Lots and lots of texture with this design. stenciled the wood grain  using embossing paste and then inking it, to the felt leaves in all shapes and colors. Finally, the burlap 'blessed' sentiment all come together to form a fantastic card.

Autumn colors adorn this card along with enough texture to choke a horse.

I love the juxtaposition of colors, shapes, and material choices.

Challenges Entered:
Curtain Call: #48- Felt

I know the 'day after' is hard on a lot of people in this country and around the world. But I implore you to stop where you are and look around. Most likely family, friends, and wonderful things are surrounding you right now. My husband said it beautifully- Remember to have faith in what is good in this world. I think I have to remind myself every now and then. And what a more perfect time to do it then now.

Well thank you so much for dropping in to spend time with me. I really enjoyed this project and I hope you did too. So until next time, take care, and happy stamping everyone!!

All the best,
Shawna

Beautiful Diva

Hello Readers,

For today I am writing on behalf of PINspirational to announce a new challenge for the next two weeks. Here is my inspiration card, enjoy...

A night out on the streets of Paris. I love the sentiment for this card.
The message really resonates to be yourself.

One layer card using digi elements from our generous sponsor,
Stamps by Julia Spiri.

______________________________________

Challenge #169

Fabulous and unique digi stamps.
by Stamps by Julia Spiri.
__________________________________________

Left: Our lady in red is showing some dimension with her shaded dress.
Right: Again the sentiment is fitting for the scene.

I want to show you the digi sets I had to work with..

  

This scene was relatively easy to create. I selected the elements needed for each set then they were scaled accordingly; printed out and then colored. These digi stamp elements were so much fun to work with. I added the hat on her head and of course she needed a bag.. Layering is essential for this design to work. I would imagine all photo editing software has a layering feature. So have fun and play around with your software. 

Challenges Entered:
Curtain Call: Cherry Bomb



That is it for me.. Thank you so much for joining me at TheGrandStampede and do hope to see you at PINspirational for these next two weeks.. Until then take care and happy crafting.

All the best,
Shawna 

Happy 4th U.S.A.

Hello Readers,

Today marks a special day at MHKDesigns. In honor of the U.S.A. we are releasing a new stamp set called 'Forever Wave'. This set is uniquely American and just delightful. Here is my card for today, enjoy!

Nothing is more American then a waving flag.
The sentiment, that also comes with the set, is a message I can't say enough.

Coloring the flag seemed to be a bit tricky.
I printed the flag at 50% opacity then colored it using a
combination of markers and colored pencils. 

By rotating and enlarging the image it acts as a kind
 directional marker to the sentiment.

There is a lot more to discover at MHKDesigns Etsy Shop! There always seems to something new to entice your creativity. I invite you to stop on over and see what we have to offer. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Challenges Entered:
Curtain Call: Cherry Bomb



Thank you so much for stopping by TheGrandStampede and joining me for this special release. I hope you will be able to join us this month at MHKDesigns challenge blog. If you don't yet have MHKDesigns product, not to worry, no purchase necessary to enter.

Just a note of thanks:
I want to extend a thank you to all who serve or have served our country. I am grateful for your sacrifice of time, family, and, yes, even life. Freedom to be me because of our Armed Services is what this beautiful flag so wonderfully represents. Thank you isn't enough but it is all I have.

All the best,

Supplies Used:

Forever Wave stamp set