Baby Pink Card - Two Ways

I'm a card designer who likes to explore different styles. My favorite style by far is mixed media, followed closely by shabby chic because both seem to come naturally to me. It's like my brain thinks in layers. 

And while I admire clean and simple cards, the style is as elusive to me as liking exercise. I swear to goodness, I just LOOK at some white space and BAM! an inky thumbprint appears. 

So since there are a bevy of challenges I wanted to play along in this week, I decided to try my hand at creating both shabby chic AND clean and simple cards. 

My shabby chic card is inspired by the swath of pink flowers in the inspiration image at Inkspirational and the sketch challenge at Beccy's place. 

 

I wanted to create an uplifting card and I bought a brand new kit from Unity Stamp Company that's perfect for anyone worrying in this time of uncertainty. 

I'm in loooove with all the texture in this design and also with that big scrawly sentiment. 

My next card was inspired by three different challenges: STAMPlorations CAS card challenge's current theme is anything goes with the option of baby pink. I'm also using the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches. 

 

And there's a really cool technique challenge at the CAS Mixed Media Challenge that I've never tried before: gesso resist. 

I've done resist with a lot of things, but I've never tried it with gesso. 

I painted a stamp I had from the STAMPlorations Trendy Butterflies stamp set with a thin layer of gesso and then stamped it into the center of my paper. I apparently hadn't cleaned my stamp from the inking before and so it turned out a little gray - which I actually didn't hate. 

Gesso resist definitely isn't as foolproof as embossing resit. I found that I couldn't quite wipe away all of the color, but nonetheless it was pretty. 

I sponged it with some Distress Inks, splashed with a little bit of water, and then used some Pink Distress Oxide Spray Stain to add a little bit of darker splatter. I finished it with a simple sentiment.

It was a fun challenge to try such different styles! Which one do you like best?

Layered Mixed Media Card Ken Oliver Color Burst Tutorial

If you've been following along on my blog, you know I've been stuck in CAS (or the Becca version of CAS anyway) for quite a little jaunt. 

I was bound and determined to break myself out of that zone and this weekend I set out to get messy. REAL messy. 

 

I also realized that it's been awhile since I've made an official tutorial for you, my bloggy followers (although I do post regular tutorials on both the STAMPlorations and Coffee Loving Papercrafters blogs). 

Here is my remedy for that! PS If you like the tutorial, please consider Pinning it!

To be completely truthful, this card was alllllllmost a CAS design. I stamped a lovely tree from the Wendy Vecchi Card Art Sentiments stamp set.I thought I'd create a scene with the tree using some Ken Oliver Color Burst Crystals.... SO I spritzed my paper with water, plopped some crystals on, AND - hated  the result. It's not at all the lovely scene I was picturing. 

So what did I do? Rather than putting the project into the trash bin, I cut it into different sized rectangles and started layering. 

I used a dry brush and some gesso on a sheet of black paper for my base. I love the look of the brush strokes still in plain view. 

Once I was happy with the position of my rectangles (and don't ask, please HOW many times I rearranged the pieces) I started gluing them down and defining the edges using a Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen.<----psssttt these pens are divine for writing over pretty much any mixed media surfaces!

OOOOOOooo - I think defining the edges really helps to make the individual pieces POP. I also added a layer of white scribbles to the edge of my black cardstock, using a white gel pen. 

I didn't want to cover up too much of my colorful panels, so I added a bold black butterfly die cut (PSSTTT... you can get it for 20% off in the STAMPlorations shop by using code STAMPGIRLBECCA) and a vellum overlay with a simple sentiment. 

I'm going to link up my creation to the following challenges:
More Mixed Media Challenge - ATG + Brights
Creative Craft Cottage - Add a Butterfly
Mix It Up - Anything Goes + Optional Paper Piecing

Taaaadaaaa! Messy beauty achieved. I'll have you know that creating this little number broke me out of my CAS shell and I'm back to my mixed media love.

Day 4 - International Mixed Media Week + FUSION!

I am continuing the International Mixed Media Week festivities (you can read more about this farce in my blog post from Monday)!!

It's also another day of celebration because the latest FUSION challenge has arrived!

 

If you haven't played at FUSION before, you can choose either the sketch OR the image, or you can mash them both together and create a fusion! I hope you'll come play along with me! 

Just look at that dreamy inspiration image!! I was totally and completely inspired to create a watercolor piece using the bright colors. 

If you were here earlier in the week, you would have seen the two Ken Oliver Color Burst backgrounds I created, along with my promise to tell you what I did with the second one later. Welp, it's later.

For this card, I wanted to let the Color Burst crystals do the shining. So I decided to add some mixed media bits and bobs, but made sure to keep a lot of color as the focal point. 

Like my first card, I used some glossy black embossing paste, but this time I used it through a delicate Winnie & Walter stencil and only in selected areas. 

I grabbed a bunch of different buttons and metal gears and started painting them black. 

If you want to paint metal successfully, add a layer of gesso to it first. Then let it dry and paint over it with black. My buttons all started out with these pastelly colors that wouldn't have matched my design at all! 

I adhered my bits and bobs to my background, and then selectively highlighted some pieces with InkaGold to give it a little more visual appeal. 

I added Distress Crayon around the edges and smudged, along with a white gel pen border. I finished off the look with some sentiment stickers by Tim Holtz. 

Taaaaadaaaaaa!

I should also mention that part of the reason I chose to use the bits and bobs was because I also wanted to play along in the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge: Buttons. 

I'm also going to link my card up to Crafty Gals Corner - Buttons, and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Bit o Green.

Thank you all for popping by! I hope you'll go see what the rest of my teamies have made because you DON'T want to miss out on this inspiration!

Mixed Media Mother's Day Card with SO MUCH Texture!

You guys, you guys, you guys, I'm doing so many happy dances over this card I'm about to show you. I. Absolutely. LOVE IT! 

Look at all that texture - isn't it so dreeeeammmy? Ok, I'm a little bit of a freak for texture and I found a really awesome combo that I WILL be using again (and again and again). 

How did this happy circumstance come about, you ask? I'm glad you asked. 

Take a look at this STUNNING inspiration image from the new The Card Concept challenge. 

There are so many ways to be inspired here. If you haven't played at The Card Concept yet, it is fab. The design team is made up of card artists who span from clean and simple to mixed media and everything in between! So no matter what style of cards YOU make, your designs will be ogled and admired!

Now let me show you how I made my card! 

I rubbed some Dina Wakely gesso onto a piece of kraft cardstock with my fingers and then stamped some grunge.

Next, I added a layer of Ranger texture paste through the STAMPlorations Dots All Over stencil. 

And over the top of that, I drizzled some Dusty Concord and Tattered Rose Distress Spray stains. 

I used a concentrated spritz of water over the top of my drizzle lines, and let it drip down the page. 

Over the top of that I added some FaberCastell Glass Bead Glitter Gel. And ohmygoodness guys! This is the first time I've used this glass bead glitter gel and I'm in <3 <3 <3! It's so sparkly and adds a GREAT texture. 

Over the top of my mess, I added some gauze ribbon that I pulled apart and then I added a vellum sentiment overlay (this sentiment is from the Verve Button Best stamp set. 

Definitely gaga over this one, so I'm not even sorry for the picture heavy post! 

I'm going to link up my design to these awesome challenges:
Craft Stamper Take It Make It - Anything Goes
Inky Chicks - Flowers (stamps or as embellishments)
Crafty Calendar - Mum's Day or Special Female
Creative Artiste - Anything Mixed Media

If you like it then make sure to put a PIN on it! 

Also, definitely go check out the magnificently pretty inspiration my fellow Card Concept teamies made! 

Mixed Media Card Challenge - Thanksgiving

Fall is slowly fading here in North Dakota. The first frost planted its icy breath all over my windshield and flower bed late last week. All of the leaves have been blown from the trees and are scattered atop my unraked lawn - a leafy standout amongst my neighborhood's block of well-kept lawns. 

Even though fall is fading, that doesn't mean I can't MAKE my own dang fall scenery. And that's exactly what I did for my card for The Mixed Media Card Challenge this month. I watercolored up a super sweet little autumnal scene.

Our theme is Thanksgiving and our optional element is table. I used the colors from the inspiration image, and also decided to make a sweet thank you card to go along with the theme.

I muddied up a piece of patterned paper by applying a coat of gesso and then adding random drops of Distress Spray Stain in Barn Door, Spiced Marmalade, and Fossilized Amber tones. I dabbed some of the color off while it was still drying to tone down the vibrancy. I shaded the edges and added a big ol' bow.

The deer and the tree are from the Stampendous Winter Trees set. I've probably owned this set for a good 10 years or so. It's a classic and definitely one I turn to when the Holiday season approaches. The sentiment is from the STAMPlorations Grateful Beyond Words set - love the bold lettering! 

I'm going to send my card over to play in the following challenges: 

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Thinking of You 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Watercolor (I know, I know, I'm lacking in the snark department, but I wanted to support my girl, Lauren B!)

I hope you'll join in the Mixed Media Card Challenge this month! 

 Psssssstttt - I'll be drawing names for the winners of the Hop to Stop prizes tonight around 9 p.m. CT on my Periscope Channel @damselofdistressed is my handle. 

Shabby Chic and Pink! New Fusion Card Challenge

Hello Friendly Friends! 
It's a whole new day and a whole new chance to make a pink card! 

There's also a brand new challenge on at Fusion and boy! is it ever a doozy! 

 

Check out that inspiration image! It's a gorgeous bouquet of pinks and creams! At Fusion,  you can either play with the sketch OR play with the inspiration image OR fuse the two and create a card based on both (hence Fusion). 

I just chose the inspiration image because I decided I needed a good shabby chic crafting session. There's something so fun about layering on a bunch of flowers and getting all messy with some mixed media! 

I began by taking a rustic looking piece of paper and adding a layer of gesso to selected areas and some splashes of Distress Spray Stain in shades of pink. 

I was also inspired by Pixels and Papers Frames challenge, so I busted one out. 

I also found a frame that I wanted to use, but it was more of an orangey coral than a pink, so I gessoed that up, too. Gesso will eventually rule the world because it covers EVERYTHING! 

I added some spray stain over the top of my frame to make it blend in more with my card and give it a rustic, antiquey finish. 

Oooooh! I tattered up the edges, added some crinkle ribbon and layered on the flowers. The sentiment is from Winnie & Walter's This Awesome House stamp set. 

Shabby and chic and oh so pink! 

I'm also going to link up to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp: Think Pink
Fab 'N Funky - Fabulous Flowers

Unicorn Challenge Blog - Pretty Pinks or Halloween

Corrosive Challenge Blog - Pink for Awareness

Dragonfly Dreams - Think Pink

Allsorts - Pink October

Thanks for popping by!  

Make sure you stop by the FUSION challenge to see all of the pretty makes the rest of the design team came up with! 

Messy Stars - Mixed Media Card

Ok, so ya'll know I love a good process photoshow explanation for my blog posts, but I'm gonna apologize here because while I was making this card I SUCKED at taking any photos. 

Do you ever just get in the mood to play and then totally lose yourself in the artsy process? That's what happened here and it was soooooo liberating. So... sorry not sorry? Ok, I am a little bit sorry. But also not. 

If you want to talk about an explosion of fun, that's sort of what happened here. I just kept adding and adding and adding layers of mixed media until I was happy with what was going on. 

I made the background using Distress Spray Stains, frantage, starry washi tape, gesso, stamps from the Balloons and Banners STAMPloration set, and a gel pen.  

Since the theme of the month over at STAMPlortions challenge is STAMPS and STARS, you can tell why this is ridden with starry wonderment. 

 If you haven't played along at STAMPlorations yet - consider this  your reminder to get your but in gear! You can use either the theme or the sketch OR both! 

My center star was made by coloring with yellow gelatos. I hated that so I dipped it in distress ink. Still wasn't what I was going for so I added Blue Patina Perfect Pearls and then I was happy!! Mixed media cards are cool like that. Just keep adding til you're happy. 

The coolest part of the card was this bubbly little center piece. I had some black gemstone adhesive paper from DCWV and I gessoed over it. Then I sprayed it with Distress Spray stains and darkened the border of it with a gelato crayon. 

All in all I think it's wicked cool. 

I'm also going to play along in the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge where their theme is also Stars, Aud Sentiments (anything goes), and the Male Room (Blue, Red + One Color - My color is  hints of yellow!)

 

 Thanks for popping by!!

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PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTT - 

Have you played along in my

30th Birthday Challenge

yet?? 

I'm giving away over $100 in prizes!