Background Stamping

Hollyhocks.  

I love hollyhocks.

I've always heard my great-grandmother Sarah Jane had hollyhocks and sweet pea, and it's made me want them even more.  We used to have hollyhocks growing abundantly in our east front yard--every color, growing as tall as I am--but over the years they faded out, and it's been a struggle to get new ones growing.  Sweet pea, I just planted out by the back fence this spring.  

I love this hollyhock stamp from Serendipity Stamps so much, I'm always looking for new ways to use it.  

This afternoon I made a card for the 

On a scrap of watercolor paper (leftover from a calligraphy project), I used an oval mask and inked up this big stamp from Inkadinkado with brown dye ink.  I lightly misted it with water before stamping, for a slightly mottled look.  

Removing the mask, it was time to color my hollyhock stamp with watercolor pencils, laying on thick color, misting and stamping.  The sentiment is from Flonz.

When dry, I layered this piece on a pre-folded kraft card and added a few wood sequins.

Oh, good.  It looks like rain, and I can hear thunder coming closer.  We need it!

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Anything Goes

Can you tell I'm in love with bluebonnets this year?

A whole patch of them popped up by surprise this spring.  Then I couldn't resist a little container of Scottish bluebonnets at the grocery store greenhouse, and those are still blooming!

That's why I had to have this bluebonnet stamp, and I used it yet again to create a birthday card for my honorary fourth sister, my sister-in-law, Susan.

I stamped the bluebonnets with blue and green watercolor pencils.  I layered this on a card made from part of an old DCWV stack.  The birthday wish is from Flonz, the Sweetheart Birthday set.

I'm entering this in the Serendipity Stamps SSCB #46, "Anything Goes."

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I appreciate all comments.

Birthday Poppies

I absolutely LOVE these poppy stamps from Hero Arts!  I typically stamp them with dye ink pads and then deepen some of the colors with colored pencils.  

Here, I made the top one first.  I needed another birthday card, and I had this poppy already stamped on a square of vellum, just sitting in my scrap drawer.  I tried layering it over this bright yellow patterned paper and immediately fell in love with the combination.  (I sponged the edges of the vellum first, using brown chalk ink.)  Alas, since it's an old pack, I don't have much of this particular yellow paper--just one more small square.  So..........

...I created this card, using a different poppy and layering the vellum over a more recent patterned paper.  I like it, but I wish it were a brighter yellow.  The colors just don't have the same pop, do they?

Which card do YOU like best?

Patterned Cardstock:  Songbird Duet stack (Momenta)

Sparkle Vellum (The Paper Studio)

Stamps:  H5904 Poppy (Hero Arts)

                Sweetheart Birthday set (Flonzcraft.com)

Dye Ink:  Ladybug Red, Bamboo Leaves, Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)

Colored pencils:  red, dark brown (Prismacolor)

4 bronze brads (The Paper Studio)

Sponge dauber  

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Two Looks

Good Morning!  It's another hot, sunny, windy day here, and I'll soon be headed up to make a custom card for a client.  First, I thought I'd share these two cards I made with my "Girl Jumping Rope" stamp from flonzcraft.com

 

All the papers I used were simply leftovers I had on hand.  (I'm partial to stripes and dots!)  Flowers are from K & Company.

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for a Sister

It's been just over a year since I first discovered Flonz stamps.  I had to have them right away!  I particularly love this little girl.

I stamped her on a scrap of stone-colored paper from an unknown pad.  (The cover was torn off when I found it on mark down at the store!)  I layered this over a printed piece of olive green from the Vintage Charm stack from My Mind's Eye.  Tied the two with a piece of gold organza ribbon before gluing to the card base.  Then I decided to add three pink gemstones--one as a flower center; the other two are kind of randomly placed.  

I'm applying for the Design Team at the Vintage Stamping Challenge.  Wish me luck!

Vintage Stamping Challenge from flonzcraft.com

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Skippin' Rope

This month's Vintage Stamping Challenge, sponsored by flonzcraft.com is                             

 Anything From Your Garden. 

 

This little girl, a favorite new stamp reminding me of my mother as a girl, is skipping rope in her daddy's garden.

To request this or a similar item, convo me at thirdsisterhandmade.etsy.com