Create x3

{Watercolor} Flowers

Today I thought I would have fun with the Memory Box Drift Flowers stamp {D1841} and my water bottle. I thought a little watercolor would be fun in some bright colors since Spring is here! Here is my watercolor card:

Papers: Memory Box gourd nc, Strathmore watercolor paper
Stamps: Memory Box Drift Flowers D1841
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink broken china, spiced marmalade, mustard seed, crushed olive, and peeled paint
Embellishments: May Arts ribbons, Tim Holtz tiny attacher, sewing machine

To create:

1. Ink Drift Flowers stamp with various colors of distress ink.

2. Spritz stamp with water.

3. Stamp onto watercolor paper and heat set.

4. Repeat Steps 1-3 two more times getting different variations of your color scheme each time.

5. Trim each flower to 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" and ink each piece in one of the distress ink colors.

6. Tie a ribbon around the bottom of each piece; set aside.

7. Sew around the edges of a Memory Box gourd card. **Please note that the Memory Box gourd notecard has been discontinued. Memory Box cantelope would be a very close replacement.

8. Adhere the pieces set aside in Step 6.

9. Finish with staples in the upper corners of each side of the card for fun.

I hope you have fun with this and enjoyed it today. Thanks for stopping by!

{Shopping Bag} Inspiration

The other day I created a card using a shopping bag I had saved. It was too pretty to throw away. Well, I had another bag in a different color so I decided to create with that today. I not only used the bag but also used the colors from the bag for my choice of ink colors, card color, etc. Here is my card followed by step-by-step instructions:

Papers: Memory Box sunflower and slate nc, Paper Trey Ink cs (white), yellow paper from recycled shopping bag
Stamps: Memory Box Reverse Allium E1834, Memory Box Just a Note Combo B1852
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink black soot and pumice stone
Embellishments: Memory Box Pepital Border die 98256; May Arts twine; Paper Trey Ink button; hand-dyed Hug Snug using Glimmer Mist lemon zest, mustard seed, and graphite; sewing machine

1. Tear edges of shopping bag to fit a Memory Box sunflower notecard.

2. Mist the torn piece with water and crumple into a ball.

3. Carefully unfold the piece and dry with a heat tool.

4. Adhere to card.

5. Using pumice stone distress ink, stamp the Memory Box Reverse Allium {E1834} stamp onto white cardstock.

6.  Then using black soot distress ink, stamp the Memory Box Just a Note Combo {B1852} stamp onto the upper right hand corner of the Reverse Allium image.

7. Adhere to card.

8. Using a sewing machine, stitch around Reverse Allium image and around the edge of the shopping bag.

9. Cut two small pieces of the Memory Box Pepital Border {98256} die using scraps of a Memory Box slate notecard.

10. Adhere die pieces to the lower left-hand corner of the stamped image.

11. Place a bow and button on the same corner to finish.

I hope you enjoyed today's card. Thank you for stopping by!

Mixed-Color Background

First, I want to welcome all of my new subscribers! I am glad to have you joining in the Memory Box fun! Welcome!

Today I thought it would be fun to create my own background using water-based markers, water, and an acrylic block. I have done this before on cards using distress inks and defining the area for certain colors. You can see an example by clicking here. Today I thought it would be fun to "mix up" the colors a bit.

First, I chose four colors to use. Next I took one color at a time, scribbled the color onto my acrylic block, misted with water, and then "colored" it onto my paper. To color onto the paper, I stamped and rubbed the acyrlic block directly onto my paper. While it was wet, I could play with where the colors went. I did this for each of the colors mixing it up as I went along. The colors didn't dry too fast so they were able to blend and bleed a bit. Here is what the color collage looked like after I mixed it up:

Messy huh? :) Next, I used the Memory Box Blank Ticket die {98213} to cut out the mixed-color paper. Then I stamped the paper with the Memory Box Mercer Rose Background stamp {G1842}. I then layered the new Memory Box sky notecard with vintage book paper, a doily, and some flowers to create the card. For the tag, I used a piece of the vintage book paper along with the Memory Box Just a Note stamp {B1053}. And here is how the card turned out:

Papers: Memory Box sky nc, X-Press It
Stamps: Memory Box Just a Note B1053, Memory Box Mercer Rose Background G1842
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink black soot
Tim Holtz Distress Markers: barn door, broken china, peeled paint, spiced marmalade
Embellishments: Memory Box blank ticket die 98213, smaller flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, Prima flower (large), doily from Hobby Lobby, misc. vintage book paper, sewing machine

I hope you have enjoyed today's creation and technique! Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate all of you!