Hi everyone! It’s February and the theme for this month’s blog hop is Sassy! This means snappy sentiments and hilarious images. After all, humor can go a long way in today’s world.

Card #1 ` Leg Day Pissy Kitty by Lisa Arana for Unity

I can’t decide if I like the image or the sentiment more! It immediately brought me back to my childhood days when I had the Richard Simmon’s album with the title Sweatin to the Oldies! (if my memory serves me well on the title of the album) I decided on neon watercolors to take us back in time. Have you ever worn leg warmers?

I chose a simple design for my card. I stamped the image with Versafine black ink on watercolor paper. I painted the image with Komorebi Mozart neon watercolor paints. It was energizing using the neon hues, they were electric going on the paper. I framed the image with a black border and adhered it to a lime cardbase.

I stamped the sentiment and then splattered neon paint over the top left. I like how the splatters go off the image and onto the background.

The neon colors pop and adds to this kitty’s character. That’s it, clean and simple!

Card #2 – Party Pup by Lisa Arana

After a long night of partying, this guy is exhausted. It doesn’t help that the frog is suggesting he is too old! I stamped the image on watercolor paper, colored the image and left a strip at the top blank. I adhered the cardfront to a kraft cardbase.

I used metallic silver paint to give the balloon shine! I also used light metallic gold for the hat and party favors. I stamped the sentiment and die cut it from a Poppystamps speech bubble. I laid a piece of washi tape over the blank space, then tied a bow with orange burlap string top and orange embroidery thread. I crinkled the tails to go with the messy theme.

I die cut a frog from my Poppystamps collection. Painted loosely to keep the focus on the pup, and glued him to the armchair. Imagine the frog telling the dog he is too old!

One last thing, I added two mini safety pins for extra interest!

3.. Card #3 – Cupid Pissy Kitty by Lisa Arana for Unity

What a handsome cupid! I just love the toga and the way the fabric looks soft and billowy! I couldn’t resist this kitty.

I stamped the image on watercolor paper and used brown, orange and red to give this grumpy face a warm, glowing presence!

I adhered the image onto a pale pink cardbase. I applied Stickles glitter glue on the wings and magenta on the heart on the arrow. I stamped the sentiment with Versafine black ink. shhhh!

I arranged hearts on the cardfront and then glued them down. I chose hearts in different textures, size and color. Valentine’s day is quickly approaching and this is a fun card sure to deliver laughs.

These are my Sassy cards this month.! Please continue on the hop. Click on the names to transport you to the next cardmaker. I am excited for you to see the funny cards created theis month!

Crystal

Amber

Jenni

Rachel (me)

Toni

Doreen

Dawn

Thank you so much for hopping with us! Making cards with a sassy mood was a wonderful escape. I hope you find time to make a sassy card. Unity has lots of fun images with clever sentiments to add the laughs!\

Until next time, have a great February!

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram @cardartbyrachel

Hi crafty friends! It’s Rachel here with the theme for our January blog hop. The theme is –Case’d. The ideabehind the theme is to see another creator’s card and take at least one element and “case” or copy it.

Card #1 – Pawsitively Wrapped Up by Lisa Arana for Unity Stamp Co

This dog is too funny wrapped up in ribbon. Of course I love any opportunity to use Stickles glitter glue. The cased technique I used is creating a stenciled background. The layered stencils are by Poppystamps. I used Distress Oxide ink in black and brown on watercolor paper. I also went over the edge in black.

A close-up of the sparkly ribbon, yappy birthday cut out in metallic cardstock by Poppystamps and a border die by Poppystamps too!

Turquoise Nuvo Drops give the card a more dimension and color.

I stamped the dog in black Versafine ink and watercolored black to color him in!

Card #2 – Resolutions are Rubbish Pissy Kitty

This fancy kitty is just too stylish! The technique I cased is from the Unity site where cards can be ordered already stamped and ready to send out.

I couldn’t help myself, I had to add a bit of color even though I told myself I wouldn’t! Glitter glue was used on the flower and fancy eyelashes.

I added clear laquer gloss to the champagne and the eyes. My glue was very thick and I couldn’t get a smooth effect. Turns out, I kind of like the crackle effect!

The coloring was subtle and I also painted dark blue in the shaded areas on the cat for dimension.

Card #3 – Happy Little Abode by Lisa Glanz for Unity Stamp Co.

I happened on this camper scrap when I was foraging through my stashes. I think I might have posted a similar card months back. The technique I feature here is taking a stamp and stamping half of it in one place and the other half in another.

I taped the area of the stamp I don’t want to use and apply ink. Before pressing on the paper, I remove the tape. That’s it!

Between the split stamped image I added a birthday die in kraft. I also used a Poppystamps border fie cut in light teal.

Turquoise Nuvo drops for the “i” in birthday and a few more added for balance.

I stamped the camper in Versafine ink on lime green cardstock. I watercolored the image with a rustic vibe.

Please continue on the hop with the links listed below. The team have Case’d some amazing cards from talented card makers all over the globe!

Crystal

Amber

Toni

Jenni

Jane

Dawn

Rachel (me)

Have a wonderful January! Wishing you the best this year full of adventures and creativity in our crafting world!

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram @cardartbyrachel

Hi Friends! It’s December and this blog hop is all about a Mood Board. How do you feel when you take a look at the above picture? I immediately felt a sense of the holiday season filled with a bright and fresh new spirit. Sometimes the hustle and bustle of this time is chaotic and busy and I forget the simple joy of crisp days, mornings with a cup of coffee, the thoughts of past memories and future days that will engage our lives into something positive and new. I am grateful.

Card #1 – Gretchen Girl by Angie Blom for Unity Stamp Co.

A beautiful image taking a moment to look out the window and enjoy a hot drink is all goodness. I watercolored the image and fussy cut it out. (very easy as it is mostly straight lines!) I chose a paper that looked like wallpaper and mounted it all on a slimline kraft cardbase. The image determined the height. I mounted the sentiment sign I stamped from Farm Fresh Girl, another image by Angie Blom, on patterned paper and cut out a cute piece from an ephemera pack by Unity and glued it on to suggest a picture on the wall?!

Burlap string in 1 mm thickness and glitter laquer on the mug by Hero Arts finishes the card.

Card #2 – A Little Dash by Unity Stamp Co.

Dash was not able to be passed up when I laid my eyes on him! Too cute for words, even though I have a million reindeer images, I had to have him. Stamped on watercolor paper, I painted him using Prang watercolors. I mounted the image previously cut in a square-ish shape on a beautiful dark forest green cardstock which was on a white cardbase. I adhered a cushioned green heart embellishment and decided I wanted to add a little more to the background.

I found an image of trees by Stampin’ Up and stamped them in random places using Versamark ink. Versamark ink used by itself creates a watermark appearance. I felt it still needed more. I stamped the trees in Fresh Ink Paper White pigment ink.

Card #3 – Cottage Lane by Lisa Arana for Unity Stamp Co.

This image was gorgeous and breathtaking when I saw it. It reminded me of Whistler, BC from over 30 years ago. I have a weakness for sceneries as I collect Thomas Kinkade images and have always loved his paintings of light.

If you look closely I added Stickles glitter glue in a bright yellow on the lamppost. Frosted Lace Stickles are on as many of the snowy areas I could find. Dark red jewels adorn the closest tree. I chose this color over bright red as to not compete with the lamppost. I mounted the scene on forest green and then on a white cardbase.

Card #4 – A Whiff of Christmas Cheer by Unity Stamp Company

I have to say I don’t have a skunk stamp until I got this sweet one. It’s not that I don’t love them, I just haven’t come across too many. If I may take you down memory lane–my little town I grew up in often had the scent or “whiff” of skunk spray around the farming fields. It was one of those fun moments when we would cover our noses and make funny faces until it passed!

Stamped on watercolor paper I painted a green background and used Prismacolor watercolor pencils for the candy cane and holly. I mounted the image on white and roughed up the edges. i chose a burgundy red patterned paper adhering it to a white cardbase, adhering the image and a fitting sentiment cut into a strip that comes with the stamp kit. A matching burgundy wide net ribbon completes the card.

My cards on the hop!

Below are the links to friends on the hop. Please be sure to click on them as they have beautiful creations to see!

Crystal

Doreen

Joyce

Toni

Jenni

Rachel (me)

Dawn

Thank you so much for visiting!

Until the New Year, I wish for you this month, thoughtful moments of past memories with loved ones and warm ones for the upcoming days ahead.

Peace, love and light to all of you,

Rachel

Please follow me on instagram @cardartbyrachel

Hi friends! November is here and Creating a Background is the theme for this month’s hop. There are so many ways to create a background with stamps and patterned papers but I decided to watercolor mine. Sometimes it is so relaxing to take a pad of watercolor paper and just make a whole bunch of backgrounds!

Card #1 – You Grow Girl, UU for Unity Stamp Company

Watercoloring a background is all about allowing water and color to intersect and freely run together naturally or manipulated with air or paintbrush. It is a practical technique because you can create a group of colors that you plan for your card design that may not be available in a patterned paper.

I inked up the plant portion of the images in green distress ink and the pots in brown distress ink. tip–I used the mini inks as it is much easier to control the area to ink up. Next I used a fine tipped paintbrush and Prang watercolors and began a no-line watercoloring technique. The idea is to paint over the lines with color as to erase any outline to make it appear more natural. I didn’t bother to follow coloring the leaves found in nature, I had fun using hues of green that I felt like using! I mounted the cardfront onto a kraft cardbase.

This card is simple in design yet full of dimension. I resisted the urge to add a burlap twine bow on the top. Even a sentiment strip, I saved it for the inside. Do you ever make cards without a sentiment on the front?

Card #2 – Write A New Story, Whit Kit for Unity Stamp Company

First of all, I giggled with the sentiment because the contrast of a pretty background paired with such a direct message is super funny to me! Is it just me or do you feel the same?!

I stamped the image on watercolor paper and I had fun choosing what color each book should be. While coloring the books, I enjoyed thinking about reading and libraries and listening to books online. Turning pages and collecting physical books, especially ones with pictures, are still appealing to me. I am enjoying listening to audio books these days but my collection of art books is treasured.

I die cut the image using a Poppystamps Scallop PInpoint Hearts die. I painted a teal edge on it. I die cut a smaller heart on white and in the leftover background (to create the edge) and stamped the sentiment. I tied a pale blue bow vertically over the large heart, adhered the smaller one, roughed up the background edges and adhered it to a white cardbase. Pearl embellishments complete the card!

Card #3 – Love Brings You Home by Erin Schreiner for Unity Stamp Company

This watercolored background screamed water to me. World peace is a constant hope housed in my heart so I immediately thought about this beautiful image. I stamped it on the watercolor paper and went over it with black paint as the paper texture needed more color to fill in the image. I mounted the image on silver mirrored cardstock and then on a black cardbase.

Stickles glitter glue on the heart finishes the card. Upon looking at my pictures, the marks at the top of the card show up as black ink smudges but is actually silver!

Once again I opted to leave off a sentiment. It must have been my mood this hop! Watercolor backgrounds give so much depth and visual interest, I want to get lost in that instead of a preconceived thought. A beautiful quote by Robin Williams comes with the image–No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world. Embossed in silver, the sentiment is perfect inside!

Thank you for hopping, following are my friends who have created amazing backgrounds. Just click on their names and it will take you to their blogs.

Crystal

Doreen

Amber

Dawn

Toni

Rachel (me)

Jenni

Joyce

Have a fulfilling and generous November. As the busy time of year approaches, take some time to create beautiful watercolor backgrounds and get lost in the joy of creating!

Rachel

Please follow me on Instagram @cardartbyrachel