Having fun with Watercolors....

...and today I'm especially excited, because I am playing in a brand new challenge that has been created by an amazing designer, Virginia Lu, who I first met over at the Hero Arts Flickr Group.  You may recognize her from her work, which you can find on her blog --  Yes, Virginia.    Now, you will also find her at her brand new challenge blog - Virginia's View with her first very challenge which went live yesterday!!

     I am sharing a copy a the fabulous Challenge Inspiration image from the blog and invite you all to play along.  The theme for Challenge # 1 is "Watercoloring" -- a technique that is very on trend these days in cardmaking, both in stamping styles and also creating wonderful watercolor backgrounds and images.

   You can also find more details and all the challenge rules on her blog as well as more fabulous inspiration and creations by Virginia!    After seeing all the pretty colors, and recently starting to try my hand at using more watercolor techniques on my cards, I knew I wanted to play along and wanted to try my hand at creating a card using a combination of Watercolor techniques and a Resist technique.

    I started my card by pulling out some of my favorite Watercolor Cardstock, which are this wonderful "card size" sets that are sold by Ranger.   I then pulled out one of my "oldie but goodie" favorite background stamps, Floating Leaf Pattern, by Hero Arts and inked it up with Versamark and stamped that directly tot he Textured side of my cardstock.   Watercolor papers often have both a smooth and textured size and its' your choice and to which side you prefer.  For very details images, I would have used the smooth side, but for this technique and to add texture, I use the textured side.  I then added a layer of Hero's Clear Embossing Powder and quickly embossed on the stamp design.  Now as for my water-coloring, I used Hero's Ink Sprays to create my design and I when with the combination of Pool Mist, Passion Flower Mist and a tiny bit of water from a mist bottle.   I sprayed on large amounts of color and then used a baby wipe to quick soak up some of the excess and continued to do this and alternated the colors until I had the background I wanted.   I then simply mounted that onto some pretty matching lavender polka dotted cardstock and adhered that to a Hero Arts Pool Card base.  I then used some of the same Pool cardstock and cut a large Chrysanthemum using one of the Hero Fancy Dies, which I then cut down and layered across the border I had added.   My card was completed by adding the Happy Birthday Sentiment, from the "It's Your Day Stamp set", also from Hero.   

  In addition to Virginia's Challenge I am also submitted this card to this current "Happy Birthday" - Anything Goes Challenge, being hosted this month over at the Hero Arts Blog!

   I have one more card to share tonight and this one was created for the "Shades of Gray" challenge being hosted this week over at the CASual Friday Blog!  

  

    This card, was super fun and very easy to create, yet it looks like it took a lot of time.  I simply used a bunch of scraps and one of my SSS dies to cute them into pretty curved pieces that I then placed onto a "Wet Cement" Card Base.  I then used the same papers, all from the Country Boutique Paper set by Fancy Pants!  I then used my Memory Box - Seville Bucket Die along with the same papers to create my simple embellishment!  I added a gray chipboard button and tied it on with some deep gray twine and my card was pretty much done.    My card was finished off with this "Thanks" sentiment from Reverse Confetti that was stamped in Wet Cement Shadow Ink to make my card!!  It turned out to be one of my favorite cards this week!!  Hope you like it!!

    Before I sign off, I want to thank all of my very sweet friends who played along in this week's MUSE Card Club Challenge!!  It really meant a lot to me that you were inspired by my MUSE card and took the time to join the challenge.  It was truly a JOY to have been the Guest Designer for the week and I do hope in time, I will find more roles like this, it was fun!

     Oh, and I had mentioned a few weeks ago, that I had also submitted an application to be part of one of my favorite Design Teams.   I was super excited about this and really thought I would have a chance at making the team, which I thought would be perfect, since I know quite a few of the current team members and love the products and stores they design for.  Sadly, I learned on Friday that I was rejected and did not make the team!    Of course, that's not how it was said, but it is what it is and definitely was a disappointment it is and it surely was a disappointment.   Not always a good feeling, but something that happens!  I did have a feeling there would be a lot of applicants, but I still really wanted to be part of that team, unfortunately, I didn't make it!    I'm taking my time and will continue to look for more DT calls and  hope in time to find something that will work out for me!  Special thanks to my friends who supported and encouraged me, it meant a lot!   Maybe next time, I'll have some very Happy and Exciting News!!  Time will tell!!