January Creation Station Blog Hop: Fuzzy & Furry

 

Welcome to the January, 2024, Creation Station Hop!  We are an international group of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators who hop every first Sunday of the month.  This month our theme is Fuzzy & Furry so get ready for some fun animal inspiration this month!

Be sure to click on the Next Button at the end of each post to hop around to each designer's blog.

My fuzzy (?) and furry critter is the bear from the Wildlife Wonder stamp set (#157923).  I have used this bear on a lot of cards--especially masculine birthday cards, so I tried something different this time.  Still masculine, still a straightforward design, simple but with the two Artistic Mix decorative Masks (#159178) that create a plaid design and some fun texture.  I used the same color palette on both cards: Lost Lagoon, Pretty Peacock and Copper.  (I was going to use Copper Clay for the layer on both, then switched to Copper Foil in the end, not realizing it is retired. Copper Clay card stock looks great with this, too.) 

For the plaid on both cards, I used a blending brush (#153183) and Pretty Peacock ink with the large square mask for the first layer and then the small square mask and VersaMark ink to create the second layer.  I used Copper Stampin' Emboss powder (#155555, Metallics collection) with the VersaMark ink to heat emboss the second layer.  The bear was stamped in Pretty Peacock on Lost Lagoon card stock.

To create the plaid bear, I stamped the bear image over the plaid in VersaMark ink, heat embossed it with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (#155554, Basics collection), then fussy cut it out with my Paper Snips (#103579). The Lost Lagoon layer was embossed with the Timber 3D embossing folder (#156406).   I chose not to put a sentiment on either card.  I like the simplicity of just the image on the background. 

Next up is Dani Dziama, one of the talented 2024 Stampin' Up! Artisan Team members on the Creation Station Design Team.  I can't wait to see her fuzzy and furry design!  Head over to her blog, Dani's Thoughtful Corner, to be inspired.

To Dani's Blog . . .

Have a Very Happy 2024!

--Sara Nell

 

Leaves Make Me Smile--#tgifc226

If you've been checking out my blog for any length of time, you already know that leaves make me smile.  I love when the weather cools and the leaves start falling.  I celebrate this with my stamping.  It is not yet officially Fall, but this week's TGIF technique challenge had me bringing out the leaf images in the Colorful Seasons stamp set.

This week's challenge is Splatter!  Immediately I thought of the color-splattered leaves that are already showing up in my yard (I'm kind of worried about my neighbors' maple tree, actually).  I started my splattering with Pigment Sprinkles, then added more splatters with my Aqua Painter and Early Espresso ink:

I used Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green and Daffodil Delight Pigment Sprinkles.  I sprinkled them on a piece of the new Fluid 100 Watercolor paper that had been brushed with water.  Then I spritzed the paper with water and used my Heat Tool to move around the pigment as it dried. I added more water and more sprinkles to get the look I wanted.  As I was in the final drying stage, I added a few more sprinkles and spritzed the paper lightly to keep the small splatter look on the paper. 

When the paper piece was completely dry, I used my bone folder to even out the warping in the paper (yea, I used a lot of water!).  Then I stamped the leaf image randomly over the paper with VersaMark and heat embossed it with Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder.  After the leaves were finished, I add the Early Espresso splatters with my Aqua Painter.

To complete my card, I added a copper-embossed greeting from the Colorful Seasons stamp set.  I stamped the greeting on a leftover piece of the watercolor paper and then die cut it using an oval in the Stitched Shapes die set. I mounted the greeting piece on an Early Espresso scalloped oval from the Layering Ovals die set.  The splattered piece is layered on Early Espresso card stock with a piece of Copper Trim wrapped around it and tied in a bow.  The card base is Granny Apple Green card stock.

Go find some inspiration for adding splatters to your cards over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Please let me know what you think in the comments below!

--Sara Nell