Doing a bit of Watercoloring.....

and....I should do it more often.  It was so relaxing!   I didn't achieve anywhere near the color or shading that I wanted but I am happy with the vibrancy of this card!  I was charged up for water coloring after looking at the Moxie Fab The Wonder of Water Color Challenge.  I decided to use the sketch that Deborah Nolan has for her April card chain and split up a large background stamp by Impression Obsession.  I really, really like this stamp.  It has so much going on and it is one of those background stamps that you can trim it out pretty much anywhere and it will look just fine.  I watercolored with Tombow markers....mainly what you do is make marks on your image with the colors that you want to blend and then you blend them with a waterbrush.  I learned this technique last September at Scrapfest when I took a class from the Northwoods Rubber Stamp Co. people.  It is really a fast and easy way to color an image and even if your image is very detailed, like this one, the final product usually turns out pretty nice!  I then cut a "sash" to go diagonally across the card and stamped it with a Hero Arts sentiment.  I placed the sentiment strip up on foam in the middle of the sentiment and then adhered it at the ends.  This is hard to see in the picture but in real life it gives a nice, gentle dimension to the sentiment.  From there I just "multi -  matted" the card, put in some overhanging  corners and voila!  I hope whoever I am paired up with enjoys this card....I certainly enjoyed making it.  After all the pink from the Relay for Life card sets I was more than ready to make a color change!  So, here is my entry for Moxie's Fab's Wonder of Watercolor!

I love being part of these card challenges.  I enjoy receiving snail from people all over the world.  I especially like it when whomever is sending me a card includes a little letter....telling me about them selves and what their part of the world is like.  I appreciate that Deborah takes the time to organize this exchange and wish I knew of other's to take part in!

I did really enjoy making the cards for my friend who is taking part in the Relay for Life but I am so glad to be done done done with the making of the pink cards.  I can't wait to hear from her to see how she likes them!  I am ready to be involved in other card types though and also want to try some other small crafting projects.  It has been so busy....almost too much so to try "new" techniques or projects.  By that I mean that if I only have a little bit of time it is not enjoyable to me to just spend it "experimenting" rather than creating and producing.  Don't get me wrong...I love to experiment but I think that the time for that is out ahead of me.  Actually, it is getting closer as my time windows will open up more and more as my youngest graduates from HS and then in September will be leaving for college.  While one part of me is freaking out over the last of my three to be leaving the nest another part of me is getting used to the idea of time to and for myself.  Wow....what a concept!  Well, going to sign off as it is actually sunny here today....first time in days! and I want to get outside, put my ipod on and take a walk!  I hope you are enjoying your day too!

Be well,

Sheila