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April 30, 2016

SSS Sunny Days Ahead | Sakura Koi Water Colors

Happy Saturday everyone!

Apologies for this post as there's no video. I filmed a video for this card, went to edit the footage and it was all out of focus. Rookie mistake I know and it's so frustrating - especially as I was using the new-to-me Sakura Koi Water Colors for the first time and wanted to show that in the video.

But since I have a rather full plate I can't go back and re-film it all so I thought I'd just suck it up and post the card here and will make doubly sure next time that my camera is IN focus :P!

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Other than the baker's twine and the watercolour paper/black ink/watercolors everything else I used on this card is from the SSS May Card kit. I am still loving this kit and had to pull it out again to make this card!

I masked off one of the clouds before stamping the sun, and stamped all the images onto a strip of Strathmore Ready Cut Watercolor paper. I then used the Sakura Koi Water Colors and my Silver Size 6 brush to watercolour them all in. I purposely kept it messy/imperfect - trying not to be so OCD with my colouring LOL! Sometimes I succeed sometimes not so much *wink*.

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I stamped one of the cloud images separately as well as the sentiment bubble then trimmed them out with scissors and popped them onto the main panel with a bit of foam tape. I lined said panel with some of the Sunshine card stock included in the kit, then added a bit of Doodlebug twine to the left side and added a bow. I popped that onto the patterned paper (also in the kit) with foam tape and adhered it to my card.

The sequins are from the kit as well and I adhered them with Ranger's Multi Medium Matte adhesive.

I didn't take a pic of the inside of the card b/c I showed it in the video :P but I just used the leftover strip of patterned paper I had from making the card front and adhered it to the inside so that it wasn't completely bare!

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April 28, 2016

Pretty Pink Posh Sunny Days | Shaker Card w Fuse Tool

Hey hey everyone :). I FINALLY got this card made - and I say "finally" b/c the idea of it's been in the back of my mind for some time now - weeks I think. My sense of time feels off lately with everything I have going on - but I know the idea for this card popped in my head what seems like forever ago:

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As most of you know I'm obsessed with sequins lately - especially my Pretty Pink Posh ones. I have an itch to collect them all.....

Anywho - I used a few different packs of PPP sequins to create a "sort of shaker" card using my Fuse tool. That's another thing I am LOVING. I honestly only got it in the beginning b/c it was popular and I though "meh! Why not?" - but now that I've been playing with it and making little shaker pockets I am loving the thing. I used to rarely make shaker cards because they were finicky and bulky and just took up too much time. Not anymore with this thing - watch the video and you'll see what I mean - I wouldn't even know how to explain it here in my post.

I also used the PPP Rainy Days stamp set and coordinating dies for this card - so totally different from the first card I made with it!

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I call this a "sort of shaker" because the pockets don't shake so much as just hold the ton of sequins I filled them with LOL! And yet I didn't use that many - the beauty of making those pockets is they keep the bulk down and you don't need a TON of sequins/beads/whatever to make a shaker (which was another reason I didn't make them that often).

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As always I had to add something to the inside of the card :).

To see how I made it check out my video below:

  

Or watch in HD over on YouTube HERE <-----click!

Supplies

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Sakura Koi Water Colors | First Impression & Review

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Hello everyone! So I got right to it and filmed a quick First Impressions video with the Sakura Koi Water Color set (I know I have other requested reviews on my list to-do - I just can't help myself lately when it comes to watercolour though!):

  

You can watch directly on YouTube HERE <-----click!

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April 26, 2016

Mama Elephant Friend Indeed | Color Throwdown #390 | Embossing Paste

Hey everyone! First off thanks to all of you for your kind comments and enthusiasm for my SSS stamp set and giveaway in my earlier post. I've been enjoying reading all the comments! 

Now onto this evening's post - this week's Color Throwdown challenge:

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It took me a while with this one I won't lie. I have a lot going on (when do I not LOL! Lately it's been even more crazy on the personal front but anywho) and haven't made a card in a little bit. So I looked at this one and the ideas were not flowing like they usually do!

However I started playing around and kept at it and ended up making 2 cards:

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I used the Mama Elephant Friend Indeed stamp set and coordinating Friend die that I bought not too long ago, along with a MFT stencil and some embossing paste.

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I used Distress Inks to color the embossing paste this really deep royal blue for this color challenge, then pulled in the yellow with some card stock and enamel dots. I resorted to my latest favourite thing which is to sponge distress ink onto my die cut sentiment - I want to do that all the time now!

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I used my Mini MISTI to stamp the sentiments on the inside of the card - LOVE that tool - and LOVE the Mini version of it. I find myself reaching for it with nearly every card I make (and I make a lot of cards!).

To see how I made these cards check out my video below:

  

Or you can watch in HD over on YouTube HERE <-----click!

Supplies

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SSS Haul #33 + Stamp Set I Designed for SSS Giveaway!

Hello everyone! I've got a haul AND a giveaway to share with y'all today:

  

To watch directly on YouTube click HERE <-----click!

So in the video I explain the story behind this It's Your Birthday stamp set:

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It totally made my day to come across something I designed on the SSS site and it was even better when it arrived! So to celebrate (way after the fact LOL!) I'm giving 2 sets away! The rafflecopter widget below will set you up on entering and it will pick 2 random winners at midnight on the 1st! :) :) :) (contest is open to everyone I'll mail these to wherever the winners are)

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

CONGRATS to Wendy and Renee!! I've e-mailed you both and will mail these stamp sets out once I've received your replies with your mailing addresses!

Thank you ALL for participating and for your kind words about the stamp set! It totally sold out (will be back in stock soon I'm sure - once it is I'll let y'all know) which blows me away. I heard y'all loud and clear with the requests to do more sets. At this moment in my life I can't take on any more work but I most definitely would love to get back into designing sets again. So we shall see what happens down the road! I also plan on doing more giveaways so stay tuned! :) :) :)

ETA: Whoops forgot to include the code I mentioned in the video! Use code BREEZY and get $5 off your order! :)

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April 25, 2016

Sequin Storage!

Happy Monday everyone - and it's an especially happy Monday for me because I FINALLY have a storage solution for all my sequins LOL!

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As I mention in the video I had a bit of a time getting my hands on this as I'm in Canada and either places were sold out or wouldn't ship to me here. I've linked to a couple options (Amazon and Simon Says Stamp) for them and you can look up this unit through Google too if you're interested in it!

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To see more info on this storage container check out my video below:

  

Or watch directly on YouTube HERE <-----click!

Also since I get asked a lot where I get the sequins I use on my cards here are some links to my sources:

Sequins at Simon Says Stamp

Pretty Pink Posh Sequins

Pretty Pink Posh at Simon Says Stamp

Little Things from Lucy's Cards Sequin Mixes at SSS

Sequins from My Favorite Things

Doodlebug Sequins at SSS

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April 23, 2016

MFT Warm & Fuzzy Card Kit | Peerless Watercolors

 Hello everyone! So here's the first cards I've made with the MFT March Warm & Fuzzy Friends Card Kit. Since I posted the Unboxing Video of the kit the other day I've had a lot of y'all wondering what I made with it so here they are! I couldn't make up my mind and settle on just one card so I ended up making 4. 

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I only used elements included in the kit, with the addition of clear embossing powder, Versamark and white embossing powder, and the Circle STAX Die-namics set. I think if I were to pull out a couple of embellishments (some twine, maybe some enamel dots) I could really go to town with this kit and create a TON of fun cards.

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I stamped all the images from the stamp set onto the Prima watercolour paper included in the kit with the Black Licorice Hybrid ink cube and embossed them with clear embossing powder. Normally hybrid inks dry too quickly to be able to emboss with them, but stamping on watercolour paper gave me enough time to coat the stamped image with the powder and emboss it. I found that embossing the images with this watercolour paper yields the best results - plus it makes watercoloring the images in SUPER easy as you have the raised edges "containing" your watercolour - and I'm all about quick and easy when I want to color in a bunch of images at once!

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I used the wood veneer sheets that come with the kit on a couple of the cards - I wasn't sure what to expect when I got the kit but they're quite cool. They're very thin - so no thicker that standard card stock - and you can die cut them and cut them and with the adhesive backing they're simple to adhere.

I've had people ask if they can purchase the items in the kit separately - right now you can't. So far MFT has been releasing the stamps/dies/patterned papers etc that are exclusive to their kits around 6 weeks after the kits are released. Purchasing the kits saves you a good percent (it varies depending on the kit and the contents) as opposed to buying everything separate at a later date. This kit is the March kit so the stamps/dies/patterned paper should be part of the May MFT release if I'm doing the math correctly! 

To see these cards come together you can check out my video below:

  

Or watch directly on YouTube HERE <-----click! 

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April 22, 2016

SSS Faith Card | My Favorite Release Blog Hop | Distress Ink Blending

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Hello everyone! I'm SO excited to be in this blog hop with all the other amazing women as part of the Simon Says Stamp My Favorite release that went live yesterday!

If you're just getting here now (either from my Facebook page or e-mail or just checking in) make sure to check out the beginning of the hop on the SSS blog HERE <-----click! I'll also have a link to the next stop on the hop at the end of this post, and well as giveaway info so be sure to read the whole post!

So here's the card I made using the new Painted Faith die from this release:

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This week's SSS Flickr Challenge is ink blending which got me thinking about my Distress Inks and I had to play around with them when creating this card. (side note - if you aren't aware of the SSS Flickr challenge you can check out the group HERE - new challenges each week and there are chances to win prizes!).

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I combined the new Painted Faith die with the previously released Churches dies and the Clustered Leaves die that I just got the other day. I also decided to go all out with the shimmer and used silver vellum and made a shimmer spray and added Spectrum Noir Clear glitter and Pico Shimmer embellisher to the Faith die cut.

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I finished off the inside of the card with a sentiment from the SSS Friendship Blooms stamp set, and adhered the little cross that came out of the church diecut I'd used on the front of the card.

To see how this card came together check out my video below:

  

Or watch in HD over on YouTube HERE <------click!

You can check out the entire Simon Says Stamp My Favorite release HERE.

Now it's time to head on over to Heather Ruwe's blog to see what she's made!

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Simon Says Stamp will be giving away a Simon Goody bag on every stop of the hop. Make sure to leave a comment here on this blog post (and on all the other hopper's posts to increase your chances of winning!).  SSS will be drawing a winner on each stop of the hop for a prize package. The winners will be drawn this coming Monday, April 25, 2016.

ETA: CONGRATS to Jannette Davis!! You're the winner from my blog and SSS has already sent you an e-mail! You can see the full winners list HERE on the SSS blog! Thank you all so much for participating and for your kind words - it was so nice to read them all! :) :) :)

Supplies

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April 21, 2016

Simon Says Stamp Haul #32

Always fun times when goodies arrive in the mail!

  

You can watch in HD over on YouTube HERE <------click!

Like I mention in the video - SSS latest release is now live as well:

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You can check out the whole SSS My Favourite release HERE <------click!

I'll have card(s) coming soon using these new goodies! :)

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April 19, 2016

SSS Happy Day | Copic Markers | Color Throwdown #389

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Hello everyone! This week's Color Throwdown challenge is now up and I've got a card and a video for y'all:

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This was a fun color combo - and unlike last week's screw up on my part I interpreted this week's colors MUCH better LOL!

I used the new SSS Happy Day stamp set - it's part of their May kit subscription but you can get the set separately as well.

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I did some masking when stamping all the flowers then coloured them in with Copics.

The patterned paper, card stock sentiment sticker and sequins are all part of the SSS May kit as well. I added some ribbon from my stash and a strip of green card stock to finish it off.

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To complete the inside I added the bits of patterned paper I had left over from the front and then adhered another one of the card stock sentiment stickers I had and that was it!

To see how this card came together check out my video below:

  

Or you can watch in HD on YouTube HERE <-----click!

Supplies

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April 18, 2016

MFT Warm & Fuzzy Friends Card Kit Unboxing | March 2016 Card Kit

FINALLY got my hands on the MFT Warm & Fuzzy Friends Card Kit for March (and yes the April one is being released in a couple days - that one will be headed here soon too! I'm addicted...) - and before even making anything with it I did an "unboxing" video b/c I had SO many requests for one:

  

You can watch in HD over on YouTube HERE <-----click!

I forgot to mention in the video that with this kit in particular you'll also get the Free with $60 Die-namics set when you order it - I've linked to that and to their "Shop to Save" info as well as I'm usually horrible at remembering to mention these things and then people call me on it LOL! So this time I remembered and included the links:

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April 17, 2016

Gavin's 1st Birthday Card | Paper Smooches | No Line Watercolor w Mission Gold

It's crazy to think my little man turned 1 yesterday. I can say now that the past year flew by - but hindsight always does that to a person doesn't it? It was the longest year of my life with all the chaos and craziness (for those new to my blog/unaware of the situation my husband left when I was pregnant with Gman and the divorce process is still on-going) - but my Gavin (or Gman as I call him most of the time LOL) and his 3 sisters make it all more than worth it.

I know a lot of you have been requesting a Life Update video and whatnot for a while now (it's been a few months!) - one of these days I'll try to carve out some time to film one. 

Anywho - a 1st birthday is a big deal - especially when it's my baby (I can be proud that I didn't blubber once yesterday! Though we're having his party today with my family and I make no promises there). Like I say in the video I have fun pulling out the stops and going all out on my kids birthday cards. When they're this little it IS kind of pointless as they don't care or have a clue. My older kids love their cards and display them, and even Katelyn now loves the cards I give her and while she likes to display them I catch her trying to pull them apart to see the insides...... LOL.

That didn't stop me from putting a ton of time into Gman's card - I enjoy the process. I wanted to do something with a dinosaur for him and I've been playing with no-line watercoloring lately so it made sense to combine the two and this was what I ended up with:

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I stamped the images from a couple of Paper Smooches stamp sets (Cuteasaurus and Hullabaloo) with Distress Ink then watercolored them in with my Mission Gold watercolours.

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It was ALL I could do not to add Glossy Accents or Stickles to this LOL! I almost did but I was scared it would cause the watercolour to run (more than likely it would) and after all the time and effort spent on it I wasn't going to risk it so I left the image as-is. I suppose if a person was determined to add something like GA or Stickles you could spray your watercolour piece with a fixative spray to seal it then add whatever you want on top. I don't have a spray for that on-hand though so maybe some other time I'll try it out!

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I finished off the inside of the card with a stamped sentiment and dinosaur foot prints walking across it.

To see how this card came together you can check out my video below:

  

Or watch in HD over on YouTube HERE <-----click!

Supplies
Just a heads up that Craftsy Papercrafts Classes are on sale today (April 17, 2016) - you can check them out HERE!

 

 

 

 

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April 15, 2016

Simon Says Stamp Haul #31 & FLASH Sale Info

Well I hope y'all are having a more adventurous Friday night than I am (sitting at my computer typing up blog posts) LOL!

Anywho - I've got a SSS haul video to share, and below that info on the flash sale that's running this weekend!

  

You can watch directly on YouTube HERE <-----click!

I mention the Prairie Paper & Ink Facebook Page in the video <-----click to get there.

SALE INFO:

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Simon Says Stamp is having a sale on all SSS brand products NOW till 11:59pm EST April 17, 2016! Use code FLASH to get 20% off the SSS Category <-------click to shop!

I included screenshots of the e-mail I received b/c they included a card I made (#2) using the SSS Happy Birthday Wafer Die and SSS Balloons Dies - totally wasn't expecting that! It made my day! :)

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April 14, 2016

SSS May 2016 Card Kit Inspiration | Mini Cards | Prismacolor Pencils & OMS

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Hello everyone! Simon Says Stamp May Card Kit went live today - and I've got some fun mini cards and a video to share with y'all using the goodies from it :).

If you're not familiar with the SSS monthly card kit you can find the info HERE <-----click!

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These cards measure 3x3" each.

I couldn't make up my mind which image(s) to use from the set that comes with the kit - so I used them all LOL! 

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I did some coloured pencil and OMS (odourless mineral spirit - note I mention artist grade OMS in the video - not standard paint thinner from the hardware store. There is a difference and the artist quality is much better and safer to use) blending on all of these. I kept the colouring simple and let the cute images speak for themselves (literally with the sentiments from the set LOL!).

To see how these came together you can check out my video below:

  

Or watch in HD over on YouTube HERE <-----click!

Supplies

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April 12, 2016

MFT Scribble Roses | No Line Watercolor with Distress Inks | Color Throwdown #388

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This week's Color Throwdown Challenge is now up - and as I'm typing up this post and looking at the inspiration image - it really IS blue. I totally thought purple and I'd looked at it several times before I made my card! Then when I saw the rest of the team's cards and all the blue I was like WTH?!? It was almost a "is it a white & gold dress or a blue & black dress" moment for me it seemed (google that if you have no idea what I'm talking about - FYI I always saw white and gold) - and then when I actually LOOKED at the inspiration image yeah no it's totally blue. My eyes were playing tricks on me it seems...

So my card stands out like a sore thumb on the Color Throwdown blog LOL! And because my life is rather crazy and we're still all sick I'm owning it and going with it b/c I ain't got time to make another one (though I kind of want to b/c it's a fun color combo!).

SO - after all that drama here's the card:

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SO I decided to try my hand again at no line watercoloring. I say again b/c I actually made a card the other day from some no-line watercoloring I'd done - I just haven't shared it with y'all yet (I will when the products I used are back in stock as they're sold out everywhere atm). I'm not including the very first time I attempted no line watercoloring what was it - a year and a half ago? I had no idea what I was doing back then LOL.

Of course this Scribble Roses set is sold out at both MFT and SSS right now (I thought it was in stock but I guess not - though if you really want it you can always sign up to get an e-mail update at either site that will send you a notification the minute it's restocked). I did link to a similar set as well that will work. I really like this type of image for "beginner" no line watercolour. You don't have to think about it too much other than filling in each area and making sure you don't fill in an area that's touching one that's not dry yet (I explain that better in the video).

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I will say that today was a good day to make a card like this - I am still so sick (I feel like my head is going to explode :P ) and thinking too much doesn't work so well. But I sat down to watercolour while the kids watched a TV show (Bubble Guppies FTW), and I didn't have to think too much and I will apologize for my head getting into the frame of some of the video b/c I was resting my head in one hand while watercoloring with the other LOL! It just worked. 

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I finished off the inside with more stamped flowers and a sentiment from MFT's Kind Thanks stamp set (LOVE this set - so many great and unique sentiments in it) and called it a day. 

To see how this card came together check out my video below (I'm really hoping it turned out OK, I had to do the voiceover so many times b/c my throat is sore and the coughing and all that fun stuff that y'all just don't need to hear):

  

And to watch in HD over on YouTube click HERE <-----click!

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  • I get asked a lot about where to purchase the supplies I use in my videos and blog posts. I list all the supplies I use at the end of my posts or in the description box directly below my video on YouTube. Compensated affiliate links used whenever possible at no extra cost to you. Affiliate linking is what keeps my blog and YouTube channel up and running and enables me to work from home with my kids! I appreciate your support more than words can say! I occasionally receive product for free from stores/manufacturers with no obligation on my part to use/review - I only use and share what I personally love. Everything else I purchase myself! I participate in an affiliate program with Simon Says Stamp. All opinions are my own, I do not offer paid endorsements/reviews (and never will) and I will not promote products and/or companies that I don't personally use and love. Thank you all so much for your support!! ❤️❤️❤️ Text and pictures © Amy Rysavy; All rights reserved. Nothing may be copied or changed without express permission from myself. My artwork on here is for personal inspiration only and may not be copied for monetary gain, submission to contests, magazines etc. Thank You for respecting these limitations!!

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