Prairie Paper & Ink

SSS Center Cut Kaleidoscope Background with Gansai Tambi Watercolor

Hey everyone! A new color challenge is up on the Color Throwdown Challenge blog:

Aren't these colors so pretty together? You can check out what the rest of the Design Team created HERE <------click! and play along if you'd like!

Here's what I came up with:

I pulled out Simon Says Stamp's Centre Cut Kaleidoscope background stamp and heat embossed it onto Canson XL watercolor paper and then watercolored it in with my Gansai Tambi water-colours.

I used Simon's Big Thanks Words stamp set and Big Thanks wafer dies for my sentiments, heat embossing the sentiment with SSS Fine Detail white embossing powder onto a strip of Green Leaf card stock. 

The main "thanks" word I die cut from SSS White Glitter card stock after I ran that and the yellow card stock through my Xyron X machine.

I finished off the inside of the card with more sentiments from the Big Thanks Words stamp set and that was it!

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

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

 

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 (below) or in the description box directly below my video on YouTube. If the products  have little icons below the image it means there's more than one place it can be purchased. You can hover over the icons and it will tell you what store that link will take you to. Compensated affiliate links used when 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/manufacturer with no obligation on my part to use/review - I only use and share what I personally love. Everything else I purchase myself!     

Haul! DMC Thread, Neat & Tangled, Lawn Fawn etc

Hey everyone! Before I get to the actual haul portion of the video I have a couple of heads up! Just a heads up for those that aren't on my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter or Instagram: you might have missed me sharing the NEW Limited Edition Mother's Day Kit from Simon Says Stamp! Their Limited Edition kits sell out VERY quickly (within hours usually) and are not part of their monthly subscription.

You can also get the stamps and wafer die individually here:

Simon Says Stamp has loaded up their Steals & Deals <------click! Tons of items on sale - some at HUGE discounts! These deals don't last long and sell out quickly!!!

Also - code SPR5F will get you $5 off your order! (that code doesn't work on card kits just FYI)

OK now on to the actual haul: 

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

The video I mentioned about the MFT Cross-Stich dies and the post with the link to the patterns is available here:

My Favorite Things April 2018 Release & Review!!

As well as the video I did showing the 2 cards using one of the new Waffle Flower stamp sets:

WaffleFlower April Release Blog Hop!

And here are all the links! Stay tuned as there's a LOT going on this week - I may be dealing with this rotten cold but this gal still needs to work (gotta pay those bills) and there's a bunch of new product coming out really soon *wink!!

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 (below) or in the description box directly below my video on YouTube. If the products  have little icons below the image it means there's more than one place it can be purchased. You can hover over the icons and it will tell you what store that link will take you to. Compensated affiliate links used when 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/manufacturer with no obligation on my part to use/review - I only use and share what I personally love. Everything else I purchase myself!     

SSS Picture Book Croc You Da Best

Hello everyone! Apologies for the lull in posts and videos the last few days. I've had a lot on my plate and then caught a nasty cold which I'm still dealing with so I'm moving a LOT slower than usual!

This was last week's Color Throwdown Challenge:

You can check out what the rest of the team created with these colors HERE <------click! There's still a little time left to participate in this challenge and then a new one goes live on Wednesday!

I started this card several days ago, then got sick and overwhelmed and all that jazz. I finally got a chance to finish it and it turned out even better than what I was picturing in my (foggy) head:

I pulled out Simon Says Stamp's Picture Book Croc wafer die and after running some Bristol Smooth card stock through one of my Xyron machines I die cut it. I then used Distress Inks to sponge and splatter my little croc (and added Studio Katia Googly eyes!).

The die cut and heat embossed sentiments are from the CZ Design for SSS You Da Best wafer die and Empathic stamp sets. I added those along with some mini die cut hearts cut from some GinaK Red Velvet card stock.

I finished off the inside of the card with more sentiments from the Emphatic stamp set and a few more die cut mini hearts and that was it!

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

 

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

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 (below) or in the description box directly below my video on YouTube. If the products  have little icons below the image it means there's more than one place it can be purchased. You can hover over the icons and it will tell you what store that link will take you to. Compensated affiliate links used when 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/manufacturer with no obligation on my part to use/review - I only use and share what I personally love. Everything else I purchase myself!   

NEW Tim Holtz Glass Media Mat Unboxing and Haul!

Post and video #2 for today! If you missed my earlier one you can either scroll down or check it out at the link here:

WaffleFlower April Release Blog Hop!

LOLLLL I don't think I've EVER received an order and filmed and uploaded as quickly as I did today. I nearly bowled over the delivery person when I saw them walking up to my door with the package and I realized what it was hahaha!

Now I really just need to figure out what I have to do to adjust my filming set-up to be able to film over a reflective (ugh! it's PERFECT for crafting on - but for filming it's a bit of a nightmare) surface like this.....

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

And here are the links!

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 (below) or in the description box directly below my video on YouTube. If the products  have little icons below the image it means there's more than one place it can be purchased. You can hover over the icons and it will tell you what store that link will take you to. Compensated affiliate links used when 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/manufacturer with no obligation on my part to use/review - I only use and share what I personally love. Everything else I purchase myself!     

WaffleFlower April Release Blog Hop!

Hello everyone!! Waffle Flower just released a bunch of fabulous new stamps and dies this month, and hey asked if I'd like to participate in a blog hop to celebrate (to which I said yes of course!).

Here's a look at all the new products: 

If you didn't get here from Amanda's blog <-----click! you can check out the list and all the links down below!!

I honestly had the hardest time deciding what to create with - then realized if I kept waffling (lol) I'd not get anything made in time so I went with the new Bouquet Builder 1 stamp set and created 2 watercolor panel cards:

There are coordinating dies for this set, and as tempted as I was to stamp and color and die cut and make all manner of bouquets for my cards - I wanted to stamp the images onto watercolor paper with brown (not black!!) hybrid ink and watercolor them in. So that's what I did.

I built up the colors with layers of watercolor using my Micelle Mission Gold watercolor palette - not trying to keep everything neat and in the lines! I was just thinking how great these cards would be for Mother's Days cards if you switched out the sentiments (or any occasion really - I love me some floral and greenery images b/c they work for everything).

I did the same thing with the second card just different images from the set and more green. I used Waffle Flowers A2 Nesting Rectangles 1 wafer die set to cut out the panels after everything was dry. The largest die in the set IS A2 sized so it will completely cover the card front and has that perfect stitching detail.

I also added some sparkling clear sequins and sentiments from the new Rainbows stamp set that I white heat embossed on black card stock.

I finished off the insides of the cards by stamping the images in MFT dye inks in similar colors to the watercoloring I did on the outside, then added another heat embossed sentiment from the Rainbows stamp set and that was it!

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

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

The next stop on the hop is Channin's blog! <-----click!

And in case you missed any here are all the links:

Waffle Flower (Nina)

Amanda Korotkova

Amy R

Channin Pelletier

Julie Ebersole

Kathy Racoosin

Kay Miller

Kelly Latevola

May Sukyong Park

Nichol Spohr

Therese Calvird

Vicky Papaioannou

 

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 (below) or in the description box directly below my video on YouTube. If the products  have little icons below the image it means there's more than one place it can be purchased. You can hover over the icons and it will tell you what store that link will take you to. Compensated affiliate links used when 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/manufacturer with no obligation on my part to use/review - I only use and share what I personally love. Everything else I purchase myself!    

 

Now for the GIVEAWAY info!

 

To celebrate the blog hop, Waffle Flower is giving away $25 gift certificates to FIVE lucky winners. To be entered in to win just leave a comment on this post (and to increase your chances of winning make sure to leave comments on the other hops posts as well!) by 11:59pm ET on 4/9/18. Winners will be chosen at random from the comments left on any of the posts on this blog hop and will be announced on the Waffle Flower blog on 4/11/2018.

My Favorite Things April 2018 Release & Review!!

Hello everyone!

MFT's April Release is available NOW <-------click!!! Also FYI that coupon code SPR5F will get you $5 off your order!

It's been a totally crazy day for me so I'm MUCH later than I'd planned getting this Release & Review video up for y'all: 

You can check it out on YouTube in HD HERE <------click!

I show several free downloadable printables - you can find them all HERE <-----click!

And here are all the links to everything I showed in order:

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 (below) or in the description box directly below my video on YouTube. If the products  have little icons below the image it means there's more than one place it can be purchased. You can hover over the icons and it will tell you what store that link will take you to. Compensated affiliate links used when 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/manufacturer with no obligation on my part to use/review - I only use and share what I personally love. Everything else I purchase myself!    

March 2018 Happy Mail Haul! | Cards from YOU

Hey everyone! As it seems every month I am shocked to find a month has gone by and it's time to film another one of these!

As I mention in the video there are some "housekeeping" issues I want to address - I've listed all the info (old and new) down below the video. I really love getting cards from y'all in the mail and being able to show them to the rest of my audience is a lot of fun. I'm hoping we can continue this for a long time to come!

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

If you'd like to mail a card to be featured in an upcoming Happy Mail Haul video here's my mailing address:

Amy Rysavy

Box 1041 MARTENSVILLE PO

Martensville, SK

S0K 2T0

Canada

April Theme: Mother's Day/Coffee

May Theme: Father's Day/Masculine Cards

June Theme: Water/Ocean/Beach

Like I mention in all the Happy Mail Haul videos - I am not strict with the themes.. The post can be notoriously slow especially getting to me here in Canada, so I like to share everything that shows up in my PO Box the previous month regardless! If you ever want to check out previous months Happy Mail Haul videos you can find them all here:

RAK/Happy Mail Hauls

If you want to send ahead and mail cards for multiple themes in the same package I am totally OK with that. It helps if you add a sticky note or something to mark what month each card is for. Please do not send more than 2 cards for each theme (so there are the 3 upcoming months therefore 6 cards in total). I cannot accept large packages/boxes of cards. I don't have anywhere to store large amounts plus it takes up a lot of my time to film/edit/upload these videos and limiting the submissions to 2 per person ensures it's fair for everyone. Thank you for understanding!

If you are interested in donating your cards there are MANY charities and organizations out there. You would need to do your own research to find a cause/group/organization that works for you and what you want to do! Everything from local nursing homes/palliative care units/Ronald McDonald Houses to charities to cards for troops is out there - LOTS to choose from!

Also if you haven't sent in a card before but want to go ahead! I love seeing what y'all are making, and being able to share it with the rest of my audience. We all have to start somewhere ;). Also again there's no need to send gifts or anything like that. I more than appreciate the thought, and I read all the letters I receive (I can't respond to them but I read and keep all of them!). 

For those reading/watching - I would love if you'd take the time to leave comments/questions/etc for those that sent in something in the comments below! 

Stencil Layering with Honey Bee Stamps | Autism Awareness Blog Hop

Hello everyone! Sorry for my late post - I had this hop written in my planner for TOMORROW, totally didn't realize I had my days mixed up until I started seeing all the blog hop posts on social media (insert facepalm emoji here) - so I've been scrambling to get mine re-edited and up!

So the Honey Bee Design Team was asked to participate in this year’s Autism Awareness Blog Hop!

Veronica Zalis and Tenia Nelson organized the blog hop to raise autism awareness and to embrace the autism community. For more information on the blog hop (and the prizes), you can read her post here.

You can check out the Honey Bee blog post HERE as there's a giveaway for it!

Here's what I created:

I created my background using Distress Oxide inks on Bristol Smooth card stock then layered 3 different stencils over it. The first 2 were the rays stencil from Honey Bee's Ocean Scene Builder stencil pack. I used a mini ink blending sponge with just water over the larger ray stencil. After drying that I used the narrower ray stencil and some white gouache with a blending tool to create whiter lines. I again dried the background then used the heart stencil from the Honey Bee Fall Showers stencil set and some Nuvo Sapphire Blue Glimmer Paste.

My main characters are from Honey Bee's Forest Friends stamp set, and I stamped them onto more Bristol Smooth card stock, this time with Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed that with Nuvo Clear Embossing Powder. I then used my Tombow markers and a water brush to color them in before die cutting them with the coordinating wafer die.

I finished off the inside of the card by stamping the images with the same Distress Oxide inks then stamped the sentiment with the Versafine Onyx Black and that was it!

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

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

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 (below) or in the description box directly below my video on YouTube. If the products  have little icons below the image it means there's more than one place it can be purchased. You can hover over the icons and it will tell you what store that link will take you to. Compensated affiliate links used when 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/manufacturer with no obligation on my part to use/review - I only use and share what I personally love. Everything else I purchase myself!