Hot Mess Success ~ Pop Art!

Hello friends!

Thank you for your sweet words on my last post!

I've been in bed for a week and hope that I'm on the road to wellness.

I haven't had the energy to make cards at all

but today I just needed to pull up my bootstraps and just get. it. done!

I'm behind in creating at least 5 cards so today was crunch time.

I did take a quite a little time pull together this messy card

 for the Hot Mess Success card group.  

This month, I did a technique I call Pop Art!

Although I don't like messes AT ALL, I confess ~

I am LOVING this crazy card group!

Each month on the 12th, we find a technique 
- or in my case, create one -

and make a mess card.

So what's PoP aRt?!

One day, quite by mistake,

 I was playing around with my highly pigmented powders by Vicki Boutin.

Normally, it's meant to add to your mixing mediums

 like molding paste or glaze.

Since I've tried the CreativeFX iridescent glaze and stencils before, 

I thought it would be interesting to see how it would perform

 as a base color(s) when wet.

Low and behold - it stuck to the paper

and as I looked at it to see what to do next, it popped!

Pockets of air are underneath the dry powder
 and created a POP effect on the panel. Hence, Pop Art :)

 I wanted the paper to hold up to water, 

so I used #110 heavy weight cardstock.
It was certainly a cool effect and it gave me this card's idea :)

I normally prefer to dry my panels overnight but time was an issue

so I simply used my heat tool and dried the watery-powdery panel quickly.
The heat also activates the powder faster and more PoPing occured
giving the background panel amazing character :)

I made several A2 size card backgrounds 
and just chose one at random to use for this card ~ stamped in Stazon.

The cute birthday bear is from Penny Black and
 I've added sentiments from a Simon Hurley Creates stamp set.

My friends that also made cards today are:
Barb
Jeanette 
Terry

By using this 'Pop Art' technique, I was able to make quite a few panels.
I varied the colors and started with fresh water each time.
One it was heat dried, it sealed in the powder to the paper
but I did noticed if it's still wet, the dry part of the PoP Powder rubs off.  
Just a tip :)

This card took quite a bit of time and it's definitely not a quick card ~ 
 I kept getting tired through out the process,
but stuck it out and I'm so glad I did!
This card is just adorable and super-mess aside, I'm glad I made it :)
In fact, I am already planning uses for the other colored panels.

Here is another final look of the very messy birthday bear!

Thanks for stopping by today!
Big hugs, bigger blessings ...
~Kelly

CCEE1743 ~ All about Cats!

Hi friends!

This is Frances' last week as hostess for the CCEE Stampers this month.

  Tomorrow is Black Cat Day (10/27) and Sunday is Cat Day (10/29)

  She challenged us this week to include a cat on our cards -- black or not :)

 

 Fun fact!  

Cats are the most popular pets in the US ~ 

There are 88 million pet cats (and only 74 million pet dogs)...

I was so sure dogs were #1  ~ surprise!

A group of cats is called a clowder. 

And while black cats are thought of as bad luck in the US,

they are considered to be good luck in the United Kingdom and Australia ♥

Meow!

 I was so excited to ink up a cat stamp that I've had for awhile

that I skipped right over all of my Halloween cat stamps!

I used the Penny Black coloring guide to color these two kitties,

and used my blender pen to 'wipe off' some of the color

 for a faux watercolor look. 

The card was a little busy (and big!) with the image and sentiment

so I gave it a simple gingham background and wooden dots.

Please be sure to stop in over at the CCEE Stampers blog

and see the wonderful cat cards!

And if you link up a card to a gallery for this theme, 

use the keyword  CCEE1743.

We hope you can play along!

Thanks for stopping by!

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly
 
I'm entering my card into the 2017 Cat Lover's Hop!
You can find the details here!

CCEE 1741 ~ Old Farmer's Day!

Howdy friends! 
Time for another challenge at the CCEE Stampers 
and Frances has picked a great one!
Today is Old Farmer's Day!

I know, right?  Who knew?! :)


Fun Fact! 
 Did you know the United States had 2.06 million farms in 2016?

The state with this most farms?
Texas!
Texas had the most farms in 2016, 
 which was more farms than Missouri and Iowa combined!
   The US Census registered more than 241,500 farms in Texas alone,
which approximately 11.72% of the entire farmland in the USA!

I don't know about you, but I'd say that's a lot of cows! :)
Thank you, Texas!

 And here is my card representing Old Farmer's Day.
I've had a couple of wooden Penny Black stamps
for quite some time and wanted to bring them back out again.
I've paired it with a matching sentiment
for a very bovine birthday :)

 

Please be sure to stop by the CCEE stampers blog
and see the DT inspiration!
And if you link up a card with the Old Farmer's Day theme,
please use the keyword CCEE1741!

And that's about all the MOOs I have to share today!  
tee hee!
 
Big hugs, bigger blessings!
~Kelly

3 Musketeers: Love Graffiti ♥

Hi friends!

February is so much fun!

It's such a wonderful month, this February of ours :)

There is so much pink, red, hearts, and LOVE ♥

 

This sweet little Penny Black hedgehog 

surely has the right idea with 'tagging' the fence.

                 We should all have a paint brushes and color our world :)

 I remember when my son was much younger,

we read "Harold and the Purple Crayon" together.

I was so inspired by his reading 

that we did a recreation on his own bedroom wall!

His eyes were huge with wonder and delight,
while my husband just shook his head in disbelief,
and our girls did a trio of "Hey!  Why didn't WE get to do that!"
  

He chose his Purple Mountain's Majesty crayola
 and started to doodle ♥

He drew train tracks and happy faces,

a dog or a bunny (or maybe a mix of both),

scribbled out his name ...

it was truly memorable 'graffiti' and impressive art ♥

Back to my card :)

It's post day for the 3 Musketeers!

I'm running behind this month ...

because I'm running everywhere else - LOL!

Jeanette was our hostess and I absolutely adore this cutie! ♥

Coincidentally, our purple crayon, wall doodling "little boy" is now 11 ♥

He has his school's Principals' Honor Roll Assembly today.

We could not be more proud ~ straight A's again this semester,

including in Art :)

I can only hope that his artistic side continues to flourish,

though scribbling on his bedroom walls was a one shot deal :/

Thanks for stopping by!

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings ♥

~Kelly 
 Card entries:  Penny Black Saturday Challenge:  LOVE

 

*HoPpY hOLiDaYs!*

I'm so glad I didn't frog-get to post this card! :) 

  I have SO loved seeing so many Christmas in July cards on blogs, in the shops, and challenges aplenty.  Even though Miami is sweltering with heat and humidity, it's always fun to think of Christmas all year long! 

I've had this Penny Black "Xmas in pond" stamp for ages and as part of my LINY card year, inked it up!  I completely got into my *Christmas mode* with the stickle hats, holiday inspired paper, and one of my FAVORITE Christmas color combos:  Old Olive, pink and red!

Here's my card:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge blog has a Christmas in July challenge going on right now so I'll go ahead and enter this card there, along with Penny Black at all sorts Challenges :)  
Also, I love Pro markers has a Christmas in July challenge so I'll play along!

Thanks for stopping by and HOPPY Holidays!

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings,

~Kelly

Card entered into:  PennyBlackSaturdayChallenge - Christmas in July
PennyBlackatallsorts - Punches and Dies
IloveProMarkers#178 - Christmas in July
FairyTale - Christmas in July

Happy Birthday, Penny Black !!

Thanks for stopping in to comment on your vacations - such terrific stories! Scroll down to previous post if anyone would like to post for some BLOG CANDY ...... it ends tomorrow! :)

This card was soooo much fun to make -- it's in honor of Penny Black's birthday! Check them out here --> http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/2009/06/birthday-celebrations.html and stop by to wish them a Happy Birthday! I have had this PB stamp for the longest time and this was the PERFECT time to ink it up! I love this image - it just has fun and fetistivity all over it :) I paired it with some shimmery dsp from Heidi Grace, gingham *friends forever* ribbon & lotsa SU cardstock. I had a big boo-boo with this one, rofl, as originally it was a blue card but I was talking with my dd in the craftroom and wasn't paying close enough attention to the fact that I had my "cut" blade on the scorer rather than the "fold!" Oopsie! But I love the addition of red - gives it an extra little pop ....... and someone please tell me I'm not the only one who has ever done that, tee hee!

Close up of the dancin' cutie trio :)

Inside of card ...... Herd it's your Birthday and I am blessed to spend this one with you, Penny Black :) Here's to many, many more!

TFL!!

Deets: Cardstock: Bazzill red, SU! blue, mustard, tangerine, whisper white

Heidi Grace DSP, ric-rac, K & Co big bling, K & Co yellow brads, flower brads, designer printed ribbon, Cuttlebug piecing, prismacolor markers