Stampin! with Jaydee

Hi Everyone.

Happy Monday from a very cold Minnesota.   It was -7 here this morning.  Brrrrr :-).

I did manage to get into my craft room and make a couple of cards yesterday.  I went looking for some inspiration and found two challenges - this amazing sketch across at Less Is More and the theme of Pastels at Just Us Girls.

Now... the sketch really did make me stretch my creative muscles.  I had absolutely no idea what to do with it.  I just knew that I wanted to do SOMETHING with it :-).  And you know that Pastels stretch me at the best of times :-).  So, what have you heard me so a trillion times (almost!). that's why I do challenges... to challenge myself :-)

I took out my new stamp catalog sheets and thumbed through them.  Et voila!  I came across the Fun Stamper's Journey Express Yourself set and knew exactly what I was going to do.

I normally share the closeup with you first - but I really need to show you the card, otherwise nothing will really make sense!   I used 4 stamps from the set on the card.  I used two paint brushes at the bottom, a paint tube at the top - and one of the sentiments.   I colored them with new goodies.  More about that later!

Here's my card:

I hope you can see the sketch in the arrangement of the stamps!

I added some gel pen to the brushes and the tube, to give a wet/metallic feel.  Here's a closeup:

Of course, I had to decorate the inside.  I used another one of the stamps and colored that and then added "blobs" of blue and pink paint to match the outside brushes/tube:

Of course, the envelope had to get a little something :-)

I had such fun with the sketch.  So much so, that I made a totally different card using the same sketch.  I'll share that later in the week.

About those new goodies..... oh.... I am in LOVE.  I love coloring with pencil.  Love it.  My favorite pencils are Prismacolors.  However, they drive me MAD.  They are always breaking.  They never stay sharp and I can't get a really good sharp point. When I sharpen them the lead falls out on so many of them.  Grrrr.    I do love them still, but the quality really gets to me - especially with the price.  I like the Polychromos... but I don't seem to get the same results.  It's obviously something with the way that I color.  then... I heard about Caran D'Ache Luminance.   I decided to treat myself to a late Christmas present and got to test drive them yesterday.  They are expensive... but I totally love them.  I used them on two cards that you will see this week.  This is the first.    I really love the way they go onto the paper and how they blend.  I also love how I could layer the color even though the paper I was coloring on had "no-tooth".  So, I can see more pencil coloring in my future :-)

I'll be back tomorrow with another card.  In the meantime, warm hugs and prayers for those of you who need a little lift tonight.

Hugs

Jaydee

Card recipe:

• Card stock:  Neenah Solar White 110#
• Stamps:  Fun Stamper's Journey - Express Yourself
• Ink:  Gina K Amalgam Black
• Pencils:  Caran D'Ache Luminance