The June Card Chain Challenge Reveal!

Every Card Chain Challenge has several prompts, including colors and sketches you can use, to get that creative spark going.  You can even look up the criteria for the entire year if you are the type that can plan that far ahead.  In addition to those themes and prompts, there is one option that we have every month; friendship.  For me it's been a lifesaver.  Like this month.  When I totally forgot to get it in gear because I was mailing my card to Jo in England! It's been crazy around here with everyone's commitments (I am sure most, if not all, of you can relate), so I fell back onto the friendship theme. Here is my card:

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Purple and Peach Cardstock
Watercolor Paper
Oxide Distress Inks in Worn Lipstick, Cracked Pistachio, Wilted Violet and Broken China
Wendy Vecchi Stamp Set, Heirloom Art, #LCS103
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Spellbinders Nestabilities Gold Labels, #4-SS-159
Distress Sprayer
Corner Punch
Pop Dots

Before I get into how I made my card, I want to share the card I received from Sabrina - she says she hasn't been active on her blog lately, but do give her some love as this card is SO cute!:

Back to my card. It was SO easy to make - once I found an Oxide ink background I liked.  I make them in bunches and don't always get to write down what colors I've used. However, this time I tried something different.  I had been making them all day and it was beginning to get tedious as even the most joyful activities can, and my color combinations were not as pleasing as they were when I began.  So, this time I laid down Worn Lipstick, Cracked Pistachio and Wilted Violet on my watercolor paper, played with it a bit and left it alone while I went and ate dinner. 

Once that was dry, I smooshed a bit of Broken China on the paper, sort of to fill in the "blanks", or, where I didn't feel the color was quite colorful enough.  

Typically, I'd been just pouncing all the Oxides together, spritzing them and using that.  Since I used three colors and then added the blue, it allowed me to be a bit more thoughtful about my color placement.  I'm pleased with the outcome and while this might not be a new concept to you, it sure is to me! I spritzed the paper, now with the four colors, lightly and dried it with my heat gun.

Another Look

I stamped my sentiment on the Oxide Ink'd paper using Ranger Jet Black, once it was all dry.  I wanted the card to be colorful, and a bit fancy, so I dug through my dies (I am amassing quite the collection!) and chose the Gold Labels #4.  I die cut the sentiment piece, and then an orange piece.  I pop dotted them on a bold purple (I had punched the corners with an old corner punch) and finally layered the purple on the white card.  I love the uplifting saying and have been a HUGE fan of Wendy's for years!  If you are interested, here is another really cool card I made using the same sentiment (and a discovery!)

I hope you are having a fabulous holiday! Thanks! Christi
PS: I made my own watermark! I have a few I made; what do you think?

I would like to enter my Friendship Card in the following challenges:
Creates & Makes - #13, Anything Goes, Create a Sentiment
Lemon Shortbread - #45, Anything Goes
TTCRD - Anything Goes
Fussy & Fancy - #190, Punches and/or Dies
Brown Sugar Challenge - #257, Anything Goes
One Crazy Stamper - M, July Challenge, Anything Goes
HLS, Watercolor Challenge - M, July, Anything Goes, optional Blue Twist
AAA Cards - #93, Words Take the Center Stage