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  

Stinkin' Inkers Summer Heat

My first thought that came to me when I found out we were using Summer Heat at Stinkin' Inkers was water! Now that I live in Colorado, and I'm older, I don't get to hang out in the water like I used to as a youngster.  I was fortunate to have a pool in my backyard and spent many a days imagining a scene at the bottom of my pool just like this:

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base

Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Kit, May 2017
Oxide Inks
Watercolor Paper
Hero Arts Intense Black Ink
Distress Markers in Tattered Rose and Pumice Stone
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Labels, #660060
Distress Sprayer
Craft Mat
Studio G Self Adhesive Assorted Pearls
Studio Katia Clear Round Drops Mix, #SK2410

I started out making the ocean background using just two of the Oxide inks, Broken China and Faded Jeans.  I applied the colors directly to the watercolor paper, trying (but

While Coloring

not too hard) to keep the lighter blue closer to the top of the paper.  I spritzed the colors with the Distress Sprayer, added some Cracked Pistachio, sprayed, and then let it dry overnight.  I reworked the background until I liked it, which is one of my very favorite things to do with Oxide Inks. 

I then took a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 white card and inked every color I had in about 2 inch increments (sorry, I forgot to take pictures before I cut them all up), basically each color had it's own area.  I inked the solidly, no spots of white let at all.   Then I sprayed them once and dried them with the heat gun.  Once they were fully dry (very important! You will rip your paper if it isn't absolutely dry! Well, at least I have) I proceeded to cut out the various undersea fauna supplied in the kit. The colors were so pretty it was a struggle to decide what to use!  

When I had cut all the fauna, I die cut the sentiment out of the Tim/Holtz Labels set, edged it with Broken China and set it aside.  I used the Hero Arts kit to die

cut the clam and a few fishes.  I colored the clam with Tattered Rose,  Pumice Stone Distress Markers and stuck the pearl onto the center.  I colored the fishes with Spiced Marmalade & Cracked Pistachio Distress Inks by mushing a bit of ink onto my craft mat and using a water brush. 

Once I had the placement down, I attached the watercolor paper to a while card base, fiddled and fooled with the various fauna and finally figured it out, decided where I wanted the sentiment, clam and the fishes to reside.  I left the tops of some of the fauna unglued so I could tuck sea creatures behind if I chose to. The bubbles from the fish are just amazingly cute! I am very proud of this card and I hope you adore it as much as I do!

Another Look - Click to enlarge :)

Please find some time during the festivities (you have ALL month!) to join us at Stinkin' Inkers with your version of Summer Heat! ~ Christi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a gentle reminder!! Please be safe and keep an eye on your four legged critters - keep them inside during the fireworks; the Fourth of July is when most animals run away from home and go missing due to the noise. Keep your furbabies safe and inside (also, some animals need to be tranquilized due to the noise. If your dog is fearful of thunderstorms, he's going to be scared of the fireworks; be sure to ask your vet for medication early!)  Just a little reminder because I know you love your animals as much as I love mine (and cats can run away just like dogs!) 

I am entering my Summer Heat card in the following challenges:
Addicted to Stamps Challenge - #151, Summer/Beach/Holidays
Do-Al(l) Creatives - M, #7, Cool Water
DL Art - Thankful Thursday, #207, Summer Fun
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
a2z scrapbooking - M, Anything Goes
The Papergirls - M, #131, Seashells, Sea or Beachy
Paperminutes - #494, Sea, Beach, Etc.