Friday, February 20, 2015

SSS Hop To It Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my blog! I am so happy to take part in the Simon Says Stamp Hop To It blog hop, in celebration of the new release of Hop To It Simon Says Stamp Exclusive products. This release is so much fun and perfect for many different themes: spring time, children, sunshine, flowers, Easter and more. The design inspiration behind the new release is to inspire. I find inspiration everywhere, sometimes in quite unexpected places. What inspires you? Don't miss all the inspiration and there is a prize to be won on every stop of the hop.

I made an art journal page and a card. The journal page is a stepped out tutorial as well. 

I love the Watercolor Friendly Flowers set and the coordinating dies and immediately wanted to make a watercolour flower garden in my journal. I enjoy making these types of happy looking journal pages and they can help brighten up any day. You can of course use the same techniques for cardmaking, tags, or scrapbooking layouts.

These are the stamps and dies from the Hop To It collection that I used for my art journal page: Watercolor Friendly Flowers Set, Handlettered Encouragement, and Crosses.

Start by die cutting a circle from Simon Says Stamp's fabulous Masking Paper Label Sheets, using the circle die in the Crosses set. The Masking Sheets are wonderful and works great for so many techniques. Today I used it to mask out a sun on my page.

Ink up a Sizzix Cutting Pad with Distress Inks, by simply pressing the ink onto the plastic. I used this order: Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass, Crushed Olive, Shabby Shutters and finally Peeled Paint.

Mist a generous amount of water on the inked cutting pad. I just love the look of those inky droplets.

Press the inky cutting pad into your journal, use scrap papers to prevent getting ink on the opposite page. The inks will blend in sometimes unpredictable ways and create a landscape background. When the ink is dry, carefully remove the mask. 

Ink up the three flowers in the Watercolor Friendly Flowers set with pink, purple and red Distress Inks, using two colours for each flower. Mist the stamp about 4 times with water before stamping on watercolour paper. The inks will blend and form pretty watercolour flowers. Do the same with the stems, using Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint. 

One of my favourite aspects of the Watercolor Friendly Flowers set is that there are two stamps for each flower, one bold and solid and one outline stamp, great for lots of fun techniques. When the ink is dry, stamp the outline flowers with Watering Can Archival Ink. The grey ink gives a softer impression than if you would have used black. Do the same with the stems. 

Use one of the flower center stamps and white emboss centers in each flower.

Die cut all the flowers and stems. I made too many flowers, since I had such fun combining the different Distress Inks, and will have some leftovers for another project.

Stamp the sun from the Color and Sunshine set around the masked circle with embossing ink and white emboss. Softly ink the sun with Scattered Straw.

I wanted the background to have a little more texture and inked dots with Iced Spruce, using the Falling Snow stencil. Later, I also decided to add some Texture Paste hearts, applying the paste with a palette knife through the Falling Hearts stencil. The sentiment was stamped with Watering Can ink.

Glue the flower stems and flowers to the background, overlapping them slightly.

Once you start stamping these flowers in different ink combinations, you'll see how hard it is to stop. You'll never get two flowers that will look exactly the same.

The last part of the sentiment was stamped with the Life's Journey set.

I also made a card:

I just had to use this fun Umbrella Shaker die, and it works great together with many of the sentiments in the Handlettered Encouragement set. The background was watercoloured with Distress Inks (Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass, Cracked Pistachio).

I die cut the frame of the umbrella from white cardstock and die cut it twice more from Simon Says Stamp Burnt Orange and Fog Gray cardstock, using only the inside pieces from the latter two. To give the umbrella a rainy look, I applied Ranger's new Clear Texture Paste through the Falling Snow stencil. The raindrops were die cut from Soft Navy cardstock, glued to the background and coated with Glossy Accents.

I stamped the sentiment with the Soft Navy ink, which coordinates with the Soft Navy paper used for the raindrops and the cardbase. The card was finished with a piece of twine.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today!

Remember that Simon Says Stamp is giving away a prize on every stop of the hop, just leave a comment for your chance to win. The random winners will be drawn on 23 February, and Simon Says Stamp will contact them.

Your next stop on the hop is the wonderful Yoonsun Hur.

If you get stuck somewhere along the way, these are all the stops on the blog hop.

Anna-Karin Evaldsson (you are here)

Don't miss the fabulous inspiration!

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:





484 comments:

  1. You made two great projects ! Your backgrounds are so beautiful; and the flowers on your journal page are amazing !
    Thank you for the tutorial !

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  2. These flowers are so-so pretty... :)))

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  3. Love the watercolor:) Makes me wish even more Spring was here..sigh

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  4. This is my favorite of all of them so far! I'm very into my art journaling at the movement. Thank you for the inspiration!

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  5. Beautiful cards, love the flowers!

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  6. Absolutely beautiful, it's amazing what can be done with distress ink!!

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  7. Thanks for al of the instructions. Your floral page is so cheerful. Love all of the elements in it and the card, is so sweet.

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  8. These cards definitely make me believe spring is on the way! Lovely!

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  9. Great card and journal page! Love your colors and the techniques you used with the distress inks. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Wow, that journal page is awesome, love the colors!

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  11. I absolutely love both of these projects. I like to art journal so it's nice to see these fun new products put to use in that way.

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  12. Beautiful projects - i love the new umbrella die - amazing!!

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  13. Love the water coloring. Those cards are great.

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  14. Such a great tutorial on your process in making the journal page. Just beautiful! Thanks for sharing your talent with us!

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  15. Beautiful card, love the umbrella. Your journal page is stunning, love the water-coloring technique on both projects. Thank you! ~ Carol W. workmanscraps at gmail dot com

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  16. You make such beautiful cards! Thanks for showings all the steps.

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  17. Beautiful - love how you inked up the cutting plate to create the background - great techniques:)

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  18. So lovely!!! Enjoying your style!

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  19. Love the watercolor background on your flower card. The cards are amazing

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  20. Such cute cards...gotta have the matching dies...

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  21. I love your journal page - the flowers just look so happy!

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  22. Thanks so much for the watercolor flower technique! Can't wait to try it. :-)

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  23. You are an artist! Beautiful water colors!
    Thank you.

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  24. beautiful cards love the watercolor!!!

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  25. I love the watercoloring on your projects!

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  26. Love, love, love your journal page! Great instructions!!

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  27. Love, love, love your journal page! Great instructions!!

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  28. Thanks for sharing your inking technique for these amazing projects. I just love the soft, muted look you achieved. Your work is just beautiful and I love what you have created with this great new release!

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  29. To bad we can't keep that look of the sizzix pad after putting the ink and water on it lol. That is a really neat look. But, I love both of your cards! They are really stunning!

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  30. Thanks for the photo tutorial. Beautiful work!

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  31. I hope you know how talented you are, Anna-Karin! Stunning page! Love all the different techniques you used! And your card is fabulous too! Wow!

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  32. All kinds of awesome happening here!! TFS!

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  33. I adore the background you made in your journal. And love the idea of using the Sizzix cutting pad for the watercolor block! YES! Thanks so much for sharing!

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  34. Beautiful cards, love your backgrounds. The flowers are so pretty.

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  35. I love the flowers they turned out so pretty.

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  36. Beautiful as always, I love your art! The flower stamps and dies are so awesome!
    ~kim

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  37. OK, I have way too many things I love. The background done withthe cutting plate is wonderful. I also like the raindrops with clear embossing paste. nice nice nice

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  38. Great journal page. Love the idea. Might have to steal the idea for my journal. Great release!!!

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  39. Love your card. I also love this stamp set and die. Thank you for sharing.

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  40. Oh I must try inking up my Sizzix plate! What fabulous results. Thanks so much for the tutorial.

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  41. Love, love, love your jounal page! Reminds me that Spring will be here soon. So many great stamps, dies, etc in this release.

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  42. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!! I love your art journal pages!!

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  43. Those flowers are my favorite. Love the technique using cutting plates--will have to try it!

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  44. Flower always the best for spring card

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  45. Gorgeous cards. Thanks for sharing your technique.

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  46. Your cards are gorgeous! I just love all the detail you put into them. Thanks so much for the tutorials on how you did them. I am going to try this technique out and can't wait to see how mine come out.

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  47. Beautiful cards and a wonderful tutorial, too!

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  48. Your water coloring is so vibrant & Beautiful. Your cards are lovely.

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  49. WOW! That journal page is awesome! You took that stamp to a whole new level!

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  50. Your flower card is awesome! I love that set.

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  51. I am so happy with those artful flowers the more I see them the more I want them.

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  52. This is so cute. You can almost feel the breeze moving the flowers in the field.

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  53. I love your watercolored cards! I'm having lots of fun with watercoloring right now...

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  54. Your cards are beautiful...love the colors and the sentiment, "cheering you on" is divine. Thanks so much.

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  55. You always have the most amazing ideas!

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  56. WOW....your journal page and card are AMAZING!!! Love the loose watercolor!! The rain you added on the umbrella was very neat!!

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  57. Love the cheering you on card. A great one to have in your card stash!!

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  58. I love using distress inks. I have never tried putting down enough ink to press an entire background. Thanks for the inspiration. Your flower garden is beautiful!

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  59. Loving these such FUN Designs!! Thanks for sharing and have a Fabulous Weekend!! :-)

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  60. Great inspiration! You really were on a roll:)

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  61. Great watercolor technique. Just love the flower set and dies. Thanks.

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  62. Beautiful journal page and card!

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  63. Thanks for sharing your inky technique! Great tips here.

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  64. Very pretty and a wonderful tutorial!

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  65. Two beautiful projects, I love all the texture on the card.

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  66. OMG OMG OMG!! TThese are ALL AMAZING!! II LOVE the FUN DDesigns!! THANKSS for sharing and have a ffabulous WEEKEND!!! :-)

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  67. Love this release, especially the flowers and the sentiments!

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  68. Fabulous cards! I love love love the watercolored look! 2 very stunning cards! Thank you for sharing ♥

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  69. Lovely cards! I love the water colored backgrounds.

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  70. Fabulous job done, love the art journaling and the umbrella with raindrops is looking so beautiful, stunning textures on both of the creations, just love them!

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  71. Love the3 Umbrella Shaker Die. Thank you for the technique of adding raindrops to the umbrella. PERFECT!

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  72. Great projects! It was so nice to see an art journal page in the mix!

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  73. What a great idea for a journal page. Love it!

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  74. Such fantastic projects, love the texture and watercoloring on your journal page, very cool!!!

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  75. Great idea for a art journal page. Thanks for the idea.

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  76. Love the field of flowers on your journal page, and your umbrella card came out great too (I really like the distressed edges)

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  77. Your projects are beautiful, thank you for the great tips!

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  78. Great projects and oh so beautiful!!!

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  79. Fabulous projects and really beautiful water coloring! Thanks so much for being part of the hop!

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  80. Your art journal page and card are absolutely gorgeous!

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  81. thanks for showing the steps to make this great journal page!

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  82. Fabulous project to showcase this release!

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  83. love the journal page I too would find it hard to stop making those flowers especially with this ugly weather staying around so long

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  84. Your card and journal page are gorgeous Anna! The backgrounds work so well with the sizzix pad, will have to try that one 😄

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  85. Wow I love your journal page so cute. Your card is amazing too. The rain drops on the umbrella look so cool.

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  86. Great projects! I love the water coloring, Distress inks are so cool! Thanks for the inspiration.

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  87. Your projects are fantastic. Great tutorial, also.

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  88. Love the cards and the step by step info. :-)

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  89. You're cards and just beautiful. Love how you showed us the steps you used. I just love the beautiful background on the first one. Beautiful flowers and dies. On my wish list for sure. You're flower card is so bright and cheery. Love you're umbrella card and that beautiful background.Love the new stencils especially the raindrop. Thank you so much for sharing you're beautiful work and ideas.

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  90. Love both projects! Your journal page is just beautiful and would make an awesome inspirational card.

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  91. love your watercoloring! I to like to mask different parts of a card it really gives depth!! your 2 cards are lovely just love the flowers!! thanks for the detailed directions, I know that takes time!

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  92. Beautiful work on your
    journal page and the
    umbrella card is so
    cute!
    Carla from Utah

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  93. OMG Your Journal page is so gorgeous you really put a lot of work into it and the pictures you took to share your creative process very impressive.
    You really did create a work of art.
    Your Umbrella card is so cute I love our little seen another super great creative job. You totally rocked these new goodies. Girl you are so talented!

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  94. Great cards! Love how you did the umbrella with different colors! The flowers on the first card are beautiful!

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  95. I love both of your projects. The tutorial for your journal page was awesome.

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  96. That umbrella die combined with the raindrops is fantastic! I really love your flowers. So pretty.

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  97. I absolutely love those flowers.

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  98. Love, love, love all your cards. Love the bright colors, they are so cheerful!

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  99. Your Journaling page is beautiful! LOVE how you did the background and the textures!
    Your Umbrella card is awesome! LOVE it! TFS!

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  100. Love your journal page and the card!! So much creativity!! What fun stamp and die sets!!

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  101. Love the art journal page. The colors are fabulous and I like all the layering. Your card is so pretty too. Such fun stamp sets!!

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  102. I love the art journal page and all of the different techniques you used on it.

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  103. Such a lovely job on both projects! I adore that umbrella!

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  104. This is SO beautiful! I love these flowers!

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  105. Amazing projects, love the watercolor!
    Your card is super cute too!

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  106. Just love your creative, artsy projects! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  107. Beautiful flowers on a wintery day!

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  108. SSSOOOOOO gorgeous! Love your watercoloring!
    Nina-Marie :)

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  109. Love your watercolor techniques with distress inks!

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  110. Love both cards! I like the journal page - I can see that making the flowers would be addicting :) I love the umbrella card great for cheering on someone.

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  111. Love your journal page and card! Both are super wonderful!!!

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  112. That journal page is one of the prettiest things I've ever seen! I love it so much.

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  113. love your floral journal page so happy and fun! The rainy umbrella is so opposite but depicts april showers so well!

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  114. Love your journal page and instructions.

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  115. Both your projects are beautiful.

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  116. Such pretty and fun techniques. Thanks so much for sharing your talent and tutorials!

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  117. You have a wonderful way with ink. Great projects!

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  118. Beautiful coloring, love all the products in this release, so fun

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  119. Love your journal page, especially the textured hearts!

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  120. Gorgeous journal page and love your masked sun!!

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  121. Thanks for the idea of watercoloring first then stamping the outline. Such a sweet card.

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  122. Love the journal page! Thanks for sharing your process when making it. The artful flowers are just beautiful.

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  123. Love them both! Thanks for sharing!

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  124. BEAUTIFUL creations! Love the matching dies to these wonderful stamps! C'mon Spring!

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  125. Girl, your coloring skills knock me out. Extraordinary.

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  126. Great ideas for the flowers...thanks

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  127. Both gorgeous cards!! Love the dies with the flowers

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  128. Your watercolor flowers are stunning! They remind me of some of my favorite impressionist paintings!

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  129. Great cards and great instructions!

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  130. Great projects. Thanks for sharing.

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  131. Words of encouragement is a great stamp set!!! I like making a card pack for giving and these are perfect!

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  132. Awesome cards. I love that you use distress inks for your water coloring.

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  133. Wow, these are great projects! I love how you shared the art journal page!

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  134. Beautiful. Thank you for the detailed photos of your process.

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  135. Love the umbrella card. Thanks for sharing.

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  136. Oh WOW, your cards are fabulous! I love how you made the watercolor flowers, I think I NEED that stamp set!

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  137. Wow - I really love your projects. The watercoloring is beautiful and I'd never of thought to use the Sizzix cutting plate this way. Great idea. Thanks for sharing.

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  138. Both of your cards are awesome. the colors are bright and cheerful

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  139. Beautiful cards! I love your artsy style. Thanks for inspiring us.

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  140. That journal page is absolutely amazing. I can easily see that on a card.

    I also like how you used the shaker die as "inlay" - great double use for a die.

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  141. Love the journal page. Really like the sentiment.

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  142. Oh my, what a beautiful scene on your journal page. I love the way you've done the sentiment. Thanks for the "how to". The raindrops and umbrella in the second card are so pretty.

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  143. Your art journal page is fabulous! TFS

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  144. I love your journal page. This flower set is perfect for water coloring. Love the colors you used. And I love the umbrella die and your card is so perfect with the rain drops and the inserts of orange and gray. Love that you used a stencil too. Great job! TFS

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  145. Love the details of the journal page. It's beautiful. The background of the card is lovely.

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  146. Awesome journal page and the umbrella card is fantastic! I dud not think I wanted the umbrella die, but you convinced me I was wrong:-)

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  147. Very pretty cards, love the watercolor with distress. This new release is terrific!

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  148. Thanks for the great tutorials. Your page and card are both lovely!

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  149. Beautiful...love the watercolor Flowers and OUR Fun techniques--♥

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  150. Oo I love that clear texture paste! Now I need to get it! XP

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  151. Lovely art journal page--your coloring looks wonderful!!

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  152. Lovely art journal page--your coloring looks wonderful!!

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  153. Amazing projects! You are so talented and creative!

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  154. Great card, love the sun effect! Thanks.

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  155. Love both your projects. Great inking techniques.

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  156. What cool techniques you use! Love your cards!

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  157. I love your inky background for the journal page. The sentiments work great for it. Your card with the umbrella is so bright, love it. Thanks for sharing.

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  158. I love the journal page! Thanks for sharing your process. It's nice to have ideas on how to incorporate stamps with journaling. Love the card too!

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  159. There are those FAB flowers again! Thx so much for the terrific instructions! Bookmarked to refer back to!!

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  160. Cool way to create a background. Thank you for sharing your creativity.

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  161. Love how you did the inking on the journal page.

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  162. Beautiful flowers, love the way you have done you back ground, very clever.

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  163. Wonderful projects!!! Thank you for sharing:)

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  164. Love everything about our cards! Really lovely.

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  165. Your cards are beautiful!! Love the water coloring with distress inks!

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  166. Awesome cards...love the texture and the coloring is amazing...super job!!

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  167. Amazing projects! Loved seeing your watercolor techniques, as it a technique I'm just beginning to use and sure have a lot to learn. Thanks for your inspiration.

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment! Happy Crafting!