Sunflowers Two Ways

Hello friends.  Today I’m bringing you some end of summer sushine in the form of sunflowers with The Cat’s Pajamas and the last week of our Embossing Challenge.  I have two designs to show you, because once I got started I had another way I wanted to colour up these pretty flowers.  

First off is the black embossed multi-coloured sunflowers.  

Sketchy Flowers is one of my favourite new sets from The Cat’s Pajamas.  It’s got so many pretty blooms in it, and it’s so versatile, because of it’s sketchy feel.  I stamped all of these pretty sunflower and leaf outlines onto watercolour paper and heat embossed.  This gives the watercolouring a bit of a “resist” for the water to move around.  

I coloured up the blooms with my Inktense pencils, because I really wanted some nice deep pigment.  

For the sentiment, I stamped and embossed some more of the flowers onto another piece of watercolour paper and then used my Hello There CutUps Die from TCP.  All I did was trim off the “there” from the sentiment and then cut it again in Crafters Foam so that I could stack it up.  I LOVE this crafters foam because one side of it is adhesive, so it works perfectly for little word dies.  

For the next sunflower design I went with a more impressionistic design.  

On this card I spritzed some watercolour paper, stamped the solid stamps for the sunflowers and  leaves, then moved the ink a little with my water brush.  After the whole panel was dry I embossed the gold outlines of the sunflowers on just a few of the flowers.  

For the sentiment I used the Sending CutUps Die, and embossed it by squishing it in a VersaMark pad and adding gold embossing powder on top.  I offset the Pool Party cardstock so that it would add a little colour behind the letters, and then added the Sunshine sentiment from TCP’s Sending You set.    A couple of sequins and some gold twine finish it off.  

There are lots of ways you can use embossing, so we hope you join us on the challenge as there’s only 1 week left!

Here are the details:

1. Every other Tuesday a new challenge will be posted on The Cat’s Pajamas blog and our Facebook page.
2. If you want to play along you just upload your design to The Cat’s Pajamas blog page using the InLinkz button by the Monday, 11:55 EDT before the next challenge.
3. You are not required to use a Cat’s Pajamas stamp or die but if you have them we would love to see them.
4. On the following TCP Tuesday, the winner will be chosen from the previous challenge and will receive a Cat Cash Voucher for $10 or $15 if a TCP product is used.

Pop on by to see some more TCP Embossing inspiration here: 

Brenda Nakandakari
Christine Okken (you are here)
and Alma at the TCP Blog!

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Sunflowers Two Ways

Peace Brother

So quickly life can change (just so you know, heartfelt personal post ahead).

August 12 found our family heading back home after a family reunion with my husband's siblings.  There were 24 of us there with 3 generations together, it was important time with family.  Driving back home means about 24 hours of driving time and we were about three hours from our house when I pulled out my phone and opened my email to learn that one of our dearest friends had suddenly passed away from a heart attack.  His name was Randy and he was just 54 years old.  He leaves behind a beautiful wife of 30 years and a 15 year old son.  I actually wrote about him in this gratitude post HERE in February as he spent the weekend with us at a conference at our Church.  After we found out the news of his death it was a whirlwind the next several days as we got kids where they needed to go and flew back down for the funeral.  

Randy's life impacted our lives in such profound ways, and his loss has shaken us.  I know that as we walk authentically through grief that God will meet us there, and more than anything else, as we do that, Randy's influence will live on.  I want the life he lived to continue to impact me, propel me, challenge me, deepen me.  But right now, we just miss him so much.  

So, even as I show you the card I made for his wife and son that we love, I'll tell you more about what made Randy so amazing, and how blessed we feel to have known him.  

Randy lived a life that engaged people to be authentic and deep.  He had this way of asking a level of question that was both challenging, encouraging and would have you pondering for days.  He chose to listen and value people and their stories, their journeys, and the experiences that made them unique.  When you were with Randy you felt like you mattered, your story mattered, your calling mattered, your future mattered, and not only that it mattered to him, he reminded you that it mattered deeply to God.  He was so willing to speak truth and hope, and also to get under your skin and make you uncomfortable.  He believed in us and mentored us, and walked this very real life in front of us at really significant moments in our lives.  He was an author, a runner, a coffee lover, a goofy and good friend, and built an leadership organization that put three important questions in front of thousands of people around North America through curriculum he wrote.  They are,  "Who is God', "Who am I", "What does God want to do through my life"...prompted by Ephesians 2:10; “For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” Randy lived out love because he knew he was loved by Jesus.  

I wish we had more time.  I'm not ready for him to be gone.   And in the midst of it all, we feel so blessed for the time we had.  

So, that's why it's been quiet over here on the blog.  We're pondering and wrestling with a lot of things.  All good things, but they are hard things too.  

Randy had lots of signature phrases he'd use.  Everyone knew them, and they made him goofy and fun and real.  One of them was how he'd say "peace" and hold up his two fingers in the peace sign, it was sort of his little blessing he'd extend to others.  So, when I was putting together this card I had to include that word on it.  He extended peace to others, he dwelt in peace with God, he knows the full measure of peace now, and I know his wife and son are comforted by peace in these days.  

This was Randy running a marathon just 6 weeks before he passed away.  Look at that smile!  We sure loved him.  

Here’s the rest of the Power Poppy team bringing you inspiration today:

Christine Okken (you are here)
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Katie Sims
Stacy Morgan

Stamps:  Power Poppy - Soothing Sympathy;  Paper:  XPress it Blending Cardstock, SU Pool Party, SU Barely Banana;  Accessories:  Copics:  Y11, Y21, Y23, Y26, BG11, BG000, YG41, YG45, YG00, MFT Scalloped Circle Die, Firefly Embossing Folder, Satin Ribbon, Corner Rounder.  

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Peace Brother

Feeling Fall

Here’s Day 3 of the Nature + Nurture Collection at Power Poppy, and we’re bringing you the very sweet seasonal set Feeling Fall.  It has three autumnul vignettes to get you in the mood for crunching leaves, warm beverages and cooler rainy weather.  

As soon as I saw this adorable plaid wellington boot I knew I had to colour it up first.  

I was so taken by that sweet plaid theme, I decided to make some plaid background paper with my Copics to match the boot.  All I did was swipe the chisel tip of my Copic marker over a section of XPress It Blending cardstock in vertical and horizontal planes, and then added a bit of a Copic multi-liner to give the plaid some definition.  It makes a great background to tie the pattern in.  

Here’s a closer view of the colouring.  I found a few cute maple leaf buttons in my stash, cut off the back and added them as accent.  

Here’s the inside of the design with another touch of plaid and some die cut maple leaves.  

Here’s the Copics I used

I know you’ll enjoy a trip to see what the Bloom Brigade has in store....

Allison Cope
Christine Okken (you are here)
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Feeling Fall

In Praise of Sunflowers

We’re back for Day Two of the amazing Nature + Nurture August Release from Power Poppy!  And for all of you who’ve been anxiously waiting....here’s In Praise of Sunflowers.

This set is one I really love because it puts these beautiful sunflowers that Marcy has previously released in digi form, now in polymer with awesome sentiments.

This beauty was fun to colour up with my Copics.  To contrast the warm yellows of the flower, I added a soft bluey-green background and found some great chevron paper for the background to pair it with. I think the contrast from soft blue to bright warm yellow really makes that sunflower shine.  

Behind the main panel, I added a vertical strip of white paper that I had used some embossing paste with a burlap stencil on.  I like the bit of texture for the background, and it mimics a bit of the sunflower center.  

A close-up of the flowers, with a smattering of enamel dots to accent and a tiny bit of grossgrain ribbon on the corner.  

Here’s the Copics I used to colour.  

Here’s the Bloom Brigade bringing you sunshiney sunflower inspiration today. 

Allison Cope
Christine Okken (you are here)
Cindy Lawrence
Katie Sims
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

In Praise of Sunflowers

Prairie Cheer

Today is the start of a beautiful week of 3 new release sets at Power Poppy, called Nature + Nurture.  I think you’ll love the hallmark Marcella Hawley whimsy in store.    To kick it all off today we’re showing off Prairie Cheer.  It’s all designed to bring you a smile while showing off the beautiful parts of the prairie flora.  

As a prairie girl, I am always touched by the beautiful sight of fields and fields of crops, like this beautiful wheat ripening and ready for harvest.  

On watercolour paper, I stamped the wheat stalks with white Craft ink and embossed with white embossing powder.  Then I took some Soft Suede reinker and watercoloured the background, in a way that almost looks like a sepia cloudy sky.  The sentiment is stamped and lightly washed as well.   That really is the same tone as the Soft Suede cardstock, but when you watercolour it, it seems to take on more of a rust tone.   

I stamped some more of the stalks in the background and added a simple strand of twine to the bottom and a couple of brads to accent.  I kept it very clean and simple, and masculine with the warm rich tones.  

A peek at the simple stamping on the inside.  

The Bloom Brigade will have so much more lovely Prairie Cheer to show off to you today....

Allison Cope
Christine Okken (you are here)
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Prairie Cheer

Underwater Birthday

Happy Tuesday stamping friends!  Today I’m back with a new challenge I issued at The Cat’s Pajamas, and I’ve called it Water.  There are so many fun ways you can go with this theme....and TCP has lots of great stamps with water themes, or ice themes, snow themes....or you can go with a watercolouring theme too.  

I decided to do an under-water/ocean theme with this great set from TCP called Seas the Birthday.  I stamped the fun little octopus onto watercolour paper and used my Inktense pencils to give him some purple and bluey-green, with a yellow candle.  

For the background I took some re-inkers (Wild Wasabi, Pacific Point, Bermuda Bay) and washed in an oceany background with a waterbrush on a 4 1/8 x 5 1/4 inch piece of watercolour paper.  Then I took a stitched die, cut a frame from the panel and then flipped the outer frame 180 degrees.  The inside of the frame is sunk in and the outer frame popped up.    

For some seaweed accent I used the TCP CutUps die, Leaf Scroll, tucking it into the frame, then adding a couple of enamel dots and baker’s twine for accent.  

Here are the details about the challenge:

1. Every other Tuesday a new challenge will be posted on The Cat’s Pajamas blog and our Facebook page.

1. If you want to play along you just upload your design to The Cat’s Pajamas blog page using the InLinkz button by the Monday, 11:55 EDT before the next challenge.

1. You are not required to use a Cat’s Pajamas stamp or die but if you have them we would love to see them.

1. On the following TCP Tuesday, the winner will be chosen from the previous challenge and will receive a Cat Cash Voucher for $10 or $15 if a TCP product is used.

Pop on by The Cat’s Pajamas Blog to see who’s playing along to day with our water theme!

Share:facebook - twitter - pinterest

Underwater Birthday