Bellissima Cards: DAY 5: Blue Knight Rubber Stamps Week & GIVEAWAY

Hello my crafty friends!
Can you believe that it's already Day 5 of

Blue Knight Rubber Stamps Week & GIVEAWAY, here at my blog?

Somehow, while I've been enjoying creating cards....

This week passed too quickly!

Here's a little summary of what is yet to come...
Today...I'll be sharing 3 new cards..
Tomorrow...I will share a re-cap of ALL of this weeks cards
Saturday...The 2 GIVEAWAY Winners will be announced here at the blog.
Sunday....I'll be a mope...feeling sad...because Blue Knight Week will be over.

But today....I'm VERY excited!
I am LOVING the stamps that I used to create today's cards.
Love Love Love

Wanna see the Blue Knight stamps?
Here they are...

Peaceful Lake (left)...... and Sailboats (right)

I also used a Happy Birthday sentiment
from the Best Wishes stamp set

When I placed my order at Blue Knight Rubber Stamps

for all of the stamps that I used for this week's cards

I also picked up a set of 48 Royal & Langnickel Soft Pastels.
When I saw them on the Blue Knight web site,

I was reminded of how much I used to enjoy coloring with pastels.
As I got more into pencil coloring...alcohol marker coloring and water coloring
I drifted away from using soft pastels.
I'm guessing that I haven't used pastels in about 15 years.
I thought that it was time to work with soft pastels again...
So...I ordered the set of 48 Soft Pastels...and a supply of Fantastix!

I immediately reached for the pastels when creating the Peaceful Lake card...
Because I wanted to add a soft porcelain color tint to the image.
(not heavy darker coloring)
The soft pastels allowed me to achieve that look.
I also used the Heidi Pettie Cloud Stencil to create a cloudy sky

with the pastels
(A very different cloudy look as compared to using the stencil

with ink pads and Clarity Stencil Brushes...
which is how I usually create cloudy skies)

When the coloring was complete...

I chose a print and solid cherry colored card stock for matting.
And...

this is what I wound up with!

Did I mention that I want to be on the shore of this lake right now!
"Peaceful Lake" is the ideal name for this stamp.
Reuniting with soft pastel coloring was wonderful...
and I was reminded about WHY it's so enjoyable...and relaxing.

After I created the Peaceful Lake card...

I created 2 cards with the gorgeous Sailboats stamp set.
Here's something extra awesome about the sailboats stamp set...
It consists of two sailboat stamps...
one large...one small.
I loved that I had the option of creating cards with 2 different sized images.

I added color to the sailboat cards with Copic markers

and did some basic layering and matting.
I chose a great ivory map print for one of the cards

and added knotted cotton twine to the other.
I added clouds to the sky with the Heidi Pettie Cloud stencil

and ink lifted from an ink pad with Clarity Stencil Brushes.
I am so pleased with both cards.

I LOVE them.

And never want to send them to anyone!
I want to keep them...forever!
(Did I just say that out loud?)

But alas...it was time to set the Peaceful Lake aside...
and ink up the Sailboats!

Look at this gorgeous image!
Be still my heart!
And the Cloud Stencil?
How did I ever live without this stencil!
(Secret: Since discovering this stencil at the Blue Knight web site last Spring...

I have started hoarding them...Yes...I have 3 Cloud Stencils..."Just in case")

In case of what...I do not know...

But...I have 3...just in case,.

You can see the knotted cotton twine nicely in this photo

as well as the matting.
The cherry red card stock was perfect,I think....

for picking up the red on the boat.

After the love affair with the large sailboat...
It was time to create a card with the smaller sailboat.
If you thought that I was over the moon enough for the larger sailboat card
take a seat for what's about to come...

Me...and some genuine stamp loving lunacy.
Holy Schmoly.
This card makes my little card making heart go skip a beat.

Oh my..

The sailboat....The clouds...The map print card stock...

The kraft card stock matting...the hint of red beneath the image layer...
and the hand-cut matted sentiment banner.
For me..it's true love.

I was so happy to be feeling the love

as I created his last card for Blue Knight Rubber Stamps week!

This is a card that I will make many of ...
Exactly as you see it here....

Just to keep on hand.

This has been a fun and inspiring week for me.
Creating cards with so many new Blue Knight stamps was wonderful!
I'm looking forward to sharing a recap with you tomorrow.
I hope that you found a little bit of inspiration of your own

here at my blog this week

and took time to visit the Blue Knight Rubber stamps web site HERE.
Don't forget to order the Cloud Stencil!
Or order 3...like me!

But before you head over to the web site...
Take a sec to post a fast comment below to be in on the 2 giveaways.
On Saturday, two winners will be announced here at my blog.

the first winner will have the opportunity to choose one of the silhouette stamps shown below
And the second winner will choose either Mark and Salem or Tracie and Bailey.