Day #1: Catherine Scanlon Designs New Release & Daily Giveaway Week!

Hello my creative friends!

Welcome to Day #1 of Catherine Scanlon Designs New Release and Daily Giveaway Week!

I've been busy coloring...painting...and card making and I'm really excited to share all of my cards with you throughout the week.

I'm also excited about the Daily Giveaways from generously offered by Catherine.!
Entering the Daily Giveaway is a cinch.
Just visit me here at my blog, Bellissima cards, every day.
Post a comment under each days blog post, and you'll have a chance to be one of the week's lucky Giveaway winners!
*Giveaway is opened to blog visitors with USA mailing addresses

Now that you've gotten the scoop on the giveaways and what's in store this week, here at my blog
it's time for some card sharing!

Today I'm sharing cards created with 3 different "Toast" stamp sets that I fell in love with immediately!
Catherine's art always thrills me...I first fell in love with her magnificent florals.
Simply put...I love her style!
Today's stamps fall into the "love at first sight" category

A little bit about today's cards:
I colored each of today's images with Copic Markers, and kept each card very CAS (Clean And Simple...my true style of card making)
I used the same double stitched square die to cut out each image piece.
The 3 card  are very similar & very CAS....with slight sketch/design, color palette, card stock and paper variations
Each of the matted image pieces were positioned with fun foam, for added dimension.
The background of each image piece was inked using ken Oliver Stencil Brushes and a light beige ink.
I opted not to add sentiments to today's cards because I anticipate them being used for an assortment of occasions, as needed
(My sweet daughter and her boyfriend are vegan...and I am already thinking that Ill set a few of today's cards aside for them.)

Now tat you know the basics about all of today's cards....
It's time to actually share some photos with you!

First up.... AVOCADO & RADISH TOAST

After coloring the image, I die cut the image piece with a stitched square die...chose the mat layer color, the sheer wood grain paper... and the textured green print. I cu all of the card stock and paper pieces to size and assembled the card
I'm really happy with the overlay of the sheer wood grain paper. It has lots of texture and adds something extra nice to this card.

Next... KIWI & NUT BUTTER TOAST

Choosing red and black mat colors was the way to go with the color palette of this card I think.
I also added a Kraft colored small layer of wood grain card stock to create an offset sketch design for the image piece.
I inked the wood grain card stock lightly all around the edges. (I looked a bit naked without the inking)
The red print is a textured look print paper. It s smooth to the touch but has the look of distressed fine grained wood. Using the large red mat layer pulls this card together nicely I think.

And...today's 3rd "Toast" card..... EGG & ARUGULA TOAST

For this Arugula & Egg card I chose to use the egg yolk color as the inspiration for the remainder of the color palette, choosing  chocolate brown card stock and a wood grain print for the largest mat layer. I also added some natural twine as an embellishment to finish the card.

Each of today's cards were lots of fun to create with.
The stamped images have lots of details that make each image wonderful to work with.
The image are a natural match for Copic coloring...and I am also thinking pencil coloring and although very detailed, they weren't tedious, at all, to color.
In short: I am loving this group of "Toast" images from Catherine Scanlon Designs New Release stamps.

Now, how about getting in on the giveaway?
Post a fast comment below telling me which of these "Toast" images you'd like to have for brunch.
Are you an avocado lover?
An arugula lover...

Or are you all about kiwis and nut butter?

The winner of today's Giveaway will receive the AVOCADO & RADISH stamp from the artist, Catherine, who is always so kind and generous with the giveaways that she provides whenever I host a Catherine Scanlon Designs Week at my blog.

*Giveaway Winners will be announced here at my blog on Sunday, June 8th

Thanks for visiting today.
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow for Day #2 of Catherine Scanlon Week!
Michelle.

You can find each of today's stamps HERE, at the Art Gone Wild web site

 

Creating a Stack of CAS Floral Cards for a Friend.

I have a quickie blog post to share today...
Not a lot of chit chat about the card making process...
Just some photos showing you what kept me busy in my studio Friday evening and Saturday afternoon,

A friend asked me to create a dozen CAS cards...all flora...note card style...no sentiments.
So, I spent some time coloring, painting and putting together a stack of 12 CAS cards for him.
Pure enjoyment for me...
It was so nice..and so relaxing to spend some time in my studio Copic coloring....water coloring and putting this stack of cards together.

I went through the drawer in my studio that has all of my floral stamps (With the exception of Altenew and The Ton...they have their own drawer(s)
I pulled out a few stamp sets that I knew my friend would like....I stamped out multiples of most of the images...and I got started creating.

The stamps are from a variety of companies...Stampin Up...Stampendous...Divinity Designs...and a few other companies that I can't recall (oh brother)

In the end...this is what I had whipped up:

These are the parts and pieces when they were ready to roll...
Colored..painted...the image pieces were die cut... and all of the mat layers were cut to size.

Then...it was time to put the cards together...
All very similar ...basic mat layering and basic sketches

I made two of these....
(My card making history repeats itself....I always seem to like purple and green together)

 Better lighting for this photo...

All of the cards were Copic Colored..with the exception of two that were heat embossed and water colored. I created one of each of those...

This is one of the Heat embossed water colored cards..

 I love the shimmer of the gold heat embossing

And one heat embossed and water colored card of this floral image....

There's that beautiful shimmering gold heat embossing that I love so much

I stamped out 6 of this image and made 2 of each of 3 colors.

Pink.....

Yellow....

and red....

And finally, 

2 of these lovely flowers.

I sent photos to my friend John, who loved the cards.
I'll be sending the cards to to him on Monday...as a gift...(Although he is already bickering with me over me not including an invoice in the package)

Sometimes...it's just nice to extend kindness to a friend.
No invoice needed.
This stack of cards were created with love and are being sent to John as an act of kindness.

Thanks for visiting today...
Be sure to check back in , here at my blog, every day this coming week!
I've got lots going on...and a daily giveaway each day...
(I just  might have 2 giveaways on the same day, a few times this week !)

Can you guess which artists stamps I'll be featuring this coming week?

Hint: I've featured her designs before.
Hint: She is always so kind and generous with the giveaways that she offers whenever I dedicate a week of card making and blogging her designs
Hint: In the past, many of her stamp designs are in my favorite category of stamped images  to water color
Hint: Her initials are C S

Okay...I better say ciao for now... before I come right out and tell you who I'll be dedicating my blog to this week.

Thanks for visiting today....
I hope that I inspired you to create a few cards to share with your friends...or family...as loving acts of kindness.
Michelle.