Fight Like the WARRIOR you are! #beastmode

Hey there inky friends!  Kerry here to share a YUMMY card using the new Joy Clair set called Prayer Warrior.  I LOVE this set so much!  It's such a fabulous set that includes a large image (faceless) of a warrior woman...perfect for a card to help inspire someone to FIGHT ON!  

I created this card especially for a crafty friend who began her battle against Breast Cancer recently. She has declared a #beastmode mentality and her TRIBE is behind her 100%!  

To create this card, I stamped the arrows onto white cardstock using Versafine Onyx ink and embossed with clear embossing powder. After that, I lightly watercolor washed the arrows and let them dry. Once dry, I cut them out and set them aside so I could color the warrior image.  

Again, I stamped the warrior with Versafine Onyx and embossed then used a variety of watercolors from the cheap watercolor pans I got years ago from Wal-Mart. They last forever and work perfectly when I want to take them on the go or use them on a fast watercolor project. Layering different color intensities (some with more water, some with very little water) allowed me to create depth, dimension, and shadowing...especially in her hair and face.  After I was satisfied with the color, I let her dry and then fussy cut the image.  I applied some clear Stickles to the arrows and to her feather headdress because, well...I think every warrior needs a little sparkle!  

After cutting out the warrior, I popped her (and some of the arrows) up onto foam squares and began to create my card layout. I selected some old MyMindsEye printed paper with a cloud background to help set her off.  

To add to the layout design, I cut a white panel at a unique arch angle, stamped and embossed the "warrior" sentiment and attached the cloud paper to it. I distressed this panel with a bit of Sahara Sand colored VersaMagic Chalk ink. After the panel was complete, I mounted it onto a thinner chocolate brown piece of cardstock (offset to the left) and applied all the colored elements. I then mounted the panel onto an A2 Kraft card base.  

This card was a quick card to create but provides for an inspirational and uplifting smile. I hope it encourages my stamping friend to fight on and maintain her #beastmode spirit. Her #warrior tribe is here to fight right alongside her!  

The Prayer Warrior set comes complete with three inspirational sentiments, the phrases "PRAYER" and "Warrior" as well as a female warrior and arrow. This set compliments the other Color by Faith set called Be Brave that I featured in my blog hop post that can be found HERE.  

I hope you enjoyed this creation. You can find this set along with the other Febuary release sets in the Joy Clair shop today. They're marked at an amazing introductory price right now so I hope you pick your favorites up today! 

Exciting News!

Hello there stamping friends!  I'm popping over here on my "all-stamps-are-fabulous" blog to share some exciting news with you!  I was invited to be a part of the Coffee Loving Papercrafters Design Team and I'm so thrilled to be a part of such a talented group of designers.  Have you been following the new Design team announcements on the COFFEE LOVING CARDMAKERS blog?  If so, you can probably see why I'm so excited to be joining such an amazing team.

Chaitali Narla

Amy Tsuruta

Helen Gullett

Andreea Raghina

Christina Graca

Kerry Urbatch <----- me="" p="" s="" that="">

There are a few more to announce too but you'll have to wait a bit.  

WOWSERS 'eh?  I'm so honored to have been asked to join such a talented group of cardmakers and designers. 

So to share in my excitement, I brewed up a pot of extra-strong coffee, added some Italian Sweet Cream and headed to my stamp room to create a deelish card...With a stamp set I received from the most recent Coffee Loving Cardmakers blog hop! 

Melissa, owner of A Creative Journey with Melissa sent me this TASTY set of stamps to play with as winnings in the recent blog hop.  Don't you just LOVE the variety of cups and sentiments in this set "Coffee Is My Liquid Therapy" ???  The hearts, beans and smiley are a perfect little add-ons too!  LOVE this set.  They ink PERFECTLY too!!!

I started off by stamping the cup using Colorbox Chalk Charcoal ink.  I love this ink when I stamp with clear photopolymer stamps because it allows for a crisp and bleed-free image.  After stamping, I colored the image using an overlapping brushstroke pattern using my Copic markers.  You will find them listed in the photo below.  When done coloring, I added a few dots here and there to give some contrast and fussy cut the image. 

I decided I wanted the cup to be the primary focus of the card so I accentuated it with a watercolor background (a wash of Shimmer Gold Splash and Watermelon Color Splash) on Canson Watercolor paper that allowed the cup to just float along in a sea of bliss...  I embossed a few hearts using FSJ Clear Pigment ink and Journey Gold Embossing Powder.  I also added a few splatters of Gold Silk. 

To help "contain" the cup, I attached a bit of Natural Thread to the handle and positioned it to the far left -almost off the page with a little foam dot.  I added a tiny pearl (colored with gold silk) to the bow of the thread.  After embossing and assembling the panel, I punched a circular punch and stamped the sentiment -popped it up on the panel and attached the panel onto graph paper and then onto some Oatmeal Cookie cardstock.  A simple white card base finished it off. 

 I used the following Copic colors on my cup:

Thanks for popping in today to share in my excitement.  I'm also sharing another coffee-loving card on my Fun Stampers Journey Blog, so if you're interested in an extra shot of java today...head over THERE!   

Heartfelt Wednesdays...And the New Team is announced!

Hey friends!  Happy Wednesday!  Today's a special day because it's the day that Heartfelt Creations announces the newest members of the Design Team and the sad day that we will say goodbye some awesome designers! 

Head over to the Heartfelt Creations blog to read all about it! 

I want to say so long (see you in blogland!) to my fellow design team sisters.  I'll keep an eye out for your beautiful creations for sure! 

Kristina King

Carla Suto

Lisa Summerville

Tesa Broman

Lisa Gregory

Sue Walsh

Olga Jewell

Jan Hennings

Cheryl Walker

Marsha Sanderlin

Olena Levchenko

Giovanna Smith

Loretta Lock

Congrats to the NEW team: 

Lisa Allen

Candy Slabaugh

Emilia van den Heuvel

Amarilys Doria

Caroline Duncan

Lisa Blastick

Michelle Bala

Carol Hurlock

Cibele Glazer

Lisa Novoqrodski

Andrea Ewen

Linda Abadie

Continuing Designers:

ME!

Lori Leng

Joelle Hancox

Angelica Turner

Glenda Brooks

Heidi Erickson

Lisa Lynne Wright

Now here's my little treat for you today:

This is a "postcard style"  card that opens on the front.  It's a simple card, but I LOVE the collage look of the sentiments. 

 This is the inside of the card. 

HC Stamp Sets Used: 

HCPC 3428 Script Christmas Tree Precut Set

HCPC 3415 Petite Poinsettia Precut Set
HCPC 3430 Shepherd Scene Precut Set (sentiment)
To read all about this card, visit the HC blog!

Wednesdays with Heartfelt Creations...

A message from Heartfelt Creations: 

Today we are wishing a fond farewell to 9 of the current design team members: Clare Curcio, Debbie Seyer, Peggy Cain, Selma Stevenson, Gini Cagle, Linda Payne, Dee Jackson, Rosemary Dennis, and Anita Hovey. We wish you a double blessing on all of your future creative endeavors. Visit their blogs and please thank each one of them for all the creative projects they have shared featuring Heartfelt Creations projects.

Ten of the current Heartfelt Creations design team members will continue for another 6 month term: Lisa Gregory, Angelica Turner, Kristina King, Olga Jewell, Lisa Somerville, Cheryl Walker, Giovana Smith, Loretta Lock, Olena Levchenko, and Kerry Urbatch (ME!). We are excited for another creative term with these ladies.

We would also like to extend a warm welcome to 10 new design team finalists that will be joining the Heartfelt Creations design team for the next 6 months: Glenda Brooks, Therese Broman, Carla Suto, Lori Leng, Jan Hennings, Heidi Erickson, Lisa Lynne Wright, Marsha Sanderlin, Sue Walsh, and Joelle Hancox.

Congrats Ladies!

We look forward to working with you and taking the paper-crafting industry to new heights of inspiration.

Soooo....WOO HOO To my newest teamies (and my other stamping sisters) and I look forward to another six months of stamping BLISS with Heartfelt Creations!!!

Now, this week's card is not a "Sharing Your Grief" card for my former DT friends, really, it's not!  I'm sad you're leaving but am so excited to welcome the newest members of the team!  It'll be so fun!

PS...The color of my iris is the color my grandma had in her garden and the color my parents have on their "HILL".  Has a little peach but mostly yellow.  Love it. 

Card details: 
HCPC 3373 Dutch Iris Medley Precut Set

HCD 711 Decorative Dutch Iris Die
HCPC 3377 Sympathy Sentiment Precut Set
HCPC 3350 Lg. Cardinal Pine Bough Precut Set
Memento Tuxedo Black, Bamboo Leaves
Colorbox Chalk Ink Bisque
Ranger Distress Ink Antique Linen
DCWV Pink Cardstock
Bazzill Green Cardstock
Bazzill Tan Cardstock
Copic XpressIt Cardstock
Copic Markers: Y06, 15; YR02, 61; YG11; G21
Offray Ribbon: Shocking Pink
Zip Dry Glue

Big News....

SIX MORE MONTHS OF FUN, FUN, FUN!!! WOO HOO!!! 

I'm so excited to announce that I've been asked to continue on the Heartfelt Creations Design Team for six more months.  I'm so honored and thrilled to share my love of their products again!!! 

Next week I will be sharing some of the NEWEST stamp sets to join the Precut selections at Heartfelt and WOWEE  such beautiful creations indeed.  You'll FLIP when you see the newest springy sets!!! 

So to conclude my first six month term and get prepared for the next term, I'm sharing this card with you today.  I hope you like it!

 I stepped away from my Copics (Don't choke, I know that's a shock!) but I thought this image needed a softer treatment so I pulled out my shimmer chalks.  The image was stamped with Colorbox Chalk ink and I don't know why, but I never knew it before but I had a happy accident.  As I was rubbing the shimmer chalk on the stamped images, I noticed the ink (Bisque) got darker...Yeah, the chalk ink picked up the dusty chalk color and made the stamped image really stand out!  Did you know that?  Such a cool effect.  So I started rubbing, rubbing, rubbing until the whole image/paper was covered in shimmery chalk.  After that, I added one of my newest favorite things:  shell buttons.  I did sneak a little Copics on that button...SHHHHHH....I added a bit of green marker to it to make the shell match!  The pearl was the perfect afterthought...and finished the card off!

Card Details:
HCPC 3372 Dutch Iris Frame Precut Set

Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink-Bisque
Pebbles Pearlescent Shimmers Chalks
Copic Marker YG63
Bazzill Cardstock: Hazel
The Paper Company Cream Flecked Recycled Cardstock
Martha Stewart Green Baker’s Twine
Joanne’s shell button
Recollections flat back pearl
E6000 Glue
Aileen’s Tacky Glue (gold bottle)

Check out the Heartfelt Creations Blog for more inspirational pieces by my fellow Design Team Members!!!

Ciao...Aurivoir...Tschus....HELLO?

As I'm typing this Sunday evening, March 13, I'm wondering...Did I make the finalist cut again?  Will I be on the newest Heartfelt Creations Design Team?  Or will I have to say goodbye as a Heartfelt Creations Design Team member for good?  Hmmm...I don't know what news the 15th will bring but whatever it will be, will be.  I'm happy to have had such a wonderful six month term with Heartfelt Creations and it has been a truly amazing spiritual and artistic journey.  I can say that this design term has brought out some Godly spirit sheltered within my soul...And I'm so very grateful.  I'm so honoured to have had the opportunity to work with such a fabulous team of designers and look forward to seeing everyone around in blogland...

I'm sharing a few projects I created this weekend especially for Heartfelt Creations, and maybe I can stop by another show sometime and see them hanging/sitting/resting alongside many other designer pieces I've admired before.  I hope you have the opportunity to see work in real life as a photograph does not do justice!   

My first project for this week was an altered project.  You see, I love to peruse any dollar spot and around Valentine's Day, I happened upon a box of three wonderful little porcelain vases.  I thought that maybe I could attach a piece of patterned paper, some ribbon and some bling and I would have an amazing set of vases. One month later, the box still sat...Until this weekend.  I pulled it out and grabbed some really pretty notepaper (found in Michael's Dollar Spot).  I decided to use that thin, thin paper and decoupage the whole vase...No, all three of them! 

I started out with stamping the little posies HCPC 3305 Posy Patch Clusters Precut Set.  The design reminded me of a necklace charm so I went with that!  After coloring and cutting out the image, I strung black seed beads on fine fishing line and attached them like a "necklace".  I then went on to tear the paper in a variety of sizes and used glue to apply the pieces all over the vase.  I used distress ink to make it a bit more vintage.  When it was all covered, I brushed some Liquid Puzzle Saver by Milton Bradley all over it.  It's awesome stuff that dries in about an hour...and I'm not that patient!

You probably notice that I added a little sparkle too...I can't seem to stay away from my STICKLES!!!

For my second piece, I stepped outside...Literally...I noticed that my daffodils are sprouting!  I love my daffodils!  They make me so happy, have a particular sentiment to me and are always a springtime treasure.  My favorite daffodils are the ones with the apricot centers...So, So pretty!!! 

I created the following card that was inspired by them...and the WORKS that HE DOES...He is truly an AWESOME GOD!  I used HCPC 3359 Daffy Daffodils Precut Set and the coordinating die HCD 709 Springtime Medley for this card.  The sentiment is from HCPC 3321 Believe Precut Set I also used Spellbinders Labels 4 to create a template for my stitching pattern. 

Now if you look, you can see that I stitched...Yes, hours of stitching and blurring vision (I think I'm getting old!) as I painstakingly handstitched both Labels 4 outlines AND did some candlewicking that my grandma taught me how to do many, many years ago. 

Take a closer look and you'll see I also lightly stamped the background edge and distressed it up to soften the card. 

Looking closely at the Daffodil itself, you mgiht notice that it appears "wrinkly".  This lifelike effect was created using my embossing stylus and the rubber plate for my cuttlebug.  I stamped three flower heads and assembled them in layers after I rubbed the embossing stylus over the edges, "drew" circles on the petals and it created this lovely effect.  The tops of the stamens were highlighted with my White Copic Opaque ink/paint. 

God's peace and blessings...

Ker