Lavery Grey Creations

What an awesome day of cardmaking I have had.  I am about to make myself a sweet and lay down to watch Gone With the Wind, but before I do I musn't forget to post my card for the  Ellen Hutson May Pin Sights Challenge .  Where did the time go?? The colors from this challenge are my inspiration.  I have the Blues and Purples and Pinks on my background.  I heat embossed my swirly background stamp with white embossing powder and painted the background with distress inks:  Salty Ocean, Shaded Lilac, and a tiny bit of Spun Sugar. Useless information alert:  this background stamp is one of the bunch I picked up at a Phoenix used bookstore called Bookmans.  If you are from Phoenix, you have most likely heard of it or spent hours there pouring over the books, magazines, and STAMPS!  Yes, my two favorite loves:  books and stamps - coexisting in a wonderful retail space!  I digress...I found these awesome stamps for under $2 and had my husband make some wood blocks AND glue the

Wow, I feel like I have been here all day.  Normally I post all my cards at once, but today I am taking naps in between.  Ahhhh, days off are grand aren't they?! Here is my final entry into the  MFT Sketch Challenge # 334 .   For this card, I used the MFT Fancy Flowers stamp set (see earlier post for fanfare LOL!).  Again, loving this stamp set! I embossed the flowers onto 140lb watercolor paper using Versamark ink and Hero Arts white embossing powder.  I painted the flowers using the Tombow USA Yo-i watercolor crayons that I just won.  I rubbed them on a clean cutting board and wet them from there before painting the flowers.  I noticed when it dried that there were quite a few lines where the 2 colors I used on each flower met so I did need to paint a second layer of just water to mix. I used a square postage die and cut a "frame" from the card adhering to the sketch.  I used foam tape to prop it up. I used the bottom portion of the card that I ha

Hello again! You may have remembered me mentioning in my last post that I am a bit mad for MFT at the moment.  Not to sound like a groupie, but MFT was my very first stamping company I bought from and I am a devoted fan.  I just love everything they do. Well, enough gushing.  I have a second card for some challenges.  Here is my second entry into the  MFT color Challenge #70. This card uses my new addiction, MFT's Fancy Flowers stamp set.  I am sure there is one stamper out there that can understand the fact that I agonized  over which MFT flower set to get first. Should it be a great background stamp?  Their Doodle sets are awesome - should they be first? I decided on Fancy Flowers first due to its unique flowers.  They are just super cool. I stamped the flowers in Versamark and embossed with white embossing powder and practiced with my watercolor set to find the correct colors to make the challenge.  I am just starting my MFT ink collection and have exactly ONE

Hi there! I have a few cards for the MFT Sketch Challenge #334   Here is my first one: I just got a delivery from MFT, so I am loving inking up these new stamps. This is from the MFT Giraffing Me Crazy stamp set. I am also entering this in the  MFT Color Challenge 70 ,  I stamped the images using Simon Says Stamp blank ink.  I then used watercolor to give the spots to match the color challenge guidelines.  I used Distress Oxide ink in Broken China for the blue background and sentiment highlights. I lay the card out according to the Sketch Challenge.  I just love these sentiments on this set - they are just a tad bit larger than other companies which makes a world of difference to me as I often mess up sentiments unless I use my Misti.  I used my hands to stamp this and didn't smudge!   That's all for this card folks!  I will be back soon!

Good morning!  And Happy Memorial Day to you and yours.  This is such a bittersweet day, we rejoice in honoring those who have fallen for us which makes me so proud to be an American.  But the bitter part is so clear.  It makes  me so sad at the same time.   I have not been feeling well this past week, so no blogging for me.  However, last night I woke up after being sick all day and felt really good for a few hours.  The husband and some of the kids were at a BBQ, so I took advantage of the quiet and got some cards made.  This one has been rolling around in my head for awhile - since I saw the post for this  CAS-ual Fridays Sketch Challenge #174 . Whew, this may have been the most difficult card technically that I have ever made. I took my Flower Power stamp set and inked up each letter separately with Simon Says Stamp Black ink.  I just got this ink and love that I can watercolor or use my alcohol markers with it and don't have to decide before  I make the card. Pe

Hello again! Its blog posting morning for me.  I have been a bit preoccupied with NCI (Non-Crafting Issues) this week, but I can't let this  Simon Says Stamp Sparkle Challenge  get away without at least one entry from me.  My name is Stefanie and I am adddicted to Sparkle.... My 12 step mantra in cardmaking.   I used the You Matter stamp and die set from Simon Says Stamp for this card, I first stamped the You and the Sentiment in Versamark and embossed with gold embossing powder.  I then cut out the you and glued to a foam You I had also cut out with the die. I set that aside to dry while I stamped and embossed the mini background stamp called Do You See What I See by Winnie & Walter in Versamark and (you guessed it) embossed it in gold embossing powder. The stamp is smaller, so I actually stamped 2 of them side by side on my cardstock. I used Abandoned Coral, Picked Raspberry Distress Inks and Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide Ink to color my stamp.  And flicked wi

 Welcome back!  If you are anything like me, you have been cruising through Instagram and stumbling over gorgeous flowers and colors.  Spring is here (unless you are in Phoenix like me and then Summer is here is a more applicable statement)! I have never entered this challenge before, but I came across the inspiration photo for  Inspired By All The Little Things Challenge # 57  and, well, I was inspired.   I like flowers just as much as the next gal, but this challenge was all about color for me.  Those beautiful colors in the tulips!  I can't even! I took the Many Mandalas stamp set from Concord & 9th and stamped a few images on 140# Watercolor paper using VersaMark ink.  I then embossed with Hero Arts white embossing powder. I used my new Distress Oxide inks in Wilted Violet and Worn Lipstick and combined them with my Distress Inks in Picked Raspberry, Abandoned Coral, Mustard Seed an Shaded Lilac. After I put down the color, I used a wet paintbrush

Holy Cow!  It has been forevvvver since I posted!  My lovely children gave me the gift of the stomach flu for Mother's Day and I have had that gift with me all week.  I barely got any crafty time in this week - last night I got some watercoloring done.  Finally!  It definitely relieved some stress to sit down and paint for awhile. I'm going to enter into the  A Blog Named Hero Watercolor challenge . So much fun! I took my favorite background stamp from Hero Arts, the Big Flower and stamped with Versamark then embossed with Hero Arts fine white embossing powder.  I then used my watercolors from El Cheapo company and painted some blues, greens, yellows and a tad of grey. Since this challenge is also with HoneyBee Stamps, I found a lotus flower I had stamped, embossed, cut out AND painted grey and I really like how it fits right over the large flower from Hero Arts. I finished it on up with a sentiment from the Happy Stamp & Die set from Hero Arts and propped

Hey there!  I am here posting my final submission to the  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - A Hint of Pink  with Hero Arts. Here's the deal. I love Hero Arts.  I love Pink.  And I received my May stamp kit on Friday afternoon from Hero Arts.  This has created a "Perfect Storm" of cardmaking my friends.  So, I must enter this contest 5 times as I seriously made alot of cards this weekend! This may be one of my favorite creations to date!  And it was super easy! Like the other pink cards, I used my favorite Pink trio from Distress Inks: Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, and Abandoned Coral and created a blended background.  I used Canon XL 140 lb watercolor paper. I once again used the technique I saw on Jennifer McGuire's video and spritzed my Hero Arts stencil, then lay it on top of my Distressed Panel.  I waited 30 seconds and then pressed off the paper with a paper towel. I wanted this panel to be more vib

Hey everyone, I am back - Part 2 of the  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - A Hint of Pink  with Hero Arts - one of my favorites! Here is my 3rd card for the challenge. Can you tell I have been playing with my Hero Arts May Monthy Kit?  Ha ha, I really love these stamps.  This card is a Thank you card and uses a cool background I am experimenting with. I began by blending Distress Ink in Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, and Abandoned Coral. I took the stencil that came with my May kit and copied a technique I saw Jennifer McGuire do on a card video.  You wet the stencil then lay down on top of your paper.  I let sit for 30 seconds to ensure the ink reacted then dabbed with a paper towel. Seriously?!?! How cool is this.  Even my 16 year old son gave me a compliment on this one.  That is pretty monumental around here. I hated to chop up the background, so I turned it into a sparkly aquarium.   I did not have

Hey Everybody!  I have some more entries for the  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - a Hint of Pink.   Normally I would do a nice lengthy post for each card, but I have to be honest with you...I think I have caught the stomach flu that has been passed around my house this weekend.  I am thinking I have just a few hours until the sickness hits...I better get going with this post! Here is my first entry into the challenge.   I had just finished watching a YouTube video from Kristina Werner, one of my favorites.  I decided to copy her technique in which she uses Distress inks and clear embossing powder to make a cool background.  I used 3 Distress Inks - Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, and Abandoned Coral and smooshed them onto a plastic baggie.  She used Distress Oxide Inks in her video -but since we haven't had a store stock those out here yonder in Gilbert Arizona, and I haven't received them as a gift from my wonderful husband or darling children (hint),

Hi again!  Did I mention I crafted all day today.  2 of my children were down with the stomach flu all weekend.  I had to stay home to take care of them and since they slept so much I had ample Card Making Time!   This card is for 2 challenges:  The  CASology Challenge Week 247 - Keyword Flow  and the  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - a Hint of Pink using Hero Arts products.   Whew, that was a  mouthful.  This is a short post - I'm super tired after crafting all day.  Oh my gosh, that sounds like a wonderful problem to have! I used the stamp and coordinating dies from my May Hero Arts kit - I honestly do not know if the stamp set has an official name.   I stamped 2 mermaids in VersaFine Onyx Black ink as I knew I was going to watercolor.  The CASology challenge is Flow so I felt watercolors would be best.  I did not know which I was going to use until the cards were finished.  Both are going to my nieces after I submit - so I did not worry about wasting if

Hey there, Stefanie here...back for some more challenge cards.  I was lucky enough to craft all day and I have a ton of cards to share.  I think I will just do a few more today, then update the blog more tomorrow.   I am trying to grow as a card designer and my favorite challenge that pulls me OUT of my comfort zone is the CASology challenge.    Here is my entry for the CASology Week 247 Challenge - keyword is Flow.   This may be one of the favorite cards I have made this weekend.  Here are the details: I started using the ink cubes I got with my Hero Arts May kit, Deep Blue and Aqua.  I blended them onto a piece of 110 lb white paper.  I seriously love this ink.  I am really excited to actually stamp with it, but today I just blended it.  I saw a video from Jennifer McGuire a few days ago in which she said that Hero Arts inks have a special quality.  You can put Versamark on them and heat dry and it will produce a special effect. Challenge on

Hey everybody.  I am posting my second card to the  A Blog Named Hero and Honey Bee stamps May Watercolor Challenge .  I just posted my first card which was for my Mother in Law.  This one is for my bestie - a great Mom that I love and admire. You know, I really thought Mother's Day would be difficult as I lost my Mother last year.  She was an amazing, classy, funny, kind, every adjective I could use woman.  Her absence is felt, but I find that recognizing awesome women in my life on Mother's Day has really filled that void.   I started this card by using Distress Inks for my watercoloring.  I am using the Honey Bee Lotus flower stamp and coordinating die as well as the Hero Arts Happy Stamp & Cut for the Happy Mother's day Sentiment.  I used  my acrylic block to rub the Distress inks on then misted with water.  I let that sit and react while I stamped a page full of Lotus Flowes with Versamark Ink and embossed with white Hero Arts embossing powder - my favor

Hi There! I am back with Post 1 for my entries into the  A Blog Named Hero and HoneyBee Stamps Watercoloring Challenge .  I have 2 entries and feel it is better to split this into 2 posts as I tend to be wordy (no judgement please, I'm a talker). Here is the first card I am entering into the challenge: I love how this card turned out. In fact, I needed to get this posted and into the mail to send to my Mother-in-Law (eek).  So, as you can guess, I needed to make this card as perfect as possible! I started off by stamping the HoneyBee Lotus flower stamp multiple times on some scrap Canson XL 140 lb cold press watercolor paper (that is a mouthful).  I but the large pad and cut it down to card size in order to save $$$ and I am always left with these scrap pieces.  I save them for projects in which I know I will be cutting out the images. I embossed each stamped image with Versamark ink and used Recollections Gold embossing powder to outline the flowers.  I have t