Sunday, March 10, 2024

Spring colors

 Spring is playing hide and seek - snow is melting during the days (when there is sunshine) and freezing in the nights. What better opportunity to bring out some flower stamps and start making happy, sun-filled cards.

I had a couple of challenges in mind when I put this card together. In the end you'll see whether I did them justice.


The background is stamped with a (retired) hero Arts background stamp, Branches Bold Prints. Then I embossed it with clear embossing powder. I wanted to ink it diagonal, so I selected two Distress sprays, Twisted Citron for grass and a turquoise (forgot it's name) for the other half.

The flower was stamped, then fussy cut out and painted with pearlescent watercolors. I adhered that onto a round die cut piece of vellum, and finally adhered some turquoise die cut branches behind it. Lastly I put on yellow shiny gems. The sentiment says: Many happy returns. 


Entering it in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Bright and cheerful

Stay Crafty with a blog named Hero: Heat embossing

Cut It Up: #299 Colors of Spring

Just Add Ink:   #692 Sketch  

Dream Valley Challenges:   #311 Add sparkle


Sunday, March 3, 2024

Thinking of spring

 I don't know about you, but for me Spring can't come fast enough. It has been an especially dark and snowy winter here in the far North. Now that the snow has started melting it freezes in the night and we have to mind our steps walking on mirrored icy surfaces.

So no wonder I turned towards brighter colors and happier thoughts.


The background was done with a stencil (which I used for the first time, thus making this a NBUS, "never before used schtuff"). I used Distress oxides, for the small openings I dabbed them in with a water brush.

The rabbit was stamped and then colored, and there is no sentiment because the text is inside.

I am entering this card into these fitting challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Fur or feathers - Fur!

Stamping Sensations: Spring

613 Avenue Create: March AG / twist of pearls or diamonds - I am entering without the twist

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG

NBUS: March

Thank you for your visit!

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Dinosaur greetings

 I needed a card for a boy and immediately thought of my dinosaur stamp. I followed a couple of challenges for inspiration, I think it is more fun that way.

 

I started by stamping the dinosaur directly onto the card base. Then I masked it and added background through two stencils. I recently got a selection of candy heart dies - "you rock" seemed to hit the vibe nicely.

Entering this into the challenges that inspired me:

Cupcake Challenge: #588 Dinosaurs  

Stamping Sensations: Animals, birds and creatures.

The Male Room: #183 Valentine / Use a heart

Stencil Fun: Love /Hearts

The Paper Players: PP678 Sketch

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Tea for two

 When I sit down to my desk I never know what I am going to make. Today I was playing with three prompts in my mind: romance - pink - heart.

Tea can be a very romantic moment, perhaps early on when you are just getting to know each other. A passing moment, no-committal but getting more intimate when tea is being served, discussion becoming more animated. Fine porcelain cups and a nicely thrown pot underline the ambience.

 

These thoughts formed my starting point. To get to the finished card I selected suitable gelli printed papers and used those for background and the tea service, stamped some ethereal dog rose for the background and hand lettered the sentiment ("tea for two").

I am entering it into these challenges that inspired me today:

We Love Stamping: Romance (or AG)

Colourful Options: Pink

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge: Hearts 

The Flower Challenge: #88 Add a heart

Addicted to Stamps and More: #461 Make your mark

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Hello - playing bingo

 I needed a "hello" card for a friend. I find them to be the most difficult of all - what do you put on them? There is no one answer. Today I took my cue from a row of bingo in a papercraft challenge.

I used a lot of green hued scraps (mostly blotched gelli prints), arranged them into a starburst pattern and run it through a polka dot embossing folder. I love the effect dry embossing creates on patterned paper, it somehow draws the attention to itself and the background papers receive less attention.


I attached a few die cut balloons with twine and added a sentiment. 

Entering the card into these lovely challenges:

Allsorts Challenge: Week 766 My row is Dry embossing - green - twine

Can You Handle the Pressure: AG / twist of birthdays - I am playing AG

Let's Craft and Create: #204 AG, Polkadots/ an or stripes - I went with polka dots

Unicorn Challenge: #95 Dots and/or stripes - I went with dots

Papercraft Challenges: #102 AG


Thank you for your visit!

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

For you

 A love letter - who wouldn't like that?

In my card a little bird is carrying a love letter to a happy recipient. The text reads "for you".

 


I made the background with ink smooshing, added a diecut collection of hearts and the stamped bird, typewriter and a letter. (All separate stamps.)

Entering it in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

TGIF: #tgifc458 Color challenge 

613 Avenue Create: AG w/ twist Love letter - I went with the twist

Stamping Sensations: Animals, birds and creatures

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: AG (2nd entry)

 

Thank you for your visit and comments (if so inclined).

Friday, February 2, 2024

Moonshadow

 This text stamp must be one of my oldest stamps, I must have bought it around 2007 when I started paper crafting. It is a poem,  but I have no idea if it is by somebody or whether they just made it up at the stamp company. (There is no maker on the wood block.) Yes! It is on a wooden block. I recently pulled out my box of wooden stamps - they are too easily forgotten.


I created the background using distress oxides and water, then stamping a bit of texture in form of hazy clouds. The moon phases were cut up from a gelli print.


Entering this into these great challenges that served as my muse:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #rrcb223 Winter blue ombré    RRCB 223

The Paper Players : #PP674 Sketch

 #woodblockwednesday: January challenge 

TioT: Add some text

Simon Says Wednesday challenge: AG

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

#woodblockstamps

 Woodblock stamps - you gotta give them some love. I still have quite a few from my early days of paper crafting. They are beautiful - but as they are stored in a box it is difficult to remember what I own. I was overjoyed to find a challenge that will, hopefully, activate my usage.

Today I picked a large heart stamp as my focal point. I can't remember when I used it last. It has no markings anywhere, so I don't know whom it is by.


 I stamped the giant love-heart onto a piece of card stock that I had brayered with acrylic paints in a few colors, resulting into a marbled look. The stamping was done in Versafine ink (in turq) which was then embossed with a clear embossing powder. I selected a pink matting layer to go with both the theme (love) and the other stamped items.

For challenge purposes, the bird was stamped with hero Arts Color layering stamp set CM552, the text says "hugs".

Entering this in the following challenges that I used as my guideline:

Allsorts Challenge: #765 Anything but square

Stay Crafty with a blog named Hero: Something old is new again - for me it's the use of mixed media

Stamping Sensations: Mood board - I was inspired by red, pink and birds

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Have a heart

#Woodblock Wednesday January challenge

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

This little piggy...

 I am playing catch-up with my new stamps and stencils (and there might be some dies, too... - I have been very generous with myself).  

Today I used a new stencil for the background. I was able to make a gingham pattern with it by moving it around a bit. The piggy is also a new stamp, I bought it solely for the reason that the way the arms are positioned I am able to place items into its hands - today it is the flower.

 


Entering this birthday card in these fun challenges:

We Love Stamping: Something new

Stamps & Fun=Creativity: #446 AG

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: #13 Anything floral or Moodboard option: I am using the AG option 

Stencil Fun: AG / option birds - I went with AG option

Lost Coast Portal of Creativity: #181 AG (with stamping)

Monday, January 29, 2024

New again

Something old that's new again: I have been neglecting my mixed media work lately. What is actually new: the stencil. I treated myself to a Christmas calendar that had a stencil for each day. That makes 24 shiny new stencils to play with.

I started with a background that had random streaks of paint on it. I covered it with a stencil and some Simon Hurley Lunar paste (Slippery when wet, a lovely gold tone) to get some texture. When the paste had dried I sprayed the background with blue ink.

The card didn't need much else. I wrote a sentiment onto a die cut oval, and because it did look like it needed something I used 7 little half pearls in iridescent blue. I am definitely a pearl person, I love that subtle sheen whereas jewels feel too gaudy.


Entering the card into these lovely challenges that inspired me today:


As You Like It: What's your favorite, pearls or gems

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Add some texture 

Double D: Sparkle and/or shine

NBUS: #58 January schtuff

 

Thank you for your visit!