Let's celebrate

 A card for a bird watcher's and wildlife enthusiast's big birthday? For someone who has set her eyes to Green Feathers' garden wildlife camera? Again several challenges aligned beautifully and inspired me in my card-making. 

The supplies I needed: two embossing folders, markers, linen twine and shiny diamante dots.

I started by embossing the background with the folder of small feathers. I then did a partial embossing and selected one leaf of the other folder as my starting point for the big feather. I first colored it in with markers. The three pictured were not enough, to get the right blends I grabbed some yellows as well. I then cut it in shape and curled it up a bit and added a bit of pearlescent finish.

I used the twine to make a small festive bow and added copious amounts of glittery stones. It's my favorite embellishment, yet I don't use it very often for fear of the card appearing tacky. Here the effect was very festive and even overrides the rustic vibe of that linen bow. (I had no ribbon in that color and I wanted to keep it monochrome.)

 

 Entering this in the inspiring challenges that I am implementing today:

Colorful Options: August

Double D: Feathers

 

CYHTP: AG with twist of Tie It Up - I am playing with the Twist

Passion For Markers: #849 Use your favorite embellishments - Mine are diamante pearly stones

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Monochrome

Paper Funday: #90 AG August 

 

Tiger Lilly sends you her best

Today I stringed together some challenges that shouldn't go together, yet miraculously do. Or how does it strike you to be inspired by bracelets and safari animals at the same time? It was the beautiful desert colors that sparked my interest. My new Tiger Lilly stamp (by Vaessen Creative) would work well there. On a side note, there aren't enough stamps for grown-ups in the cat/ big cat department, I find, that's why I jumped at this stamp.(Although I suspect it's really a cheetah.) Also the stringed circles dies fitted well, they remind me of bracelets.

I started by die cutting many many pearl strings out of all my papers. (In the end I only needed four). My first idea was to use a white card base and criss cross them on the background - now that looked totally wrong, so I came up with the idea of taking the brown panel that I had die cut a string of pearls from and using that as my card base. 

The strings now flank the tiger. She looks sufficiently angry, she must have forgotten to send the greetings on time, or what do you think?  The last addition were some enamel dots to mimic some pearls (still thinking of bracelets).

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges that served me well today:

 Inspired by: #IB400 Bracelets

 

ETA: this challenge had sadly closed before I could enter - including it here anyway for the record. 

As You Like It: Your favourite safari animal (and why) - I love cats and all big cats are my favorites. 

TioT: Make it colourful

Creative Inspirations: August AG

Polkadoodles: #8 AG

and as this stamp is brand new I am showing this card also at NBUS #89 lineup.

 

 

Find your song

 The starting point for today's card was the prompt 'use envelopes'. This was the nudge I needed to get out the stash of envelopes I have been meaning to work with... some day. The second challenge that led my way was a sketch and the third one was the theme 'nature'. 

This was my desk when I started: circular dies, pressed flowers and windowed envelopes. (It was that glassine window I wanted to work with!)

I didn't need much in terms of paper, a few remnants from an earlier used sheet were enough. I cut the circles twice and glued the bottom one on one envelope window, then applied some glue onto the flower and pressed it against the glassine. Then I glued another envelope window on top, waited till everything was dry and cut the circles out very neatly. Lastly I glued the purple circle on top of this floral sandwich. 

 

I placed the circles according to the sketch I was using, the smallest is raised with a foam strip. The sentiment comes from a bird collection (via Creative Stamping magazine), but I found it suited the rather poetic mood of this card.

 

Entering this in these wonderful challenges:

Little Red Wagon: #870 Card plus / Use an envelope

Freshly Made Sketches:  #748

 

 

 

 

 

Simply Clean & Simple: #SCAS August AG w/ option Nature - I am playing with this option

Just Us Girls: #835 AG w/ die cuts

 

 

 

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge: #129 AG mm

and as I used snippets/ remnants today I am showing this in the

Snippets Playground: #538 AG 

 

a CAS landscape

I started with a color scheme. Add trees and a special word to that and I got enough ideas to make a card. 

Here are my initial supplies: inks and watercolors and some stylized tree stamps. 

What looks like three identical dark watercolors are in fact three very different shades.

I did some ink smooshing for the background. The  oxides went down smoothly, but I had trouble with the watercolors, they pooled up. Nevertheless, the background had its merits and I did not add more water.

I then die cut the background with a elongated oval die, glued it down and stamped the images and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. The sentiment reads "With Lots of Love".

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today:

AAA Colourful: #30 Colourboard

 

Addicted to CAS: #313 Trees

 

Shopping Our Stash: #SOS579 What's the good word?  - Mine is Love

We Love 2 Create: # 7 AG 

Hello friend

 The Card Chain is a monthly event and this card has reached its recipient already (hello to Gail in Norway!). I worked closely with the given sketch suggestion and color palette option yellow-pink-kraft and with the word 'pet'. 

These were my supplies. I decided to use my favorite, but very neglected crackling texture paste. (Last time must have been over two years ago!) I love its texture, but it is somewhat problematic on greeting cards, especially on one-layered card like this, because it tends to crumble at the edges. The cracks are divine, though.

I started by masking off four narrow panels directly on the card front, as per the given sketch. I then stenciled the crackle paste turning the stencil very once in a while for a more dynamic appearance. When it has dried up completely I used watercolor to make it yellow.

I cut a circle in pink and placed the stamped and colored dog over it. I stamped the sentiment in the free spaces between the stenciled bits. Lastly I added a black twig that I had on hand.

 

Entering this in the following challenges:

The Neglected Stuff: August

Stencil Fun: August AG stencil/ make it CAS style (optional) I am playing with AG.

Critter Crazy: #113 August AG w/a critter 

The sign-up for Card Chain for August is open still today - won't you join us?

 

 

A simple floral

 After some rather elaborate cards my mind was set for something simpler and cleaner. I found four challenges that compliment each other well - at least I think so.

My supplies were very simple: a paper block and a die.

 

I die cut the flowers in colors inspired by the floral challenges and arranged them as per a sketch. The background was cut freehand, I have no such shape die. The sentiment reads: with love.

 

Entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

The Sisterhood of Crafters: July / Flowers - I was inspired the amount of yellow found on the board

 

Beautiful Blossoms: AG/ moodboard #43 optional - I was inspired by the colors of this photo

 

CAS on Friday:  #339 Flowers

Sunday Stamps: #SC391 Hip to be square

 

 

Woodland greetings for your big day

 I had so much fun casing a card two days ago (here) so I wanted to try another one. A couple of challenges are also playing nicely together and I could use the prompts as an inspiration for my card.

The supplies looked like this:

And the project I am casing comes from the most recent SU catalogue (pg. 34-35)

Now, I changed quite a bit and kept much the same. I changed the background to reflect the dark paper seen on the left page. I omitted the flowers as I wanted this to be a woodland scene, but I kept the arrangement, the bottom strip and the bow for the sentiment strip.

I started by embossing an alcohol ink print using black Versafine for the background portions. It never gives me full coverage, so I painted the missing bits over with a dark green marker. I then die cut the foliage in three shades of green and stamped and colored the fern, then fussy cut it.

The sentiment was tied with flax twine. It reads "Many happy returns".

Entering this in these challenges that were my inspiration today:

Time Out Challenges: #318 Mother Nature

 

Inspire. Create. Challenge: #212 CASE a card

 

CYHTP: AG /Celebration (use an embossing folder) Going with 'Celebration' option

Paper Rock Scissors: #19 AG - plenty of paper, scissors for the tail of the sentiment strip

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Happy Birthday 

 

 

Summer, sun and sailing -

- doesn't that sound like an ideal way to celebrate a birthday? There were several challenges that inspired me today. I pulled out my supplies, a stamp set and markers and some ready supplies from my stash that needed to be used up.

I stamped the rabbit guy and the sail boat and colored them in. I glued the circle behind the rabbit guy and placed the sail boat and the sentiment on foam pads. The background is made of gelli print scraps.

 

I am entering this in these inspirational challenges:

Crafty Chicks: #831 Moodboard - I was inspired by the sea and sailing images

 

Cardz 4 Guyz: #388 Summer theme 

Do-Al(l) Kreatives: #116 Wetter, Sonne, Regen, Wind, Schnee (Weather) - Wind und Sonne sind meine Wörter

Girlz Make Guyz Cards: #41 alles mag mannen (AG men)

Mix It Up: #84 AG / shape card optional - I am playing with AG 

Peacock love greetings

 Today's card is a CASE - copy and selectively edit - card. My inspiration came from the challenge DT member Elisabeth (link). Her card reminded me of peacock's feathers.

I pulled out the supplies I thought I needed.  I wanted to keep the colors and the background. The block of different lattice backgrounds seemed such a useful one when I bought it - what, two years ago - and this is my first time using it. The peacock die is a recent win from the challenge world.

 

The lattice was backed with blue, and because it was smaller than my card base I added a back frame which I partially stitched on. (Look at the top right and both bottom corners - I used black thread so it  is barely visible.)

The peacock was cut out of dark blue paper and it's feathers from three other papers. I decorated the green feathers with iridescent heart shaped sequins. As it didn't stand out from the background I added a shadow outline with vellum. I also stamped the sentiment on vellum with yellow ink and embossed it.

 

 Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Just Us Girls: #834 Case a DT week

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Stitch it 

MMM: #283 Wedding / Love wishes

Little Red Wagon: #869 One thing

Creative Fingers: #327 AG August

and because this was the first time I used the lattice block and the peacock die, I am showing my card at

NBUS: #89 August line-up 

 

Evenings are getting darker

August is here and it is lantern time. Their glow in the evening dusk and then darkness is nothing short of magical. I don't own any so I have to make do with my lovely lantern dies.

There were two challenges that made me think how to use my lantern dies creatively this year. (Yes, they haven't been used this year yet!) I pulled out the supplies: snippets of designer paper and a block of alcohol ink prints.

I punched out the lanterns and backed them with light yellow paper to mimic the glow. I selected a background that made me think of evening dusk, then arranged them according to the sketch I was working with. Lastly I added a piece of washi tape to ground the standing lantern.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches: #747 

 

GCFAOS: #24 Gebruik designpapier (Use designer paper)

Snippets Playground: #537 

Simon Says Wednesday: AG 

Creative Fingers: #327 AG