Maritime vibes

 Having grown up at the coast and summered by a great lake I miss those now that I live near a stream. Near Danube, to be exact, which sounds so grand and 'old Europe', but it's not the open vistas that I grew up with. I was very happy to find a few challenges that play in this direction.

I gathered my supplies:  a few stamp sets, Ecoline watercolor brush pens and a die set which has an edging that resembles rope.

 

 

This is the finished card. 

 

I am showing it in following challenges that I followed to create this card. 

Simply Clean and Simple: SCAS June: Nautical  

Archiscraps: Use Red White and Blue

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Masculine

PIP: #2623 AG 

 

Everything will be good

Rainbows were used as a symbol for hope in the Covid times. (Remember?) Back then I found it kitschy , but today it feels less so and I have quite come to like it. I even have a miniature rainbow die set. Add that to a new stamp set that I bought in a local 'everything' store and my brain started to jump from idea to idea. I also have a sentiment "everything will be allright" that I thought was fitting. 

 

This is a simple one layer card. The rainbow was fiddly to assemble and doesn't align right. A sequin or two might remedy the situation, but we'll see about it. For now it stays as is.

 

Entering it in these challenges that I took inspiration and guidance from:

CAS on Friday: #335 Rainbows

Nachteulen / Nightowls: NSS #61 Clean and simple

Let's Craft and Create: #232 Penny for your thoughts (use a sentiment) 

Moving along with the Times: #190: Use your favorite stamp or die - All my stash is my favorite, but this new set is my Newest favorite

and because the stamp set with the girls is a new and never before used 'stuff' I am showing my card here as well:

NBUS: # 87 June AG 

To Dad Dearest

 I find it extremely difficult to make masculine cards, even Father's day cards. Now I got asked to make a card for a dad and I think I found the perfect recipe which I cobbled together via some challenges.

Take masculine colors, some patterned paper, a fun character and a sentiment. Add some coloring and die cutting.

 

I gathered my supplies, colored and patterned papers, a die cut and a stamp. The die cut circles background is by a lesser known Danish brand"Design 5" (very fun in my opinion). I added the sentiment behind some of the larger circles. For this I used a slimline alphabet stamp by Hero Arts.

 

Entering this into the challenges that inspired me today:

Festive Friday: FF#0211 - I used "Masculine colors - patterned paper - Father's Day sentiment"

 

TGIFC: #580 Color challenge    

 

 

 Just Add Ink: #787 Use Two or More - I selected patterned paper and Animals from the list

 

 

 

 

 

 Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Masculine

Alphabet Challenge: C is for circles 

 

Token of friendship

These days when real mail is so rare and handwritten letters are well-nigh non existent I cherish a hand made card with a short note from a friend. It can be any occasion or for none at all, other than to say "hello".

Today I needed a card for a friend who lives far away. I took inspiration and guidance from some very apt challenge prompts. The foundation was a color palette. I had been to the paint store just last week and had brought home some green samples. How perfect! Each yielded two hexagons. The dies, in case you are wondering, have been bought at FB Marketplace and I have not written down the maker. They usually come without the original packaging to save on postage as here the postage depends on the thickness more than its weight.

 

The dahlias I cut twice, the base with card stock dyed with Seedless Preserves (TH Distress) and the top layer which was colored in with Versafine Clair Charming Pink.

I am entering this card in these inspiring challenges:

Sunday Stamps: SSC #387 Garden grandeur  

Allsorts: #851 From the garden 

Cut It Up: #357 Friendship 

Creative Knockouts: #572 Die cuts / stencils / punches - I used die cuts

Girlz and The Art of Letters: # 28 De letter van B van...  -  bloemen!

Life's good

My favorite beverage is a frothy topped latte - something I don't get to enjoy every day, not even every week, it's a special treat when I go to a coffee house.

Inspired by a challenge that asks this question, followed by others that gave me the colorway and details I pulled out a few supplies: papers, twine and an embossing folder. I was debating between hessian and origami triangles (by Nellie Snellen). I decided to go with the origami triangles, given that the base was kraft - I felt that hessian would have brought this into a more rustic territory.

I tore the coffee cup shape out of patterned paper, then added a more colorful twine than I had originally pulled out. The milk froth was fashioned from cake paper (slightly dyed) and the steam was made with rub-ons.

 

Entering this in these serendipitous challenges:

Tic-Tac-Toe: TTTC#294 Bingo - I chose the middle horizontal: patterned paper - free - twine 

Cardz 4 Galz: #277 Browns and green with twine or ribbon

Time Out: #314 A favorite beverage

Shopping Our Stash: #575 Craft-astic 

Double D: Bows 

Where the wind takes you

Monochromatic is always a challenge I like. I am so glad these challenges exist and every once in a while there is a call for monochrome.

Today I wanted to go pink. There are so many pretty shades from pale to dark. I was also drawn to a sketch and thought it would be fun to use my irregular circle dies for that so the result would be a bit more interesting. I used the medium and small for this.

The ethereal dragonflies and butterflies were stamped and then colored in with pink markers. I placed the gelli print behind the circles and raised the surface a bit to create some depth.

I found a great sentiment in my stash "Go where the wind takes you". A few spritzers round up the picture.

 

Entering this in the challenges that I implemented:

Aud Sentiments: Monochrome

I Spy with my Little Eye: #37 Monochrome

Freshly Made Sketches: #739 

A Cut Above: Anything die-cut 

Die Cut Divas: Anything die-cut 

For an unknown occasion

Sometimes I just make cards without any text. In the meanwhile there are three languages spoken and written in our larger family group, so it is not always wise to determine the language of a greeting card too early. Today is one of those occasions.

I was heavily inspired by some lovely challenges that play very well together. One of them asks to use neglected stuff. This was such a good opportunity to pull out an old background stamp, one that I lastly used about three-four years ago. I stamped with pale blue Versafine ink on top of a very colorful gelli print. 

 

The card needed only one focal point, for which I used a flower I had assembled some years ago. I made it look plush with some added petals that were still lying around from my recent die-cutting session. The card will get a sentiment once I know whom it is for.

 

I am entering this in these following challenges that helped me in my decision making process (thank you!):

Simon Says Monday: Add a rainbow of color

Mix It Up: MIUCB #83 AG/ stamped background optional - I went with this option 

The Neglected Stuff: June AG - I used an old stamp that hasn't been used for several years

Crafting From The Art: May challenge AG 

 

Hip hip hooray

A girlfriend will celebrate her umpteenth birthday in a few weeks. We use the word umpteenth for anything over 65 - the exact number of years has ceased to matter, but milestones are to be celebrated nevertheless.

 

I drew inspiration from challenges that play well together. One of them is a speed challenge, so I grabbed items that were already there like one of the embossed backgrounds from yesterday. This time I colored it in with a tool and it worked much better. I also simplified the procedure using already cut or printed supplies. The tulip is the only one that took time - first stamping in three colors, then fussy cutting it. ETA: All in all, I was slightly over the time limit with 10 min 2 sec.

 

Entering this in these serendipitous challenges:

 As You See It: #373 Full tilt tulips

Cupcake Inspirations: #637 Peaches and cream

Can You Handle the Pressure: AG dry embossed / embellishments optional. I used dew drops

Lost Coast Challenge: # 210 Fruit, flower and foliage

Delicate for birthday

Today I wanted to make something delicate and laid back. My main inspiration came from an embossing folder technique that I had seen recently on Youtube. One takes the embossed image, turns it backside up and rolls with ink. This fills the background and leaves the image untouched.

Oxides may not have been the right choice, the result was blotchy. 

I then moved onto flowers. I used two stamp sets as I wanted some variation. After stamping I colored them in with water soluble pencils and fussy cut the stems.

The finished card was again a combination of some very fortunate challenges. 

 

I am entering it in:

Pick 3 Challenge:  #5 May/June. I picked Birthday - Embossing - Blue 

Fab 'n Funky: #638 Use a stencil / embossing folder. I used an embossing folder for my background. 

Addicted to Stamps and more: #518 Birthdays 

Sweet Stamping: Flowers 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG 

 

 

Cupcake wisdom

 A chain of challenges made me think of patterned paper, stitching and TH small talk text strips. They all have their merits and all of it is 'just stuff', sitting unused in my drawers. Then it came to me: cupcakes - that was the answer. 

So I rummaged through my drawers, pulled out papers and a flower, stamped and colored long ago for a project that never happened.

Now it all came together in this one card.

 

I am showing it in these challenged that contributed to its existence:

Creative Knockouts: #571 Stitching, faux or real. Mine is faux, stamped with turquoise Versafine Clear.

Paper Players: #PP788 Tic-tac-toe. I chose "flower - free (pink) - patterned paper" 

 

Just Add Ink: #786 Just add Polkadots 

Seize the Birthday: #327 Sweet Treat