Garden faerie

Today I was inspired by three topics (spread across five challenges). Out came the supplies: a recently purchased stamp set, a torn edge background die and a stencil. And the colors of course: Oxide in salvaged patina for the background (it is such a cheerful blue-green hue) and various browns and blues for the image.

 

I stenciled the background, stamped and colored the image and cut the background. The text reads: "Fairy dust".

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges that inspired me today.

Colorful options: June 2026 Color palette

 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Things with wings

TIOT: In the garden - there lives a faerie

Stencil Fun: anything with a stencil, butterfly optional - going with AG, 2nd entry

Make My Monday: #280 Use a stencil 

When a lot is simply too much

I tried to be clever and strategical with my combination of challenges today. I wanted to combine 'use stencil' with a sketch with die cuts with a theme ('tropical'). 

It all started with an array of supplies: two sets of die cuts, a stamp set and a stencil. I really like these irregular rectangles. I have no recollection where I bought this, but looking at the back side I saw it was made in India. 

 

I cut rectangles, colored them in with Oxides and arranged them according to the sketch. I cut 'tropical leaves' (name of the set)  from my gelli printed papers and I stamped a flower and colored it in with Ecoline watercolor markers. I stenciled the background with the stencil and Oxides. 

The trouble arose when I had to find a suitable sentiment. My choice fell on a small square 'Make a wish' which I embossed with neon orange embossing powder. I must say - that was too much. Perhaps it could be salvaged with another sentiment (or flower?) which would cover it. 

 

Before I attempt a remedy I will show this in the following challenges. The sketch challenge has closed, but the following are still active:

Tic-Tac-Toe: #tttc295 - I followed the diagonal row 'floral - square card - stencil'

Double D: Tropical - I was inspired by the lower right quadrant, it's colors and flowers 

 

A Cut Above: June AG - 2nd entry 

Creative Color Girlz: #5 Bloemen - Flowers 

No rain, just shine

 Today I found a couple of challenges that support each other well. Take dies and a stamp and some suitable gelli print scraps...

 

... and the card was ready in no time.

 

Thank you for these awesome challenges that make card making so enjoyable!

Entering this in:

In(k)spire me: #592 

The Paper Players: #PP791 (clean & simple) Weather

 

Simply Clean and Simple: AG/ Nautical otional. This is my 2nd entry and I am going with AG.

Cut it Up: #358 One for the boys/ men

 

Sweet delights

There is popular and often repeated saying 'Life is better with donuts'. I don't necessarily agree, being more partial to salty liquorice myself, yet today I felt drawn to a couple challenges where I could live out some candy colors.

My all time favorite color combo is yellow with pink, the whole color range of hues ranging from bright to muted. I just find them so cheerful together. Today I picked small color cards in muted hues and partly with shiny finishes, and combined them with a bright yellow background. 

 

I also used different size circles dies. I don't own stamps or dies with 'sweets' motifs, but I figured with my collection of circle dies I should be able to produce some donuts.

In the end I used two irregular circles and one perfectly round one for the hole.

 

I am entering this in these following challenges that inspired me today:

Crafty Gals Corner: #278 Anything goes / Sweets for dad optional - I did go with the 'Sweets' for option, but since I am at the age where my dad is long deceased, this card will be for anyone 

Inspired by: #IB393 Inspired by... donuts - I went with the colors and the donuts

 

As You Like It: Favorite color combo - mine is yellow with pink 

Snippets Playground: #535 AG

Simon Says Monday challenge: Food and/ or drink 

 

ETA: After looking at the finished card for a few hours, I decided to add some Liquid pearl accents on each donut. This tiny addition does make it look more finished.

 

 

Fun with fruit

Today I had my eye on a few challenges that could combine well for a card for a person who is not opposed to childish themes.

I have this fantastic circus themed stamp set (by My Favorite Things) that I have had for two years. (I used it here.) I thought I could combine this with two fruit stamp sets. The last time I used the cherry set (Hero Arts) was two years on the day (here). I had just acquired it then. The mixed fruit set (Sizzix) is also from that same year.

 

The card was straightforward to make: stamp, cut, color. Finding the right background took the longest. Finally I settled on a paper with a leaf print and a piece of green gelli print.

 

Entering this in these very inspiring challenges:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #rrcb274 Taste of summer

 

Creative Knockouts: #573 Summer fun

Girlz and the Art of Letters: #29 De letter van C van... circus!

Papercraft Challenges: #131 Sunny days & bright hues  

Daisy greetings

 The cards I make are usually rectangles, but today I wanted to make a square. 

I was inspired to select colors from my gelli printed papers to match the hues in two inspiration photos. I found several possibilities, but in the end I only picked three of them for my card, one bright, one pastel and one somewhere in the middle. I think the image has more impact this way when the flower does not have to compete with its background.

The Dainty Daisy die (Crafters Companion) is one I have not found a way to use yet. Perhaps it needed a square background? I die cut it twice out of white card stock, then cut the petals of the second one apart and used only the half. I glued them over the bottom part to make the daisy look fuller and more dimensional.

 

I am entering this in these challenges that play well together and I used as my starting point:

AAA Colourful: #29 Colourboard  

 

Just Us Girls: #828 Moodboard week 

 

Fab 'n Funky: #639 Summer Flowers 

Crafters' Cafe: AG, optional blooms - I went with this option 

Creative Moments: #283 Pastels or brights - I say: both! They support each other.

Thank you for your visit! 

 

Happy birthday!

 ... called the gnome excitedly and made a jump in the air. 

I took inspiration from a few wonderful challenges and gathered my supplies: stamps (ferns by Marianne,  Queen Anne's lace by Kaisercraft), colored pencils and the Hopping gnome die (also by Marianne).

 

I had long wanted to make a double layered card where the background and foreground images match and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I wanted to create a scene from a woodland garden, complete with a gnome.

 

I had a rounded square left over from a recent make (I only used the frames for this one). I stamped the images on both surfaces, then colored in the parts that would show. I die cut and colored the gnome. 

 

I am playing with this card in these lovely challenges:

Inkspirational: #369 Visual prompt: woodland gnome 

Cardz4Guyz: #387 Gardens/ gardening 

Pearly Sparkles: #120 This makes me smile 

Kleuren met potloden: Alles mag / AG 

 

Two blooms and a butterfly

 I have more flower stamps and dies than anything else, but I have neglected them quite a while. Today I finally grabbed a good and trusty flower stamp with a great background (Studio Light). The butterfly was a left-over from a while ago (here) and the sentiment ('Best wishes' in German) comes from Creative Depot.

I colored it with my Gansai Tambi watercolors - twice. The first layer can still be seen in places, it is a different color. It gives the color some depth in my opinion.

 

Entering this in these challenges that I took cues from:

Triple B: June challenge. - I went with the colors and used two 'b' 's (bloom and butterfly) 

Fab 'n Funky: #639 Summer Flowers

 

Unicorn Challenge: #121 Flowers

Allsorts: #851 Anything Goes from the garden  - my second entry

Enjoying summer

 I will happily confess that summer is not my season. It is hot, it is sticky, swimming brings only temporary relief and there's no point gobbling tons of ice cream, either. Nevertheless, in the spirit of challenging myself, I considered a few challenges that want to see summer or seaside. And I know a friend who would love a card in this vein.

So I gathered my supplies: a die that reminds me of frothy water, and a cat with sun glasses. The stamp is actually meant for Halloween, but I think it fits perfectly for a summer scene, too.

 

The cat definitely needed an ice cream, so I drew a paw and a cone with three scoops, a classic. I then colored the cat in with my pencils. I made the sun umbrella out of two circles, red and white, that I cut strategically and put together again.

 

Entering this in these challenges that I drew my ideas from:

Time Out: #315 Pick 2 - I picked water and ice cream, but summer belongs here, too

 

Just Us Girls: #827 Summer 

The Four Seasons Challenge: AG Summer 

 

Cardz 4 Galz: Seaside or coast 

Shopping Our Stash: #576 Summertime 

 

Two hours later...

I have eyed some challenges for a while. They are not easy ones to combine by any means, but I have been feeling brave lately. Take a sketch, vellum, fruit, a frame and stripes and combine them freely. I chose my title by sheer exhaustion. In my head it is spoken in tinny robot voice. Because, let's face it, some cards are easily made and others ... not so.

First I thought these supplies would be enough. Two dies, a lovely pear stamp and vellum.

 

I hadn't thought of the pear. It had to be colored in. This was done with Ecoline markers, I like the fact that they are water soluble.

 

The striped round die-cut needed to be backed with vellum. The vellum needed to be colored in. Enter alcohol markers.

 

For sentiment I used another die and glittery green card stock.

I am entering this into these wonderful challenges that got my brain going:

TGIF: #tgifc581 sketch 

Addicted to CAS: #310 Codeword Frame  

Lost Coast Portal: #210 Fruit, flowers, foliage

The Paper Funday: #88 AG, polkadots or stripes optional - I went with the option of stripes

Seize the Birthday: #328 Use vellum or acetate - I used vellum