A golden time

If you read yesterday's post you know I had trouble with gold leafing. Today I managed to complete the surface with the rest of not-sticky-anymore rub-ons.

 

There were some challenges that I wanted to play with, so I pulled a stencil and an old stamp set and some colors. The stamp set must be 3-4 years old by now, but I have seldom used it. For some reason I don't send many cards in autumn.

 

I started by applying colors to the background through the stencil. I had to move the position four times to get full coverage.

 

I then stamped the leaves, fussy cut them out and colored them using the same colors as for the background. I propped them up using foam tape. As I don't have a recipient in mind I left the card blank. to add a sentiment when I know the occasion.

 

Entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

Retro Rubber: #rrcb283 Be-leaf me - I have had the stamp set for about 3-4 years

 

StencilFun:  October challenge AG/ Orange optional - I have used orange (among others)

A Place To Start: 202610 AG/ Spotlight - I am playing with AG

PIP: #2642 AG 

Use it or lose it

Some stuff is just too precious to be used... Don't fall into the same trap that I did! I had purchased these sticky rub-ons ages ago and kept hoarding them - until today. I think they have been discontinued. The idea was to rub them onto a surface where they would present a sticky side which one would then coat with metallic foil or gold leaf. Well, the leaf set I tried had lost its powers and would only partially transfer.

So I had to find another way to create my vision. As I wanted some metallic I started by stamping this large gingko stamp with Lunar Paste using color named  'Cookie dough'.

 

 Once it was dry I re-stamped it with brown Versafine. I then had two options: either heat emboss to dry the ink (which was sitting on the metallic paste - this would never dry on its own), or rub the ink away. This is what I did. A gentle metallic glimmer is visible under the rubbed parts.

 

I then went on to color the card. My favorite color combo is pink with yellow, which suited the gingko leaves perfectly. I also cut the card along the outlines to give it a nice shape. 

 I quite like cards without sentiments these days. This might get one down the line, but then again, I might leave it as it is.

 Entering this in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

The Die Cut Divas: A shaped card

 

I Love Promarkers: #617 My favorite colors -- are pink and yellow

Girlz and the Art of Letters:  #38 De letter van L van ... Leaves

Ellibelle's Corner:  I spy with my little eye... #42 Autumn in the woods

Creative Crafters: #105 AG 

Nature delights

I take delight in autumn colors. A late rose among yellow leaves, a red tree against a blue sky, s pot of dahlias and wilted violets.

Today I wanted to capture some of that colorful nature poetry. I selected a stamp set, a die, some scrap paper and pencils. I had a card in my stash with a piece of yellow gelli print, which I used for my background.

I started by die cutting a twig from the piece of yellow scrap. That was the bottom layer. Then I stamped the pumpkin, leaves and roses and colored them with pencils. The fussy cutting took some time with these intricate forms. When the were done I arranged everything so that the center would be left bare. The sentiment will go there once I decide what it will be, a 'hello fall' or 'happy birthday'... both are possible.

 

Entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

The Paper Funday: #92 AG/ pumpkin spice and everything nice optional - Playing with this option

Make My Monday: #289 Use the color orange

FarmQuest General Store: #43 Anything farm or country

Snippets Playground: #543

Kleuren met potloden: Oktober alles mag 

A-haunting we will go

I brought back a nice hard of supplies from my trip. Today's inspiration came mainly from playing with them, apart from a color challenge that dictates my color choices.

New stuff: a die of a spider web by the Swedish company Reprint and Stampers Anonymous Halloween themed rubber - yay. The sketchy background stamp has been sitting unopened for a while - today it was day to open it.

I stamped the background with Catherine Pooler ink Black Jack. It's not pitch black, so it suited my purposes. Then I stamped the figures with Versafine Nocturne, my favorite. I added each just a dash of color as not to spoil the stark black and white mood of the card.

 

I then fussy cut the figures out and arranged them using foam tape. Lastly I stamped on the sentiments. 

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Colorful Options: Black, Orange, Red, White.  I am using options 1 and 4. 

 

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Halloween/ Spooky

A Cut Above: October Challenge

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Halloween / Spooky

NBUS: #91 October 

 

Black cats in the dark

I have been missing making cards and posting them. A two week trip will do that. Even though I packed along some papers, watercolors and stamps, I could not get into the mood of making a card.

So, re-united with my desk again I was happy to make a Halloween card. I took my inspiration from several challenges: I wanted there to be animals, three of something and I wanted it to be somewhat spooky.

The Heroween die and stamp collection is certainly an overabundance of Halloween related everything - and I succumbed. Today I used dies from two sets as well as a new stencil.

I started by dabbing white ink through the cloud stencil to create a moody background. I then die cut a tombstone, grass, moon, three cats and a raven from craft card stock, which I then colored in accordingly. I also found a length of purple thread and used that for atmosphere.

 

I am entering this in these lovely challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Halloween / Spooky

Crafty Animals: #110 AG

Fab 'n Funky: #643 Three of something - I have three cats

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Halloween/ Spooky

Critter Crazy: #115 AG w/ a featured critter 

Pay attention...

 It's time for Halloween cards. It not a celebration where I live, but it's fun nevertheless. I like the colors involved and the make-believe horror emanating from bats, pumpkins, ravens etc.

Today I was inspired to take out some colored papers and my Halloween stamps and dies. I Confess, I have just one stamp set and one die that can pass for Halloween, but we make do what we've got, right?

 

I had die cut several trees at a friend's place and today seemed a good opportunity to use some of them.

I started by selecting purple for the background. The moon was stamped on almost fluorescent green and the pumpkins in orange, of course. I die cut the bats from shiny black card stock.

 

The sentiment says: "Pay attention..." It goes on on the inside with: "When the darkness falls you are not alone." I hope this is sufficiently creepy for the recipient. 

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Just Us Girls: #843 Die cut week, Halloween

TGIF: #tgifc597 Color challenge

 

Stamps§Fun=Creativity : #503 Halloween

Simon Says Wednesday challenge: AG 

Autumn splendor

Today's card is the result of die cutting, new and old. I have a bag of die cut remnants, left overs from projects that never happened, or I had made too much for. Today was time to put some of them to use.

 

I die cut two geometric shapes out of yellow and orange papers, those pretty seasonal colors. I die cut the yellow shape twice, once without, once with a frame. That frame is used as a corner piece to offset the form and gain some continuity, if that makes any sense.

 

The wreaths are from my ready stash - so glad I found some use for them. 

The final additoin were a sentiment "Thinking of you" and some flat sequins to mimic the shine of autumnal dew drops.

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

A Cut Above: October challenge

TioT: Autumn's beauty

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes 

Dark and darker

 The season of fading light is descending. It totally affects the colors I choose. Today I chose black.

I have this piece of textured plastic (perhaps a carpet underlay?) that I use for pulling textured prints when I am too lazy to work with a gelli plate and stencils.

 As I had a scene with pumpkins in mind I stenciled it with two orange hues.

Then I cut the background to size and gathered the other supplies: a stenciled orange print from my previous session and a couple of very small gelli print remnants as well as some autumn themed stamps.

I started by attaching the background papers onto my card base. I was working with a sketch (see below), but as you can see, it's not identical. I added another black and orange paper from my stash - I found they worked better this way, not letting any one background dominate but rather support each other.

I stamped the leafy branch with green Versafine and heat embossed it with transparent embossing powder, then fussy cut it out. I stamped the pumpkins and fussy cut them as well. Lastly I grouped them together, raising the large pumpkin with foam pads to create some dimension.

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

The Paper Funday Challenges: #91 AG/ Sketch optional. - I am playing with the sketch

 

Sweet Stamping: Autumn

Simon Says Monday: Use more than one stencil - I used two

Creative Artiste Mixed Media: #131 AG mixed media

Simon Says Wednesday: AG 

Hedgehog greetings

It's the day of the Card Chain reveal again. There's a challenge where you actually get to exchange the card you make. There a sketch, a small color palette and a few prompt words each time. One gets to choose. I usually go for two to three prompts, even though only one is required. This time I chose to work with the sketch and follow the color palette as best as I could. 

Here's what I pulled out: a hedgehog die and two pieces of gelli printed paper. I also used a floral stamp. It was an afterthought, that's why it's not pictured.

 

I cut both papers according to the sketch. Then I stamped the hedgehog, the sentiment and the flowers. The flowers were colored in with GT watercolor.

 

I got a beautiful card from Joanne in return.

If you are interested in such an exchange, why don't you join the fun? This month's sign-up is open till Oct. 6th (here).

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With my card I am playing along in these challenges:

Critter Crazy: #115 AG w/a critter

Elliebelle's Garden Party: #19 Anything in/ from a garden

Love to Scrap: #181 AG

Crafty Animals: #110 AG w/ a animal

 

Thinking of you

 There's a technique called 'double embossing' - which I have been dying to try out. Basically you heat emboss a piece that's gone through an embossing folder. I was inspired by a sketch and many challenges calling for autumn, so I decided on using a paper block with co-ordinated fall colors (for some reason called 'Day break'), a die set and an embossing folder. I selected an embossing powder in the color of 'dusty grape'.

 

I cut 1 1/4" panels from three colors and partially dry embossed them. Then I gently smeared the embossing ink here and there. I didn't want to cover it all as I wanted a rather organic look. Lastly I heat embossed them and cut down to 1" width.

I arranged them onto a piece of scrap paper and cut this to fit the card. I had a piece of ribbon which I wrapped around on the bottom. I mounted the panel on foam pads and arranged the die-cut and paper backed leaves onto it. The sentiment says: Thinking of you.

 

Entering this in these great challenges:

Try A Sketch on Tuesday: #705 sketch

 

Allsorts: #859 Anything Autumn

Can You Handle the Pressure: AG w/ a twist of Trees. - Paying tribute to trees with those leaves

Crafty Gals Corner: #280 AG / Fall foliage optional - playing along with Fall foliage

Simon Says Wednesday: Anything goes