The less pretty toughts of a fox

I love snarky saying and have oodles of snarky sentiment strips to show for it, by TH and Aall&Create, to be exact. I use them seldom in my greeting cards, though, as I want them to be uplifting.

But today was the day - I need a snarky card. Out came my supplies: a background from my ready stash, a small stamp set for mushrooms and other fall accoutrements, a fox stamp (one of the first Aall&Create stamps with #4 - I believe they are close to thousand at this point) and my GT watercolors.

 

The background was first a blotched experiment in pointillism before I slapped a large gold stenciling over it. It became a grand affair, and I have been failing to use it ever since (this was about two years ago). Well, today was the day for this as well.

I stamped and watercolored musrooms, acorns and the fox, then fussy cut them and arranged them on the page. The sentiment is propped on a foam strip, as is the fox.

 

Entering this in these challenges:

 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers: #277 A is for Animals

Crafty Critters: Challenge #109

Creative Fingers: Challenge #328

Polkadoodles: #8 week 5 AG

Sweet greetings to a card friend

A little elephant (by Sheepsky design) was calling my name this time. To go with it I selected a round die, colored paper, a piece of cake doily and some markers. 

 

I started by selecting a background for the elephant. This was to become a rather tonal affair. I then die cut the lacey circle and place a length of cake doily behind it. I then colored the elephant and the flowers s/he's holding and fussy cut it out. There is no sentiment, but a message inside.

This card has (hopefully) reached Gail, who was my link in the most recent Card Chain Challenge. I'm linking the full line-up here so you can take a look at other beautiful cards that have flown off to their recipients. 

Won't you join us this month? The sign-up is open till September 6th.

As you can see, I used a card that I had tried to emboss directly, but with not-so-great results. The embossing is visble on top, but not on the bottom.

 

Entering my card in these most appropriate challenges:

Allsorts Challenge: #857 All creatures great and small

Digi Choosday: #9 week 2: AG

Critter Crazy: #114 AG w/ a featured critter

We Love 2 Create: #8 AG 

 

Love is all you need

Today I was in the mood for a floral card for a change. And, like always, I selected a couple of challenges to lead my way.

The supplies were quite straightforward: a die set, floral paper and a ready sentiment strip.

 

I started by selecting a background that would let the flowers be the focal point. Then I die cut all the parts from white paper, except for the centers where I used a scrap of yellow paper. 

When everything was glued up I picked a sentiment that goes so well with daisies. We all know the counting of petals with the iteration of "loves me - loves me not... ". So :"Love is all you need" was just the ticket to finish off this card.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Seize the Birthday: #333 No stamping - dies only 

 

TioT: Inspired by a song "Love is all you need"

Sweet Stamping: Use a die cut

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes

Classic Design Challenge: ATG/ use die cuts

Three - five - eight

 Three colors, five presents, eight twinkles are on my card today. I was inspired to make a Christmas card again. 

These are the supplies I needed. One challenge asks for alcohol inks, but lacking those, I am going to use my alcohol markers on yupo paper. The results are very much the same. I have also used photo paper with good results.

 

I started by treating  a sheet of yupo with green and blue markers. I wanted three distinct colors with as little overlap as possible. I then backed my sheet with regular paper and cut the gifts and their bows.

 

I mounted them in a formation inspired by a sketch (see below), stamped and heat embossed the sentiment ("Merry Christmas") and attached it. Lastly I added the red twinkies. 

Sorry about the photo! The mornings are not as bright as in summer. What's dark blue now looks black... I might re-shoot this.

Entering this in the challenges that were y inspiration today:

Freshly Made Sketches: #751 

 

Aud Sentiments Challenge: #340 Alcohol inks and/or Summer + a Sentiment

Passion For Markers: #852 Ribbons and/or bows 

Sparkles Christmas Challenge: #187 Clean and simple

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Lots of layers 

 

hello, young pilot!

 Today's card was inspired by several challenges and it features a fun teddy bear (or is it a koala?) as a pilot. I like this AI stamp for its cheer. I gathered this and the other supplies I needed.

 

I started by masking off the card base to create a square and applied a light sky blue color. Then I die cut three clouds and lightly dabbed them with a different pale blue shade. Then I stamped the teddy pilot in his snappy one-seater and colored it in, then fussy cut. (It comes with a die, but I have trouble breaking out the small parts that are within.)

After the assembly it still looked like it needed something, so I added a string of bunting. The sentiment seems very apt (time to teach kids some Latin phrases!).

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

The Male Room: #213 Jobs or professions - Pilot

 

Art Impressions: #435 Furry Friends. Also taking part in the AI monthly challenge with an open theme.

 

Little Red Wagon: #873 Anything times three - Three clouds, three pieces of bunting

Kleuren met potloden: Augustus alles mag 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes

 

Going scrappy

In the beginning of the month I showed you my scrap pile. I since used it for several projects (here and here and some off camera). And today it was time to use it again.

 

There was enough left to select some green, blue and shimmery stripes and weave them together for a background. This was inspired by a color challenge.

 

I was inspired by some other challenges as well. One was for frames, so I was going to use two rectangular dies for that. The other was a challenge to use an old stamp. 

I rummaged through my stamps and found a good oldie, a flower by Stampendous. I have had it for at least six years, but it is certainly older than that. It has one flaw: in one place the petals make a noticeable gap, so I either cover that up or double up this part. That's what I did today. 

 

Then I die cut the background and its frame, stamped the sentiment and the flower and colored it in with my GT watercolors. I attached a white die cut sprig to give the card more dimension.

 

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today:

Inspire. Create.Challenges: #223 Use up your scraps 

 

AAA Colourful: #31 Colourboard

Retro Rubber Challenge: #rrcb 279 AG with a stamp older than a year 

 

All About Papercraft: #8 Frames

 Paper Rock Scissors: #19 August challenge - paper+ scissors for cutting out the flower.

 

When life gives you lemons...

 ... keep your head high and don't worry, this, too, shall pass. 

This is what I thought when seeing a picture prompt for a challenge. I went straight to my paint chip collection and selected yellow and pink. It was inspired by the first two pictures of that prompt. They go so well together and provide instant cheer. This was also the time to use the Main Squeeze dies (Altenew). I love that irregular circle!

 

As I don't own the stamps to match I proceeded to cut two circles, a large and a small, each one four times. Then I laid the smaller circles on top of each other and cut them in nine wedges. Why nine, you may ask. Well, it is a trick I learned from my mom. It is for cutting cake. When you have a full cake it is hard to serve out the first slice. So cut out a slice in the kitchen and have a taste, and arrange the next ones with some room around them and bring it out to your guests.

So I cut my smaller circle into nine wedges, because I wanted to use eight with some room between them.

Then I cut out lozenges of pink. I was thinking they would be the pieces of ice clinking around in lemonade, but looking at this they could also be happy pills or candy. The sentiment reads: Heads up!

(Sorry for the photo. There is a white reflection on my table that seems to cut into the card. It doesn't, the card is fully visible, but it does look peculiar.) 

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Double D: #826 When life hands you lemons... 

 

Make My Monday: #285 Use yellow and white and another color

I Spy with my Little Eye: Sunflowers or something yellow

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Lots of layers

Classic Design Challenge: #08 Use a die cut/ AG 

 

 

Books for birthday

I seem to have an fair amount of supplies, enough to make most anything that I can think of. But then, I usually pop a flower on most any birthday card. There has been a challenge since the beginning of the month that has been quietly calling my name: that for 'books'. I actually need a card for a book lover who is going to get a gift card for a bookshop from me.

I finally stumbled upon a piece of wallpaper in my deep stash. I got it several years ago from a crafting friend and never knew what to do with it. What you see in this photo are the sad, neglected supplies: a stamp I bought a year ago that has never seen ink, die cuts also received from a friend long ago (but always the wrong color for my projects) and that piece of wall paper.

I selected a square card base and cut the wallpaper to size. I stamped the sentiment in three parts, covering only one line with ink at a time. Then I cut them out and mounted them with foam strips in the stripe that was between the books, and finally glued the boughs and berries to flank the sentiment. It reads: "The small moments which we so love in our daily life". Very fitting for book reading, I think.

 

Entering this in these challenges:

Die Traumfabrik/ The Dream Factory: #153 The Reader 

The Neglected Stuff: August challenge / 3rd entry

Everybody Art Challenge: #604 Alles geht / AG

A Perfect Time to Craft: #8 Open challenge

PIP: #2634 AG 

A fairy in a tea cup

Today I leaped way out of my comfort zone. I tackled a completely circular card, added washi tape, made it feminine and still tried to keep it CAS. 

These were the supplies I picked out for these prompts. A stamp of a fairy in a bubble bath (a charity shop find so I have no idea of the maker, sorry), my largest circular dies and washi tapes. Later I added a few more tapes, white chalk paint, a few markers and a length of gold thread. I did not use the postage style washi at all. Maybe for another project!

 

I started by cutting two circles. I then scored roughly 1,5cm/ 1/2" from the top of one and glued this piece behind the full circle. This creates a fully functional round card. (I took the photo of the finished card in front of the mirror so you can see the construction of the back. ) I then stamped the fairy and colored her in with markers. 

Then I went 'back to basics' as one prompt urged to do. I tore several strips of washi tape and glued them on the left side on top of each other. I painted partially over them with white chalk paint and let it dry. When it was dry I glued one more strip, this time paper lace, horizontally, creating a plane for the tea cup to sit on. I thought the gold thread would be a fitting addition.

 Everybody's 'basic' is different I suppose. For me I went back to the time about 5 to 10 years ago when this arrangement and style was all the rage.

I am entering this in the  challenges that were my source of inspiration:

Papercraft Challenges: #133 Back to Basics

CAS on Sunday: #341 Make a round card

Moving Along with the Times: #192 Feminine

Girlz Rebel Challenge: #55 Washi tape

Classic Design Challenge: AG w/ a twist of Die cuts. I am playing AG 

One fact I learned about myself

 I know it now: I am no speed crafter. My cards take time to make. And if I make them hastily I am not happy about the result. But let's back track...

It all started with the prompt to make a card in 10 minutes or less. The planning time is not included, nor is the time for gathering supplies and getting them ready. The theme was 'crafting'. Crafting? I have no crafting-related stamps nor dies. Then I thought of a palette. Surely I could fashion one. And a brush to make it a set.

A second challenge gave me the idea for the layout: make a wreath. I selected a stamp (by Mu Lifestyle, Japan) that would be fast to cut out, markers and neutral colored papers for the brush.

I set my clock. Then I stamped the half-round watercolor pans. While the ink was drying I cut out the three pieces of a paint brush. I have no die for this, so I followed the shape of my own brush and cut it freehand. Meanwhile the ink was dry and I could paint each pan with one of the selected markers and cut them out.

 

 It took quite some time to get the pans to lie symmetrically. Then came the sentiment (TH Small Talk) and lastly I glued on the brush. Stop the clock - 10 minutes 30 seconds. 

Entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

As You See It: #379 Hastened Handicrafts

 

The Pick 3 Challenge: #8  My choices were stamping- wreath- orange

 

4-Season challenge: #107 Een stelletje (a pair) - My pair is watercolors+brush

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends: #284 AG