"Each passing year...

... makes you more wonderful". That's a sentiment stamp I have and I find the message beautiful. Today I wanted to use it on my card. I looked for challenges that would help me in my effort and found some terrific ones. (Listed at the end.)

First I gathered my supplies: a background stamp with wood grain pattern, a flower planter and some sort of metallic band found on the street.

 

I started by preparing the background. I ink blended a strip with soft colors that were repeated in the planter lady. Then I ink smudged a piece of paper with a couple of brown acrylics and stamped the woodgrain pattern onto it.

Now it was time to add markers and color the lady. 

 

Lastly I wove the metallic band through the foliage. I attached everything with foam strips. 

 

 Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Tic-Tac-Toe: #TTTC301 - I selected the row on the left: Woodgrain - Ink blending - metal embellishment

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Make your own background

Stamps + Fun= Creativity: #502 Text

Shopping Our Stash: #582 Who's Who

A Perfect Time to Craft: September Open challenge 

 

"To my favorite human"

 If there has ever been a sentiment that I don't understand, it is this. Animals don't send cards, nor do we have AI friends or robots who would send us cards. And the technology is not so advanced yet (if it ever will be, beware!), that non-humans would send us greeting cards. So why?!

Nonetheless, I have such a sentiment as part of a set. And today was the first day in my personal history, ever, that I would consider using it, by proxy of a very flustered bird who might have forgotten someone's birthday. 

 

I selected the bird, because it is a brand new (to me) stamp and I have been itching to use it. It suited fine for a couple of challenges.

I stamped the bird onto the card base, then drew three circles (as per a sketch), one around the bird and two smaller ones. I then applied GT watercolors onto everything. The special feature of Gansai Tambi watercolors is that they can be applied opaque, almost like gouache, and then again watery, like aquarelle. I used opaque for the background and more watery for the bird itself. I kept everything in two colors only, pink and brown.

 

Entering this card in these challenges I was inspired by:

Hand Stamped Sentiments: #497 Sketch

 

Sweet Stamping: CAS

Addicted to Stamps and More: #317 Circles

 

Girlz Creative Color: #30 Bruin en/ of roos - Brown and/or pink

NBUS: #90 September 

In the Pink

Today I was delighted to find several challenges that support each other nicely. An inspiration photo gave me the nudge to dig out my less used floral stamps and another challenge to consider my stash of designer papers.

I found a pretty paper in my stash as well as a floral stamp set I have used only once if at all by the looks of it. Not pictured is the label die (Spellbinders) which I added in the last minute. The sentiment set is an oldie but a goodie.

I cut the background paper to size. Then I stamped a blooming branch of what I suspect are apple flowers and colored it with my markers. I then fussy cut it and attached it with foam tape to give the card some dimension. Lastly I stamped the sentiment "Sending lots of love" onto the die cut tag.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Double D Challenge: DD9/26 Pretty in Pink

 

Creative Crafting Uncles: #81 Males go feminine

Everybody Art Challenge: #606 Rosa / pink

Crafty Catz: #719 AG

Love those Pretty Papers: ATG / fall florals optional. I am playing with AG

Big trees, tiny city

 I love big, really tall trees, they sort f take your breath away. Aided by a couple of challenges I set out to create a scene with just such trees.

I gathered my supplies: two stamps (Carabelle and Indigo Blue) and some GT watercolors. The top one is actually green, although it looks very black in the photo.

I started by using a piece of printer paper. This isn't ideal, as it is far too thin, but it had such a nice pale background of grey and orange hues. I had used it as a blotting paper under my projects. Too good to throw away, in my opinion. 

I stamped the forest in brown Versafine ink and treated the stamping with clear embossing. Then I took the small stamp with a cityscape and stamped it at the bottom. I used only the buildings and made it look continuous.

 

Then I added splotches of green and orange for the leaves and some blue here and there to mimic the big sky. I love how the city is so small compared to the huge trees in the forest.

Entering this in these wonderful challenges that serves as my inspiration today:

We Love Stamping: Trees and leaves 

Kreativ-Tanten: Wald / Forest 

Just Us Girls: Mood Board week 841 - I was inspired by the look of trees and buildings

 

Creative Knockouts: #579 September 17 AG 

Enjoy

 I am a friend of recycling items in the craft room. Especially tags. I have a collection of beautiful tags in my craft drawer. Some are just too pretty which is why I haven't used them yet. But today was apparently the day...

I was intrigued by a couple of challenges and wanted to fit them together. How does circles, colorful, recycle and adding a charm sound to you? To me it sounded like just the ticket, as I always have so much leftovers. Either from projects that I made too much fodder for, or items that didn't fit a certain project and were discarded, or the cut-offs from die cuts.

 

I started by covering the tag with gelli print strips (cut for a project in 2024). I then stamped circles onto the background (stamp by Rubberdance, last used in the previous decennium) and spent an inordinate amount of time trying to fit the pink circle cut-outs onto it until I resorted to a die-cut of a round balloon (the balloony bit is hiding under the vase). The flowers in the vase is a die by Nellie's Choice. I had cut it ages ago from a neon colored post-it and darkened some areas with ink. Today it found its place.

 

Lastly came a pretty brad as my charm, and the little but important word 'enjoy' as this is going to accompany a tasty gift.

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Tag-along and ATC's: Circles

Die-cut Divas: Recycle, re-use & repurpose - I used a clothing tag as my base

GRC: #56 alles mag of gebruik een bedel - ik heb een bedel gebruikt

Crafters' Cafe: AG/ optional Lots and lots of colors - I am playing with the Option

The Neglected Stuff: September - all the used items have been neglected for years

Moose on the run

 A current challenge brought to my mind that I actually own a moose die. I am so grateful that these challenges exist, they make me use my craft supplies, often in a way I had never thought of.

Today I was going for clean and simple, so my supplies were very sparse.

 

I had a silvery grey card base, and I started by applying some gesso mixed with silver lunar paste through a stencil. While it was drying I die cut three moose out of craft card stock and applied a light wash of silver on them, too. Then came the assembly. The sentiment reads: Peace for Christmas.

 

 Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Clean and Simple

AAA Cards: #323 It start with M... moose!

 

A Cut Above: Use a die cut

Inkspirational: #376 Word prompt 'Furry friends'

 

Critter Crazy: #114 AG critter 

Fly on!

 I was in the mood for making a word mess today. I have a lot of ancient stamps - and I mean between 10 to 18 years ancient. It was high time to show them some much needed love. 

 

"Of course" I was inspired by a couple of challenges, as always. 

I started by stamping the background with the handwritten text stamp up and down. Then I gessoed over everything, it was simply too busy-looking for my taste, and sprayed some DO over it and let it dry.

The result was nice and subdued, perfect for the bird carrying an envelope. I also added some rub-on flowers to create some interest. The sentiment reads "Thinking of you".

 

This card is playing along in these lovely challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Transport it 

Allsorts:  #858 Sympathy / Thinking of You / Get well 

The Neglected Stuff: September 2026  - This card was made of only neglected materials!

Aud Sentiments: #341 Tags and/or Thinking of You + sentiment 

 

Glittery and frosty

A New Year's card - in September? That has to be a first! Normally I make them just before Christmas to cover up the fact that I have forgotten to send Christmas cards...

It all started quite innocently: some glittery card stock, an old die, markers and a new stamp of an Ice Queen.

 

The lilac-lavender card stock became the base. Then I cut the half snowflake twice out of the silver. The join was visible, so the sentiment had to go there. Then I stamped the Ice Queen, colored her in and fussy cut her out, then propped her on foam strips to give this card a background and a foreground.

Originally I had a Christmas card in mind, what with the snowflake and the included sentiments. But looking at it it really was too... cold, if you know what I mean. Christmas is mostly green these days and the cold spell really often starts with January.

So there, a New Years card it is.  

 

Playing along in these challenges:

Sunday Stamps: #ssc394 Get in Shape

 

G&TAOL: #35 De letter I van... Ice Queen

NBUS: #90 

We Love 2 Create: #8 AG

Polkadoodles: #9 week 2 AG 

 

Gelli prints and rhinestones

I was inspired to try combine materials that have a different vibe. To explain: gelli prints are casual, gold thread and rhinestones are pure luxury. Would the combination read like an festive evening gown with trainers? Or like ice cream with spinach?

Of course I was inspired by several challenges, again. I challenged myself to try Gelli prints, gold thread and rhinestones and see what could be made out of them.

I started by stamping flowers on select parts of gelli prints. because they were made with acrylic and thus it is doubtful whether the ink would ever dry, I treated the stampings with clear embossing powder and heat embossing. This gave them some beautiful shine. I then proceeded to fussy cut them and arranged them inspired by a sketch. I also added the rhinestones.

 

I then took a length of gold thread, doubled it up and stitched the flowers: one cross stitch for the smaller ones and lots more for the large flower. 

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Festive Friday: FF0218. - I picked 'Jewel tones - gold thread - rhinestones - stitching'

 

Just Add Ink: 794 Sketch

 

 Just Us Girls: #840 Word week: BOld

Seize the Birthday: #334 Add a sentiment strip

 

Halloween magic

I did not set out to make a Halloween card per se, but now I am glad I did. 

It all started with stencils and sprays.

 

To build up texture I used more stencils and 'Aged silver' embossing enamel (Stampendous).

 

I wanted a grungy look, so I stenciled black gesso onto the card, then poured the enamel over and heat embossed it.

 

To complete the card I found die cuts of a gigantic star and two cats that I had received from my crafting friends. Never knew what to use them for, but today was apparently the day - I was aided in my thinking process by a couple of challenges.

 

I cut out the bats from black card stock and arranged everything. I printed out the sentiment.

 

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Add some texture

TioT: Emboss it 

Archiscraps: Use a large star as a feature

Craft Rocket: #140 Use dies 

As You Like It: Favorite Halloween colors - and why?  - Mine is anything with purple, be it yellow, orange, black, even green.

Creative Artiste Mixed media: #130 Anything MM goes