Pearlescent stenciling

 Today's card takes inspiration from a few challenges: the bees, the layout, stenciling and colors combine nicely as prompts. It's summer after all.

I started with a stencil and a couple of colors. I used a shiny tissue paper (from a recent shoe purchase) on a Gelli plate and did a couple of layers with matte and shiny paints. Here you can see the shiny portion (Amsterdam Pearl White).

The suggested colors were so delicate that I didn't want to introduce a high contrast by using black ink. Everything is stamped with VersaFine Clair Morning Mist. The sentiment has been embossed with clear embossing powder for added shine.

I followed the suggested layout and added bees around the flower. The flower was first colored in very lightly with watercolor pencils, then overlaid generously with Glossy Accents. The same with the wings of the bees. The dots are punched from a glitter cardstock that matched the colors.

The text reads "Enjoy your life, be happy".

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today:

Paperminutes: #806 Bienen / Bees

Tuesday Morning Sketches: #718

Stencil Fun: August AG / Butterflies optional  - I am entering the AG option

Just Add Ink: #664 Color Challenge

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Summer 

 

 Thank you for your visit and comments! 

Stencil fun

 I really like all the effects one can get from stencils, be it spray paints, for gelli prints, coloring through them or using as embossing plates. Sadly, I tend to under utilize the possibilities as they need some serious cleaning afterwards, and I tend to make more backgrounds than I need.

Today was no different. I pulled a dozen or so gelli prints. I settled on this one made with a rough stencil I cut myself. The image is stamped and watercolored, it's a birthday card for my sister-in-law.

 

Entering it in:

Inkspirational Challenge: #295 Use stencils

Double D Challenges: AG/ Stencils - I used stencils

Kreativ-Tanten: #80 Alles geht

Eternal sunshine

 Sunshine is what I wish for my summer vacation. Instead, I have been looking at rain clouds. It is a rainy summer up North where I live.Nevertheless, or for that reason, I was inspired by a couple of challenges that called for Vacation themes.

My starting point were the lovely colors of Inspirational challenge. I also got the idea for my starburst layout here - from the beach ball.

I have a lot of gelli prints, so I started by pulling out the vacation-appropriate colors: pink, turq, yellow, orange. Then I stamped "Happy Birthday" onto a cloud, which I placed in the center and flanked by two smaller clouds.

Entering this into these lovely challenges:

 Bastel-Traum: #125 Vacation/ Ferien

Inspirational Challenge: #51 Photo Inspiration

AAA Birthdays: Game #52: Anything Birthday goes

A Place to Start: AG/ Life is a beach - I am playing the AG option

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG

 

Thank you for your visit!

Happy happy

 Today it is a happy happy birthday card which I made from strategically cut gelli plate pulls. The text stamp is an old one, wishing Double Happiness.

I am entering this into challenges that inspired me today:

Woodblock Wednesday: July challenge - this inspired me to pull out my old Paper Source stamp

Simon Says Monday Challenge: We can see clearly - I put the sentiment on vellum.

We Love to Create Mixed Media: #7 AG 

Addicted to Stamps and More: #451 make your mark

 

Thank you for your visit and comments, I truly enjoy reading them.

Under the sea

 Today I was exploring whether I can make a sketch from a (non-CAS) challenge to work for CAS birthday card. I took color inspiration from another challenge and this is what I got:

I used watercolor to paint the lines, and my Creative Depot whimsical fish stamps. (I just love when stamps run in both directions!)

Entering it in the challenges that inspired me:

Cupcake Inspirations: #574 Color challenge 

Try Stamping on Tuesday: #TSOT616 Sketch

Less Is More: #448 Theme: Under the sea

also entering in:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes  

 

Thank you for your visit!

 

A "copperplate illustration"

 I  have wanted to make an old-fashioned botanical "copperplate illustration" for some time. I put it in quotes, because I am using stamps and not doing any copperplate or other drawing. That style just speaks to me.

There were a couple of challenges that I followed for guidance, mainly because copperplate botanicals are a vast subject and I have a vast amount of stamps. I also included a couple of printed papers in my composition. I stamped a nice selection of images and embossed all with clear embossing powder.

The finished card was kept to a tight color palette of olive and berry (with some variation). I looked for a way to include "a cluster of three" as prompted in one challenge. Can you spot it?

Entering in the challenges that made this stamped and collaged card happen:

Color Hues: #TCH#68 Olive and Berry 

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: #9 AG flowers/ optional moodboard - I chose to go less tropical than the mood board

TioT: Pretty papers

Use Your Stuff: #489 A three item cluster

Festive Friday: Floral delights

Something CAS

The starting point for today's card was a sketch. I had the hardest time interpreting it in a way that felt like "me".  Second inspiration came from a challenge that wanted to see only one other color with black and white. I toyed with pink, but that didn't sit well with my chosen bird stamp. The idea to use the bird came from the prompts "Let's go" and "Look up in sky". The sky is huge where I live and I enjoy watching birds fly.

Here is the result, this is how my brainwaves chose to work with these limitations.

 

Entering it in the challenges that inspired me:

CAS Colours and Sketches: #516 sketch

Fab' n Funky Challenge: #577 Monochrome with a pop

TGIF Challenge: #tgifc430 Let's go

Cut It Up: #282 Look up in sky

Critter Crazy: #76 AG with a featured critter

Woven

 For a while now I have been keeping all my off cuts that come from trimming card bases or papers. Today seemed like a good time to use up all those snippets and scraps. I created a woven background that I inserted into a round opening.

Two black die cuts form the backdrop for the vividly colored rose, which was embossed with clear embossing powder before I colored it in. 

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today: 

Scrapping4Fun: #225 Birthday

Stamping Sensations: Summer flowers  (2nd entry)

We Love Stamping: Fabulous florals (2nd entry)

Let's Create Challenge: #197 Add flowers (2nd entry)

NBUS Challenge: #52 - This was my first outing for my neon colors.

Summer blues

 It is always rather a challenge to create a card entirely without stamping. I managed it using a stencil, distress inks and oxides, color pencils, a sewing machine and die cuts.

I flicked some ink onto the card before adhering the diecut. The sentiment is handwritten.

I am entering it in the challenges that inspired me today:

Stencilfun: Birthdays (2nd entry)

Seize the Birthday: #265 Circle or circles

Allsorts: #738 Summer blues 

Shopping Our Stash: #501 No stamping allowed

Life is wonderful, says the cat

 There are a few challenges again that collide in the nicest possible way and provide a lot of inspiration. The basic idea for the card comes from a tic-tac-toe row of die-cut / stencil / own choice (=stamping). Now when it came to the die cut I remembered another challenge which wants to see four-legged friends (my choice is a cat). And because Humor is always high on my list I chose to stamp fish and a sentiment that gives a humorous spun to the card.

Both the sentiment stamp and the fish stamps were purchases from two years ago. The speech bubbles are much older. When you add up everything this is what I got:

The text reads "Life is wonderful".

Entering this in:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #211 Tic-Tac-Toes! - I selected diagonal "your choice - die cut - stencil"

Friendship Challenge: #89 Tiere / Animals

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Four legged friends

The Alphabet Challenge: H is for Humour 

Addicted to Stamps and more: #450 Die cuts and/or stencils- I used both