For an unknown occasion

Sometimes I just make cards without any text. In the meanwhile there are three languages spoken and written in our larger family group, so it is not always wise to determine the language of a greeting card too early. Today is one of those occasions.

I was heavily inspired by some lovely challenges that play very well together. One of them asks to use neglected stuff. This was such a good opportunity to pull out an old background stamp, one that I lastly used about three-four years ago. I stamped with pale blue Versafine ink on top of a very colorful gelli print. 

 

The card needed only one focal point, for which I used a flower I had assembled some years ago. I made it look plush with some added petals that were still lying around from my recent die-cutting session. The card will get a sentiment once I know whom it is for.

 

I am entering this in these following challenges that helped me in my decision making process (thank you!):

Simon Says Monday: Add a rainbow of color

Mix It Up: MIUCB #83 AG/ stamped background optional - I went with this option 

The Neglected Stuff: June AG - I used an old stamp that hasn't been used for several years

Crafting From The Art: May challenge AG 

 

Hip hip hooray

A girlfriend will celebrate her umpteenth birthday in a few weeks. We use the word umpteenth for anything over 65 - the exact number of years has ceased to matter, but milestones are to be celebrated nevertheless.

 

I drew inspiration from challenges that play well together. One of them is a speed challenge, so I grabbed items that were already there like one of the embossed backgrounds from yesterday. This time I colored it in with a tool and it worked much better. I also simplified the procedure using already cut or printed supplies. The tulip is the only one that took time - first stamping in three colors, then fussy cutting it. ETA: All in all, I was slightly over the time limit with 10 min 2 sec.

 

Entering this in these serendipitous challenges:

 As You See It: #373 Full tilt tulips

Cupcake Inspirations: #637 Peaches and cream

Can You Handle the Pressure: AG dry embossed / embellishments optional. I used dew drops

Lost Coast Challenge: # 210 Fruit, flower and foliage

Delicate for birthday

Today I wanted to make something delicate and laid back. My main inspiration came from an embossing folder technique that I had seen recently on Youtube. One takes the embossed image, turns it backside up and rolls with ink. This fills the background and leaves the image untouched.

Oxides may not have been the right choice, the result was blotchy. 

I then moved onto flowers. I used two stamp sets as I wanted some variation. After stamping I colored them in with water soluble pencils and fussy cut the stems.

The finished card was again a combination of some very fortunate challenges. 

 

I am entering it in:

Pick 3 Challenge:  #5 May/June. I picked Birthday - Embossing - Blue 

Fab 'n Funky: #638 Use a stencil / embossing folder. I used an embossing folder for my background. 

Addicted to Stamps and more: #518 Birthdays 

Sweet Stamping: Flowers 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG 

 

 

Cupcake wisdom

 A chain of challenges made me think of patterned paper, stitching and TH small talk text strips. They all have their merits and all of it is 'just stuff', sitting unused in my drawers. Then it came to me: cupcakes - that was the answer. 

So I rummaged through my drawers, pulled out papers and a flower, stamped and colored long ago for a project that never happened.

Now it all came together in this one card.

 

I am showing it in these challenged that contributed to its existence:

Creative Knockouts: #571 Stitching, faux or real. Mine is faux, stamped with turquoise Versafine Clear.

Paper Players: #PP788 Tic-tac-toe. I chose "flower - free (pink) - patterned paper" 

 

Just Add Ink: #786 Just add Polkadots 

Seize the Birthday: #327 Sweet Treat 

Quiet times by the sea

 It was time again to make a card for my SIL who likes to bring some quality time alone  around his birthday. Mostly in the wood or by a lake. So I was very happy to get some inspiration via some very opportune challenges.

 

I used a stamp set that has both fish, waves, some awesome saying and paper hat boats in it. For the waves I also used a deckle edge die. The papers are gelli print remnants. I also did some coloring with Ecoline brush pens.

 

This is the card, which I am entering into these inspiring challenges:

Inkspirational Challenge: For the guys 

The Paper Funday Challenge: #87 AG/ Optional sea or mountain theme - I am going with the sea theme

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #822 Masculine week 

The Card Concept: #227 Seaside Adventures - I was inspired first by the theme, but did use the colors as well. 

 

Just for you

I had fun with this! I used my remnants (or snippets) for the background and then also for the butterflies. 

I had once printed out book pages in miniature and made a gelli print with it. It was almost used up, but there was enough for the background. I had to patch the background in places, but it's not really noticeable.

 I also used supplies that I haven't used for a long time (the butterflies) or haven't used enough (the text stamps). I have no idea who made the butterfly stamp since I have lost its package. (Perhaps someone of you do?)

  

Entering this in:

Stamps+Fun=Creativity: #496 Use bookpaper / Benütze Buchseiten

Moving along with times: #189 One or more butterflies 

Pearly Sparkles: #119 One or more butterflies  

Allsorts: #850 AG

Snippets Playground: #533 AG 

Dahlia in the round

This dahlia flower die has been waiting very long to be used. It must have been sitting over two years - gasp. But today I got inspired by several challenges that felt just right together. 

 

This card may look simple, but the image has three layers on top of the background (on top of the card front).

 

 

Entering in these lovely challenges:

Art Impressions: # 428 Yellow 

MMM: #278 Say it with Flowers

Cards 4 Galz: #276 Circle Card 

Daisy Chain Challenges: #107 Layer it up 

Just because...

 Today several challenges aligned beautifully and I was able to use them as my inspiration for a 'Just because' card for a friend.

I started with black gesso and applied it through a reversed stencil. Reversed, because it had words which I didn't want to be readable. Next I sprayed the whole background with two colors. They had a fine mist, so the background became rather evenly colored, not wildly splattered.

I then stamped some flowers and colored them in with my Ecoline markers. (So good! The have great coverage without the penetrant smell of alcohol markers, and they are blendable.) I really liked the grid idea of a challenge and wanted to use it.

 

So then, several hours later... I hope my friend likes this happy mail she's about to receive.

 

Entering this in the challenged that made this possible:

Stencil Fun: May AG/ See-thru optional. I enter with AG

Double D: Splatter challenge 

TGIF: #578 Inspiration challenge - I used the grid 

Beautiful Blossoms: #41 / AG, Moodboard optional. I didn't use the moodboard. 

613 Avenue Create: May AG, 'May flowers' optional. I went with that option. 

Cute cats and a cherry tree

Some serendipitous themes have fallen together in this birthday card. 

Firstly: cute little cats. I have no recollection where these stamps are from, most likely from a private sale on FB. They are just too cute. Secondly: the background is a deep indigo jeans print. These two things made me think of kawaii and Japanese aesthetics and gave me an idea to take the card even more into more Japanese leaning territory. Enter leaves and cherry blossoms.

 

I also really liked a sketch prompt and tied it in. There is a fair split between stamping and die-cutting. The background circles and the stamped leaves have been die cut, wheras cats, flowers and leaves have been stamped.

 

 

Together they make a rather busy card. But for a birthday, why not? Plenty to look at.

 

 Entering this into the lovely challenges that inspired me today:

Try a Sketch on Tuesday: TSOT #695 

and Double Trouble #216, where the #2 option features TSOT#695 prompt

Die-Cut Divas: Let's celebrate! - I am celebrating a birthday. 

Critter Crazy: #110 AG as long as there's a critter

 

Simon Says Wednesday: Cute critters 

 

I Love Promarkers: Special occasions 

 

"The Journey is the Destination"

 And the string of birthdays continues... It seems to be almost the only occasion I make cards for these days - what about you? Text is faster and more convenient, phones have been invented, there is seldom a real need for a card these days.

My GD is turning nine, and this whilst the family is traveling over half Europe for their holidays. As she is a bright young one and prone to philosophy, I decided to give her some tea-bag wisdom that might make her spending a birthday on the road more palatable.

A couple of challenges gave me great ideas as for where I should be heading. No flowers this time, but a cheerful dinosaur on roller skates, also on road, so to speak. The tea-bag label morphed into a balloon, also inspired by a challenge prompt. And a huge bonus: I got to use random off-cut strips that I tend to collect, but seldom use.

 

"The Journey is the Destination." 

 

Entering this card into these inspiring challenges:

We Love Stamping: May / All creatures great and small 

Stamping Sensations: Cute creatures - dinosaurs are cute, no?

Alphabet Challenge: B is for Balls - I hope balloons qualify!

Darnell's Weekly I.D.E.A.S.: 1. Inks 

Stamploration: May AG  - I used another company stamp