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

Flowers for birthday

There are several monochromatic prompts at the moment, and as I was in a need for another birthday card I wanted to make it purple (it's the recipient's favorite color).

I have recently watched a bunch of YouTube videos and can't attribute this technique to anyone, sorry. But basically one runs an embossed image, colors it in and runs it again with background color.

 I painted the flowers in with watercolors. The second run, where the background should be applied by running it through again just did not work for me. The background stayed blotchy and a lot of color stayed on the folder. So I painted it in with watercolor as well.

 

Entering this into these lovely challenges that inspired me:

Fab 'n Funky: #637 Monochrome

4-Seasons-Challenge: #104 Monochroom 

Crafty Gals Corner: AG / Flowers for Mother

Allsorts Challenge: #849 AG/ Monochromatic I chose Monochromatic

 

Just Us Girls Challenge: #823 Word week: Flowers

 

And because this was the first time I used these watercolors, I am entering this in NBUS-Never-Before-Used-Schtuff round #86.

Flowers galore

I have lately been watching a lot of YouTube videos. In one of them Ardyth tried to reason whether she needs a new set of dies or whether she can replicate the look with her existing ones. 

Well, today I wanted to try the same. I pulled out all my single flower dies, applied them on colored papers. And here is one of the results. (I made many, couldn't stop myself...)

 

As it is birthday season and birthday is also a theme in one of the challenges that inspired me today, a birthday card it is.

 

Entering this in the following challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Use Craft Dies 

Everybody Art Challenge: Happy 600! 

AAA Birthday Challenge: Game 85 

A Cut Above: May Challenge 

Fab 'n Funky: #637 Monochromatic

These are the cards I have made so far...

 

A medley

 The downside of not being able to play more with my materials these days is that everything takes so much longer than usual. It also seems to become more elaborate.

Take a simple prompt "make your own background" for example and combine it with "anything goes". For example - but this is what I actually used. In hindsight it could have been such a simple and fast card, but this took me hours.

 

First: Take a gelli print, stamp onto it and then heat emboss it. Cut it up for a background. Because it is a tissue paper glue it onto a copy paper. Wait it to dry. Then adhere it with double sided tape onto the card.

Then: Stamp some leaves and berries, color them. Stamp a focal image in three layers (yes, it's one of those layering stamps - pesky, but with such lovely results). Then fussy cut everything and arrange them pleasingly.  Stamp a sentiment, arrange that into the greenery. Then glue everything down.

Entering this into the challenges that I was inspired by today:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Make your own background

TGIF: #tgifc491 Sweater weather 

A Blog Named Hero: September AG

Stamping Sensations: AG or Animal Magic - I'd like to think this is animal magic.

On the ball...

 Three challenges today were gorgeous match: I got to stamp my favorite little critters and make a birthday card. Everything was colored in with markers.

I love layers in my cards - but applaud to those who can produce a single layer card. I cannot. here, my point in case: two layers for the background and then die cut stamped images on top.

Entering this in:

As You Like It: To layer / or not - and why

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Stamp it!

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: 4 legged friends

Daring Cardmakers: On, or At the ball.