I did not forget your birthday

 Today's card features a piece of gelli print, some ink smooshing and ink flicking, watercolors and a fineliner, a die, a stamp, a remnant - and paper and scissors, of course.

It all started with two prompts: a photo collage of vases with lovely hues of blue (see below), and the prompt to use only one color next to black and white. My decision was instant: I would use that beautiful blue as my one color. I gathered my supplies:

 

I started by stamping a part of the gigantic forget-me-not. I then prepared an ink smooshing bath (Blueprint Sketch DO) and repeatedly took the middle part of the image to it, letting it dry in between. As the color was still not dark enough, I helped it out with GT watercolor (Ultramarin).

I then cut the vase out of a gelli print and used the rest to make a 'table top' for the vase to sit on. I fussy cut the flower and attached everything in place. I then flicked the background with black ink and drew a partial frame with a fineliner.

Entering this in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

Double D: Vases and/or pitchers

 

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity: #213 Black and white plus another color

 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Stamp It 

Stamps+Fun=Creativity: #500 Jubiläum

Creative Artiste Mixed Media: #130 AG mixed media

Paer Rock Scissors: #20 

Leftovers only

 Today's card consists entirely of leftover from past cards. I loathe to throw the cut-offs or unused pieces away, but tend to keep them for a while on my desk.

This is what I have amassed since mid-July. You will recognize some, and perhaps not others, because they never made into a card (like the bees).

The pink lozenges are left over from the lemon card. I have a lozenge die that I have not broken apart, because it gives you three shapes with one pull: a lozenge and two funny-shaped frames. I grabbed those today. The brown confetti between them hails from the ferris wheel card and the mushrooms and acorns from a more recent fox card. The sentiment was stamped in multiples for the 'my a**' birthday card.

 

Entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Get in shape

Die Cut Divas: Recycle, re-use & repurpose  - Everything on my card is recycled. This would have otherwise landed into trash.

Krafty Chicks: #836 Birthday

Creative Inspiration: #42 Anything goes

A Perfect Time to Craft: Open challenge #9-2026 

 

Balloons for birthday

 Today I wanted to tackle my stash of designer papers. I tend to buy them and then hoard them, just because they seem too pretty to use.

I rounded up a couple of challenges that play together wonderfully. These were my initial supplies. Afterwards I grabbed some markers.

 

I started by piecing the background. I then took it to my sewing machine and stitched two rows of zig-zag stitches. Then I cut the circles, one large and three small ones.

I have been looking for a pretty balloon die for ages, with no luck, so I resorted to cutting the shape with scissors.

 

I then stamped the girl, colored her in and fussy cut her out. Lastly came the assembly. The sentiment says: "Happy birthday".

 

Entering this in these challenges that I was inspired by today:

Paper Players: #PP801 Tic-Tac-Toe - My row is top across: patterned papers- things that fly - layers

 

Try a Sketch on Tuesday: #TSOT 703

 

Double Trouble: #224 

AAA Birthday: #89 Use patterned paper

 

Sweet Stamping: Use a die cut 

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