Sending happy thoughts

 Today I felt like using some of my pretty papers again. Granted, there is not much real estate to cover on a greeting card. Nevertheless, it felt great to have three scraps over and done with.

There were a couple of nice challenges that took my fancy today, and I tried my best to do every one of them justice.

 

 This was my selection: a couple of papers, a stencil (by Um Wow - boy is it ancient!), texture paste, gold paste, and a stamp. Not pictured are die cut leaves from my ready stash as well as a length of twine.

I started by piecing the background. I then mixed the texture paste (which was pale purple) with gold. The result was a beautiful rose gold. I then applied it trough the stencil to an upper and lower corner. 

 

While it was drying I stamped the poppies and fussy cut them out. I arranged the leaves behind the poppies, then glued everything and tied the twine into a bough.

Finally I flicked some gold droplets onto the finished card.

 

Entering this in these wonderful challenges:

Double D Challenges: Textures

The Pick 3 Challenge: #10 Oct-Nov. My picks were twine- poppies -gold

 

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Thinking of you

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: #46 AG / moodboard optional - I am playing with AG

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Bling it on

Little Red Wagon: #883 AG 

My thoughts are with you

 Today's card is a mish-mash of ideas. The first inspiration came by a challenge asking to case any card in their inspiration line-up. I like this kind of exercise, not only is it a technical challenge, it also means a new view on one's supplies.

Never would I have thought of using dies with an embossing folder, but that's what I selected. (The dies are by Spellbinders.)

I cut a plethora of small flowers and leaves and circles and colored them with markers. 

 

Then I embossed the card base. I made it square instead of a rectangle, figuring I could fit my cuts better. I then colored the embossed parts to match my die cut florals. After that it was a wuestion of bringing it all together. The sentiment says: 'My thought are with you'.

 

Entering this in these challenges:

Just Us Girls: #847 Case a DT - I chose Denise

A Cut Above: November AG

Passion for Markers: #862 Square cards only

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Thinking of you

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends: #289 AG

 

 

Happy 15th

 Today's card was heavily inspired by several challenges - thank goodness for those for inspiration!

It was a day to show some love to either neglected stuff (the embossing folder by Marianne Design, last used over 3 years ago) and some stuff that hasn't seen the light of day yet (the Woodware stamp, the numbers on sticks by Gummiapan).

I started by embossing the background, then cutting it into a rectangle shape. Then I die cut the numbers from gold card stock (salvaged from skin care packaging) and stamped the flowers. I used both inks, first a heavy layer of the light blue followed by just a touch of the darker one. This gave me a nice medium value.

Then it was just a question of arranging everything. Here I followed a sketch. Lastly I added some gold droplets and splashes. The text says: 'Happy and perfect birthday'.

 

Entering this in these very inspiring challenges:

AAA Birthday: #91 Small and dainty

 

Sunday Stamps: #398 In the corner

 

Dragonfly Dreams: Embossing

CYHTP: AG w/a twist of Numbers - I am playing with the twist

The Neglected Stuff: November

and as I am using never-before-used-schtuff I am showing this card also at the NBUS #92 November line-up. 

Boo to you

 This card took part in the Card Chain and flew to Wendy in Ireland. Did you get interested? If you want take part, too - the sign-up linky is open till the 6th. 

For this I decided to use my new kind of wonky house stamp (Aall&Create) and my bat die (Gummiapan).

I stamped the house and colored it with markers and arranged the bats around. The text I had to write by hand, as I don't own much in the way of Halloween sentiments. 

  

 Entering this in these challenges:

Die Traumfabrik: #155 Halloween

Creative Knockouts: #581 Halloween or fall - Halloween!

Sweet Stamping: Halloween or the colours of Halloween 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG 

NBUS: #92 November 

Consider yourself hugged

 One of my very first acrylic stamps was this utterly cute fox stamp. The fox is sleeping, has a wreath around their head and roses in front of their nose. I haven't used it for some years now, so it was time to dig it out again.

Inspired by a few challenges I imagined the fox sleeping in their den during the day (foxes are active by night). I stamped lots of leaves and fussy cut them after painting them with markers. The fox was cored in with markers as well. The background just happened, I found a nice striped piece of designer paper with darker and lighter areas in my stash. The arch was a leftover from another project (always a win to use those!). As a final touch I added golden spots. The sentiment says 'Consider yourself hugged'.

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Just Add Ink: #797 Choose two or more - I chose spots and stripes

 

Alphabet Challenge: N is for nocturnal animal

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Trees 

Critter Crazy: #116 November AG

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG

I Love Promarkers: #618 Flowers/ AG - I am playing with AG 

Hip hip hooray!

I have some digital stamps by Mo's Digital Pencil (link), they are so well drawn and great fun. Today I was reminded by a challenge to use one, so I printed out 'Grooving'. 

The other supplies I needed:

The background had many steps: first swipe Wild Honey and Fossilized Amber onto the card base and let it dry well.  I wanted to preserve the color, but I also wanted to use a stencil and add some other colors. As I had an almost empty bottle of clear glue I smeared it through the stencil. It didn't spread evenly, but that didn't matter. When the glue was dry in places and dry enough in other places I went over everything with more Oxides. I first swiped the colors, but that didn't give good coverage, so I spritzed it with water and let the colors run together. 

 

While that was drying I colored in the image and fussy cut it. After that it was just assembly.

 

 Entering this in these challenges that were my inspiration today:

Passion for Markers: #861 Use your favorite digi or stamp

Digi Choosday: #11 week 1 AG 

Stencil Fun: AG/ orange optional - playing with AG

Little Red Wagon: #882 S is for stencil

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG

Greetings from a forest

 Today's card is using a catch-all paper on my desk. The colors are perfect for a fall greeting card and the partially stenciled background makes your eye believe there are orange leaves on the ground.

I started by selecting these three sets: something old (the layered bird scene), something new (the trees stamp) and something useful (the sentiment stamps). 

 

It was really very fast and straightforward: glue the background, stamp the trees and the sentiment on it, then stamp the bird and the tree stump in layers and fussy cut them. Done.

 

Entering this in these inspirational challenges:

Double D: 10/26 Wings

 

Triple B: October challenge 

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Trees 

I Spy with my Little Eye: #42 Autumn in the woods

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG 

 

Big congratulations

 Today's card is for a little girl's big birthday. I gathered the supplies for it: a set of shape dies, a block of designer paper, a stamp and markers and a die for the greeting.

 

I started by die cutting the card base and then the designer paper into this inbteresting squared oval shape. Then I stamped the cat, adding a balloon, and colored it. Then I cut the sentiment out of designer paper as well. It reads " Big congratulations".

Entering this in these great challenges that inspired me today:

TGIF: #tgifc 600 Celebrate with us 

 

Aud Sentiments: #342 Fall and/or any shape but rectangle + a Sentiment - I am playing with the 'or' option.

Die Cut Divas: Shaped cards (2nd entry)

Seize the Birthday: #337 Geometric/ Word die/dies

 

Allsorts: #851 Feminine or AG - I am playing with Feminine

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG 

and because the stamp is brand new I am showing this at

NBUS: #91 October

 

Close your eyes and dance

 A friend who is going through a rocky patch - she needs a card to cheer her up. For that I selected a few ingredients fit for a fall card, leaving the theme open enough so she is not bound by my view of things.

I die cut the oval from a painted sheet of old text. The base for the tree is heavy card stock, but the leaves were cut separately from small scraps of gelli printed paper. The sentiment reads: "Close your eyes and dance" - highly appropriate anytime, but especially in fall as one can dance along with the falling leaves.

 

Entering this in these wonderful and inspiring challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Trees

Cupcake Inspirations: #642 Fall

 

Girlz Rebel Challenge: #57 alles mag / of gebruik hout  - tree is wood, right?

Alphabet Challenge: M is for motivational card/ project 

 

Pink for the holidays

Today's inspiration came from several challenges. I like to combine them, I find all those ideas, and in a way, restrictions, make my brain work harder.

I started by pulling out scrap papers, two sets of dies and a background made with scrap strips. I managed to use up all my off-cuts back in august. (But have managed to accrue several new once since then.)

 

 The bird die by Papertrey Ink is a new purchase. It is small, but really mighty. I can't believe how everything gets layered - head, breast, wing, beak, eye, feet - yet the die package is so compact it fits into a wallet.

As one of the challenges asked for pink I went to town with it: pink snowflakes, a pink bird and pink shaker filler material.

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

As You Like It: Favorite Xmas Critter - and why. For me, birds are my favorite Christmas animal, they are colorful, and always around.

Jingle Belles: While shepherds watched their flocks

613 Avenue Create: AG/ optional Think Pink - I am playing with this option

Girlz Creative Christmas: #200 Traditional colors / non-traditional colors - I chose non-traditional and worked with pink and grey

 Snippets Playground: #544