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 

 

Happy my a**

 Today's card make is a birthday card. I recently won some digital stamps (from Mo's Digital Pencil) and have been looking for suitable inspiration. Which came today in the form of 'birthday'. 

The first supplies were remnants strips. I finally wanted to use up the pile (but did not succeed quite yet...)

 

Then I selected one of the circles and pulled out other supplies: an embossing folder, the birthday boy digital stamp print-out,  markers and some text.

I embossed the background, colored in the image and fussy cut it, then stamped the birthday greetings and selected a rather ungracious greeting from the envelope of other, just as ungracious texts. Imagine this spoken out in posh English... the translation is in the header. I think his face says it all.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges that were my source of inspiration today:

Allsorts: #856 Embossing, dry or heat - I used dry embossing 

Seize the Birthday: #332 Funny, pun-ny

 Addicted to Stamps and More: #523 Birthdays

 

Digi Choosday: #8 week 3, AG 

Snippets Playground: #539 AG w/ snippets 

I need some vitamin sea

 Today's card was inspired by a trip to the seaside. Add to that a color palette - and I knew exactly what I wanted to create.

I had recently purchase a beachy set of rub-ons. I didn't need much else, just a pan of metallic watercolor and a sentiment stamp.

I rubbed three images onto a cardboard, then fussy cut them out and mounted them with foam strips. I painted a few lines to give the scene some 'vitamin sea' and stamped the sentiment. The sentiment is a tricky one to translate, 'longing for the sea' sounds about right.

 

Entering this into these lovely challenges that served as my guide today:

The Paper Players: #795 Going to the Beach / CAS

 

CAS Colours and Sketches: #590 Colour challenge

 

Allsorts: #854 At the seaside 

613 Avenue Create: AG / Any holiday optional. I am playing AG 

Green and yellow friendship

 I had so much fun with paints today. I don't play with them often enough. I made an enjoyable mess which resulted in just one print, though, because of time restraints.

Today I gathered some nice inspiration: a friendship card in a color scheme of green and yellow using a stencil, fitted in a layout prompt. I used greens and lemon yellow for my background paper. 

I then cut the panel according to the sketch. The result looked minimal which was not quite the look I had in mind. I rummaged through my ready stash envelope and found a large lacy circle that I had cut for a project that never happened. It was yellow and it fitted nicely behind the green triangle. The flowers were left white.

 

 

Entering this in these challenges that served me as guidance today:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Fun with paint

Creative Color Girlz: #25 Geel en/of groen (yellow and/or green) 

Allsorts: #853 Stencils 

Cardz 4 Galz: #280 For a friend / Friendship 

TSOT: #699 Two sketches - I chose to work with sketch #1, but made a teeny tiny addition to it after turning it around... 

 

Will she like geometry?

 Some fabulous challenges were calling my name today. How does a mix of prompts like 'back to school', a color palette, something beginning with a B and using stencils sound to you? To me it sounded like fun.

Out came the supplies: a stamp of a girl which I have had for some years now - ETA: I bought it in 2023 - , a die by Simply Graphic, a French company, of brackets (how cool!) and a stencil by Viva with mathematical equations and some geometry. My GD is starting middle school in fall and this will be a great card for her.

 

I stamped the girl, (but omitted her arms) and colored her in. The color palette is perfect as my GD has red hair and green eyes and petrol looks good on her. I fashioned a tiny book cover and made it look like she was holding it by drawing the fingers on each side. Behind the hands there is a flap that is glued to the outline of the girl.

Before adhering the girl with her book to the card I stenciled the background, then brought in two brackets. Not only do they have their good use in geometry, but they also frame her. The sentiment says "a little hello for school start".

 

I am showing this card in the following inspirational challenges today:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Back to School 

Retro Rubber: #rrcb275 Bold summer colors 

Fab 'n Funky: #640 Something beginning with a B - which is book 

Allsorts Challenge: #853 Stencils

A Perfect Time to Craft: #7 Open challenge 

Love to Craft: #93 AG 

 

 

Two blooms and a butterfly

 I have more flower stamps and dies than anything else, but I have neglected them quite a while. Today I finally grabbed a good and trusty flower stamp with a great background (Studio Light). The butterfly was a left-over from a while ago (here) and the sentiment ('Best wishes' in German) comes from Creative Depot.

I colored it with my Gansai Tambi watercolors - twice. The first layer can still be seen in places, it is a different color. It gives the color some depth in my opinion.

 

Entering this in these challenges that I took cues from:

Triple B: June challenge. - I went with the colors and used two 'b' 's (bloom and butterfly) 

Fab 'n Funky: #639 Summer Flowers

 

Unicorn Challenge: #121 Flowers

Allsorts: #851 Anything Goes from the garden  - my second entry

Token of friendship

These days when real mail is so rare and handwritten letters are well-nigh non existent I cherish a hand made card with a short note from a friend. It can be any occasion or for none at all, other than to say "hello".

Today I needed a card for a friend who lives far away. I took inspiration and guidance from some very apt challenge prompts. The foundation was a color palette. I had been to the paint store just last week and had brought home some green samples. How perfect! Each yielded two hexagons. The dies, in case you are wondering, have been bought at FB Marketplace and I have not written down the maker. They usually come without the original packaging to save on postage as here the postage depends on the thickness more than its weight.

 

The dahlias I cut twice, the base with card stock dyed with Seedless Preserves (TH Distress) and the top layer which was colored in with Versafine Clair Charming Pink.

I am entering this card in these inspiring challenges:

Sunday Stamps: SSC #387 Garden grandeur  

Allsorts: #851 From the garden 

Cut It Up: #357 Friendship 

Creative Knockouts: #572 Die cuts / stencils / punches - I used die cuts

Girlz and The Art of Letters: # 28 De letter van B van...  -  bloemen!

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 

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.

Color with embossing

 I have watched many videos on how to apply color to embossed paper. Now that I was actually ready to try it my brain was totally blank. This is why I can't say in whose video I saw this idea - and where to find it.

So,  I started with a white embossed paper, turned it over to the reverse, de-bossed side. As I had a monochrome result in my mind I went rough over the whole sheet with an ink cube. I wanted to catch the background, not the flowers per se, but it was a nice surprise that even the flowers took color.

Then I went over some parts that hadn't caught the first time. Lastly I took a finger dauber and filled in softly some of the de-bossed parts. I used Distress Oxides in Picked Raspberries and Ripe Persimmon.

A simple vellum tag holds the heat embossed greeting.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Lots of texture

TioT: Emboss it! - I used dry and heat embossing here

Allsorts Challenge: Week 782 AG or a Blast from the past - I went with AG 

Creative Crafting Uncles: #53 Monochrom - I went with reds

Can You Handle The Pressure: AG wit a twist of fruits and veggies - I went with AG

Hello - playing bingo

 I needed a "hello" card for a friend. I find them to be the most difficult of all - what do you put on them? There is no one answer. Today I took my cue from a row of bingo in a papercraft challenge.

I used a lot of green hued scraps (mostly blotched gelli prints), arranged them into a starburst pattern and run it through a polka dot embossing folder. I love the effect dry embossing creates on patterned paper, it somehow draws the attention to itself and the background papers receive less attention.

I attached a few die cut balloons with twine and added a sentiment. 

Entering the card into these lovely challenges:

Allsorts Challenge: Week 766 My row is Dry embossing - green - twine

Can You Handle the Pressure: AG / twist of birthdays - I am playing AG

Let's Craft and Create: #204 AG, Polkadots/ an or stripes - I went with polka dots

Unicorn Challenge: #95 Dots and/or stripes - I went with dots

Papercraft Challenges: #102 AG

Thank you for your visit!

#woodblockstamps

 Woodblock stamps - you gotta give them some love. I still have quite a few from my early days of paper crafting. They are beautiful - but as they are stored in a box it is difficult to remember what I own. I was overjoyed to find a challenge that will, hopefully, activate my usage.

Today I picked a large heart stamp as my focal point. I can't remember when I used it last. It has no markings anywhere, so I don't know whom it is by.

 I stamped the giant love-heart onto a piece of card stock that I had brayered with acrylic paints in a few colors, resulting into a marbled look. The stamping was done in Versafine ink (in turq) which was then embossed with a clear embossing powder. I selected a pink matting layer to go with both the theme (love) and the other stamped items.

For challenge purposes, the bird was stamped with hero Arts Color layering stamp set CM552, the text says "hugs".

Entering this in the following challenges that I used as my guideline:

Allsorts Challenge: #765 Anything but square

Stay Crafty with a blog named Hero: Something old is new again - for me it's the use of mixed media

Stamping Sensations: Mood board - I was inspired by red, pink and birds

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Have a heart

#Woodblock Wednesday January challenge

A traditional Christmas

 I was inspired to make a more traditional Christmas card. It has all the good things: snow, a fir bough and holly wound up into a wreath, and a giant bauble. I love that stamp but use it all too seldom.

Snow was made with a stencil. I mixed some iridescent silver into the texture paste, but it does not show at all. It features several die cuts. The black wreath is by Alexandra Renke; I cut it in dark charcoal glitter card stock. Red, white, kraft and black is such a simple palette, but manages to look very elegant.

Entering it into these challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Let it snow

Allsorts Challenge: #759 Christmas Flowers or wreaths - I made a wreath

Monday Greetings Challenge: Christmas Greetings / opt. Santa hat - I didn't use this option

Daring Cardmakers: One word prompt: Bauble

Classic Design Challenge: #12 December 

The Male Room: #181 Christmas 

 

I spy...

.. wintry bear holding a snowflake.

The background was done with ink smooshing in cold, purply hues that I hoped would suggest a cold and snowy winter. The bear i solding a stamped snowflake, but I adhered a die cut on top of that.

There is a glittery silver net ribbon behind the die cuts. I added glittery dots and painted the snowflake with Wink of Stella.

Entering in these lovely challenges:

Allsorts Challenge: #758 I spy.. something beginning with a B - a bear!

Time Out Challenges: #253 Sparkly 

Lost Coast Challenges: #180 In deep midwinter

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Use craft dies

Cut It Up: #292 Use more than one die - I used four, two size circles, the bear and the snowflake

 

A snow scene for Christmas

 I was inspired by a few challenges today. It started with a sketch that frankly seemed rather overwhelming at first. 

I have this new snowy scene die that I wanted to use. Also the stars have their first outing today. The sky and stars were cut from a gelli printed paper, not that you can see much of it... The sentiment has been stamped and reads Merry Christmas.

 

Entering this into these inspiring challenges:

Allsorts Challenge: #756 Colors of winter

Try Stamping on Tuesday: #634 sketch 

Just Us Girls: #707 CAS week: in a circle 

CAS on Friday: #271 Christmas

NBUS: #56 November AG as long as something is used for the first time

Thank you for your visit!

Thinking of you

Some sad news from a dear friend prompted to make card as a pick-me-up. I have a new stamp set that comes with this large bird and also the leaves. I stamped them onto black card stock. Then I embossed the leaves with mixed metallic embossing powder and the bird with clear. I colored the bird in with metallic markers and used a collaged background.

The text mimics the colors of fall leaves.

Entering this in:

Allsorts Challenge: Week 754 Friendship

Inspiration Station: Inspiration photo. I was inspired by the colors and leaves.

Shopping Our Stash: #509 Emboss like the boss

The Card Concept: #201 Fall leaves - I took mine from the leaves, and used the colors.