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.

Summer blues

 It is always rather a challenge to create a card entirely without stamping. I managed it using a stencil, distress inks and oxides, color pencils, a sewing machine and die cuts.

I flicked some ink onto the card before adhering the diecut. The sentiment is handwritten.

I am entering it in the challenges that inspired me today:

Stencilfun: Birthdays (2nd entry)

Seize the Birthday: #265 Circle or circles

Allsorts: #738 Summer blues 

Shopping Our Stash: #501 No stamping allowed

It's summer - enjoy!

 Summer on the beach, at water's edge - the idea came to me when I saw a scrap of an old gelli print. Th seals were also stamped on a gelli print, a hardly visible speckled grey. That stamp is several years old, it's from a set but all other parts of it have been traded so I have no idea who it is by.

The layout was inspired by a challenge (even though my base rectangle is longer - I could just not bear to cut it shorter and lose the grass...)  

(The text reads: Enjoy)

Entering this in:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #201 Sketch Time!

Stamps&Fun=Creativity: #436 Sommer und/oder Meer

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Summer Moodboard 

Allsorts Challenge: #735 Summertime

Flowers, always flowers

It's time for some flowers. Today I challenged myself to move away from my favorite colors (which are plenty) and try to use my least favorite color, which is purple. 

I recently purchased this stamp set second hand - it looked so whimsical and I today I am using it for the first time. I think the whimsy takes away the serious edge of purple. (Anyway, that's how I feel about purple.) Here I am still toying with a green stenciled background. Which I then ditched for a simple grey-beige one, the flowers are busy, the background dows not need to be.

The finished card:

Entering this into these challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms: AG with flowers -or moodboard - I took my inspiration from the mood board

Creative Inspiration Challenges: Challenge #3 AG

Allsorts Challenge: #733 AG/ option Bees, Blooms or Butterflies - I am entering with the floral option

Use Your Stuff: #486 Flowers 

NBUS (Never before used Schtuff): June Challenge - it's the stamp set!

 

Thank you for your visit!

Wish upon a star -

 - now that would have been the perfect sentiment for this card. (I thought of it too late!)

I needed a card for a boy and was inspired by the sun-moon-stars idea. 

I cut blue cardstock to an arch shape and did some background enhancing with darker blues and black. The starry sky is through a stencil with Simon Hurley's gold paste; the moon, sun a a few stars were die cut from a gelliprinted paper and raised with foam squares.

Entering this in:

Global Design project #GDP396 CASE this design by Krista Frattin - I chose the sky/stars/moon

TioT: Make it Masculine

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Sun, moon, stars 

Allsorts Challenge: Week 731: Use a die

What if...

 When I read through challenges I tend to be on the look-out for ideas that can be combined for maximum effect. Today I came upon a few and thought, what if ---?

What if one could do stencil with watercolor and create one's own background with dots or stripes? That's four lovely challenges right there and as I see it, they can only enhance one another and make me go out of my comfort zone. 

I selected a stencil that had both dots and stripes and went to town.

I stamped butterflies with dark blue, colored them in with copics, then stamped the sentiment also in dark blue ("congratulations") and added some clear higlights.

Here is the finished card:

Entering this into the challenges that inspired me to create it:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Watercolor

Allsorts Challenge: week 730, Use a stencil 

Cards4Galz: #199 Backgrounds

Friendship Challenge. #87 Punkte oder Streifen / Dots or stripes --- I went with both!

Papercraft Challenges: #94 Things with wings

Let's party!

 A set of cactus stamps - some glitter - some die cuts... That's my recipe for a party invitation.

One can hardly see the glitter on the party hats in this light, but it is there: it's Psychedelic glitter with a coat of Sprinkled Sugar.

Entering in these lovely challenges that inspired me on this weird concoction.

Simon Says Monday: Party Time!

Simon Says Wednesday: Party!

My Time to Craft: MTTC #50 New Year's Day 2023

Allsorts: Week 708/9 Clean and simple - I hope this is it!

Basteltraum: #120 Glitzer / Glitter #btchallenge120

Thank you for your visit!

Male greetings...

 ... are the hardest for me to make. I don't know men that enjoy getting cards with tools or beer bottles on them, as I don't do cards for women with lipsticks or perfume bottles on them. So something more neutral, while still being fun, was the order of the day.

I started by making my own background with Yupo paper and alcohol markers. I used two shades of grey for the background and a dark brown for the 'matting'.

I then stamped leaves with two colors with Distress inks, then went in with the outline stamp and stamped it a bit offset from the leaves. The stamp set has coordinating dies and it took some fiddling to get them to die cut properly.

 

Here is the finished card. I added a birthday-appropriate sentiment and a small paper flier to bring in some movement and add a fun factor, both recently purchased from the wonderful Perlenfischer company.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge: 671/2 Masculine

Friendship Challenge: #76 Die Natur wird grün

Stamping Sensations Challenge: April - I love...   - I love that leaf stamp set by Altenew!

Craft Rocket Challenges: #91 For the boys/ men - This card is for my son

Mod Squad Challenge: April anything goes

This little happy hen says 'hello' to you

 My most recent purchase is this adorable hen stamp by Perlenfischer (here - change the language to English). Hen come to the focus of attention just about now, spring is all about new everything: new grass, new little chicks, new leaves, blooms...

I attempted two color stamping and fussy cut the image. Previously I had pulled a doily through cold coffee and let it dry. I also die cut a delicate piece of lace and some letters.

Yes! The hen is speaking Finnish - I have no idea what they would say in English. I might make another with hens speaking in several languages - that would be fun. Please let me know in comments what they say in your language.

Entering this in:

Allsorts Challenge: #670 Any "real" animals

Paperminutes: #737 Buchstaben / Letters 

Addicted to Stamps: #426 Make your mark - I hope coffee-dyed doily and two tone stamping count!

Country View: Spring is coming

AAA Challenge: #211 Anything CAS + Spring animal 

Sweet spring

 I was inspired to show my favorite color which is pink. Anything pink will do. If, like today, pink is playing the lead role the results are overly sweet. The sweetness may be even underlined by the fact that I used neon watercolors from the 90's (a great thrift store find).

Pink combines well with green, and i do like the two together, it is a very natural combination. To that end I underlaid the sweetness with craft paper which was stenciled with a lightly shimmering paste.

entering in:

AllSorts Challenge: Spring is in the air

Alphabet Challenge: Y is for Your favorite color combination

NSS Challenge:  #10 Bekennt Farbe - Lieblingsfarben

Friendship Challenge: #75 Alles geht 

Happy Stampers March Watercolor Challenge: Anything goes

Thank you

 I just love peonies. Technically they are not really spring flowers, but I can observe their tentative efforts as they are starting to emerge.

This is a Thank you card - very approriate also for Mother's Day (unless I have some other uses for it before that - we'll see).

I made used Distress inks for the colors. The background is a medley of Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire with some drops of Broken China.

The flower was colored in with Victorian Velvet and Picked Raspberry. (It was stamped and colored separately, then fussy cut and glued onto the stamped blue base.

The stems and leaves were brushed over with Frayed Burlap - which had turned bright green in the bottle!

 I am entering this into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge: #666 AG - I go with the option of Distress

Country View Challenge: Mother's Day

Everybody Art Challenge: 509 B - für Blume

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Bit o' Green

Stamping Sensations: Something for Spring