Curious kitties

Inspired by a challenge, today's card features some cute and curious kitties. I have had these stamps for a couple of years now, bought probably at FB marketplace, if it is not a charity shop find. I would love to know its brand or maker, as I suspect they would have more stamps with this degree of cuteness.

There is a tic-tac-toe challenge that gave me the idea and framework for this. I pulled out a stencil, an ink smudged piece of background and a die set. 

First I stenciled DO Stormy Sky onto the base. The effect is not too busy, which lets the kitties stand out. Then I die cut a couple of stems and sprayed them a bit with white ink.

The kitties were colored in with markers. Also showing the usage of snippets: the small piece of cardstock was used up completely for the kitties.

 

Lastly I wove a piece of twine from one stem to another. This card has no sentiment - yet. I had several on offer, but I'd like to find the perfect occasion for sending it and then find the sentiment to match.

 

Entering this in these great challenges that led my way today:

Alphabet Challenge: K is for kittens

Retro Rubber Challenge: #281 Fallish Tic-Tac-Toe My row is on top: ribbon/twine - stencil - die cut

 

 I Love Promarkers: #615 Animals

Stencil Fun: September Ag/ yellow optional - I am playing with AG

Snippets Playground: AG

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Make your own background 

Fiddling to get it right

 I usually have a firm idea for the card in my mind, and after gathering the supplies I take a photo of them, before cutting in. Well, today was no different. Inspired by several challenges I selected these.

I was so sure the green background, enhanced by white stenciling, would work. But it did not. The green and white had too much contrast in regards to the delicate butterflies. (The circles are in the next picture under the butterflies.)

So a frantic search for a more suitable background started. The choice fell on two.

 

Luckily the first choice worked. I stenciled the flower pattern over the handwriting with Lunar Paste in silver, then cut out the circles. The background had been prepared earlier: the lantern stencil was applied three times with white chalk paste. Now it was dry and I could work in some yellow oxide (Antique Linen) over it.

 

I then glued the circles over the previously stenciled circles and finally adhered the butterflies. The sentiment was stamped directly to the card base and it reads: Enjoy your day.

 

Entering this in the challenges that were my inspiration today:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Going around in circles 

CAS Mix Up: Stenciling over patterned paper

 

Alphabet Challenge: I is for Insects

 Unicorn Challenge: #123 Layer it Up

Krafty Chicks: #834 CAS

Love Those Pretty Papers: ATG/ Look to the Skies optional - I am playing with ATG 

On gardening

My firm belief is that gardening teaches you to believe in yourself and your abilities. Sure something might go wrong, and frequently does, but that's how you learn. Learn to water more, or water less, give some plants a richer soil and poorer for some. Learn which plants thrive next to each other and which ones waste away.

Well, enough said I think. There are several challenges that offer a garden related theme, and as I needed an encouragement card for someone, I found this an excellent opportunity to give my gardening stamps an outing.

Gingham makes a gardening scene look so wholesome, don't you think? I figured I could make a gingham with my diagonal strip stamps. I used a shimmery pink ink for that. After that I die cut the background using one of the whimsical rectangle dies.

I then stamped and die cut the flower pots and the watering can and placed them roughly where they should be. I stamped the flowers so that they would sit just underneath the pot rims and then attached the pots with foam tape.  Lastly I gave the flowers big blotches of ink (oxide), just to break the orderliness created by the other elements. The sentiment is from a TH sentiment pad.

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Alphabet Challenge: H is for Horticulture

Simply Clean and Simple: #scas August AG, optional Nature - I am playing with this option

Just Add Ink: #792 Choose Two (or more) - I chose gingham and flowers

 

Inkspirational: #374 Word prompt: Garden

Ellibelle's Garden Challenge: #18 Anything in or from a garden 

 

 

 

Birthday bouquet

 I haven't done flowers for a while - or so it seems. Actually, the last couple have included flowers, but they weren't the focal point, just a supporting character. Today I went full in with a new old stamp set - one I bought two years ago and haven't broken it out yet.

These were the supplies. I am making a further small dent into my sizable card stock hoard. I found an exact match for a challenge inspiration photo. (Such a lovely color combo, btw!) Also on the table my Gansai Tambi watercolors and a background die. 

 

I started with cutting the top half of an arch with the die, then added a straight piece underneath. I stamped the wildflower bouquet and clear embossed it for easier water coloring. Afterwards I fussy cut it out and placed it into the arch. It is raised with foam adhesive strips. The sentiment reads "More wonderful with each passing year".

 

I am entering this in the following challenges that were my inspiration today:

Sunday Stamps: #ssc390 Garden grandeur 

 

Alphabet challenge: F is for festivities - my card is for a birthday 

Simon Says Wednesday challenge: Fabulous Florals 

We Love 2 Create: #7 open challenge 

Creative Artiste Mixed Media: #128 Anything mixed media 

Hello friend

 Again I got inspired by a couple of challenges and wanted to see if I could combine them to a pleasing whole. Male greeting cards are difficult for me, I admit, but one does need them in one's stash.

This is what I worked with today: a stamp set (whose wrapper is long gone so I have no idea of its maker), but where the animals have beautiful patterns, alcohol markers, card stock in various colors, hexagon dies and 'dusky violet' embossing powder.

 

I stamped the bird, embossed it with purple (which turned out surprisingly dark despite its name) and colored the pattern it in with markers. Then I die cut two hexagons and laid them topsy-turvy over each other and placed the bird on them. I then stamped the sentiment and embossed it as well. At this point the card didn't seem quite finished so I brought on three enamel dots.

 

 

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today:

Alphabet Challenge: E is for embossing (wet or dry) - I went with heat embossing (which is wet?)

CAS Colours and Sketches: #588 Colors

 

Addicted to CAS: #311 Code word: Pattern - I used a bird stamp with a pattern

 

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #826 Masculine

Two adventurous fish

 After 'three of something' there is now a challenge with 'two of something' - how fun. I paired it with a sketch and got ideas for it via two other challenges.

 

But first,  I pulled out the fun stuff I thought I would need: two embossing folders, dies, stamps and gelli printed and ink smushed paper in suitable colors. I sketched the outlines of the wavy pieces, then tore them. The sun was die cut. The fish were first stamped with pale blue an a pink gelli print, then stamped again with grey and when that didn't look good enough and it was still wet, I sprinkled some clear embossing powder on them and heat embossed.

 

The bottom blue layer was dry embossed with a seaweed kind of pattern - not that you can really tell. (It is Weeping Willow by Creative Expressions.) The 'sky' part was embossed with a ray pattern.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

Freshly Made Sketches: #740  

Cardz 4 Gyuz: #386 Squash it 

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Fish / Sea creatures 

The Alphabet Challenge: D is for Double 

And because this was the first time using the seaweed dies, I am showing this in the

NBUS: # 87 June

To Dad Dearest

 I find it extremely difficult to make masculine cards, even Father's day cards. Now I got asked to make a card for a dad and I think I found the perfect recipe which I cobbled together via some challenges.

Take masculine colors, some patterned paper, a fun character and a sentiment. Add some coloring and die cutting.

 

I gathered my supplies, colored and patterned papers, a die cut and a stamp. The die cut circles background is by a lesser known Danish brand"Design 5" (very fun in my opinion). I added the sentiment behind some of the larger circles. For this I used a slimline alphabet stamp by Hero Arts.

 

Entering this into the challenges that inspired me today:

Festive Friday: FF#0211 - I used "Masculine colors - patterned paper - Father's Day sentiment"

 

TGIFC: #580 Color challenge    

 

 

 Just Add Ink: #787 Use Two or More - I selected patterned paper and Animals from the list

 

 

 

 

 

 Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Masculine

Alphabet Challenge: C is for circles 

 

"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

Cherries

 A good friend of mine was born at cherry time. Or, at the time when the cherries used to ripen; now they are ripe much earlier (courtesy of global warming). So "of course" there needed to be cherries on her birthday card.

Good fruit and berry stamps are hard to find. I am not keen on juvenile berries, those are galore... I am looking for more naturalistic looking fruit and berries and finally found a good one. (Hero Arts' Layered cherries)

I started by color blending the entire background.

Then I stamped a bit of noise, barely visible.

Lastly I stamped some leaves in one of the background colors and adhered the cherries as the focal point. The cherries - my goodness did some work go into them. Color layering means you get to stamp it four times instead of just two. The bottom layer was stamped with dark green and brown Versafine pigment ink, then embossed with clear embossing powder. Then came the second layer of stamping, this was done in Oxides. The cherries received one more layer with patches of red and pink embossing powders.

Entering this in:

A Blog Named Hero: Smooth

Stamping Sensations: June challenge bright and colorful

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Emboss it

Alphabet Challenge: F is for fruit

 As You Like It: With or without words (and why) - the type of card I am making (semi-clean) does somehow need a text to look complete. I suppose with mixed media cards I wouldn't do it. But yes, my cards are with words so they already spell out the occasion and I can concentrate on writing something personal on the inside.

And because this was the first time using these two stamps I am showing it in NBUS (Never before used schtuff) #63

Here's to you!

 A new year and #newbeginnings. To celebrate the event, I gathered festive pinks and reds and ventured into new territory myself. 

The background has a wax imprint, made with some wax paper and an embossing folder. The imprint needed to be ironed so the wax can melt - this makes the pattern transfer into the paper. When I colored the background with distress oxides - Picked raspberry and Festive berries - wax resisted the color and a pattern was created. There's an old Youtube video on the technique, I will link it when I find it again.

 

That of course created a lovely texture on the paper - the wax imprint is never 1-on-1 with the embossing folder, as the wax paper will crease and those creases will imprint themselves onto the card base.

A huge bouguet of die cuts, mostly gelliprints, and a wax seal round up the design.

Entering it into these challenges that inspired me:

Creative Crafting Uncles Challenge: #48 Christmas / New Year

Tuesday Morning Sketches: #737 Annual AG

Crafty Chicks: #696 All occasions

Alphabet Challenge: T is for texture 

 

Thank you for your visit and see you again in 2024!

Just snippets

 With just how little can you make a card? My previous cards have been very labor and material intensive, it was time to try to make one with less.

A couple of challenge are very inspiring in this, the Snippets challenge and a CAS challenge. There were others, too, that I took cues from. Here is what I started with,  some gelli print remnants and a washi tape. I also wanted to use my minimal star die, it only punctures dots onto the base.

And here is what it became:

Entering it in the challenges that inspired me today:

A Place to Start: AG/ option New - I played with that option

Snippets playground: #469 December challenge

Alphabet Challenge: S is for Stars

AAA Challenge: #255 sketch - it's cold

Double Trouble partnering with Use Your Stuff #481: Challenge #155 - I am entering all three categories: die cut -check, washi tape -check, Double Dare -check.

Autumn

Autumn is all about produce. I love roaming through fields and forests and amidst the brown leaves and bare branches there is a red highlight: the rosehips. I was overjoyed to find this stamp, a recent PaperArtsy release.

I started with a misty, layered background. I used two stencils, and colored the card in with Victorian Velvet and Pumice Stone DO's using copious amounts of water.

I colored the berries in with watersoluble crayons and added some washi and light stamping for added 'noise'. 

Entering it into these lovely challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Stencil Fun

TioT: Autumn

Alphabet Challenge: N is for Nature

Thank you for your visit!

Life is wonderful, says the cat

 There are a few challenges again that collide in the nicest possible way and provide a lot of inspiration. The basic idea for the card comes from a tic-tac-toe row of die-cut / stencil / own choice (=stamping). Now when it came to the die cut I remembered another challenge which wants to see four-legged friends (my choice is a cat). And because Humor is always high on my list I chose to stamp fish and a sentiment that gives a humorous spun to the card.

Both the sentiment stamp and the fish stamps were purchases from two years ago. The speech bubbles are much older. When you add up everything this is what I got:

The text reads "Life is wonderful".

Entering this in:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #211 Tic-Tac-Toes! - I selected diagonal "your choice - die cut - stencil"

Friendship Challenge: #89 Tiere / Animals

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Four legged friends

The Alphabet Challenge: H is for Humour 

Addicted to Stamps and more: #450 Die cuts and/or stencils- I used both

A greeting card for winter

 There is something very reassuring about the shape of snowflakes. And as many of you may already know, I like to take cues from challenges. Right now there are quite a number suggesting the use of snowflakes. I like making winter themed greeting cards.

I started with this sketch by CAS Colours and sketches. It intrigued me, because you have to follow the layout as well as colors.

I turned the sketch sideways, reaching from top to bottom instead of left to right. 

I used the colors, too.  The text says "Wishing you a magical winter".

I am entering this into these challenges:

CAS Colours ans Sketches: #498 Double

Perfectly CAS: #33 Snowflakes

Basteltraum: #119 Schneeflocken / Snowflakes 

CAS on Friday: #245 Greeting Card

Alphabet Challenge: R is for Reduce

Thank you for stopping by!

With a touch of gold

Today I am showing a clean and simple card, although I should add that it is not CAS since it's not predominantly empty. (Which I believe is the official requirement.)

I made the background by painting it partially along the right side with a very diluted distress ink. Then I stamped two flowers (Wendy Vecchi), watercolored and fussy cut them. Next came the 'happy birthday' wish, the letters for which I die cut from a gold paper. I adhered them to vellum and pinned it down first, then adhered the flowers so that they sit partially on top and hold that vellum in place.

 entering in:

Use your Stuff: #448 A touch of gold

Card4Gals: Sentiment as focal point

Alphabet Challenge: D is for die-cuts

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes 

Stamping Sensations: AG/ option fauna or flora - entering with the flower option

A restricted color palette

 I find using a restricted color palette very challenging. So of course I had to challenge myself!

I started by stamping the Stampers Anonymous Glorious Bouquet onto a card base. The stamp is extremely large, there is some overhang that simply didn't fit in.

I then colored it in with two colors only: Shaded Lilac and Iced Spruce. I have them as refills, it's perfect for watercoloring technique. I filled in the flowers in the center only, leaving the ones along the edges uncolored.

Lastly I matted it with dark forest green, added Glossy Accents on the leaves - which sadly don't show very well in the photo, but it adds such a nice detail.

I am entering this in:

The Alphabet Challenge: B is for Blooms

Inkspirational Challenge: #263 Watercolor    

Color Hues, the color challnge: #39 Purple and Green 

Seize the Birthday: #236 Signs of spring 

The Flower Challenge: #67 Add a heart