Catching butterflies

Several challenges caught my attention today. It all started with a color palette and the word prompts gave me all the ideas.

This is what I pulled out: a critter stamp, a butterfly stamp, a watercolored background that was left over from a project long ago and my GT watercolors. I really like to use watercolors, as they can be used opaque or transparent.

 

I cut the background to size, then, instaed of matting it just edged it with black ink. I stamped the butterflies, colored a few of them in and fussy cut them. Then I stamped the critter and the net and colored them in, too. I mounted the critter with a foam strip and arranged the butterflies around him. The sentiment reads: Hi, how are you doing?

 

Entering this in these wonderful challenges:

Color Dare: #715 palette - for neutrals I used black and brown

 

Simon Says Wednesday: Summertime blues

As You Like It: Favorite coloring medium - and why Mine is GT watercolors, they go on from transparent to opaque

Avenue 613: AG/ optional twist Playtime - I am playing with this option

 

Creative Friday: #418 Querformat / Landscape format

Critter Crazy: #113 AG

Daisy Chain Challenge: #110 Animals

PIP: #2632 AG 

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 

CAS for Christmas

 Today's card turned out rather clean and simple despite the many challenges I was inspired by: colors, layout, shape.

I thought I would need these supplies. The golden rick rack is just a pesky little piece that has been hanging around since I got it (three years ago). Today would be the day to finally use it!

 

I shaped the card by partial die cutting with the largest circle die. There was a lot of fiddling involved to get the overlay to fit, but on the second try it did. The layout challenge had given me the idea to punch 8 decorative stripes into the card front and place the golden stars above it.

The sentiment was stamped and then embossed with gold.

And that rick rack found its place, too. 

 

Entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

Heart Quest Shaped Cards and Tags: hqscat #18 any shape

Color Hues Challenge: #TCH136 Cream and Gold 

 

Just Add Ink: #789 sketch 

 

Avenue 613: AG w/a twist: Any holiday - I am playing with this option 

 

Nachteulen / Night Owls:  NSS#62 alles ist möglich

 

Wishing you a magical time

 Bird watching is an earnest hobby which my hubby practices. It means plenty of me-time alone in the forests and mountains. 

For his card I gathered the supplies: a stamp (wren), dies of fir trees and a sheet of hand made green paper that I have had for years but never knew what I could use it for. Today it finally found its place in this card, it brought the perfect rustic touch that I was looking for.

 

I am entering the card into these challenges:

We love Stamping: Sports and Hobbies

The Paper Players: #789 Masculine 

The Male Room: #211 The Outdoors 

613 Avenue Create: AG w/ twist of Craft or hobby - I am going with this twist

Dragonfly Dreams: Masculine 

 

Just because...

 Today several challenges aligned beautifully and I was able to use them as my inspiration for a 'Just because' card for a friend.

I started with black gesso and applied it through a reversed stencil. Reversed, because it had words which I didn't want to be readable. Next I sprayed the whole background with two colors. They had a fine mist, so the background became rather evenly colored, not wildly splattered.

I then stamped some flowers and colored them in with my Ecoline markers. (So good! The have great coverage without the penetrant smell of alcohol markers, and they are blendable.) I really liked the grid idea of a challenge and wanted to use it.

 

So then, several hours later... I hope my friend likes this happy mail she's about to receive.

 

Entering this in the challenged that made this possible:

Stencil Fun: May AG/ See-thru optional. I enter with AG

Double D: Splatter challenge 

TGIF: #578 Inspiration challenge - I used the grid 

Beautiful Blossoms: #41 / AG, Moodboard optional. I didn't use the moodboard. 

613 Avenue Create: May AG, 'May flowers' optional. I went with that option. 

Thinking of spring

 I don't know about you, but for me Spring can't come fast enough. It has been an especially dark and snowy winter here in the far North. Now that the snow has started melting it freezes in the night and we have to mind our steps walking on mirrored icy surfaces.

So no wonder I turned towards brighter colors and happier thoughts.

The background was done with a stencil (which I used for the first time, thus making this a NBUS, "never before used schtuff"). I used Distress oxides, for the small openings I dabbed them in with a water brush.

The rabbit was stamped and then colored, and there is no sentiment because the text is inside.

I am entering this card into these fitting challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Fur or feathers - Fur!

Stamping Sensations: Spring

613 Avenue Create: March AG / twist of pearls or diamonds - I am entering without the twist

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG

NBUS: March

Thank you for your visit!

For you

 A love letter - who wouldn't like that?

In my card a little bird is carrying a love letter to a happy recipient. The text reads "for you".

 

I made the background with ink smooshing, added a diecut collection of hearts and the stamped bird, typewriter and a letter. (All separate stamps.)

Entering it in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

TGIF: #tgifc458 Color challenge 

613 Avenue Create: AG w/ twist Love letter - I went with the twist

Stamping Sensations: Animals, birds and creatures

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: AG (2nd entry)

 

Thank you for your visit and comments (if so inclined).

Gnome greetings

When you have a good idea you better make the most of it. Yesterday I made a magical Christmas card, today I needed a male greeting card - so I thought: what if I used the same idea, but changed up things a bit?

Here's what I changed. Instead of the ballerina cat I stamped a friendly figure which I then dressed up to be a Christmas gnome. Instead of using a stencil for falling snow I used an embossing folder with fir boughs. Instead of stamping the sentiment I hand wrote it.

What stayed the same: The general layout and the use of greenery.

I used my markers to color everything, and the metallic dots are both silver and gold. I love to use mixed metals in my work whenever possible.

Entering in these challenges that served as my inspiration and guideline:

613 Avenue Create: AG/ twist: any winter holiday - I go with this option

Aud Sentiments Challenge: Winter/New Year + embossing folder

Cardz 4 Gyuz: Elves or gnomes

Colorful Options: Silver and gold

Passion for Markers: #719 Add a sentiment 

Girlz Make Guyz Cards: AG male card (alles mag mannenkaart)

Thank you for your visit! If you take time to comment, please know that I appreciate it very much and love hearing from you.

Have a lovely birthday

A floral fabric served as an inspiration for this bold and colorful birthday card. The flowers are cut from paint samples - I love them for their uniform coloring and somewhat glossy finish. The large sentiment has been stamped with white and then embossed with a white embossing powder.

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today:

AAA Birthday Cards: Game #55, Large sentiment

613 Avenue Create: AG/ Optional: Wet/dry embossing - I chose wet embossing

Cards4 Gals: #212 Embossing wet or dry

Time Out Challenges: #251 Photo inspiration

and the living is easy...

 I needed these couple of challenges to snatch me out of my comfort zone. Firstly, I seldom do brights, and secondly, I don't like beach life.

But - that was exactly what was called for. I pulled out my old stamp of a rather bored looking mouse type character. I have had it for ages but actually not used it on greeting cards yet. (On ATC's, yes.) Her neck was too long for my taste so I shortened it drastically. Also drew a new arm so she could hold an ice cream cone.

 

The background was ink blended first (squeezed lemon, twisted citron, salvaged patina) and then sprayed with mica through a stencil. Even though the stencil shows foliage, the result on the card reads water.

I then selected bright summery shades of yellow, orange and hot pink for everything else. (The text reads: Happy times.)

Entering in to the challenges that served as my muse:

Simon Says Wednesday challenge: Lots of layers (I have three)

StencilFun Challenge: use stencil, Optional: layered stencil. - I used only one.

Double Trouble: #140 On a warm summer's day - I am entering with all 3 TWISTS

Color My Heart ColorDare Challenge: #552 - entering in the DT partner challenge as well

Make my Monday: 202 Summer theme

Avenue 613: AG or "Good Old Summertime" - I went with that

Thank you for your visit!

Hey Courageous!

This industrial style card has loads of grungy texture. First, there is the embossed background. It's done on a antique gold cardstock which I then messed up with black acrylics.

The letters were die cut from canvas. I then painted them black, applied some bronze and green, and to top it off, black mica flakes.

Lastly I applied industrial style brads, a TH token 'Courageous' and a real rusty washer. And I call it finished.

 Entering it in:

Frilly and Funkie: Industrial/ grunge

Can You Handle the Pressure: AG Embossing / Twist: use green - technically I used green here, but as it's not showing, let's go without the Twist option

Mixed media Lovers: #12

613 Avenue. AG /twist April showers - I didn't use the twist

Simon says Wednesday Challenge: AG

Long shadows

 The nearing holiday time has started to cast long shadows. The pace of life has accelerated and there is nearly no time for crafting. There is less light, too,  darkness descends early.

I wanted to make a card reflecting this time of year. It is dark, yet even the smallest light gives hope. My card is dark, very dark, but it is a friendly card.

 

The plant dies are used sideways as to create the impression of trees. They were cut twice, once from orange paper and once from black. Also the fox has been cut twice, once full from white paper and then partially from black paper. 

I outlined and highlighted the fox and the branches with a grey acrylics, which I partly wiped off. Then I wrote the text and then fussy-cut.

The lantern was stamped on orange paper and cut out. Dies and the stamp are by Simply Graphic, a French company. They have delightful dies and stamps.

Entering my card in the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create: #11 Anything goes (without the twist)

Color my Heart challenge: #471-use b/w/grey+one color

 Allsorts challenge: #652 Use hand stamped or digital image

MMM challenge: AG with optional black Yes! I used this option!

SimonSaysStamp Wednesday: Anything goes 

Surround yourself with happy

 Today I played tic-tac-toe and gave some much-needed love to my old stamps. 

These circles are by Rubber Dance and were purchased as a set about four, possibly even five years ago. I used them a lot in the beginning, but lost sight of them lately. 

The bird stamp is by Above the Mark, and was one of my first stamps back in 2008. Even the green bough stamp is truly a vintage one from around the same time.

 

Entering in:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #rrcb 168 Tic-tac-toe - my row was "one word sentiment - green - circles", but works equally well in " circles - foliage - something that flies"

 Stamping Sensations: Animals, birds and bugs

613 Aveunue Create: #11 Anything goes

Let's Create: AG+ things with wings

Summer turning fall

 Sometimes you just feel like doing everything from scratch: the colored papers, drawing instead of stamping, fussy cutting instead of sizzixing... etc.

This card started with acrylic paints (an underused category of my crafting stash).

My initial idea was to match a color palette in the current 613Avenue challenge, this:

I doodled some shapes and cut them out. So far so good.

But my palette just didn't feel complete without green. (Sorry, you lovely folks at 613 Avenue, I tried! ) The green is a blend of several Distress oxides whose names I do not recall now. I then flicked black and white paint on everything.
 

I made the frame by cutting board with the help of scissor work, then I 'stitched' the edges by a rotary wheel of a sort (tracing wheel for home sewers). I popped a piece of vellum into the center and adhered a sentiment (7Arts Studio).

Entering this in:

Simon Says Wednesday challenge: Add a sentiment

Try it on Tuesday: Summer blooms - it's still summer although my colors remind of the nearing fall.

613 Avenue Challenge: #8 AG or the flavors of fall - I guess this falls into the AG section now...

A floral profusion

I recently came across a nifty technique where you color in a floral printed tissue paper (Youtube link in case you are interested). The link uses Tim Holtz Botanical tissue, but I wanted to make my own instead. I used several floral and background stamps, then colored the tissue in with my watercolor set and Distress oxides.

I made it into a card.

clicks for larger

Entering this in:

Allsorts Challenge: 633/4 Feminine / For a Lady

Sweet Stamping: Create your own background 

613 Avenue Create: Anything goes/ opt. Watercolor 

Double D Challenge: Colors of summer