Lavender's blue, lavender's green

I found some challenges again that called my name. Especially there was a sketch challenge that I wanted to try. To that I wanted to add 'inspired by a song'.

I have slowly collected Japanese stamps and thought this would be a perfect occasion for them. This is what I pulled out:

I had a song in mind, old English folk song "Lavender blue", which is is also a nursery rhyme. Luckily I had a stamp with lavender.

I worked according to the sketch, but turned it sideways. I used grey ink for stamping, I wanted the result to be delicate and dreamy. I stamped the stem of lavender as is, but had to isolate the stems I wanted to use in the oblong Japanese stamps. I selected the Kanji characters 'imagine' and 'beauty' as my text. 

Then I used a large brush and added watercolor in blobs to the stamped flowers.

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches: #593 Sketch challenge 

A Place to Start: #202609 AG/ relates to a song - My song is Lavender blue

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Stamp it

Love to Craft:  #94 AG

Polkadoodles: #9 week 1 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 

Merry Christmas to 'ewe'

 Today's inspiration came from many sources: a sketch, prompts for Christmas in July and animals. And my new sheep (ewe) stamp. 

 

I gathered the supplies, having the vague idea of using the stars and the designer paper in my card. I later ditched that idea and settled for the baubles instead. I fell in love with this ewe stamp, it lends itself to marker coloring really well.

 

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

 CAS Colours and Sketches: #589 Sketch

 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Four-legged friends

Passion for Markers: #845 Animals 

Crafty Chicks: #828 Christmas 

 

Sweet Stamping: Christmas in July  

 

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

Something CAS

The starting point for today's card was a sketch. I had the hardest time interpreting it in a way that felt like "me".  Second inspiration came from a challenge that wanted to see only one other color with black and white. I toyed with pink, but that didn't sit well with my chosen bird stamp. The idea to use the bird came from the prompts "Let's go" and "Look up in sky". The sky is huge where I live and I enjoy watching birds fly.

Here is the result, this is how my brainwaves chose to work with these limitations.

 

Entering it in the challenges that inspired me:

CAS Colours and Sketches: #516 sketch

Fab' n Funky Challenge: #577 Monochrome with a pop

TGIF Challenge: #tgifc430 Let's go

Cut It Up: #282 Look up in sky

Critter Crazy: #76 AG with a featured critter

Rainbow leaves

 Today I took inspiration from a couple of challenges and created a rainbow card. Something I have never done before. As nice as a rainbow of colors looks on other people's cards I have never really taken to it. But there's a first for everything and a lot to be said for challenging yourself!

Here is the process. I was considering using a sticker for greeting, but in the end they were too big, even the smaller ones, so I wrote my own.

And the finished card:

Entering this into the challenges that inspired me:

Addicted to CAS: #240 Rainbow colors

Sparkles Forum Challenges: #165 No stamping allowed

Happy Little Stampers Die Challenge: AG with dies

CAS Colors and Sketches: #514 sketch 

Thank you for your visit!