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

The magic of Christmas

 The dark season is upon us up in the north. Which makes me gravitate towards moody colors. I was overjoyed to see several challenges offer themes that would inspire me for creating cards that fit the mood and the season.

I stenciled little tiny dots with a glittery paint. It is a wonderful paint, it comes on white but dries as just a glorious heap of glittery gold.

For the big stars I used a new to me die which I cut twice but only used the center star from the other dies cut. The stars all have glossy accents on top.

The words have iridescent embossing powder on them ("Psychedelic transparent" by StampingUp) and it reads 'it's the time of Christmas magic' (roughly translated).

 

I am entering this in the following challenges that inspired me:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Stencil it

Cardz 4 Gals: #186 Use a stencil

As You Like It Challenge: Favorite non-traditional Christmas color combo and why: Brown on black catches the mood of darkness that we experience here in Scandinavia, and I like it for it's quiet elegance.

Moving Along with the Times: #148 Bright on Dark

Beyond the Blue: #74 Gold 

NBUS challenge: #44 : The die and iridescent enamel were today used for the first time.

Birthday wishes in blue

My favorite technique would be stamping and lately I have been acquiring a couple of new Oxide inks. So I paired those two and made a birthday card to a dear friend.

The stamp is an old one from Stampendous, the oxides are Uncharted mariner, Salty ocean and Salvaged patina. The droplets were made with that as well, the center is Spice marmalade.

 

Entering in:

AAA Birthday Challenge: #42 Favorite technique

Seize the Birthday: AG / Clean and Simple

Cardz4Gals: #82 Shades of Blue

Dream Valley Challenges: #279 Favorite Colors

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes