On the farm / 100 days

 Today marks the 100th day of my private and unannounced challenge. After a break of two years from card making I wanted to challenge myself

* to make a card every day for 100 days 

* to use everything I had

* not to be precious about anything: all papers, all rub-ons, all toppers and ephemera were fair game and there to be used

 I had blogged my cards until September 2024. Then came the time we tried to sell our house and all signs of private life had to be packed away. This took a while. Then came the move, after which I was left with no craft room and had to fit a desk into my bedroom. I had to let go of a lot of papers and ephemera, I no longer could fit them. (And technically I should change the blog name: we live in a blue house now...)

In May this year I was sufficiently rested - and organized - to take up card making again. May 31st marks the first day of this 100 day challenge. What I learned about myself: I need ideas from outside to be able to make cards, be they prompts, pictures, layouts, tic-tac-toes, anything to get my 'cerebral juices flowing' (did Sherlock Holmes say that?). I took pleasure on combining three to five challenge prompts into one card. I applaud all challenge teams, you do a terrific job! Without your ongoing dedication to your challenge this hobby would be so much less. Thank you all!

I used a lot of my supplies, mostly dies, markers, watercolors and perhaps 10% of my stamps. This last week was tough. I had the feeling I had exhausted my supply of ideas. Making a card felt like walking in muddy boots, they want to hold you back.

As the fall season is beginning I won't be able to spend so much time at my craft desk. So no daily blog posts! But I will still make cards. My challenge now is to use more rub-ons in my card making (even though it feels a bit like cheating - I don't know why?), use more stamps and paints and try to experiment more.

It is time to present the card of the day and the challenges that led my way. 

I got inspired by a color and the prompt to make something farm related. Additionally I wanted to use die cuts. I gathered my supplies: a stamp set of farm animals and floral die cuts. I also used markers and, contrary to the photo, a ready sentiment.

After I had cut the center off a print (which I used here) I was left over with floral designs in delicious tones of brown. I decided to die cut them out, to be used in some future date. These came in handy today!

I played with a few arrangements for the flowers and finally settled on  a linear one. I stamped three sheep, colored them in with markers and fussy cut them. I then placed them behind the (raised) flowers. They seem to be delightfully grazing in a flower field.

Entering this in these challenges that I was inspired by today:

Colorful Options: September Rusty brown I am using Option 2, Warm earth tones

 

Little Red Wagon: #874 Hayloft

FarmQuest General Store: #42 Anything farm related

Just Us Girls: #839 Die week

 

Crafting from the Art: AG August 

 

 

 

Let's celebrate

 A card for a bird watcher's and wildlife enthusiast's big birthday? For someone who has set her eyes to Green Feathers' garden wildlife camera? Again several challenges aligned beautifully and inspired me in my card-making. 

The supplies I needed: two embossing folders, markers, linen twine and shiny diamante dots.

I started by embossing the background with the folder of small feathers. I then did a partial embossing and selected one leaf of the other folder as my starting point for the big feather. I first colored it in with markers. The three pictured were not enough, to get the right blends I grabbed some yellows as well. I then cut it in shape and curled it up a bit and added a bit of pearlescent finish.

I used the twine to make a small festive bow and added copious amounts of glittery stones. It's my favorite embellishment, yet I don't use it very often for fear of the card appearing tacky. Here the effect was very festive and even overrides the rustic vibe of that linen bow. (I had no ribbon in that color and I wanted to keep it monochrome.)

 

 Entering this in the inspiring challenges that I am implementing today:

Colorful Options: August

Double D: Feathers

 

CYHTP: AG with twist of Tie It Up - I am playing with the Twist

Passion For Markers: #849 Use your favorite embellishments - Mine are diamante pearly stones

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Monochrome

Paper Funday: #90 AG August 

 

From all of us

 Today's inspiration came from color challenges asking for red-white-blue. This is not my usual comfort zone so working with these colors gave me an extra challenge.

I started by pulling out my supplies: a floral die set, colors and a background stamp and a sentiment stamp.

 

I stamped the background with Versafine light blue directly to the card base. Then I die cut and assembled the flower and painted it. The sentiment reads " Best Wishes from all of us".

 

I am entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Daisy Chain: #109 Birthday  

Give a Crafter a Cookie: GCC#218 Yummy red, white and blue 

 

Colorful Options: July challenge

 

Pinspirational: July red, white and blue 

 

  

Garden faerie

Today I was inspired by three topics (spread across five challenges). Out came the supplies: a recently purchased stamp set, a torn edge background die and a stencil. And the colors of course: Oxide in salvaged patina for the background (it is such a cheerful blue-green hue) and various browns and blues for the image.

 

I stenciled the background, stamped and colored the image and cut the background. The text reads: "Fairy dust".

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges that inspired me today.

Colorful options: June 2026 Color palette

 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Things with wings

TIOT: In the garden - there lives a faerie

Stencil Fun: anything with a stencil, butterfly optional - going with AG, 2nd entry

Make My Monday: #280 Use a stencil 

Tea for two

 When I sit down to my desk I never know what I am going to make. Today I was playing with three prompts in my mind: romance - pink - heart.

Tea can be a very romantic moment, perhaps early on when you are just getting to know each other. A passing moment, no-committal but getting more intimate when tea is being served, discussion becoming more animated. Fine porcelain cups and a nicely thrown pot underline the ambience.

 

These thoughts formed my starting point. To get to the finished card I selected suitable gelli printed papers and used those for background and the tea service, stamped some ethereal dog rose for the background and hand lettered the sentiment ("tea for two").

I am entering it into these challenges that inspired me today:

We Love Stamping: Romance (or AG)

Colourful Options: Pink

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge: Hearts 

The Flower Challenge: #88 Add a heart

Addicted to Stamps and More: #461 Make your mark

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.

La Vie Parisienne

 I am exited over challenges that go well together. This was the perfect time to use my Katzelkraft, a French company, stamp set of weird, beautiful human-like animals and combine it with PaperArtsy ticket and TH collage paper.

The color scheme blue, red and white goes with the Parisian theme. I raised part of the card to create a window effect.

Entering this into the two challenges that inspired this:

Die Traumfabrik: #117 The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity: #170 Red, white and blue

Colorful Options Challenge: Red, white and blue 

Mix-it Up Challenge: #66 AG / option Aperture - I chose this option. Apertures are great when creating dimension.

Thank you for your visit!