Happy to you

 I could not believe it. It has been a couple of years since I bought this beautiful die set - and have not once used it. Today a challenge made me think of it and I packed it out. The colors were inspired by another challenge. I used small paper paint chips, too - always a win as I have too many stashed up.

 

This is a birthday card.

 

I am entering this in these inspirational challenges: 

Time Out: #316 Inspiration photo - I was inspired by the open geometric structure

 

Seize the Birthday: #329 Blue, pink and yellow

Snippets Playground: #535 

I am also entering in these AG challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations: #638

 

Paper Rock Scissors: #17 

Hip hip hooray

A girlfriend will celebrate her umpteenth birthday in a few weeks. We use the word umpteenth for anything over 65 - the exact number of years has ceased to matter, but milestones are to be celebrated nevertheless.

 

I drew inspiration from challenges that play well together. One of them is a speed challenge, so I grabbed items that were already there like one of the embossed backgrounds from yesterday. This time I colored it in with a tool and it worked much better. I also simplified the procedure using already cut or printed supplies. The tulip is the only one that took time - first stamping in three colors, then fussy cutting it. ETA: All in all, I was slightly over the time limit with 10 min 2 sec.

 

Entering this in these serendipitous challenges:

 As You See It: #373 Full tilt tulips

Cupcake Inspirations: #637 Peaches and cream

Can You Handle the Pressure: AG dry embossed / embellishments optional. I used dew drops

Lost Coast Challenge: # 210 Fruit, flower and foliage

Dinosaur greetings

 I needed a card for a boy and immediately thought of my dinosaur stamp. I followed a couple of challenges for inspiration, I think it is more fun that way.

 

I started by stamping the dinosaur directly onto the card base. Then I masked it and added background through two stencils. I recently got a selection of candy heart dies - "you rock" seemed to hit the vibe nicely.

Entering this into the challenges that inspired me:

Cupcake Challenge: #588 Dinosaurs  

Stamping Sensations: Animals, birds and creatures.

The Male Room: #183 Valentine / Use a heart

Stencil Fun: Love /Hearts

The Paper Players: PP678 Sketch

A Christmas song

Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer in the late 19th and early the 20th c. His symphonies are still played, but his Christmas song "Jo joutuu ilta" (translated into: Over hill and dale) remains less known. I managed to find a rather recent recording (here) of this beautiful but rather mournful song. This is as traditional Finnish style Christmas as it can get, a song about the darkness, snow and quietness, sung in a minor key.

That song was my starting point for this card, which I combined with some other ideas. The background is a gelli print with TH fir trees stencil. I also cut some fir trees from the same dark blue paper than my edging, and added golden stars. The name of the song is printed on a gold paper and used as text.

Entering this into challenges that inspired me in its creation:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Trees

Cupcake Challenge: #583 Color inspiration Blue-White-Gold 

TioT: Traditional Christmas

Use Your Stuff: #480 Shine bright

TGIF: #448 Theme challenge

Thank you for your visit!

Under the sea

 Today I was exploring whether I can make a sketch from a (non-CAS) challenge to work for CAS birthday card. I took color inspiration from another challenge and this is what I got:

I used watercolor to paint the lines, and my Creative Depot whimsical fish stamps. (I just love when stamps run in both directions!)

Entering it in the challenges that inspired me:

Cupcake Inspirations: #574 Color challenge 

Try Stamping on Tuesday: #TSOT616 Sketch

Less Is More: #448 Theme: Under the sea

also entering in:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes  

 

Thank you for your visit!