On the ball...

 Three challenges today were gorgeous match: I got to stamp my favorite little critters and make a birthday card. Everything was colored in with markers.

I love layers in my cards - but applaud to those who can produce a single layer card. I cannot. here, my point in case: two layers for the background and then die cut stamped images on top.

Entering this in:

As You Like It: To layer / or not - and why

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Stamp it!

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: 4 legged friends

Daring Cardmakers: On, or At the ball.

There's cake!

 Cake is the theme of the first challenge I was inspired by. I made a cake with two rectangle shapes. To decorate it, I got inspired by a color challenge, but also by a "re-use, recycle" challenge.

The flowers were cut from color paper, the cake decoration from a vellum (or possibly yupo) tag from a swimsuit that I have been saving up for a special project. The printed portion is hiding under the flowers.

Entering it in these lovely challenges:

TGIF Challenge: #tgifc456

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Recycle

Color My Heart Color dare challenge: #584 Six pack

Daring Cardmakers: Floral frenzy

AAA Birthdays: Rainbow / Rainbow colors

Thank you for your visit!

A traditional Christmas

 I was inspired to make a more traditional Christmas card. It has all the good things: snow, a fir bough and holly wound up into a wreath, and a giant bauble. I love that stamp but use it all too seldom.

Snow was made with a stencil. I mixed some iridescent silver into the texture paste, but it does not show at all. It features several die cuts. The black wreath is by Alexandra Renke; I cut it in dark charcoal glitter card stock. Red, white, kraft and black is such a simple palette, but manages to look very elegant.

Entering it into these challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Let it snow

Allsorts Challenge: #759 Christmas Flowers or wreaths - I made a wreath

Monday Greetings Challenge: Christmas Greetings / opt. Santa hat - I didn't use this option

Daring Cardmakers: One word prompt: Bauble

Classic Design Challenge: #12 December 

The Male Room: #181 Christmas 

 

Wish for peace

 I was happy to find a putto (sometimes called cherub or amorino) stamp (by Couture Creations), as it will have many uses (I am thinking ahead to Valentines already). 

This first time it fits in with the more traditional, religious element of Christmas, but it is bearing a modern message: make a wish. Wish for Peace, for example - sorely lacking in our times.

 

The background was made with a gelliplate and a snowflake stencil in two layers with several different paint colors. The rather Christmassy die-cut serves as a kind of finial to the scene and was hand colored. As was the putto. The putto is raised and the stamped sentiment slipped under his hand.

Entering it in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

Daring Cardmakers: One-word prompt: Wish

My Time to Craft Christmas: #74 Theme of snowflakes/ Christmas

We love Stamping: Christmas characters 

Paper Dragonfly: #23 Anything goes/ flies

Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge: #tttc 236 I selected the row Stamping - free - layers 

Another *Inspired by...

 Today's card was inspired by strong, summery colors provided by one challenge, but also the verbal suggestion of red, white and blue of another. On top of that I attempted to keep is CAS*. 

The yellow background is a gelli print on tissue. The flowers and butterfly are stamped, fussy cut and arranged. II don't own many markers, so in order to get the shading I colored everything first with watercolor pencils, shading them in the process, then went over with one marker in the same color.

*CAS seems to be such a wide concept. Some challenges accept only one layer cards with plenty of white space, some are fine with layering as long as there is empty space (not necessarily white) - frankly, I am rather confused at times. The common theme seems to be 'one focal point', if I am not totally mistaken. How do you handle CAS?

Entering this into the challenges that inspired me today:

Daring Card Makers: July Elemental inspiration Challenge - Iwas inspired by the colors pink and orange, using a colorful background with already colorful images, gradation and flowers.  - Update - I was too late with my entry and could not enter the challenge!

Day of the Month Card Club: #53 National Simplicity Day

Simply Clean and Simple: CAS, optional: Roses are red, violets are blue - the challenge picture made me want to add a blue butterfly to the mix.

Triple B: July Challenge - blooms and a butterfly

The Flower Challenge: #82 CAS

Sweet Stamping: Flowers/ Blooming beautiful

Pretty in pink

 I love challenges for the inspiration they give me. Today's picks were "pink - roses and butterflies - watercolor - hello".

The background was done with watercolor. The rose and butterfly were stamped and colored in with watersoluble crayons.

The word was die cut from a holographic silver card stock.

Entering this in challenges that acted as my muse:

Happy Little Stampers: Watercolor

Just Us Girls: #683 "Hello" 

 Sweet Stamping: Pretty in Pink

Triple B: June Challenge - Inspiration board.  -  I loved that red butterfly!

Daring Cardmakers: Everything coming up roses

Thank you for your visit!

Red, white and gold

This is a very simple card even though it looks very intricate.

I started with dry embossing a sheet of vellum. I then removed everything that was not embossed, glued it onto a piece of red card stock, embossed the text with gold and placed some die cuts along the lower border (it looked very empty).

I am entering it in these challenges that inspired me and fit the them:

Daring Cardmakers: I was inspired by the colors red white and gold, and the Christmas theme.

Fab and Funky: #562 Die-cuts and/or embossing - I used both

Dream Valley Challenges: #283 Lots of layers - there is the card, the matting, the red base, the vellum and the diecut.

Corrosive Challenge: AG

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG

 

Tonal white and cream

 Some lovely challenges collide again and they got my creative juices flowing, resulting in this card:

This unites an embossed background, die cut center where the Merry Christmas wishes are stamped on vellum and embossed with clear embossing powder, further die cuts arranged in a wreath form around it. 

Entering this in the following lovely challenges that inspired me:

CYHTP: Embossing / Wreath

Daring Card Makers: White

 Craft Rocket Challenges: #98 Christmas/ Winter 

Through the Purple Haze: #198 Monochromatic

Make a wish

 A different kind of a birthday card this time. I tried to go with a restricted color palette of pebble, sand, some darker brown and black.

Again I was guided by several challenges to use watercolors, a wild animal, do stamping and make no layers. And moreover, this is a stamp purchased three years ago that I am using for the first time.

I am entering it into these nice challenges:

Bastel-Traum: #105 Wasserfarbe / Watercolours - the fish are painted with watercolors

Chocolate Baroque: AG / opt. celebrations - this is a birthday card

Daring Cardmakers: A walk on the wild side - some very wild salmon here!

AAA Cards: No layers / opt. twist 'Hugs' - I am entering without the twist

NBUS: #30 AG - both stamps are being used for the first time