Evenings are getting darker

August is here and it is lantern time. Their glow in the evening dusk and then darkness is nothing short of magical. I don't own any so I have to make do with my lovely lantern dies.

There were two challenges that made me think how to use my lantern dies creatively this year. (Yes, they haven't been used this year yet!) I pulled out the supplies: snippets of designer paper and a block of alcohol ink prints.

I punched out the lanterns and backed them with light yellow paper to mimic the glow. I selected a background that made me think of evening dusk, then arranged them according to the sketch I was working with. Lastly I added a piece of washi tape to ground the standing lantern.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches: #747 

 

GCFAOS: #24 Gebruik designpapier (Use designer paper)

Snippets Playground: #537 

Simon Says Wednesday: AG 

Creative Fingers: #327 AG 

Roses for birthday

 Today's inspirations lead me towards a birthday card. Always seem to be needing those!

The main supplies were a stamp of a layered rose and a die set for decorative lanterns. I have had both for years, but have seldom found use for them. The auxiliary supplies were designer paper, a pad of ready cut lattice designs and inks. I toyed with the idea of adding an arch via Spellbinders oval dies, but in the end didn't find it necessary.

 

I adhered the lattice on top of the designer paper, cut two lanterns out of the other two, stamped and fussy cut two roses and stamped the sentiment ('Happy birthday') and assembled the card.

 

I am entering this into these challenges that were my guiding light today:

Altenew: July 2026 inspiration challenge 

 

Daisy Chain: #109 Birthday 

GCFAOS: #23 Gebruik designpapier (Use designer paper)

The Neglected Stuff: July challenge 

 

Summer at the waterside

 The ultimate summer feeling for me is keeping my toes wet, preferably at waterside, which is a river - or just the bath tub - in these parts. I spent my childhood summers at a vast lake and wanted to make a card reflect that feeling. (You kind of stand at the world's edge, if you know what I mean. Only sky and water exist.)

 

Out came the supplies: a stencil for waves, a stamp suitable to double up as a swimmer as well as some designer papers and a die for the underwater life. 

I stenciled the background with Distress Oxides Salvaged patina, then cut it out by hand in a wavy form. I stamped the lady, cutting her out without the intended wings and colored her suit with watercolor markers. I found a ready cut large cloud and a sentiment in my ready-to-go stash and used those as well.

 

I raised the swimmer and the sentiment out of the flat surface with foam strips.

 

I am entering this in the following challenges that made me think of my childhood summers:

 Everybody Art Challenge: #603 Sommerzeit/ Ferienzeit

Stamps+Fun=Creativity: #498 Ferien

Simon Says Monday: At the beach 

Creative Knockouts: #573 Summer Fun

TGIF: #tgifc583 Technique challenge: Popping it up

 

Girlz Creative Fun Art of Scrap: #23 Gebruik designer papier