Greetings from a forest

 Today's card is using a catch-all paper on my desk. The colors are perfect for a fall greeting card and the partially stenciled background makes your eye believe there are orange leaves on the ground.

I started by selecting these three sets: something old (the layered bird scene), something new (the trees stamp) and something useful (the sentiment stamps). 

 

It was really very fast and straightforward: glue the background, stamp the trees and the sentiment on it, then stamp the bird and the tree stump in layers and fussy cut them. Done.

 

Entering this in these inspirational challenges:

Double D: 10/26 Wings

 

Triple B: October challenge 

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Trees 

I Spy with my Little Eye: #42 Autumn in the woods

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG 

 

Use it or lose it

Some stuff is just too precious to be used... Don't fall into the same trap that I did! I had purchased these sticky rub-ons ages ago and kept hoarding them - until today. I think they have been discontinued. The idea was to rub them onto a surface where they would present a sticky side which one would then coat with metallic foil or gold leaf. Well, the leaf set I tried had lost its powers and would only partially transfer.

So I had to find another way to create my vision. As I wanted some metallic I started by stamping this large gingko stamp with Lunar Paste using color named  'Cookie dough'.

 

 Once it was dry I re-stamped it with brown Versafine. I then had two options: either heat emboss to dry the ink (which was sitting on the metallic paste - this would never dry on its own), or rub the ink away. This is what I did. A gentle metallic glimmer is visible under the rubbed parts.

 

I then went on to color the card. My favorite color combo is pink with yellow, which suited the gingko leaves perfectly. I also cut the card along the outlines to give it a nice shape. 

 I quite like cards without sentiments these days. This might get one down the line, but then again, I might leave it as it is.

 Entering this in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

The Die Cut Divas: A shaped card

 

I Love Promarkers: #617 My favorite colors -- are pink and yellow

Girlz and the Art of Letters:  #38 De letter van L van ... Leaves

Ellibelle's Corner:  I spy with my little eye... #42 Autumn in the woods

Creative Crafters: #105 AG 

Late roses

 I have been on a quest to use my old and neglected stuff. I confess, I like to make backgrounds, but then not use them. I stash them away, thinking there will be a time when something will come handy - but it rarely does. Because it is too interesting to make new backgrounds ... and so it goes.

Today I pulled out backgrounds which I made two years ago. Two years. Made out of strips of old book pages and a few other remnants that I had collected.

 

When I was looking for an image, a stamp fell into my line of vision: a Santoro girl that I had purchased well before Covid, but never used since. The colors went nicely and I knew I could create the same-ish colors. It was an inspiring match.

I stamped the girl and the rose garland and colored both in. To get the dreamy look and delicate shading I worked with colored pencils.

 

After fussy cutting I arranged both onto the word strip card base. I had to cover a boo-boo with a separate flower, but I think it looks rather natural. The sentiment will go inside.

Entering this in these nice challenges:

Girlz Creative: Splash it with Color: #31 Bruin en/ of oranje

 

I Spy with My Little Eye: #41 Added text (background or sentiment)

Kleuren met potloden: September alles mag

The Neglected Stuff: September AG - the stamp and the background were heavily neglected

Creative Knockouts: September 17 AG 

When life gives you lemons...

 ... keep your head high and don't worry, this, too, shall pass. 

This is what I thought when seeing a picture prompt for a challenge. I went straight to my paint chip collection and selected yellow and pink. It was inspired by the first two pictures of that prompt. They go so well together and provide instant cheer. This was also the time to use the Main Squeeze dies (Altenew). I love that irregular circle!

 

As I don't own the stamps to match I proceeded to cut two circles, a large and a small, each one four times. Then I laid the smaller circles on top of each other and cut them in nine wedges. Why nine, you may ask. Well, it is a trick I learned from my mom. It is for cutting cake. When you have a full cake it is hard to serve out the first slice. So cut out a slice in the kitchen and have a taste, and arrange the next ones with some room around them and bring it out to your guests.

So I cut my smaller circle into nine wedges, because I wanted to use eight with some room between them.

Then I cut out lozenges of pink. I was thinking they would be the pieces of ice clinking around in lemonade, but looking at this they could also be happy pills or candy. The sentiment reads: Heads up!

(Sorry for the photo. There is a white reflection on my table that seems to cut into the card. It doesn't, the card is fully visible, but it does look peculiar.) 

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Double D: #826 When life hands you lemons... 

 

Make My Monday: #285 Use yellow and white and another color

I Spy with my Little Eye: Sunflowers or something yellow

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Lots of layers

Classic Design Challenge: #08 Use a die cut/ AG 

 

 

Enjoy your day

For today's card I let myself be inspired by several challenges. I thought the combination of flowers, butterflies, music and a sketch would be a good one to try, especially as I was asked to present a GD project @ Ellibelle's I Spy With my Little Eye - challenge. Please head over and join the fun!

So I pulled out  the supplies I thought I would need: a stamp with both a butterfly and flowers (Stampendous), a die set with a frame, butterfly and flowers (Studio Light) and some sheet music together with Oxides and Gansai Tambi watercolors. I stamped the background with Oxide ink on a wet background and saw the image almost dissolving. The color is just enough for a background, the flowers are still visible, but they don't take the center stage. (The butterfly was unfortunately covered but subsequent layering.)

I then applied water color on the die cut flowers and butterflies. I set the sheet music as a background for the frame. The sentiment reads: Enjoy the day.

 

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches: #744 

 

Sisterhood of Crafters: July / Flowers

 

Little Red Wagon: #866 The piano man

Ellibelle's Garden Party: # 17 Anything in / from a garden

I Spy with my little eye: #39 ... something with wings

 

Where the wind takes you

Monochromatic is always a challenge I like. I am so glad these challenges exist and every once in a while there is a call for monochrome.

Today I wanted to go pink. There are so many pretty shades from pale to dark. I was also drawn to a sketch and thought it would be fun to use my irregular circle dies for that so the result would be a bit more interesting. I used the medium and small for this.

The ethereal dragonflies and butterflies were stamped and then colored in with pink markers. I placed the gelli print behind the circles and raised the surface a bit to create some depth.

I found a great sentiment in my stash "Go where the wind takes you". A few spritzers round up the picture.

 

Entering this in the challenges that I implemented:

Aud Sentiments: Monochrome

I Spy with my Little Eye: #37 Monochrome

Freshly Made Sketches: #739 

A Cut Above: Anything die-cut 

Die Cut Divas: Anything die-cut