Big trees, tiny city

 I love big, really tall trees, they sort f take your breath away. Aided by a couple of challenges I set out to create a scene with just such trees.

I gathered my supplies: two stamps (Carabelle and Indigo Blue) and some GT watercolors. The top one is actually green, although it looks very black in the photo.

I started by using a piece of printer paper. This isn't ideal, as it is far too thin, but it had such a nice pale background of grey and orange hues. I had used it as a blotting paper under my projects. Too good to throw away, in my opinion. 

I stamped the forest in brown Versafine ink and treated the stamping with clear embossing. Then I took the small stamp with a cityscape and stamped it at the bottom. I used only the buildings and made it look continuous.

 

Then I added splotches of green and orange for the leaves and some blue here and there to mimic the big sky. I love how the city is so small compared to the huge trees in the forest.

Entering this in these wonderful challenges that serves as my inspiration today:

We Love Stamping: Trees and leaves 

Kreativ-Tanten: Wald / Forest 

Just Us Girls: Mood Board week 841 - I was inspired by the look of trees and buildings

 

Creative Knockouts: #579 September 17 AG 

Gelli prints and rhinestones

I was inspired to try combine materials that have a different vibe. To explain: gelli prints are casual, gold thread and rhinestones are pure luxury. Would the combination read like an festive evening gown with trainers? Or like ice cream with spinach?

Of course I was inspired by several challenges, again. I challenged myself to try Gelli prints, gold thread and rhinestones and see what could be made out of them.

I started by stamping flowers on select parts of gelli prints. because they were made with acrylic and thus it is doubtful whether the ink would ever dry, I treated the stampings with clear embossing powder and heat embossing. This gave them some beautiful shine. I then proceeded to fussy cut them and arranged them inspired by a sketch. I also added the rhinestones.

 

I then took a length of gold thread, doubled it up and stitched the flowers: one cross stitch for the smaller ones and lots more for the large flower. 

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Festive Friday: FF0218. - I picked 'Jewel tones - gold thread - rhinestones - stitching'

 

Just Add Ink: 794 Sketch

 

 Just Us Girls: #840 Word week: BOld

Seize the Birthday: #334 Add a sentiment strip

 

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 

 

 

 

Find your song

 The starting point for today's card was the prompt 'use envelopes'. This was the nudge I needed to get out the stash of envelopes I have been meaning to work with... some day. The second challenge that led my way was a sketch and the third one was the theme 'nature'. 

This was my desk when I started: circular dies, pressed flowers and windowed envelopes. (It was that glassine window I wanted to work with!)

I didn't need much in terms of paper, a few remnants from an earlier used sheet were enough. I cut the circles twice and glued the bottom one on one envelope window, then applied some glue onto the flower and pressed it against the glassine. Then I glued another envelope window on top, waited till everything was dry and cut the circles out very neatly. Lastly I glued the purple circle on top of this floral sandwich. 

 

I placed the circles according to the sketch I was using, the smallest is raised with a foam strip. The sentiment comes from a bird collection (via Creative Stamping magazine), but I found it suited the rather poetic mood of this card.

 

Entering this in these wonderful challenges:

Little Red Wagon: #870 Card plus / Use an envelope

Freshly Made Sketches:  #748

 

 

 

 

 

Simply Clean & Simple: #SCAS August AG w/ option Nature - I am playing with this option

Just Us Girls: #835 AG w/ die cuts

 

 

 

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge: #129 AG mm

and as I used snippets/ remnants today I am showing this in the

Snippets Playground: #538 AG 

 

Peacock love greetings

 Today's card is a CASE - copy and selectively edit - card. My inspiration came from the challenge DT member Elisabeth (link). Her card reminded me of peacock's feathers.

I pulled out the supplies I thought I needed.  I wanted to keep the colors and the background. The block of different lattice backgrounds seemed such a useful one when I bought it - what, two years ago - and this is my first time using it. The peacock die is a recent win from the challenge world.

 

The lattice was backed with blue, and because it was smaller than my card base I added a back frame which I partially stitched on. (Look at the top right and both bottom corners - I used black thread so it  is barely visible.)

The peacock was cut out of dark blue paper and it's feathers from three other papers. I decorated the green feathers with iridescent heart shaped sequins. As it didn't stand out from the background I added a shadow outline with vellum. I also stamped the sentiment on vellum with yellow ink and embossed it.

 

 Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Just Us Girls: #834 Case a DT week

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Stitch it 

MMM: #283 Wedding / Love wishes

Little Red Wagon: #869 One thing

Creative Fingers: #327 AG August

and because this was the first time I used the lattice block and the peacock die, I am showing my card at

NBUS: #89 August line-up 

 

Shiny and earthy for your birthday

 Yesterday I made a square non-white card to fit certain challenges. Then I thought: what if I change one parameter of those four (of yesterday's card) and see what else I can do?

I removed the color challenge and kept 'blooms' and the 'square non-white card' requirement. I added stencil and shine. Out came the supplies:

 

I brayered a background paper first with cream, then pearlescent white acrylic paint. When it was dry I stenciled over it with gold paint. I cut it to size, then die cut the flower silhouettes from white card stock. I painted two of those with brown and left one white. Lastly I adhered the sentiment "Congratulation". 

 

This card became completely diffrent from yesterday's.

 I am entering this in these lovely challenges that were my inspiration today:

Seize the Birthday: #331 Square card, non-white base (2nd entry)

TioT: Summer blooms (2nd entry)

Just Us Girls: #833 Stencils week 

 

Creative Moments:  #284 Shimmer and shine

Creative Artiste mixed media: #128 AG Mixed Media

Trust your crazy ideas

 Today's inspiration was color. A call for pastels, popsicle colors and a wonderful mood board formed the starting point to which I wanted to the prompt 'up' and make it a card for a friend. Who doesn't need a friendly nudge or encouragement in the form of a card once in a while.

My supplies were very simple: a shiny new die set, a gelli print and a pastel colored paper pack.

 

I started by die cutting the shapes. This is my first die set which requires serious assembly. I think I am not made for it, I can spot several boo-boos, but I can only hope my friend doesn't see them.

The sentiment came from TH Chit-chat booklet. I combined two partial saying to a (for her) fitting whole.

 

Entering this in these great challenges that served me well today:

Just Us Girls: #832 Mood board week 

 

Shopping Our Stash: #578 Popsicle colors 

 

Tic-Tac-Toe: #279  I used the row "Friendship- Any color - Any shape die"

 

Addicted to CAS: #312 Code word Up 

 

Just Add Ink: #790 Dies, stencils (or both) - I used both if you count the mini strip of gelli print at the bottom.

 

Strawberry fields

 For today's card I pulled inspiration from several challenges. It all started with an inspiration photo. I have been eyeing it since the challenge started, but only now that the time is running out did I finally come up with an idea. I also wanted to use die-cutting, stenciling, stamping and coloring - oh my oh  my!

Out came the supplies. There is a piece of acetate in there too, as I wanted to make it a flat shaker. The gelli printed tissue using a grid stencil did not make it to this photo, nor did the sequins.

 

I started by die-cutting two circles from the green glitter card stock: the ornamental one and a plain one for underneath to secure the acetate. The ornamental wreath builder is a favorite of mine, I got it several years ago to make holiday cards. I have never before used it for other purposes.

 Then I stamped and heat embossed the strawberries and their leafs and colored them in with my Gansai Tambi watercolors (they have excellent coverage!), glued the stencil print on the card and assembled it all layer by layer.

 

I am entering this card in the challenges that inspired me:

Inspiration Station: #86 Photo

 

Shopping Our Stash: #SOS577 You're so sweet

Tic-Tac-Toe: #tttc296 - I used the diagonal Fruit/vegetable - die cut - stencil

 

Just Us Girls: #830 Die week

 

Little Red Wagon: #865 I see

 

 

 

 

Poppy greetings

There were still leftovers from yesterday's session. The stenciled paper grabbed my fancy, and that slatted round  piece as well.

I was inspired by the colors of two challenges and wanted to add some flowers using those colors.

I then stamped the sentiment. It's a greeting, suitable for a 'just because' card.

 

Entering my card in these inspiring  challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms: Anything with blooms, moodboard optional - I was inspired by the moodboard

 

TGIF: #582 Moodboard 

 

Passion for Markers: #843 Add flowers

JustUsGirls: #829 Stencil week

We Love 2 Create: AG 

 

Daisy greetings

 The cards I make are usually rectangles, but today I wanted to make a square. 

I was inspired to select colors from my gelli printed papers to match the hues in two inspiration photos. I found several possibilities, but in the end I only picked three of them for my card, one bright, one pastel and one somewhere in the middle. I think the image has more impact this way when the flower does not have to compete with its background.

The Dainty Daisy die (Crafters Companion) is one I have not found a way to use yet. Perhaps it needed a square background? I die cut it twice out of white card stock, then cut the petals of the second one apart and used only the half. I glued them over the bottom part to make the daisy look fuller and more dimensional.

 

I am entering this in these challenges that play well together and I used as my starting point:

AAA Colourful: #29 Colourboard  

 

Just Us Girls: #828 Moodboard week 

 

Fab 'n Funky: #639 Summer Flowers 

Crafters' Cafe: AG, optional blooms - I went with this option 

Creative Moments: #283 Pastels or brights - I say: both! They support each other.

Thank you for your visit! 

 

Enjoying summer

 I will happily confess that summer is not my season. It is hot, it is sticky, swimming brings only temporary relief and there's no point gobbling tons of ice cream, either. Nevertheless, in the spirit of challenging myself, I considered a few challenges that want to see summer or seaside. And I know a friend who would love a card in this vein.

So I gathered my supplies: a die that reminds me of frothy water, and a cat with sun glasses. The stamp is actually meant for Halloween, but I think it fits perfectly for a summer scene, too.

 

The cat definitely needed an ice cream, so I drew a paw and a cone with three scoops, a classic. I then colored the cat in with my pencils. I made the sun umbrella out of two circles, red and white, that I cut strategically and put together again.

 

Entering this in these challenges that I drew my ideas from:

Time Out: #315 Pick 2 - I picked water and ice cream, but summer belongs here, too

 

Just Us Girls: #827 Summer 

The Four Seasons Challenge: AG Summer 

 

Cardz 4 Galz: Seaside or coast 

Shopping Our Stash: #576 Summertime