Nature delights

I take delight in autumn colors. A late rose among yellow leaves, a red tree against a blue sky, s pot of dahlias and wilted violets.

Today I wanted to capture some of that colorful nature poetry. I selected a stamp set, a die, some scrap paper and pencils. I had a card in my stash with a piece of yellow gelli print, which I used for my background.

I started by die cutting a twig from the piece of yellow scrap. That was the bottom layer. Then I stamped the pumpkin, leaves and roses and colored them with pencils. The fussy cutting took some time with these intricate forms. When the were done I arranged everything so that the center would be left bare. The sentiment will go there once I decide what it will be, a 'hello fall' or 'happy birthday'... both are possible.

 

Entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

The Paper Funday: #92 AG/ pumpkin spice and everything nice optional - Playing with this option

Make My Monday: #289 Use the color orange

FarmQuest General Store: #43 Anything farm or country

Snippets Playground: #543

Kleuren met potloden: Oktober alles mag 

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 

hello, young pilot!

 Today's card was inspired by several challenges and it features a fun teddy bear (or is it a koala?) as a pilot. I like this AI stamp for its cheer. I gathered this and the other supplies I needed.

 

I started by masking off the card base to create a square and applied a light sky blue color. Then I die cut three clouds and lightly dabbed them with a different pale blue shade. Then I stamped the teddy pilot in his snappy one-seater and colored it in, then fussy cut. (It comes with a die, but I have trouble breaking out the small parts that are within.)

After the assembly it still looked like it needed something, so I added a string of bunting. The sentiment seems very apt (time to teach kids some Latin phrases!).

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

The Male Room: #213 Jobs or professions - Pilot

 

Art Impressions: #435 Furry Friends. Also taking part in the AI monthly challenge with an open theme.

 

Little Red Wagon: #873 Anything times three - Three clouds, three pieces of bunting

Kleuren met potloden: Augustus alles mag 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes

 

Dragon care

 Today I got inspired by colors, quirky characters and the call for distressed paper (but make it cute). Let's see...

This is what I pulled out. I haven't used this dragon mama for ages (if ever?) I bought it in a charity shop last year and have no idea of the maker, sorry. I also selected the pencils to match the color inspiration. That picture (see below) has also waves, and this inspired me to grab a piece of corrugated cardboard, as this would also answer to the call for distressed paper. The die cuts from my ready stash are lined up, too, as is my sentiment stamp collection. Not shown is the roll of lace paper which I grabbed later.

 

I started by stamping and coloring the dragon mama and her baby, then I fussy cut it. (I love my Cutter bee scissors for that, they go snip-snap and the cut is ready in no time.) I then glued the piece of corrugated cardboard in place and flicked some color around the card (Abandoned coral). 

Then I placed a piece of paper lace onto it, twirled a bit of linen thread and placed the dragon on top. I selected two die cuts, and placed the sentiment between the die cuts and the dragon's head. It reads: I will always be there for you.

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Pinspirational: #340 Jade and peach

 

Conjurer of Dreams: #23 Quirky characters & Anything goes - I'd like to think this dragon is quirky!

Let's Craft and Create: #234 AG+ Distressed paper

Creative Moments: #285 Make it cute 

Daisy Chain Challenge: #110 Animals

Kleuren met potloden: Augustus alles mag /AG August

Critter Crazy: #113 AG with featured critter(s) 

Happy birthday!

 ... called the gnome excitedly and made a jump in the air. 

I took inspiration from a few wonderful challenges and gathered my supplies: stamps (ferns by Marianne,  Queen Anne's lace by Kaisercraft), colored pencils and the Hopping gnome die (also by Marianne).

 

I had long wanted to make a double layered card where the background and foreground images match and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I wanted to create a scene from a woodland garden, complete with a gnome.

 

I had a rounded square left over from a recent make (I only used the frames for this one). I stamped the images on both surfaces, then colored in the parts that would show. I die cut and colored the gnome. 

 

I am playing with this card in these lovely challenges:

Inkspirational: #369 Visual prompt: woodland gnome 

Cardz4Guyz: #387 Gardens/ gardening 

Pearly Sparkles: #120 This makes me smile 

Kleuren met potloden: Alles mag / AG