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 

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 

 

 

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 

 

No limit on happy

 Today my interest was widely spread as I found five awesome challenges that I thought I could combine well.

These were the ingredients I thought I'd need. In the end I used less of the papers, no leaf cut-outs, but more markers. The guy was a stamp I had given away, but stamped a few for myself before. 

I started by creating a sticky removable mask for the guy, as I had stamped it on a card base. This was the first time I used Aleene's Tack It, and I can highly recommend it. The removal of the mask was easy, it did not leave any residue nor did it tear the surface. I did a three color blend with the Oxides Rustic Wilderness - Uncharted Mariner - Blueprint Sketch. That left the guy white, but I used my markers to color him in. Lastly I flicked some water droplets onto the upper part to make the illusion of night settling in more believable.

I found a great sticker from TH Snarky chit chat pack. This is a birthday card and the main sentiment will be inside.

 

Entering this in these challenges that inspired my make today:

Make My Monday: #281 Blend 2 or 3 colors - I used three for my background

Passion for Markers: #844 Transport

Cardz 4 Gyuz: #387 Gardens / gardening 

Try It on Tuesday: In the garden (2nd entry) 

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Stars and/or stripes  

Garden faerie

Today I was inspired by three topics (spread across five challenges). Out came the supplies: a recently purchased stamp set, a torn edge background die and a stencil. And the colors of course: Oxide in salvaged patina for the background (it is such a cheerful blue-green hue) and various browns and blues for the image.

 

I stenciled the background, stamped and colored the image and cut the background. The text reads: "Fairy dust".

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges that inspired me today.

Colorful options: June 2026 Color palette

 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Things with wings

TIOT: In the garden - there lives a faerie

Stencil Fun: anything with a stencil, butterfly optional - going with AG, 2nd entry

Make My Monday: #280 Use a stencil 

Dahlia in the round

This dahlia flower die has been waiting very long to be used. It must have been sitting over two years - gasp. But today I got inspired by several challenges that felt just right together. 

 

This card may look simple, but the image has three layers on top of the background (on top of the card front).

 

 

Entering in these lovely challenges:

Art Impressions: # 428 Yellow 

MMM: #278 Say it with Flowers

Cards 4 Galz: #276 Circle Card 

Daisy Chain Challenges: #107 Layer it up 

Birthday Wishes

This card started with my most favorite floral stamp. I used it last year, but not since. Instead of coloring it in I decided to draw different size circles and stripe them up.

 Even though I wanted to go with a clean look it still was a bit bare. I stenciled hearts with a puffy pink paste.

 The sentiment is my most recent acquisition, I desperately needed some new birthday texts.

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me or which are suitable in other respects:

Seize the Birthday: #235 AG or Stripe it up - I used the stripe option

Make My Monday: #171 Use a stencil

We Love Stamping: April - Stamp of the moment 

We love 2 Create : Week 4: AG

NBUS: #37 AG 

Long shadows

 The nearing holiday time has started to cast long shadows. The pace of life has accelerated and there is nearly no time for crafting. There is less light, too,  darkness descends early.

I wanted to make a card reflecting this time of year. It is dark, yet even the smallest light gives hope. My card is dark, very dark, but it is a friendly card.

 

The plant dies are used sideways as to create the impression of trees. They were cut twice, once from orange paper and once from black. Also the fox has been cut twice, once full from white paper and then partially from black paper. 

I outlined and highlighted the fox and the branches with a grey acrylics, which I partly wiped off. Then I wrote the text and then fussy-cut.

The lantern was stamped on orange paper and cut out. Dies and the stamp are by Simply Graphic, a French company. They have delightful dies and stamps.

Entering my card in the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create: #11 Anything goes (without the twist)

Color my Heart challenge: #471-use b/w/grey+one color

 Allsorts challenge: #652 Use hand stamped or digital image

MMM challenge: AG with optional black Yes! I used this option!

SimonSaysStamp Wednesday: Anything goes 

A happy little note

 - is what the text strip announces. I was inspired to use colors from the current Color Throwdown challenge. My papers are most likely to be gelli printed, and this is what I used.

 

I stamped each tree onto a different color, then heat embossed it with clear embossing powder and cut it out and arranged onto a card.

As this fits into several fall themed challenges I will be entering it into these:

More Mixed media: AG with optional orange - I am using this option

Mixed Media Lovers: #6 Challenge

Uniko Challenge: #67 AG with twist of autumn colors

Make My Monday: #158 Embossing - either

Color Throwdown: keyword #ctd663

You are loved

 I have only recently moved into the realm of greeting cards. My usual ATC cards exist without much added gadgetry, they are based on collage (the way I do them). But for some reason I do own some embossing folders and heat embossing powder. But not with the gadgets that go with them. So then, today is 'make do' day.

The background was placed into a embossing folder and heavily hammered around the edges to create a diffused look. 

The raised image is around the perimeter only. In the center there is an oval piece of vellum which I stamped with blue and heat embossed with clear powder to create an iced look. I don'y own a craft heat gun, but used a commercial paint stripping heat gun instead. Those things get hot fast!

The flowers are stamped and colored with Oxides, the ladybug has been treated with a coat of Glossy Accents.

 

Entering this in:

Sweet Stamping challenge: Feature an animal - I hope Ladybugs count!

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Heat embossing

More Mixed Media Challenge: AG / optional brights

Chocolate Baroque: Favorite stamps - mine is that four leaf clover! Bought 10 years ago at the Paper Source.

Addicted to Stamps: #411 Make your Mark

 

Summer mixed media

 On my recent scavenger hunt I came across a postage stamp album with flower motifs. I do collect stamps myself, but a lot of the stamps were bulk issue from countries that used stamps as export goods. So I didn't feel they were too precious to use in mixed media.
(Blog hop people, please read on!)

I started by tearing up papers and collaging them to cover a larger master board. When dry, I adhered different washi tapes all over. Then I used Brusho colors in green, turquoise and Prussian blue and let them dry.

I took a few different stencils and applied texture paste here and there, then immediately sprinkled the texture paste with embossing powders and heated it up. It puffed up somewhat and the embossing powder created a shiny enamel-like surface.

Finally came the elements: postage stamp, chipboard leaf, a piece of punched watercolor paper and the words. Not to forget stamping. I used two stamps even though it is not apparent until you start looking for them: a round dotted stamp to stamp random circles everywhere and a tiny dotted background stamp used along the edges here and there to bring in even more texture.

If you are here from the blog hop, you are probably coming from Renee. Please leave a comment here to qualify for the prize drawing and head over to Heather next. The blog hop is open till June 4th and it starts at UseYourStuff.

entering in:
Creative Artiste: #26 Anything mixed media
MixedMediaMonthly: #36 Put a stamp on it

Spring

Spring is finally here. No more frosty nights or snowfall. How glorious!

I used a floral stencil with baby blue Marabou texture paste, then colored the flowers with pearlized water color and used some washi tape and Infusions for the background. Infusions is a pigmented powder that gets reactivated with sprays or splashes of water. The result is always a surprise, it seems to have a life of its own.

One challenge asks for my superpower. I think it's making a glorious mess, ha ha. I just love making these messy, haphazard backgrounds.

Entering in:
Simon Says Monday: Splash it on.
Creative Artiste: #25 Anything mixed media
Mixed Media Monthly: #35 What's your superpower

Birds and words

I have been tremendously inspired by a couple of challenges. This is what you get when you combine birds and words...

Background is from an old dictionary that was gessoed and sprayed and inked and stamped... let's just say, there is plenty of mixed media goodness there. With the colors I went out of my comfort zone, it would never enter my mind to combine yellow red and blue - but it did work nicely.

As for the words, I went with a combination of crossword puzzle and scrabble. Here are the birds and they have all something to say:

This blackbird is trying to be scary (imitating an owl), but he knows he is not scary and so he tells us to 'fear not'.

 Because Love is inexplicable,  love song has to be inexplicable, too. *VWwWwXx* (Did you understand that?)

Sing out Joy!

Listen to this: "00001223445..."  I have never heard a song like that before.

The blue bird sings a blue lullaby: "Zzzz"

And love? It is inexplicable...

I am entering this set into:
Anything but Cute: #14 Birds and Bees
The Artistic Stamper: Red, yellow, blue
Mixed media Monthly: #25 Anniversary celebration. I chose #15 Get Texty

Labor Day / työn päivän sankareita

Tomorrow is Labor Day here in Europe. A day of rest from drudgery and toil for these lads, sons of workers who had to work in factories from young on. Let's remember the idea behind Labor Day - and then go outside and enjoy the sun!

We were dead poor.

I like the fresh air better:

I started working on the ships.

We wish for a miracle:

We are the Proletariat.

I am entering these into:
Simon says Monday: Show us your metal
Steampunk challenge: Anything goes
MMMonthly: #23 Dimension
Stampotique: SDC242 Masculine

The backgrounds are full of nice products: watercolor, book pages, washi tape, stamping, stencils, gesso, acrylics. They are rather busy, but still adequate as a backdrop. I added fun metal pieces and some 'enamel' number plates I made myself.
Thanks for looking!
If you are interested in seeing some real life footage from Victorian era workers, take a look at this video on youtube.

Colors of Autumn

Mixed Media Monday challenge this week is calling for fall colors. Where I live, the leaves have turned a while ago and the peak is over, the world is a drab brown. So that's the base of my fall colors, this mysterious woman wandering in the woods - can you feel the athmosphere?

MMM/ swirls and flourishes

Mixed Media Monday has the best challenge to ease me in: swirls and flourishes. Yes!

The background has been stamped with a swirly pattern, even though it's not apparent at first sight. I used a really coarse foam stamp and dabbed it thickly with cream acrylic paint. The background paper is old sewing pattern paper - love that stuff! You can achieve such nice gradation with it. Plus it's got quirky words. Like this one: 3UP. No idea what it means, but I incorporated it in the composition.


Pieni (Small)
clicks for big!