Embossed for birthday

Today I took on to combine  a sketch with a color challenge and add some dry embossing and die cutting to the mix. I chose these supplies to begin with - but later changed the bird-on-a-branch die to a doily die.

Here you can see the embossed and partially colored in flowers that have been already die cut out.

I tossed a long time between a white background and a colorful die cut and a dark grey background with a white die cut. The latter won as you see. I added a sentiment and embossed it in white.

 

 Entering this in these challenges that served as my inspiration today:

The Paper Players: #796 Sketch

 

Color Dare: #714 

 

Just Add Ink: #790 Dies, stencils ...or both - I used dies only

 

Cut It Up: #361 Emboss it 

 

I need some vitamin sea

 Today's card was inspired by a trip to the seaside. Add to that a color palette - and I knew exactly what I wanted to create.

I had recently purchase a beachy set of rub-ons. I didn't need much else, just a pan of metallic watercolor and a sentiment stamp.

I rubbed three images onto a cardboard, then fussy cut them out and mounted them with foam strips. I painted a few lines to give the scene some 'vitamin sea' and stamped the sentiment. The sentiment is a tricky one to translate, 'longing for the sea' sounds about right.

 

Entering this into these lovely challenges that served as my guide today:

The Paper Players: #795 Going to the Beach / CAS

 

CAS Colours and Sketches: #590 Colour challenge

 

Allsorts: #854 At the seaside 

613 Avenue Create: AG / Any holiday optional. I am playing AG 

No rain, just shine

 Today I found a couple of challenges that support each other well. Take dies and a stamp and some suitable gelli print scraps...

 

... and the card was ready in no time.

 

Thank you for these awesome challenges that make card making so enjoyable!

Entering this in:

In(k)spire me: #592 

The Paper Players: #PP791 (clean & simple) Weather

 

Simply Clean and Simple: AG/ Nautical otional. This is my 2nd entry and I am going with AG.

Cut it Up: #358 One for the boys/ men

 

Wishing you a magical time

 Bird watching is an earnest hobby which my hubby practices. It means plenty of me-time alone in the forests and mountains. 

For his card I gathered the supplies: a stamp (wren), dies of fir trees and a sheet of hand made green paper that I have had for years but never knew what I could use it for. Today it finally found its place in this card, it brought the perfect rustic touch that I was looking for.

 

I am entering the card into these challenges:

We love Stamping: Sports and Hobbies

The Paper Players: #789 Masculine 

The Male Room: #211 The Outdoors 

613 Avenue Create: AG w/ twist of Craft or hobby - I am going with this twist

Dragonfly Dreams: Masculine 

 

Cupcake wisdom

 A chain of challenges made me think of patterned paper, stitching and TH small talk text strips. They all have their merits and all of it is 'just stuff', sitting unused in my drawers. Then it came to me: cupcakes - that was the answer. 

So I rummaged through my drawers, pulled out papers and a flower, stamped and colored long ago for a project that never happened.

Now it all came together in this one card.

 

I am showing it in these challenged that contributed to its existence:

Creative Knockouts: #571 Stitching, faux or real. Mine is faux, stamped with turquoise Versafine Clear.

Paper Players: #PP788 Tic-tac-toe. I chose "flower - free (pink) - patterned paper" 

 

Just Add Ink: #786 Just add Polkadots 

Seize the Birthday: #327 Sweet Treat 

Dinosaur greetings

 I needed a card for a boy and immediately thought of my dinosaur stamp. I followed a couple of challenges for inspiration, I think it is more fun that way.

 

I started by stamping the dinosaur directly onto the card base. Then I masked it and added background through two stencils. I recently got a selection of candy heart dies - "you rock" seemed to hit the vibe nicely.

Entering this into the challenges that inspired me:

Cupcake Challenge: #588 Dinosaurs  

Stamping Sensations: Animals, birds and creatures.

The Male Room: #183 Valentine / Use a heart

Stencil Fun: Love /Hearts

The Paper Players: PP678 Sketch

Moonshadow

 This text stamp must be one of my oldest stamps, I must have bought it around 2007 when I started paper crafting. It is a poem,  but I have no idea if it is by somebody or whether they just made it up at the stamp company. (There is no maker on the wood block.) Yes! It is on a wooden block. I recently pulled out my box of wooden stamps - they are too easily forgotten.

I created the background using distress oxides and water, then stamping a bit of texture in form of hazy clouds. The moon phases were cut up from a gelli print.

Entering this into these great challenges that served as my muse:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #rrcb223 Winter blue ombré    

The Paper Players : #PP674 Sketch

 #woodblockwednesday: January challenge 

TioT: Add some text

Simon Says Wednesday challenge: AG

Inspired by...

 ... lovely challenges: one for the design elements, one for layout and the others for supporting ideas. How cool is that!

The sketch allowed me to place a central background - this is a gelliprint that was put through an embossing folder. It has a leafy pattern, so it goes well with my winter theme and provides awsome texture. For the diagonal element I chose a snowflake stamp. It was stamped in grey and embossed in glitter and it mimics the colors in the gelli print background.

The focal point is a bird, stamped and colored in with alcohol markers. A small length of a silver ribbon was plucked apart and adhered behind the bird.

Entering this in my inspirational challenges:

The Paper Players: PP668

Festive Friday: #FF0148 I chose Textures-Alcohol Markers- Bird 

Cardz 4 Guys: #336 Festive creatures

Can You Handle the Pressure: CYHTP AG / optional Christmas - I didn't go with this option

Girly fun

 Today's recipe: take inspiration from seaside colors, add a folded paper hat, some polka dots and stripes and a girly character. 

This stamp was purchased second hand, not as a set, but I think it is supposed to be a ballet cat in a tutu.

I had to wipe away the ears before stamping to make the folded paper hat sit nicely. I also stamped an anchor as a button holding the striped twine. Unfortunately the anchor all but disappeared under Glossy Accent.

The fun form was obtained by cutting a card size with a huge circle stamp. 

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me in its creation:

Just us Girls: #684 Photo/Mood Board    

The Paper Players: PP645 - Clean and simple

Paper Funday Challenge: #54 AG/ or twist - I played the twist : no squares allowed

The Library Challenge: #82 Girl in the polka dot dress - I was inspired by the dress!