Oh no!

I spotted some challenges that I thought could work well together: a call for jungle animals (and any animals), use a stamp and make it masculine. I recently purchased a tiger stamp (first used here) and it seemed like an appropriate starting point.

As the stamp is rather large and fills a card front by itself, there was little need for any other supplies. I grabbed a feel snippets of design paper and selected some GT watercolors.

I stamped the tiger on a separate piece of card stock as I wanted to raise it. The leaves were stamped onto the base. Then I watercolored everything.

Waiting them to try I cut out a platter and cake shape out of the papers. Lastly I cut the beast in halves and arranged it so that it is upsetting the birthday cake.

 

With this card I am playing in the following challenges:

Little Red Wagon: #875 Use a stamp

Sparkles Monthly: #203 Animals

Simply Clean and Simple: Jungle animals

All About Papercraft: #9 Masculine 

 

Creative Crafting Uncles: #80 AG masculine

Crafts Galore Encore: AG 

On gardening

My firm belief is that gardening teaches you to believe in yourself and your abilities. Sure something might go wrong, and frequently does, but that's how you learn. Learn to water more, or water less, give some plants a richer soil and poorer for some. Learn which plants thrive next to each other and which ones waste away.

Well, enough said I think. There are several challenges that offer a garden related theme, and as I needed an encouragement card for someone, I found this an excellent opportunity to give my gardening stamps an outing.

Gingham makes a gardening scene look so wholesome, don't you think? I figured I could make a gingham with my diagonal strip stamps. I used a shimmery pink ink for that. After that I die cut the background using one of the whimsical rectangle dies.

I then stamped and die cut the flower pots and the watering can and placed them roughly where they should be. I stamped the flowers so that they would sit just underneath the pot rims and then attached the pots with foam tape.  Lastly I gave the flowers big blotches of ink (oxide), just to break the orderliness created by the other elements. The sentiment is from a TH sentiment pad.

 

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Alphabet Challenge: H is for Horticulture

Simply Clean and Simple: #scas August AG, optional Nature - I am playing with this option

Just Add Ink: #792 Choose Two (or more) - I chose gingham and flowers

 

Inkspirational: #374 Word prompt: Garden

Ellibelle's Garden Challenge: #18 Anything in or from a garden 

 

 

 

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 

 

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

 

Maritime vibes

 Having grown up at the coast and summered by a great lake I miss those now that I live near a stream. Near Danube, to be exact, which sounds so grand and 'old Europe', but it's not the open vistas that I grew up with. I was very happy to find a few challenges that play in this direction.

I gathered my supplies:  a few stamp sets, Ecoline watercolor brush pens and a die set which has an edging that resembles rope.

 

 

This is the finished card. 

 

I am showing it in following challenges that I followed to create this card. 

Simply Clean and Simple: SCAS June: Nautical  

Archiscraps: Use Red White and Blue

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Masculine

PIP: #2623 AG 

 

Thank you

 There is always a reason to be thankful. I am thankful for my friends, and on a trivial note, for card challenges that make me think harder and catapult me out of my comfort zone.

It all started with a sketch today, and the need to use old and forgotten rubber stamps, give them some love they needed. I decided to work with my gelli printed and mixed media papers (neglected too often!). And gold embossing just seemed so suitable...

The result was this card. The sketch is awesome, it is a great basis for all types of cards.

Entering it in the challenges that  inspired me:

Retro Rubber Challenge: rrcb#2017 Let's sketch 

Simply Clean and Simple: AG / opt. use the word "Thanks"

Stay Crafty with a blog named Hero : Thanks to a friend

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Thanks/ Thanksgiving

Just us Girls: #705 Word week

Another *Inspired by...

 Today's card was inspired by strong, summery colors provided by one challenge, but also the verbal suggestion of red, white and blue of another. On top of that I attempted to keep is CAS*. 

The yellow background is a gelli print on tissue. The flowers and butterfly are stamped, fussy cut and arranged. II don't own many markers, so in order to get the shading I colored everything first with watercolor pencils, shading them in the process, then went over with one marker in the same color.

*CAS seems to be such a wide concept. Some challenges accept only one layer cards with plenty of white space, some are fine with layering as long as there is empty space (not necessarily white) - frankly, I am rather confused at times. The common theme seems to be 'one focal point', if I am not totally mistaken. How do you handle CAS?

Entering this into the challenges that inspired me today:

Daring Card Makers: July Elemental inspiration Challenge - Iwas inspired by the colors pink and orange, using a colorful background with already colorful images, gradation and flowers.  - Update - I was too late with my entry and could not enter the challenge!

Day of the Month Card Club: #53 National Simplicity Day

Simply Clean and Simple: CAS, optional: Roses are red, violets are blue - the challenge picture made me want to add a blue butterfly to the mix.

Triple B: July Challenge - blooms and a butterfly

The Flower Challenge: #82 CAS

Sweet Stamping: Flowers/ Blooming beautiful