This little piggy...

 I am playing catch-up with my new stamps and stencils (and there might be some dies, too... - I have been very generous with myself).  

Today I used a new stencil for the background. I was able to make a gingham pattern with it by moving it around a bit. The piggy is also a new stamp, I bought it solely for the reason that the way the arms are positioned I am able to place items into its hands - today it is the flower.

 

Entering this birthday card in these fun challenges:

We Love Stamping: Something new

Stamps & Fun=Creativity: #446 AG

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: #13 Anything floral or Moodboard option: I am using the AG option 

Stencil Fun: AG / option birds - I went with AG option

Lost Coast Portal of Creativity: #181 AG (with stamping)

It's summer - enjoy!

 Summer on the beach, at water's edge - the idea came to me when I saw a scrap of an old gelli print. Th seals were also stamped on a gelli print, a hardly visible speckled grey. That stamp is several years old, it's from a set but all other parts of it have been traded so I have no idea who it is by.

The layout was inspired by a challenge (even though my base rectangle is longer - I could just not bear to cut it shorter and lose the grass...)  

(The text reads: Enjoy)

Entering this in:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #201 Sketch Time!

Stamps&Fun=Creativity: #436 Sommer und/oder Meer

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Summer Moodboard 

Allsorts Challenge: #735 Summertime

Recycled and never been used...

 Yes, it's sad but it happens! Some items for whatever reason will stay unwrapped for a while (or a long while...). Today I decided to do something about them.

Firstly vellum, secondly Pearly Pigments. And last week I took home some stickers (as I thought) of apple blossoms (that I adore) that a neighbor had laid out. (We have this great habit in the building, a tiny recycling center for neighbors near the mail boxes.)

I started by stamping the vellum with white ink. The stamp was bought from a flea market last summer but never put to use yet.

The white ink is slow to dry and I didn't want to use a heat gun. Then I remembered the pearly pigment that dries the ink and pearlizes the whole surface.

What I thought were stickers were in fact wet transfer pictures. Luckily the water did not mess up my stamped background.

Entering the card into these challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Recycle

Everybody Art Challenge: #510 Frühling / Spring

Arty Divas: March AG

Stamps& Fun=Creativity: #407 Lieblingsblume - ich sehe diese als Apfelblüten die ich sehr gerne mag

NBUS: #36 AG as long as it's never used stuff