Just snippets

 With just how little can you make a card? My previous cards have been very labor and material intensive, it was time to try to make one with less.

A couple of challenge are very inspiring in this, the Snippets challenge and a CAS challenge. There were others, too, that I took cues from. Here is what I started with,  some gelli print remnants and a washi tape. I also wanted to use my minimal star die, it only punctures dots onto the base.

And here is what it became:

Entering it in the challenges that inspired me today:

A Place to Start: AG/ option New - I played with that option

Snippets playground: #469 December challenge

Alphabet Challenge: S is for Stars

AAA Challenge: #255 sketch - it's cold

Double Trouble partnering with Use Your Stuff #481: Challenge #155 - I am entering all three categories: die cut -check, washi tape -check, Double Dare -check.

A Christmas song

Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer in the late 19th and early the 20th c. His symphonies are still played, but his Christmas song "Jo joutuu ilta" (translated into: Over hill and dale) remains less known. I managed to find a rather recent recording (here) of this beautiful but rather mournful song. This is as traditional Finnish style Christmas as it can get, a song about the darkness, snow and quietness, sung in a minor key.

That song was my starting point for this card, which I combined with some other ideas. The background is a gelli print with TH fir trees stencil. I also cut some fir trees from the same dark blue paper than my edging, and added golden stars. The name of the song is printed on a gold paper and used as text.

Entering this into challenges that inspired me in its creation:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Trees

Cupcake Challenge: #583 Color inspiration Blue-White-Gold 

TioT: Traditional Christmas

Use Your Stuff: #480 Shine bright

TGIF: #448 Theme challenge

Thank you for your visit!

It's cold outside

 First snow arrived today - how beautiful. Of course it prompted me turn to some challenges for inspiration. I found a few, and as a result I am combining the winter theme with a wintry-christmassy critter.

The background has been run through my Sizzix with neat method that combines wax paper, an embossing folder and follows up with a hot iron and some colors. I am not sure from whom I learned about it, but it was on Youtube. The deer is stamped, the snowflakes and text have been die cut. I find a deer perfect for wintertime cards, it has that woodsy feel (unlike reindeer that dwells in the treeless Lapland).

 

I am entering my card into the following challenges:

TioT: Baby it's cold outside

Traumfabrik: #122 "Elliot the little reindeer" Anything that is Christmassy or wintry and features a reindeer or a stag - I chose a deer

Stamping Sensations: Get ready for Christmas My text reads "Merry Christmas"

As You Like It: Favorite Christmas critter (and why?)  I chose a deer for reasons above

Use Your Stuff: #479 Winter or snow

A "copperplate illustration"

 I  have wanted to make an old-fashioned botanical "copperplate illustration" for some time. I put it in quotes, because I am using stamps and not doing any copperplate or other drawing. That style just speaks to me.

There were a couple of challenges that I followed for guidance, mainly because copperplate botanicals are a vast subject and I have a vast amount of stamps. I also included a couple of printed papers in my composition. I stamped a nice selection of images and embossed all with clear embossing powder.

The finished card was kept to a tight color palette of olive and berry (with some variation). I looked for a way to include "a cluster of three" as prompted in one challenge. Can you spot it?

Entering in the challenges that made this stamped and collaged card happen:

Color Hues: #TCH#68 Olive and Berry 

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: #9 AG flowers/ optional moodboard - I chose to go less tropical than the mood board

TioT: Pretty papers

Use Your Stuff: #489 A three item cluster

Festive Friday: Floral delights

I love you

 I love this crocodile stamp for its touch of humor and how it can make potentially overly sweet cards look less so. "Love" and "heart" cards are things I avoid, because I don't like to get into a very sugary terrain.

I took my inspiration from a sketch, love and heart challenge and tried to keep it CAS. The text says: I love you.

Hearts are cut from a Brusho colored cardstock.

Entering this in:

Use Your Stuff: #487 Hearts

Less is More: #486 AG/ CAS

CAS on Friday: #260 Love 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG 

Freshly Made Sketches: #592  

Thank you for stopping by! I appreciate all your comments.

Flowers, always flowers

It's time for some flowers. Today I challenged myself to move away from my favorite colors (which are plenty) and try to use my least favorite color, which is purple. 

I recently purchased this stamp set second hand - it looked so whimsical and I today I am using it for the first time. I think the whimsy takes away the serious edge of purple. (Anyway, that's how I feel about purple.) Here I am still toying with a green stenciled background. Which I then ditched for a simple grey-beige one, the flowers are busy, the background dows not need to be.

The finished card:

Entering this into these challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms: AG with flowers -or moodboard - I took my inspiration from the mood board

Creative Inspiration Challenges: Challenge #3 AG

Allsorts Challenge: #733 AG/ option Bees, Blooms or Butterflies - I am entering with the floral option

Use Your Stuff: #486 Flowers 

NBUS (Never before used Schtuff): June Challenge - it's the stamp set!

 

Thank you for your visit!

Pastel or bright?

 That's always the question I pose when starting out - will the card have soft or strong colors? I don't have an absolute preference, it varies. The colors I own are no help, either - I have both brights and pastels.

Today I preferred pastel. It was the mood of the silhouetted flowers and the fact I felt drawn to shades of peach (there is a lovely challenge!) that decided it for me.

The background has been stenciled and the flowers as well. It's a birthday card, the sentiment says: Life is wonderful (the congrats will be written inside).

 

Entering in:

Colorful Options: Peach

As You Like It Challenge: Pastels or brights - and why?  I have no clear preference, today I went with pastels because they befitted my mood and the theme.

Daisy Chain Challenge: #75 No design paper - indeed none, I made my own background!

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes

Use Your Stuff: #485 Anything goes

Whale hello there!

This cheery Congrats or Happy birthday card (the sentiment can mean either) was made with several gelli printed papers and my new stamps.

I am entering it into these lovely challenges:

Use your stuff - #452 Mood board

Simon says Stamp Wednesday challenge- Make your own background

Double D Challenge - Creatures in or under the sea 

NBUS Challenge - AG / never been used - these new stamp sets. I used the waves and the banner (which is hiding beneath the top of packaging) from the first set and the whale from the second one.

 

With a touch of gold

Today I am showing a clean and simple card, although I should add that it is not CAS since it's not predominantly empty. (Which I believe is the official requirement.)

I made the background by painting it partially along the right side with a very diluted distress ink. Then I stamped two flowers (Wendy Vecchi), watercolored and fussy cut them. Next came the 'happy birthday' wish, the letters for which I die cut from a gold paper. I adhered them to vellum and pinned it down first, then adhered the flowers so that they sit partially on top and hold that vellum in place.

 entering in:

Use your Stuff: #448 A touch of gold

Card4Gals: Sentiment as focal point

Alphabet Challenge: D is for die-cuts

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes 

Stamping Sensations: AG/ option fauna or flora - entering with the flower option

Cheerful flowers

 I had tremendous fun trying to bend my brain to use shapes, stamping and one color. I used paint chips for gradation of orange, the flower stamp is by Altenew, the sentiment from Glorous bouquet by Stampers Anonymous.

entering in:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Bright and cheerful

TioT: Say it with flowers

Hand Stamped Sentiments: #385 

 Stamplorations: March theme challenge Shapes and stamps

Use your Stuff: One color

 

Double Trouble: #106 Less is More

Make a wish

 I love new stuff - I mean who doesn't? But then there are papers, paints, stamps and ephemera just lying around and asking to be used.

I have been holding on to this ScrapBerry bird themed paper for ages, not daring to use it up. But why save? There will be other gorgeous papers!

I started by painting the background all white. Then I added stamped images (ancient Above the Mark rubber), the said bird and a bough of rose hips for good measure. Lastly I flicked with black and white paints to create some interest and adhered a piece of text that seemed suitable.

This is an uncharacteristically sober piece for me, but I am glad I challenged myself.

 Entering this in:

Use Your Stuff: Black &white with a pop of color

Everybody Art Challenge: #494 Anything goes/ Alles geht

Game night

 I have had a busy year, and finally have some quality crafting time again. One of my favorite challenges is Use your Stuff - mainly because I have 'stuff' and want to use it. And I love challenges, because they offer themes and ideas I would not necessarily think of myself.

Enough said! This is a simple collaged Skinny-size (5" by 3") card on their theme Game night. I have used magazine cut-outs, washi tape, Tim Holtz Remnant rubs and a bit of game-themed paper.

Old and new

UseYourStuff challenges you to use something old and something new in one project.
Not that this might pose a particular challenge, we all keep buying new things and incorporating them into our art. But think of it this way: there's bound to be some craft stuff that you are not just using, however tempting it has seemed to you long ago. Now challenge yourself to give that a second chance!

I have had these sporty gents in my stash for more years that I care to remember. But until now they got laid by the wayside, there were always some more interesting pictures to choose.

For the background I used some (old) paper from my stash and stamped it with my (new) hexagon stamp.

The rusty bits are eyelets from clothing tags, which were treated with Finnabair rust set (also new).

This is my last inspiration project for UseYourStuff - six months have gone by very fast. I am sad to leave, it has been great fun.

Back to normal

It's almost September, for most people the vacation is over and it’s back to real life and regular daily rhythm. For me it marks the end of my summer job, ten days quick study related vacation in Sweden where I intend to visit as many rune stones as I possibly can (as a private geeky enhancement for my curriculum) while possibly shopping for new shoes and finding the perfect pair that would go equally well with slacks and a skirt (so far an elusive expedition) ... a girl can dream.

This means my final semester is starting soon. I feel my mind expanding with each hour and day spent at the uni.

But how did it all begin? As simple as ABC. Learning to read is the prerequisite. It all starts there.

Here's to everyone, big and small, just learning to scribble some letters in kindergarten or making your umpteenth PhD: brain is a wonderful machinery, capable of learning something new up to old old age.

There is a new challenge at UYS / UseYourStuff - it would be lovely to see you participate.

I'll be entering this project into:
Simon Says Wednesday: Back to school
TJK: Kouluun
TagTuesday: Back to school.

Colors galore

Today I was inspired by colors. Lots of them.
It all started with a piece of paper with random splashes of watercolor. Intriguing, and begging to be used. I added some more dots to enchance certain colors, then stamped on it with a hex background stamp in three primary colors. I was going with a certain color palette - you can view my inspiration at the end of the post.

Then I cut up some TH Paperdolls, using only their faces and feet. They all received striped stockings.

 Then they were clad in patterned dresses.

 Headgear - crowns and silly hats followed. And colorful wings of course.

Hopefully you feel inspired to join UseYourStuff challenge this week with something 'for the love of children'.

I am entering this set into:

SimonSays Wednesday: For a child

MixedMediaWorld: #28 Anything goes (moodboard: I was inspired by the colors more than by the pictures themselves.)

Earlier days

It has been busy times here with summer guests and my stuff moved about from the living room to closets - I even lost my ATC trading stash in the process. or should I say 'lost' - it will turn up somewhere, sometime, but it's embarassing to owe trades.

This little bird inspired me to make a collage. In fact, I made this as inspiration for this week's challenge at UseYour Stuff - go take part. This is your chance to use what is lying around on your work table.

also entering this in:
Three Muses: Clouds
SimonSays Monday: Red white and/or blue

Summer

The ultimate summer theme - for me it's butterflies. We don't have many in our yard even though I try various flowers each year, perhaps three, four different ones. To compensate for the lack of them I made this set as an inspiration for the Use Your Stuff challenge that opens today.

 Background was made with acrylics and stamping the grass. The background was so pretty by itself it was almost a shame to cover it up.

I built up with stamped tissue paper and some washi tape, added snippets of sheet music and the butterflies.

The really fitting words are by 7Dots Studio.

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