Greetings from forest

 Several challenges were calling my name today: a sketch, a color prompt, a word prompt, a call for layers and a die-cut. Well, then!

I laid out the supplies I wanted to use:

The blue background is a cyanotype. I tried to make some cool designs earlier in August, but most of them did not go as planned.

 

Their backside is actually nice, too. And this is what I used.

 

I started by cutting a cyanotype to size, then darkening the edges where some of the depth had been lost through cutting. I die cut the twig and leaves from gelli prints. The large leaf is a left-over from years ago - yes, I am good in hoarding stuff.

I then stamped the mushroom set and colored it in with my markers. Lastly I arranged everything according to sketch and stamped a zig zag stitch along the edges. (My sewing machine could not have handled this cyanotype paper!)

 

I am entering this in the challenges that I was inspired by today:

The Paper Funday Challenge: #91 AG / Sketch - I am playing with the sketch

 

Passion for Markers: #853 Stitching, real or faux - I am going with faux

Just Add Ink: #793 Colour Inspiration

 

Creative Knockouts: #578 Lots of layers

Classic Design Challenge: #8-2026 ATG/ Use die cuts - I am playing with the die cut option

 

An Inspiration to the Simple Life

 The title is a quote from an ancient TH sheet. It seemed so apt for today's card.  A few challenges led my thoughts to my summers and summer vacations. The most fun was to stay on a farm and observe the garden and its inhabitants. The birds, the squirrels, the hedgehogs. We put watered milk out for them. 

The supplies were many this time: two stamp sets, two die sets and an embossing folder.

I started by embossing the background, then stamping the hedgehog and the tree. The hedgehog is layered and heat embossed. The flowers were cut from scrap paper and assembled.

The card will go to a friend who is thinking of quitting a city job.

 

I am entering it in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

As You Like It: Favorite pet (and why) I always wished I could have a hedgehog, they look so soft and cuddly (but of course they are not)

Can You Handle the Pressure: AG, Stars and/or stripes optional - I selected stripes

Nachteulen /  Night Owls: # NSS 63 Urlaub - meine Ferien sind an einem Bauernhof

Creative Knockouts: #575 Outdoor fun

Craft Rocket Challenges: #138 Animals 

Summer at the waterside

 The ultimate summer feeling for me is keeping my toes wet, preferably at waterside, which is a river - or just the bath tub - in these parts. I spent my childhood summers at a vast lake and wanted to make a card reflect that feeling. (You kind of stand at the world's edge, if you know what I mean. Only sky and water exist.)

 

Out came the supplies: a stencil for waves, a stamp suitable to double up as a swimmer as well as some designer papers and a die for the underwater life. 

I stenciled the background with Distress Oxides Salvaged patina, then cut it out by hand in a wavy form. I stamped the lady, cutting her out without the intended wings and colored her suit with watercolor markers. I found a ready cut large cloud and a sentiment in my ready-to-go stash and used those as well.

 

I raised the swimmer and the sentiment out of the flat surface with foam strips.

 

I am entering this in the following challenges that made me think of my childhood summers:

 Everybody Art Challenge: #603 Sommerzeit/ Ferienzeit

Stamps+Fun=Creativity: #498 Ferien

Simon Says Monday: At the beach 

Creative Knockouts: #573 Summer Fun

TGIF: #tgifc583 Technique challenge: Popping it up

 

Girlz Creative Fun Art of Scrap: #23 Gebruik designer papier

Fun with fruit

Today I had my eye on a few challenges that could combine well for a card for a person who is not opposed to childish themes.

I have this fantastic circus themed stamp set (by My Favorite Things) that I have had for two years. (I used it here.) I thought I could combine this with two fruit stamp sets. The last time I used the cherry set (Hero Arts) was two years on the day (here). I had just acquired it then. The mixed fruit set (Sizzix) is also from that same year.

 

The card was straightforward to make: stamp, cut, color. Finding the right background took the longest. Finally I settled on a paper with a leaf print and a piece of green gelli print.

 

Entering this in these very inspiring challenges:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #rrcb274 Taste of summer

 

Creative Knockouts: #573 Summer fun

Girlz and the Art of Letters: #29 De letter van C van... circus!

Papercraft Challenges: #131 Sunny days & bright hues  

Token of friendship

These days when real mail is so rare and handwritten letters are well-nigh non existent I cherish a hand made card with a short note from a friend. It can be any occasion or for none at all, other than to say "hello".

Today I needed a card for a friend who lives far away. I took inspiration and guidance from some very apt challenge prompts. The foundation was a color palette. I had been to the paint store just last week and had brought home some green samples. How perfect! Each yielded two hexagons. The dies, in case you are wondering, have been bought at FB Marketplace and I have not written down the maker. They usually come without the original packaging to save on postage as here the postage depends on the thickness more than its weight.

 

The dahlias I cut twice, the base with card stock dyed with Seedless Preserves (TH Distress) and the top layer which was colored in with Versafine Clair Charming Pink.

I am entering this card in these inspiring challenges:

Sunday Stamps: SSC #387 Garden grandeur  

Allsorts: #851 From the garden 

Cut It Up: #357 Friendship 

Creative Knockouts: #572 Die cuts / stencils / punches - I used die cuts

Girlz and The Art of Letters: # 28 De letter van B van...  -  bloemen!

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