Curious kitties

Inspired by a challenge, today's card features some cute and curious kitties. I have had these stamps for a couple of years now, bought probably at FB marketplace, if it is not a charity shop find. I would love to know its brand or maker, as I suspect they would have more stamps with this degree of cuteness.

There is a tic-tac-toe challenge that gave me the idea and framework for this. I pulled out a stencil, an ink smudged piece of background and a die set. 

First I stenciled DO Stormy Sky onto the base. The effect is not too busy, which lets the kitties stand out. Then I die cut a couple of stems and sprayed them a bit with white ink.

The kitties were colored in with markers. Also showing the usage of snippets: the small piece of cardstock was used up completely for the kitties.

 

Lastly I wove a piece of twine from one stem to another. This card has no sentiment - yet. I had several on offer, but I'd like to find the perfect occasion for sending it and then find the sentiment to match.

 

Entering this in these great challenges that led my way today:

Alphabet Challenge: K is for kittens

Retro Rubber Challenge: #281 Fallish Tic-Tac-Toe My row is on top: ribbon/twine - stencil - die cut

 

 I Love Promarkers: #615 Animals

Stencil Fun: September Ag/ yellow optional - I am playing with AG

Snippets Playground: AG

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Make your own background 

In the Pink

Today I was delighted to find several challenges that support each other nicely. An inspiration photo gave me the nudge to dig out my less used floral stamps and another challenge to consider my stash of designer papers.

I found a pretty paper in my stash as well as a floral stamp set I have used only once if at all by the looks of it. Not pictured is the label die (Spellbinders) which I added in the last minute. The sentiment set is an oldie but a goodie.

I cut the background paper to size. Then I stamped a blooming branch of what I suspect are apple flowers and colored it with my markers. I then fussy cut it and attached it with foam tape to give the card some dimension. Lastly I stamped the sentiment "Sending lots of love" onto the die cut tag.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Double D Challenge: DD9/26 Pretty in Pink

 

Creative Crafting Uncles: #81 Males go feminine

Everybody Art Challenge: #606 Rosa / pink

Crafty Catz: #719 AG

Love those Pretty Papers: ATG / fall florals optional. I am playing with AG

Enjoy

 I am a friend of recycling items in the craft room. Especially tags. I have a collection of beautiful tags in my craft drawer. Some are just too pretty which is why I haven't used them yet. But today was apparently the day...

I was intrigued by a couple of challenges and wanted to fit them together. How does circles, colorful, recycle and adding a charm sound to you? To me it sounded like just the ticket, as I always have so much leftovers. Either from projects that I made too much fodder for, or items that didn't fit a certain project and were discarded, or the cut-offs from die cuts.

 

I started by covering the tag with gelli print strips (cut for a project in 2024). I then stamped circles onto the background (stamp by Rubberdance, last used in the previous decennium) and spent an inordinate amount of time trying to fit the pink circle cut-outs onto it until I resorted to a die-cut of a round balloon (the balloony bit is hiding under the vase). The flowers in the vase is a die by Nellie's Choice. I had cut it ages ago from a neon colored post-it and darkened some areas with ink. Today it found its place.

 

Lastly came a pretty brad as my charm, and the little but important word 'enjoy' as this is going to accompany a tasty gift.

Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Tag-along and ATC's: Circles

Die-cut Divas: Recycle, re-use & repurpose - I used a clothing tag as my base

GRC: #56 alles mag of gebruik een bedel - ik heb een bedel gebruikt

Crafters' Cafe: AG/ optional Lots and lots of colors - I am playing with the Option

The Neglected Stuff: September - all the used items have been neglected for years

Moose on the run

 A current challenge brought to my mind that I actually own a moose die. I am so grateful that these challenges exist, they make me use my craft supplies, often in a way I had never thought of.

Today I was going for clean and simple, so my supplies were very sparse.

 

I had a silvery grey card base, and I started by applying some gesso mixed with silver lunar paste through a stencil. While it was drying I die cut three moose out of craft card stock and applied a light wash of silver on them, too. Then came the assembly. The sentiment reads: Peace for Christmas.

 

 Entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Clean and Simple

AAA Cards: #323 It start with M... moose!

 

A Cut Above: Use a die cut

Inkspirational: #376 Word prompt 'Furry friends'

 

Critter Crazy: #114 AG critter 

Glittery and frosty

A New Year's card - in September? That has to be a first! Normally I make them just before Christmas to cover up the fact that I have forgotten to send Christmas cards...

It all started quite innocently: some glittery card stock, an old die, markers and a new stamp of an Ice Queen.

 

The lilac-lavender card stock became the base. Then I cut the half snowflake twice out of the silver. The join was visible, so the sentiment had to go there. Then I stamped the Ice Queen, colored her in and fussy cut her out, then propped her on foam strips to give this card a background and a foreground.

Originally I had a Christmas card in mind, what with the snowflake and the included sentiments. But looking at it it really was too... cold, if you know what I mean. Christmas is mostly green these days and the cold spell really often starts with January.

So there, a New Years card it is.  

 

Playing along in these challenges:

Sunday Stamps: #ssc394 Get in Shape

 

G&TAOL: #35 De letter I van... Ice Queen

NBUS: #90 

We Love 2 Create: #8 AG

Polkadoodles: #9 week 2 AG 

 

Halloween magic

I did not set out to make a Halloween card per se, but now I am glad I did. 

It all started with stencils and sprays.

 

To build up texture I used more stencils and 'Aged silver' embossing enamel (Stampendous).

 

I wanted a grungy look, so I stenciled black gesso onto the card, then poured the enamel over and heat embossed it.

 

To complete the card I found die cuts of a gigantic star and two cats that I had received from my crafting friends. Never knew what to use them for, but today was apparently the day - I was aided in my thinking process by a couple of challenges.

 

I cut out the bats from black card stock and arranged everything. I printed out the sentiment.

 

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Add some texture

TioT: Emboss it 

Archiscraps: Use a large star as a feature

Craft Rocket: #140 Use dies 

As You Like It: Favorite Halloween colors - and why?  - Mine is anything with purple, be it yellow, orange, black, even green.

Creative Artiste Mixed media: #130 Anything MM goes 

It's time...

 ... to spread your wings. I purchased a magazine solely for the free stamp sheet that came with it. (Although the magazine, Creative Stamping, is great, too.)

Today's ingredients were inspired by a couple of challenges.

I started by smearing a paper with some leftover paints. The lower half is more or less mud, but I stenciled the top half with a round stencil and green paint, which created some interesting structure. I cut out a good piece off it, selected some stamps and a sentiment to match and set to work. The flowers were colored in with markers, the bird with watercolor pencils. As for the tag, after die cutting it I left all the little pieces in place that would normally fall out. I think the effect is nicer this way as it does not garner more attention than the bird.

 

I am entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Stamp it

 Stencil Fun: AG with a stencil / yellows optional. I am playing with AG

Addicted to Stamps and More: #525 Die cuts and/or stencil - I have used both

Triple B: Birds-blooms- butterflies AG - My bird has a yellow breast, but otherwise I veered off from inspiration photo

 

PIP: #2636 AG 

 

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

 

On the farm / 100 days

 Today marks the 100th day of my private and unannounced challenge. After a break of two years from card making I wanted to challenge myself

* to make a card every day for 100 days 

* to use everything I had

* not to be precious about anything: all papers, all rub-ons, all toppers and ephemera were fair game and there to be used

 I had blogged my cards until September 2024. Then came the time we tried to sell our house and all signs of private life had to be packed away. This took a while. Then came the move, after which I was left with no craft room and had to fit a desk into my bedroom. I had to let go of a lot of papers and ephemera, I no longer could fit them. (And technically I should change the blog name: we live in a blue house now...)

In May this year I was sufficiently rested - and organized - to take up card making again. May 31st marks the first day of this 100 day challenge. What I learned about myself: I need ideas from outside to be able to make cards, be they prompts, pictures, layouts, tic-tac-toes, anything to get my 'cerebral juices flowing' (did Sherlock Holmes say that?). I took pleasure on combining three to five challenge prompts into one card. I applaud all challenge teams, you do a terrific job! Without your ongoing dedication to your challenge this hobby would be so much less. Thank you all!

I used a lot of my supplies, mostly dies, markers, watercolors and perhaps 10% of my stamps. This last week was tough. I had the feeling I had exhausted my supply of ideas. Making a card felt like walking in muddy boots, they want to hold you back.

As the fall season is beginning I won't be able to spend so much time at my craft desk. So no daily blog posts! But I will still make cards. My challenge now is to use more rub-ons in my card making (even though it feels a bit like cheating - I don't know why?), use more stamps and paints and try to experiment more.

It is time to present the card of the day and the challenges that led my way. 

I got inspired by a color and the prompt to make something farm related. Additionally I wanted to use die cuts. I gathered my supplies: a stamp set of farm animals and floral die cuts. I also used markers and, contrary to the photo, a ready sentiment.

After I had cut the center off a print (which I used here) I was left over with floral designs in delicious tones of brown. I decided to die cut them out, to be used in some future date. These came in handy today!

I played with a few arrangements for the flowers and finally settled on  a linear one. I stamped three sheep, colored them in with markers and fussy cut them. I then placed them behind the (raised) flowers. They seem to be delightfully grazing in a flower field.

Entering this in these challenges that I was inspired by today:

Colorful Options: September Rusty brown I am using Option 2, Warm earth tones

 

Little Red Wagon: #874 Hayloft

FarmQuest General Store: #42 Anything farm related

Just Us Girls: #839 Die week

 

Crafting from the Art: AG August 

 

 

 

I did not forget your birthday

 Today's card features a piece of gelli print, some ink smooshing and ink flicking, watercolors and a fineliner, a die, a stamp, a remnant - and paper and scissors, of course.

It all started with two prompts: a photo collage of vases with lovely hues of blue (see below), and the prompt to use only one color next to black and white. My decision was instant: I would use that beautiful blue as my one color. I gathered my supplies:

 

I started by stamping a part of the gigantic forget-me-not. I then prepared an ink smooshing bath (Blueprint Sketch DO) and repeatedly took the middle part of the image to it, letting it dry in between. As the color was still not dark enough, I helped it out with GT watercolor (Ultramarin).

I then cut the vase out of a gelli print and used the rest to make a 'table top' for the vase to sit on. I fussy cut the flower and attached everything in place. I then flicked the background with black ink and drew a partial frame with a fineliner.

Entering this in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

Double D: Vases and/or pitchers

 

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity: #213 Black and white plus another color

 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Stamp It 

Stamps+Fun=Creativity: #500 Jubiläum

Creative Artiste Mixed Media: #130 AG mixed media

Paer Rock Scissors: #20 

Leftovers only

 Today's card consists entirely of leftovers from past cards. I loathe to throw the cut-offs or unused pieces away, and tend to keep them for a while on my desk.

This is what I have amassed since mid-July. You will recognize some, and perhaps not others, because they never made into a card (like the bees).

The pink lozenges are left over from the lemon card. I have a lozenge die that I have not broken apart, because it gives you three shapes with one pull: a lozenge and two funny-shaped frames. I grabbed those frames today. The brown confetti between them hails from the ferris wheel card and the mushrooms and acorns from a more recent fox card. The sentiment was stamped in multiples for the 'my a**' birthday card.

 

Entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Get in shape

Die Cut Divas: Recycle, re-use & repurpose  - Everything on my card is recycled. This would have otherwise landed into trash.

Krafty Chicks: #836 Birthday

Creative Inspiration: #42 Anything goes

A Perfect Time to Craft: Open challenge #9-2026 

 

Balloons for birthday

 Today I wanted to tackle my stash of designer papers. I tend to buy them and then hoard them, just because they seem too pretty to use.

I rounded up a couple of challenges that play together wonderfully. These were my initial supplies. Afterwards I grabbed some markers.

 

I started by piecing the background. I then took it to my sewing machine and stitched two rows of zig-zag stitches. Then I cut the circles, one large and three small ones.

I have been looking for a pretty balloon die for ages, with no luck, so I resorted to cutting the shape with scissors.

 

I then stamped the girl, colored her in and fussy cut her out. Lastly came the assembly. The sentiment says: "Happy birthday".

 

Entering this in these challenges that I was inspired by today:

Paper Players: #PP801 Tic-Tac-Toe - My row is top across: patterned papers- things that fly - layers

 

Try a Sketch on Tuesday: #TSOT 703

 

Double Trouble: #224 

AAA Birthday: #89 Use patterned paper

 

Sweet Stamping: Use a die cut