Evenings are getting darker

August is here and it is lantern time. Their glow in the evening dusk and then darkness is nothing short of magical. I don't own any so I have to make do with my lovely lantern dies.

There were two challenges that made me think how to use my lantern dies creatively this year. (Yes, they haven't been used this year yet!) I pulled out the supplies: snippets of designer paper and a block of alcohol ink prints.

I punched out the lanterns and backed them with light yellow paper to mimic the glow. I selected a background that made me think of evening dusk, then arranged them according to the sketch I was working with. Lastly I added a piece of washi tape to ground the standing lantern.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches: #747 

 

GCFAOS: #24 Gebruik designpapier (Use designer paper)

Snippets Playground: #537 

Simon Says Wednesday: AG 

Creative Fingers: #327 AG 

Hedgehog and birdie

 It was time for another holiday card. Thankfully there are Christmas challenges with themes - this way I could pick some inspiration. I settled again for my PB hedgehog and birdie stamp. I made some stampings before I gave it away, now there are just a couple left. 

The other supplies were a sled die, some markers and my folder of mixed greenery. Later I pulled out a few scraps and some twine.

 

I painted the bird and the hedgehog and fussy cut them out. Then I die cut the sled and built some presents. I used a linen thread to connect the sled to the hedgehog so it looks like he's pulling it. It's a sweet card in non.traditional Christmas colors, just right for my younger GD.

 

Entering this in challenges that inspired me today:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge: AG / 'On the move' optional - I am playing with this option

Christmas Kickstart Challenge: #112 Grace us with your presents 

Sweet Stamping Challenge: For the children

Inkspirational: #372 Christmas in July

 

 

 

C.R.A.F.T. challenge: #785 Christmas           

Sunflower greetings

 Sunflowers are in season, so I was overjoyed to find a challenge for yellow flowers. I paired it with a sketch, the call for making it tone on tone, And, I could use my pretty papers.

The supplies were rather simple, dies and papers and some Perfect pearls. Later I added some glittery stones as I don't have enamel dots (which were called for in one challenge). 

 

I die cut the sunflower out of design paper and laid it over another. I made an underlay for the flower out of a yellow tissue paper so it would stand out better. I was working with a sketch so added the an outer and inner frame. The orientation was flipped, I thought my card made more sense as a horizontal.

Entering this in the following inspirational challenges:

As You See It: #377 Recipe for Happy Yellow Flowers

 

Atlantic Hearts Challenge: #692 Sketch - I changed the orientation

 

TGIF: #587 Technique challenge: Tone on tone 

 

Love Those Pretty Papers: July AG / Coastal optional - I am playing with AG

Embossed for birthday

Today I took on to combine  a sketch with a color challenge and add some dry embossing and die cutting to the mix. I chose these supplies to begin with - but later changed the bird-on-a-branch die to a doily die.

Here you can see the embossed and partially colored in flowers that have been already die cut out.

I tossed a long time between a white background and a colorful die cut and a dark grey background with a white die cut. The latter won as you see. I added a sentiment and embossed it in white.

 

 Entering this in these challenges that served as my inspiration today:

The Paper Players: #796 Sketch

 

Color Dare: #714 

 

Just Add Ink: #790 Dies, stencils ...or both - I used dies only

 

Cut It Up: #361 Emboss it 

 

From all of us

 Today's inspiration came from color challenges asking for red-white-blue. This is not my usual comfort zone so working with these colors gave me an extra challenge.

I started by pulling out my supplies: a floral die set, colors and a background stamp and a sentiment stamp.

 

I stamped the background with Versafine light blue directly to the card base. Then I die cut and assembled the flower and painted it. The sentiment reads " Best Wishes from all of us".

 

I am entering this in these inspiring challenges:

Daisy Chain: #109 Birthday  

Give a Crafter a Cookie: GCC#218 Yummy red, white and blue 

 

Colorful Options: July challenge

 

Pinspirational: July red, white and blue 

 

  

Shiny and earthy for your birthday

 Yesterday I made a square non-white card to fit certain challenges. Then I thought: what if I change one parameter of those four (of yesterday's card) and see what else I can do?

I removed the color challenge and kept 'blooms' and the 'square non-white card' requirement. I added stencil and shine. Out came the supplies:

 

I brayered a background paper first with cream, then pearlescent white acrylic paint. When it was dry I stenciled over it with gold paint. I cut it to size, then die cut the flower silhouettes from white card stock. I painted two of those with brown and left one white. Lastly I adhered the sentiment "Congratulation". 

 

This card became completely diffrent from yesterday's.

 I am entering this in these lovely challenges that were my inspiration today:

Seize the Birthday: #331 Square card, non-white base (2nd entry)

TioT: Summer blooms (2nd entry)

Just Us Girls: #833 Stencils week 

 

Creative Moments:  #284 Shimmer and shine

Creative Artiste mixed media: #128 AG Mixed Media

Colors for your birthday

 Today's inspirations became a recipe: a square card w/ a non-white base - birthday - blooms - a color palette of four vibrant colors.

These were the supplies: dies, papers and a sentiment stamp.

 

I die-cut every flower twice with different colors, then assembled the flowers with inlays onto the yellow paper. I snitched the layout idea from the color challenge, I thought it was genius.

 

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

Seize the Birthday: #331 A square card wit a non-white base 

AAA Card Challenge: #319 Color challenge 

 

Try it on Tuesday: Summer blooms

Time Out: #318 Mother Nature 

 

 

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 

Trust your crazy ideas

 Today's inspiration was color. A call for pastels, popsicle colors and a wonderful mood board formed the starting point to which I wanted to the prompt 'up' and make it a card for a friend. Who doesn't need a friendly nudge or encouragement in the form of a card once in a while.

My supplies were very simple: a shiny new die set, a gelli print and a pastel colored paper pack.

 

I started by die cutting the shapes. This is my first die set which requires serious assembly. I think I am not made for it, I can spot several boo-boos, but I can only hope my friend doesn't see them.

The sentiment came from TH Chit-chat booklet. I combined two partial saying to a (for her) fitting whole.

 

Entering this in these great challenges that served me well today:

Just Us Girls: #832 Mood board week 

 

Shopping Our Stash: #578 Popsicle colors 

 

Tic-Tac-Toe: #279  I used the row "Friendship- Any color - Any shape die"

 

Addicted to CAS: #312 Code word Up 

 

Just Add Ink: #790 Dies, stencils (or both) - I used both if you count the mini strip of gelli print at the bottom.

 

You can do it!

Today's inspiration was actually the word 'stars'. There is a challenge going with that prompt, but that requires an embossing folder and I couldn't do that because of the stamping and die cutting I had in mind. But let's keep the word 'stars' in mind and add a few challenges to that. 

I wanted to make an encouragement card for a child. I have this wonderful stamp set with whimsical animals. The top hat of the rabbit boy(?) offered a great place to die cut a starburst. It is a stamp which actually mostly perforates the image. To make the cut out look like stars I adhered a piece of yellow gelli print behind it. I also die cut and colored a few stars. The rabbit was also colored in with pencils. The sentiment reads: "You can do it!"

 

I am entering this in these challenges that I followed:

 Sparkles Monthly: #202 A kid's card

Sweet Stamping: For the children

Moving along with times: #191 Use a coloring medium

Cut it Up:  #360 Create your own background - I'd like to think the perforation with gelli print behind and stars on top of it is creating a background

A Perfect Time to Craft: July, open challenge 

Green and yellow friendship

 I had so much fun with paints today. I don't play with them often enough. I made an enjoyable mess which resulted in just one print, though, because of time restraints.

Today I gathered some nice inspiration: a friendship card in a color scheme of green and yellow using a stencil, fitted in a layout prompt. I used greens and lemon yellow for my background paper. 

I then cut the panel according to the sketch. The result looked minimal which was not quite the look I had in mind. I rummaged through my ready stash envelope and found a large lacy circle that I had cut for a project that never happened. It was yellow and it fitted nicely behind the green triangle. The flowers were left white.

 

 

Entering this in these challenges that served me as guidance today:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Fun with paint

Creative Color Girlz: #25 Geel en/of groen (yellow and/or green) 

Allsorts: #853 Stencils 

Cardz 4 Galz: #280 For a friend / Friendship 

TSOT: #699 Two sketches - I chose to work with sketch #1, but made a teeny tiny addition to it after turning it around... 

 

Birthday bouquet

 I haven't done flowers for a while - or so it seems. Actually, the last couple have included flowers, but they weren't the focal point, just a supporting character. Today I went full in with a new old stamp set - one I bought two years ago and haven't broken it out yet.

These were the supplies. I am making a further small dent into my sizable card stock hoard. I found an exact match for a challenge inspiration photo. (Such a lovely color combo, btw!) Also on the table my Gansai Tambi watercolors and a background die. 

 

I started with cutting the top half of an arch with the die, then added a straight piece underneath. I stamped the wildflower bouquet and clear embossed it for easier water coloring. Afterwards I fussy cut it out and placed it into the arch. It is raised with foam adhesive strips. The sentiment reads "More wonderful with each passing year".

 

I am entering this in the following challenges that were my inspiration today:

Sunday Stamps: #ssc390 Garden grandeur 

 

Alphabet challenge: F is for festivities - my card is for a birthday 

Simon Says Wednesday challenge: Fabulous Florals 

We Love 2 Create: #7 open challenge 

Creative Artiste Mixed Media: #128 Anything mixed media 

Enjoy your day

For today's card I let myself be inspired by several challenges. I thought the combination of flowers, butterflies, music and a sketch would be a good one to try, especially as I was asked to present a GD project @ Ellibelle's I Spy With my Little Eye - challenge. Please head over and join the fun!

So I pulled out  the supplies I thought I would need: a stamp with both a butterfly and flowers (Stampendous), a die set with a frame, butterfly and flowers (Studio Light) and some sheet music together with Oxides and Gansai Tambi watercolors. I stamped the background with Oxide ink on a wet background and saw the image almost dissolving. The color is just enough for a background, the flowers are still visible, but they don't take the center stage. (The butterfly was unfortunately covered but subsequent layering.)

I then applied water color on the die cut flowers and butterflies. I set the sheet music as a background for the frame. The sentiment reads: Enjoy the day.

 

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches: #744 

 

Sisterhood of Crafters: July / Flowers

 

Little Red Wagon: #866 The piano man

Ellibelle's Garden Party: # 17 Anything in / from a garden

I Spy with my little eye: #39 ... something with wings