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 

A summery thank-you

 Today's inspiration came from a list of ingredients, a photo, a layout and a recipe. In my mind they would play well with each other.

The ingredients were simple: a die, a sentiment stamp, pink and yellow gelli printed papers and vellum.

 

The making was anything but. I haven't used these floral circles a lot and now I remember why: they are overly fiddly to release and then glue on. For the layout background vellum seemed like an obvious choice as I wanted to keep this clean. The sentiment was stamped and embossed on vellum. Then I surrounded the sentiment with small diamonds for glitter. The sentiment reads "Thank you".

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

Festive Friday: #FF0213 World emoji day - I used yellow, glossy embellishment and circles from the list

TGIF: #585 Sketch challenge

 

Inkspirational: #371 Photo inspiration

 

CAS on Friday: #338 Use dies and only word stamps 

 

CAS for Christmas

 Today's card turned out rather clean and simple despite the many challenges I was inspired by: colors, layout, shape.

I thought I would need these supplies. The golden rick rack is just a pesky little piece that has been hanging around since I got it (three years ago). Today would be the day to finally use it!

 

I shaped the card by partial die cutting with the largest circle die. There was a lot of fiddling involved to get the overlay to fit, but on the second try it did. The layout challenge had given me the idea to punch 8 decorative stripes into the card front and place the golden stars above it.

The sentiment was stamped and then embossed with gold.

And that rick rack found its place, too. 

 

Entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

Heart Quest Shaped Cards and Tags: hqscat #18 any shape

Color Hues Challenge: #TCH136 Cream and Gold 

 

Just Add Ink: #789 sketch 

 

Avenue 613: AG w/a twist: Any holiday - I am playing with this option 

 

Nachteulen / Night Owls:  NSS#62 alles ist möglich

 

A summery encouragement card

 I confess I am a challenge junkie - I find the best ideas when scrolling through challenge prompts and finding ones that I'd like to combine. Today's inspirations are summery and water-heavy, but do include a nicely fitting color scheme. I needed an encouragement card for a friend who is going through some rough patches in life. 

I have kilos and kilos or pounds and pounds of beautiful designer papers, but somehow never use them. Today I pulled some of them out. I realize they barely will make a dent to my stash, but it's a start. I also pulled a stamp and a die set of two lively fish. Later I also used some silver card stock.

 

I tore the background and arranged it in waves. Then I glued the die cut fish in place, stamped and heat embossed the sentiment ("keep your head up").

 

I am entering this card in the challenges that inspired me today:

Color Dare: week #710  

 

Paper Funday: #89 AG/ Twist: Make a splash. I went with the twist 

PIP: #86 Water 

 

Four Seasons: Summer 

 

Carlin's Kaartenparadijs: #96 juli

 

Hello friend

 Again I got inspired by a couple of challenges and wanted to see if I could combine them to a pleasing whole. Male greeting cards are difficult for me, I admit, but one does need them in one's stash.

This is what I worked with today: a stamp set (whose wrapper is long gone so I have no idea of its maker), but where the animals have beautiful patterns, alcohol markers, card stock in various colors, hexagon dies and 'dusky violet' embossing powder.

 

I stamped the bird, embossed it with purple (which turned out surprisingly dark despite its name) and colored the pattern it in with markers. Then I die cut two hexagons and laid them topsy-turvy over each other and placed the bird on them. I then stamped the sentiment and embossed it as well. At this point the card didn't seem quite finished so I brought on three enamel dots.

 

 

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today:

Alphabet Challenge: E is for embossing (wet or dry) - I went with heat embossing (which is wet?)

CAS Colours and Sketches: #588 Colors

 

Addicted to CAS: #311 Code word: Pattern - I used a bird stamp with a pattern

 

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #826 Masculine

Two adventurous fish

 After 'three of something' there is now a challenge with 'two of something' - how fun. I paired it with a sketch and got ideas for it via two other challenges.

 

But first,  I pulled out the fun stuff I thought I would need: two embossing folders, dies, stamps and gelli printed and ink smushed paper in suitable colors. I sketched the outlines of the wavy pieces, then tore them. The sun was die cut. The fish were first stamped with pale blue an a pink gelli print, then stamped again with grey and when that didn't look good enough and it was still wet, I sprinkled some clear embossing powder on them and heat embossed.

 

The bottom blue layer was dry embossed with a seaweed kind of pattern - not that you can really tell. (It is Weeping Willow by Creative Expressions.) The 'sky' part was embossed with a ray pattern.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

Freshly Made Sketches: #740  

Cardz 4 Gyuz: #386 Squash it 

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Fish / Sea creatures 

The Alphabet Challenge: D is for Double 

And because this was the first time using the seaweed dies, I am showing this in the

NBUS: # 87 June

A medley

 The downside of not being able to play more with my materials these days is that everything takes so much longer than usual. It also seems to become more elaborate.

Take a simple prompt "make your own background" for example and combine it with "anything goes". For example - but this is what I actually used. In hindsight it could have been such a simple and fast card, but this took me hours.

 

First: Take a gelli print, stamp onto it and then heat emboss it. Cut it up for a background. Because it is a tissue paper glue it onto a copy paper. Wait it to dry. Then adhere it with double sided tape onto the card.

Then: Stamp some leaves and berries, color them. Stamp a focal image in three layers (yes, it's one of those layering stamps - pesky, but with such lovely results). Then fussy cut everything and arrange them pleasingly.  Stamp a sentiment, arrange that into the greenery. Then glue everything down.

Entering this into the challenges that I was inspired by today:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Make your own background

TGIF: #tgifc491 Sweater weather 

A Blog Named Hero: September AG

Stamping Sensations: AG or Animal Magic - I'd like to think this is animal magic.

Cherries

 A good friend of mine was born at cherry time. Or, at the time when the cherries used to ripen; now they are ripe much earlier (courtesy of global warming). So "of course" there needed to be cherries on her birthday card.

Good fruit and berry stamps are hard to find. I am not keen on juvenile berries, those are galore... I am looking for more naturalistic looking fruit and berries and finally found a good one. (Hero Arts' Layered cherries)

I started by color blending the entire background.

Then I stamped a bit of noise, barely visible.

Lastly I stamped some leaves in one of the background colors and adhered the cherries as the focal point. The cherries - my goodness did some work go into them. Color layering means you get to stamp it four times instead of just two. The bottom layer was stamped with dark green and brown Versafine pigment ink, then embossed with clear embossing powder. Then came the second layer of stamping, this was done in Oxides. The cherries received one more layer with patches of red and pink embossing powders.

Entering this in:

A Blog Named Hero: Smooth

Stamping Sensations: June challenge bright and colorful

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Emboss it

Alphabet Challenge: F is for fruit

 As You Like It: With or without words (and why) - the type of card I am making (semi-clean) does somehow need a text to look complete. I suppose with mixed media cards I wouldn't do it. But yes, my cards are with words so they already spell out the occasion and I can concentrate on writing something personal on the inside.

And because this was the first time using these two stamps I am showing it in NBUS (Never before used schtuff) #63

Color with embossing

 I have watched many videos on how to apply color to embossed paper. Now that I was actually ready to try it my brain was totally blank. This is why I can't say in whose video I saw this idea - and where to find it.

So,  I started with a white embossed paper, turned it over to the reverse, de-bossed side. As I had a monochrome result in my mind I went rough over the whole sheet with an ink cube. I wanted to catch the background, not the flowers per se, but it was a nice surprise that even the flowers took color.

Then I went over some parts that hadn't caught the first time. Lastly I took a finger dauber and filled in softly some of the de-bossed parts. I used Distress Oxides in Picked Raspberries and Ripe Persimmon.

A simple vellum tag holds the heat embossed greeting.

 

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Lots of texture

TioT: Emboss it! - I used dry and heat embossing here

Allsorts Challenge: Week 782 AG or a Blast from the past - I went with AG 

Creative Crafting Uncles: #53 Monochrom - I went with reds

Can You Handle The Pressure: AG wit a twist of fruits and veggies - I went with AG

Spring colors

 Spring is playing hide and seek - snow is melting during the days (when there is sunshine) and freezing in the nights. What better opportunity to bring out some flower stamps and start making happy, sun-filled cards.

I had a couple of challenges in mind when I put this card together. In the end you'll see whether I did them justice.

The background is stamped with a (retired) hero Arts background stamp, Branches Bold Prints. Then I embossed it with clear embossing powder. I wanted to ink it diagonal, so I selected two Distress sprays, Twisted Citron for grass and a turquoise (forgot it's name) for the other half.

The flower was stamped, then fussy cut out and painted with pearlescent watercolors. I adhered that onto a round die cut piece of vellum, and finally adhered some turquoise die cut branches behind it. Lastly I put on yellow shiny gems. The sentiment says: Many happy returns. 

Entering it in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Bright and cheerful

Stay Crafty with a blog named Hero: Heat embossing

Cut It Up: #299 Colors of Spring

Just Add Ink:   #692 Sketch  

Dream Valley Challenges:   #311 Add sparkle

Wishing you happiness

 I am very fond of British nature themed stamps; they are simply beautiful and create a serene look that looks almost like a vintage copperplate.

Today I grabbed two, the birds are by Crafty Individuals and the berries by PaperArtsy. A few challenges were calling my name and I hoped to combine them in one card. 

I picked my favorite colors, or rather color combination for this time of year which is baby blue with dark, brownish red. I made a gelli print and embossed it with leaves. I stamped the birds in brown Versamark ink, cut the panels out and inked the edges. I used the same ink for the rose hip stamp, embossed it with clear embossing powder and fussy cut it, then colored it in with pencils and markers.

I am entering this into these challenges:

Triple B: December challenge I liked the stark black and white feel of this inspiration photo. I just could not fit in a butterfly this time!

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: AG floral or Moodboard - I was very inspired by the winter imagery, especially the rose hips spoke to me. These colors have a beautiful vintage vibe, too. - I am now unsure whether I should have added a flower as it was not in the images. But then I think: the rose hip was a beautiful flower and became a fruit afterwards. So perhaps it counts?

Stamping Sensations: Favourite colors - baby blue with dark red as counterpoint

Let's Craft and Create: #202 AG+ vintage feel

Blue Christmas wishes

 Just in time - a rather tongue-in-cheek card - but one the recipient will appreciate.

I treated myself to a couple of new stamp sets this holiday. The layered goldfish set is by Hero Arts, as is also the skinny alphabet. 

The first layer of the goldfish was stamped in teal, the top layer was embossed with gold. I used the dotted embossing folder again to create a wintry background. I built a little winter scene for my card with the white tree and snowflakes (the blue one is cut from a gelli print).

I am entering it into these challenges:

Die Traumfabrik: #123 Cobalt blue AG w/ blue

Stay Crafty with a blog named Hero: December challenge - I used sets DC 136 and CL945

Basteltraum: Winterlandschaft - Winter landscape

We Love 2 Create: #11 AG 

NBUS Challenge: #57 December - the goldfish stamps were NBUS

Inspired by...

 ... lovely challenges: one for the design elements, one for layout and the others for supporting ideas. How cool is that!

The sketch allowed me to place a central background - this is a gelliprint that was put through an embossing folder. It has a leafy pattern, so it goes well with my winter theme and provides awsome texture. For the diagonal element I chose a snowflake stamp. It was stamped in grey and embossed in glitter and it mimics the colors in the gelli print background.

The focal point is a bird, stamped and colored in with alcohol markers. A small length of a silver ribbon was plucked apart and adhered behind the bird.

Entering this in my inspirational challenges:

The Paper Players: PP668

Festive Friday: #FF0148 I chose Textures-Alcohol Markers- Bird 

Cardz 4 Guys: #336 Festive creatures

Can You Handle the Pressure: CYHTP AG / optional Christmas - I didn't go with this option

Have a lovely birthday

A floral fabric served as an inspiration for this bold and colorful birthday card. The flowers are cut from paint samples - I love them for their uniform coloring and somewhat glossy finish. The large sentiment has been stamped with white and then embossed with a white embossing powder.

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today:

AAA Birthday Cards: Game #55, Large sentiment

613 Avenue Create: AG/ Optional: Wet/dry embossing - I chose wet embossing

Cards4 Gals: #212 Embossing wet or dry

Time Out Challenges: #251 Photo inspiration