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 

 

 

Happy to you

 I could not believe it. It has been a couple of years since I bought this beautiful die set - and have not once used it. Today a challenge made me think of it and I packed it out. The colors were inspired by another challenge. I used small paper paint chips, too - always a win as I have too many stashed up.

 

This is a birthday card.

 

I am entering this in these inspirational challenges: 

Time Out: #316 Inspiration photo - I was inspired by the open geometric structure

 

Seize the Birthday: #329 Blue, pink and yellow

Snippets Playground: #535 

I am also entering in these AG challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations: #638

 

Paper Rock Scissors: #17 

Two hours later...

I have eyed some challenges for a while. They are not easy ones to combine by any means, but I have been feeling brave lately. Take a sketch, vellum, fruit, a frame and stripes and combine them freely. I chose my title by sheer exhaustion. In my head it is spoken in tinny robot voice. Because, let's face it, some cards are easily made and others ... not so.

First I thought these supplies would be enough. Two dies, a lovely pear stamp and vellum.

 

I hadn't thought of the pear. It had to be colored in. This was done with Ecoline markers, I like the fact that they are water soluble.

 

The striped round die-cut needed to be backed with vellum. The vellum needed to be colored in. Enter alcohol markers.

 

For sentiment I used another die and glittery green card stock.

I am entering this into these wonderful challenges that got my brain going:

TGIF: #tgifc581 sketch 

Addicted to CAS: #310 Codeword Frame  

Lost Coast Portal: #210 Fruit, flowers, foliage

The Paper Funday: #88 AG, polkadots or stripes optional - I went with the option of stripes

Seize the Birthday: #328 Use vellum or acetate - I used vellum

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 

Birthday wishes

 I do love leaves, all of them, from budding ones in early spring to skeleton leaves in late fall. Today I was happy to combine inspiration from several challenges that seemed to play well together.

I started with making my background using a leaf stencil and several subdued fall colors. I cut it to tag shape, but decided against making a hole on top, as it would have interfered with my intention of putting twine elsewhere. I then die cut a skeleton leaf from a more colorful gelli printed paper. The linen twine and a stamped sentiment round up this card.

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Seize the Birthday: #274 Fall items

The Card Concept: #201 Fall leaves. I was inspired by the leaves

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Tag It

Stencil Fun: AG/ or Leaves - I chose leaves

Freshly Made Sketches: #613

Summer blues

 It is always rather a challenge to create a card entirely without stamping. I managed it using a stencil, distress inks and oxides, color pencils, a sewing machine and die cuts.

I flicked some ink onto the card before adhering the diecut. The sentiment is handwritten.

I am entering it in the challenges that inspired me today:

Stencilfun: Birthdays (2nd entry)

Seize the Birthday: #265 Circle or circles

Allsorts: #738 Summer blues 

Shopping Our Stash: #501 No stamping allowed

Birthday wishes

 Again - a card inspired by several challenges. I was inspired by a color palette and by a prompt 'make it pop' - I think these two challenges went nicely together. I then was inspired by another to use die cuts. Lastly I wanted to see if I could keep it simple.

I have a new set of heart dies and wanted to combine it with flowers in the palette colors. It was admittedly a lot of fiddling to get the flowers inside the heart die, but I am so glad I persevered. The next one will go so much faster.

Entering in these challenges that inspired me to create this card:

for the colors: Through the Purple Haze #204

For using the die cuts: Everybody Art Challenge #536

For keeping it simple: Tuesday Taggers 

For making a birthday card with colors that pop: Seize the Birthday #262 

and finally, because all these dies were used the first time, this was also a NBUS project.

Thank you for visiting!

Birthday wishes in blue

My favorite technique would be stamping and lately I have been acquiring a couple of new Oxide inks. So I paired those two and made a birthday card to a dear friend.

The stamp is an old one from Stampendous, the oxides are Uncharted mariner, Salty ocean and Salvaged patina. The droplets were made with that as well, the center is Spice marmalade.

 

Entering in:

AAA Birthday Challenge: #42 Favorite technique

Seize the Birthday: AG / Clean and Simple

Cardz4Gals: #82 Shades of Blue

Dream Valley Challenges: #279 Favorite Colors

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes

 

A restricted color palette

 I find using a restricted color palette very challenging. So of course I had to challenge myself!

I started by stamping the Stampers Anonymous Glorious Bouquet onto a card base. The stamp is extremely large, there is some overhang that simply didn't fit in.

I then colored it in with two colors only: Shaded Lilac and Iced Spruce. I have them as refills, it's perfect for watercoloring technique. I filled in the flowers in the center only, leaving the ones along the edges uncolored.

Lastly I matted it with dark forest green, added Glossy Accents on the leaves - which sadly don't show very well in the photo, but it adds such a nice detail.

I am entering this in:

The Alphabet Challenge: B is for Blooms

Inkspirational Challenge: #263 Watercolor    

Color Hues, the color challnge: #39 Purple and Green 

Seize the Birthday: #236 Signs of spring 

The Flower Challenge: #67 Add a heart

Birthday Wishes

This card started with my most favorite floral stamp. I used it last year, but not since. Instead of coloring it in I decided to draw different size circles and stripe them up.

 Even though I wanted to go with a clean look it still was a bit bare. I stenciled hearts with a puffy pink paste.

 The sentiment is my most recent acquisition, I desperately needed some new birthday texts.

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me or which are suitable in other respects:

Seize the Birthday: #235 AG or Stripe it up - I used the stripe option

Make My Monday: #171 Use a stencil

We Love Stamping: April - Stamp of the moment 

We love 2 Create : Week 4: AG

NBUS: #37 AG 

The big seven oh

 A dear friend of mine is turning 70. She was never one to celebrate her birthdays, but this time she will. Knowing her reluctance I made a card that look lighthearted enough. Instead of using the big scary number I am only saying Congrats (and will write something personal inside).

I like to use my gelli plate prints whenever I can. I cut the squares, then stamped the images onto scraps, fussy cut them and adhered onto the squares.

I placed the letters a bit crooked and also used one negative instead of a full letter. I feel it adds to the feel of lightheartedness. 

Entering in:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Feminine

Sweet Stampers Challenge: #66 CAS 

CAS on Sunday: #227 Flowers 

Simon Says Wednesaday: Use your favorite things - mine would be gelli plate printed papers! 

Seize the Birthday: #234 Use Green or Anything goes - I went with the latter option