The less pretty toughts of a fox

I love snarky saying and have oodles of snarky sentiment strips to show for it, by TH and Aall&Create, to be exact. I use them seldom in my greeting cards, though, as I want them to be uplifting.

But today was the day - I need a snarky card. Out came my supplies: a background from my ready stash, a small stamp set for mushrooms and other fall accoutrements, a fox stamp (one of the first Aall&Create stamps with #4 - I believe they are close to thousand at this point) and my GT watercolors.

 

The background was first a blotched experiment in pointillism before I slapped a large gold stenciling over it. It became a grand affair, and I have been failing to use it ever since (this was about two years ago). Well, today was the day for this as well.

I stamped and watercolored musrooms, acorns and the fox, then fussy cut them and arranged them on the page. The sentiment is propped on a foam strip, as is the fox.

 

Entering this in these challenges:

 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers: #277 A is for Animals

Crafty Critters: Challenge #109

Creative Fingers: Challenge #328

Polkadoodles: #8 week 5 AG

Fiddling to get it right

 I usually have a firm idea for the card in my mind, and after gathering the supplies I take a photo of them, before cutting in. Well, today was no different. Inspired by several challenges I selected these.

I was so sure the green background, enhanced by white stenciling, would work. But it did not. The green and white had too much contrast in regards to the delicate butterflies. (The circles are in the next picture under the butterflies.)

So a frantic search for a more suitable background started. The choice fell on two.

 

Luckily the first choice worked. I stenciled the flower pattern over the handwriting with Lunar Paste in silver, then cut out the circles. The background had been prepared earlier: the lantern stencil was applied three times with white chalk paste. Now it was dry and I could work in some yellow oxide (Antique Linen) over it.

 

I then glued the circles over the previously stenciled circles and finally adhered the butterflies. The sentiment was stamped directly to the card base and it reads: Enjoy your day.

 

Entering this in the challenges that were my inspiration today:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Going around in circles 

CAS Mix Up: Stenciling over patterned paper

 

Alphabet Challenge: I is for Insects

 Unicorn Challenge: #123 Layer it Up

Krafty Chicks: #834 CAS

Love Those Pretty Papers: ATG/ Look to the Skies optional - I am playing with ATG 

Christmas greetings

I still need a few holiday cards. I thought I would be nearly done, but actually, the list seems to be growing. How that happened I don't have the faintest. Again, there were some nice challenges to guide my way.

 

My initial supplies were a stencil, a designer paper, some snowflakes from my ready stash and some Distress paints. This summer I have mostly used my gelli prints, so the designer paper stash has not gotten any smaller. The idea was to stencil over patterned paper.

Later I added another stencil and more colors. I also drew the outlines of the houses, windows and doors so they would stand out more.

 

Entering this in these challenges:

Stencil Fun: August AG / CAS optional. I am playing with AG

ABC Christmas Challenge: P, Q and R are for? I am playing with Q - Quartet: four houses.

Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge: #209 AG Christmas

The Outlawz Christmas Challenge: Anything Christmas goes

Polkadoodles: #8 week 3 AG 

Santa, oh Santa!

 I was inspired today by a couple of challenges to make a Christmas card, I am still very lacking in the department. With one person in mind, who is given to punny, dry humor I collected my supplies:

 

A Santa-in-Space stamp set, a piece of gelli printed paper, a stencil with stars, a package of somewhat irreverend sayings, and missing from the picture, golden Lunar paste and markers.

I stamped the moon and the Santa and colored them in, then fussy cut them. I stenciled some golden stars onto the background, mounted the gelli print onto black backing before mounting it onto the card. Then I selected a saying from the pack, something Santa could be saying if stressed out.

 

Entering this in these challenges that were my inspiration today:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Funny/ Punny 

Christmas All Year Round: P and Q - my letter is P and stand for presents 

Stencil Fun: AG, CAS optional - I am playing AG 

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends: #283 August AG

A Perfect Time to Craft: #8 August AG 

Hello friend

 The Card Chain is a monthly event and this card has reached its recipient already (hello to Gail in Norway!). I worked closely with the given sketch suggestion and color palette option yellow-pink-kraft and with the word 'pet'. 

These were my supplies. I decided to use my favorite, but very neglected crackling texture paste. (Last time must have been over two years ago!) I love its texture, but it is somewhat problematic on greeting cards, especially on one-layered card like this, because it tends to crumble at the edges. The cracks are divine, though.

I started by masking off four narrow panels directly on the card front, as per the given sketch. I then stenciled the crackle paste turning the stencil very once in a while for a more dynamic appearance. When it has dried up completely I used watercolor to make it yellow.

I cut a circle in pink and placed the stamped and colored dog over it. I stamped the sentiment in the free spaces between the stenciled bits. Lastly I added a black twig that I had on hand.

 

Entering this in the following challenges:

The Neglected Stuff: August

Stencil Fun: August AG stencil/ make it CAS style (optional) I am playing with AG.

Critter Crazy: #113 August AG w/a critter 

The sign-up for Card Chain for August is open still today - won't you join us?

 

 

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

A glimpse of heaven

 A card that would depict a hobby while using no stamping? A stencil that would produce a pattern? And a two-color scheme to cover it all? And make it for a male.

I thought I could find an answer to these multiple requirements and set out to select my supplies. I didn't need much, just a stencil, colors according to the scheme and TH text strips.

I stenciled the background and cut it to size, then adhered it to a backing. Now it was time to select the text and bring it onto strip of a vellum. Originally I had two in mind, but in the end I found four that suit each other well. Put together they evoke the dream of every fisherman out there. Listen to this:

"glittering in the sun:

a very wonderful place -

a glimpse of heaven

wonderful dream"

 

Entering this in all the challenges that were my inspiration today:

Creative Crafting Uncles: #79 No stamping

The Male Room: #212 Hobbies - this is for a hobby fisherman 

 

GCG: #26 blauw en/ of zalm (salmon and/ or blue) - I chose both 

Krafty Chicks: #830 Masculine week

Stencil Fun: AG/ make a pattern (optional) - I am playing with "Pattern" 

Simon Says Monday: Add some text  (2nd)

Simon Says Wednesday: Make your own background (2nd) 

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.

 

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... 

 

Will she like geometry?

 Some fabulous challenges were calling my name today. How does a mix of prompts like 'back to school', a color palette, something beginning with a B and using stencils sound to you? To me it sounded like fun.

Out came the supplies: a stamp of a girl which I have had for some years now - ETA: I bought it in 2023 - , a die by Simply Graphic, a French company, of brackets (how cool!) and a stencil by Viva with mathematical equations and some geometry. My GD is starting middle school in fall and this will be a great card for her.

 

I stamped the girl, (but omitted her arms) and colored her in. The color palette is perfect as my GD has red hair and green eyes and petrol looks good on her. I fashioned a tiny book cover and made it look like she was holding it by drawing the fingers on each side. Behind the hands there is a flap that is glued to the outline of the girl.

Before adhering the girl with her book to the card I stenciled the background, then brought in two brackets. Not only do they have their good use in geometry, but they also frame her. The sentiment says "a little hello for school start".

 

I am showing this card in the following inspirational challenges today:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Back to School 

Retro Rubber: #rrcb275 Bold summer colors 

Fab 'n Funky: #640 Something beginning with a B - which is book 

Allsorts Challenge: #853 Stencils

A Perfect Time to Craft: #7 Open challenge 

Love to Craft: #93 AG 

 

 

Strawberry fields

 For today's card I pulled inspiration from several challenges. It all started with an inspiration photo. I have been eyeing it since the challenge started, but only now that the time is running out did I finally come up with an idea. I also wanted to use die-cutting, stenciling, stamping and coloring - oh my oh  my!

Out came the supplies. There is a piece of acetate in there too, as I wanted to make it a flat shaker. The gelli printed tissue using a grid stencil did not make it to this photo, nor did the sequins.

 

I started by die-cutting two circles from the green glitter card stock: the ornamental one and a plain one for underneath to secure the acetate. The ornamental wreath builder is a favorite of mine, I got it several years ago to make holiday cards. I have never before used it for other purposes.

 Then I stamped and heat embossed the strawberries and their leafs and colored them in with my Gansai Tambi watercolors (they have excellent coverage!), glued the stencil print on the card and assembled it all layer by layer.

 

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

Inspiration Station: #86 Photo

 

Shopping Our Stash: #SOS577 You're so sweet

Tic-Tac-Toe: #tttc296 - I used the diagonal Fruit/vegetable - die cut - stencil

 

Just Us Girls: #830 Die week

 

Little Red Wagon: #865 I see

 

 

 

 

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