pretty in pink

Not that I intended it, but today's three projects all ended up pink-y.

First off I needed a 50th card for a friend. I CASEd myself (you haven't actually seen the male version yet) and for some reason I chose RV63, RV66 and RV69 for my color scheme. So this happened.

Neat and Tangled Inlaid Squares die

Klartext Herzlichen Gluckwünsch stamp

Waffle Flower Cutaway Numbers die

Copics

 I like how the minimalistic sentiment on vellum doesn't take away too much of that fun geometric design.

Then I had a play for the current Altenew challenge. Have you seen Aga's card? Lovely. As usual.

I should preface these next two by pointing you in the direction of Keren T's whose video I had just watched - mesmerized.

So then I sat down with the new-to-me stamp set and dies and for whatever reason, pulled out my collection of gelatos and gelato-like things. I think it was the video that made me think I needed to use my fingers to smear some color around ?!?

This happened.

 Altenew Engagement Wishes stamp and die

Altenew Deco Wallpaper stencil

Gelatos

Altenew Morning Frost ink

I did not actually smear the gelatos on the bloom on the card. Cuz I had smeared the gelatos on another bloom and it was not a good idea. Just left the haphazardly applied strokes of color and then treated my leaves the same way. Added a hint of stenciling to the kraft cardbase, "happy birthday" to the inside and called it good.

 In an attempt to save the smeared bloom I mentioned, I just added more gelato over the smeary mess. And left it unsmeared. Inked up two more leaves with green ink and made a tag.

Altenew Engagement Wishes stamp and die

MFT Dienamics Radial Stitched Circle die

Cuttlebug With Gratitude die

Gelatos, Nuvo drops

Altenew Morning Frost ink

I'm going over to The Flower Challenge with this too, where it's about adding spots or stripes. Added "stripes" of color to the bloom on the card. And "spots" of Nuvo drops to the tag ;)

reed bird swoon

Welcome to my post about a reed bird. He made me swoon when I finished coloring him. I hope he makes you swoon too. Fun word, eh?

Cuttlebug Thanks die

Memory Box Bird die

Savvy Grass die

SSS Thoughtful Messages stamp 

Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens

Gotta love that Perfect Pearls shimmer and what it does for colored die cuts...

Taking this card to:
#thedailymarker30day
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Layer it up (I layered layers of color on my birdie)
CUTplorations - January cuz of the colors
Tuesday Throwdown - Favorite Color (mine is magenta and the tones around it on the color wheel)
CASology - Swoon

simply create too 85

What's your favorite color combo? Use it and show us your project over at Simply Create Too in challenge # 85.

I really can't say what my favorite color combo is. I love colors and so many work so well together. One that I think is underrated is yellow and purple. I see lots of it these days in the form of pansies adorning people's patios.

I've captured that inspiration on this thank you card using posies from Techinque Tuesday (using the reverse of the stamps to stamp the solid colors) and a die cut from Cuttlebug.

Join us at Simply Create Too, won't you?

STAMPlorations inspiration #8

It's inspiration time over at STAMPlorations today. I've pulled out one of the oldies but goodies from the Subway Art series, Mom Subway Art Builders #5 for a Mother's Day card. Or just to let Mom know she's a great lady. I, for one, am still working on the "unconditional love" thing.

Dang, it ain't easy!

I used a spray of posies from Basic Grey in the BG, but the beautiful rose bud from Blossom Overture would look great peeking out from behind the tags too!

I revisited a technique and design you might remember from teamie Vicki's birthday card! Stamped the posies in SSS Stone on the creme cardbase and the sentiment on the tag die cut with a MFT tag STAX die.

I applied yellow, orange and blue gelatos to a second die cut tag, swiped them with a baby wipe and then dry embossed the tag with a Cuttlebug polka dot folder. Adhered it peeking out a bit behind the sentiment tag. Added a strip of envelope liner along the bottom of the card. A few MME enamel dots as flower centers finished it off.

Remember, if you feel like CASEing this card, or any of the DT cards from March's Inspiration Project posts, hook your card up in the gallery here and you're in the running for a $15 GC or two stencils of your choice. The winner is chosen randomly.

idea for dad

Back today to share an idea for a guy. If you skipped the "sick" part, it could even be for Father's Day.

Started with a panel of woodgrain paper. Adhered a strip of foil tape to scrap and dry embossed it. Heat embossed the tools. Printed the secondary sentiment onto yellow paper, added die cut letters and adhered adding two brads at the top. Wrapped a strip of PP (measuring tape) around the seam and adhered the panel to a cardbase.

PP: woodgrain Bringmann, tape WeRMemory Keepers, stamps Jane's Doodles, brads Basic Grey, font Hollywood Hills, embossing plate Cuttlebug, alpha die Memory Box.

This card appeared in the Cool Tools issue of Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking.

Thanks for stopping by. Heads up - I'll be back at the weekend showcasing mixed media projects made with ARTplorations stencils from STAMPlorations!

happy birthday, teamie! (AAA, sprinkle of imagination)

We're having another birthday party over at STAMPlorations.  Can you guess who it's for when you see this?

Image Source

OK, so imagine a luscious, satiny bow tied atop this cake. Or atop a card that rocks big, bold and beautiful colors.  Like B/W and hot pink? Getting any ideas? How about this...

Happy Birthday, dear Vicki!  This card of hers is the one I chose to CASE for our birthday celebration.  Alas, my journey took a few detours.  Interested? If not, just scroll down to my card ;))

So I'm thinkin' "black and white and hot pink with polka dots." Then I see this card Vicki posts and decide I have to incorporate the "gelatos, stamped and dry embossed" thing too. Hmmm - maybe some pieces die cut from a "techniqued" piece of CS, layered over something die cut from B/W PP??

At the same time I see the current challenge photo at A Sprinkle of Imagination and can't get it outta my head. Love that doodled feel... B/W, ya know?

Then enter AAA Cards. Have you heard about this new challenge blog?  Vicki introduced me to it. Clean and simple with some twists.  How fun.  And here is Linda B.'s card to be inspired by this week.

SOOOOO. See the subway art look of the sentiment on the inspiration card?  Ding, ding, ding... STAMPlorations SUBWAY ART: Dare blew into my mind.  And dots, lots of them.  But how to make the doodled flowers play a role too?? And of course a bow, cuz a Vicki-CASEd card must have one?? Well I veered off the big, bold and beautiful road and headed down the lotsa white space one. And this happened.

These are my wishes for you in your "new year", Vicki.  Hope you had a very happy birthday ;))

I'm hooking up to the two challenges which inspired me.  To clarify, at A Sprinkle of Imagination you are to use at least three of the colors.  I colored the centers of the black blooms lime green, but ya can't hardly see it in the photo :(   I'm also joining in at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where it's about "botanical bliss". I think Ashli's project over there inspired me a bit too ;)

Have a wunnerful weekend, all.

Supplies for image the impossible:

Paper:  CS Bringmann

Stamps:  flowers Hero Arts, sentiment STAMPlorations

Ink : Memento black

Tools: tag die Hero Arts, embossing folder Cuttlebug

Other: gelatos, colored pencil, twine

smell autumn in the air (CFC, Moxie Fab, Simply Create Too)

We have been having a week of lovely fall weather here in Germany. Sure hope it continues a while. Nothing I like more than putting on a jacket and heading outside in the sun. (I'm getting too old for the hot days of summer.)   Anyhoo, I've a card for you that nods to this wonderful season.

Notice those colors on the leaves.  How do you think I made them?  Distress inks?  Nope.

Tea bags. If you rip them open and spread them onto damp cardstock, let them dry naturally, and then scrape the clumps off you get this cool result.  The purple-ish tones are from a fruit tea.  Cool, eh?  Even have a slight scent of fruit tea to your card when you're done. Here's a tute - in German but with photos.

Added some dry embossing (reminds me of a cable-knit sweater).  And see the fiber?  The egg noodles I buy have that as a closure ;)

I'm joining the fun at:
CASual Fridays - #115 Fall Colors and a Leaf

Moxie Fab World - Handmade Cards - Color Media (tea)

Simply Create Too - #47 Fall/Autumn

Have a great weekend.

Supplies happy anniversary:

Paper: cardbase Bringmann

Stamps:  sentiment Technique Tuesday

Ink: Amuse

Tools: dies Spellbinders, embossing folder Cuttlebug

Other: tea bag, recycled twine

Pattern Play Day 5

Busy  weekend so I'm squeaking one in here Monday morning for Pattern Play Day 5.  Very much inspired by Kristina W.'s soft and lovely baby card...

Learned a new "quilting" technique (and I must admit it took me five times watching the video to actually get mine right - I am so not capable of thinking 3D).  But another great way to incorporate PP into a card.

And I want to share the art DD made for me for my bday.  Made my heart so happy!  She was inspired by my inspiration back in this post about my blog crush and the card I created based on it.  Isn't that cool?

Have a wonderful week and thanks for stopping by.  I sure appreciate it.

Supplies for BABY:

Paper:CS Bringmann, PP MME, vellum The Paper Company

Stamps:Crate Paper

Ink : Versamark 

Tools: embossing folder Cuttlebug, ruler scissors

Other: cotton crochet thread, button Sew Sweet

gotta love legos (Inspired by)

I stumbled across the inspiration photo at Inspired By and just think it's so cool (maybe cuz I've stepped on my share of Legos with bare feet in my lifetime).

Image Credit

Squeaking in under the wire here, but I made a card.  Quickly too when I opted to go with one stamp set.  Maybe the only furniture stamps I have.  Then again, maybe not.

Wishing a new homeowner oodles of love in their new abode.

I'm lovin' all the green on cards lately.  A nasty blizzard covered all ours up around here yesterday.  Happy Spring - someday!

Supplies new digs:

Paper: CS Bringmann, scraps

Stamps: Paper SmoochesI

Ink : Colorbox, Versafine 

Tools:  heart punch, embossing folder Cuttlebugl

Other: glue dots, washi

stretch those stamps (HA, ABNH, CFC, embossing)

 Recognize this little dude?  He's from this Hero Arts set, which is clearly a Christmas set.  But one of the challenges in this month's contest at HA is to use "a stamp for all seasons."  Read:  for all occasions.

Perusing my HA Christmas stamps I happened upon Le Frog.  Knowing I wanted to bed him on some green embroidery thread (a la this card) and having gone to college at a time was preppy was in (know what's coming???), I decided if I gave him a neon pink scarf, he wouldn't have to be a Christmas frog anymore.  I hate long sentences.

Also knew I wanted to do some embossing to add interest to my CAS card.  And since the girls over here wanted to see it!

As well as here:

Presenting Le Frog wishes you a happy birthday.

Selective inking allowed me to use this sentiment for the bubble - continuing the rest on the inside of the card.  And I squealed when I noticed the teensy crown also included in the sentiment set.  Perfectomundo for Le Frog's cabeza - gold, of course.  Googly eyes?  That was a no-brainer.

Have a bon jour mon amis...

Supplies Happy Birthday:

Paper: card base Papermania

Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink:Aladine, Versafine

Tools: embossing folder Cuttlebug, corner rounder EKS

Other: embroidery floss, embossing powder, googly eyes

top of the class (CFC, DYSU)

I really didn't think I'd play along with the "Back to School" challenges.  DS and DD  absolutely dread the day that school starts up and need no reminder of it.  But two years ago I had the pleasure of teaching English to 9th and 10th graders at our high school when a teacher was on prolonged maternity leave.  She is heading back to the classroom this year so I figured I had a card candidate.

Remember the joy of bringing home a paper with a gold star on it?  And maybe an "A+"?  I was one of those kids who was just made for school.  I loved it and it loved me.  Lucky, I know.  I have a couple of kids who didn't get those genes...

Anyhoo,  here's what I made.

Debossed white CS, rounded corners and mounted to card base.  Die cut gold star from recycled packaging.  Stamped circle to look like that paper we used when learning to print - remember?  Added an "A+" by hand and some letter stickers and there she is.

Entering CASual Fridays CFC68 and Do You Stack Up's Back-to-School challenge.

Supplies UR A+:

Paper: card base Buttinette, CS Neenah

Stamps: KellyPanacci

Ink: Jenny Bowlin

Tools:  die Sizzix, embossing folder Cuttlebug, corner rounder EKS

Other:  recycled packaging, dimensional adhesive, colored pencil

eggstra for you

Here I go again nearly missing a challenge deadline, although I've been intending to play along.  Ugh.

Maybe it's a good thing I was tardy, because just today it dawned on me that my girlfriend's bday is actually on Easter Sunday.  I pulled this card together quickly last night to join the Play Date Cafe challenge.  Same thing happened today.  But I'm happy with the result - although not my photography.  The card is really white ;)

The inspiration photo was all about green and white to me. Not my normal colors. But it's so cute because of the pops of colors in the bunnies' ears.

 
I needed a bigger element for my image than the PS stamps I own.  Checked out the free digi stamps here and chose the feather figuring it would be good in white.  Was going to go with eggs along the bottom and the "eggstra" sentiment (love Kim H's humor) for the Easter bday idea to bring in the color from the bunnies' ears...

Enter my buttons.  I remembered that I now own a button die which I had never used.  Shame on me.  I think the buttons pop better than stamped eggs would.  Not sure what the feather has to do with buttons, but oh well.

Dry embossed the feather.  Layered it on some corrugated cardboard and added a strip of chartreuse too.  Opted for a white heat embossed sentiment rather than black.  Rounded a corner and voila.

Oh, notice how I fuzzed up the ends of my twine.  Like the bunnies' tails ;)

Am also hooking this up to Coredinations color challenge although it was March.  Gorgeous photo.



Happy day.

Supplies for you:

Paper: CS American Crafts, Coredinations, corregated cardboard stash
Stamps: digi feather and sentiment Paper Smooches

Ink: Versamark

Tools:  die Marianne Designs, embossing folder Cuttlebug, corner rounder EKS

Other: white twine, white embossing powder, foam dots