another twofer fer the flower challenge

Remember this card? It's Ericka's DT card for the current Flower Challenge where the theme is 

It knocked my socks off so I'd already pulled stuff out of my Mt NBUS and made two cards. Today I'm posting two more.

I went back into my pile and looked for flowers. I found a The Stamp Market flower stamp set with matching dies and although it took me forever with layered stamping and then die cutting, this happened. BTW, those leaves are gray...

   Cover plate die from Action Deutschland

The Stamp Market Beautiful Blooms stamp and die

Inkystamp Alles im Rahmen stamp

Altenew inks

And because I had also stamped a couple extra blooms, I turned them into another card using the whimsical Charming stamp from Penny Black. Yay for making multiples!

 Penny Black Charming stamp

The Stamp Market Beautiful Blooms stamp and die

Inkystamp Alles im Rahmen stamp

Altenew inks

Hope you liked this twofer too ;)

I'm heading over to:
Casology - Bouquet

Happy Little Stampers - AG with Dies February

Papercraft Challenge - Something New (my die and stamp!)
Penny Black and More - Anything Goes with option of tags
Penny Black Saturday - AG with flower option

twofer fer the flower challenge

OK. Have you seen this card? Knocked my socks off. It's Ericka's DT card for the current Flower Challenge where the theme is 

I need that challenge every day to even keep up with my NBUS! So I went into the pile and looked for flowers. And found this new die from my dollar store. And the Penny Black sketchy flowers. Then I went to my stash of backgrounds looking for something with reddish pinks and blues to die cut cuz I needed a nod to Ericka. And this happened.

  Flower Frame die from Action Deutschland

Penny Black Charming stamp

Inkystamp Winzige Gruesse stamp

acrylic paint Gelli print

And because that die created a pretty little rectangular piece leftover, I turned it into a spotlight card.

Hope you liked my twofer.

I'm heading over to:
Papercraft Challenge - Something New (my die and stamp!)
Penny Black and More - Anything Goes with option of tags
Stamping Sensations - All things Bright and Beautiful (blooms of course)
Watercooler Wednesday - AG Feminine

spotlight on a bloomful rainbow

Hi peeps! I had some fun with the new Stamp Club set, Bloomful, and you can check out my tutorial for this card over at the STAMPlorations blog.

I'm so happy to be taking this one-layer happy card over to:
30 Day Coloring Challenge 

AAA Card Challenges - One Layer

Addicted to Stamps and More - Make your Mark (I used colored pencils)

Happy Little Stampers - CAS Challenge - Friends (What better than a flowery rainbow to encourage your BFF to just go for it!)

STAMPlorations inspiration #202

Welcome to a Tuesday inspiration from the STAMPlorations inspiration team where the team members feature stamps from one of our talented stamp designers.

Today we're showcasing The Bee's Knees stamps. All stamps in this category are automatically 10% off this week and you get an extra 20% off if you use my discount code STAMPGIRLMARIA when you order.

So this month I've challenged myself to incorporate stamps, dies and stencils on CAS cards. I'm also shooting for monochromatic, but you'll see that I didn't succeed with today's - just had to get some contrast in there... Meet my card.

STAMPlorations Birds of Paradise die
STAMPlorations Birds of Paradise stamp
STAMPlorations Just Squares stencil
alcohol inks
gilding flakes
embossing paste
white embossing powser

I wanted to use up some of the backgrounds I've created and decided to die cut this funny guy from an alcohol inked/gilded piece of yupo. I decided on a vertical orientation. Applied a light dusting of Tumbled Glass distress ink, a couple rows of wonky squares of embossing paste and then the bird. A heat embossed sentiment completed the CAS-yet-artsy design.

For more inspiration with this fabulous set, see this card.

You could win yourself a $10 GC to the store by leaving a comment on the February inspiration posts. Check out today's post here. So happy you stopped by :)

I'm stopping by at:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes
CAS Mix Up - February

Basteltraum - Die/Stencil

CUTplorations february

One down, eleven to go! Welcome to February and to a new challenge over at STAMPlorations CUTplorations! Here's the inspiration for February. How could I not go with a heart, right?

image source: Magrikie

I hope there is something in this photo to inspire you. I could not help but go totally literal with my creation. (You'll see that several of the DT also chose a literal interpretation ;) But it was a great way to use up some of those gelli plate or inked pieces in my stash! 

STAMPlorations Trendy Spring Blooms die
STAMPlorations Hello Sunshine die
Sizzix Heart die

I started by die cutting the heart twice for my shaped card. Then I die cut a bunch of blooms. Took my heart and my pile of blooms and had fun arranging them on the heart. I let them overlap each other for additional dimension.  I used spray adhesive and trimmed the overhang off with scissors.

TIP: Trace around your shaped die with a pencil onto white CS. Adhere the blooms and then die cut the shape. This would yield a perfectly clean edge and press the blooms onto the white CS. I didn't do this cuz I first thought I'd leave some of the die cuts hanging over the edges. But I ended up not liking the look!

I hope you'll join us for some die cutting fun over at the CUTplorations challenge.  Create a project based on the inspiration using at least one die cut and at least one STAMPlorations product. Your project might be chosen as the winner of a $15 GC to the shop. Check out how the CUTplorations DT was inspired by this month's photo here.

And don't forget about my STAMPlorations discount code STAMPGIRLMARIA for 20% off should you find yourself shopping;)  Speaking of which, have you seen the new Bloomdala series??? Thanks for coming by. See you in the gallery.

I'm headed to the gallery at:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes
Die Cut Divas - Love is in the Air
Challenge up your Life - Love

Bastel Traum - Die/Stencil
Allsorts - Love

rico design neon meets hand lettering

First off, I am not a hand letterer and don't claim to be. It's so much harder than it looks.

But at Creativeworld in Frankfurt last weekend I was totally smitten with the Rico Design booth and their use of neon coral. And I discovered their neon watercolor palette. So I came home and ordered it. And played with it.

In the booth there was a sample - someone had painted some words with the neon coral. So after perusing hand lettering on instagram, I gave it my best and came up with this set of cards. (I used the stamp set to drive my choice of words to hand letter.)

Rico Design Neon Watercolors

Altenew Label Love stamp

waterbrush

black Sharpie

white paint pen

Copic C3 marker

washi

I apologize for the grayness of the photos. It's cloudy here today and I didn't want to brighten the photos too much. I tried to keep the neon as true to life as possible for you, but the coral (oh that coral!) and the orange are 10x better IRL ;)

These watercolors are so cool. Truly neon. And if you don't use too much water, really opaque.

Thanks for coming by again today. Hope you enjoyed my post. I'm joining the Anything Goes fun at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and the Anything Goes Challenge at ATSAM.

spellbinders dance for joy

Ever since I saw this die it tickled my fancy (see the pooch nipping at the last girl's dress?). So I got it! I do love silhouette dies. And what to do with them? Well, there are several, albeit limited options. I went with the classic, black silhouette...

I pulled out an old inked and stamped-off piece that had some blues and greens in it, reminiscent of the sky and grass. I die cut it and adhered the silhouette to it, hanging it over the edge a bit for added interest. Then, cuz I didn't know what do for a background behind this piece, I decided to give an acetate card front a try. I really like how it turned out.

 Spellbinders Dance for Joy die

Lil Inker Stitched Rectangle die

distress inks

See the subtle stamped print in the BG? So unexpected, but pretty.

Thanks for stopping by. I'm stopping by at these fun challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

Basteltraum - Die/Stencil

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Fusion - Penguin Love (that photo of the three loving penguins plus the Fusion colors... I think my card fits the challenge)