STAMPlorations inspiration #342

Welcome to another Tuesday inspiration post from the STAMPlorations inspiration team girls. 

As we head towards Christmas, I'm making Christmas cards with ephemera pieces. I'm using the Christmas in the Air Kit #1 but any holiday ephemera will do. There are lots of ephemera options in the STAMP store.

Here's today's card. 

Christmas Ephemera 1

Merry Everything stickers

 washi

This was quick and easy but only cuz my craft room is so messy! That green die cut scrap was staring me in the face and I thought "ephemera piece needs a backdrop". Ta da. A pine forest it became ;) Cutting the Christmas tree is one of my favorite Christmas memories. Do you cut a real tree? We still do.

Added the sticker sentiment to red cardstock and a couple little washi strips. I chose kraft to continue the woodsy feel.

As always, you could win yourself a $15 prize code to the store by leaving a comment on this month's inspiration posts! Check out today's post over at STAMPlorations. And if I should ever inspire you to order something from the store, I'd appreciate it if you used my STAMPGIRLMARIA discount code for an additional 20% off your order.  Have a great day!     

altenew november inspiration - take 4 and 5

Today I have two more makes for the current November Altenew Inspiration Challenge. 

This was yesterday's card inspired by the challenge...

Along with the scrap paper I had left after watercoloring those bloom layers...

Well I added a bit more distress oxide to the mess and got to die cutting. These two cards happened.

Altenew Super Script stamp

Altenew Virginia Rose 3D die

Altenew 36 pan watercolor

oval die, gold paint, patterned paper

Altenew Peony Bouquet

Altenew Beautiful Day

Altenew Virginia Rose 3D die

Altenew inks, copper embossing powder, copper cardstock

Did you notice the little dots on some of the leaves? That's where the temporary adhesive runner was, holding my bloom layers in place as I watercolored! It acts like a mask for the watercolor/ink. When i rubbed the adhesive off, there were dots! Fun, eh? I'm just so happy I didn't throw that scrap paper away!

 

altenew november inspiration - take 3

Yesterday I shared my first two makes for the current Altenew challenge. 

It's a beauty and has me totally inspired to create. November Altenew Inspiration Challenge. 

I mentioned my cousin had given me a few panels dry embossed with 3D designs. One of them she'd actually gussied up a bit.

She didn't like it. I LOVED it. And I love it even more now....

Altenew Alocasia embossing folder

Altenew Virginia Rose 3D die

Altenew 36 pan watercolor

So much that I couldn't bear to put a sentiment on it and cover up any of that grungy goodness!

Now I don't even know exactly what my cousin had done to the panel. Dry embossing, come ink swiping, a little heat embossing? SUCH goodness.

Well I decided to pull out my Altenew watercolors and color this wonderful layered die cut bloom. It took a while. I have such a hard time keeping a light hand. And trusting the process! But I 'm crushing on the result. (Magenta was my favorite color in the Crayola box of 64;)

I'm not done yet. The ideas just kept on coming. Especially when I had this sheet of scrap paper left after the watercoloring...

 

altenew november inspiration - take 1 and 2

Sooo. I came back to Germany with some new craft goodies and some fun 3D embossed panels my cousin was kind enough to share with me when we got together for a cardmaking date.

It just so happens they were Altenew 3D folders.

And it just so happens that the November Altenew Inspiration Challenge is a beauty. 

Those colors! Those leaves! I was off to create...

My first thought was to use a dry embossed panel with some of my new distress oxides in yellow, pink and purple.

Altenew Flowers and Leaves embossing folder

Altenew Virginia Rose 3D die

distress oxides, Maggie Holmes chipboard

And then I decided to use the same oxide colors on a card for a friend who lost her mom a month ago. I went with "thinking of you" instead of "sympathy" since it's been a little while. Doesn't that layered bloom pair well with the lovely outline stamp? I'm hooking this one up at SSS Wednesday Challenge - Thinking of you.

Altenew Delicate Bouquet stamp

Garden Picks 3D die

distress oxides

I'm not done yet. The ideas just kept on coming.

And I totally love Autumn. Here's a peek of what I get to enjoy in my yard this time of year. No filters added ;) Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

simon says stamp - creepy crawlers not just for halloween

I've had a play with the Creepy Crawlers background stamp and discovered it doesn't have to be just for Halloween (IMO). I used the spiders to add interest to a November birthday card for a guy.

Here it is.

SSS Creepy Crawlers stamp

Concord and 9th Laceleaf stamp/die

Inkystamp sentiment

Altenew Tranquility inks, distress oxides, silver and bronze embossing powder

There's actually quite a bit happening on this card. I was trying out new-to-me products. First I inked up a panel of Neenah white with the blue grays from Altenew. Decided it made a good night sky so I splattered some water and then some watered-down Black Soot ink. (See what I did with the leftover Black Soot on my next card ;)  Then I opted for some creepy crawlers hanging around in the night forest, first in gray then purple oxides.

Since this card is for a man and not a kid I had to cut the cute so I went with the leaf and an artistic sentiment, both heat embossed onto shimmer gray cardstock in two tones of powder. I love the effect. 

So I mentioned the leftover Black Soot. Did I mention I have a guy friend with a Halloween birthday? Enter more creepy crawlers.

SSS Creepy Crawlers stamp

SSS Alphabet Blocks die

STAMPlorations Number Plate die

I picked up the leftover ink with a panel of Neenah and then stamped the spiders. Used the numbers die cut negative piece which was laying around to back my sentiment and added a few dots of fake Nuvo drops which fit the grungy feel of this card perfectly. There's a belated birthday greeting stamped inside!

Thanks for visiting. I'm enjoying being back playing with my supplies. I'm hooking up at the SSS Monday Challenge where it's about Any Holiday Occasion and also the Stamptember Gallery cuz these creeply crawlers were part of that release.

STAMPlorations inspiration #341

Welcome to our Tuesday inspiration post from the STAMPlorations inspiration team girls. 

As we head towards Christmas, I'm going to take a look at making Christmas cards with ephemera pieces. I recently got the Christmas in the Air Kit #1 (which is sold out at the moment) but any holiday ephemera will do. There are lots of ephemera options in the STAMP store.

Meet today's card.

Christmas Ephemera 1

Festive stamp

Christmas Joy stamp

 silver embossing powder, pom pom

Another pretty quick CAS. I chose a large piece of whimsical ephemera which could "stand on its own," stamped a background for him with sentiments and added a heat embossed sentiment too. A fun pom pom added to the whimsical factor.

As always, you could win yourself a $15 prize code to the store by leaving a comment on this month's inspiration posts! Check out today's post over at STAMPlorations. And if I should ever inspire you to order something from the store, I'd appreciate it if you used my STAMPGIRLMARIA discount code for an additional 20% off your order.  Have a great day!     

STAMPlorations cas cards challenge november

Welcome to the STAMPlorations November CAS Cards challenge!

As always the challenge is to create any CAS card, with an optional color twist - this month the twist is comfy cozy neutrals.

I decided to use beige, gray and black for a Christmas card.

Christmas Joy stamp

Holiday Trees stencil

Design Blox 4 

CAS card tip: Use multiple or ombre colors with your stencil and extend your image off the edge for more interest.

I'm looking forward to your CAS card creations this month! Your project might be chosen as one of the prize winners. Are you cranking out Christmas cards? Check out how the DT was inspired by this month's photo here.

And don't forget about my STAMPlorations discount code STAMPGIRLMARIA for 20% off should I ever inspire you to do some shopping ;)  Thanks for stopping over today. See you in the gallery.