Berries and Flowers

A couple of cards for you today.  First up for Christmas Craft Creations "Black & White + One":

A very CAS card and quick to make - stamped, watercoloured the berries bright red, bordered with black, popped up on fun foam, and Glossy Accents added to the berries.

And for The Flower Challenge "Use a Shape":

This uses up some odds and ends so it's also going over to Pixie's Snippets Playground.  The piece behind the flower is from my leftovers box - it had been sprayed with a few different sprays. Behind it is a scrap of dark pink shimmer cs.  And on a scrap of watercolour paper, I stamped and watercoloured the flower, then fussy cut it and popped it up with foam tape.  I finished it off with some tiny flower embellishments that matched the colours in the sprays.

Challenges:
Christmas Craft Creations "Black & White + One
 

The Flower Challenge "Use a Shape"

  

Pixie's Snippets Playground 

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Magenta chickadee, Rubber Soul sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair black
Paper - white and black cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - red watercolour paint, Glossy Accents, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Tim Holtz peony, unknown sentiment
Ink - Ranger Archival Jet Black
Paper - watercolour paper, dark pink shimmer cs, white cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - watercolour paints, various sprays, Simon Says Stamp tiny flower embellishments, Spellbinders peony die cuts, foam tape

Flowers Instead of Christmas

I was inspired by a couple of challenges to make flowery cards instead of Christmas cards!  (Though I do need more Christmas cards!)

First up, Penny Black and More "Flowers All Over" - flowers as the predominant focal element of the card.  I have a friend with an early January birthday and tulips are her favourite flower so it's good to get her card made well before the busy holiday period.

I inked up the tulips in my MISTI with mini Distress inks, then spritzed lightly with water, and stamped onto watercolour paper - I repeated until I was happy with the results.

I used a matching green cardbase, a white heat embossed sentiment on black, and added a scattering of pearls.


Second up, The Flower Challenge "Use a Die".   I needed a card to send off to one of my sisters who's going through a rough time.

I recently bought the Altenew Peony Bouquet stamp and die set after looking at it for a few years.

This is my first time using it. I actually layered three stamps so got a nice variation of colour.

I used the matching die cuts and taped the leaves flat to the cs and popped the flower up on foam tape.

A simple sentiment and three sequins finish it off.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Penny Black tulips, Chocolate Baroque sentiment
Ink - various small Distress inks, ColorBox white
Paper - black and green cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - white embossing powder, pearls, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Altenew Peony Bouquet, PTI sentiment
Ink - various greens, pinks, and red Distress ink
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Altenew peony dies, Lil Inker stitched rectangle die, foam tape, white sequins

Inspired Peonies

Yet another card for the CAS Watercolour April challenge of Green and Pink.

 

It's also for the SCS Inspiration Challenge to choose an image from a Pinterest board called Floral Arrangements.  I chose this image:

And here's the card I was inspired to make:

I stamped my Penny Black image in Versafine Smokey Grey so that it was a bit lighter than stamping in black. Then watercoloured the image, splattered a tiny bit around the edges, added a sentiment, die cut with a stitched edge die, bordered in green, and popped up on a cream card base.

I used a new sentiment stamp that I really like.  I recently spent a few days with my sister who lives 3,000 miles away so I'm going to send it to her.

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black Centerpiece, Impression Obsession sentiment

Ink - Versafine Smokey Grey

Paper - watercolour paper, green and cream cs

Size - 5.75" square

Accessories - Gansai Tambi watercolour paints, fun foam, Lil Inkers stitched square die

Altenew Peonies

 Altenew is running an "Ultimate Challenge Blog Hop".

I was thrilled as I'm on the Design Team for the CAS Mix Up blog and our blog was invited to take part in the blog hop, along with 17 other challenge blogs.

One of our founders, Bonnie Klass, made our blog's card but the rest of the CAS Mix Up Design Team is also making cards for the challenge.  Here's my card using the gorgeous Altenew Peony Bouquet stamp set.

 

Peonies are one of my favourite flowers and I have a few of them growing in my garden.  One of the loveliest is a pink one, so I watercoloured my images in shades of pink.

The stamps are heat embossed in white on hot press watercolour paper.  I used my Gansai Tambi watercolour paints, with the wet-on-wet technique (taught to me in a get-together with Loll Thompson, the other founder of CAS Mix Up).  See here for a video on how to do it.  I love the way the water moves the paint when you drop it in.

I fussy cut all of the images and arranged them on a die cut stitched rectangle panel that is popped up on fun foam.

Head on over to Altenew if you want to join in the blog hop and to link up your creation using Altenew products.  You might win a $35 gift certificate!

Supplies:

Stamps -  Altenew Peony Bouquet, Hero Arts sentiment

Ink - ColorBox White, Memento Bamboo Leaves

Paper - white cs, hot press watercolour paper

Size - A2

Accessories - white embossing powder, Gansai Tambi watercolour paints, Lil Inker stitched rectangle die, fun foam

An Attempt at Shabby Chic

I wanted to do a card for the SCS Ways to Use It "Shabby Chic" challenge as it seemed a good opportunity to use up some "shabby" dp I have.  I've never been too clear on the differences between vintage and shabby chic so I hope I've done something more or less the right style!

I stamped a peony and stem, watercoloured it (with Zig brush markers in colours that matched the flowers in the dp), fussy cut it, and popped it up on foam tape. I added lace (not sure if that is shabby chic or vintage?) and a tag with a sentiment.

So what do you think?  Is it shabby and chic enough?

I can't resist putting in a couple more puppy photos.  I love the first one (and put in the second in case you were wondering where the other three puppies were).

 

They are all gaining weight (not surprising as they nurse / sleep / nurse / sleep all day long) and turning into lovely plump little things.  They wriggle around on their bellies, and won't be able to see or hear for another week or so.

Thanks for indulging me!

Stamps: Tim Holtz peony, unknown sentiment

Paper: PTI Vintage Cream cs, Paper Studio dp, watercolour paper

Paper Size: A2

Ink: Archival Jet Black

Accessories: Zig brush markers, lace, blue twine, tag punch, foam tape