A Mini Spring Card and a Purple Christmas Card

Popping in under the wire for a couple of challenges!

First up, Just Us Girls "Mini" challenge:

I made a small card (4.5x3.5"), with a small image of small flowers.

I got out an old PSX stamp of crocuses, stamped and watercoloured the image and painted some earth around the flowers to ground them. I added a bit of splatter in yellow and purple. I didn't want the sentiment to be as bold as the image so stamped it in brown instead of black. Then trimmed it and popped it up on fun foam.


Then off to 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Non-Traditional Colours" challenge:



I'm not a huge fan on non-traditional Christmas colours but made myself go with a purple background!

I used various purple and violet Oxide inks and created a smooshed background. I used it to back my reindeer / trees / snowflake die, and also die cut the sentiment out of a scrap of it. Popped the panel up on fun foam for more dimension.

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - PSX crocuses, Rosie's Roadshow sentiment
Ink - Archival Jet Black, Memento Rich Cocoa
Paper - mixed media and cream cs
Size - 4.5x3.5"
Accessories - watercolour paints, Spellbinders rectangle die, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Ink - various Distress oxide inks
Paper - mixed media and white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Tattered Lace winter die, reindeer / snowflakes frame die, fun foam

A Couple of Masculine Cards

I really struggle with masculine cards so follow two challenges that focus on them so that I can get ideas. 

First up The Male Room where the current challenge is "Sentiment in Focus".

 

I made a pet sympathy card that uses the sentiment as the focal point.

I stamped it and heat embossed it in black, then die cut with a label die. I left the cs in the die and sponged the exposed part. That left a nice white border around the edge. I added a black background die cut label - so I've got three sets of curved borders around my sentiment.  Added it all to a paw print dp background.


And then there is Cards 4 Guyz where the current challenge is "Vintage".  I used a vintage ship image.

I made a "wrinkle free distress" background in blues and greens, and stamped the ship on it. I popped it up on fun foam and bordered with blue and green. I used a Tim Holtz rub-on for the sentiment.

I'll be back with something more feminine next time! 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Wordsworth sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Antique Linen
Paper - white and black cs, unknown dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders label dies, clear embossing powder

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Tim Holtz ship
Ink - Archival Jet Black, various green and blue Distress inks
Paper - ivory, green, and blue cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Tim Holtz rub-on sentiment, fun foam

Inspired by TV and a Silhouette

Catching up with some challenges!

AAA Cards wants one image and something inspired by TV.
 

I recently watched a great TV series, His Dark Materials, based on one of my favourite young adult fantasy novels.  In the book, there is a bear who helps Lyra, the main character.  Here's a photo from the TV show:



I got out my old SU stamp of the bear with the children riding on his back:


I coloured the stamped image with coloured pencils, trimmed with a stitched rectangle die, popped up on fun foam, and added glitter to the snow line and the brims of the hats.


And then Addicted to CAS wants a "Silhouette".



I needed a sympathy card and I prefer them to be very simple so a silhouette is ideal.

I masked a rectangle on some coated cs and brayered with Frayed Burlap ink. I flicked some water on it with my fingers and got one very big wet droplet that lifted all the colour where it landed and a few other nicer splats.

Then I stamped a silhouette of wildflowers and grass with Staz-On ink. I trimmed the panel down, leaving a narrow white border, and popped it up on the card base with fun foam.

I hope everyone is staying well and happy.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - SU Bearing Gifts
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - white and red cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, Lil Inker stitched rectangle, glitter, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - SU Just Believe, Great Impressions sentiment
Ink - StazOn Black, Distress Frayed Burlap
Paper - white cs, coated cs
Size - A2
Accessories - fun foam

A Christmas Card with a Smile and a Wedding Card with a Splat

Two cards today.

First up for the Paper Players "Make You Smile" challenge and for Darnell's NBUS (Never Before Used Stuff) challenge.

I used a new stamp that I hadn't inked up yet - it certainly makes me smile seeing the naughty horse stealing the snowman's nose.

Stamped, watercoloured, trimmed, popped up on fun foam on a red card base - love the simplicity, love the mailability!


And today's second card, for Less is More "Scribbles, Drips, and / or Splats".

 

I need a wedding card and the people are quite artsy so thought this might work for them.

Using silver ink, I stenciled the small hearts and bits of grunge splats and dribbles on the white panel. I die cut the heart from silver glitter cs and also two narrow strips to border both sides of the panel. The sentiment is stamped in silver and heat embossed. The whole panel is popped up on fun foam.

They will be having a very small family wedding given the limitations imposed by Covid-19 so many of us who were invited won't be able to attend it - such a shame for a couple's special day!

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Craft Emotions horse and snowman, Penny Black sentiment
Ink - Archival Jet Black
Paper - watercolour paper, red cardstock
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Memory Box sentiment
Ink - Delicata Silvery Shimmer
Paper - silver glitter and white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - SU heart die, TCW Confetti stencil, clear embossing powder, fun foam

Christmas Berries

Loll is hosting the May challenge at CAS Christmas and she is asking for "Winter Berries".

I love this theme and was hard pressed to decide which of my many Christmas / winter stamps to use.  I ended up going with this one because it basically is nothing but berries.

I put the stamp in my MISTI and inked it up with various Distress markers, spritzing lightly, stamping on watercolour paper, and repeating until I was happy.

I added the sentiment and a bit of splatter, bordered with a matching brown, and popped it up on a red card base.  I went over the snowy bits of the image with a glue pen and added glitter.

Please come and join us.  You have until May 24th to link up.  Head over to CAS Christmas for more inspiration from the Design Team and May's wonderful Guest Designer, Lynne (Designs from the Loft).

Supplies:
Stamps - Penny Black
Ink - Distress Gathered Twigs
Paper - watercolour paper, red and brown cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Distress markers, glitter, fun foam

Silent Night Sky

My goodness, even in these strange times time is flying by and here we are at May already.  CAS Watercolour is asking for a Night Sky this month.

I decided to dig out my neglected Twinkling H2Os as they give a nice subtle shimmer.

I did a watercolour wash alternating Black China, Blue Flame, and Periwinkle Twinkling H2Os.  I spritzed the paints liberally and kept the watercolour paper quite wet so the colours would run together.  I put down a layer, dried it with my heat tool, then repeated layering and drying until the colours were rich enough and I was happy with it.

I took the Solar Gold Twinkling H2O and spritzed the paint with only a bit of water to keep the paint thick, and then splattered the gold onto the sky.  I die cut a square out of it.

I die cut a Sizzix village die out of white, added a dark blue sentiment, trimmed it to fit the bottom of my square of sky, and popped the square up on fun foam.

Please come and join us at CAS Watercolour.  I'm looking forward to seeing how you create watercoloured night skies.  There's more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team and this month's Guest Designer, Tina (Treebug blog).

I'm also linking it up with the Christmas Kickstart "Winter Wonderland: Create a Scene" challenge.

Supplies:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Twilight
Paper - watercolour paper, white cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - Twinkling H2Os (Blue Flame, Periwinkle, China Black, Solar Gold), Sizzix village die, fun foam