Felt and Canvas

A big thank you to Joanna who is the host of this month's CAS Mix Up Challenge and the rest of the design team for making me dig out my felt and even a sheet of canvas that I got from a friend a long time ago to make this super simple card.

Stamps: Uniko (sentiment)
Dies: My Favorite Things (flower and leaves), SSS (stitched rectangle)

Wasn't sure if I could die cut the canvas because it was thick but it worked with a little help from some scissors. Lolls advice of backing the felt with some light card stock was a good one! The canvas was printed with different butterflies, moths, etc. in different sizes. Some of them were partially colored. The trick was to find a piece that would work for this relatively small rectangle.


Challenges:

CAS Mix Up February Challenge "Felt, Cork, or Canvas"

There is a new challenge in blogland for all of us who love to read as much as they like to stamp...

The Library Challenge #1 "Pride and Prejudice"
I used the layout of the cover




Thank you for your visit!

Be well and keep in touch!

Little Sailboat

We live by a rather large lake and I never get tired to look out at the blue water dotted with sailboats in the summer. But I have no desire to learn how to sail and own a sailboat! I wouldn't say no if someone invited me on their sailboat but otherwise I'd rather make a card featuring a sailboat!

Stamps: My Favorite Things (background), Hero Arts (sentiment)
Die: SSS (sailboat)

This is another salted watercolor wash that I made at the same time as the green one. I cut a wavy slit in it to tuck in the sailboat. Added some Stickles there to mimic the sparkling water. Doesn't the balloon string background from My Favorite Things look like the surface of water here?

Since the die and both stamps are NBUS I am sending this over to Darnell's challenge

NBUS #12






Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"





Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Be well,

Feathery "Thinking of You" for the Muse

Hope everyone in North America is enjoying their long weekend! It's very hot and dry here, feeling more like summer than fall!

When I saw Carol's card for the Muse Challenge #131 I was immediately inspired to bring out my feathers from STAMPlorations again! Since we had company I only had a chance to make a card this afternoon, entering in the last minute! But that's nothing new, right?

Here is Carol's fabulous card

and my take on it

Stamps: STAMPlorations (feathers, sentiment), Hero Arts (background strip)

Other: Caran d'Ache (watercolor crayons)

I used the same feather set as Carol, almost the same layout and the same colors! 

The background was made with watercolor crayons scribbled on a piece of card stock and blended with a moist baby wipe. It's quick and easy and I like how it looks. Added a strip of background paper that I found in one of my snippet boxes (yes, I have several - don't you?) and mounted everything on a blue card. 

Challenges:

Muse Card Club Challenge #131

Pixie's Snippets Playground #193

(where Sarn is prefect this week and I heard there was lots of chocolate to be found...)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Make It Colorful"

Wishing you a fantastic week,

Susanne

Retro Rubber Challenge #9 / SSS Wednesday Challenge / The Card Concept #30

The folks at Retro Rubber Challenge #9 want us to use tags. Remember the idea behind this challenge is to use stamps that are at least one year old. So I dug out a very "vintage" tag stamp from Hero Arts and made this card:

Stamps: Beeswax (background), Hero Arts (tag)


The background stamp is from my friend L who assured me that it is quite old. I started this card last Thursday at our get together but finished it at home.

There has been an overabundance of pale lavender cards on this blog which is unusual for this bright-rainbow-color-loving girl but I rediscovered my Colorbox Chalk Inks and liked the soft look and creaminess for those stamps. I promise to post more colorful cards again soon!

Challenges:

Retro Rubber #9 "Tag, You're It"



















Simon Says Wednesday "Special Lady/Girly"


The pale lavender and the bling make this card definitely girly, I think!





The Card Concept #30 "Thinking of you"





ETA: This card was a Fab Five at the Retro Rubber Challenge!


Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs,
Susanne

Hero Arts "Nature" / SSS Wednesday "Anything Goes" / SSS Monday Challenge "Hint of Clover"

I wanted to play at Hero Arts "Nature" Challenge (runs until March 20th) and when I looked through my HA stamps I found one that I don't remember ever using. I started playing around with different inks and ended up with 6 images:

I made 5 cards. Today I am going to show you three of them so that the post doesn't get to long.

This one I inked with an old Color Box Chalk Ink "Lavender", mounted on a pale lavender card. I stamped a border on the bottom with a mix of Hero Arts and Stampin' Up stamps with the same ink, but stamped off. Finished with a Hero Arts sentiment and a silver dragonfly brad.

On this one I used the Distressed Ink "Peeled Paint" not spritzed with water. Because it was so stark on the white I sponged over it to make it look softer. Dragonfly brad in copper, same sentiment, foam mounted on cream panel that was embossed with PTI's Linen embossing plate that is so perfect when you want just a hint of embossing. The green cardstock is stamped with Hero Arts envelope pattern.

Three different DI (Faded Jeans, Broken China, Peeled Paint), spritzed with water. Copper dragonfly brad, Hero Arts sentiment, mounted on blue panel with PTI Linen embossing plate on green card.


Challenges:

Hero Art "Nature"







Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"






Simon Says Monday Challenge "Hint of Clover"







Thanks for looking! Will be back soon with the other two cards!

Hugs,
Susanne

CAS(E) this sketch #97 in kraft for SSS Wednesday Challenge

Love sketch #97 from CAS(E) this sketch and can see myself using it over and over again! Also love Kraft which is the theme at the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge so I made this:

Stamps: Hero Arts (background and sentiment)
Dies: Impression Obsession

The maple leaves are cut out from watercolor paper, dipped in Distress Inks and splattered with gold. They are inlaid in the stamped panel and everything is mounted with foam tape but it looks sort of flat in the picture. It was a dark and dreary day - not great for taking pictures...

As is often the case I am entering this in the last minute. The galleries are already full of awesome creations! Check them out!


  


Thank you so much for your visit and your wonderful comments!

Hugs,
Susanne

Addicted to CAS #47 - SSS Wednesday Challenge - NBUS #2 - SSS Monday Challenge

Today I have two very different cards for you - one is soft and subtle the other bold and colorful.

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by everything (ancient) chinese: calligraphy, medicine, philosophy, etc. I have quite a collection of asian stamps and supplies but rarely use them because I never know who to send it to. When I saw that the cue word at Addicted to CAS was "Oriental" I just had to make a card.

Stamps: Judikins (crane and calligraphy) 



For the next card I rubbed Gelatos over gessoed paper, spritzing it with water, adding golden splatters (can't seem to make a card without them at the moment), adding Heavy Gloss Gel over a stencil then diecut feathers from it.

Stamps: Hero Arts (sentiment)
Die: Simon Says Stamp (feathers)
Stencil: TCW


I am sending this to the following challenges:

Darnell's NBUS #2 (have never used the feathers)

Simon Says Monday Challenge (feathers are from SSS)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge (Make your own background)

As always, thank you for your visit and your sweet comments - they make me so happy!

Have a great week,
Susanne

OCC "Stretch Your Stamps 2" - Thinking of you

Just popping in with what is probably going to be my last homework for the current Online Card Class. This card was inspired by a video by Yana. She stamped a foliage frame with white pigment ink and after it dried she stamped over it with colored ink. I couldn't find any colors that looked good on mine so I left my leaves white. Check out my embossed frame around the sentiment - I really should do that more often...

Stamps: Hero Arts (leaves), sentiment unknown
Punches: Carl CartaCrafts (flowers), McGill (butterfly)

Since foliage, flowers, and butterflies are summery I am entering this to the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge where the theme is "Summer" and because the punched shapes are from snippets I am also playing at Pixie's Snippet's Playground.

Hope you are all well and have a great week!
Hugs,
Susanne

The Card Concept - Buildings 3

Hi there,

Today I am playing with a new challenge The Card Concept. They have given us these yummy colors and gorgeous inspiration picture.

Did I ever mention that I love all kinds of buildings?? ;) So, you see, I really had to make a card... The cool thing about this challenge is that you can play no matter what your preferred style is. Hop on over to their blog if you ever wondered what, for example, CAS exactly means as they explain the different styles really well (thank you, guys!).

I used a stamp set that another stamping friend gave me (am I lucky, or what? Thanks again, M). I drew those thin lines with a Stabilo fineliner because I couldn't find a ribbon that worked among the gazillion that I own! Ever happened to you?

I think my card qualifies for the Clean and Simple style...

Even though the newsprint background is not that visible on the photo I think I could send this over to keep it simple where the want to see text. I have never played there but have followed them since they started and I can't believe that they are already at their 31st challenge!

Two more people have joined me on my blog adventure! Thank you so much for following and I hope you will like what you see here! (That goes also for all the others who come for a visit!)

GIBMISS has been blogging for many years and that means there is lots of inspiration to be found if you go for a visit! And check out the cool background of her photos - the sea! Makes you want to pack your suitcases, right?

And my friend Silvia from Switzerland is a new follower (sorry, no blog for you to visit)! Hello, Silvia, and thank you!

Here is your welcoming quote (by Groucho Marx):

I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today.

I can choose which it shall be.

That's it for today! Have a good one,

Susanne

Stamps: Inkadinkado (Life in the city), Hero Arts (greeting, newsprint background)