Another one for SSS Monday Challenge (Transparent)

I am back with another card for the Simon Says Monday Challenge - Transparent and this time it's really transparent! I just couldn't throw out the packaging some candles came in but cut it up and put it aside. Thanks to this challenge I used one piece of it.

The pink background is made with watercolor crayons and a baby wipe, the white background was my first attempt to use gesso and a stencil. The big "celebrate" is white embossed. It's from the awesome set "Shenanigans" by Cas-ual Friday Stamps that I recently won. I just love those bold and fun sayings!

Before I let you go please help me welcome a new follower: Tenia Nelson from "Jazzy Paper Designs"

Besides being an awesome card designer, Tenia is also a Jazz Pianist and music teacher. Check out her blog by clicking on the link above and see for yourself her cool, loose, and artsy style. 

I always welcome new followers with a quote and here is the one for Tenia:

Keep a green tree in your heart

and a singing bird will come.

(chinese)

Welcome Tenia and all you others who subscribe via email or just stop by for a visit and keep silently in the background. I appreciate you all!

So, have you recycled anything lately on your cards?

Enjoy your weekend,
Susanne

Stamps: Cas-ual Friday Stamps (word)
Other: Caran d'Ache (watercolor crayons), Heidi Swapp (stencil)

SSS Monday Challenge (Transparent) / Mother's Day

Made another Mother's Day card and since I used vellum it get's to play over at Simon Says Monday Challenge "Transparent"

Thought the butterfly needed a little shimmer so I painted it with this shimmer paint that I got years ago at a stamp convention. The vellum tag I hand cut. 

Thanks for checking in! Hope you will be back! (I have another transparent idea and hope I have time to realize it before the deadline!)

Hugs,

Susanne

Stamps: Rubbernecker (Wildflower background on green tag), Inkadinkado (words)

Dies: Memory Box (butterfly)

Other: Stampin' Up (green tag, old olive card stock), My Mind's Eye (patterned paper), Yasutomo (shimmer paint)

Happy Birthday, Maria F.!!!

Yes, you read the title right - there is another surprise birthday party in blogland today! This time it's for Maria F., also known as rieslingmama. That is also the name of her blog and you should definitely check it out. I love her artsy style and how she often uses scraps that are lying around. I tried to be artsy
when I made the card for her but it doesn't come as effortlessly to me as it does to her. I even used a piece of tissue paper that was on my desk!

The 50 is cut out from matte silver card stock and distressed with Tim Holtz's little hammer. 

This time the party is hosted by the wonderful Shirley. Hop on over, admire all the beautiful cards and then make one yourself for Maria and link it up! Thank you so much, Shirley, for organizing this surprise party for Maria!

Maria, I hope you have a wonderful birthday surrounded by family and friends, good food and laughter! You didn't think by escaping to snowy Michigan your friends in blogland would forget you...?

Happy Sunday to you all,

Susanne

Stamps: Hero Arts (number background), CAS-ual Friday Stamps (word)

Dies: please check back later

SSS Wednesday (Mother's Day)

This is my second post today and, as usual, I am sliding in at the last minute for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Mother's Day or Special girl that closes tomorrow morning (so you still have all night to create...).

I used a Mojo Monday sketch #270

and made this:

That's it for today! Thanks for looking and please come back!

Be well,

Susanne

Paper: S.E.I. (patterned paper)

Dies: Sweet 'n' Sassy stamps (heart die)

Punches: CarlaCraft

Impression Plate: PTI

Sentiment is computer generated 

Happy (belated) Birthday, Anita!

There is a big birthday party happening today for Anita from My Papercraft World.  I am a big fan of her work and she leaves the kindest comments to her fellow bloggers.

It was the idea of our sweet friends Bev from Happy Dance and Darnell from djkardkreations. Thank you so much for organizing this surprise party! Apparently Anita's birthday was on February 18th but we found out too late so Bev and Darnell decided to hold the party a month later. Hopefully Anita will accept belated birthday wishes and cards! ;)

To honor you, Anita, I wanted to CASE one of your cards. There are so many that inspire me but for today I picked this one:

And this is what I made:

I hope, Anita, you don't think it's too "triste" but as I explained in my last post I really love grey at the moment and was hoping it would look elegant and festive. I didn't use the same technique as you did in your card but cut strips of different shades of grey (the dark one is graphite, not black) and one of silver glitter paper, stamped the Hero Arts background in different grey inks (and one in silver) and taped them above and below the silver embossed sentiment. 

So with this, Anita, I hope you had a wonderful birthday and wish you many more happy and healthy ones!

Now, everyone please check out the rest of the birthday cards over at Darnell's Playhouse  and feel free to join in. Darnell said the link button will be open for a couple of weeks. The champagne, food, and cake are over at Happy Dance. It all looks scrumptious! I'll see you over there...

Because of all the different greys I used (9 in total - silver is kind of a grey, right?) I would like to send this over to CAS-ual Fridays #129. 

ETA: My dear friend Cornelia pointed out that I should also send this card over to keep it simple where the theme is stripes and so I am doing just that! 

Big hugs to all of you,

Susanne

Stamps: Hero Arts (dotted flower background), Avery Elle (sentiment)

CFC #129 / retrosketches #106

Even though I normally gravitate towards bright rainbow colors I really love grey at the moment. That's why I absolutely had to play at the CAS-ual Friday Challenge #129 where they want to see at least two shades of grey. They have recently changed rules and the challenge runs for three weeks now which is perfect for slowpokes like me. And, oh miracle, I am not even entering at the last minute - you have until Friday to play in case you are inspired!

I used the current sketch from retrosketches after a card by the fabulous Laurie Willison.

I discovered this awesome paper in my stash with different shades of grey and some sparkle. Wrapped a black heat embossed strip of vellum around and mounted it with foam on a card that I textured with PTI's linen impression plate that is finally in my possession (NBUS). Easy-peasy and QACAS as Darnell would say.

Before I close I have the pleasure of welcoming a new follower who does not need any introduction as every stamper in the blogosphere seems to know and love her: Virginia of Yes, Virginia... She has recently launched a new challenge blog Virginia's View  where the first challenge has over 300 entries!
Just in case you have been living under a rock don't know her blog get comfortable and hop on over. It is full of wonderful card inspirations, breath taking travel pictures, photos of delicious food, recipes and lots of humor (featuring her husband, Dr. John and Ryan Gosling).

The quote I picked to welcome Virginia is from St. Augustine and I thought it fit since she loves to travel:

The world is a book
and those who do not travel read only one page.

I thank you all for stopping by, hope you will be back and wish you a great week,
Susanne

Stamps: Stampin' Up (word)
Other: PTI (Impression Plate), DCWV (patterned paper)

SSS Wednesday Challenge (Tags) / Virginia's View (Watercolor) / Hero Arts (Birthday)

ETA: Wait a minute, I used the sketch from CAS(E) this sketch #67 and it's still open! So, I will send this card over there, too!

Tonight I have a card that works for three four challenges! Wow, I don't think I have ever managed that before!

This is for:
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Tags
Virginia's View - Watercolor
Hero Arts - Birthday (metallic / rainbow)
CAS(E) this sketch #67

Please click on the challenges for all the details.

I embossed this beautiful background from Hero Arts (NBUS - Never Before Used Stuff) in gold on white, cut out a tag with my new Papertrey Ink die (NBUS), colored the tag with watercolors (lots of work but I enjoyed it), gold embossed the greeting from Avery Elle on vellum, wrapped it around the tag, tied a gold ribbon and gold thread on the tag, adhered the background on a gold panel and foam mounted the tag on the panel.

Thanks for your visit! I love to read your comments but also appreciate the silent visitors...

Susanne

SSS Monday challenge (clocks) / Virginia's View (Watercolor)

Hope everybody has recovered from my four posts in one day last week...

Today I am sliding in (again) at the last minute with a card for the Simon Says Monday Challenge which is "Clocks" this week.

Since I colored the image with watercolors I am also entering it at the Virginia's View Challenge. I have to show you the gorgeous Inspiration Board:

Doesn't it make you want to dig out your watercolors and start playing? For this challenge you still have over one week time!

Anyways, here is my card:

The close up was to show you that I stamped the clock also on matte gold cardstock, cut it out and glued it over the original image but it doesn't do a good job.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by for a visit!

Have a wonderful week,

Susanne

Stamps: Acey Deucy (woman), Stampin' Up (script, splatters)

Other: Fiskars (wavy paper crimper) 

SSS Wednesday (Pearls)

Hello there,

Just wanted to enter a card with pearls at the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge before it closes! It's another photo card.

I used to have roses in my garden. They were pretty fussy and needed a lot of care. After a few years they all died (not all at once). The climate here is a bit too rough, they didn't get enough sun, and after I had kids I didn't pamper them as much, maybe... What's left are photographs...

Have a great week,

Susanne

Stamp: Stampin' Up (background - retired)
Punch: Martha Stewart

Make It Monday (Watercolor) Take Two / Virginia's View (Watercolor) Take Four

Ok, I promise, this is my last post for today! I apologize for clogging up your inboxes or readers but you know that this doesn't happen very often on this blog. It's just that all those challenges inspired me so much and I took some time this weekend to play. By the way, if you receive these post via email you will have to stroll down to see my earlier posts.

The last card for today is again for Make It Monday #153  and Virginia's View Challenge #1.
If you go to Virginia's website and look at her inspiration pictures you will recognize which part inspired me... I chose not to add any embellishments as this will probably be a card for a guy. I though the paint splatters added enough interest.

This is it for tonight (did I just hear a big collective sigh of relief?). 

Thank you so much for your visits, for your kind comments and for not unfollowing me after todays onslaught of posts!

Have a great week,

Susanne

Stamps: Papertrey Ink (greeting)

Make It Monday (Watercolor) / Virginia's View (Watercolor)

Two Firsts in this post: I recently placed my first order with Papertrey Ink and it's my first time playing at Make It Monday #153 where Dawn showed us some watercolor backgrounds with embossed greetings. It didn't look too difficult but I struggled a bit. And since I used watercolors I will also play again at Virginia's View Challenge.

I made two cards:

There is only one more post coming from me tonight. There is an end in sight!

Stamps: Papertrey Inks (greeting)

SSS Monday Challenge / Virginia's View - Take Two

I am back with another card for Simon Says Monday Challenge (Paste) and Virginia's View Challenge (Watercolor) because when I got out my gesso and watercolors I made more than one background/card since those media are a bit unpredictable...

With this card I tried to by artsy (stop laughing, you real artsy people)...

Those beads in the center of the circle? I've had those for a VERY long time. They were waiting patiently in the drawer... I was originally thinking of something else but discovered that those beads fit the watercolor background perfectly. 

You know what? I have more cards for a different challenge that ends tonight! So, yes, you will find another post or two in your inbox/reader a little later.

Stamps: Stampin' Up (word circle), Mama Elephant (triangles)

Stencil: TCW

Other: beads (Beedz)

SSS Monday Challenge (Paste)

This weeks Simon Says Monday Challenge is to use embossing paste, gesso or something similar with stencils and that was exactly what I needed as I have been meaning to play with my new stencils and gesso (still don't have embossing paste...) Didn't have time to craft until this weekend so I am entering in the last minute (well, there are over 9 hrs left...)

Created a watercolor background, used the flame stencil with gesso, poured gold embossing powder over it, let it dry, heat embossed it and then didn't know what to do with it. Thought those words would work. Embossed them in black on vellum and adhered everything on a black card. Played around with sequins but after consulting with my 14 year old son decided it looked better without. 

Also linking this to the new Virginia's View Challenge: Watercolors!

I will probably be back with another one (just a warning)...

Stamps: Inkadinkado (words)

Stencil: TCW