Penny Black "Simplicity" / Simon Says Wednesday "Anything Goes"

Made another card featuring the Penny Black set "Every Happiness". This time I used the fern (LOVE ferns) to make a sympathy card. Sounds kind of weird, now that I type it. But the recipient probably won't know the name of the stamp set...

Stamps: Penny Black (fern), Morning Star (sentiment)
Paper: Marco's Paper (marbled paper)

I have had those little dragonfly brads forever and love them so much that I don't want to use them. Guess that's called hoarding... Sorry but don't know the maker. Should check if anyone still sells them...


Challenges:

Penny Black "Simplicity"


Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"







That's it from me today. Won't keep you any longer but appreciate your stop here!

Hugs,
Susanne

AAA Cards - Game 33 / SSS Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"

As someone who loves the color orange (it's so sunny, warm, and joyful) I just had to make a card for Game 33 at AAA Cards. Look at this picture - doesn't it make you smile?

Here is what I came up with:

Stamps: Technique Tuesday (birds, sentiment), D.O.T.S. (grass)

Paper: Studio G

Aren't those birds fun? After seeing them repeatedly in blogland I just had to have them! You know how that goes... I can't resist things (or people) who make me smile and laugh! The paper is a 6x6 pad I recently found at A.C.Moore. It has these two patterns in all the rainbow colors. Couldn't resist those either. Was a bit disappointed though when I opened it and found that the colors were a little duller then on the cover sheet and the dots are not pure white but more of an off-white. That's why I had to use an off-white card base. 

Challenges:

AAA Cards - Game 33

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"

Thank you for visiting and making my day by leaving your encouraging comments! 

Hugs,

Susanne

Inkspirational #76 / Simon Says Wednesday "Anything Goes"

Another card for the beautiful photo inspiration over at Inkspirational #76 to use more of my Asian images:

Stamps: woman unmounted, unknown; the flower background is wood mounted but only says "Scattered Cherry"


ETA: This card was a top pick at the Inkspirational Challenge!!!


Challenges:

Inkspirational #76




Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"






A warm welcome to my newest follower Kathy from Stamps at Play
So glad you found me and I hope you will continue to like what you see here!
My welcoming quote for you is by Soichiro Honda, Japan:

Instead of being afraid of the challenge and failure, be afraid of avoiding the challenge and doing nothing. 


Have a great rest of the week,
Susanne

Color Me #59 - Double Miracle Card

I have to confess that I am somehow scared of color challenges. Especially ones that use more than two or three colors. First Miracle: I have a card for a color challenge. My bloggie friend, Cornelia of Stempel Spass, you probably all know her, is a Guest Designer over at Color Me, so I thought I had to try and overcome my hesitation. Turns out the colors worked well for a retirement card that I needed. I even had a 6x6 paper pad that had the perfect colors. Yes, that's the second miracle: I used lots of DP! Look:

Stamp: unknown, unmounted lady, sentiment handwritten
Paper: My Mind's Eye (fine and dandy)


I've had this stamps for years and I don't think I have used it before. Thought it would be perfect for a retirement card! The funny thing is the friend who retired, one of the 7 Cardologists, is the last person you would find sitting at the beach and reading a magazine! She will be busy with her grandchildren, baking for everyone, and lots of other things.

Sending this to

Color Me #59

Wishing you a fun filled weekend! We will have company until Tuesday morning.

Hugs,
Susanne

Happy Chinese/Lunar New Year!

What? You don't celebrate Lunar New Year? Well, we really don't either, even though I am extremely fascinated by everything that's Ancient Chinese, but recently I was talking to a friend about Chinese New Year (don't remember how we got there) and decided to make her a card. This is the year of the Ram, I had one stamp with sheep, and she takes care of the sheep at school so you see how it came together...

Stamps: Hero Arts (calligraphy), unknown, unmounted sheep


Sending this to Inkspirational
where we are to be inspired by this beautiful photo:

The Year of the Wood Ram will bring plenty of opportunities. Success will come to those who are diligent and passionate, but to find true happiness you must follow your heart.

Years of the Ram:
1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039

The witty Ram is known for his or her sincerity, compassion and a positive attitude. He/She is shy, creative, and wise.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Hugs,
Susanne

Happy Birthday, Anita!

Today is Anita's birthday! (Well, it's already the 18th in Europe. I am sending this early so she can see it when she first checks her reader...) You probably all know her for her creative and outstanding (mostly) CAS cards and her sweet and encouraging comments! When I made her birthday card I decided to get inspired by the current Time Out Challenge #24 where we are to CASE Kylie's gorgeous card:

Anita is on their design team and the black on my card is a nod to her first card for this challenge.
I colored the stamp with markers, spritzed it and stamped. Also added some WoS to the flowers.
Have to say it was so much fun to play with flowers and spring colors while outside my window is still deepest winter...

Stamps: Penny Black (flowers, sentiment frame)
Embossing folder: LifeStyle


Dear Anita, this card is on its way to you filled with heartfelt wishes for a most wonderful birthday!


Challenges:

Time Out Challenge #24


Penny Black Simplicity Challenge


Happy Little Stampers "Embossing"

Time Out Challenge is closing soon, but the others are open until the end of the month, I believe. Click on the links to find out more and play along!

ETA: This card was a winner at Time Out! Woohoo! And a Favourite at Happy Little Stampers!

Hugs,
Susanne

Guest Design for Retro Rubber Challenge #8

Because this card was the winner of the Retro Rubber Challenge #6 I have the honor of guest designing for the new challenge: EYELETS!

Stamps: Hero Arts (flower), Penny Black (sentiment), Inkadinkado (butterflies, dragonfly)
Punch: Martha Stewart (grass)


When I had put everything away I saw those circle scribbles from PTI that I desperately wanted but hadn't used yet and thought they might look good with those triangle eyelets from my stash.

Stamps: PTI (scribbles), Winnie & Walter (sentiment)

Technically this card doesn't work for the challenge because the stamps are less than a year old but I wanted to show you anyways how old and new product can still work well together.

If you have been stamping long enough to remember when eyelets were as trendy as sequins are now (and you haven't thrown them out while decluttering your craft space) you should dig them out and play along! It's fun to show some love to our older products which is what the Retro Rubber Challenge is all about (stamps should be at least one year old)! Check out what the Design Team came up with! Looking forward to seeing your creations in the gallery!

Hugs,
Susanne

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope your day is filled with love and chocolate!
You might be relieved to know that this is the last love card for now. ;)

This year the 7 Cardologists made their own challenge: We had to use the swirly heart die from SSS that Dora gave us all for Christmas. If you want to see all the different and amazing cards we made with it hop over to Dora's blog where she shows them all!

Ooops, I just realized I haven't taken a picture of it and it's dark now. Well, I'll try to do my best (good that I have an extra one)... Be right back...

Dies: Simon Says Stamp (swirly heart), PTI (Love), Sweet 'n' Sassy (small heart), the dark heart is the cut out from the Love
Stamp: Stampin' Up (swirls on the small heart)

Ok, back to eating more chocolate...

Hugs,
Susanne

SSS Wednesday Challenge - All creatures great and small / CASology #133

Quickly popping in to share yet another love card...

Stamps: Avery Elle (sentiment)
Dies: Memory Box (branch, bird)
Paper: Marco's Paper (cloud paper)


Challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - All creatures great and small





CASology - week 133 - Love





ETA: This card was a "Favorite Pick" at Stamps at Play's Valentine special!

Have an amazing weekend,
Susanne

Inkspirational #75 / CASology #133

Another Love/Valentine card! I am showering you with love cards! If you are getting tired of them, I'm sorry but there are still a couple to come...

Stamps: Hero Arts (background), Mama Elephant (sentiment
Die: Sweet 'n' Sassy (heart)


After cutting hearts for another project I couldn't throw away the strip. The embossed background was also on my desk so I made this card. Love reusing and recycling! The strip is only attached on the top.


Challenges:

Inkspirational #75 - Rose colors






CASology #133 - Love






Gotta run and cook dinner! Pasta with Tomato Tuna sauce...yum!

Be well,
Susanne

A valentine for colorQ #279

Of course, I couldn't throw away the insides of the die cut heart from this card and had to make another card!

Stamps: unknown, unmounted script background, sentiment computer generated
Die: SSS (heart)

I am sending this to the colorQ challenge #279





A warm welcome to new follower

Karin from Karootje

She has been blogging since 2012 so there is tons of wonderful inspiration to be found on her blog!

Karin, my welcoming quote for you is by Winston Churchill:

Success is not final,
failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.

Wishing you all a great rest of the week! (The weekend is coming closer...)

Hugs,
Susanne

Retro Rubber Challenge #7 - Flashback Valentine / SSS Wednesday Challenge

A brand new week! I hope it brings only good things for you!

I have another Valentine's card for you. The Retro Rubber Challenge wants us to CASE one of our Valentine's card from a previous year using stamps older than one year.

I made this card in 2010. White card (hard to see), layer of red, holographic gift wrap, background stamped in black, punched hearts, last heart has red glitter on it.

This is my new version:

Stamps: Stamp Camp (background), Inkadinkado (sentiment)
Dies: WPlus9 (hearts), Simon Says Stamp (banner)
Distress Inks: Picked Raspberry, Barn Door


I silver embossed the background, mounted it on a pink card, cut out hearts from distress inked watercolor paper, added a banner. This shade of pink makes me very happy at the moment!

Challenges:

Retro Rubber Challenge #7 - Flashback Valentine


















ETA: This was a "Fabulous Five"!


Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - All Things Bright & Beautiful
The pink is bright and the card hopefully beautiful!





Get crafty and play along!

Hugs,
Susanne

CAS(E) this Sketch #108, SSS Wednesday

Yesterday I made a card using only NBUS! Don't think that has ever happened before! Didn't plan it that way, though... When I saw the current sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch I immediately thought of the new-to-me stencil from SSS which I sponged with SSS ink in Smoke. Then I didn't know what to do. I had another distress inked background from the card in my last post and thought it looked good on the grey stripes. But what to put on it? Looking around I came across those beautiful butterflies from PTI that had yet to be used, found some fine silver glitter paper from Recollections and everything came together. I am quite happy with the result if I may say so!

Stamp: Altenew (sentiment)
Die: PTI (butterfly)
Stencil: SSS (diagonal stripes)

Challenges:

CAS(E) this sketch #108






Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"







So kind of you to stop by! Hope you are all doing well!

Hugs,
Susanne