Two Leafy Birthday Cards

The photo collage at the current Ellen Hutson Pin-Sight Challenge inspired me. Look at it:






The colors are so pretty but I probably wouldn't have thought of using them on my own! To match them as closely as possible I actually used paint chips (is that what they are called? I am drawing a blank...) Cut some leaves and and while playing around found two layouts that I liked. So I cut more leaves and made two cards. The first one uses the sketch from CAS Colors and Sketches #166.





Introducing card no. 1...

And a different view so that you can better see the gold foil cardstock...

Stamp: Winnie & Walter (sentiment), My Favorite Things (background)
Dies: Essential by Ellen (leaf), birthday unknown 
Other: gold mirror cardstock (Marco's)


Coming up... card no. 2...

Materials used the same except the background stamp is by Impression Obsession and the tiny "Happy" is by Hero Arts.
For some reason I felt like mounting the panel at an angle.

What do you think?

I am so glad you came over for a visit! Hope your week is going to be fabulous!

Hugs,

Happy Easter 2016

Hello my friends,

Just popping in to wish you all a Happy Easter full of sunshine, laughter, good food, and plenty of chocolate!

Stamps: Hero Arts (sunburst), Avery Elle (alphabet), Stampin' Up (pattern on the mountains), Picture Show (dots on the hills)

Dies: My Favorite Things (snow drifts as hills), Nestabilities (circle as sun)

Other: Flowers (cheapo punch), mountains and banner (cut them myself)

I once saw a similar card somewhere and drew a little sketch. Even though I spent a ridiculous amount of time searching this vast web I couldn't find it anywhere. If you know who had the original idea please tell me so I can give credit! 

Since I more or less CASEd this card I am not going to enter it in any challenges. I am just going to show you, my dear regular readers, in the hopes that you have an enjoyable holiday weekend! 

Thank you so much for all your visits be they silent or with an encouraging comment!

Mwah!

Mother's Day with Faux Mother of Pearl Technique

A couple of weeks ago, with my Thursday night stamping friends, we played around with the Faux Mother of Pearl technique. We used Pearl Acrylic paint. It's really easy and the effect so pretty! I made four different colored backgrounds and this weekend finally got around to turning two of them into cards.

Stamp: Inkadinkado (sentiment)
Dies: Memory Box (flower), SSS (stitched rectangle)
Other: Shimmery cardstock (Recollections)

Everything the same, except the sentiment is by Morningstar Stamps.


I am going to enter these at the

Happy Little Stampers March CAS Challenge "Faux Mother of Pearl"







That's all from me for today. Time to go to bed! Let me know if you have any questions. And thank you for your visit!

Hugs,

Pink and Grey

This week we celebrated one of our Cardologist's birthday. A while ago she mentioned that even as a young girl she loved pink and grey together so those were the colors I chose for her card. The flower die was a gift from Dora B. And, of course, I had to use more dew drops... (I really hope I will live long enough to be able to use them all up...)

And a different perspective so you can better see the glossy, glittery (self-adhesive) paper I used to cut out the flowers.

Stamp: Penny Black (sentiment)
Dies: die-namites (flowers), SSS (banner)
Other: self-adhesive paper (Recollection


Challenges:

Inkspirational #104 "Pink and Grey"







Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday "Something Floral"






I am so delighted to be able to welcome three new followers:

Greta from GG Creations
Karen Hashek from Karen's Kreative Kards
Loll Thompson from Stamping with Loll

Thank you, ladies, for becoming followers of my blog!
The are all seasoned stampers and bloggers and you will find lots of inspiration when you meander through their blogs. It will get your mojo going!

My welcoming quote for the three of you is something Susan Raihala wrote on her blog some time ago that I loved:

Life: It is what it is. 
Some parts are good, some parts are bad, and gratitude poured over it all makes it manageable.


Thanks so much for reading till the very end! I so appreciate every one of your visits and comments!

Sending You Sunshine

I have a hard time committing to one style but if I absolutely had to I think I would choose CAS (Clean and Simple) Mixed Media. I do like the clean look but I also like to try out different techniques. So I was very excited when I read that there would be a new challenge called CAS Mix Up. It is run by two amazing ladies: Loll and Bonnie. I always was a bit intimidated by mixed media but they make it very easy to understand. Their first challenge is going on at the moment and it is:

With "your choice" they ask us to pick something from the list on the right side of their blog. I picked die-cutting and stitching (the watercolor panel has stitches around the border).

Stamps: Hero Arts (sentiment)

Dies: PTI (word die), Nestabilities ("sun"), SSS (rectangle)

For the sun I used a technique that I learned years ago and haven't done since then. Unfortunately I don't know what it's called. There are probably tutorials around but since we don't know the name how should we search for them? If any of you knows the name of this technique let me know and I'll add it to this post. Also tell me if you would like me to try and do a tutorial myself. It's pretty easy. I remember when I was first introduced to it we had to trace around a template and cut out all those points! Then they came out with very expensive punches which I fortunately did not buy. Now it's easy to do with dies! 

Since this was the first time I was using the "sunshine" die I am squeezing in at Darnell's NBUS challenge before the door closes. I love how she challenges us to use the stuff we keep buying!

Also entering it into the STAMPloration CAS Challenge:

Thanks so much for spending some time with me! Your visits and comments make my day!

Hugs,

Susanne

Big Flower with Stenciled Background

Do you know the Make It Monday feature on the PTI blog?  This week I loved Betsy Veldman's stenciled ombre background technique plus I had ordered PTI's first stencils and wanted to try one of them out.

Stamps: Stampendous (flower), PTI (sentiment)

Other: stencil (PTI), Faber Castell Polychromos, Marvy ink pads

I used two different colors of Marvy ink pads. It does require some time and patience to achieve a nice smooth ombre background but I like how it came out. Then I used one of the stencils in the 3-pack. The flower was stamped and colored with Polychromos (lots of layering and shading. A gold embossed sentiment on a strip of vellum finished the panel that is mounted on a 5x7 card. I like the graphic pattern paired with the flower. 

I am sending this card to the following 

Challenges (as always, click on the links to see the fabulous cards of the DT and in the gallery):

Make It Monday #241 "Ombre Stenciled Backgrounds"

NBUS #6

The stencil and the flower are my "Never Before Used Stuf"

Inkspirational #103 "Geometric"

Freshly Made Sketches #226

I appreciate your visits and comments and wish a wonderful week!

Hugs,

Susanne

Graphic Birthday Card (more triangles, but different ones)

I really need to get to bed, but want to post this card before I do. Made it for my friend Gabrielle and was inspired by a fused glass plate that she made (check out her gorgeous work glassART by Gabrielle) and that I bought as a Christmas present for my sister and brother-in-law. It looked much cooler in glass, of course. Unfortunately I did not take a picture of the plate... Anyway, it was opaque grey and had this strip of translucent overlapping triangles in different tones of blue on one side. I took some artistic license and added yellow and green.

Stamps: PTI (triangles), SSS (sentiment)


Challenge (gorgeous cards by the DT and in the gallery... You might want to check it out):

Inkspirational #103 "Geometric"
You might have noticed that I love geometric shapes and just might have to play again...







Good night!