Pink Balloons with Gold Glitter

My blogging friend Gundi from papierelle has a challenge at the moment with a balloon theme. That motivated me to dig out my balloon dies that I don't use often enough (but then again what DO I use often enough...?).

Stamps: Sentiment (CAS-ual Fridays), Background (unmounted, unknown)
Dies: Balloons (SSS)


I sponged a glossy scrap of paper with different shades of pink and a light lavender, cut out the balloons, dipped the upper half in Versamark, and heat embossed that part with gold glitter embossing powder. Embossed the sentiment with the same EP on a strip of grey. You can see the glitter a little better in the second picture. The sparkle was hard to capture. The background was stamped with one of my old, unmounted background stamps (this one is marble), that I used to buy when I went to Rubber Stamp Conventions many years ago. It could be from Stamp Camp or Stamp Out Cute, but unfortunately these companies don't exist anymore.

Challenges (click on the links for more information and lots of inspiration from the DTs and the galleries):


Papierelle







Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "For a Special Lady/Girl"
I gave this to one of my Thursday Night Stamping Friends who is a very special lady and loves grey and pink! We celebrated her birthday this past week.

Seize the Birthday "Anything Goes"







Happy Little Stampers March Anything Goes With Dies







Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Be well,

I think you are amazing...

Last month I was the lucky winner of a blog appreciation giveaway over at the sweet, creative, generous, and famous Virginia of "Yes, Virginia..." !  (I had a lucky streak there, I know!)

Look what I found in my mailbox! So many fun goodies!

This is the card I made with some of the gifts to thank her for her generosity (Virginia, I hope you have received it. I mailed it almost 2 weeks ago and couldn't wait any longer to post it because I wanted to enter it in your challenge!)
Isn't that hedgehog bringing mail full of love the cutest? That's how I felt when I got my mail from Virginia - that it was full of love!

Stamps: Penny Black (hedgehog), CAS-ual Friday (sentiment), Hero Arts (friends background)
Dies: Nestabilities (circle), Die-namics (scallops)
Other: Faber Castell Polychromos


Challenges (click on the links to find out about rules, prizes, etc. and to find inspiration in the awesome galleries)


Virginia's View #19 "All Things Colored"







Pixie's Snippets Playground - week 198
Every paper of the border was a snippet!







Btw, I think you are all amazing for stopping by and leaving me comments!

Wishing you a great weekend,
Susanne

More Embossing for SSS Wednesday Challenge

I entered a card on the first day of the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (to see it click here) and now I have another one for the challenge before it closes.

This time I used a different kind of embossing - namely embossing paste. To be more precise I used Heavy gloss gel which, according to Loll you can use instead of translucent embossing paste. I had bought the gel before my trip and finally got around to playing with it. And it was fun! I used a NBUS stencil from Memory Box and made a masculine card which to me means no embellishments.

Hope you like it! I think this glossy gel/transparent embossing paste gives a nice effect.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Hugs,
Susanne

Stamps: Lawn Fawn (speech bubbles), Simon Says Stamp (first happy), CAS-ual Friday stamps (second happy), Avery Elle (birthday)
Dies: Lawn Fawn
Stencil: Memory Box

Salzburg and Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Emboss"

I promised to share more pictures from our vacation but first comes a card for those who are not interested in travel photos.

One of my dear local stamping friends had her birthday soon after I came back from vacation and this is the card I made for her. I probably should have warmed up with a simpler card... When I am gone for such a long time my mojo falls asleep and I have a hard time to wake it up again. Also, before I leave I usually clean my craft area and then I don't want to mess it up again when I come back. I know that some of you can only craft on a clean and organized workspace but it doesn't seem to be the same for me.

Since I embossed I will enter it in this week's Simon Says Wednesday Challenge where the theme is "Emboss". Please take note that for once it's not last minute but the first day! So you have plenty of time to heat emboss, dry emboss or even use embossing paste a card and play along!

And here are some photos from our day in Salzburg, Austria. We took the train there with a friend who told us about the great deal offered by the German Railway System. The weather was glorious, the city is beautiful and I hope to be able to go back!

View of the river Salzach and the castle on the hill.

View from the castle down to the city.

Famous "Getreidegasse" where Mozart was born. For some reason I didn't take a picture of the house he was born in. Check out those elaborate signs for each store!

This was a long post! Thanks for bearing with me! Soon I will show you some impressions of Venice.

Hugs,
Susanne

Stamps: CAS-ual Friday (celebrate), Stampin' Up (distressed background), misc (little words and numbers)
Papers and Embellishments: My Mind's Eye
Various dies (mostly Sizzix) and punches

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Spots and Dots"

As usual I am squeezing in at the last minute with not one but two cards for this weeks Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Spots and Dots":

Last weekend I finally tried the technique that I first saw over at Karen's blog "Snippets" (click here and here for great samples) where you ink your embossing folder with Distress inks, spritz it with water and STAMP it on cardstock. It is so much fun - just think of all the possibilities! As you can see (better on the first card) I stamped with both sides of the embossing folder because I was playing and was curious and then I thought it would be cool to use both on the same card. Not sure if I explained it so well. If you have any questions let me know...
I kept the rest of the card simple without any embellishments because I wanted the technique to shine.
I used another embossing folder in different colors but haven't had time to make a card yet.

Thank you so much for stopping by and your kind comments!

Hugs,
Susanne

First card:
Stamp: Casual Friday
Embossing folder: Quickutz 

Second card:
Stamp: Stampabilities
Embossing folder: Cuttlebug

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)

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