Spooky Halloween

The current Inspired by... Halloween challenge looks quite spooky as does my Halloween card...

First the inspiration

then my card

Stamps: Recollection (sentiments), Stampin' Up (distressed background), Inkadinkado (little spider)
Dies: Sizzix (skull)

Stamped the sentiment set as it was as a background, added the distressed background, and sponged around the edges. Cut out the skull from watercolor paper for the texture. Mounted it on black, sponged a little around the edges, and added green sequins in the eye sockets.


Also sending this to

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Halloween/Spooky"




Hope I didn't scare you too much, hehe...

Be well and keep in touch!

Stars Just For You

When I saw Heather's color combo at the August color challenge at Winnie & Walter I knew I wanted to create something using them. These colors together make me so happy! 

Stamps: Winnie & Walters (stars), Uniko (sentiment)
Die: Avery Elle (border)
Other: Schmincke Watercolors


This month's theme at CAS Mix Up is watercolor wash. I watched all the videos that Loll recommended and learned a lot! I tried one of the ways to do a color wash in the background and like how smooth it came out. Thanks Loll for always providing links to technique videos! That was very helpful!


Winnie & Walter August Color Combo Challenge
ETA: This one was a favorite!






Winnie & Walter Rerun #23
Unfortunately I don't own " A Tree for all Seasons" but I was inspired by Vanessa's card.






CAS Mix Up September Challenge 
I am not sure if my card is CAS enough for the challenge - if it isn't please just ignore it.

Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember Wednesday Challenge "Stamp It"







As always, thank you so much for your visit and comments! If you have any questions let me know (my email is in the "Contact Me" page).

Be well,

Pink, Navy & White

A few weeks before her birthday my niece Anja, an avid reader of my blog, sent me a picture of a combination of fabrics in case I wanted a "challenge" for her birthday card. I loved the idea and tried to use all the colors and patterns. Here is the photo she sent me.

And here is the card she got:

Stamps: Dotted background (Hero Arts), roses background (Impression Obsession), sentiment (SSS)
Dies: Heart (Wplus9), banner (SSS), butterfly (Poppystamps)


The pink I used was an envelope in a former life that I recycled and it shimmers although not quite as much as the fabric.


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

CAS-ual Fridays #172 Color Challenge






Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"






Time Out Challenge #82 "Flowers with the optional twist of kissing"
No twist






Seize the Birthday "Anything Goes"






Have a fantastic week and

Be well,

Two Green Cards

I blame it on snowstorm Stella and the resulting 30 inches of white stuff outside that made me create with the color green in the last few days, hehe...

Stamps: Sentiment (Altenew)

Dies: Stitched Rectangle (SSS), Foliage (Memory Box)

Inks: Distress Inks, Delicata Gold, LuminArte Gold

I had lots of fun smooshing a darker panel (for the foliage) and a lighter panel (for the background) using different shades of Distress Inks.

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

CAS Mix Up March Challenge

They are celebrating already one year of fun - Happy Birthday!

My choices are die-cutting, stitching, vellum, gold splatters

This card won "Outstanding Design"!

CAS Watercolor March Challenge "Spring"

INKSPIRATIONAL #130 "Watercolor Smooshing"

This card was "Top Pick"!

CASOLOGY #240 "Foliage"

AAA Cards CAS Game #86 "Die Cuts"


Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Bit O' Green"


Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday "Green"
Can't make banner appear - sorry!

Stamps: Flower and Sentiment (Essentials by Ellen)
Other: Washi Tape (Stampin' Up)


I made this next card in my mind while driving to pick up my kids from school after I saw the gorgeous inspiration board of the current Pin-Sight challenge...

Essentials by Ellen March Pin-Sight Challenge

Be well,

Happy St. Patrick's Day

As far as I know I do not have any Irish blood but that doesn't stop me from exchanging cards on St. Patrick's Day with my Thursday night stamping buddies. Some years I don't manage to get any done because it's usually so close to Easter. This year this excuse didn't work, plus when I saw a recent sketch at Mojo Monday this idea popped into my head and wouldn't leave, so here it is...

Stamps:  Ivy frame (Stampin' Up), Celtic background (unmounted and unknown), sentiment (from the dollar bin at Michael's - old) 
Other: shamrock punch, sequins

The shamrocks are punched out from gold card stock.


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

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Bit O' Green"

Addicted to Stamps #233 "Holiday"







Retro Rubber Challenge #58 "Anything Goes"
The frame is way older than a year, more like 10 years... Same for the background stamp and the sentiment...







Shopping Our Stash #294 "Luck O' The Irish"








Wishing you a big pot of Irish luck!


Be well,

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,

Heart of Roses

After all these graphic, modern triangles I have a more delicate and feminine card for you today!

I was inspired by Therese's card over at the Flower Challenge. If you are not new to the stamping world you have probably heard of Therese and visited her blog "lost in paper". She is a master of lots of different styles and regularly posts videos. So if you need some inspiration you will find plenty of it on her blog!

This is her card that we were to CASE it:

And here is what I made:

Stamp: Happy Stampers (happy)
Dies: SSS (heart of roses), unknown (birthday - it was a gift)


I die cut the heart and put it back into the panel. Behind it is a background that I made a long time ago using the direct to paper technique. I didn't use any acetate like Therese did but my background is on glossy paper so it has a similar shine. I cut out the birthday from the same panel. The heart is treated with Wink of Stella but you know how difficult it is to capture on camera.


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

The Flower Challenge #5 "CASE Our Guest Designer"
***This card was the winner!!!***






Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"





Seize the Birthday "Inlaid Die Cutting"







Thank you so much for your visit! If you want to make my day leave me a comment!

Be well,

Celebrate with a Big Flower

Yesterday was World Cardmaking Day. Hope you took time to play. I made a card, but I practically had to force myself.  Sad, huh? There were so many other things I should/could have done... (Aren't there always?) Even sitting in my craft space I was tempted to work on things that were "on my list". But I decided to just play. Then, as is often the case, I was overwhelmed and didn't know where to start. Eventually I tried the Ghosting/Monoprinting Technique that the fabulous Loll used here for the new CAS Mix Up October Challenge.

Stamps: Altenew (sentiment), Stampin' Up (border)
Other: Stencil (Folk Art), gold splatters (LuminArte)


I applied several different Distress Inks on a panel of Bristol paper. Then I got worried that it might not even work for that technique but as you can see it did just fine. I spritzed a NBUS stencil from Folk Art with water and laid it on the panel. After lifting it off I dabbed it with a paper towel. There was no need to wait, the ink reacted immediately with the water. I cut around the blossom, spritzed it with gold. The border is from a very, very old Stampin' Up set (it says 1995 on it) and is gold embossed. The label sentiment is from Altenew. Didn't add anything else to keep it CAS.
Love this technique and want to try it with other stencils!


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


CAS Mix Up October Challenge
My choice is heat embossing and/or splattering







Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"







Inkspirational #118 "Glamour"
Isn't this big rose with the gold splatters glamorous?








Thanks for stopping by and be well,