Sympathy Cards

Today's cards were inspired by three people: Michele and Cornelia who both played with the colors from the current Color Throwdown , and Maria who reminded me that I needed a sympathy card. And because it's always good to have one on hand I made two. Thank you, ladies, for the inspiration!

Stamps: Inkadinkado (branch), Alexandra Renke (sentiment) - thanks to Elisabeth from aufspapiergebracht for this stamp!
Die: Memory Box (bird)

Stamps: Inkadinkado (branch), Penny Black (background script), PTI (sentiment)
Die: Memory Box (bird)


Entering this at the

Color Throwdown #474

Are you getting excited about the Twofer Challenge? Come back on the 10th to find out what the first prompt is going to be...

Be well and keep in touch!

Sympathy and Halloween

Hi there,

Thanks so much for stopping by! Today I have two cards for you for very different occasions.

First a sympathy card because my stash has dwindled down. I like to keep them simple.

Stamps: Stampin' Up (leaf), Uniko (sentiment)

I smooshed a background with Distress Inks. Stamped the leaf and the sentiment, tied a piece of raffia around it, mounted the panel on a piece of dark brown card stock, and attached it to a card that has pieces of dried flowers in it (from Marco's paper).

The second card is for a more fun occasion that's coming up: Halloween.

Stamps: Hero Arts (tree trunks background), Inkadinkado (sentiment, spider)
Die: Impression Obsession (ghost)

I stamped the moon surface (unmounted, unknown stamp) in white on yellow copy paper, punched it out and glued it on the blue card stock. Then I stamped the tree background on top of it. I cut a slit in the blue card stock and slid the ghost in there. The glittery bats with the fun googly eyes are stickers I found at Michaels. The rest is pretty self explanatory. Let me know if you have any questions.


Entering the first card in the

Time Out Challenge #95 "Sympathy with and optional twist of distressing"





Fusion Challenge 
I was inspired by the leaves





The Card Concept #80 "Autumn Love"

Be well,

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,

Two CAS sympathy cards for CAS(E) this sketch #132

When I saw sketch #132 by N@Ali over at CAS(E) this sketch several ideas popped into my head. One was to use a die cut in the corner. It became a sympathy card because I think the negative die cut is a good symbol for the loss. Not always but very often I keep my sympathy cards very clean and simple. Look...

And then, of course, I couldn't throw out the piece I cut out and made this...

Stamps: Morning Star (sentiment)
Die: Poppystamps (leaf)
Other: Marco's Paper



Challenges:

CAS(E) this sketch #132






So sorry but the photos from our last week in California will have to wait until next time. My computer is very slow tonight and it has gotten too late.

Thanks for your visit!

Hugs,
Susanne

More sympathy cards for Hero Arts "Nature"

Here are two more cards using this Hero Arts stamp (sorry don't know the name or number and can't find it anywhere online) I inked up the other day. Yes, they are also sympathy cards because I was running low and a friend of mine often asks for sympathy cards. 

Stamps: Hero Arts (flower frame, grass and dragonfly in border and sentiment), Stampin' Up (flower in border)

On this one I tried the rock 'n' roll technique with two different chalk inks.

Stamps: Hero Arts (flower frame and sentiment)
Die: PTI (linen impression plate)  


Here I used an old Stampin' Up ink pad (Brocade Blue) and spritzed it with water. The color separated a bit adding interest.

Challenge:


Hero Arts "Nature"





Wishing you a wonderful week!

Hugs,
Susanne

Hero Arts "Nature" / SSS Wednesday "Anything Goes" / SSS Monday Challenge "Hint of Clover"

I wanted to play at Hero Arts "Nature" Challenge (runs until March 20th) and when I looked through my HA stamps I found one that I don't remember ever using. I started playing around with different inks and ended up with 6 images:

I made 5 cards. Today I am going to show you three of them so that the post doesn't get to long.

This one I inked with an old Color Box Chalk Ink "Lavender", mounted on a pale lavender card. I stamped a border on the bottom with a mix of Hero Arts and Stampin' Up stamps with the same ink, but stamped off. Finished with a Hero Arts sentiment and a silver dragonfly brad.

On this one I used the Distressed Ink "Peeled Paint" not spritzed with water. Because it was so stark on the white I sponged over it to make it look softer. Dragonfly brad in copper, same sentiment, foam mounted on cream panel that was embossed with PTI's Linen embossing plate that is so perfect when you want just a hint of embossing. The green cardstock is stamped with Hero Arts envelope pattern.

Three different DI (Faded Jeans, Broken China, Peeled Paint), spritzed with water. Copper dragonfly brad, Hero Arts sentiment, mounted on blue panel with PTI Linen embossing plate on green card.


Challenges:

Hero Art "Nature"







Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"






Simon Says Monday Challenge "Hint of Clover"







Thanks for looking! Will be back soon with the other two cards!

Hugs,
Susanne

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

OCC "Stretch Your Stamps 2" - Sympathy

This morning I made a card inspired by Stephanie Klauck's video on Day 3 of the Online Card Class "Stretch Your Stamps 2". She made a fun little scene stamping through stencils. I don't have a stencil that let's me create a scene like hers so I did this:

Stamps: Stampin' Up (sentiment), Hero Arts (words inside stencil)
Stencil: The Crafter's Workshop
Punch: Martha Stewart

I really like how this came out and definitely want to use this technique again.

We'll see if I manage to make another card today! These classes really get your mojo going! So many ideas swirling in my head (so little time)...

Enjoy your day,
Susanne

Two Sympathy Cards

Hello there,

The Watercolor Class must be over because I am not posting as often any more...
I have been making lots of cards this past weekend mostly for teachers. Since I used some of the same watercolor techniques that I have shown you already I won't post them.

Last Thursday night my stamping friends and I made some backgrounds using a circle punch to make a mask and sponging. This weekend I made two sympathy cards out of them. If you want to see what my friend Dora B. made out of hers, check out her blog.

Hope you can see the little vellum butterfly on each of them.

The branch on the green card is a stamp from my friend L and I don't know the company. If you are really interested let me know and I can ask her. The flowers on the blue card are from Endless Creations, the sentiment is from Stampabilities.

These are the first non-watercolored cards that I posted in quite some time! But I am still having fun with watercolors so there will be more coming....

Thanks for stopping by,
Susanne

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - die cuts

On day 4 of the Watercolor Class Shari Carroll showed us how to use Gelatos and Markers directly on bold stamps. I dug out some old Hero Arts Real Flowers stamps (anybody remember those?) that I think are perfect for the watercolor technique. I started with Gelatos and then got on a roll and tried the few Distress Markers that I own and then I even used my half dried up Marvy Markers. Each time I spritzed it 2 to 3 times without reinking. So far I only have on finished card to show you. It's the one with the Distress Markers. First the result of my "scientific" project. On the right you see the image after the first spritz, on the left after I spritzed it again.

I was looking to add some interest to the mustard layer but all my border punches were too overpowering. I think the Simon Says curved edge is just perfect. I received it yesterday and used it on the same day!!! That has never happened before, I think!

As the theme at their Wednesday Challenge is die cuts I am sending it over there. 

I hope to show you my experiments with Gelatos and dried Markers next time. Stay tuned...

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,

Susanne

Stamps: Hero Arts (flowers), Stampabilities (sentiment)

Die: Simon Says Stamp (curved edge)

Watercolor Class Homework - Day 3

I know, I know, I am way behind not only in my homework but now also with watching the videos. It's a VERY good thing that participants in this class have lifetime access to all the videos! And by the way, it's not too late to sign up for it.

Last weekend we visited my MIL so I didn't have time to play or watch all the videos. Yesterday I made some backgrounds like Jennifer McGuire showed us on day 3 with an acrylic block, versamark and watercolor paints. When they were dry today I made some sympathy cards out of them because a friend needs some.

Unfortunately the flowers and the fern stamps are unmounted rubber and I don't know the company. If one of you knows, please let me know. The sentiment is from a set by Stampabilities that I bought on Saturday during my first visit to a Hobby Lobby. 

ETA: My friend Dora let me know that the flower stamp on the top card is from Endless Creations.

I am having so much fun making all these background! You will certainly see more... 

Since the first card has flowers on it I am sending it over to the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Flowers".

Be well,

Susanne

"Less is More" week 142: Trees

Hello friends,

Another challenge that I have been following but never participated in is "Less is More". This week the theme is trees and I think you know by now that I love trees. So I felt I just had to make a card! The beginning of the week was busy so when I arrived at Stamp Camp* today this was the first card I made because the challenge is closing soon!

It is even a One Layer card even though that was not the challenge this week. Do you see the score lines on the bottom? 

* Stamp Camp: Every October, my stamping friend "Dora" kindly uses her timeshare for a whole week of stamping fun and invites all her friends. Some friends had to leave already and I could only come for the last two nights.

Maybe I will post again from our beautiful location...

Thank you for your visit and your comments. If you have any questions please contact me.

Susanne

Stamps: PSX (tree, it's from 1995, woohooo!), Stampin' Up (words, Simply Sketched)

CFC 113 take two

Hello again!

Another card for the CAS-UAL FRIDAY 113 challenge of "kraft and type", that I made out of scraps of yesterdays card. It practically made itself which doesn't happen very often.

ETA: This card was a Contender at CFC!

Thanks for visiting!

Susanne

Stamps: Hero Arts, Morning Star
Die: Memory Box