#1013 – STB: Follow a Sketch

PE: Featured Artist at As You See It challenge! Yay!!

Hello and welcome! Today we start a new challenge at Seize the Birthday!

Our host this time, JoAnn, has given us a sketch to work with as the topping . The Topping is an optional challenge, but as long as your project is birthday-related, it’s worthy of entry!

And here’s what I made –

I started with making those little stamp die cuts. To create my own pattern paper for die cutting, I just took a plain white cardstock panel, stamped images using normal inks, then used a little water with a brush to spread the ink a bit. Doing that would blur the image so I stamped each image a couple of times more to add the definition back. Of course, since I was using my MISTI, restamping was easier. I used images from Hero Arts Flower Garden and Kaisercraft Butterflies stamps. I then die cut the panel randomly to get the stamp die cuts. I think the die was a free gift from a Winnie & Walter purchase.

I also used the same technique to stamp the big butterfly, also from Kaisercraft Butterflies stamp. I also added some details using a black fine liner pen and fussy cut it.

I first adhered the stamp die cuts on a grey card stock strip, trimmed it to size and used another strip of grid washi tape behind it and adhered it on the white cardbase. For the sentiment, I used a stamp from Reverse Confetti Tall Blooms. I trimmed it and added a strip of rainbow colored foil washi tape behind it. After adhering this on the cardstock, I also adhered the butterfly on top.

And that’s the card! I’m joining the following challenges as well –

As You See It challenge #281

AAA Birthday card challenge #40: Anything Birthday Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More #436: Make Your Mark

Happy Little Stampers August Birthday challenge

Step over to the Seize the Birthday blog to checkout how our Surprise Party Guest Karren J and our talented DT has cracked this sketch. And don’t forget to join the fun!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#1012 – STB: No Stamping

Hello and welcome! We have a new challenge at the Seize the Birthday blog. This time we have Glenda as our host and she has chosen ‘No Stamping‘ as the Topping. Of course, as always you may enter any birthday themed projects into our gallery if you don’t want to take the Toppings option.

And here’s what I made –

I recently got a few embossing folders in my stash, which I wanted for quite some time now. For this card, I used the Simon Says Stamp Exotic Vines embossing folder on a metallic silver cardstock. I first swiped some dark grey ink on one half of the folder to get two tones on the cardstock. Of course, misting the cardstock with a little water on both sides did help me get a clear embossing without any cracks.

For the sentiment, I actually forgot ‘no stamping’ and had heat embossed a stamped, silver heat embossed sentiment on black cardstock, but then remembered it and swapped it for what you see. I used Tim Holtz Alphanumeric Tiny Type Lower Thinlits Die Set to die cut the same silver metallic cardstock and adhered it on black cardstock. I then fussy cut the pieces and foam mounted it con the embossed card base.

I thought something extra is needed, and die cut a few butterflies using My Favorite Things Hip Clips from black cardstock. I then added three of them on the card. They act as embellishment as well, and I love the look of them – like they are fluttering around the garden.

And that’s my card! I’m also joining the following challenges with this card –

AAA Birthday card challenge #40: Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge #435: Die Cuts and/or Stencils

Happy Little Stampers August Birthday challenge: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: Happy Birthday

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Emboss It

Step over to the Seize the Birthday challenge blog and checkout what the rest of the DT and our Surprise Party Guest Karen J have created for this challenge.

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

#982 – Embossing

Hello and welcome!! A new challenge has started at Seize the Birthday and this time, the topping, chosen by our lovely teammate Barbara, is ‘Embossing‘. The toppings is optional, but as long as your project is birthday-related, it’s worthy of entry.

And I made this card –

I thought of incorporating multiple embossing types into my card. As Barbara has rightly mentioned in our challenge blog, there are many types of embossing – using an embossing folder, heat embossing, using stencil and paste.. and more. I managed to fit in 2 – i.e., using embossing folder and using stencil and paste, into this card.

I started with the texture paste embossed panel. I mixed a bit of shiny, sparkly acrylic paint from Prima with the white texture paste. Both the paint and the paste were a bit dried up, but they mixed well and ended up with the right consistency for application over a stencil. I used Mudra Ornamental Pattern & Corner stencil over a cream colored card stock panel. Setting it aside to dry, I used another panel and used the Tim Holtz-Sizzix Kaleidoscope embossing folder on it. This would be the background.

Lastly, the pretty sunflower – its from the Winnie & Walter In Bloom: Anna’s Flora. I stamped it with yellow ink onto Fabriano Accademia Disegno Drawing paper, then colored it with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils and used some mineral oil with a paper stub to smooth out the lines. I then fussy cut the flower out.

The sentiment is a print out, and I used foil on it for some extra shine. For assembling, I used normal glue on the bottom-most panel, and foam sheets for the rest of the pieces.

And that’s my card! I’m joining the following challenge –

AAA Birthday challenge #33: Two Favorite Colors (Yellow and Green)

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge #421: Make Your Mark

Watercooler Wednesday challenge #333: Dawn’s challenge: All About Occasions

Take your time to checkout the Seize the Birthday challenge blog to checkout more inspiration from our talented DT and our lovely Surprise Party Guest, Vicky Hayes!

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

#974 – Gardening Bear

Hello and welcome! Its time for a new challenge up at Seize the Birthday, and this will be the last challenge for this year. We will, of course be back the next year with another challenge – after celebrating Christmas and New Year’s to our heart’s content! 🙂

The topping for this time is chosen by our wonderful team mate Lindsey, and she has chosen ‘Hobbies and Pastimes‘. Of course, as always, ‘Anything Goes‘ theme also applies, so you can join with any birthday project!

And this is what I created –

My hobbies are pretty varied – card-making (of course!!), sewing, cooking, watercoloring, mixed media, reading, gardening – I love a bit of everything that helps me stay at home, but still occupied! 😀 Of all of these, since I had just the right stamps for it, I chose gardening.

I used stamps from Waffle Flower called ‘Bear and Bird’ and ‘Happy Day’, stamped them in VersaFine Onyx Black ink on Hndmd watercolor paper. I stamped the bear partially, so the bird isn’t stamped, and drew a gardening hat for the bear – how handsome he looks!! 😀 I then did a messy watercoloring using Distress Inks. I also added dots here and there using the same Uniball black fineliner pen I used to draw the bear’s hat.

For the background, I used CrafTangles Argyle stencil. I shifted the stencil to when applying each of my three colors – blue, green and yellow. It came out pretty lovely – pity I had to cover most of it. So anyway, it didn’t look quite right to just add the trimmed watercolored on top, so I matted it with some plain white cardstock and foam mounted it on the card base.

Finally for the sentiment, I used one from the Waffle Flower ‘Bear and Bird’ stamp set. Before stamping, I covered the scrap white cardstock with a blue Distress Oxide ink and then stamped it. I then trimmed it and them foam mounted on the card.

And that’s my card! I’ll also be joining these challenges –

AAA Birthday challenge #31: Animals

Timeout challenge #201: Da Vinci quote

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Anything Goes

Checkout the Seize the Birthday challenge blog for more inspiration on Hobbies and Pastimes, given by our talented team and our Surprise Party Guest, Carol McFarland! And don’t forget to join the last birthday party of this year! 🙂

Thank you very much for stopping by!

#950 – Sparsely colored Bergenias

PE: Top Three at AAA Birthday challenge!

Hello and welcome! We have a new challenge at Seize the Birthday and this time I chose the Topping to be ‘Use an Embossing Folder‘.

And here’s what I created –

Sorry for the picture’s bad quality – its always cloudy here, and this is taken when the day was at its brightest!

Coming to the card – I started with embossing Hndmd Cotton watercolor paper using Altenew’s Beautiful Bergenia embossing folder. I then started coloring the raised areas with Faber Castell Polychromos color pencils, using mineral oil/baby oil and paper stump to blend the colors. (You can see a similar coloring attempt with a different Altenew embossing folder here, where I used Oil pastels instead).

Once done, I trimmed the panel and adhered it over an off-white cardstock, covering the top completely. For the sentiment, I stamped one from Altenew Beautiful Lady over the same cardstock, trimmed it to size and foam mounted it over the card. I then added a few translucent sequins from Ranganjali for embellishment.

And that’s my card!

Watercooler Wednesday challenge #318: All About Occasions

AAA Birthday challenge #26: Flowers

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge #408: Birthdays where they are also celebrating their 9th birthday!! Yay!!

Checkout more inspiring cards from the DT and our Surprise Party Guest Melanie Hungerford, and make good use of your embossing folders and join the fun!

Thakn you for stopping by! 🙂