#871 – STB: All About Summer!

PE: Winner at the Timeout Challenge #163

Hello and welcome! Its time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday challenge, and the topping this time, chosen by our teammate Colleen, is ‘All About Summer’. However, if you are not up for it, you can always play along with just a birthday project!

And here’s what I made –

I am not completely sure if this is qualified for a Summer theme, but there is a sun in it….:P

Making the card was pretty straight forward – Stamped the images from My Favorite Things ‘Things with Wings’ stamp set, colored them using my Zig brush markers. I used distress inks for the grass and sky, and cut the grass using My Favorite Things Grassy Fields die. The whole panel was cut using Mama Elephant So Sew die. I stamped the sentiment after the assembly of the top panel, and it is a combination of Concord & 9th Sunshine Turnabout and Simon Says Stamp Tiny Words stamp sets.

Hope you enjoyed my card. Remember to check up on the Seize the Birthday blog for more creative inspiration from the rest of our design team and of course, from out talented Surprise Guest Jo Avery! And don’t forget to join us using your own birthday project!

I am joining the following challenges –

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge #392: Make Your Mark

CASE This Sketch challenge #375

Timeout challenge #163: Proust Quote

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#863 – Birthday Wishes!

PE: Designer’s choice at Tic-Tac-Toe challenge!

Hello and welcome! My sister’s birthday came around a month ago and I had made this card for her –

Since I usually make some florals, I thought of going for critters this time. And with a window too (since I wasn’t completely happy with my last attempt of having a window card with critters in it).

So the first thing I did was stamp all the critters and watercolor them.
I used stamps from:
My Favorite Things Friendly Foxes
My Favorite Things Sending Sweet Celebration Wishes
My Favorite Things Piggy Pebbles
My Favorite Things Scene Builder
Simon Says Stamp Birthday Bits
I used watercolor paper from CrafTangles. After doing some no-line water-coloring using colors from Zig Brush markers, I added some accents to a few potions, like the cake and the party accessories and the balloons using sparkly colored gel pens or clear sparkle pen. Finally, I fussy cut all the images out.

Next to the card base. I first masked off a portion for the ground and then blended in the blue lightly and then used the Mudra Brick brick stencil on top to add more color. I used some makeup brushes, which I newly bought – and oh, wow, do I love them! I’ve never achieved such lovely blending! For the ground, I blended in the grey and then added some lines using a grey marker to indicate wooden flooring.

I used a single die from Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles to die cut the three windows.

The inside of the card is more water-coloring, for which I used a separate watercolor panel. This time, I used distress inks. Also, the wooden porch where the darling piggy is standing is brown shaded and another piece. Both the water-colored background and the porch are adhered directly on top of the inside of the card.

Finally, I heat embossed the sentiments, from Winnie & Walter Sentimental: Birthday, both inside and outside the card, using white ep. Finally, I adhered all he fussy cut critters on top, along with the cake and decorations.

And that’s my card for my sister!

I am joining the following challenges with this card –

Addicted to Stamps challenge #387: Make Your Mark

Watercooler Wednesday challenge #269: Anything Goes

Hndmd/CrafTangles May challenge: Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers May Watercolor challenge: Anything Goes + optional Emboss

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Anything Goes

Tic-Tac-Toe challenge #62 (bottom row, clouds-animals-layers)

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

#862 – STB: Food and/or Drink

PE: Rocker at Watercooler Wednesday challenge!

Honorable Mention at the Addicted to Stamps & More challenge!

Hello and welcome! Its time for a new challenge at the Seize the Birthday challenge. Every Challenge is always Anything Goes and a special Topping is included for extra fun.  And this time’s topping is chosen by Glenda ‘Food and/or Drink’.

And here’s what I made –

I had first chosen some cupcakes, but then my sight fell on these ice-cream dies, from Reverse Confetti Love and Ice-Cream dies, which I hadn’t used in forever!! I did a search on my Pinterest boards, and figured out that watercoloring might be my best option to show off some delicious ice-cream. So I cut out everything, watercolored them, let them dry.

For the card base, I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder, whose name I’ve forgotten. I swiped some distress oxide ink across the folder, misted it a bit, then embossed the card base in it. I then added a later of vellum to soften it a bit and foam mounted the ice creams on top.

The sentiment pieces are from Winnie & Walter In a Word: Birthday and Winnie & Walter In a Phrase: Hugs & Kisses dies. I cut out three of each, colored one of the hugs die cuts and adhered them all together. I then adhered this on my card.

With this card, I am joining the following challenges –

Watercooler Wednesday challenge #268: All About Occasions

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge #386: Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers: April Watercolor challenge: Anything Goes + optional Stars

Happy Little Stampers: April Anything Goes with Dies challenge

Checkout the Seize the Birthday blog for more amazing instance of creativity by the rest of the design team! Also joining us is our Surprise Party Guest, Stef Perry!

And thank you so much for stopping by!

#860 – STB: Cards for Kids

PE: Rocker at Watercooler Wednesday challenge!

Hello and welcome to another challenge at Seize the Birthday, where the latest topping, given to us by JoAnn, is ‘Cards for Kids’! Of course, you can also choose to not go for the topping and make a fresh birthday project to join us!

This time, I tried going making a card with a window – a window created by fussy cutting and surrounded by fun elements.

I played with a variety of stamps from MFT And Mama Elephant. Some of the images had thinner lines, so I made them thicker by going over them again using a fine liner. The sentiment comes from Clearly Besotted Scrumptious Script stamp set.

I first stamped the images for the top layer and fussy cut out the center. I then took a scrap piece of cardstock larger than the window, and then stamped my ewe. I then colored them all using Zig brush markers. I also added a bit of pattern on the banner, the party hat and the balloon using white gel pen and a black fine liner. Then, I added a bit of shimmer using Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen.

When I trimmed the top panel, somehow, I ended up not getting the dimension right to position the card in the center. So, instead of messing things up, I chose to move the panel a bit to the right, showing the card base in the other three sides instead.

I was so engrossed in making it work…and when I felt like there was no purpose to the window in the card. Frankly, I can’t even make out whether that poor ewe is indoor or outdoor! But, well, the card itself looks fine, so I am glad I could make the idea itself work! 😉

With this card I am joining the following challenges –

Addicted to Stamps #382: Make your Mark

Watercooler Challenge #264: All About Occasions

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Anything Goes

Virginia’s Show and Share challenge

Checkout the Seize the Birthday blog for more inspiring instances of creativity by the rest of the design team! Also joining us is our Surprise Party Guest, Stef Perry!

And thank you so much for stopping by!

#857 – A Sympathy Card

Hello and welcome. This time I’ve made a card, that most card-makers would prefer not to make – a sympathy card. I’ve sent it out to a very dear fellow blogger, Monika, who recently lost her young son in an accident. My heart aches for her – what a terrible thing to go though.. 😦

To make this card, I first used the dies from My Favorite Things Birds of a Feather and Pretty Fresh Studio Dainty Blossoms, watercolored them and kept them aside to dry. On the card base, I embossed using one of the die cuts from Winnie & Walter Essentials: Lana Cutaways. I then adhered the die cut pieces and then stamped sentiment from Reverse Confetti Banner in Bloom using MFT Hybrid Black ink.

I hope Monika finds solace soon.

Joining the following challenges with this card –

Inkspirational challenge #208: Designers’ Choice: Animal: Real or Magical

Happy Little Stampers March Anything Goes with Dies challenge

Stamplorations March CAS challenge: Anything Goes with optional color twist Light Blue

Perfectly CAS challenge #7: Die Cuts (I’ve used the center of the 3/3 grid)

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge #381: Anything Goes

Thank you for stopping by.