#839 – Merry and Bright

Hello! Continuing from the post yesterday, this is the second card I made during my free time yesterday. I got inspired by the Winnie & Walter Color Combo challenge which is hosted by Heather. The colors are beautiful this time too!! But before that, here’s what I made –

I started with stamping the images that I wanted to use – they all came from In Bloom: Victorias Very Merry Flowers, plus a few die cuts from In Bloom: Paulina’s Greenery. I used dye inks, misted them and then stamped them, giving them a watercolored look. Once they dried, I fussy cut them. On the die cut piece, I blended in a bit of green tinted distress oxide inks.

On the card base, I adhered a piece embossed using We R Memory Keepers Geometric embossing folder and trimmed the sides from. On this I adhered all the fussy cut and die cut pieces, foam mounting a few of the flowers, some of them partially even.

Coming to the sentiment – I used In a Word Merry Co-ordinating dies. I cut the shadow using vellum and white cardstock using the word die, which I then colored a bright red using Zig Brush marker, which I adhered together. The stamped piece of the sentiment comes from In Bloom: Victorias Very Merry Flowers, which I stamped and then fussy cut. I adhered the all the pieces using foam tape.

For embellishing, I added a few tiny drops of Nuvo Silver Lining crystal drops on the center of the flowers and also added sparkle using Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen. This finished my card!

I am joining the following challenges –

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Anything Goes

Winnie & Walter October Color Combo challenge with Heather H

Happy Little Stampers November Watercolor challenge: Anything Goes with optional ‘Animals’ (I haven’t used the optional here)

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#833 – Seize the Birthday: Its just a Number!

Hello and welcome! We are starting a new challenge this week at Seize the Birthday challenge, and the topping this time is ‘Its just a Number’, which is given to us by Colleen. Of course, as usual, you are free to ignore the topping and join the fun with any Birthday project.

I, of course, went with topping, and here’s what I made –

After a long time, I turned back to my favorite technique and had some relaxed time watercoloring. Didn’t last too long though – I think I completed this, quite unexpectedly, within an hour!

Anyway, I stamped the images from Waffle Flower Enveloper Birthday and Enveloper Little Birdie on watercolor paper using Distress Ink Antique Linen and then used Gansai Tambi watercolors for coloring.

Once it dried, I masked off the girl, then added a few splatters. I trimmed this to size and kept it aside.

While I had a basic idea of what I wanted, didn’t think too much about it before the watercoloring and I was stuck on which sentiment to use and how and where for quite some time, until I came across this sentiment from Simon Says Stamp Big Birthday Wishes. I stamped it in vellum, trimmed the piece and after folding the top half of it, tucked it on top of the watercolor panel and then foam mounted it on top of a grey cardbase.

I hope it serves as an inspiration to you! I am submitting this card to the following challenges –

Happy Little Stampers September Watercolor challenge: Anything Goes with optional ‘Tropical’ (I haven’t gone with the optional)

A2Z Scrapbooking challenge: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: Stamp It

Check out the Seize the Birthday challenge blog for more amazing inspiration from our talented team and our talented Surprise Party Guest, Annie!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#831 – Butterflies Birthday Hugs!

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

And here’s the card I made –

I started by making the background using Altenew Floral Shadow. I actually made three of them – with different shades of black and grey, and ended up choosing this one for this card. The rest are saved for something in the future. 🙂

Well, I trimmed my chosen paper on the top and bottom and then foam mounted this on a black cardbase.

I then cut out several pieces of the butterflies from three dies from My Favorite Things Flutter of Butterflies, from several pattern papers. I also cut out the body of each butterfly using black cardstock. I then adhered three pieces of pattern paper together for each butterfly..

Finally, coming to the sentiment. I cut out one piece of Memory Box’s Big Hugs using white cardstock, and three more using black. I stacked the black ones and adhered them together, and adhered the white one off a bit, to get a shadow effect. I adhered this on the card, so that there was enough space to add the three butterflies too. Then I added the other part of the sentiment, which comes from Simon Says Stamp Beautiful Flowers, using foam tape

With this card I am joining the following challenges –

Happy Little Stampers: August Anything with Dies challenge

A2Z Scrapbooking challenge: Birthday

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, Su Mohr!

And thank you so much for stopping by!

#829 – STB: Rainbow – 2 Ways

Hello and welcome! We have a brand new challenge at Seize the Birthday and the topping, chosen this time by Cathy, is Rainbow! If you are not a fan of rainbows, you can choose to just join us with any Birthday project of your choice!

This time I have two cards – yes two! And that too, when I totally suck at making cards with rainbow – the actual rainbow or just even the colors!

For my first card, I used stencil wreath technique, which Jennifer McGuire has taught. I used the Winnie & Walter Buffalo Check stencil and distress inks to blend in some rainbow color, on all the sides, leaving the center white. I then trimmed the piece using Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles die. I then stamped the sentiment, from Simon Says Stamp Birthday Bits, in black ink. I foam mounted this on a white card base.

It still felt like it needed something! So I created a thin frame using Memory Box Basic Rectangles set of dies, stacked them with similarly cut pieces and adhered this on top. I also cut out a few tiny flowers and leaves from the Paper Smooches Flowers 2 dies, which I adhered on opposite corners. I used a few pearls on the flower centers, which also acted as additional embellishment.

For the next card – actually this was the first card I made – I wanted to go with the actual rainbow, not just the colors.

I first made the background – blending some distress inks in shades of blue, then a little bit of yellow in the bottom. I then added splatters of water, to create a splattered effect. I also added splatters of white distress paint, and then some blue watercolor ink. I kept it aside to dry completely.

I used We R Memory Keepers Nesting Circles to cut out seven pieces, then colored them all in rainbow colors. I adhered the pieces, not so neatly, on a corner of the card. I then added the sentiment from Winnie & Walter Wishing You stamp set and then the clouds from Paper Smooches Clouds die cut. I added some sparkle on the clouds and rainbow using Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen.

With this card, I am joining the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Make Your Own Background

Happy Little Stampers July Anything Goes with Dies challenge

Inkspirational Challenge #191: Photo challenge: banners, kites, balloons

So, which version of rainbows did you like the best?

Do remember to check up on the Seize the Birthday blog for more “colorful” inspiration from the rest of our design team and of course, from our talented Surprise Guest Su Mohr! And, of course, join us using your own birthday project!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#823 – Happy Wedding Anniversary!!

Hello and welcome! Today, I am showing off a card that I made together with my sis!! Yes, its a project which we’ve created together, since it was for our dear parents’ anniversary!

My sis made that precious background … and my job started after that. How did she make that background?? You’ll have to ask her!! 😉

For my portion – I debated between metallic cardstock or die cuts which I heat embossed with metallic or pearl embossing powder. But, well, white suited the background the best, so that’s what I went with. I die cut a few pieces of white cardstock using Pink Fresh Studio Fancy Floral die, adhered them together. I then adhered the background over my white card base, and adhered the die cut on top.

The sentiment die cuts are from My Favorite Things Emmitt Alphabet and the stamped piece is from Altenew Painted Poppy, which I first heat embossed using rose gold embossing powder, then a second time using a mix of gold and rose gold embossing powders.

I adhered the die cuts over a strip of vellum, then adhered the fussy cut sentiment. I also added a few gem stones of white and orange for embellishing.

For the envelope, I used a die cut piece of Pink Fresh Studio Fancy Floral, which I used like a stencil with orange distress inks to create an ombre effect at the bottom, and stamped the sentiment (which none of the images show!!!) using Altenew Painted Poppy and Simon Says Stamp Beautiful Flowers.

And that’s our combined project! Love how it looks so bright and happy!! 😀

With this card I am joining the following challenges –

Pink Fresh Studio Monthly challenge: May Challenge: Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers: May Anything Goes with Dies challenge

Simon Says Stamp: Wednesday challenge: Mood Board: Bright colors

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

#817 – Happy Birthday

PE: Top Addict at Addicted to Stamps and More!!

Hello and welcome! We have a new challenge on Seize the Birthday blog. The challenge is to make birthday projects, and this time, since we do not have any ‘topping’, its an ‘Anything Goes’ challenge.

I made this card for my sister’s birthday, which was a couple of days ago –

I used the flower bunch image from Simon Says Stamp Beautiful Flowers stamp set for this. After stamping the images in a light grey ink on watercolor paper, I watercolored them using Prima Watercolor pencils. I then used Zig brush pens for touching up some darker areas, and also adding the lines on the leaves. I used distress inks for coloring the background.

I also added a few little splatters of brown on the watercolor piece. Once dried, I also added glitter using a glitter pen over the flowers and a few leaves. I trimmed the piece and adhered it over a white card base. I added a few lines as a frame, using silver and white gel pens.

The sentiment came from Neat & Tangled Journaling Alphas die. I used the same white cardstock for the top, which I stacked over a few pieces of shades of green, going from the darkest green cardstock at the bottom to the lightest on top. I then adhered this to the card. I added some shine on the sentiments as well, using the same glitter pen.

Finally, for embellishing, I added a few sequins – transparent, silver and one with a pearly blueish shine.

For the envelope, I used the same die and stamp. I stamped the image using shades of pink and purple, and for the die cut, I used a gradient of green, pink and purple, out of which I die cut the letters and adhered over the envelope.

Joining these challenges –

Addicted to Stamps challenge #336: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: No Designer Paper

Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday challenge: Spring Flowers

Happy Little Stampers April Watercolor challenge: Anything Goes with optional ‘Bright’

I hope you are inspired by this card. Check out the Seize the Birthday blog for more inspiration from out fabulous DT and also from our talented Surprise Party Guest, Tenia Nelson! And don’t forget to join the party! 🙂

#814 – Dots & Stripes

Hello and welcome to a brand new challenge at Seize the Birthday! To join the challenge all you have to do is create a fresh, new birthday project. You have an optional choice of using a ‘Topping’ in your creation, and this time, this topping is ‘Dots & Stripes’.

I chose to use the topping in my project. And here’s what I made –

I first made the backgrounds. On one piece of cardstock I used My Favorite Things Bold Diagonal Stripes stamp with Versafine Onyx black and on the card base, I used Winnie & Walter Mini Scenery: Spotty stencil using Black Soot distress ink to apply. I then trimmed a part off the diagonal stripes piece and foam mounted it on the dotty background.

For the flowers, which are die cut from Altenew Peony Dreams, I used photo paper and watercolor on top. These are cheap watercolors I used, but they worked pretty well. Since the paper is not made to absorb ink, spotty patterns formed when I watercolored on them. So pretty! I then adhered them, piece by piece.

After adhering the flower and leaves on the card, I added the sentiment – from Altenew Label Love and Paper Trey Ink Wet Paint 3, and foam mounted them on top. I added some gold sequins scattered around the card and in the flower’s center, for some embellishing.

Joining the following challenges –

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: Feminine/Girly

The Flower Challenge #30: Anything Goes

Timeout Challenge #131: Inspired by Words: Hugs, Kisses and a lot of Birthday Wishes – where they are also celebrating their 5th Birthday!! Yay!! Congrats to Sandy and the fabulous DT!!

Happy Little Stampers March Anything Goes with Dies challenge

I hope you are inspired by my creation! Hop over to the Seize the Birthday blog for more inspiration from our amazing DT and our amazingly talented Surprise Party Guest, Tenia Nelson, and join us with your own birthday project!

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂