#796 – The Hedgehogs Say…

Hello and welcome to listen to what the hedgehogs want to say!! 😀 😀

I had these cute lil hedgehogs from MFT for quite some time now, and it felt like using autumn colors on them was the perfect idea. So, I made two cards, with the exact same arrangement, but with little changes.

I used MFT Happy Hedgehogs and Verve Stamps Bountiful Harvest stamps. I actually wanted to test one of the cardstocks that I own, on which I usually do misted stamping for superb effects, with watercoloring. The results weren’t exactly what I expected, but my sis said she liked the soft tones, so I thought of using the piece (or rather, keeping the card I made) than not. And that’s the one you see on the right.

I made this other one as I wasn’t satisfied with the first one. The one on the right is made by watercoloring using distress inks – and even bright colors were significantly toned down by this card stock. And the one on the left using stamping with MFT Black hybrid ink, then coloring using Zig Brush pens.

Coming back to the card on the right. Once the cardstock had dried, I die cut it using MFT Stitched Mini Rectangles die, added a base of dark brown cardstock, then adhered it to a kraft cardbase that I had already stamped in plaid tones of orange, red and brown using the MFT Plaid Background Builders. The sentiment is heat embossed on the same dark brown cardstock, die cut using MFT Slanted Sentiment Strips, foam mounted on the panel.

For the card with the brighter tones, the sentiment comes from Ranger Letter It – Thank You stamp set. I used distress oxide inks to create the blend of colors in the background, on which I splattered some water. I fussy cut the hedgehogs and pumpkins and mounted them at different levels of dimension.

With these cards, I am joining the following challenges –

MFT Sketch Challenge #402

Happy Little Stampers: September Watercolor challenge: Anything Goes (not using the optional Butterflies)

Color Throwdown challenge #510

Timeout Challenge #118: Photo Inspiration

Paru’s Card Making challenge: September challenge: Anything Goes

Thank you so much for listening to the hedgehogs and for stopping by! 🙂

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#795 – Floral Die Cuts

Hello and welcome! Time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday! This time, we have a the optional Topping ‘Die Cuts or Punches’. Of course, there’s also the option of Anything Goes, as always, which means you can join us with a birthday project which uses die cuts/punches… or with a birthday project without it. Your choice!

And here’s what I created –

I was mesmerized by this background that Miriam Pratner had created on her card. I used my cheap watercolors to make my background similarly, just using different tones. Once dry, I added a few black splatters and then adhered stacked die cuts from Penny Black Playful Posies. The sentiment (both die cut and stamped) is from Paper Trey Ink Wet Paint & Wet Paint 3. Add a few little pearls for embellishing, and that finished the card!

With this card, I am joining the following challenges –

The Card Concept : Coloful Basics

The Flower Challenge #24: Anything Goes

Paru’s Card Making challenge: September challenge: Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers: September Anything Goes with Dies challenge

Hope you liked my card! Joining us is also out Surprise Party Guest, Marianne! Check out the Seize the Birthday blog to what she created, along with the rest of our talented design team!

#788 – Distress Oxide Inks on Kraft

Hello and welcome!

I have this set of dark kraft cardstock. The quality is good, but because it is so dark, I am unsure of how to put it to good use (other than as a cardbase). I thought of using some Distress Oxide Inks on them, since, having pigment property, they would show up better than other options.

I wanted the background to be in focus, and I used one of my latest additions to my stash – Concord & 9th Retro Petals Turnabout stencil. This is so much fun! I had tried it on a couple of other colors of cardstock, which I haven’t used on any cards yet, but the Distress Oxide Inks showed up very well on the dark kraft, using this stencil. For the centers, I used clear embossing and silver pearl embossing. Just look at that shine! 🙂

Once done, I was again lost – what do I do with it?! In the end, I decided to just go with a simple card, with only the addition of a sentiment. I used Concord & 9th Cuddles & Hugs die cut, stacking the part with the kraft die cut, and adding glossy accents for the top most thinnest layer. I also added glossy accents to the hearts.

And the color palette that I used –

{source / Pinterest}

With this card, I am joining the following challenges –

Where Creativity Meets C9 challenge #24

CAS(E) This Sketch challenge #286

Happy Little Stampers August Anything Goes with Dies challenge

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

#785 – You Make Everything Better

PE: Top 3 at A2Z Scrapbooking Monthly challenge!!

Hello and welcome!

Its been some time since I added these stamps to my stash, but I hadn’t created much using them, so I put them to use again. These stamps are from Simon Says Stamp – More Spring Flowers and Even More Spring Flowers.

Since the design of these stamps are mostly similar, they gel well together. After stamping the images I chose using Versafine black ink, I used distress inks to do some watercoloring. Its messy, but a bit controlled, since I took care not to go outside the lines. I only used two colors on this – red and gray.

I let it dry and then added some splatters using red and black inks. But I still felt something lacking.. So, I thought of adding some messy coloring in between. I used some more distress ink, diluting it with water, then applied it on my card. Of course, this made some of the splatters wet again, and they got distorted a bit, but not too much. Again, I let it dry before adding the sentiment.

For the sentiment, I knew I wanted to use the Simon Says Stamp ‘You’ die, along with something stamped. While I was trying to decide whether white or black die cut would look good, I had accidentally laid the negative of the black die cut I was trying on the card – and I thought that looked a lot better. Strange how things work out sometimes!

But since this would end up covering a lot of area if I used it with a rectangular piece, I decided to cut the piece at places. Of course, before I cut it off, I stamped and white heat embossed the other part of the sentiment, which is from Concord & 9th Cuddles & Hugs. I then added a lot of foam tape behind the piece and added it on the card.

I am joining the following challenges with my card –

Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday: Watercolor

A2Z Scrapbooking August challenge: Anything Goes

Calling All Sisters challenge #16

Stamplorations Summer Theme and Sketch Challenge: Anything Goes

Thank you so much for stopping by and hope you have a great day! 🙂

#784 – Happy Birthday Papa!

Hello! Its time for another challenge at the Seize the Birthday, and this time, the cake comes without toppings again! That’s right, its time for an Anything Goes challenge!

The card I made is for my Papa’s birthday, which comes in a few days. Its a bit funny, cuz I had posted my Ma’s birthday card for the last ‘Anything Goes’ challenge! 😀

So, anyway, here’s the card –

For this card, though I was going to watercolor, I chose to go without watercolor paper, but a normal carsdtock, which was a bit more resilient to watercoloring than normal cardstock. Of course, it wouldn’t be as good as watercolor paper, but it served by purpose, as I wasn’t going to use too much water while coloring.

First, I gold heat embossed all the images I wanted separately. The flowers are from Altenew Magnolias For You, the tinier ones from Altenew Beautiful Day and the leaves are from Ellen Hutson Mondo Peony. Once done, I watercolored the images using Gansay Tambi colors, and once dried, I fussy cut the images, leaving just the least bit of cardstock on the outlines to show.

For the base, I chose Neat & Tangled Art Deco background, and gold heat embossed the image. I then heat embossed the sentiment, which is from Simon Says Stamp Birthday Bits, twice (since the lines on the scrip are absolutely thin, I wanted it to be a bit thicker). I also added some color, by watercoloring using Zig Brush pens, around the perimeter, leaving the center, where the sentiment is, completely uncolored. Once this dried, I also added lot of splatters using Camlin Drawing ink. I then trimmed this panel and adhered it on the card base. I then foam mounted or directly adhered the fussy cut images, around this design.

And for the envelope, I went with pattern paper. The sentiment is the same as the one I used for the card, and I added a few hearts from the same stamp set.

I am also joining the following challenges –

Altenew August Inspiration challenge

Simon Says Stamp: July Work it Wednesday challenge: Watercolor

Create Something Catchy: August challenge: Watercolor

Happy Little Stampers: August Watercolor challenge: Anything Goes + optional Flowers

Check out the Seize the Birthday blog for more inspiration from out fabulous DT and also from our talented Surprise Party Guest, Trina Pham! And don’t forget to join the party! 🙂

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

 

#779 – Black, Copper and White

Hello and welcome! I made this one layered black and white card with copper embossing last night ..

..using Simon Says Stamp More Spring Flowers, Even More Spring Flowers and Look For the Miracles stamp sets.

Joining the following challenges –

Color Throwdown challenge #504

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Make Your Own Background

Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Challenge: Watercolor

The Flower Challenge #23: One Layer Card

Happy Little Stampers August Watercolor Challenge: Anything Goes + optional Flowers

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

 

 

 

 

#778 – A Beautiful Day with a Yellow Birdie

PE: Winner at Winnie & Walter Color Combo with Heather H!!! Yippie!!

Hello! This time I tried making a card with a birdie, with a little scenery to suite. Its sitting amidst blooming yellow flowers on a tree branch –

Past cards carrying critters/birdies, I haven’t tried much to create my own scenic background – it was mostly stamping, so I thought of giving it a try this time. I stamped the bird first, and then the branch in a very light grey, then stamped the flowers and then the leaves (with the flowers masked). I then added brown to the branch, so that it would fall behind the flowers and the birdie.

I stamped, colored and fussy cut the birdie and the larger flowers separately. Before adhering them to the panel, I trimmed it and die cut it. At this point, I thought there was still a lot of white amidst the branch and leaves and everything – wasn’t exactly looking like a tree. So, I added some more greens by dabbing color using Zig brush pens – actually, I scribbled off some ink off an plastic sheet, then watercolored it, so that I could alter the shades to soft or darker. I still left quite some space – wonder if I should try to cover that too, the next time?? Anyway, after letting the whole thing dry, I adhered it to a yellow card base.

Products used –
Winnie & Walter In Bloom: Ashlee’s Rosie Posies with Lydia Evans
Winnie & Walter Happy Owlidays
Altenew Vintage Flowers (for the branch)
Lawn Fawn Stitched Borders
Paper Smooches Borders 2

With this card, I am joining the following challenges –

Winnie & Walter July Color Combo challenge with Heather H.

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: Wild Things

Happy Little Stampers August Watercolor challenge: Anything Goes with optional Flowers

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂