#821 – Missing You

Hello and welcome! Its been quite some time since I actually made a card in between my DT projects. So I am really happy to have found some time in between to make this one! 🙂

I was totally inspired by the card that Aga had made for the latest Altenew Inspiration challenge. I picked a few main elements – like white embossed texture over a grey background, a little pink in the focal floral element and a clean bold sentiment in black.

For my card, I first stamped the flowers from Altenew Painted Florals stamp set using Versafine Onyx ink, then the coloring layers in shades of grey for the flowers and a darker, subdued shade of green for the leaves. I also water colored a little bit it grey and green using distress inks in the gaps in between the images. Once it dried, I fuzzy cut the trailing side of the image and kept it aside. I also stamped a few more flowers separately, stamped them in pink and bright green and fussy cut them.

I then used Prima Magnolias stencil and embossing paste over a grey cardstock and let it dry. Once it dried I mounted the previous piece on top. Fro the sentiment, I used Altenew Label Love and foam mounted it with the pink flowers.

With this card I am joining the following challenges –

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge #341: Anything Goes

Altenew Inspiration Challenge: May Challenge

A2Z Scrapbooking May challenge: May Flowers

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: For a Special Lady

Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday challenge: Spring Flowers

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

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#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! 🙂

#816 – Spring Birthday

Hello and welcome to yet another challenge at Seize the Birthday! The optional topping this time is “Spring”. Just the perfect theme for the weather we are having right now! 🙂

The card I made also goes to a very dear friend, and I really hope she likes it! Here it is –

I started with a bright white paper, Fabriano Elle Erre Bianco. I had initially thought of using watercolor paper, but since it was a little off-white, I changed it. And since this wasn’t watercolor paper, I used Zig Brush pens for coloring, and then a little bit of distress ink for watercoloring the greens later. Just kept the water minimal, so that the paper wouldn’t warp.

To start with, I stamped all the images, from Altenew Peony Scrolls, Altenew Golden Garden and Winnie & Walter In Bloom: Addies Garden using Versafine Onyx ink. Once this was completely dry, I started coloring them. I also stamped the flowers separately, colored and fussy cut them, to adhere them on top of the piece.

The sentiment comes from Reverse Confetti Banner In Bloom. The design on the base cardstock comes from Ranger/Tim Holtz Boundless Flight stamp set – something I have in my stack since God knows when! I am glad to have used this beautiful stamp here to add a bit to the otherwise plain background.

I am also joining the following challenges –

A2Z Scrapbooking March Challenge: Color it In

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday Challenge: Spring Flowers

So, that’s it from me. Stop over to the Seize the Birthday challenge blog for more inspiration from our talented Party Guest Tenia Nelson and from the rest of our amazing team!

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

#813 – Seize the Birthday – Make us Laugh!

PE: Top Pick at Inkspirational Challenge!! Yay!!!

Favorite at Happy Little Stampers Watercolor Challenge

Hello and welcome! We have a new challenge on Seize the Birthday blog. The challenge is to make birthday projects, and you also have the option of using a ‘Topping’ that is given in every challenge. And the ‘Topping’ this time is ‘Make us Laugh’, chosen by our teammate Lindsey.

This one might have been my toughest challenge yet! I was completely stumped when I saw ‘Make us Laugh’ as the theme! But I did take it upon myself to deliver, and boy, am I glad I did!

As happens with cards I usually find difficult, I didn’t have anything in the stash for this. So, I went with my best source of inspiration. I searched for a funny sentiment in Pinterest and found this one. I then thought of using critters along with it, to make a funny card. I think having critters in my card made it easier!

I guess our critter friends were a little too hungry to wait for their friend – they ate up the cake! Instead, they’ve brought all sorts of presents, balloons and flowers – so maybe they’ll be forgiven! He he!

With this card I am joining the following challenges –

Inkspirational Challenge #181: Designer’s Choice: Use Your Stash

Timeout Challenge #130: Unique (unique for me for being my first ever humorous card)

Happy Little Stampers March Watercolor Challenge: Anything Goes

A2Z Scrapbooking March Challenge: Color it In

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Anything Goes

I hope you are inspired by this card, and try to make a funny card, even if it is out of your comfort zone. Check out the Seize the Birthday blog for more inspiration from out fabulous DT and also from our talented Surprise Party Guest, Julie Beech! And don’t forget to join the party! 🙂

Supplies used –
Waffle Flower Bear and Bird stamp
Simon Says Stamp Birthday Bits and Gifts of Love stamp sets for the balloons and presents
Hero Arts Its Your Day and Honey Bee Stamps Sentiment Builder stamp sets for the sentiment
Zig Brush markers for coloring & watercoloring

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

#810 – All in Black ‘n White

Hello and welcome! We have a new challenge on Seize the Birthday blog. The challenge is to make birthday projects, and you also have the option of using a ‘Topping’ that is given in every challenge. And the ‘Topping’ this time is ‘Black and White only’.

Its truly a challenge to not have any colors except black and white in a card for me! I was tempted the whole way to add at least a small sequin in another color. Red! Purple?? Gold! Well, I held it all off! 😀

I used Spellbinders Persian Accent, die cut several pieces, adhered them, then arranged them on the opposite pieces of the black card base. The sentiment comes from Mama Elephant Ella & Friends. I just added a few clear rhinestones for embellishment.

With this card I am joining the following challenges –

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More #326: Anything Goes

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, Julie Beech! And don’t forget to join the party! 🙂

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

#806 – Happy New Year!!

Hello and welcome!! Its going to be the new year in a few more hours, and so… wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year!! 🙂

Of course, this also calls for some cards! The newest installment of the new year cards – the cards I made for my family this year –

As always, I used the same concept on all of them. This time, though, I had no idea how to start or where to proceed, so I am really glad they came out well! I initially thought of making something interactive or even a shadow box, but all of that went to the dumps. I ended up with just a folded card – with florals…florals always!! 😉 I used white and ivory cardstocks for two cards each. Most of the floral images come from Altenew. The ‘happy’ die cut is from Mama Elephant cut out from cardstock with gold foil and the rest of the stamped sentiment is from the same company’s Calli Letters.

Of course, the envelopes also need to be handmade! I used the same design as the background I had used on the cards. I swapped the die cut to a colorful one, using the rest of the sentiment as is.

On the first card, I used a combination of Altenew’s Garden Treasure and Peony Bouquet stamps. The background pattern is using Lil Inker Design’s Really Rosemaling.

On the second card, I used, once again, Altenew’s Garden Treasure and Peony Bouquet with leaves from Beautiful Day. The background is a stencil from The Crafters Workshop, called Mini Solace.

On the third one, I used Altenew Build a Flower: Rose and Vintage Flowers. The background is Waffle Flowers Layered Marble.

And on this last one, I used Altenew Bride-to-be and Winnie & Walter In Bloom: Victorias Very Merry Flowers. The background uses the stencil from The Crafters Workshop called Mini Garden Gate, which I used twice for two colors, overlaying for the second color to get that illusion like effect.

And here’s how the card opens up..and where I’ve written out the message.

With these cards I am joining the following challenges –

Timeout challenge #125: Inspired by words

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday challenge: Try Something New (the Z-fold cards are new to me)

I hope you liked the cards as much as my family did (yes, I’ve already given it to them, as they will be going on a trip tonight)! If you would like to checkout what I had created for the last few years, check them out here – 2018, 2017 and 2016.

Thank you so much for stopping by!! 🙂

#802 – Thanks with Stripes and Gold

Hello and welcome!!

Experimenting with photo paper this time. I learnt that photo paper holds color as soon as it is put on – nothing to move it once it is done. While it maybe a bit scary, it really works well on some fronts. I wanted to try adding stripes with color variegation, and the photo paper turned out to be my best option to do that. And I combined this with one of the easiest way to add some glam into a project – gold heat embossing –

I used Paper Smooches Dainty Flowers, die cutting the two flowers 4 times from normal cardstock, then heat embossed them in gold embossing powder, with which I had mixed some fine gold glitter – extra bling! These two flowers along with a few gold sequins are the main focal point of the card.

For the background, I used photo paper, and stamped the stripes using My Favorite Things Bold Diagonal Stripes. I dabbed a few variations of pink distress inks, misted them and stamped them. Since the photo paper hold the colors steadfast immediately upon stamping, there wasn’t any blending after the stamping (even when I misted it with water) and I achieved the variegation that I wanted. Also, the glossy paper matches the gold embossing pretty well. 🙂

I die cut one side of the glossy paper using Simon Says Stamp Wavy Scallop Stitches before foam mounting it on a white card base. I then adhered the flower die cuts directly on it. The sentiment comes from Altenew Label Love. The stamping didn’t end up perfect, so I retouched it with a white gel pen. Added a few gold sequins for embellishing and my card is done!

This card goes to –

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Anything Goes

Timeout Challenge #121: Inspired by Words

The Paper Players challenge #417: Theme challenge: Give Thanks

A2Z Scrapbooking November challenge: Give Thanks

Hope you liked this card, and do stop by again!