#1104 – Garden for a Humming Bird

Hello and welcome! It’s time for the first Seize the Birthday challenge of the year!! Our leading lady Cathy and she has chosen the topping of ‘Use Something New‘. Of course, the topping is optional, and you can just make any birthday themed project and join us.

And here’s what I made –

I purchased the Simon Says Stamp Arching Leaf Border die during their Die-cember sale last year, and I couldn’t be more pleased with it. I had seen so many pretty cards online that I just couldn’t wait to start playing!

So anyway, I started with creating ink smooshed panels. I used different shades and tones of greens and blues to make a few panels to die cut from. I also made a couple of panels with pink, purple and blue so I could cut out the flowers and the humming bird from them.

I then used the Simon Says Stamp Arching Leaf Border dies, Simon Says Stamp Delicate Hummingbird Duo dies, Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms dies on different panels to get a variegation of colors.

Before mounting this on Paper Trey Ink Rustic Cream cardstock, I embossed the card base using Simon Says Stamp Vine Canopy embossing folder. I then assembled and adhered all the die cuts on the card base. For the sentiment, I used JustRite Lace Vintage Labels 3 and cut off one of the edges at a diagonal before adhering that too on the card.

I have to confess I am really happy with the dies – they are perfect for quickly creating a garden/forest like impression on the card. And this card, in particular, looks even prettier in real life! Can you believe that!?

Ok, enough of patting my own back. I’m going to join these challenges with this card –

Addicted to Stamps and More #483 – Birthdays

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge – Something New

I hope you hop over to the Seize the Birthday challenge blog to checkout all the impressive cards the rest of the design team and also our guest designers have created. You won’t be disappointed! And I think you’ll be inspired enough to join the party! 🙂

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#1091 – Watercolor Strawberries

Hello and welcome! It’s time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday challenge and as always, we’re back with a new Topping. The Topping, of course, is optional, and every time is Anything Goes birthday theme. The topping this time is chosen by our leading lady Colleen as ‘Fruits’.

And here’s what I made –

I did have a few stamps of fruits, but I really wanted to use strawberries and the stamp I had wasn’t really clicking with the image I had in mind. So I did the only thing I could – drew it myself and watercolored it! 😉

I searched for some images of strawberries in Google and used CrafTangles Smooth watercolor paper to draw them. I used a combination of Daniel Smith and Gansai Tambi watercolors to color the images. Doing it in layers and letting it dry in between layers really does work well. And it worked particularly well, since I was working on this on a hot day and the drying process was relatively quicker – otherwise, my impatient self might have ruined it!! 😀

So anyway, I also used a gel pen to draw the little dots on the berries. I added a little bit of green to dampen the stark white background and a few splatters, and then it was done.

My initial plan was to cover the card with this watercolored piece. But I felt it was looking too bland huddled over in the corner, so I decided to trim it a bit. I used My Favorite Things Stitched Scallop Basic Edges to die cut the panel. For the cardbase, I chose a bright red, and to match the berries, I embossed it using Simon Says Stamp Vine Canopy, and adhered the watercolor panel on top.

The sentiment is a combination of My Favorite Things Things With Wings (for ‘have a’ and ‘birthday’) and Honey Bee Stamps Pearfect Sentiments (for ‘berry sweet’)

And that’s my card. Checkout the Seize the Birthday challenge blog for more inspiration from our talented DT and from our guests.

Thank you so much for stopping by!