Seize the Birthday: Add Gold

It's the last Thursday in August -- wait, what? Remember how the early weeks of the pandemic crawled by so very slowly? And first July and now August seems to have flown by, at least for me. I think it's the summer weather here where I live. But Thursday also means it's time for a new Seize the Birthday challenge! Our new topping is ADD GOLD. But if gold isn't your thing, we love to see any newly created birthday card added to our gallery. 

Gold seemed an excellent reason to warm up my foil press: 

For the main panel, I used two foil dies, the roses and the sentiment. Instant elegance with so little work! And I just happened to have some gold-accented floral patterned paper to add to the theme. It took me longer to get two *okay* photographs than it did to make the card! Shine is so hard to photograph. 

I'm adding this to the current Anything Goes Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamp. 

My Seize the Birthday teammates and our surprise party guest Jen have used gold on their cards in so many ways! You are sure to be inspired. 

Supplies: Crafters Companion white cardstock, My Mind's Eye On Trend 2 patterned paper, Gemini Foilpress Rose Bloom & Elegant Motifs foil stamp dies, Winnie & Walter Katharine cutaway die 

Welcome to Color Hues!!!

I finally get to announce I'm on the starting design team for a brand new challenge: Color Hues! And look at the talent on this amazing team. My friend and talented artist Nancy has created this fun new color challenge. Our first challenge will begin September 1st! Visit the Color Hues blog to find out all about the challenge and my terrific teammates!  

Seaside Snarky Stampers

A beautiful August Saturday, and Edna has chosen to go for a swim - possibly on Amity Island? :D Welcome to the latest Sisterhood of Snarky Sisters challenge: O is for Ocean! My card also sports a shark, but his intentions are perhaps not as predatory: 

Although they are from two different sets, this shark and sentiment are obviously made for each other. For the deep blue sea, I blended distress oxide ink onto some watercolour cardstock, then with the same ink, added the stencilled waves and some water splatters. For the ocean floor, I stippled distress ink for the sand, coloured the animal and plant life, then hand cut around the seaweed. Added a sentiment, popped my shark on some foam tape, and it was done. 

So much snarky inspiration from the sisters on the Snarky blog! And, if you can believe it, we are into SEPTEMBER before you have to get your card linked up. 

P.S. This is my second post today... click here for my Inkspirational card! 

Supplies: Neenah white cardstock Canson watercolour paper, Sunny Studio Best Fishes & Simon Says Stamp/CZ Designs Simple Sentiments 1 stamps, Versafine onyx black & smoky grey, mermaid lagoon distress oxide, antique linen & vintage photo distress inks, Wow clear embossing powder, Zig watercolour markers, Studio Katia brush stroke waves stencil, foam tape

Inkspirational: Rain or Rainbows

Welcome to the weekend and a new Inkspirational challenge! Our new theme is Rain or Rainbows. I don't particularly need any rain in my life right now, so rainbow it was! 

I'm feeling nostalgic for Paper Smooches these days - Kim Hughes recently closed the doors on this stamp company, and I will miss her cute designs. The happy sheep and sentiment are both from her Party Posse set. Somehow, I just couldn't resist adding Glossy Accents to the sheep's eyes and nose. :D   I die cut the rainbow right from the cloud-blended sky rather than cutting six different ones, and coloured each arc with Copics. 

Since I think this card is kinda cute ;) , I'm linking it to Simon Says Stamp's current Wednesday challenge, Oh So Cute. 

Lots of rain and rainbow inspiration on the Inkspiration blog - I hope you will join us! I'll be back in a few hours with the newest Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers challenge. 

Supplies: Neenah white, Bazzill green & scrap orange cardstock, Paper Smooches Party Posse stamps, Versafine onyx black cardstock, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, MFT rainbow & grass, Lil Inkers sun & cloud dies, MFT cloud stencil, Glossy Accents, foam tape

Seize the Birthday: Rainbow Colours!

Happy Thursday! It's time for a new Seize the Birthday challenge, and we have a fun *topping* for you this time: RAINBOW COLOURS! Of course, if you are not in the mood for rainbow colours, we love to see any new birthday cards in our gallery. 

I used this topping as the perfect excuse to try a new stencil I recently ordered: 

These rainbow-coloured balloons make for a bright and fun card! Eleven different distress ink colours, with the overlapping balloons providing even more shades. I didn't want to distract too much from the balloons, so I added an inlaid die cut sentiment, cut from silver foil cardstock. For a final touch, I added some clear confetti, that look silver when they reflect the light. Since my stencil is seeing ink for the first time, I'm adding this to Darnell's August NBUS challenge. 

There is, of course, a rainbow of inspiration on the Seize the Birthday blog, from the design team and our continuing surprise party guest, Jen! 

Supplies: Neenah white, Stampin' Up basic black & Ranger silver foil cardstock, spun sugar, picked raspberry, candied apple, carved pumpkin, squeezed lemonade, twisted citron, lucky clover, salty ocean, chipped sapphire, shaded lilac & wilted violet distress inks, Studio Katia Birthday Balloons Duo stencil, Paper Smooches birthday words & Sugar Pea Designs card element builder dies, Studio Katia crystal clear confetti

The Sisterhood of Vulgar Stampers

Now here's a face to greet you on Saturday morning after Friday night! Welcome to the latest Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers challenge: V is for Vulgarity. I turned to the classiest of dames (well, her character's actually a countess) for my inspiration: 

I do love Violet Crawley's wit and witticisms, and this is no exception. While her statement is valid, I would draw your attention to the hand holding her cane, and which finger appears to be extended over the handle...? 

Is it a contradiction in terms to say there is much vulgar inspiration to be found on the Snarky blog? :D I hope you will join in on the fun! 

P.S. This is my second post of the day! You will find my Inkspirational post here. 

Supplies: Papertrey Ink soft stone & Stampin' Up basic black cardstock, Basic Grey Plumeria patterned paper, digital image, MFT scalloped stitched rectangle die

Inkspirational: Face

Happy August Saturday! It's time for a new Inkspirational challenge, and we have a word prompt for you: FACE. This offers so many different interpretations! My interpretation is quite literal:  

Of course I could have used a face image (not that my little bird doesn't have a perfectly fine face) but having a sentiment like this was too good too pass up. My little bird is of course a "calling bird"! I masked off the "4" that is part of the stamp, then stamped and embossed him and the sentiment in clear embossing powder. I have a bit of a thing for teal lately (normally not a colour I gravitate to) and thus the main colour of birdie. How fortunate that I had some cardstock to match! It was a 6x6 piece, so it's adhered to a regular white card base. 

I'm going to add this card to Shopping Our Stash's current KISS (Keep It Simple Sister) challenge. 

Lots of different - and beautiful - interpretations of our word prompt from the rest of the Inkspirational design team. I hope you'll join us! Meanwhile, I'll be back in a few hours with the latest Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers challenge. 

Supplies: Neenah white, Stampin Up basic black & Bazzill textured teal cardstock, Essentials by Ellen Twelve Days & Simon Says Stamp/CZ Designs Simple Sentiments #1, Versafine onyx black ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, white gel pen 

ABC Christmas Challenge: P, Q & R

The first Wednesday in August means the start of a new ABC Christmas Challenge! "Christmas in July" may be over, but that just means the holiday season is a month closer. And we have three prompts to inspire you in your cardmaking: P is for PINE TREES, Q is for QUIET and R is for ROBINS. 
I could easily make lots of cards for our first letter, P is for Pine Trees - I have lots of Christmasy tree stamps, dies and stencils. A stencil came out for this one: 

This stencil has three sizes of tree to choose from, and I used the largest with embossing paste before sprinkling on a generous quantity of this fine green glitter. And hey, so what if it's August, it's never too early to have glitter all over the house! :D Usually, I try to use loose glitter outside on our deck when weather permits, and have no idea why I didn't this time. I used a torn strip of paper as a mask and used a stippling brush to add some sky behind the tree. (Now my distress ink pads have glitter on them, too...)  A simple sentiment along the bottom lets the glittery tree take centre stage. 

I had a few different ideas for Q for Quiet, too. I chose to make a peaceful little scene: 

I think the combination of this little image with the sentiment works for a quiet, clean & simple scene. Once I had bear and company coloured, I masked the image and blended the night sky. 

R for Robins was the most difficult of the three themes for me. Robins are a symbol of Christmas in Britain much more than they are here. My Christmas birds run mostly to cardinals and penguins - other birds tend to be smaller images that have come with other sets. Eventually I found a bird stamp generic enough to colour appropriately: 

These little guys are called "Singing Bird Trio" - although to me, it looks much more like they are gossiping, so I found the smallest note stamps in my collection and added a trio of notes above their heads. I framed them in a die cut window and added the sentiment to the panel. 

Over to you! My teammates have lots of festive inspiration for you on the ABC blog, and you have the month of August to enter. 

Supplies: (pine tree) Canson bristol paper, Reverse Confetti Birdie Buddies stamp, Lawn Fawn lavender fields, faded jeans & chipped sapphire inks, The Crafter's Workshop Mini Evergreens stencil, Dreamweavers translucent embossing paste, emerald ultra fine opaque Art Institute glitter, Sugar Pea Designs card front element builder stitched die; (quiet) Neenah white & Bazzill textured navy cardstock, The Stamp Barn Polar Bears & Neat & Tangled Winter Wishes stamps, Versamark & chipped sapphire distress ink, Ranger silver embossing powder, Copic markers, frosted lace Stickles; (robins) Neenah white & scrap red cardstock, Memory Box Singing Bird Trio, Simon Says Stamp/Kelly Purkey Tis the Season & Lawn Fawn Critter Concert stamps, Versafine onyx black ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, watercolour pencils, Studio Katia elegant scallop oval & Winnie & Walter Katharine Cutaways dies 

My Favorite Things: 500th Sketch Challenge!

My Favorite Things is hosting their 500th Sketch Challenge! That is quite a milestone, and they've offered a fun sketch to be inspired by as well, so I am playing along. 

I pulled out a favourite book-related set, Our Story. Starting with the coffee (or tea!) mug, I stamped and masked it on watercolour paper, then added the reading girl. Instead of a heart, I used diagonal stitched dies for a cut-out and to border the main panel. A little book-related patterned paper and a white embossed sentiment made a quick-to-put-together card. 

Supplies: Neenah white & Stampin' Up real red & basic black cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, October Afternoons patterned paper, MFT Our Story stamps, Versamark & Versafine onyx black ink, Wow clear gloss & ultra fine white embossing powder, Zig watercolour markers, MFT diagonal stitched rectangle dies, foam tape