Color Hues: Red and Blue

Happy July 1st! And if you're in my part of the world, happy Canada Day! 🍁 The beginning of the month signals a new Color Hues challenge, and our colours this month, picked by friend and teammate Carol, are RED and BLUE. Perhaps a patriotic card? Nope, wrong country. Perfect colours for a nautical card! Wait, I've made several of those in the last couple of weeks. So here's mine: 

Hearts! I'm using one of my favourite Concord & 9th turnabout stamps in two shades of red and two of blue. Of course, since I managed to get the alignment right, I also managed a SMUDGE on the fourth and final turn! Easily rectified with this square framed sentiment from a different set. Another time, I think I would really like the look of just the gold frame highlighting a sentiment right on the panel. Either way, I think the narrow gold frame adds an elegant touch. To coordinate, I added a gold heart to each of the corners.  It just so happens that Simon Says Stamp is asking for Red, White and/or Blue for their Monday challenge, so I will send this card there. And since the Wednesday challenge is Anything Goes, I'm going there too. 

I hope you will visit the Color Hues blog to see the beautiful makes from my teammates and our guest designer, (another) Carol, and then join us! 

Supplies: Neenah white & Sizzix Opulent gold cardstock, Concord & 9th Hugs & Kisses Turnabout stamps, Catherine Pooler stone blue & Memento ladybug, rhubarb stalk & Paris dusk inks, Concord & 9th Everyday Bouquet dies, Stampin' Up ticket corner punch, Little Things from Lucy's Cards Gold Dust hearts

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Oh, Canada at Scrap 'n Stamp!

It's my turn to be on the Scrap 'n Stamp blog today with my prompt for June's Random Acts of Cardness, CANADA! Beavers, maple syrup and maple leaves, it's all good. I hope you will pop over to the blog and take a closer look! 🍁

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Watercolouring with the Snarky Sisters

The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers are back with a beautiful new challenge: W is for Watercolour! At first glance, watercolouring and snark do not seem to go hand and hand, and yet the Sisterhood somehow managed it. Here is my slightly snarky version: 

Whatever crafty mojo I may happen to possess had gone completely AWOL as I went to create a card for this, so my many attempts at watercolour techniques are now seeking new life in the recycle bin. Finally, I thought, duh, watercolour powder! I started by stamping and embossing this fun sentiment on watercolour paper, then added my favourite powder - it has lots of secondary colours in it, always making a fun result. After die cutting the panel, I added a little bit of patterned paper and the two martini glasses. 

I decided to try a second version: 

A different drink-based sentiment, with a little more water added to the powder this time for a slightly different look. I found some pink cardstock that coordinated, and added a black card base for a little extra drama. 

There are beautiful - and snarky! - sources of inspiration from my sisters as well as our current guest designer and Queen of Snark, Deanne! I hope you will check them out and then join us! 

Supplies: (alcohol/salad) Stampin' Up smoky slate & Recollections black cardstock, Master's Choice watercolour paper, Lawn Fawn Hello Sunshine patterned paper, Unity Alcohol and Salads stamp, Versafine onyx black ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Magenta Nuance watercolour powder, Spellbinders wonky reverse rectangle & Paper Smooches Free Spirits Icons dies; (laughter) Stampin' Up melon mambo textured & Recollections black cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, Hampton Arts Wine stamp, Versamark ink, Wow white embossing powder, Magenta Nuance watercolour powder, Tim Holtz/Sizzix deckle dies

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Inkspirational: Maritime

Welcome to the weekend! We're back with a new Inkspirational challenge, and our Word Prompt is MARITIME. Not long ago, I picked the theme "nautical" for a Seize the Birthday challenge, and made six cards! Fortunately, I have lots of nautical/maritime supplies: 

Speaking of Seize the Birthday, I was inspired by my teammate TaeEun's card for the nautical challenge, and die cut my anchor from a piece of alcohol-inked yupo I had previously made. The papers are from an old October Afternoon travel paper pad. All I really needed to do was add a simple sentiment. I'm adding this card to the current Wednesday Simon Says Stamp challenge: Red/White and/or Blue. (My paper's not actually white, but you don't have to have all three!) 

How does the word maritime inspire you? Check out the Inkspirational blog for the many ways this word prompt can be used. And then I hope you will join us!

Supplies: Neenah natural white cardstock, Yupo paper, October Afternoons Boarding Pass patterned paper, Clearly Besotted Happy Travels stamp, Memento Luxe Danube blue ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Jacquard Piñata alcohol inks, Paper Smooches anchor, MFT blueprints 29 & wonky stitched rectangle dies

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Seize the Birthday: Use an Embossing Folder

Happy Thursday! It's time for a new Seize the Birthday challenge, and teammate Ashwini has added the extra, optional topping of EMBOSSING FOLDERS. A great tool that I, at least, easily overlook when I'm creating a card, but that can add a lot of texture and interest. 

Since I was using an embossing folder anyway, I made sure I checked out my friend Jo's (and her friend, Gail's) Let's Squash It challenge! The current challenge is Nature Meets Watercolouring, which was easily incorporated into a birthday card: 

I began by embossing a panel of watercolour paper with my chosen folder - Crafter's Companion Butterflies and Flowers. I added a light wash of colour to the largest flowers, the butterflies and the vines using my Zig markers. Picking up on the butterflies, I die cut my sentiment backing in purple, and the sentiment itself in silver. I used the same purple for the card base. Finally, a few sparkly confetti to add a little more shine! 

My teammates have worked magic with embossing folders, as has our current surprise party guest, Melanie! Be sure to head to the Seize the Birthday blog for some embossing folder eye candy. ;) 

Supplies: Memory Box purple & Tim Holtz silver cardstock, Master's Touch watercolour paper, Crafter's Companion Butterflies & Flowers embossing folder, Heffy Doodle Happy Birthday shadow die, Zig watercolour markers, Creative Memories corner-rounding punch, Studio Katia crystal clear confetti 

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Addicted to Stamps and More: Happy 9th Birthday!

It's Addicted to Stamps and More's NINTH birthday! The first challenge was on June 20th, 2012. And how fitting that we have rotated to BIRTHDAYS in our challenge list! I went a little fancier than usual in my cardmaking for this special occasion: 

This is only my second time using this sweet Cats & Plants card kit from My Favorite Things - which is a little silly, since it's so much fun to use! I decided to create a little windowsill scene, starting with die cutting the window, curtain rod and curtains. I used a cloud stencil for the window view. (I think it will be fun sometime to put either another cat or a dog peeking in, but that's another card.) I also die cut the bench and cushion, adding woodgrain texture to the legs. Next up was stamping, embossing and colouring the cat and monstera before die cutting them, as well. I also added a bit of floor to the white panel, sponging the lighter colour before adding a few darker marks using a stippling brush. Added the sentiment and put everything together! 

Hope you will come and help ATSM celebrate its 9th birthday! 

Supplies: Neenah white, PTI soft stone & scrap blue cardstock, Echo Park We Are Family patterned paper, MFT Housecats stamps & dies, Verafine onyx black & antique linen, gathered twigs distress & tumbled glass distress oxide ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils. MFT Window Dressing, Cat & Plant Perches & diagonal stitched rectangle dies, PTI woodgrain impression plate, MFT small cloud stencil

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