Happy Birthday Floral Cluster

 It's my turn to inspire you at Die Cut Divas.

Our challenge this month is a color challenge. We'd like you to use at least three of these colors, as well as black and white and skin tones, for people.

Our Sponsor this month is Poppystamps who will be giving our winner a $20 gift card. Thank you Poppystamps for your generosity.

My card uses an older Poppystamps die - called Floral Cluster. 

I made my own coloured cardstock using Altenew inks and my gel plate - I used Canyon Clay, Burnt Red and Mahogany Bark inks direct to my gel plate and brayed to combine.   The colours become more muted and softer then direct to paper or ink blending.  I used some green inks and did the same for my branches and a very light version with Silver Sage and Jade inks for my background.  I embossed that with Altenew's Organic Linen embossing folder.  I die cut two layers of the green branches and then the separate flowers from the various blending I did  I added three over the flowers on the branch and three for around the edge of the die cut oval from Gina K Master Layouts 1.  Sentiment was stamped in Gray Denim ink - to keep with the soft muted theme.  The matting layer is actually an olive green ( not as dark looking as the photo)

Do come and join us, using your die cut machine and the colour palette for the challenge. 

Butterfly Postage Collage

One of my recent purchases was the Waffle Flower Butterfly Postage Collage stencil. 

I chose to use some Teals and Blues (Altenew) inks for make my card.   Once I had finished the stenciling and stamping, I spritzed the panel with some Sheer Shimmer Spray - Sparkle.   It really does shimmer for real.  I stamped a Gina K sentiment with Altenew Emerald ink that I clear embossed and die cut.  Added some gold dots to finish.  Can't wait to try more colours.

Penny Black Saturday - Anything Goes - optional Stitching

 Hi - managed to get a bit more crafting done this long weekend.   Including a card for Penny Black Saturday Challenge. - June challenge is Anything Goes - with optional Stitching. 

I have quite a number of older Penny Black stamps and love getting them out again to play.  It's been awhile since I've played at Penny Black Saturday. 

The Penny Black stamp I used was Tiny Wishes (circa 2009) so a bit of an older one!  My stitching is a Stitching Oval from Cottage Cutz and once I had die cut it...I stamped the image.   I used my Altenew Woodless Watercolour pencils to add the colour.  Added some gold glitter pen to the flower and added dots to her dress.  I found the gorgeous patterned paper in a pack from Kate Knight.   Love the pretty flowers and the colours.   I took a second sheet of the paper and fussy cut some of the flowers and the little butterfly to add around oval.  Added some little dark teal dots to the flower centres.  

Back to work tomorrow!  I'm still not 100% - my cough is still bad, rattling around my upper respiratory tract.  I'm soooo over this cold. 

Summer cards at Sweet Stampin' Challenge

 Time to share my card for the challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge.  Our theme this fortnight is "You are my Sunshine - shows us your summer cards. 

It's winter time here in NZ - but summer to me, means spending time at the beach....

We live very close to a couple of beaches... and spend a bit of time there in the summer time.   My card is made using stamps and dies from Altenew. - Summer Wishes and Be Like a Lighthouse.   The card was inspired by the sample on the packaging.   I used a Penny Black mask/stencil for my sun and a combination of orange inks.   The water was from the Be Like a Lighthouse set, stamped in Starlight ink and then a bit of pale blue blended over it.  The shells and starfish are from Summer Wishes together with the sentiment.  The shells and starfish were stamped and then ink blended using the matching stencils before die cutting.  

Do come and join us with your summer projects 

Radiant Rainbow - Altenew Live Challenge #15

 Got to watch Jen Rzasa this week - and loved the challenge - Radiant Rainbow.   Jen did an amazing rainbow stenciled floral... amazing.  

I started this last evening after work - and finished today. 

My background was made using a My Favourite Things stencil Petal Circle - which I used Distress Oxides in Worn Lipstick, Wilted Violet, Tumbled Glass and Mowed Lawn inks.  I then moved the stencil slightly and blended again.   Added a light blending of the same colour over each area.   I used a Gina K stencil to cut out a 4" square. And then spritzed with Shimmer mist in Frost.   I then die cut a circle and stamped a sentiment from Altenew's Classic Greetings.  I then took the smallest of the Altenew's Leafy Canopy and stamped in Versamark and white embossed it.  Once it was die cut, I took my metallic watercolour paints and painted rainbow colours!   They are so vibrant in real life, but hard to see the shimmer in the photo.    Finished with some silver dots for embellishments.

Altenew June Inspiration Challenge - Inspired by Samantha.

 Last week I got an Altenew die set - Petite Mountain Aven.   I had to look up these flowers to see what they looked like.   They are sweet little white flowers with yellow centres.... but for today I was inspired by Samantha Pfrimmer - the guest designer and challenge setter for the June challenge at Altenew and made them little orange flowers.

I was still not well this morning so stayed home and after a bit of a sleep in, I got up and decided to CASE Samantha's card. 

I started by finding some sand cardstock for my background.   I then used some Distress Spritz Fossilised Amber to splatter the background.   Next I die cut the flower 4 times from some off white Fabriano 260gm card and used Altenew's Golden Sunset Crisp Dye inks to add colour to the petals.  I die cut out the centres with some dark cream card and used some darker Orange inks (Warm and Cozy inks) to add some blending.  Added some Gold Glitter pen to the last layer.   Used two different green card - one dark and shimmery and the other an olive green, to cut the leaves. Added a little ink blending on them.   I decided I needed something to "ground" the flowers so used the branch from Altenew's Itty Bitty Flowers die set.  The sentiment is stamped in black and clear embossed - from Classic Greetings and cut with the matching die.  

I'm entering this into The Flower Challenge 103 - Add heat/dry embossing - my sentiment was heat embossed. 

and also Darnell's NBUS - first time using the Altenew Petite Mountain Aven die set

 

Christmas Critters

 The June challenge at Christmas Kickstart is Christmas Critters.  I haven't made many Christmas cards so far this year.... and today I was home sick (again!!! - went to work yesterday only lasted 2 hours.  Coughing still 12 days from getting sick) so some time to play.  Went to the doctor today and have antibiotics for 7 days!  And off work for another day or two.    I was looking for a particular stamp and saw the Tim Holtz - Snarky Cats Christmas - perfect for the challenge.

I made a winter night scene... Made my own stencil/mask using a piece of card and a Spellbinders nesting circle die.  I masked off the bottom of the circle with a piece of post it note and added some yellow around the circle.  Then used the die cut circle as a mask and added dark grey and dark blue Altenew inks for the night sky.   I found a freebie magazine stamp (never been used) that had some snowflakes.   Stamped with Altenew Cloud White pigment ink and embossed with white powder.  Added some dots of white pen.  Added some grey and blue for the snow.  Stamped the sentiment and bird from the Tim Holtz set and then stamped the Snarky Cat onto some white scrap card and cut with the Scan'n'Cut to add to the card after adding some colour with alcohol markers.  

I also made another card today... using the new Waffle Flower Postage Collage Butterfly stencil.   But not sure if I'm sending this one to a friend for her birthday... so will wait till the decide before sharing.  

Thanks for stopping by. 

 

Mini Mission . Altenew Live Challenge #14

I didn't get to watch this week's Altenew Live challenge with Jen Rzasa due to being really busy at work.  I usually have my iphone on in the background so had to watch it on replay during my lunch break.... and I was super excited to see my card was Jen's winner....

Jen's challenge this week was make a project using just ONE mini stamp set (plus a die if the set has one!) I chose to use a Mini Delight set called Butterfly Dreams.  It has a stamp set that has some butterflies and sentiments and a die set that has a birdcage and a branch.  #altenewchallengelive

I wanted a bit of stamping in my background, so used the branch from the die set and cut it out of some fun foam and used it as a stamp!  That counts I'm sure!  I stamped in with one of the inks from Enchanted Garden Crisp Dye inks and one of the inks from Frosted Foliage Fresh Dye inks - stamping once in full strength and one second generation stamping.   Die cut the birdcage from some purple card and rose gold accents.   I had tried about 6 times to get the layers done on the butterflies, but gave up and used Alcohol markers to colour.  I used a craft knife to cut the panel down, leaving parts of the wings over the edge.  The sentiment is stamped in black so used black and purple for my matting layers.   Added some dots made with the same rose gold card. 

Using the die cut from fun foam, as a stamp

I made this card yesterday afternoon - what a great way to spend my birthday... playing in the craft room!  And then out to dinner with our friends - Yvonne and Micheal.