Skiing snowman

Today starts a new challenge over at Catch the Bug and this week is photo challenge week.

I was inspired by the skier and went with AKV snowman - ski and colors and DP for a masculine look.
I cut out a mask for the slope and sponged the blue sky, added water and a bit of frantage.  A Christmas sentiment was used and I stitched along the edges.


This card is also for:
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas
Fab 'n' Funky - #339 Christmas
Creative Corner - Winter Wonderland
Moving along with the Times - #39 For A Man

White ink

I finally found a white ink that shows on black paper. I used a house, trees and clouds from the same stamp set, I added green and brown ink to the trees and colored in a few details with a white gel pen.
Seeing my card now I think I should have left out the clouds, but that will be for another time...

This card is also for these phto inspiration challenges:
Cupcake Inspirations - #395
TIME OUT Challenges - #77

Colors and dies

I try to enter the challenge over at Color Throwdown each week as I find it very useful to being challenged to use different color schemes. And sometimes I have to dig deep in m stash to find a siuting image, but that way I also get to use some of my older and/or not often used supplies.

I used a Tim Holtz window die which hasn't been used in a while. I cut it with kraft paper and used a woodgrain stamp. I cut the leaves using the Leafy Sprig Border die from Poppy.
The strip of flowers were stamped with white and blue ink, the larger flowers only with blue, the colors turn out a bit greenish with this kraft paper. I colored in the details with a white gel pen. I believe the flowers are part of one of my first ever stamp sets, from Panduro. The bird was stamped with brown ink and I colored in the empty parts with a gold gel pen. I embossed the brickwall and applied white ink to whitewash the kraft paper.



This card is for:
Color Throwdown - #430 Color Inspiration
Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with Dies
Allsorts - Anything Goes

Stella says Sketch and no pink or red

Today starts a new sketch challenge over at Catch the Bug.
I used one of Jodie's water can images, there are several to choose from in the Bugaboo shop.

There's been so muuch red and pink lately so I wanted to use other colors, so I picked an image with flowers I believe looks good in shades of blue.
Lots of WoS for shimmer and stitching with a glittery silver thread.


This card is also for:
Open-Minded Challenges - #14 Flowering in February
Dies R Us Challenge - #67 Think Spring
Crafter's Cafe - #167 No Red or Pink
Brown Sugar -#238 Birthday

Bingo: Image, ribbon and pearls

Today is the start of  a new challenge over at Catch the Bug - it's BINGO week. I went with the top row of ribbon, Bugaboo image (Rose Vases) and pearls.

I colored with Spectrum Noirs, added WoS on the roses and sponged spun sugar DI on the white background.
Then I used my favorite stash element at the moment - the sentiment stamps I got as a Christmas calendar gift. Unfortunately I don't know the brand as the set wasn't in it's original wrapping, but I love how you can build our own sentiments using this set.
I added a few pearls and ribbon, I've held on to this for a while, it was part of a wrapping of some Christmas decoration I bought, and I love the gingham pattern. I also want to share this card over at As You Like It: even though I love lace I prefer ribbon because it's easier to add later in the card making process. I hadn't planned on using ribbon here to keep it CAS, but I felt my card lacked something on top, so I added the ribbon as a final finishing touch.

This card is for:
Sweet Stampers - #4 Add a Sentiment
Crafty Gals Corner - #110 Use Your Favorite Things (unknown sentiments stamps)
As You Like It Challenge - Do You Prefer Ribbon Or Lace

Stella filling in for cupid

Wednesday is "Humour me" day over at Catch the Bug, and this is my DT card marking Valentine's Day, which I'm sure you all know was February 14:)

I used the fun Stella Calendar Months - February and colored her with Promarkers and added sparkle to her wings.  I was inspired by the colors of the photo over at Cupcake Inspirations.

I embossed the DP, made a frame sing dies and added a ribbon.

A quick and simple card which is also for:
Cupcake Inspirations - Photo Inspiration #394
Cards und More - # 178 Valentine's Day
Everybody-Art-Challenge - #396 For Girls Only or Valentine
Glitter n Sparkle - #226 Love is in the Air!

Time to celebrate

There are lots of heart and love themed challenges out there, but today I wasn't really in mood for going with reds and pinks or hearts, so I took inspiration from the photo of Color Throwdown.


I also wanted to try and join Time Out's challenge with this inspirational phrase: 'Friends are connected heart to heart, distance and time can't break them apart.' I chose a stamp I like to use for cards for friends, then I chose a sentiment that included the word time.

I stamped the image, added clear EP and colored in only with orange, then fussy cut it. Then I die cut a black frame, colored the white space inside it with a color I believe is teal, or close to it at least.
I needed go 'ground' the image, so I used a black and white pen to color the floor. Then I stamped the greeting with a Poppy stamp.



This card is for:
Color Throwdown - #429 Color Inspiration
TIME OUT Challenges - #76 Inspired By Words
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Take good care of yourself

Wednesday is "Humour me" day over at Catch the Bug, and this is my DT card marking World Day of the Sick (February 11).

I used the sweet Nurse Bear - Bandaide and colored her with both Promarkers and Spectrum Noirs.
There are plenty of hearts on my paper and on the die cut circle, I'm no Valentine's card maker, but hearts can be used for so many other occasions as well.
I stamped the sentiment (which is one advising to take good care of yourself) and the heart rate border at the bottom.

This card is also for:
Pile It On - #126 Hearts on Fire
Challenge Up Your Life - Hearts
The Paper Girls - With Heart

Love you a latte

Normally I don't do Valentine's cards as I don't really need them, but I can make a couple, just for fun. It's hard not to get inspired by all those lovely cards in blogland and the colors associated with them.
I stamped my own background using the smaller stamps that comes with the Lawn Fawn set with the coffee mugs and sentiment I used on the tag. I inked the paper with spun sugar DI. The tag was stenciled with brown ink and I also added a few hearts before I attached the mugs, stamped onto a left over piece of DP. The ribbon was part of a Christmas gift and I used brown string.

This card is for:
Addicted to Stamps - #141 Love + a Stamp
Creatalicious Challenges - #108 Anything Goes + Option: add some hearts
Creative With Stamps Challenge - #11 Valentine
Color Throwdown - #428 Color Inspiration

Cat and Dog

Today starts a new sketch challenge over at Catch the Bug.


I used one of Jodie's new realeases from January - a cat and dog in perfect harmony, colored with Promarkers and Spectrm Noirs. Just a few red accents otherwise it's all in black, grey and white. I uused glitter glue for the snow on the ground, but it's not easy to spot.
 

This card is also for:
ABC Christmas Challenge - "C" for Creature and "D" for dimension
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas
Cards und More - # 177 Pets and other Furry Friends