Cute bee

I don't have an overwhelming stash of bee elements, but I did receive this cute stamp as part of a gift from Gail in connection with the Card Chain Challenge.
I gave the bee sparkly wings and a background made with die cut hexagons and flowers, as well as a stamped border in combinaton with a floral washi tape.
I used a black Posca pen to make the doodled border around the panel and lines on the hexagons. A white pen was used on the black parts of the bee.

This card is for:
The Paper Players - #589 Birds and/or Bees
Stamping Sensations - Anything Stamped, Flora and Fauna

Sympathy card with washi tapes and die cut flowers

I was out of sympathy cards and thought better make some to have on hand.

I used this week's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches as starting point, found 2 washi tapes to use as borders, die cut 3 simple flowers in black and white and added a fitting senitment in Norwegian. I used a MFT stitched frame die. I thought it a bit too colorless so added gold splatter. In retrospect I think I should have switched places between the tapes, to allow the leaves to be closest to the flowers. Oh well. Next time.

This card is for:
Freshly Made Sketches - #531
Make My Monday - #172 Use Washi Tape

Gnome for a gender neutral card

I love this gnome stamp from Stamping Bella, I think he's suitable for cards for  both men and women. It's good having cards on hand that can be used for seveal occasions, regardless of age and gender.
I colored the image and cut it with a circle die. I used a scalloped one for the vellum used as backing panel. A leftover DP was used,and a narrow washi tape with stripes.

This card is for:
Sunday Stamps - #280 In the Middle
Stamping Sensations - "I Love ..." (this gnome stamp, DPs, bold colors)

Skates and 2 different color challenges

I usually find it tricky to follow a specific color scheme, but this time I've managed to make 2 cards for 2 different color challenges, as well as a sketch. I've used the same stamp for both cards, skates from Papirdesign. 

 

Card 1) Greys, greens and red

For this card I placed the skates onto a large stamped and die cut snowflake from Concord&9th, heat embossed with Frosting Powder. I used my much used script stamp from KOrt&Godt with whtite ink onto the grey background. Black and silver/white washi tapes to decorate and my dymo and a stamp for the sentiment. 

This card is for:
Sunday Stamps - #271 Color - Winter Wonder
Allsorts - #653 Use a Die

Card 2) Greys, silver, pink and white

For this card I placed everything off centre and followed the sketch over at TSoT. The snowflakes are my favorite embellishment for my Christmas cards this year, I've used them a lot. Covered with glitter or Frosted Poder they add a little sparkle on my cards. I also love the mini slimline shape, it makes it so much easier to keep within the weight limits to keep postage costs down and allows a bit of layering too. I used a stamp from Studiolight with white ink on the silver background. The bow was made with white seambinding ribbon and a pink Distress oxide.

This card is for:
Color Throwdown - #671
Try Stamping On Tuesdays - #535 Technique and/or Sketch

Ice skates

Those of you who have been following me for a while probably know that I love playing with sketches. This time I couldn't resist having a go at the 512th sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches, as I saw it as an opportunity to get some washi tapes used. I love those tapes more and more as I use them.
I went large with the stamped image. The skates are made with a stamp from Papirdesign, a Norwegian brand. The largest snowflake is Concord & 9th, the smaller ones I'm not sure of. The sentiment sticker is from Tim Holtz.

This card is for:
Freshly Made Sketches - #512
Stamping Sensations November - Christmas
Little Red Wagon - #628 No Patterned Paper

Last Twofer challenge

 

Here are my two cards for the last Twofer Card Challenge, where the theme is DOGS AND/OR CATS.

I'm more of a cat person myself, so I chose 4 images from a Penny Black set, I think they all capture different real life cat expressions and behaviors. I made a card that can be used as a just because or a birthay card and a Thank you card.

 

 

 

1) HAVE  A PURRFECT DAY

For this card I decided to go with a slimline layout to fit my 4 chosen cat images. I used a grey distress ink for coloring. I kept it clean and onlyadded  a narrow striped washi tape border for embellishment.

This card is also for:
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - #53 Anything Goes with a Critter
Little Red Wagon - #615 Animal Antics 

 

 

 

2) THANK YOU

For the layout of this card my inspiration came from the photo over at Time Out, where the bag has a pattern of heads on circles placed in all different directions. Instead I used one circle and stamped the cats' heds along the edge of that circle. I used the Altenew Mid-Century Frame Die, the die cut was heat embossed in silver. The stencil is also from Altenew, named  Deco Wallpaper Stencil. I went with an ombré effect with 3 different distress inks.Finally I heat embossed the sentiment with silver EP.

This card is also for:
TIME OUT Challenges - #194 Photo Inspiration
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes 

 

 

 

A penguin, a polar bear.... and a walrus

I like using sketches as a starting point for my cards. Here I used a previous sketch by Sunday Stamps, from June 2021. So not long ago.
I used a DP with snowflakes (from BoBunny, I believe), washi tape and stamps from Avery Elle. The blackboard sign was cut from a freebie DP with a magazine.
The animals were colored and I added a few white details with a Posca pen.
Die cut snowflake, decorated with a single white pearl.

This card is for:
Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Something starting with O and/or P (P=Penguin and Polar bear)
Crafty Gals Corner - #221 Christmas in July

Sketch, DP and Christmas

I love playing with sketches and I'm seriously behind on my Christmas cards this year, so I'm happy to have one more done.
I used a striped DP from Vicki Boutin, a sentiment cut out from a DP that came free with a magazine, washi tape and stamps from Avery Elle. I also added a snowflake sequin and a rhinestone as final finishing touch.

This card is also for:
Sunday Stamps - #260 Sketch
Allsorts - #630 Use Designer Paper
June Rudolph Days Challenge

 

Sketch #816 with Gus Tidbits - Spontaneous

Today starts a new sketch challenge over at Catch the Bug. I used Gus Tidbits - Spontaneous.
I decided on coloring the armchair black, just like my father's. And then I continued a black and grey theme with my choice of washi tapes and enamel dots. I colored the image with Promarkers. The sentiment is a fun birthday one in Norwegian.

This card is also for:
Everybody-Art-Challenge - #476 Monochrome
Alphabet Challenge - ANYTHING BEGINING WITH M (Man/masculine)

 

The girl on the train

Seeing the cover at the book at The Library Challenge I immediately knew I wanted to CASE it. It was just a matter of finding an image, some sentiments as well as washi tape.
The girl is from Tim Holtz, I gave her a paper pieced top. The sentiments are all from different sets, Kaiserkraft, Poppy, Penny Black and others.
I had so much fun making this and I'll probably make more cards with the same concept, for different occasions.

This card is for:
The Library Challenge - #58 The girl on the train

Ink #205 Glitz/Glitter

We have bew challenge for you at Inkspirational. This challenge we'd like to see some glittery stuff - glitter, shimmer paste, anything shiny on a strip or small area of your work. Please head over to the challenge blog to see inspiration from my teamies.

I actually made two cards, one feminine and one masculine.

1) Feminine card

I mixed old and new wahi tapes, one is a glitter one, on a black card base. I stamped a few birthday sentimnets. The woman is actually a fairy from Stamping Bella, but I removed her wings. I added 3 sparkly pearls.

This card is also for:

Alphabet Challenge - U is for USE WASHIE TAPE
Do-Al(l) Kreatives - #37 Three of a Kind

2) Masculine card

This card is made with the same concept as the feminine one, mixing bits of washi tapes. The background is a mop up of inks and a bit of splatter. I used a die cut silhouette and blue colors, being inspired by the book cover of  "Where the Red Fern Grow" over at The Library Challenge.

 

Bugaboo's 10th birthday - Day 5 - Make us laugh

Over at Catch the Bug we're having a week long birthday bash - Bugaboo is celebrating its 10th birthday. You can see a list of all challenges for this celebration week here so you can work ahead.

I made my card using the image Make it Snappy - Birthday ewe. I colored the image with Promarkers. The background is made with Distress Oxides and brushos, experimenting with more colors this time.
Ribbon, a scrap of DP, washi tapes and stitching - a messy card for me but lots of fun to make.

This card is also for:
I love Promarkers - #401 Anything Goes
Brown Sugar - #297 ANYTHING GOES

Bugaboo's 10th birthday - Day 4 - Farm bingo

Over at Catch the Bug we're having a week long birthday bash - Bugaboo is celebrating its 10th birthday. You can see a list of all challenges for this celebration week here so you can work ahead.  


For day 4 the theme is "BINGO".
I made my card using the new realease image. The background is made with just a few splatter of inks and brusho, I stamped a few curly party elements (no idea what they're called), added a piece of washi, ribbon and sentiment and stitchem them in place. The frame is made with a die from Altenew, which I glues and stapled in place.

This card is also for:
Seize The Birthday - #180 Birthday/Option - Layer It
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - #34 - Anything Goes with a Critter
The Male Room - #127 Anything masculine goes

First Stella Says Sketch of 2020

We are back with the first sketch challenge of 2020 over at Catch the Bug.


I colored up Dog Heart topper with Promarkers.
I placed it onto a background made with Distress Oxides and brusho. Using my stamping platform I first stamped the sentiment onto the background, then I added the image and stamped again. I think the sentiment came out nicely and without the booboos I feared would happen.
Along the edges I added a brand new washi tape.

This card is also for:
Crafty Friends Challenge - #126 Something New
Crafting With An Attitude - Always Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin - New Stash