I chose to use Pumpkin Bear from Gerda Steiner Designs, 2019, for my main image. I colored the image with alcohol ink and paper pieced the scarf. I used the Echo Park Celebrate Autumn patterned paper for this card. The scalloped edge was cut with a Lawn Fawn die.
I am adding this to Gerda Steiner Designs Challenge. It has been a while since I have pulled out my GSD stamps and it was fun to create a card with the image.
Taking inspiration from buddy Gayle and one of her challenges, I went to my stamp room and began finding stamps, a stencil and dies that worked for the Circus Themed challenge at The Sisterhood of Crafters.
To find the help I needed, I searched Pinterest for Circus. A seal photo popped up in my search and I knew I had a stamp set purchased around 2013 from Gina K Designs, illustrated by Melanie Muenchinger called Jumping for Joy and it contains a seal, the ball, and the jumping platform as well as other animals. I stamped and then masked the seal, then placed the jumping platform and ball around the seal. Next obstacle was to create a background that looked like a circus. I spotted a stencil that was laying nearby and realized it would make the perfect tent like background. I chose to use a red Copic marker for tracing the lines. This stencil is from Spellbinders and Fun Stampers Journey called Sunny Day Stencil. I realized my tent needed something like curtains or banners. I had a banner close by that had not been colored or die cut, so I colored and cut it with the die, then proceeded to cut two more. I popped a set up for dimension. I made a ticket from The Stamps of Life ticket2stamp which I own dies for, so cutting was easy. Then came the stars. I often use a die from Lawn Fawn to cut small stars and this time I took a scrap piece of cardstock and colored it with the blue Copic marker that was used on the banner and the ball center. Finally everything looks like a circus. I added a lot of sparkle to make the stars and banner shine.
Thanks for reading my process. I enjoyed creating this and using so many items just sitting in my craft room begging to be used.
So fun to use two stamp sets from different companies with the same name. I used Gina K Designs and Lawn Fawn sets both called Stuck on You. The greeting came from SU Picture Perfect and the pink and blue sprigs came from GKD Handmade Botanicals. For ink colors, I used a combination. The pink ink is a Memento ink pad in Rose Red. The blue ink used for the ferns is a Tombow marker. I used Spectrum Noir markers for the blue and yellow on the pots. The succulent is stamped in Canteloupe ink by Memento. All of these colors were as close as I could come to the actual colors shown for the challenge.
I enjoyed creating this card today. It was enjoyable to play with color and try to get close matches to the ones needed.
For the buddies who remember, August is birthday month in my world. This means I generally try to create cards specific for the person receiving it and that it looks different than last years cards. Here are the ones for this year.
Birdy card frontBird card inside
This particular daughter is not really a bird lover, but these birds are colorful and fun. I hope she likes the color and enjoys the quirkiness of the birds.
Sparkly Unicorn
This daughter loved her card. She is all into sparkly, pink, and unicorns. I saw the idea on Pinterest then found there was video. It took a while to make as there are clouds, blended with Bonnie cloud die, and lot of sparkle on those clouds that had to dry. It was fun to create.
Thanks for sharing the birthday congratulations and allowing me to share my cards.
Today is the day to post cards for the Challenge Your Stash group at Split Coast Stampers. This month the challenge is to Make a project with a Tiger – or a wild cat of any sort: lion, puma, panther, cheetah–just not a domestic pet.
Birthday Lion
First of all, we are having stormy weather and sunshine is not in the forecast for several days. With that in mind, I did my best to get light with a daylight bulb and a few pieces of cardboard around the light. This card looks much better than the photograph will show, but you can see the blue and green.
I stenciled the clouds with a gifted stencil from a stamp buddy, using Lawn Fawn ink in a light blue color. I blended green ink on the ground then added grass with a darker green ink. The grass is from a Stampin Up set called Sending Sunshine; it is retiring on Wednesday so if you like it, get it now. The sun is from a Gina K Designs set called Own Kind of Beautiful; it is long ago retired. The regal lion comes from The Stamps of Life, lions2stamp with matching dies. I stamped the lion with Lawn Fawn and Gina K Designs ink in Kraft, Sandy Beach, Sunshine, and dark brown colors, then came back with Prismacolor pencils to add texture and the orange mane. I have never penciled on top of ink before, but it worked beautifully for the needed color. I chose a greeting from The Stamps of Life set and called the card finished.
I love sketches and have enjoyed the Sheetload of Cards by Crafty Al each month. I used this month’s sketch to create several cards.
KODAK Digital Still CameraKODAK Digital Still Camera
I used Lawn Fawn stamps for these cards: Sweetest Flavor and Wavy Sayings. The cardstock is all Hobby Lobby as well as the patterned paper. The patterned paper has been in my stash for a few years and was thrilled to be reminded that I had it with CS to match. I added texture with the Subtle Embossing Folder, recently retired, from Stampin’Up. That layer was not in the sketch but I really like the added texture. In total I made 10 cards as I made two of each color. There are more colors in the patterned paper and a lot more sheets, so hopefully I will be inspired soon to use more.
Today is the day to share cards created for the Challenge Your Stash Group at Split Coast Stampers. The challenge is to make a card showing a kissing couple, a couple in love, or love for a pet. I made two cards using the same technique.
Lawn Fawn Love you Tons!TSOL Seahorses
For each of these cards I used the mirror image so they faced each other. I tend to use this technique every year for our anniversary. That is quickly approaching in about 3 weeks, so this challenge was perfect timing for me.
The elephants are from a new set from Lawn Fawn called elphie selfie flip flop with matching dies. I learned I was able to die cut the reverse, but flipping my cardstock over. I colored the elephants first with alcohol markers, so it bled through and I could easily see where to mount the die. I used dotted paper from My Favorite Things for the scene. This card will be posted to the monthly MISTI Monday challenge at SCS.
The seahorses are from a limited edition stamp set from The Stamps of Life. For these images, I die cut first then stamped the reverse image. I use a stamp called Mirror Image, where I stamp the image on the stamp then use that stamp to place it on my paper. Sometimes it is quite light, so I have to trace with a black marker. The background was made using alcohol inks on vellum cardstock. Basically you scribble with the marker then brush or dot rubbing alcohol all over the ink to create the blended background. I use 99% alcohol as the paper stays flatter. I saw this on a SU Demo video. It is fun to create and every background is different.
I am adding these cards to the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge.
Thanks for looking at my cards for this month’s challenge. I like both so am not sure which will go to my husband. We will be celebrating our 30th anniversary.
The paper used is from Lawn Fawn. When I have placed an order with this company, they include patterned paper with the order. This was one sheet, front and back both used on this card. Another sheet was used for a layer behind the floral and for the scalloped circle. The butterfly and greeting are from the set Spring has Sprung illustrated by Rupa Shevde for Gina K Designs. It is long ago retired.
I like this sketch. I may make a few more with the spring, Easter idea.
Day 5 was all about shaker cards. I own the foam strips, can find clear acetate or packaging for the shape to hold something, but could not locate sequins to use, so I improvised.
I cut balloons with Lawn Fawn balloon dies on white cardstock. Then I selected the patterned paper I wanted to use to place behind the balloons. This is an Echo Park birthday collection. I found cardstock that would work with the patterned paper, cut and scored it. Then I went looking for sequins. I really do not have many and couldn’t locate any that would really work, so I found buttons. There are colors of buttons that may not be the best for this patterned paper, but I decided to let it go and use them. I added Nuvo drops to the front of the card and this time they did stay clear. The greeting is also from Lawn Fawn. This is probably the second shaker card that I have ever made.
Stamp Buddies 