WWC264 - Helen's Challenge: All About Occasions

While I was still with Stampin' Up! at the beginning of this year, I fell in love and bought the Beautiful Moments stamp set.  The image of the mother and daughter walking along, holding hands, made me think of days gone by with my own sweet treasure and so a card was born.

I wanted to keep it simple and let the images do the "talking".  My base is the Heavy Whisper White.  I used a matte of Gorgeous Grape since that was the colour I had earmarked for the mother's dress.  I kept the stamping simple, with the mother and daughter centred and birds flying above.  Those image are all from the Beautiful Moments set.  I added some texture to the ground by using the "open dot" image from the Artisan Textures stamp set.  Finally, on a scrap of white, I stamped the adorable little cat from the Grace's Garden stamp set.

Using the inks from my ink pads, I coloured the little girl's dress with the Coastal Cabana, the mother's dress with the Gorgeous Grape, their skin with the Petal Pink, and their hair with a combination of So Saffron and Cajun Craze.  I used a wash of Pear Pizzaz and Grey Granite for the ground and then a light wash of the Balmy Blue for the sky.  The cat is a combination of Smoky Slate, So Saffron and Pumpkin Pie.

Once I finished adhering all the layers together, I added the fussy-cut cat on foam dimensionals, slightly below the mother and daughter to give the illusion of it being a few feet behind them.

I hope you'll enjoy my card as much as I enjoyed making it.  Have fun with our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #116 - Anything Goes

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #363 - Sketch

Dragonfly Dreams March Challenge: Make it Feminine

Addicted to Stamps and More #382 - Make Your Mark

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes

Use a Stencil at Cardz 4 Guyz

The new challenge for the next two weeks at Cardz 4 Guyz is #241 - Use a Stencil, chosen by Sue with the winners picked by Heidi.

Please check out the blog for details and also to see the wonderful samples by our Design Team.

I've used two stencils for this card.  The paler background (sponged with Cajun Craze ink) is "Small Brick Wall" by MIX-ables Stencils while the grass, plant and dragonfly (sponged with Mossy Meadow and Bermuda Bay ink) are "Mini Butterfly Meadow" by The Crafter's Workshop.  I love the way they work together, don't you?

After creating my scene with stencils, I cut the piece out using my fancy double stitched rectangle die and then mounted it onto two strips of Cajun Craze cardstock.  Then I attached the whole to my base of Heavy Whisper White cardstock.

I hope you enjoy my card as much as I enjoyed making it.  Have fun with our challenge.

WWC263 - Tristan's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

I've been sorting my stamps and discovered an adorable Picket Fence Studios set called Like a Crafty Fox.  Well, you know I had to use one of those images for Tristan's Masculine challenge, right?

I may have gone a bit overboard.  My base is the Heavy Whisper White cardstock with a matte of Balmy Blue.  Then I took a piece of Whisper White cardstock and stamped an image which can only be described as a torn hole in the paper using my Basic Gray ink.  I decided to fussy cut out the torn hole so that only the apparent torn and folded back paper remained.  I thought it needed something more and used an image from the SU! Artisan Textures stamp set using my Basic Gray ink at the bottom left and top right of the hole.  Then I stamped the sentiment at the top left and bottom right using my Black Memento ink.

So I had to create something to see within that hole, right?  I took a smallish rectangle of Whisper White and stamped the trees from the Waterfront stamp set using my Old Olive ink.  Then I used the long piece from the same set, offstamped the Balmy Blue once and created the sky behind the trees.  For the ground I used the dotted image from that set and first stamped using Grey Granite ink and then using Old Olive ink.  I used my AquaPainter to add a light wash of Old Olive over the dots.

I used the thick Foam Adhesive strips to attach the landscape behind the hole.  Then I got to work on the star of the show, the fox.  First I stamped the fox image on a scrap of Mixed Media paper and then watercoloured the little guy with vivid Derwent watercolour pencils.  I love the way he looks so lively.  After he had dried completely, I fussy cut him out and attached him to the scene using foam Dimensionals, making it appear as if he was leaping out of the hole.

I attached the entire scene piece to the base and matte using the thick Foam Adhesive strips.  The card may be a bit thick to send internationally, but it sure looks great with all that dimension.

I hope you like the card as much as I've enjoyed creating it.  Have fun with Tristan's Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist challenge.

I'm also entering my card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #115 - Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenges #221 - One For the Boys

Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge #240 - Something Beginning With F

The Card Concept #131 - Woodland Nursery

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #381 - Anything Goes

WWC262 - Marsha's Challenge: All About Occasions

This week our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge is all about Occasions and so, of course, I had to use an adorable House-Mouse image which I just bought called Easter Egg Nap.  It's an Easter theme which is, of course, perfect.

Could anything be more cute than that little mouse napping on top of the brightly coloured Easter egg?  My base if the Heavy Whisper White cardstock and then I added a scalloped matte using the Balmy Blue cardstock.

I've stamped my adorable House-Mouse image on a piece of Mixed Media paper and then cut it using a rectangular die with crossing lines of stitching.  It's subtle but I love what it adds to the card.   I decided to use my Stampin' Blends (alcohol inks) to colour the image and love the clean colours.  My mouse, especially, looks almost as if it's breathing.  The colours are so lifelike.

The Happy Easter sentiment is from a retired SU! stamp set, Indescribable Gift.  It's simple but just perfect to finish the card.

I hope you enjoy my card as much as I enjoyed creating it.  Have fun with our challenge!

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #115 - Anything Goes

House-Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge #311 - Anything Goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge #11 - Anything Goes with a Critter

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Easter Challenge

Begins With an "F" at Cardz 4 Guyz

The new challenge for the next two weeks at Cardz 4 Guyz is #240 - Begins With an "F", chosen by Amy with the winners picked by Caz.

Please check out the blog for details and also to see the wonderful samples by the Design Team.

I used last year's adorable Froggy Bundle which was free with approved purchases.  I love the images and who can resist having dies to match?  So much easier than fussy-cutting.  I've coloured them using my Stampin' Blends and, for the fellow up on that mono-cycle, I created a "rope" using my Marvy Uchida Snow Marker.  The patterned paper is stunning, even in the small section I've cut from one of the 12x12 sheets.  The Perennial Essence Designer paper reminds me of the Monet paintings.

My base is the Heavy Whisper White cardstock while the matte is the Balmy Blue.  

I hope you enjoy my card as much as I enjoyed creating it.  Have fun with our challenge!

WWC261 - Kath's Challenge: Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist

My favourite Designer Paper offered by Stampin' Up! in their Annual Catalogue remains the stunning Pressed Petals Specialty DSP.  The photographic images of the flowers truly look as if one can reach in and lift them from the paper.  Coupled with the lovely Wonderful Moments image, the paper helps to lift an ordinary Birthday card into the extraordinary.

For my base I used the Heavy Whisper White cardstock.  To compliment the Stampin' Blends which I used, I added a matte in the Balmy Blue cardstock.  I followed that up by adding a layer of the lovely Pressed Petals.

On a scrap piece of Whisper White cardstock, I stamped the image of the girl walking away.  I carefully stamped the bouquet image into her right hand and then drew a cell phone into her left hand.  After colouring my images using the Stampin' Blends, I fussy cut the image and attached it to the centre of the floral wreath.  After stamping my sentiment on a scrap of Balmy Blue, I hand-cut it into a banner shape and added stitch lines with my journalling pen.

I hope you enjoy my card as much as I enjoyed creating it.  Have fun with our challenge!

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge: Make it Feminine

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #114 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments Challenge #185 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Blog - Feminine