Thinking of You for Color Hues

Hello friends!  Today I'm sharing my card for our new challenge at Color Hues!  The lovely Jules has chosen a pretty combo of coral and teal.

Color Hues

I'm also joining the Seasonal challenge at Inkspirational, with these spring flowers.

Inkspirational #315

I did a little stash shopping and found a pretty Altenew floral that I haven't used in a very long time and that it would work well for the CH challenge and, as it turns out, the Inkspirational challenge too.

I love this image of a climbing floral, it flows beautifully across the A2 sized card.  I first Copic colored it in coral and teal (although my camera makes the teal look a bit more blue than it is in real life), then cut out the image with the matching die, along with a two more from white cardstock to layer for a bit of dimension. 

Next, I used a script background stamp on a panel of Neenah Desert Storm in light brown, then ink blended the edges with white pigment ink.  When the ink dried, the floral image was adhered then the panel, which was then splattered with white gouache.  When dried, it was added to the card base and the sentiment popped up with thin foam tape.  No gems or sequins - I thought there was plenty going on with the white splatter and I really love the subtle text in the background.

So many options with these colors - what will you create with them?  You'll have until 9am on Wednesday May 29th.  Before heading off to your craft space, please visit the challenge blog where my talented teammates will inspire you with their wonderful cards!

Thanks for stopping by.  Take care!

Stef

• Altenew Craft Your Life Project Kit: Never Stop Dreaming stamp and die
• Honeybee Stamps Be Still sentiment stamp and die
• Simon Says Stamp Old Letter background stamp
• Honeybee Brilliant white pigment ink and SSS Latte ink
• Copics: R08, 14, 22, 20, BG49, 15, 11, B02
• Windsor & Newton White Gouache

Sparkle Birthday for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I'm back with my reminder card for The Flower Challenge, where this month we are coloring our flowers with any medium of choice.

TFC 91R

My coloring medium this time is ink blending on my die cut floral.

I kept things pretty CAS with this card in order to let that gorgeous tulip be the star of the show.  The petals and leaves were die cut from white cardstock, then the petals ink blended in a variety Altenew pink inks.  For the leaves, I used two brand new colors that were part of the Altenew Secret Garden class kit, one a yellow and the other a teal, which makes the yummiest blend of green!

While the ink dried on the floral die cuts, a white panel was embossed, lightly splattered with gold metallic paint then when dry, adhered to the card base.  Separately, the flower and leaves were also splattered with gold paint.

I chose to make this card a bit larger at 4.5" x 6" so the frame and floral would fit with ease.  The frame was cut from gold metallic cardstock, adhered to the card front, then the flower and leaves arranged in the bottom right.  The foiled die cut sentiment was added, then it was finished off with some sparkle gems around the frame.

If you haven't had a chance to play along yet, or have another card to share, we'd love to see what you created!  The challenge remains open until the 25th of May, so still plenty of time.  In the meantime, don't forget to visit the challenge blog because my very talented teammates have a new bevy of beautiful cards to inspire you!

Thanks for visiting!  If you have a chance tomorrow, drop back by when I'll be sharing my DT card for the newest challenge at Color Hues.

Take care!

Stef

• Altenew Pink Star Tulip die set
• Altenew Sparkle Frame die
• Spellbinders Tufted embossing folder
• Spellbinders You Are Everything Betterpress sentiment set
• Altenew inks - Baby Pink, Pinkalicious, Rubellite, Honeyglow and Teal Tempest
• Altenew Metallic Gold paint
• Altenew Crystal Clear Gem Sparkles

Magical Birthday for Seize the Birthday

Hello friends!  I'm very pleased to share my card as a Surprise Party Guest for Seize the Birthday!  The challenge is always to make a birthday card and optionally add "toppings" which this time is Beach Theme.

Seize the Birthday

I had several options for this theme in my craft stash, but decided to use a heretofore unused stamp set illustrated by Anita Jeram for Colorado Craft Company, so I'm sharing over at the lovely Darnell's NBUS blog.

NBUS #62

I'm diving deep into my Copic markers to make this wonderful stamp set come to life!

This stamp was such a treat to color but it is a bit overwhelming with all the different elements, so I think that's why I hadn't inked it up before.  I went to Pinterest for inspiration and ideas for how to color the mermaid's hair (not my strong suit lol!) and saw Amy Young's card here (if you love colorists, you definitely should follow her!) which also gave me the idea for the sparkles, plus I'd seen Kelly Taylor (another fabulous colorist you should follow!) do something similar here.

When the coloring of the scene was complete, I used a shimmer pen on the mermaid's fin (?), the stars and some shells, then added the sparkles with a white gel pen.  After using a square die to trim the panel down to 5.25" square, I thought it would look cool to continue the coloring on the outside of the stamped frame, then added sparkles all around there as well.  It was mounted on a 5.5" square card base and a sentiment from a different AJ/CCC stamp set was added in the top left corner.  

Then I created a panel for the interior using a stamp with the same flourishes as the frame, a shell and a starfish, and a sentiment from an old Lawn Fawn set that worked perfectly!

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Be sure to pop over to the challenge blog, the design team has some fabulous inspiration!

Take care!

Stef

• Anita Jeram/CCC Mermaid & Whale stamp, Watch This sentiment stamp and die
• Lawn Fawn Fairy Friends (interior sentiment)
• Pink & Main Square die
• Sakura White Gelly Roll and Black Glaze (walrus and whale eyes) pens
• Tonic Nuvo Aqua Shimmer pen
• Copic markers

Wild & Free for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  May is upon us, and this month at The Flower Challenge, we're asking everyone to color your flower(s) using any medium of your choice - inks, watercolors, pencils, alcohol markers, you get the picture.

TFC 91

I hadn't had enough play time with the Simon Says Stamp April card kit, so I decided to use the stamp set and a piece of the pattern papers included in the kit.

I chose this piece of pp because of the beautiful colors in a somewhat watercolor-looking design.  I matched up my markers to coordinate and colored the pretty floral image.  I love how dainty both the flowers are in this set.  The sentiment is also from the same stamp set.  Both the flower and sentiment were die cut with their matching dies.

The panel was trimmed down to 4" x 5.25" and added to the white card base, which ended up being a mistake, because then, when I went to trim off some of the leaf and stem to fit, it got a bit tricky.  But I got it done!  Both the flower and the sentiment were layered on one extra die cut before adding to the card for just a slight bit of dimension.  Finally, I added some purple gems. 

What medium is your favorite for coloring flowers?  We'd love to see your card in the gallery, you'll have until the 25th of the month to play along.  In the meantime, please head over to the challenge blog and enjoy all the beautiful inspiration my wonderful teammates have for you!

Take care!

Stef

• SSS Wild & Free Stamps and dies
• American Crafts Dreamer 6x8 paper pad
• SSS Cool Tones Dazzling Gems
• Copics - V05, 01, 00, G02, 00, 000, BG78, 75, 72

Tulip Pattern for Color Hues

Hello friends!  Well, here we are at the beginning of May and it's time for a new challenge at Color Hues!  This time the amazing Julie B. has chosen the beautiful color combo of Lilac and Lime.

Color Hues

I'm also joining the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Feminine. 

For my card, I'm using a Hero Arts stencil and die set that was released in February, I believe.

The stencil set is a layering one, so I found two ink shades each of purples and greens and went to work.  After the stenciling was complete, the panel was trimmed to just slightly smaller than A2 size.  The cover die was used on two panels of white, layered up and then adhered over the stenciled panel.  It would also be fun to use the cover die to cut the stenciled panel then use inlay but I wasn't up that task the day I was working on this card lol!

I had a die cut sentiment that I was going to use on the heart, but it was too big, so I went on "the search" for a sentiment and found the perfect match with another Hero Arts stamp set.  Most of the words are meant for Valentine's day but these worked out fine, stamped in gray ink.  

The dragonfly is having it's first outing on this card, cut from white then inked with the same purples.  I then used a shimmer pen on the wings, glued it together and added to the heart.  I liked the glitter look so much I then proceeded to go over all the tulips as well, then for the last touch, added some sparkly gems.

I hope I've provided a little bit of inspiration and for even more, be sure to visit the challenge blog and see all the beautiful cards by my very talented teammates!  The challenge will remain open until 9 am EDT Tuesday 5/14.  We would love to have you join us!

Take care!

Stef

• Hero Arts Tulip Pattern Layering Stencils and Fancy Cover Die
• Hero Arts You're Mine Stamp set
• Simon Says Stamp Nested Round Heart die and Etched Dragonfly die
• Altenew Lavender Fields, Deep Iris, Lime and Fresh Leaf inks
• Versamark Clair Morning Mist pigment ink
• Tonic Aqua Shimmer pen
• Honeybee Stamps Aurora Borealis gems