Retro Rubber 38

I've followed along looking at Retro Rubber pretty much since it started but have never entered there before. The bowl of bright flowers in their most recent challenge was too enticing to pass up. It's autumn outside my window but you could be forgiven for thinking it was still summer, temperature-wise, even if the large drifts of golden leaves say otherwise. Bright tulips are a long way ahead!

I was also looking for a challenge that would let me play around with an idea I've had for a few days now. I like making cards that reveal a glimpse of somewhere else but I've not used acetate much before, although I had a play earlier in the week. In this card, the idea is a little more refined than my first attempt and I learned a lot of stuff along the way, so I think the next one will be better! 

It's also an experiment in another way. This is the first time I've used aqua-painters as I've always used a brush before.

Inside view

I masked and stamped in Stazon one of the flowers from Flower Shop. These I coloured using ink and an aquapainter although the centres are jazzed up with some black and white stippling using pens. Then I masked the flowers again and stamped in the leaves from Summer Silhouette. Some of them I watered and some I touched up with a marker to give some variation.

The ages of stamps used

Flower Shop was the third Stampin' Up set I ever got. It would have been around 2013.

Summer Silhouette I think has been in two catalogues.

The sentiment I got from a set I bought in a retired items sale at Stamp Camp in February called For You. It must have been retired by then, so I'm thinking must be older than a year.

Update: Utterly delighted to make the Top Picks at Retro Rubber.

Other items used

Card: Rich Razzleberry, Very Vanilla, watercolour paper, acetate window sheet

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Stazon

Other: Black marker, White gel pen, aquapainter

Just Add Ink 311

The  challenge this week at Just Add Ink is to Just Add: Masking. I love masking. It's such a versatile technique and one of my favourite ways of using it is to create a background for a small collage or cluster of stamps. Since I was playing with the new in-colours and my newest stamp purchases Wild About Flowers and One Big Meaning, I ended up with this...

Ingredients
Card: Emerald Envy, Whisper White
Stamps: Wild About Flowers, One Big Meaning, Papillon Potpourri, Dictionary (retired)
Inks: Emerald Envy, Sweet Sugarplum, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso
Other: Bitty Butterfly punch, pearls, dimensional

Paper Craft Crew 194

Today was the first chance I've had to play with my pre-order stuff, which arrived during the week. I didn't get any new stamp sets but I did get the new colours to try out and a re-appearing stamp set, Wild About Flowers. I had a play around with them and decided to give them an outing at The Paper Craft Crew's challenge Flowers.

Picking up on an idea I played with earlier in the week, I came up with this:

It uses all the new colours except Dapper Denim. I've added a black shadow to the stacked die-cut 'thanks' to help it show out against the background. I can't quite believe I left it so long to get such a beautiful set of stamps!

Ingredients

Card: Flirty Flamingo, Whisper White, Sweet Sugarplum, Basic Black

Stamps: Wild About Flowers

Inks: Peekaboo Peach, Emerald Envy, Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sugarplum

Other: Lots of Labels framelits, Hello You thinlits, Softly Falling embossing folder, sponges.

Paper Players 294

This week, there's a very spring-like colour combination at The Paper Players. Since outside my window, I'm seeing golden leaves and bare branches I thought I'd give it a go.

I'll also admit to a bit of experimentation. I've been thinking about a card like this for an new catalogue extravaganza I'm involved with, although with a set from the new catalogue. So I used this as a bit of a try-out. I left the card front really plain so it wouldn't detract from the sponged and stamped scene. My other prototype had an embossed front in a colour and I liked it less, but now I'm wondering...

I like the acetate window with the sentiment stamped onto it using Stazon. I'm happy with the sponged and stamped garden. I think I like the plain white front better than a coloured and embossed one.

Ingredients
Card: Whisper White, Window sheet
Stamps: Wild About Flowers, One Big Meaning
Inks: So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette, Wisteria Wonder, Black Stazon
Other: Sponges, Wisteria Wonder seam binding

As You See It 134 - DT Card

Welcome to the first of our new fortnightly challenges at As You See It. This week, we have another sketch challenge for you.

There's lots of exciting possibilities for that lovely circular centre panel. I've made mine a peephole into a garden scene. It gave me a chance to use one of my favourite sets, Summer Silhouettes, before it retires at the end of May.

So, please join us and show us what you can do with this lovely sketch. You have TWO weeks as entries close Wednesday 18 May, 11.55 pm PST.

I'm also entering this card into the challenge at Fab Friday because I found myself drawn to use the super colour combination there.

Update: So very delighted to be a Fab Fave this week at Fab Friday!

Ingredients

Card: Crumb Cake, Lost Lagoon, Whisper White, small scrap of Hello Honey

Stamps: Hardwood, Summer Silhouettes, Papillon Potpourri, Wetlands

Inks: Crumb Cake, Lost Lagoon, Soft Sky, Hello Honey, Versamark, Tuxedo Black

Other: Clear embossing powder, sponges, circle framelits, Bitty Butterfly punch, dimensionals, Hello Honey satin stitched ribbon, linen twine, pearls, gel pen.

SIP 46 PCCCS193

Funny how no matter how big your stash of completed cards is, you never seem to have the one you want. After getting a present for my brother's 25th wedding celebrations this weekend, I realised I had no silver anniversary cards! Rush job in the sense that we're leaving to travel over to his place very early tomorrow so it had to be made tonight.  I've taken inspiration from two challenges for my brother's card.

Firstly, the tic-tac-toe challenge at Stamp, Ink, Paper.

I'm playing the first column: Flowers, Bling, Pink.

Secondly, the sketch at The Paper Craft Crew Challenge.

I like the subtle extra bling in the silver thread that's behind the floral cluster. I'm also very happy with the extra zing in the softly sponged flowers.

Update: So delighted to be a Top Pick at The Paper Craft Crew.

Ingredients

Card: Blushing Bride, Whisper White, Silver glimmer paper,  DSP from Birthday Bouquet, scrap of Pear Pizzazz

Stamps: Number of Years, Botanical Blooms

Inks: Pool Party, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Tuxedo Black, Versamark

Other: Silver embossing powder, Large Number framelits, Botanical Builders framelits, silver thread, Basic Grey stamp'n'write, dimensionals, Itty Bitty punch, circle framelit, 2 1/2" circle punch, sponges, rhinestones.

Cas(e) This Sketch 170

It's the last day of the school holidays. Although I was supposed to be doing a radical tidy of the craft room, I did end up making this card using the sketch from Cas(e) This Sketch.

I created the four areas by sponging along the edge of the masking line with Mint Macaron. I like how that gives a hint of three-dimensionality. Two areas I've filled with stamping. The sentiment is popped up on dimensionals.

Ingredients

Card: Whisper White

Stamps: Altenew Painted Flowers and Label Love

Inks: Blushing Bride, Mint Macaron, Tuxedo Black

Other: dimensionals, sponges.