At Double D the challenge tells us we have to have something with M in the card and the Mod squad just wants a nature scene. Nice to be able to combine these two challenges with one card. My scene contains mountains so there is my ‘M’ and definitely this is nature.

I began by using some of Bonnie’s text vellum paper so I could create the background and basically the card is a CASE of something seen long ago on StampTV. I liked it so much I saved it with the intention of creating something like it one day. To get the sandy looking savanna I swiped Distress Oxide Frayed Burlap across the bottom and painted in a small amount of Tea Dye so it looked more natural. Using a small wooden block stamp and Forest Moss ink I stamped in the grasses. I don’t have any stamps with mountains so decided to hand draw them in and used Black soot to colour. Then I added some clouds using Tumbled Glass and my cloud template another gift from Bonnie. (Where would we be without her constant generosity?) I added a hint of pink with Spun sugar. Using a Hero Arts die from their Jungle set I cut out the elephant and coloured with water colour pencils. I cut several out of scraps and glued together so I could pop him up from the background and I added the fussy cut grass at his feet. Before gluing him I realized that the scene needed a tree so I found one in a GKD set called Framescape and stamped it in black. Mounted the background onto some blue cs and then onto some pink before adding to card front.

Trying to get as close to the colour choices as possible I made a watercolour background, splattered it and left it to dry overnight. Using a small red rubber GKD stamp (one of my first purchases) I stamped the image and sentiment, matting them as shown. I also added a tiny amount of pink to the petals of the flowers. An uncomplicated card that ended up being something I like myself. Always a bonus when I like my own stuff – lol.

For the colour challenge at Sunday Stamps there were five colour choices and I managed three of them in this card. I really wanted that grainy textured look so I used watercolour paper and stamped the poppies several times. In addition I took one of the GKD Vogue vases stamped and fussy cut it adding a gold edge and a green poppy to the vase. With an unbranded poppy die I cut out the flowers and sponged on some colour then cut a few of them to glue into the vase. The sentiment if from another poppy set by GKD received as an incentive. Mounted onto GKD CS. It isn’t quite what I had in my head but I like it nevertheless.

So these are the two cards that I tried initially for the Card Concept challenge and they almost ended up in the trash. Being persistent in trying to use my mistakes these are the results. On the circles I used some left over card strips, leftover hearts and also the original banner. The hearts help to hide ink spots. The other one started out with me accidentally cutting the die cut so it looked very messy. I had originally decided to add a flap but with the error in cutting I couldn’t cover up the mess very easily. In the end I used these half labels together like a pocket and I added the fussy cut pots on top with a bit of bling. I added a line of bling at the top of the card to also hide the cut along that edge. Not my best cards but not my worst either.

Based on the definitions I would say this is a clean and layered card. I really struggled with this challenge as the photo image is so patriotic and I’m not American. After some thought and a couple of initial tries, I came up with this using a GKD stamp set called Mandala Maker and distress oxides. I stamped the design using the same stamp in the two colours and then choosing a smaller stamp did the same thing. I added the light blue strip of mirri card, die cut the banner and the hearts using up paper scraps, stamped the sentiment from another GKD set and played until I had the hearts positioned as shown. I would say that the colours and the hearts became the inspiration for this one.

Using up a few scraps I made an additional card with the Koi die from PoppyStamps. After die cutting the fish I brushed a bit of colour in rusty hinge and then remembered I had perfect pearls in the coppery colour. I brushed that on while the ink was still slightly wet so I got the shine for the scales and a depth of colour in other places. The rings were left from other projects and I sponged colour onto them and then used perfect pearls in the blue and the green to get shine and depth. Once the strip was added in the center I played with the rings until happy with placement and glued them. I left just enough loose so I could tuck the fish into the rings as you see on the photo. Added the word from a GKD set and am entering it into challenges. Just under the wire for the sketch challenge at CAS, and a second card for Paper Players.

I’ve needed some additional masculine cards this week so created a few ocean type cards. In the process another thought came to mind and this card is the result. Using the Koi die from PoppyStamps I embossed it using my Big Shot. Went over it with some gold ink using my finger and then a Sakura gold pen. Taking a circle stencil – gifted by a talented stamp buddy – and using different Distress Oxides I added the bubbles. Sentiment stamp is from Stamping Village. I quite like the result.

I kind of went with the sketch initially, but then it morphed into what you see in the photo. Used some wood grain pp and added it to dark gray card front. Cut out various banners from scraps and added them on top. Stamped flowers with Distress Oxides using an incentive set from GKD called Fancy flowers. Fussy cut them and some leaves out. Added them as shown curling them up a bit here and there. Sentiment is from Stamping Village, a new set that just arrived and I added it to one of the banners after colouring it. Not my usual style of card but I like the end result. I may add a bit of sparkle to this before sending to someone, but too late for the photo now.

While creating my other post of a vase of flowers I also stamped some extra vases as I had this idea in my mind. I also had some scraps I wanted to use up. The images came from a GKD set called Vogue Vases 2, and I stamped the center flowers and then the leaves in versamark heat setting them in gold. I coloured the flowers using Inktense pencils and the vases were touched up with Sakura gelly roll pens. Sentiment was from another GKD set I had out. I like that I can use this card for any occasion.

I have 27 minutes to get this posted as my 2nd entry into this challenge at DiesRUs. My card is a CASE of something seen on Pinterest but I changed it up quite a lot. Used mostly scraps for this one. I first stamped the starfish and sand dollar and then fussy cut, inked the edges and added a bit of colour. I had the strip of blue left from yesterday so tore it at each end and attached it and the images as you see. I inked the edge of the linen look panel. Using a seahorse stamp from the same set as other images (GKD) I stamped it on the back of the coloured cs and fussy cut it out. Coloured piece is from a photo actually. The other seahorse is a small SSS dies that I have and I used a left over piece of background paper I created a while ago. Added them and hand drew gold lines on each side of the main panel.