I was playing with some watercolour paper and Distress Oxides the other day, trying to follow a video tutorial. My effort didn’t really go as planned and certainly didn’t look anything like the tutorial, but it was with some purples. Once it was dry I wondered how I could use it but it still seemed to need more ink. I had a stamp set on my desk by GKD called Tiny Textures and I took the splash/splatter stamp and added some more ink to the initial piece. It filled in more of the area and I liked how it looked. While it was drying I stamped the lavender onto some scrap paper using Blueprint Sketch which actually dried more like the real flowers look. I fussy cut most of it out and glued into a small bouquet adding the ribbon to finish it. I added some lavender(ish) mirri card to the card front and glued the focal piece on top. Then I stamped the sentiment with another GKD set called Scripty Sayings cutting it as shown and adding some ink around the edges. I also brushed some perfect pearl powder over the inked panel for some shimmer and set it with a bit of water.

I liked the sketch at Sunday Stamps and then saw the colours at CAS and decided I could combine the two challenges. Using a set by Lisa Hetrick I stamped the polka dots on a strip of paper in a neutral ink and added it to card front. I cut a tiny strip of gold to go down the side of this piece and using same gold die cut a circle for behind the focal piece. Stamped the images using distress oxides closest matches to above image and did a bit of masking to add leaves etc. Added the two circles together and put on card front. Taking a scrap piece of paper that was a similar lavender, but looks blue in photo, I stamped the sentiment using 3 stamps from a tiny SSS set. Added a bit of bling as well.

Feeling a bit more inspired today I took out one of my wave stencils and using some clear Gesso created the background piece. Once the Gesso was dry I sponged colour through the stencil using 3 different blue oxide inks. When dry I added some clear gel gloss on the top and again left it to dry. Die cut the circle and added it to card front. I also die cut the porthole which is from Cottage Cutz using some scrap cs. I added some silver to the porthole nuts and glued the copper piece on top. In my stash I had the little lighthouse so I dug it out and cut off the bottom so it would fit behind the porthole gluing it all as shown. During drying times I had stamped the anchor from a GKD set called My Anchor and fussy cut it as well as the seaweed piece. I added the seaweed near the bottom and then played with placement of the anchor. Before attaching it I took some twine and wound it around the anchor then I placed the long piece around the rest of the card using glue here and there to hold it in place. Glad this isn’t a timed card because it took forever. This is for a male friend but I don’t want a sentiment on the front and will add one inside when I’m ready to mail it.

Considering that purples and lavender are among my most favourite things you would think this theme would have been easy for me. That said, yesterday, when I made it, I had absolutely no mojo whatsoever so thinking about making a card was a challenge in and of itself. I had the outer die cut frame left over on my desk from another project and decided that it might work as a starting point. I also remembered I had this lavender stamp (red rubber type) from Impression Obsession so pulled it out to use. First I sponged the leftover frame with wilted violet ink and glued it to the lavender card front. I then used some text vellum paper gifted to me by a stamping buddy to stamp the image. I sponged green at the bottom and as much of the stems as I could and then added wilted purple to the top portion. Stamped it and liked the result so once dry I die cut it using the same type of die as the frame. Glued it on the angle and added the sentiment which is from a GKD incentive set. Added a few purple gems and called it finished. Not a bad result from a very uninspired mind.

I managed to make this card work for 2 challenges which is always a nice bonus. Smiles is the theme at PaperPlayers and to me this card qualifies, as these ladies always bring a smile, as does the sentiment. As well I masked them off so I could stamp the illusion of a table cloth so this fits the Anything goes challenge too. Stamps used are Art Impressions and one from CTMH which I’ve had forever and never inked until today. The image was coloured with both watercolor and Inktense pencils. I layered the image piece over some bright yellow paper and then onto the card front. According to our current forecast we are likely to be pulling out summer clothes this weekend. It is predicted to be hot. Truthfully I would dearly love to be with my friends in a group like this image – sigh!

This card is a wedding variation of something I did at Christmas using snowflakes. I liked the elegance of the look on those cards and decided a wedding card would be another way to use the idea. This is done on kraft cs with heat embossing flowers in gold after stamping them randomly up the left side with versamark ink. Added some gold washi tape to create a stripe and using the same washi I cut a gold heart with some stitched dies. Cut one in cream as well. Added the sentiment from an Altenew sentiment set and heat set it with gold. Put the 2 hearts together, added an embellishment from an old earring and some ribbon to finish it. Don’t have any weddings yet but having a card ready to go is a good idea.

When I saw this idea on Pinterest I just knew I had to try it. It also seemed to fit as a perfect happy card for the Mod Squad. Technique found HERE.

After following along with the video and using the smaller of the 2 templates I got this result. I dry embossed the card front with a Sissix cloud folder and used a sponge and ink to add a little colour to the clouds. Added the kite string and some bows. the kite opens but the card also opens so there is lots of space for an additional sentiment or a message. I glued my string and bows to the card front instead of letting them dangle off the end.

I made a 2nd card for the Inkspirational challenge and because it is a digital image it also fits the Make my Monday challenge. I’ve had this free digi for a while but although it was printed I hadn’t coloured it yet. Decided to use it today. I used a combination of Copics and Inktense pencils for most of the colouring but did go over a few areas with some shimmer watercolours as well as a sparkle pen that don’t show in the photo. I splattered it with some glimmer spray. It was fun to colour and I’m happy with the result. I didn’t want the sentiment to cover the image but particularly like this one with the small font so I cut it up and stacked it on the card.

A close friend made me a jigsaw stencil and I tried to use it to make a heart. This was some time ago and I wasn’t sure I liked the result but hung onto it to see if I might use it somehow. At the moment I’m making a few cards for the local hospital to say thanks to some of the staff so took another look at it. Considering it fits the current challenge I decided to add to it and make a card. I framed it with a leftover negative piece and then added it to the purple card front. I did add a few more paint splatters first as well as 3 extra hearts. Stamped the sentiment from an Altenew set already on my desk added a few gems and its ready to go. Isn’t there some kind of symbolism for a purple heart? I can’t remember what it is.

I don’t know if anyone in the USA or Australia sees this particular series called The Crown but my card is inspired by this series. We see it on Netflix here in Canada. I got the crown image as a freebie on the Internet and printed it onto some metallic gold CS gifted to me by a very generous friend. I fussy cut around the edges and added it to the layer on the card front. Layered piece was a silver die cut leftover from something I cut yesterday and I added it to a scrap of black paper to create a border. Used a small sentiment from an Altenew stamp set. Added the small black gems for extra interest.