Love, Tea...

...and a good friend to share it with!

I was intrigued by the colour scheme for the current challenge over at Your Next Stamp. 

It is not a combination I would just randomly make up myself so I decided to give it a try.

I think it came together rather nicely. I used Distress inks and water colour pencils to colour the image which I then cut with an oval die and backed with a lacey piece die cut from black card stock.

I liked the sketch challenge too, so I ended up using both challenges for the card.

I also adding a few bright red details in the form of the red heart and sequins to tie it all together nicely.

The stamp set used is Love Birds by Your Next Stamp and the paper pack is by Recollections.

And of course I am entering it into the Your Next Stamp Challenge # 95

Love Bird Tweet Hearts

This was one of those stamps sets that yelled 'BUY ME!' So I did and I know I will be using it quite a bit. It's over at Your Next Stamp

Then I saw the colour challenge over on the blog at Your Next Stamp and loved the colours...so I just had to combine the two and make a card.

I cut a circular window from card, rounded the corners before running it through the Cuttlebug in an embossing folder. I used Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide Ink for a bit of colour. Next I popped the panel up on foam for a little dimension. The sentiment is stamped in black onto a strip of card stock and adhered flat onto the panel. This is going to be mailed out and I did not want to add too much dimension.

And here is a close-up of the adorable image of these little birds in the tea cup. I coloured it using water colour pencils.

I'm looking forward to creating many more fun cards with this set!

Adorable Squirrel Nut House

I was simply delighted to win the Pink & Main 'Nut House' Stamp and die set through a Facebook draw recently. Aren't those squirrels just the cutest? We have some pretty adorable squirrels who visit us all year long so I'm rather fond of these furry creatures.

Isn't this piece of very happy mail pure inspiration? (even the padded envelope is pink ;-) )

Here's a nice clear image of the stamp set (image linked)

Naturally I had to play with my new goodies straight away. I decided to make  birthday card for a young friend. And then I could also enter it into the Pink & Main October Challenge - Theme Birthday.

I cut the little house (using the dies) twice from brown card stock and added paper pieced details and coloured pencil for shading.
The leaves I die cut from different colours of card stock adding coloured pencil and a bit of glitters (this is for a girl after all!) for added interest.

The squirrel was die cut from white card stock and also coloured with coloured pencils. I gave her a pink nose...girls understand about pink noses!

On the inside I stamped and white embossed a simple birthday greeting (using and older Provo Craft stamp) and then adhered the very top of the two house pieces together. This way the card stands up nicely for display.

I was super pleased with the quality of the stamps and dies. The images stamp beautifully crisp with nice thin lines. Do check out the Pink & Main Store and the new releases full of adorable seasonal images. The Nut House is part of a series of houses btw...what a totally cool idea.

Take a look at these new ones -images are linked- and of course with the dies, they are a breeze to 'cut'!

   

Hop on over to the blog and check out the Challenge!

I'm also submitting this to :

the Rubber Dance October Challenge (theme is Autumn' and the colours are all perfect for fall)

the Your Next Stamp Colour Challenge 

Getting Back In The Swing Of It!

Well I'm at least hoping to get back into the swing of it! I have been occupied with other important matters there for a few weeks, but hope to get back to 'business' here now.

Kicking off with a card for a relative who has had major surgery, and is now (also) getting back into the swing of things! I made the card the way I think he would like it (clean and simple, resisting adding all the little extras I kept thinking of doing - such as sequins on the front!) I will also add a personalized sentiment on the inside.

I used a kraft cardbase for my standard A2 size card. Some patterned paper scraps were perfect for the grassy background and the soil for our golfer to stand on. I recycled Styrofoam packaging for the shaker. It is nice and deep, allowing the 'balls' to move freely inside the shaker, but is super lightweight for mailing.

The expression on this fellas face makes me smile every time I see him...

I didn't want to over do the balls in the shaker, but standing the card up...I think a couple dozen more would have been good! After all, one could never have too many golf balls now, can one?

I used the Gordon Golfer Set for this card (just one of the great selection of stamps I got as a prize for that top spot win in an Ai Challenge a while back!) Edited to add : I am delighted that this card won an Honourable Mention in the challenge! Stoked!!!

I'm entering the card into the 'Anything Goes' Challenge over at Art Impressions

As well as for the Sketch Challenge over at 'Your Next Stamp'

Go check out this neat Canadian stamp company! I'm always so pleased to find a local company. And to think they've been around for 6 years....I must have been under a rock somewhere....sigh...