We have a Clean and Simple (CAS) challenge for you this week at Stampin Up Only challenge. I know we are still officially in summer but my mind turned to a Christmas card....again!
I wanted to use the Winter Woods set which is still current. I used some inked off basic gray ink to stamp the birch trees for the background. The trees were stamped in the same ink and then cut out with some tree thinlets. I kept the sentiment in the same basic grey ink and mounted it on some grey cardstock. A few rhinestones on the trees and the sentiment just gives the card a touch of sparkle.
Our challenge this week at Stampin Up Only Challenge is colouring. I decided to do a Twist Fold card as I haven't done one in a while. I've used Stampin Up's Pretty Kitty as I think this really lends itself to colouring. The papers are from the new Botanical Butterflies DSP. I used my SU Watercolour pencils and some marker pens to do the colouring.
A challenge for you today from Stampin Up Only Challenge #SUOC216 which offers a world of possibilities - Flowers.
I've used a lovely retired set for my card called Nature's Perfection which I think was a Sale-A-Bration item back in 2017. I inked up the big flowers in Pear Pizazz and the buds in Rich Razzleberry. These were colour in with a blender pen just picking up the ink from the image stamped. I used some stitched framelit dies for the sentiment in some retired Coffee Break Series DSP.
The butterfly comes from the same set. What I loved was I found out my retired Butterfly Punch fit this butterfly perfectly! I inked it in Fresh Fig and Creamy Caramel and added some Wink of Stella and some tiny pink pearls. The ribbon behind is also retired and is the Rich Razzleberry Stitched-Edge.
As you may know I am no longer an SU demonstrator which allows me to still use and show off all our retired goodies. My Facebook Group The Joy of Sets celebrates all things SU both current and retired as well as other favourite stamps companies so if you need extra motivation and inspiration why not come and join us.
I look forward to seeing all your lovely Flower cards this week.
Another new set from Stampin' Up I've been playing with today is Lotus Blossom - yes I'm late to the party again as this set is retired. It's a lovely three stamping set - I just wonder why they gave us stems as Lotus Blossoms sit on water - and that's what I wanted my card to show. So after lots of research and just a Let's Get On and Do It attitude I had a play.
I used lots of old SU inks in this one - inclding Ballet Blue, Bordering Blue, Island Indigo, and Bermuda Bay for the water. It involved lots of colouring with ink pens and watercolour pencils, blender pens, a touch of white gel pen, Wink of Stella and some splashes of water.
The flower itself was inked in old Cameo Coral and Perfect Plum and then clear embossed. I've used a Stitched Framelit to cut out the image. The sentiment is from the same set popped on a tag with Island Indigo ribbon threaded through. The background paper was made wavy with an old wavy tool I have - I can't remember what you call them - to give the feeling of more water. A glitter enamel dot was added to the little tag and lots of sponging around the edges.
The Wink of Stella gives it a really shimmery look and gives the water the feeling of movement.
I'm adding this to the SU Only SUOC198 challenge which this week is asking for Colouring.
I'm also adding this to Retro Rubber this week as they are looking for vintage - well my lotus flower is reminiscent of Monet's Water Lillies and you can't get more vintage than that! My stamp is also three years old so is an old stamp.
One of the things I liked about living in Houston for a few years was Thanksgiving in November. This is such a lovely Holiday - where everyone comes together and just gives thanks. Sadly although other American traditions have come over to the UK this one hasn't yet. Although my family and I carried the tradition on when we moved back home.
The challenge over at SU Only challenges this week is a nod to this sentiment and their theme is Being Thankful. The challenge over at Global Design Project is to case their card. I've used the autumnal colours and the thank you as my inspiration. Crafty Calender Challenge is a new challenge to me and they are looking for Autumn Colours.
I had just been using this retired SU set Autumn Days for another challenge and it is one of my favourites with the pheasant so I decided to use it for this challenge.
I used two old SU inks for this too - More Mustard and Really Rust. The sentiment is from Feather Together and the leaves are from Colourful Seasons.
