A halloween card

Been quite a while since I posted here.
A much needed vacation in India.. Weeks spent with family... In another world, with every minute filled with happiness and fun..
Once back, I couldnt get back to cards, with work piled up..
Slowly, found my calling again, and started now...

With Halloween approaching, wanted to make one for my little one.
Missed quite a bit in the paper crafting world in the last few months.

Loved the stampendous, pumpkin stamps.
But couldnt wait to get it.
So set off to make my own.
Diecut the pumpkins, colored and stamped the flourishes from Stampendous on them.
Then distressed them, didnt quite like bright orange against the eerie setting I had.
Popped a few 3-d circle dots and the pumpkins now pop out .

Supplies Used :
----------------
Sizzix pumpkins2
Orange gelatos
Stampendous clear stamps
recollections ghost tree

Another first using the Hero Arts Stamp & Framelit set

 

My first card, using this Hero Arts - Sizzix  Stamp & Die cut set.

Now in love with the set.. 

(Will write more eod)

The CAS Colors and Sketches #31 had the perfect inspiration sketch.

ABNH asking for a card using my favorite Hero Arts stamp :-)
Diecut divas welcoming summer with flowers..

Didnt need any more reason to play with this beauty.. 

Kept it one layer since HA's current challenge is one layer cards.

The sketch with flowers, stuck in my head, and the different sizes of the flowers was the key to this skletch.
Initially planned to keep it plain stamped, but then, felt that it wasn't doing justice to both the sketch and beauty of the flowers and so die cut a couple of more stamped flowers and gave some dimension and more interest.
 

The card in making.                                                                 From another angle

 Challenges :
http://cascoloursandsketches.blogspot.com/2013/06/challenge-31-sketch.html
http://www.ablognamedhero.blogspot.com/2013/07/challenge-27-fave-stamp-little-basic.html
http://die-cut-divas.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/summer-flowers-julys-challenge.html


Supplies Used :

Hero Arts - Sizzix Stamp & Framelit pair Floral

Tim Holtz® Distress Ink Pad - Antique Linen, scattered straw

 

Recollections Carte Postal Stamp  :: Versa Magic Aloe Vera Chalk Ink  ::  VersaColor Burgundy pigment ink

First attempt at encrusted jewel technique

Heres the card..

Coredinations cardstock, distressed in walnut stain + vintage photo
Recollections Carte Postale randomly stamped in brown
My favorite, peacock feather stamp, from Stampendous, embossed in golden detail embossing powder
Lots of jewels encrusted to add beauty... :-)

Expression from my (he)Art

 

A journal page, inspired by the Stamp your story line from Hero Arts and my favorite Tony Robbins quote..

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep - TonyRobbins 

Since I am already creative enough, I need some training in the ART dept ;-)

So was I just creative, or did I create an art piece?

MoxieFab Vintage Vagabond

Here's my take on this fortnights inspiration.

Vintage Vagabond - http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2013/06/tuesday-trigger-vintage-vagabond.html

Initially I was planning to go stamping.. But accidentally when rummaging through my stash, I found this pattern cardstock from Safari Chic and changed my mind to go with this.
Geometric patterns, mix of circles and squares, and brown and cream.. I think this perfectly fits the inspiration photo..
The Studio-G vintage caged bird, for the cage and the brass/golden bowls in the picture..
The placement of the birdcage took some time, and I went with placing it on the red background, since it was contrasting and the bird cage was prominent.  In other colors, it sort of melded with the background.

Sentiment is from Hero Arts/Sizzix stamp and die set.
After stamping the sentiment and die cutting it, traced the die outline on brown cardstock and handcut it to layer it.

Welcome Summer

A crazy couple of weeks and had a chance to have some fun..Phew, finally!!!
A summery card to welcome summer.

My take on the inspiration photo for Papercrafters Week Eleven.
What stuck with me was the organe/yellow colors.

combined with  Lawnscaping Challenge # 60, add dimension & layers to your project.

A 100% sizzix card.
Got to use my new sizzix dies.
Fun to play with the new toys :-)
Supplies Used :
-----------------

Sizzix Texture Fades Bricked and Woodgrain Embossing Folders 2-folder Pack

Sizzix Oval Frame, Bird & Pendant
The branches is another sizzlits die.

Had fun making this card, with multiple runs through the bigshot after a long break when I was stamping away to glory

Its Fathers Day

This is the card, I made for fathers day.
All stamps from Hero Arts.
Blue cardstock from Core'dinations. (Will add more details)
Background created from Hero Arts, Stamp Your Story line - Brush strokes.
Sun from same line - Time
The grill/sentiments are also a HA cleear stamp, but I dont know which set.
Inks used : Wet cement / Cup of Joe from HA, orange/black from momento

Entering in the following challenges :

http://simplycreatetoo.blogspot.com/2013/06/challenge-39-fathers-dayor-for-male.html/
http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/stamp-your-story-and-win/
http://ablognamedhero.blogspot.com/2013/06/challenge-25-its-mans-mans-mans-world.html

Peacock again

This peacock stamp from Stampendous, is one of my all time favorite..

A beautiful stamp that can carry the card on its slender feathers all by itself, I feel.
When I saw this week's sketch from CAS(E) this sketch - http://casethissketch.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/cts-31.html

It was just the reason to ink this stamp once again.
But I wasnt very happy with a white background and no kraft, which I seem to get drawn by default.
Then I remembered that I had the background cube, again from Stampendous.
So created my own patterened paper with wet cement shadow ink from HA.
The stone wall is a stamp from Kaiserkraft in London Fog.
And resulted in this slender card.

Supplies Used :

Sanna's giveaway and her wonderful card

This card - http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2013/04/04/more-march-winners-2/

 
Needs no explanations for why it won the contest. It speaks for itself.
Such a artsy card made by Sanna

You can find, so much inspiration in her blog..
And she is having an awesome giveaway too.
http://www.papierstau.at/2013/05/30/giveaway-hero-arts-clings-stamp-set/
Hero Arts made a wrong shipment, and Sanna is sharing it with us..

Isnt she sweet?
Hugs

When Moxie meets mojo

So, this week saw two of my inspiring challenges meet.
The Moxie Fab Trigger Tuesday, In all sweetness and light, colors, haunted me in my sleep too.
I was initially drawn to the paisleys, but I couldnt pull it off in the bright yellow inks I have.

The sketch from Mojo Monday #296, was pulling in the other side.
And, a very sweet little girls birthday is coming up soon. The girl with the sweetest smile I have seen so far :-)

And in an ah ah moment, the 3 met and hence was born this card, after a prolonged birth.
Too many ideas, tossed in to the bins..
The 2 vertical lines in the sketch, had me stumped, and I didnt quite like 2 paper banners and the ribbons I had didnt go well..
Finally remembered the sizzilit button die I had and once I made some paper buttons, things fell through, but even then rather slowly..
So much so that, I got up at 4AM just to get this card done..
The last time, I woke up to a time earlier than 6.30, was to see India in the finals, last world cup. :-)

I think I did justice to both the challenges..
Here is card, in all sweetness and light ...

The moxie Trigger :

The mojo sketch :

Entering in these 2 challenges..
http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2013/06/tuesday-trigger-all-sweetness-light.html
http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2013/06/mojo-monday-296-contest.html

Magazine Mondays-Week Nine & lawnscaped!!

The inspiration photo for this card is based on Papercrafters, Magazine Mondays Week 9 challenge.
Also, at LawnScaping , this week's challenge, Challenge #59 - Coloring.
A perfect oppurtunity to pair these two up.

The week passed by fogged by cold and allergies.
Saturday morning till afternoon was spent, "celebrating" my kids graduation from Kindergarden.
An IHOP breakfast, where we got a table after 1/2 hr and it became a brunch by the time the food arrived.
Then began the hunt for formal clothes for the little one, for daddy's graduation ceremony, this week.
And a birthday in the evening.. Ah.. a hectic but good day..
So finally I could sit down to transfer the inspiration to some form, only late night..

I had just purchased a set of Pearlescent water colors. This one to be exact. From Aaron Brothers.

My son was too thrilled that, he "got" an Artist coloring set, from an Art shop. :-)

Since he was with me, this automatically became his.
So late saturday night, we sat down and he graciously allowed me to borrow his colors..  Kids rule the world, dont they?

 

 

The magazine monday's inspiration photo is below. What stuck me, about it was the Asian looking girl, and the blue,sand, and the orange in the boat..
This  Japanese cherry blossoms, from Hampton Art was waiting to be inaugurated.. And so fit my inspiration..

So went with the lovely stamp and water colors.
My first attempt at uncontrolled water color drips. Went with how the colors developed.. Then colored the flowers using pearlescent sandy brown and a few with fuscia..

Here is a shot of the card :

Inspiration Photos :

Supplies Used : 

Hampton Art Sakura Flowers stamp

Momento Die Ink

Pearlescent Water colors

A closer look :

 

Thank You teachers, it is time for fun in the sun..

School year in its last week..

Friday is teachers day.

And I wanted to make small thank you notes for the kids teachers.

A quick scan of my stamps and the three little kids, from Stampin Up, caught my eye

Whats more symbolic of summer, than kids having fun

Whats summer without the SUN?

The sun from Hero Arts, Stamp yout story line - Time, provided the perfect match

Since these cards are for the teachers, I made a few in chalkboard style and a couple in other left over   scraps. 

I scripted Thank You with a white gel pen.. 

In the end I liked how they turned out..

A quick batch of thank you cards.

Here are a few clicks.

Entering in these challenges :
Hero Arts - Stamp Your Story
PaperPlayers  - Summer / Holiday.
To me summer is kids having fun and a big bye to school.. he he.. What more :-)

 http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/2013/06/paper-players-148-theme-challenge.html

A page from the life of a working mom.

My day doesnt begin if I dont have my morning paper in one hand and a cup of steaming hot tea in the other..
The first thing I read, is the comics section..
And on last thursday , "For Better or For Worse", by Lyn Johnson, looked like a day in my life.. :-)

Link : http://fborfw.com/strip_fix/2013/05/wednesday-may-29-2013.php

A page from the life of a working mom.
And this made it into my journal.. :-)

Supplies Used :
Hero Arts Stamp Your Story - Time, wordings
Recollections Ledger
Hero Arts antique engraving Butterfly
Distress inks - Pumice Stone, Antique Linen, scattered straw

Things with Wings

Last week, lost in the web of the world, I landed on this sweet blog,
http://cascoloursandsketches.blogspot.com/2013/05/cas-colours-and-sketches-challenge-27.html

I was hooked on and wanted to give it a try..
Had many ideas, which felt so beautiful in my mind..
Then in Lets Craft and Create, it Things with Wings..

Though initially, I had another idea in mind, I decided to combine this both and resulted in this card.

The Double - Sketch and combo

Stamps are all Hero Arts, and the inks used are on the right side.














 Entering in these challenges :
 Lets craft & create - http://letscreatechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/challenge-71-things-with-wings.html

CAS - Colors and Sketches - http://cascoloursandsketches.blogspot.com/2013/05/cas-colours-and-sketches-challenge-27.html

Paint Stroke Craft tags

First set of tags..
Sort of came through by accident.

My brushstroke stamp from HA is on hold from SSS.And I couldnt wait and wait.
Hence, used real brushstrokes and another brushstroke stamp from HA (old one)

Tag 1 & Tag 2

I got this big Hero Arts, S5506 Flower Text, stamp from Michaels.
Being a big stamp, I had to use a brayer to get the stamping done.
Since it was my first time stamping a big stamp with a brayer, first couple didnt come through fully. There were places of uneven inking.
Didnt have the heart just throw them away
So converted them into tags.

Used acrylic paints for the paint strokes.
Real paint splatter.

With a White gel pen, highlighted the flowers here and there.
The wordings are a mix from HA Stamp your story line.
U'R DAY is from a different stamp set.

Tag 3 :

For the brush strokes in the left corner used real acrylic paint brushstrokes.
The middle smaller brush strokes are using Hero Arts C2815, Paint Stroke Elements, not inked but brushed with white paint.
Combined the different wordings from the Stamp your story set to create the sentence
"Art makes the day perfect"
"make" and "S" are different size because I selectively stamped the letters from different wordings from the set.
"the" is from a Stampendous set.

Tag 4: 

 

Paint strokes again a combination of real brush and the Hero Arts C2815, Paint Stroke Elements, using acryclic paints.

Stamped just the text from Hero Arts, G2436 Smile Dictionary Design.

Flower is from Sizzix Tattered florals, stamped with Carte Postal from Recollections

The other sentiments are from HA Stamp your Story

Moxiefab has the gift tag challenge is ending tomorrow - http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2013/05/350-cards-gifts-week-gift-tag-challenge.html
Just in time to enter in it too.

Saving Grace

This was my short post in FB
"The saving grace,
of you remembering that it is your Wedding Anniversary in the last minute,
is,
If your spouse totally forgets it"

Yep.. It was our wedding anniversary, and  I just remembered it on the day.
And hubby was flying out, late night.
Had to do something fast, and didnt feel like doing a card
So made this simple scrapbook page, pulling out a photo from our Honeymoon album.
The best part was, I kept this as a surprise on his work table.
Darling dearest comes back, and puts it back on my craft table, thinking I left it on his table my mistake..
So much for me doing it
:-)
But I did get back, by sending a huge bill at the HA warehouse sale :-)

This page was a perfect fit.
And kept everything else minimal, since the background was already very crowded.

Used Stampers Anonymous & Hero Arts Stamp your story line of stamps for the strip