Poinsettia Christmas

 

I've been playing with the Penny Black Scarlet Majesty cling stamp, one of my absolute favourites.  This first one is on mixed media paper using Distress Inks, with a touch of black pen to add tension.  The sentiment is from Tim Holtz.

I'm entering this into Penny Black Saturday challenge - Christmas.

I did this next one on Hunkydory Ink Me card and went for a cleaner image, adding shading with coloured pencils.  The sentiment is from Uniko Studio.

I'm entering it into The Flower Challenge - Christmas

While the stamp was still in the MISTI I spritzed and stamped off and got this image.  It needed a little help, so I outlined it and added veins for a bit of definition.  The sentiment is from MFT.

I'm entering this one in Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

I got a couple more stamp-offs that you can see in this group picture.  Not a bad morning's work, eh?

Christmas Wreath

Hello!  I'm back with another Christmas card, this time a CASE of a CASE.  It all started when I saw Michele's CASE of Bonnie's cards.  I didn't have the stamp set but sometimes you've just got to check on eBay, and guess what I found?

I'm entering it into Colour Hues - Scarlet and Green.  (I did have another card lined up for this challenge so I might be back soon with another entry.)

and Darnell's NBUS challenge.

The extra leaf sprig is from Uniko, the bow from Tim Holtz and the berries from a Posca paint pen.  The green ink is Altenew.

Seize The Birthday - CASE a Seize The Birthday Designer

 

Hello, our final challenge of the year at Seize The Birthday is to CASE a Seize The Birthday Designer.

I cased this card by Jules, who has just moved over to Colour Hues Challenge.

I loved the collection of animals having a fun trip, and it inspired me to buy the bus set by Art Impressions.  It was a labour of love, though, colouring in those tiny images and die cutting them out.  At least I had the forethought to stamp the images out several times while they were sitting in the MISTI.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog to see who the other designers and our surprise party guest have CASED, and join in with us.  Or just play along with any birthday project.

Stencilled Christmas

 

Here I am, back already with another Christmas card and another challenge.  This time, it's for Simon Says Wednesday challenge, Stencil It.

and Inspired By - I've gone with the colours.

The little dog is a woodblock stamp from Rubber Stampede, the stencil is Tim Holtz, and the sentiment is Clearly Besotted.

I think I'll be back soon with another Christmas card!

ETA:

I'm also adding this to Stencil Fun at Darlene's kind suggestion.

Red, White and Blue Gnome

It's ages since I played in challenges, and I've noticed that some challenges are closing, or numbers are dwindling, so it seems to be not just me.  Anyway, I'm going to try to play in more challenges more often.

So, this card is for two challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Colour Challenge Blue, Red and White

and Inspired By - Gnomes

The gnome image is from Two Jays Stamp Co. and the sentiment die, background stencil and its are Tim Holtz.

Hopefully I'll be back in the not too distant future playing in another challenge or two!

Seize The Birthday - Many of Something

 

Hello!  We've got a great challenge for you this week at Seize The Birthday - Many of Something, chosen by Ashwini.

I've gone for 'many' animals, and 'many' numbers in the background.  The animal stack is MFT and the sentiment are Altenew.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog to see how the rest of the team and our surprise party guest have interpreted this challenge, and join in with us - you can always play with any birthday-themed project if you don't want to use our topping.

Seize The Birthday - Halloween Colours

 

Hello, a new theme for you at Seize The Birthday, chosen by Vicki - Halloween Colours.

I went with a Halloween-type card, even though it's not a big thing in the UK, just so I could use my new EEK! die set.  The web background was already in my stash, so the card came together pretty quickly.  I didn't have a spider stamp so I stamped a circle, drew some legs and added some eyes with white pen.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team and our Surprise Party Guest, Asa, and play along with us.  If Halloween colours aren't your thing (but it needn't be Halloween-themed card anyway), you can still play along with any birthday-themed project.

Seize The Birthday - Faces, Human or Animal

 

Hello, it's my turn to chose the topping for Seize The Birthday, and I've gone for Faces - human or animal.

I've used a Zinski Art stamp set from Paper Artsy on a Gelli plate background from my stash.  The Birthday Wishes stamp is from Hero Arts.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team and our Surprise Party Guest, Asa, and join in the fun.  If the theme doesn't float your boat, you can still play along with any birthday-themed creation.

Seize The Birthday - CAS (Clean and Simple)

Hello, we've got a new challenge for you at Seize The Birthday - Clean and Simple.  Easy Peasy :)

I have several versions of this flower in my stash, stamped and coloured in different ways.  Unfortunately I didn't make a note on every one what I had used.  I'm pretty sure this one was watercoloured with Distress Inks.  I don't know what brand the stamp is, because it wasn't mine.  The sentiment stamp and die set is from The Stamp Market.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more beautiful CAS inspiration from the team and our Surprise Party Guest Asa, and play along with us.  If CAS isn't your style, you can still play with any birthday-themed project.

Seize The Birthday - Food, Glorious Food

Hello, we've got a new theme for you at Seize The Birthday - Food, Glorious Food, chosen by our much-missed teamie Lindsey prior to her untimely death.

I went for this ice cream by Colorado Crafts, and a sentiment stamp and die combo from The Stamp Market, and a 3D embossed panel by Altenew.  The stamped image in InkOn3 fade-out ink had been in my stash for months.  Interesting fact - while you can still see the fade-out image months afterwards, it disappears before your eyes when you use Distress inks as watercolours, so I challenged myself to use coloured pencils.  That way I could still see the stamped image as I worked.

Then I challenged myself to using only Sharpies (and a bit of black and white pen to highlight) on another stamped image.  Which do you prefer?

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog to see what food the rest of the team and our Surprise Party Guest Asa have brought to the table, and play along with us.  If you don't want to use food as your theme, you can still play along with our Anything Goes theme.

Seize The Birthday - Collaboration with Colour Hues

We've got a fun collaboration for you this week at Seize The Birthday - we're teaming up with Colour Hues to use Navy and Lime as our theme.

I made a stencil from MFT Party Balloons and sponged Twisted Citron and Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks onto my card, adding a stamped and diecut sentiment from The Stamp Market.  I used Catherine Pooler Lime Rickey for the sentiment.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog and see what the rest of the design team and our surprise party guest have done with this fabulous colour combination, and play along with us.

Seize The Birthday - Follow A Sketch

Hello, I'm back in action at Seize The Birthday after a little break.  Today's challenge, set by JoAnn, is to follow a sketch.

And here's the sketch - do you think I've managed to follow it?

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous interpretations of the sketch from the Design Team, and our Surprise Party Guest, Karren, and play along with us.

If you're sketch-challenged like me, you can always play along with our Anything Goes birthday theme.

Seize The Birthday - Metallic

 

Hello! We've got a new theme for you at Seize The Birthday, chosen by Cathy, and it's Metallic.

I've used a 3D embossing folder on gold card for my metallic background.  Martini, anyone?  Shaken or stirred?  

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for more fabulous metallic inspiration from the team and from our Surprise Party Guest, Karrenj,  and join in the fun!

Seize The Birthday - Summer Activities

 

Hello!  We've got a new challenge for you at Seize The Birthday, chosen by Barb, and it's Summer Activities.

I seem to spend most of the summer tackling the weeds in the garden!  I do have some flowers growing in between them though ;)

I used all Tim Holtz products to create this wildflower garden.  Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more summer activities from the team, and from our Surprise Party Guest, Lols, and join in the summer fun!

Seize The Birthday - Use Your Favourite Technique

Hello!  Time for a new challenge at Seize The Birthday, chosen by Ashwini - it's Use Your Favourite Technique. 

My favourite technique is messing around with Distress Inks.  Whether it's smooshing or sloshing or watercolouring, I just love using them!

For this card I smooshed, sloshed and watercoloured some Seedless Preserves and Bundled Sage onto a STAMPlorations image and my background, and added a sentiment strip.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and from our Surprise Party Guest Lols, and join in the fun!

Seize The Birthday - Use a Stencil

Hello, time for a new challenge at Seize The Birthday - Use a Stencil chosen by Vicki.

My stencil is from Tim Holtz, the girl is from Funky Fossil and the butterflies die is from Memory Box.  Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous stencil inspiration from the team and from our surprise party guest, Lorraine, and play along with us.  If you don't want to use a stencil you can still play with our Anything Goes theme.

Seize The Birthday - Real or Faux Stitching

 

Hello, I've picked the theme for the latest Seize The Birthday challenge, and I've gone for Faux or Real Stitching.  

The foreground stamp is Poppy Seed Heads by Sarah Anderson for The Artistic Stamper, the stitching is Tim Holtz, the sentiment is Altenew and the background is Carabelle Studio 'Histoire de Temps'.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog to see how the rest of the team and our guest Lorraine have added stitching to their projects, and play along with us.  If you don't want to include stitching, you can still play along with our Anything Goes theme, as long as it's birthday.

Seize The Birthday - Butterflies or Hummingbirds

 

Hello!  We've got a new challenge for you at Seize The Birthday - Butterflies or Hummingbirds.

Not much call for hummingbirds in this part of the world, but I've got plenty of butterflies.  This one is from Visible Image.  The background is a gel print, the main mask/stencil from Simon Says Stamp.  The sentiment is from Wow!

I had another similar background, so I stamped another butterfly from the set to make this blank card:

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous butterfly and hummingbird inspiration, and play along with our theme, or with our Anything Goes.