Colour Challenge Butterflies

I was so pleased to see that Kristina Werner had a colour inspiration up on her blog.  I always enjoy them, and since they are nolonger a regular feature I couldn't let this one pass me by without giving it a go.  So here are the colours:

And here is what I came up with:

As is so often the case I sat down with an idea in my head, and this was not it!  Different stamp set, different techniques, different everything, but I really had fun with it.  I have used my stampin write markers and aqua painter to water colour the butterfly from the 'Dreams du Jour' stampset.  They just look so pretty and were a lot of fun to do.

The sentiment is actually a rub on, from the Summer Mini Catalogue 'chitchat' rubons - very convenient if you don't have (or want) a whole lot of sentiment stamps.

For the finishing touch I was going to tie some ribbon at the top of the card, but decided instead to go with strips of card.  Card is less bulky than ribbon, and it also mimics the card layers around the butterflies more than ribbon would (it can also be a less expensive option if you are wanting to keep costs down).

Thanks Kristina, for another wonderfully inspirational challenge.

Ingredients:

Card - Baja Blue, Riding Hood Red, So Saffron, Watercolour paper

Markers - Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, More Mustard, So Saffron

Ink - Baja Blue, Basic Gray
Sentiment Rubon - 'Chit Chat' (NZ Summer Mini Catalogue)

Eyelet Border Punch, Aqua Painter

Random bits and pieces...

Today I got to do something I haven't done in a while. I went to a papercraft class. Five blissful hours out of the house doing crafty stuff. It was the first time I had done a class for months - and best of all, because I wasn't the teacher, I didn't have to do the prep! I got to make a really cute little stationery set, using some lovely papers. I need to take some photos and then I will share some more of that!

Add to that I have a lovely new book to read...

Clean and Simple Scrapbooking - The Sequel, by Cathy Zielske

I am trying to make it 'last' as long as possible, and so far have just looked at the pictures. I do know that when looking at a book about scrapbooking, the pictures are pretty much where it is at, but still, I am just looking, not actually studying them yet. Much. Except a couple of pages where I couldn't resist a read. Glad I did too, as Cathy made an excellent point that I thought I would share. I'm not sure about you, but I take a LOT of photos. I don't scrapbook at the same rate. The to do pile grows much faster than the done pile (those are all my points!)

Cathy suggested a photo album. Not a scrapbook album. Not a 'temporary storage until I scrapbook them' photo album, but instead an actual, old style photo album, with maybe a note or two about what is going on, and then leave it at that. Because it is nice to get the photos out of the box (or off the computer) and where people can see them, and because not everything needs to be scrapbooked.

Good Point Cathy. I think I am going to buy a nice photo album (or two). Amazing how that the pressure lifts when you remember that you don't have to scrapbook it all! Cathy Zielske - putting the fun back in scrapbooking! Go check out her blog if you don't already.

In other news, the launch of the Spring Mini Catalogue is fast approaching, and there are a few things in there that I am especially excited about, but that's all I'm going to say for the moment! I will be sending out copies to my stamp club members. If anyone else would like one please contact me and I will add you to the mailing list. I will also add a link on my sidebar to the online version, just as soon as it becomes available (1 August).

In other, other news, I was so happy this week to discover that this card had been chosen as one of the lucky top 20 in Kristina's colour challenge round up! Wow - that was a buzz. Thanks to all those lovely people who visited to check out the card, and especially those who left lovely comments. There are a lot of incredibly talented people who participate in these challenges so I sure do feel special this week! I've said it before and I will say it again - challenges are fun, and, well, challenging. If you haven't already you should try it!

Finally, I suspect that my posts may be few and far between the next couple of weeks as we are having guests and will be out exploring again. I had planned to be super organised and do lots of projects this week, so I would have a wee stockpile of blog stuff all set and ready to go, but I got a new book instead. You can probably figure out the rest!

from a quick card to a quick layout...

After making this quick card for the latest Kristina Werner Colour Challenge I got to thinking that it might also work well as a scrapbook project. I ummed and ahhed a bit over what size to make it - 12 x 12 or an A4 / 8.5 x 11 hybrid? The hybrid size won out because I had been wanting to do another of these for a while.

It was pretty much the same as the card, except this time I used rub on letters for the title, rather than stamps. I decided it didn't need any journaling, the title says it all, but then got to thinking - one day down the track would we want to know how old those crazy kids were when they did those silly things? What's so crazy about eating a carrot or wearing goggles anyway? I was going to make notes on the back of the layout - just in case, but decided instead to go with some 'hidden journaling' on a tag behind the photos. This meant attaching the photos to another piece of card, rather than straight onto the base card, to make a space for the tag.

I am really loving this colour combo (ballet blue, certainly celery, pumpkin pie, so saffron, riding hood red, and white). It has a really happy feel about it. The coloured hearts and white writing really pop off the ballet blue background. I think this might be my new favourite blue!

Oh, just in case you were thinking I had six children and where do I find the time for scrapbooking?! I actually have three children (two photos of each) and where the heck can I find some time to scrapbook?!

A quick colour challenge card

Time for another colour challenge from Kristina Werner. Pretty colours this week, although at first glance, all those colours were a little intimidating!

Time was short today, so just a quick card using the 'heart to heart' punch. It's like three punches in one, so a good time saver. Punch out a collection of hearts, add a dash of white pen around the outside of the card, and a greeting from the 'short and sweet' set and this is what you get...

Might have to have another try later on. I have an idea, and if you see a post about it, it worked out!

Gathering supplies for another K Werner challenge

Well, gathering ribbon anyway...

The colours for Kristina's challenge this week include a couple of my favourites - basic gray and really rust, along with more mustard and very vanilla.

Although I really like those colours, I had to think about this one for a bit. Initially I was going with the Baroque Motifs stamp set, and a touch of embossing powder (I love how that swirly background looks when it is embossed!) Somehow instead, I ended up with something completely different, with not a baroque motif in sight - this project was definitely one that 'evolved'...

No stamping at all this time - just punches (5 petal flower, boho blossoms, and the 1 3/8" square), earth elements buttons, and the beautiful basic gray taffeta ribbon - knotted through the buttons, and gathered on the adjacent squares.

It has been a while since I gathered ribbon on a project - this taffeta is just perfect. I love the look and it is really not difficult - I will add a gathered ribbon tutorial to my list of things to blog about soon!

Missing the Beach...

We had a warm day here today - high 20s celcius - and when I saw the colours for Kristina's latest colour inspiration - it really did make me think of the beach. A walk along the beach would have been nice today (but it helps that our apartment complex has a pool!)

So anyway, here is what I came up with. I made a card with this kind of layout at the weekend. I really liked the finished look, and it came together so easily (making use of those ever handy punches!) so I decided to try it out again today...

The card colours I used for this challenge were baja breeze, more mustard, so saffron, sahara sand, and of course, white. These colours do have a lovely fresh feel - and I think this would be good for a masculine card.

The ink was all baja breeze. Sea shell stamps from the 'seaside' stamp set, and the greeting from the 'A little Birthday Cheer' set - using that one a lot lately!

Perfect timing for a colour challenge!

• Here I was thinking I needing to get on and make something!
• I needed some Thank you cards so they were at the top of the list.
• Bridie fell asleep on the way to collect the boys, (a quiet afternoon, but we will be regretting that tonight, big time!)
• Kristina had a new colour challenge up.

Like I said - perfect timing!

So here was my effort. A simple little card using the very lovely Eastern Blooms stamp set.

I used markers to put the different colours straight on to the stamp. This is a great way to use multiple colours on a stamp, or to ink up just select portions of a stamp. Best of all, we can now buy the Stampin' Write Markers individually, so you just need to get your most favourite colours!

I inked up the different parts of the stamp using rose red, chocolate chip, and more mustard markers, then stamped off on some spare white card and set it aside for another day. I don't want to waste it after all! I then reinked select flowers, and stamped on my project. This meant that some flowers (the reinked ones) were darker than others, which had already been stamped off once.

A 'thank you' from the short and sweet stamp set, and some earth elements brads (mustard) and it was time for Bridie to wake up. And homework to be done. And dinner to prepare.....

Perfect timing really is short and sweet!

A monster of a Kristina Challenge

Time for another of Kristina Werner's colour inspirations. This time she is doing it a little differently - instead of specific SU colours, she has gone with broader colours - brown, red, yellow, turquoise and white. So now it is even easier for us all to give it a go - so off you go - make something!

I was determined to make something, and have been thinking about what I might do. I had a plan that involved lots of flowers. In fact, I had stamped out the flowers, and had just about cut them all out, when the plan changed, and this happened instead...

Cute monsters huh?! It was much easier than the flowers too, - all made with bunches of punches (oh dear, did I really just write that?!) The reason for the plan change? I blame Campbell. He came to see what I was making. After admiring all those flowers, he announced he had made something at school last week and had forgotten to show me. Would I like to see it now? Well of course I would, bring it on! So he did. And here it is...



A little monster. The cutest little monster I have seen in a while. When I told him so he suggested maybe I could make one too, when I had finished with all those flowers. As you can see, the flowers were relegated to the background, and out came the punches - I do love my punches - and some more little monsters were born...

Made by Tracee, and Campbell!

The SU card colours I used for this were Red Riding Hood (new incolour) tempting turquoise, chocolate chip, so saffron, and whisper white. The sentiments, stamped in Red Riding Hood, are from the Family Phrases stamp set. Not forgetting of course - an assortment of punches - 1 3/8" square, word window, 1/4" circle, and the 1/2" circle.

Colour Inspiration #49

Kristina Werner has another 'color inspiration' challenge up, and at this rate, Kiwi Kiss is looking like becoming my most used colour!

I have been thinking about what to do for the past couple of days. Doing would have been better, but there was other stuff that needed to be done, so thinking was the next best thing. In my mind there were butterflies, and crystal effects - a truly beautiful creation! Today there is time for doing, but I woke up feeling yucky, so the butterflies are waiting for another day, and quick and simple it is. And using up scraps....

Told you it was quick and simple! Black wouldn't normally be my first choice for a birthday card, but it was a great background for those bright strips of card. The only stamping is the sentiment from 'A Little Birthday Cheer'. I started off with it stamped in black, but it was looking a little flat, so I switched to Pacific Point, and it worked a lot better.

When your card is black, you do need a little something on the inside, just so you can see the writing! A few little scraps of card stuck down the side of some white, and it is ready to go (of course, you could write with a white pen, but then you wouldn't get to do this!). Just quietly, I think this might be my favourite part of the whole card.

And that is that. Told you it was quick and simple! Might get to those butterflies in the next day or two - or maybe I'll save them for the next colour challenge...

I have got some information to post about some embellishment shares. Keep an eye out later today, or perhaps tomorrow, depending on the sniffles.

Another Colour Inspiration Card

Okay.

So I think I am addicted!

All day long I kept thinking about projects made with the colours choc chip, baja breeze, kiwi kiss and white! I really did enjoy doing the colour challenge, so when Bridie decided to have a now rare afternoon sleep, and the boys were going out sledding - it was decided. Another project beckoned!

This time round I used the lovely stamps from the 'Bloomin' with Beauty' set - some of you have used these stamps with me before when we made our tile coasters. Just beautiful for colouring.

For some interest on the background I used the long retired 'french script' background stamp (current equivalent = en francais). For a subtle look, I sponged ink onto the stamp, and then applied light, uneven pressure to the card, repeating several times until I was happy. I wanted it to look a little patchy - partly to hide the fact that I needed to stamp twice to cover the width - still haven't figured out how to do that with a really clear image, and not have the join really clear too!

The main image was stamped on watercolour paper, and I used my blender pens and ink pads to colour it in. The great thing about watercolour paper is that you can worry away at it for a while, and it won't disintegrate like normal card does when it gets wet. (Stamp Club ladies - More on water colouring next month!)

I used the white signo gel pen to emphasise the flower centres, and mounted it to the card front with stampin dimensionals. That extra lift really helps to focus your attention.

Some piercing around the edges, with the help of my trusty mat pack, and a touch more of that kiwi kiss (slowly coming around to it!) - using a circle punch to round off the ends.

TA DAAA!!

Another project down, and I nolonger have the house to myself....

...time to go and fold that big mountain of holiday laundry.

Triple Duty

That's right. These cards are kind of a 'three for one deal'

Firstly, we had some birthdays to celebrate, hence the reason for birthday cards. Second, we have been off on a whirlwind visit to New Mexico - so no posts for a few days. It was time to get back into it. And third, I am finally getting around to taking up the colour inspiration challenge from Kristina Werner. Kristina is a talented lady, who regularly sets these challenges. If you are ever suffering from a creative block, or want to try something new, then this could be just the kick in the pants you need - worked for me anyway!

So this week the colour combo was chocolate chip, new in colours kiwi kiss and baja breeze, and whisper white. I must confess, I am still making up my mind about kiwi kiss, but it worked really well with this combo. It would have been perfect for a masculine card, but as I said already, the mission of the day was birthday cards - for ladies - so I decided to go with the big flower from the Eastern Blooms stamp set and see what happened.

For the first card I inked the stamp up with the baja breeze ink, and then for a little bit of added interest, carefully rolled the edges in kiwi kiss, before stamping on white card. This 'rock and roll' technique is an easy one to do, and you can use as many colours as you like - just remembering to start with the lightest colours and work your way darker, so as not to spoil your ink pads. To finish the flowers off, I stamped a small flower from the same set using the kiwi kiss ink, and popped them together with a half pearl from the pretties kit.

I gently curled up each of the petals and attached the finished flowers to the card front using stampin' dimensionals to give extra lift. The card front was simply layers of kiwi kiss card, some patterned paper from the new Baja Breeze Patterns designer series papers, and a length of the 1.6cm wide chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon, on a choc chip card base. A simple choc chip greeting from the 'sincere salutations' set, and the card front was done. For the inside of the card I quickly added some 'stamped off' flowers in the bottom corner and we were good to go!

The second card came about as a happy accident. Well, not so much an accident, as a by product of card number one. After stamping each of the flowers for the first card, I was stamping the excess ink off on my scrap paper, so I could reink for the next flower, without getting kiwi kiss all over the baja breeze ink pad. That piece of scrap paper got to be looking so pretty!!!

So here it is. A chocolate chip card base, with stamped off 'rock and roll' eastern bloom flowers on white card. Some of the flowers have been stamped off once, and some twice (ink up stamp, stamp on scrap paper, stamp on project, stamp on project again, then reink and repeat!). Once again some choc chip ribbon, a greeting from 'a little birthday cheer', and an inside like the first card. Ready to post!


So there you go. If you feel like a challenge today, check out Kristina's blog. She has past challenges posted still, so if these colours don't appeal, you can choose the colour combo that suits you! I have to say though, I enjoyed working with set colours, that I may not have used together otherwise - a bit like brain gym for stampers!