Be your own kind of beautiful

For the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, the theme is Ranger, and anything goes.

For the CAS Colours & Sketches #167: double dip (colours and a sketch).

I combined the two, hopefully succesfully ;-)
I've used Ranger Distress inks (mermaid lagoon and mustard seed) for the sun and sky and Ranger dye ink Java bean for the stamping.

To make the panel I masked off an area and the sun and filled it with Mermaid lagoon with the help of a mini inkblending sponge, also from Ranger.
Then I lifted the sun mask and filled it with the mustard seed, blending it out into the sky a little, which rendered it green, not seen that is real life, ever, but I kinda like the surrealistic effect, like in a dream...
The dandelion stamp is from Marianne design  (TC0837) and I got it today, especially for this card.
The sentiment is from Uniko (all occasion sentiments #6).

The darker bit on the sketch in the middle I made with the yellow twine, I wanted to keep it one layer and as CAS as possible.
 The twine divides the cardfront like the sketch, in my opinion ;-) defining the two spaces.
I hope you can see it, lol...

Hoping to sea you soon...

Over at Simon Says  Stamp Monday Challenge, the theme is "we can see clearly"...now the rain has gone..oh no wait..haha that's something else ;-)

My card had been a bit of a headache, I filmed it, but I don't think I can upload it, riddled with mess ups and a whole lot of mess on the desk ;-)...

I made a pouch from Avery Elle stamp pocket, I assumed the bottom would have 3 closed sides...I only needed to iron shut the top.

I tried it first with acetate, but that wouldn't melt.
I also tried it with my Leitz pockets...the Avery Elle are just not very strong at the seams, and I forgot about that....not good when you fill the pockets with water, food coloring and baby oil....oh the mess. give me glitter anytime lol.
Tried to clean up the pocket as best as I could but the oil kept seeping through the from panel :-(

Anyway I think it's not leaking at least...phew...
I die cut a circle from the cardbase and a panel so I could sandwhich the pounch in between with 2 layers of foamtape.
I stamped the octpus from Ranger (clearly under the sea) with Memento and colored it with my Spectrum Noir markers. I used a Neenah solar white panel to hide the markers on the back. I attached this inner panel to the cardbase. 
The sentiment is from Joy! crafts and I stamped it with Versafine black onyx.

It was fun to make, but hard, I wonder if the Fuse tool would make a watertight seal? I don't know, I don't have it, so I used my craft iron. Worked but it's much harder to control.

Needless to say I won't try and mail this card, hand delivery only...it might get squished and burst open....

Anyway for more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this

Hello my friend

A second entry for the Less is More Challenge: polkadots.
And a second entry for CAS Colours & Sketches.

I said the sentiment gave me an idea (or two) for another card in my last post. I only now had time to make it. It's also very much inspired by me first card for CC&S, see photo below (with the butterfly)
I used  the Simon Says Stamp butterflies stampset  for the big polkadot hello and the tiniest "my friend" stamp.

Stamped it all with Ranger dye inks (classic cherry, cheese puff, lemon twist, electric lime and Carribean coast as well as black tie for the sentiment).

Few homade enamel dots and gluedots to finish the look, although without them would still be a nice card.

I measured the middle and started with yellow, then I should have done the outer two, but I didn't..so now it doesn't quite fit, but I see them as balloon soaring upwards...or bubbles  emerging from the cards' edge and I kinda like thatm so I left it instead of making a new one, happy accident I guess ;-)

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this

For more information on the CAs Colours & sketches challenge, see this

AAA Challenge #61: stencils

AAA Challenge #61: stencils

I used a Scrapberry stencil (petals pattern) on some purple (3 tones) diecuts I  made with the Simon Says Stamp tri square die.
I tried to just cut 6 exact squares on the trimmer, but somehow small pieces like that move and go wonky, so I chose this diecut, also it has nice rounded edges.

I stuck them all together at the back and laid the stencil on top and smeared embossingpaste through it ( Dutch Do ba doo ). Sprinkled some iridescent glitter on top.

Let it dry then seperated them again. I want the design to be continous, otherwise there's no need to stick the pieces together. Then I realised the spacing I wanted wasn't going to happen so stuck them all next to eacht other again, lol...I tried 4 squares, but that didn't look right with 3 tones, If I had used 4 I could have used one color square each, but alas...probably should have measured ;-) But because I already made something similar once I figured it would work...but on that card I did hand cut the paper..ah well..you live and learn

Mounted each square with foamtape onto the cardbase and stamped the sentiment from Sizzix (birthday by Stephanie Barnard) with Versafine black onyx ink.


For more information on the AAA Challenge #61: stencils, see this

Missing you already!

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge theme: come rain or shine, with Avery Elle.

Now I have one Avery Elle Stampset and it's a Christmas one alas. Sorry!... I tried to order the elephant set  but it wasn't in stock, so I used Lili of the Valley stamp for the image instead (just a note).

I tried combining 3 sentiments from Simon Says Stamps sets (stinkin' cute and butterflies) but I couldn't get it very straight , or as straight as I 'd like ;-)
If you look at the second photo you can see the slant :-(, So gave up on that idea and went for the sentiment from Stinkin' cute only. I used Versafine to stamp it and then diecut the big word pop scalloped speech bubble from Memory box (my Diecember gift). Popped the speech bubble up with foam tape.
The hot pressed watercoloring paper from Schut is a cream color and doesn't match the speech bubble, but I

like the contrast, it makes it stand out a bit more. Not sure if the photo picks up on the different hues. I almost stamped on the image panel and drew in a speech bubble, but I didn't want to risk my coloring...
I stamped my image with StazOn and watercolored it with Distress ink.

I like the image with the sentiment for this challenge as I like to see two best friends having to part for any one reason...
My watercolor paper panel is always slightly smaller than a cardbase as I cut it up from a big block and I want to maximize the panels I get from it...you know what I mean? so I used some green starry washi tape at the side to fill the gap.


For more information on the Simon Says Stamo Wednesday Challenge, see this

Polka Dot Hello

For this week's Less is More Challenge #269, the theme is polka dots.

I used the Simon Says Stamp set Butterflies for the sentiment, a polka dot on his own and the butterfly. I used Ranger dye inks (pink gumball, wild orchid and grape soda ) to make an ombre like butterfly.
I used the matching dies to cut out a mask and place it over the butterfly, at the time I didn't realise it was quite this much bigger, I wanted the little border but I didn;t place it properly I guess.

Anyway I used a Scrapberry stencil (dotted pattern) and Distress inks Twisted citron for the background that I wanted to fade out.

Versafine black ink for the sentiment.

The sentiment just gave me a new idea, so watch out for another entry ;-)

For more information on the Less is Mora Challenge, see this

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #166

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #166

For my card I used Eline's brush stampset from Marianne Design (EC0162).
First 2 cards I used a more straight line brush stroke, also dry brush look, but even though I aligned them carefully with the grid on my stamp buddy, it kept looking skewed to me and the distance between the brush I eyeballed and it was all wrong ;-)

So I switched stamp and used a scribbly one that looks more like a wet brush, if that makes sense to you.

For all cards I started in the middle with yellow so that was positioned properly and then the outer ones (red and blue) and orange en green to  center them, I thought that worked well.
I used the back panel from one of the other cards as paper has two sides and made it a raised panel instead of my intended one layer.
For my stamping I used Ranger dye inks ( classic

cherry, cheese puff, lemon twist, electric lime and Caribbean coast)

I then used a butterfly die from Joy! crafts (6003/0023) and diecut it from black cardstock with doublesided adhesive on the back, so it becomes a sticker (I used Elizabeth crats but Ken Oliver stick it would work great as well)
Did the same for the sentiment die from Crafter's companion Die'sire.
Stuck the panel on the cardbase with foamtape..


For more information on the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #166, see this

Happy Birthday eat lots of bones

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this week is all about food and or drink...

Happy Birthday eat lots of cake  Bones...I almost used that sentiment and wanted to write bones in, but I didn't trust myself ;-)

So instead I've used this sentiment from the Sizzix Happy birthday set by Stephanie Barnard.
I used a Christmas starry banner thing and added the bones with a Sharpie...
The dogs and bones are from Katzelkraft (les Chiens KTZ 161) and I stamped them with StazOn  on Schut hotpressed smooth watercolorpaper 300grams.

I colored the images with Distress inks and a few Spectrum Noir Aqua markers.
The panel is slightly smaller than the cardbase, so I taped some washitape to the edge. Mounted the watercolored panel with foam tape.

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this

Addicted to CAS Challenge #84: codeword Delicate

Addicted to CAS Challenge #84: codeword Delicate

For my "delicate" I chose eggs, delicate or breakable Easter eggs.
I drew these eggs with a stencil I made, I found eggs quite a hard shape so, once happy, I traced it on acetate and cut it out to use as a stencil.
I've used mostly Spectrum Noir aqua markers and two Distress inks (blueprint sketch and iced spruce).
I only have one set of aqua markers and I've used them once before this card, still

learning how they react and flow, definetely different from Distress inks or Tales Ecoline.
But I think I got some nice shading on these colorful eggs.

The sentiment is from My Favorite things (bunny ears) and I heat embossed in white on a strip op black card.
The Schut hotpressed smooth 300grams watercoloring paper is slightly smalller than a card size to I filled that gap up with black also. I think it makes it very elegant .
I mounted the panel with foamtape onto the cardbase.

For more information on the Addicted to CAS Challenge #84, see this


I made this card earlier this week with video on how I drew the eggs and colored them with Distress inks, I think I prefer it but it's for another blog challenge ;-)

Enjoy the moment

The Less is More Challenge #268 is: what's outside your window...Well as you can see from the pictures at both ends of my flat: not much ;-)
At the bedroom side there's the gardens from the terraced houses next and in front of me and  the groundfloor flats.
At the kitchen/livingroom side there's a balcony and the alley. Although in the suburbs, we're still tightly packed together...The gardens at the back don't look like much at the moment, but they attract a lot, a lot!, of birds that start their song at 4a.m. I have no idea which birds these are except a few obvious ones.
At the other side houses and cars and street and trees also with more birds! l
I thought I could use a stampset from Create a smile with cars, but then I chose to go with this one from Katzelkraft..Les piafs..I love these more than the bird crazy from Tim Holtz which I also have and love.
The sentiment is from Daisy bucket, I bought that secondhand and had never heard of it before, but loved the font and saying.

It refers to the birdsong, that only lasts until the end of July and then things quiet down again, and although I don't like the early wake up, I do love their sound, it's much more pleasing than cars or sirenes etc ;-)

So I stamped everything with StazON and colored it with Distress inks and a green Spectrum Noir Aqua marker.
I love the combo of Wilted violet, Peacock feathers mixed with Mermaid lagoon. Idon't think we have colorful birds like that in my backgarden, but hey...

I use Schut hot pressed and smooth watercolor paper 300grams, I cut it up from a large block so it's not exactly the same size of a standard cardbase. I filled in the gap with a chevron Washitape in a peacock like color to match. I made the chevron point from the bird to the sentiment...so you eyes will follow that in a circle...try it, you'll start with the sentiment move to the bird, move down and go back to the sentiment...funny eh?

I mounted the watercolored panel with foamtape to the cardbase.

Really quick card, I think the coloring took me less than 10 minutes, it's coming up with the card and the design that can take a while ;-), setting everything up etc...
Also quick as I like it as CAS as possible...

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this

The Friday Mashup Challenge 245

The Friday Mashup Challenge 245

The final The Friday Mashup Challenge :-(.
So sad they're stopping, but after five years I think it was time.
Five years of awesome challenges, and although I've only known them for a year and a half I think, I'm sad to see them close down.
All the best to everyone involved and good luck on your next ventures.
I for one shall miss you.

For my card I used a stamp from Lili of the

Valley (patchwork butterfly). Colored it with my Spectrum Noir pencils. I'm not good at pencils, so  don't look at that...I thought it would be easier to get into the little fiddly bits my Spectrum Noir markers wouldn't reach. It's the first time I'm coloring this image so I don't actually know, will try a marker one too...soon.

I used washi tape for my diagonal stripes on the cardbase. I partially cut out the bunny panel as the die is rectangular and I wanted a square-ish with dotted border and rounded edges or I could have just chopped it with the trimmer ;-). I don't have these in square (yet).
Mounted the image panel with foamtape for dimension. 
No sentiment as I think this image could be Easter, Spring, baby or birthday.

For more information on the The Friday Mashup Challenge 245, see this

Cas Colours & Sketches Challenge #165

Cas Colours & Sketches Challenge #165

This week a colour challenge: Night of navy, watermelon wonder, marina mist.
I used Distress inks: Chipped sapphire, broken china and abandoned coral to match the Stampin' Up ones.Maybe faded jeans would have been better as chipped sapphire is a bit more purple-ish.oh well

I made a panel with a dotted edge with my Big shot and a Marianne design die, then die cut the painted happy birthday from Simon Says Stamp out of this panel and I traced  it onto the cardbase so I would know where to ink.

For the inking I used the mini blending tool from Tim Holtz and applied the three colours in no particular order. I mounted the panel with foamtape and applied it to the cardbase.
 At first I thought marina scene and came up with almost the same idea as Stef's card, so walked away from that, then thought instead of a sailboat I can use an anchor die, I have the perfect sentiment stamp for it was well...so whilst flicking through my dies I came across the painted happy birthday and it clicked in my head.
Scenes and colours are always tricky for me ;-)

For more information on the Cas Colours & Sketches Challenge #165, see this

Furry Kisses

The theme for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is cute and cuddly.
Showcasing Simon Says Stamp products, the logical choice was their stampset called furry kisses 3x4.
It has cats so always good ;-) a few sentiments and a borderstamp.

I used the dotted border on the cardbase with Memento and then inked Spiced Marmalade Distress ink on it to make a patterned paper. I chose an opposite color to enhance both.
I made a cardpanel slightly shorter than the cardbase so the dots would show; on it I inked Distress ink peacock feather and stamped the image on top for the whiskers, no way I can cut that out ;-).
Then stamped the image again on Neenah Solar white paper with Memento black and colored it with my Spectrum Noir markers. Then I cut it out and went over the edges with the Memento black marker.
Mounted the cats with foamtape and adhered them to the panel, then mounted the panel with foamtape too and mounted that to the cardbase.
Few homemade enamel dots to cover up an inky fingerprint...I mean to complete the look hehe.
Adhered them with my homemade gluedots.
By the way you can totally do the sponging with Simon Says Stamp ink, but I only have one, so I chose Distress.


For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: stars

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: use some lucky stars.

We Dutch people do not celebrate St. Patrick's day and so I don't have any supplies for it, like a clover stamp or wishbone or alike.

But the theme "use stars" could also apply to a birthday or an encouragement card like "you're a star".
And although I have a few ideas, which I might still submit, this is what I came up with so far.

I used watercolor paper and the Simon Says Stamp Birthday Balloons  set for the sentiment and the stars. I stamped them with Versamark ink and then heat embossed them with white embossing powder from Zing.

I used Distress inks for my watercoloring (picked

raspberry, mustard seed and ripe persimmon) and I swiped those on some acetate, then sprayed the acetate with water to get the color moving and smooshed my watercolor panel into it, let it dry and repeat. A couple of times to het the heat embossing to stand out.
Not sure how well you can tell from the photo, in real life it stands out ;-)

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: stars, see this

I cased myself ;-)..I  made this card for my borther's birthday last year. I used the same stars and a bolder, simpler sentiment from Sizzix (birthday by Stephanie Barnard)
I don't remember if Iused the smooshing techinque here or  just the brush, Looks to me like I wetted the paper and let the inkspread, also Distress inks (cracked pistachio, mermaid lagoon and peacock feathers).

Happy Easter!

The theme over at AAA cards challenge #60 is Easter.

I don't really send out Easter cards and have little supplies for it.
So for my card I drew three eggs  and watercolored them with Distress inks.

I tried to make them look realistic and there are blueish spotted egss ( Distress ink Peacock feathers) as there are creamy spotted ones (Antigue linen, hickory smoke, walnut stain I think or ground espresso), small and big ones...I kinda looked them up, but don't ask me which is which ;-).
The big one is rusty hinge and walnut stain.
The shadow to ground them is Hickory smoke, the teal stripe at the side is Peacock feathers swiped on the card. I think I should have let it dry a bit more before the photo because it looks so dark now....oh well...no patience

The sentiment is from My Favorite Things (one of my favorite peeps) I heat embossed it in white on black cardstock, and  I wrapped it  around the watercolor panel ( Schut aquarel 300grams hot pressed smooth).

I wasn't going to risk stamping anything on that panel that took me hours! I might not have the patience to let ink dry, but I'm not stupid lol...

Mounted the watercolored panel with foam tape onto the cardbase.

For more information on the AAA Cards challenge, see this



update March 13th :
after two hours the colored stripe is much more evened out and lighter to match the egg better...

Update March 14th: video!

update march 3rd:

You're amazing

I'd like to enter this card into the Less is more challenge: one layer and sentiment
and the Inkspirational challenge #104 : pink and grey

I started with the background stamp from Marianne design (eline's brush). I used Distress inks Spun Sugar and picked raspberry, I wetted the ink with perfect pearl mist and stamped it to get a watercoloured effect with some shimmer.
Then I stamped the sentiment from My Favorite things (bold statements) with

Versamark and I used Papermania superfine silver embossing powder.

I thought silver is a kind of grey...I'm sorry if not...

I started with the other card , as I don't have a grey stamping ink I switched the colours round, Hickory Smoke with water for the background and Gumball pink (Ranger) for the sentiment, embossed with pink glitter embossing powder from WOW!.(magenta twinkle embossing glitter)
I thought the grey took all the attention instead of the sentmiment as per request for the Less is More Challenge.

Sorry I'm late

Cas Colours & Sketches Challenge #164


For my card I made masks for the grass and the little mushroom and stuck them on, then made a mask/stencil by diecutting a square die from cardstock.
I then sponged Distress inks onto the cardbase (salty ocean and mowed lawn) to make a scene.
I coloured all the images with my Spectrum Noir markers and the snail and big mushrooms I cut out and mounted with one or to layers of foamtape for interest.
Everything is from Lawn Fawn Gleeful garden set and all stamped with Memento tuxedo black ink.
 I coloured on the cardbase to get the least layers, but that means my markers show on the inside of the card a little...i'm fine with that, less fine with one of the masks chewing some of the card up ..:-( hid it, but I know it's there ;-)..oh well..it's all handmade eh? haha

Don't think anyone getting this card will inspect it that closely...


For more information on the Cas Colours & Sketches challenge, see this

Update March 21st: