It's bright and sunny...

at my place today, it truly is a perfect Autumn day. I think this may have influenced me what challenges I had a play along with as I had different ideas when I went into play.

So I ended up playing along with Color Hues (pink and yellow) which made colouring up my scene very easy with minimal Copics. CAS on Friday would like some sunshine and Just Us Girls would like a stencil; so sunshine was added to my wee scene with a stencil. I love it when the challenges direct how the card is created.

I chose this really cool sentiment so I had to change the orientation of my card. I actually stamped the sentiment first then stamped the bunny, then masked the bunny, stamped the towel, masked the towel, then stamped the beach umbrella, masked the umbrella, then did my ink blending through the stencil. Removed masks and Copic coloured up quite simply as a 2 colour challenge at Color Hues. I even coloured up my bunny with light pink E's.

Supply List:

Stamps: Beach Day (EE), Let's Chill (EE)

Inks: Versafine Clair Nocturne, Detail Black (PFS), Lemon Whip (PFS), Sunshine (PFS)

Paper: Neenah Solar White #80 and #110lb

Other: Copics, Sunray Background stencil (LF), Inside Out Stitched Rectangle die (LF), blending brushes, masking paper

Challenges: TCH#85, CAS on Friday #282, JUG #724

Well I think that's a trifecta when the sum of the three challenges makes it better than if I did them as stand alone. Thanks for popping in.

EDITED 1/5/24: My card was a runner up at the Color Hues Challenge which makes me really happy as OMG there were some lovely yellow and pink cards entered.

EDITED 10/5/24: Very thrilled my card was the CAS on Friday winner.

✿Karen✿

Let's Celebrate with Cake

It's obviously the month of February, a lot of my favourite challenge sites want hearts and/or pink and red. As one of those sites was AAA Birthday I had to include birthday in the mix too, and to be honest I have too many Valentine Cards in my stash at the mo, though I have decided to send out my V-cards to my girlfriends  this year (plus Pete can also have one), rather than my wee nieces with a simple sentiment inside saying Happy Galentine's day and that I appreciate them being part of my life. 

I used an old Penny Black stamp set which is called Furry Hugs, most of the images seem to have hearts on them but I thought the one I chose was appropriate with a wee cake for the "birthday".

I ended up stamping it directly onto my XpressIt card stock and colouring in with my Copics as it is old school and doesn't have a matching die. I didn't like my original colours I chose so it ended up getting a second blend on top. These are a guesstimate of what I used in the end:

Hedgehog body: E43/E50/R11

Hedgehog quills: I started off using T8/6/4/2 and then decided it needed some brown in the mix so also added E59/57 and the E43 again as they were sitting on my desk.

Cupcake pink icing: RV29/ R35/R32/R30

Heart: R35/RV13/RV21

Cupcake wrapper: RV13/21/10

Wee sprinkles: R35

I added Prisma glitter to the wee hearts and Crystal Glaze to the big heart, so it's lovely and shiny IRL.

Supply List:
Stamps: Furry Hugs (PB), Itty Bitty Celebrations (MFT)

Ink: Jet Black (LF), Versafine Nocturne Clair

Paper: Xpress IT blending, Neenah Solar White #110, Poppy Parade (SU!), Stripes n' Sprinkles DSP (LF)

Dies: Small Stitched Rectangle stackable (LF), Party Banners (MFT)

Other: Copics, Prisma glitter (LF), Crystal Glaze (Nuvo), white Gelli roll pen #8 (Sakura), black glaze pen (Sakura), Quickie glue pen (Sakura)

Challenges: AAA Birthday #58, Addicted to CAS #251, Color Hues #80, Just Us Girls #712

Well I enjoyed playing along with the 4 challenges and it's always good to have another birthday card in your stash. I know I've had a lot of birthdays lately and my stash was getting low.

Thanks for popping in.

EDITED: 15/3/24: My card was chosen to be in the Top Four at AAA Birthday which is always a lovely surprise to be noted.

✿Karen✿

For Lindsay

The crew at Color Hues have made this week's challenge all about LINDSAY who was part of their design team and their challenge is to honour her with her favourite hues and to be inspired by what inspired "her". Now that surely is a challenge worth entering to honour and remember her.

Now this week's hues are purple and blue so I immediately thought of my most inked stamp Mondo Hydrangea (Essentials by Ellen) which I think is perfect for this challenge. My favourite technique with this stamp is watercolouring so I thought I would use my "new to me" Nuvo Shimmer Powders I picked up at SENZ and my favourite white cardstock post-SENZ for colouring whether it's blending or watercolouring on, that honour goes to Lavinia Multifarious Smooth and Supreme white cardstock; which I love and is now an essential in my craft room.

Trying to show the shimmer of the watercolour wash and the glimmer in the black glitter with this close up but not sure if I succeeded.

I sprinkled the powders on my stencil mat from Waffle Flower and added a few drops of water to make a wash and then painted in each individual flower with my no. 2 round brush. I couldn't cope with the leaves just being "blue" so added a bit of green.

Supply List:
Stamps: Mondo Hydrangea (EE), You (Photoplay)
Inks: Veramark
Paper: Lavinia Multifarious, SSS #120lb (trying to use up) but a great card weight for the base of the card, Vellum Paper (SU!), black glitter (CTMH), scrap of black cardstock (?SU!)
Dies: Mondo Hydrangea (EE), You (Photoplay), Blanket Stitched rectangle (PF), Hexagon Tile coverplate (PF), sentiment strips (Photoplay), A2 Layering (Waffle Flower)

Nuvo Shimmer Powders: Violet Brocade, Lilac Waterfall, Blue Blitz, Falling leaves
Other: Alabaster White EP (Brutus Monroe), no. 2 rounded brush, foam strips

Challenge: Color Hues #46

Now I personally didn't know Lindsay but she sounded an amazing positive person and crafter and my sympathy goes out to her family and friends. There are some amazing cards honouring her so do check out the challenge site and if you have time join in with the challenge.

✿ Karen ✿