AAA Cards Challenge 256: another challenging sketch for me

Hi everyone I have to be honest for the most part I don't like sketch challenges, I'm not sure why as they should make it easier but I think I overcomplicate it in my head. For this challenge at AAA Cards it wasn't helping that the DT members that had their cards in the folder I loved  and was thinking to myself why can't I be clever enough to make a cool card like "them".

In the end I looked at the sketch and decided it reminded me of doing Bokeh circles/dots ages ago, so decided I would just go for it and see how it turned out. I surprised myself as I actually love the card so sometimes it pays to not think too much!!

I've used a stencil I received as a freebie from Taylored Expressions to do my base layer. It's part of a set of 4 called Holiday stencil strips.

I've used Shaded Lilac, Tumbled Glass and Bundled Sage Distress oxides to blend through the stencil as these colours seemed similar to the colours in the provided sketch.

Now my recollection of creating a Bokeh effect is to stamp directly on top with a white pigment ink, as I'm using a stencil I used a fresh rounded foam and smooshed the white ink into my glass mat so I didn't dirty my inkpad.

When you lift the stencil all is revealed:

I've then stamped with the smallest circle stamp from my Watercolor Shapes (SU!) first with the ink and then with the pigment ink. When dry I added a few sentiments from my Circle Sayings stamp set (SSS) with Versafine ink.

I'm really rapt how it all turned out if I'm honest, sometimes it is good to challenge yourself and go with the flow.

Do check out the other "cool cards" from the DT and I hope you give the challenge a go, you too may surprise yourself!

✿Karen✿

Rainbow birthday card

The first official challenge card created in 2024 was an easy one to pick up and run with and today I'm playing along with AAA Birthday Card challenge wanting rainbows or rainbow colours.

I always think of Laura Bassen when rainbow colours are mentioned and I'm using some products that she taught with at SCT's Fall 2022 class and I loved that card and was going to remake it using different colour inks this time, when I had a brainwave; maybe because I'd had the DSP pad out to use for the tag card I made the other day, just to use rainbow DSP. 

You can see my tag card HERE and the card I made with Laura and SCT HERE.

There's actually minimal colouring, the DSP does all the heavy lifting but still a rainbow of colours in the jar of Copics used:

I've used die-cuts to add dimension as "dimension is life" and I've slightly offset a black HOORAY die-cut to add a hint of a shadow. I have to admit the scalloped mat was one I had cut for another project and didn't use and as I am still tidying up odds and sods for the grandkids day care to create with that seemed a really good use of the mat.

Supply List:
Stamps: Little Gnome Agenda (ME), Yah! Birthday (HA), Itty Bitty Celebrations (MFT)

Paper: Really Rainbow DSP (LF), Chamomile (SP)

Dies: Scalloped Contour (SU!), Large Stitched Rectangle Stackables (LF)

Other: Copics

Challenges: AAA Birthday #57

Well it's great to start replenishing my birthday card box as I must admit it's been full on Christmas cards and tags creating at the end of 2023 and if you do join in you have until the end of January to enter, so lots of time and who doesn't like a cheerful rainbow card for their birthday.

✿Karen✿

A is for Altenew

One of my online crafty friends Anne from Shack's Papercraft has challenged herself to use NBUS stamps in 2024. She's starting off with Altenew, so I thought I could join in for January too and give some of my never before used stamps (NBUS) from Altenew some love.

I know she overdid it a bit in December but hoping she's feeling up to starting on A is for Altenew real soon.
 
The first set I grabbed is Moments in Time which has incredibly lovely sentiments, which could be used on multiple encouragement cards. I did some easy (rough) watercolouring with my Zig Real Color brush markers.

I've stamped the image using Lawn Fawn's Crunchy Leaf ink as I wanted a soft brown stamped image and as you can see looking at the sentiment which I have stamped with my Versafine Pinecone, it is much too dark. ZIGs used : Shadow Mauve #303, Milk Tea #607, Sepia #605, Bright Flamingo #216 and Lime Green #409. I've used a slightly damp no. 2 paintbrush to spread the colour. The gems are from Homey Bee. I used Strathmore Bristol smooth for the image as that is my favourite paper to colour with my ZIGs and I mounted up on Neenah Natural White as that is off-white.

I've still got more unused Altenew sets so will try and make more cards in January using them as time permits but we have tennis on TV and we're also going camping at Whangamata, so I have good intentions, I'm  just not sure if there will be time. I do intend to use more of what I have already bought in 2024 and not just buy as "I have to have it".

✿Karen✿