Never grow up ...

I was honoured to be selected at this week's Guest Star Stamper at Color Throwdown. I love their challenges, so it's a treat to get the colours early and put my brain to work.

The colour values of this week's palette are very similar, i.e. I think of them as 'medium' colours in quilting terms, not lights, not darks. After a bit of pondering, and playing (and breaking my die cutting machine!), I settled on a stencil,  brushing the colour through. Enhanced with a sentiment and the darling wee fairies and elves from Clarity stamp.

I used Adirondack Lettuce, and Distress Broken China and Worn Lipstick.

Hope you like it

Just us Girls #314: Use Stencils
Color Throwdown #364: Guest Star Stamper

Somewhat silly

When I saw Casology's key word I decided it wasn't for me, same when I saw the Colour Q palette. But as is sometimes the case, in the middle of the night, when I couldn't sleep an idea gradually emerged.

A stamp that had come with a magazine, or similar, that I thought I'd never used, along with it's pun-ridden sentiment. A palette so that is so far from traditional Christmas it just couldn't work, and layout on which a twist could be put.

So here's how I explain my "Silly" entry. To me the challenges felt silly, which means, I didn't think I could do them justice. I was silly, for not believing in myself. Whilst the palette and the image felt silly, they could be worked into the seemingly silly - a tasteful Christmas card.

The image is from Crafter's Companion. Coloured with alcohol markers (silly me for having a stash of these, and almost never getting them out). Put into tags, and chisel tip of a marker dragged around the edge. Clarity Holly & Ivy stamp in the background, stamped thrice into a rough circle.

See what you think. I love it :-)

CASology 167: Silly
CAS Colours and Sketches #145
Colour Q #311: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, Wisteria Wonder, Kiwi Kiss

Stockings hanging by the fire

I've had this stamp for ages, it's part of a Molly Blooms stamp set and sprang straight to mind when I saw the Festive Decor challenge at Sweet Stamping Christmas.

The palette at Friday Mashup is beautiful, and whilst not traditionally Christmas, I have seen it used for some stunning star quilts. I wanted to use it for this, even if it meant I would just use the colours rather mashing it up with masking. A simple sentiment to set off this CAS Christmas card.

Christmas at Sweet Stamping - Festive Decor
Simon say Stamp - CAS Christmas
Friday Mashup #229 - Autumn is in the air: Masking and/or Palette

You've been tangoed

This card seemed to get more and more orange the more time went on. I ended up feeling that it worked, but wasn't really me. Almost like I'd been fighting to meet the brief, rather than making a card that truly fits my style.

I chose to colour this Clarity image with Distress Markers, mainly because I'd stamped it with Archival ink, rather than Memento, and I couldn't be bothered to redo it. This means it's come out rather darker than I'd intended.

It's also reminded me why I've been following fewer sketch challenges of late. However, unexpectedly it does work with the Tic Tac Toe from CAS-ual Fridays. Let me explain. I used the middle line - colouring, spritzing, die cutting. The spritzing may need explaining - rather than spritzing the card itself, I spread spiced marmalade ink onto a blending mat, spritzed the mat with water, and then transferred the ink onto a piece of backing card. No commercial designer papers here!

CAS-ual Fridays #144 - Tic Tac Toe
Nacho Average #162 - Garden Green, Marina Mist, Tangerine Tango
Mojo Monday #418
Allsorts #332 - No designer papers

... the year's last loveliest smile

I wasn't sure I'd ever use this sentiment, but it's precisely what's required for Time Out's challenge, and is a perfect opportunity to make a custom inkpad for this lovely maple leaf stamp.

There are lots of lovely autumn challenges about at the moment, and I'm combined a few here in a clean and simple card. To lift it slightly I masked a simple stripe and stamped a few leaves in there too. Simple, but effective, I hope you agree.

Time Out #41 - Autumn ... the year's last loveliest smile
Stamping Sensations - Colours of Autumn
Less is More #245 - One Layer Autumn
Simon Says Monday - Autumn is in the air

Christmas in Pink

This was fab, two pink challenges popped up at once, maybe not surprising since it's Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Given Jingle Belles also had the 'Deck the Halls' prompt the Clarity stamp was a given, as were the silver embossed holly boughs. I masked the music, and then dusted in some spun sugar with a brush. I then put some worn lipstick distress ink in a spritzer with some mica powder which I used to add some texture to the card (blocking the nozzle a few times along the way!).

I confess I'm not sure whether this will stay as a one layer card or get worked into something slightly different, the card blank is a bit covered in pink ink!

Crimbo Crackers #91 - Pink
Jingle Belles - Deck the Halls in Pink
One Layer Christmas #19 - Silver
Addicted to CAS #74 - Sparkle

Seahorse

I wanted to do something non-Autumnal with the fab selection of colours at CTD this week, so came up with this little number.

Seahorse coloured with Spectrum Noir pencils in Red and Yellow


Background coloured using Fresco Chalk paints in Green and Brown

Color Throwdown 362: Red, Orange, Brown, Green