Flower Power

I really thought I'd blown it with this one, on a number of occasions.

Firstly - the butterflies. They just got lost when I stamped them, and I wanted them in colour. So I decided to outline them. I kept sitting there not sure whether I'd rescued it, or ruined it. Still not sure

Secondly - my primary inspiration was CAS Colours and Sketches. I had the colours fixed in my head, and then went back to my note once it was finished - "Indigo"? "Indigo", but I had 'Teal' in my head. So I logged back on and went back to source. I'll confess my purple is a little dark, but I don't have any Stampin' Up colours, so I'm working with what I've got - which is Distress Dusty Concord - admittedly a little heavy handed. On my monitor at least Island Indigo looks more teal when 'navy'. At least - that's my story and I'm sticking to it :-)

Stamps and stencils all from Clarity. Colours: Distress Dusty Concord, Adirondack Mountain Rose and Stream.

CAS Colours and Sketches #122 (Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder, Island Indigo)
CASology #144 - Flight (These butterflies had been sitting on desk waiting to take flight for weeks!)
Allsorts #309 - April showers bring May flowers (Flower power stencil)
Addicted to Stamps and more #142 - Mark your mark (sponged flowers through stencil)

Rainbow Robin

Inspired by a couple of challenge, this idea has been swishing around my head all week. Last night, at 10pm it forced it's way out, despite it being bedtime!

Background made by brushing distress inks onto a piece of cartridge paper/watercolour card with a brush. Robin stamped in Potting Soil Archival, masked to put the branch in the background, and then fussy cut. All three stamps are from Clarity.

To me, a robin has a rainbow of song, cheers me up every time I hear one, hence "I can sing a rainbow".

Sweet Stampin' - I can sing a rainbow
Sketch Saturday - #358
Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes

Sending you sunshine

Quite a busy card for me. Several challenges are quite similar this week, but sparked different ideas (hopefully I'll get a chance to put the other idea together this evening!).

I shifted the elements on Retro Sketches #162 around a little, mainly because of an accidental splodge on the corner of the vignette. I used a rainbow of distress inks (Festive Berries, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Broken China, Dusty Concord and Seedless Preserves) to create the umbrella background.

Stencils (Umbrellas and sunray) and stamps (sentiment, tree and wee folk) are all from Clarity.

Retro Sketches #162
Time Out - Can't have a rainbow without rain
Simon Says Monday - Anything Goes

Golden Nativity

I love an opportunity to start making Christmas cards well ahead of time.

Last year I started making them about March, and tried to create around ten a month. I ended up with far more than I could use myself, and consequently sold some to friends, raising £60 for Cancer Research UK.

For this I fished out some Clarity nativity stamps I hadn't had a chance to use yet, paired them with a Clarity line sentiment, and dug down and found my very first pot of embossing powder (gold tinsel) and accompanying pad. I think they may both have come in a very old DoCrafts goody bag! I do like the added sparkle of the tinsel.

Tis the Season #40 - Sketch
Addicted to CAS #62 - Black, White and Gold
Shopping our Stash - Texture Me (oldest embossing supply)

Purple Alliums

I love alliums, and thought they'd fit nicely into a tag on a simple layout. I love their deep vibrant shades of purple, so picked Dusty Concord as my one colour.

Less is More - Use a tag
Freshly Made Sketches #183
CAS on Sunday - White plus one colour

Lovebirds

I rushed home to put an idea into practice today, particularly as I wanted to finish it in time to submit it for Colour Me's latest challenge - it seemed rude not to after I got a very unexpected honourable mention last week.

Both the Lovebirds and the sentiment are Clarity Stamps. I used a mixture of Adirondack (Butterscotch, Wild Plum, Denim) and Distress inks (Peacock Feathers, Black Soot, Worn Lipstick), painted for the birds, and brushed for the background.

Colour Me #68 Playful: Night of Navy, Lost Lagoon, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry
Uniko #20 - Things with Wings
CAS(E) this Sketch #120 

A very special wedding

A good friend of mine is getting married next weekend, and I wanted to mark it with a special card.

I hope this fits the bill

Inspiration came from:

Clarity - Wee Folk
Mojo Monday #394
Simon Says Monday - "Due Date"
Simon Says Wednesday - CAS
Colour Q # 288 - Black, White, Kraft, Bermuda Bay and Kiwi Kiss
Friday Mashup - Umbrella and/or Polka Dots