Garden Heart

Second in my 'corally' series comes Clarity's Garden Heart.This time in combination with turquoise and brown. For this I used Salmon and Mountain Rose Adirondacks; Evergreen Bough Distress, and Potting Soil Adirondack with a touch of Tea Dye distress as I wanted to paint with it.

Inspiration for this came from Nacho Average's selection of colours this week, and the inspiration photo at Just Add Ink, which influenced both the soft green colour and the gently curving foliage; plus the sketch at Tuesday am for layout.

Nacho Average Challenge #140 (Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Canteloupe, Bermuda Bay)
Tuesday Morning Sketches #299
Just Add Ink #261 - Inspiration Photo

Beautiful Lady

I can't imagine I've got any regular readers yet, but if you happened to see more than one of my postings yesterday you'll have noticed some 'twin images'.

If yesterday was all about imagery, the next couple of days are all going to be about colour. Following a variety of challenges as they were launched last week, I saw a distinct trend towards a salmon/coral/orange palette. This felt like something worth exploring, so I'm trying to take up as many of those challenges as I can, call it a series if you like. Stay with me if you'd like to see where I go.

First things first - Simon Said 'Coral' on Monday. Looking around I was intrigued how varied 'coral' can be. I chose to veer towards the peach/orange side of the house, than the pink. See what you think.

I quite like the fact that the gilding flakes didn't take perfectly on the FlitterGlu and left it a bit grungy/vintage.

It was also a chance to contribute to Shopping our Stash's 200th Challenge, using this Big, Bold and Beautiful stamp from IndigoBlu, and the beautifully simple sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

Simon Says Monday - Don't abandon the Coral
Shopping our Stash #200 - Big, Bold and Beautiful
Freshly Made Sketches #185

Mojo Noel

This card is the stamped twin of my previous post. I stamped the image twice and coloured them differently, because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Then they sat on my desk for the best part of a week :-(

This morning I fished out all my papers, and decided I must be able to make it fit a sketch challenge somehow! Mojo obliged with a nice circular element, and whilst it's not one of my favourites, it is another Christmas card in the box. I could see it not being used if it disappeared into the 'bits box'.

Mojo Monday #396

Subtle Noel Candles

I would have seriously kicked myself if I'd missed both deadlines that relate to this card. I've known what I wanted to do for ages, but haven't had the half an hour I needed to sit down and put it all together.

The sketch comes from Jingle Belles (which closed on Wednesday!) and the inspiration from Sweet Stampin' Christmas.

Sweet Stampin' Christmas - Candles or Bells (I know they're very subtle, but there are candles above the Noel, I promise!)

Bonny Scotland

This fortnight's ABC challenge is I for Inspire Us, subtitled 'Show us your Style'.

I toyed for a while with what and whether to submit to this. Then I was asked to make a card for a friend who's moving away. This is 100% 'out of my head', and that's what made me feel it was right for this challenge. No sketches, no inspiration photos or words, no colour palette. It also feels it right to make it ABC exclusive!

Mostly inked (with brushes and sponges) over masks, with the birds mostly coming from Clarity's Birdtable Kit. The piper was the stroke of genius of a friend, and was taken from a photograph drawn in over a light box. It's a single layer, plus the green mat, onto an A4 card blank.

ABC - I is for Inspire Us

Definitely not a card

I've been having a bit of a messy morning, and finally got to put a idea that's been swooshing around all week into practice.


Now I have two notebooks that I use to record challenges. An A5 one that things get recorded in the order they're released, including rough sketches for sketch challenges (obviously), and this diddy A6 one which records challenges by their closing date. Can you tell I'm a bit OCD!

I decided to 'funk' up the 'diary', using gilding flakes, texture paste through a Clarity stencil, and some appropriate feeling Clarity words. The words kinda got lost, so I painted in the recesses with fresco chalk paints.

The biggest bonus - now I'll always know which is the front cover!

That Craft Place - No Cards
Sunday Stamper - Books

Up

I really enjoyed making this single card, deciding where to put the balloons, and masking them off before sponging in the background through a stencil.

It was a 'no pressure' project based on 'past deadline' sketch (CAS Colour and Sketches - where I've just flabberghastedly discovered I was one of their weekly winners) and colour challenges (Color Throwdown), using a set of stamps I'd had on my desk for ages, but hadn't used.

The funny thing was, once I'd made it, and was admiring it on the bookshelf, I realised how many current challenges it fitted! So, having made it 'just for me', I now feel I have reasons to share it.

Curtain Call - Travel On (Balloons just say 'travel' to me)
Sweet Stampin' - Inspired by a Film or Book (The Disney Pixar Film 'Up')
Craft Stamper - Take a Stamp: Anything Goes
Simon Says Wednesday - Use a Sentiment

After being invited over, it would be rude not to take part at Quirky Crafts: "Let's go on a quirky journey"