Happy Travels

A friend was recently able to travel to some of the places she had always wanted to visit, and I know she absolutely fell in love with Paris. So this card is inspired by her travels. I have to admit, I am more of an Italy fan, I pretty much love every place I have been to in Italy whereas I didn't fall in love with Paris at all. However, I'm completely devoid of any travel-lust right now, it might be because my life is just hectic enough as it is right now, so any spare time I have I rather just spend right where I currently am typing this - in my craft room. I have the world's most uncomfortable sofa  in my craft room, but it feels like heaven. To be perfectly honest, travelling always sends chills down my spine. I love seeing new places, don't get me wrong. It's just the whole getting to those places that stresses me out. First you have to get to the airport (usually at an ungodly hour), then stand in several queues, followed by endless waiting, before you get crammed into a tiny space in a flying tin can where you can hardly move an arm without hitting something, and then it's the whole faff of waiting for your luggage, hoping it has actually made it onto the right flight, not to mention making your way from the airport to where you need to go. Fills me with dread every time. Just give me teleporting, and I promise I will venture out to see the world!

In addition to being inspired by my friend's travels, today's card was also inspired by the black and white inspiration image over at Time Out, the colour challenge over at ColourQ and the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches. I'm also linking up with Crafty Catz where the theme is CAS and Little Red Wagon where the theme is Pop of Colour (use black and white with one additional colour). 

Card: Black 300 gsm card, 300 gsm white watercolour card, scrap of Stampin' Up Real Red card

Stamps: Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous I See Paris and Lawn Fawn Violet's ABCs

Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies, Stampin' Up Hello You dies

Bloomin' marvelous pastel flowers

The weather outside is absolutely miserable. It's pouring with rain and the wind is howling like it did during the winter storms. I had so hoped to get some work done in the garden. But instead the best I can do is to try and re-create a garden on paper instead. 

Today's card is inspired by the gorgeous pastel flowers over at ColourQ and the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches. I was also inspired by the gorgeous spring flowers over at PINspirational. I'm also linking up at Crazy 4 Challenges where the theme is Spring.

Card: 300 gsm white card, Tim Holtz Disterss Core'dinations card Milled Lavender, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, pink cardstock from my stash

Stamps: Stampin' Up Bloomin' Marvelous, Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous I See Paris

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress ink Dusty Concord, Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Old Olive, Pool Party, Blushing Bride

Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Journalling Card dies, Cuttlebug embossing folder

Shabby Chic Paris

I wanted to finish the last STAMPlorations challenge for the month and realised it's now or never as the deadline is today. You can find the cards I've submitted to the two other October challgenges here and here. I can't believe it's November tomorrow. Where does the time go?

I used the STAMPlorations sketch as the starting point for the card. I used the second colour combo from the Colour Me...! Challenge (my card using the first colour combo is here). I was also inspired by the Make My Monday Challenge where the theme is Chabby Chic. 

I cut a oval mask, and used it to sponge Walnut Stain and Worn Lipstick Distress ink onto the card. I stamped the Eiffel Tower from the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous I See Paris stamp set in Walnut Stain. I also stamped the Stampin' Up En Français stamp in Walnut Stain after first stamping off some of the colour through an oval mask. Last, I stamped the tickets from the Tim Holtz stamp set The Journey in Broken China and Worn Lipstick, and inked and distressed all edges. I added some lace as a finishing touch. As I didn't want to try and cram a sentiment on the card, I stamped it inside the card instead.

Cardstock: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm white card, Tim Holtz Core'dinations Worn Lipstick, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card
Stamps: Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous I See Paris CMS009 and The Journey, Stampin' Up En Française
Ink: Tim Holtz distress inks Broken China, Walnut Stain and Worn Lipstick 
Other: Lace and lace washi tape from my stash