May STAMPlorations TAG challenge - All About Mom

It's time to get your tags ready for the May TAGplorations challenge! This month the theme is All About Mom. There is also an optional twist of vellum, which I decided not to use this time.

I started by cutting a tag from kraft card using the Stitched Tags Nesting Dies. I also die cut a piece of scrap card using the Bloomtangled #1 Cover Plate Die which I then used as a stencil. I coloured thought the makeshift stencil using Distress Crayons and used my fingers to smudge the colours. I then added some splatters by painting using gold watercolour through Dots All Over. I created the sentiment by die cutting using Thinking Of You Phrase Die from grey card, and fussy cut the "you" from that sentiment. I then stamped the LOVE from Trendy Butterflies onto a scrap of light blue card and doodled using a black marker. I added leftover blue and violet ribbon from my stash. 

Stamps: STAMPlorations Trendy Butterflies

Dies: CUTplorations Bloomtangled #1 Cover Plate Die, Stitched Tags Nesting Dies, Thinking Of You Phrase Die

Stencils: ARTplorations Dots All Over

Ink and colouring: Tim Holtz Distress Crayons, Tsukineko Versamark Onyx Black, Gansai Tambi Starry Colours

Don't forget the Things With Wings sale in the STAMPlorations store, and my discount code STAMPGIRLKAROLA which will give you a 20% discount. Lots of good reasons to stock up on new crafty goodies for spring!

Mother's Day Flower for Grandma

May is my favourite month. I know I'm a bit biased as my birthday is at the end of the month - but I still think it's the best month of the year. The garden is gorgeous, nature is in full bloom, the weather is turning nicer with promises of summer. And of course, the two bank holidays! I couldn't have asked for better weather for the first one of the two. We had our first BBQ of the year, first pitcher(s) of Pimms, lots of gardening, lots of ice cream, sunshine and unfortunately also the first slight sunburn of the year (don't forget to add that SPF).

I also managed to find a little sliver of time in the craft room while hiding from the midday sun to try to avoid further sunburn to create a Mother's day card for my grandma. I was inspired by the gorgeous inspiration image over at Daring Cardmakers - I was inspired by the large flower, the pink ombre, hand lettering and gold stars. I was also inspired by the beautiful floral image over at Inspired by All the Little Things and the sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch. Last but not least I'm also linking up over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is ombre. 

I started by inking Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry and Abandoned Coral Distress Ink through the Peony Number Two ARTplorations stencil. I then splattered the card with water, and pink and yellow ink. I also inked a bit of Mowed Lawn ink around the edges of the card. I die cut three banners using a Lawn Fawn die and hand lettered the sentiment (it says Happy Mother's Day in Finnish). Last I die cut some stars from gold glitter paper for a finishing touch. 

Card: White card, scraps of rainbow card and glitter gold card

Ink: Mowed Lawn, Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry and Abandoned Coral Distress Ink

Stencil: ARTplorations Peony Number Two 

Other: Lawn Fawn Extra Sentiment Banners dies, dies from Stitched Journaling card and Critters ever after die sets

Flowers for Mum

We have had the most glorious week with incredibly warm temperatures for April. It's supposed to get back to normal next week, so thank you Mother Nature for the summer, it was fun while it lasted. In addition to enjoying the sun in the garden, and harvesting the first asparagus of the season (yeeeesssh!!!), I also took some creative time today. I was inspired by the In the Garden theme over at  Make My Monday as well as the Spring theme over at Time Out.

I stamped the gorgeous Blossom Sprays #1 in Antique Linen Distress Ink onto watercolour card and watercoloured with Gansai Tambi watercolours, pulling the colours outside the image to create a colourful aura for the flowers. I then die cut the sentiment using the Amazing word die. I die cut the sentiment also in black card, and layered the black die cut under the die cut from the flower panel to create a bit of dimension. I used a Lawn Fawn alphabet set to create the rest of the sentiment, and a Lawn Fawn Stitched rectangle die to die cut the front panel.

Card: 300 gsm watercolour card, 250 gsm white card, scrap of black card

Ink and colouring: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Antique Linen, Gansai Tambi watercolours, Versafine Onyx Black

Stamps: STAMPlorations Blossom Sprays #1, Lawn Fawn Claire's ABCs

Other: STAMPlorations Amazing Word die, Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles die 

Gleeful Garden in a Box

I realised I haven't posted this year's Mother's Day Card. I was excited to get to play with the new Lawn Fawn box card die, and I thought I'll make a garden party to celebrate spring. I had so much fun stamping and colouring the flowers and all the cute little critters. And I love how all the pieces from the box card die fit together. I've made box cards before but this die takes away all the fuss having to cut and measure the elements of the box.

I'm linking up with the current Lawn Fawnatics challenge where the challenge is to play with the inspiration image and/or colours. I'm also linking up with Make My Monday where the theme is Sugar and Spice (can you see the little cupcake over there in the grass?) and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is A Bit of Sparkle.

Card: Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes, Perfectly Plaid, Let's Polka, Glitter Paper

Stamps: Gleeful Garden, Critters in the Forest, Baked With Love and Big Scripty Words with matching dies, Happy Everything

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Dies: Scalloped Box Card Pop-Up, Simple Puffy Clouds, Simple Puffy Cloud Frames, Rainbow, Grassy Border

Happy Mother's Day for the MIL

It's been a while since UK Mother's day (which is in March, not May like the rest of the world), and I made this card for my MIL but haven't gotten around to sharing it on the blog yet. A while ago I ordered the Lawn Fawn Penelope's Blossoms stamp set and immediately put it to good use by colouring it with Distress markers. Apart of the stamp colouring which does take a while, it was a super quick card to put together. 

I started by colouring and stamping the big blossom stamp from Penelope's blossom using pink, purple and two different green Distress markers. I misted the stamp very lightly with water before stamping. Then I stamped the "mother's day" from Lawn Fawn Happy Everything in Versamark and heat embossed in gold. Last, I die cut the banner and "Happy" using Lawn Fawn dies and added a few sequins for effect.

I'm linking up with the following challenges:
House of Cards - add sequins
Make My Monday - May Flowers
Time Out - Flowers (I didn't use the optional twist of kissing)
Just Us Girls - Mother
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - Hint of Pink

Card: 250 gsm Daler&Rowney watercolour paper, scrap of pink card, scrap of gold mirri card
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Penelope's Blossoms, HAppy Everything
Dies: Lawn Fawn Everyday Banners, Big Scripty Words
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Markers Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, Spun Sugar, Seedless Preserves
Other: sequins from my stash, gold embossing powder

Happy Mother's Day to Grandma

For once, I managed a really productive day today. Not only have I cleaned part of the house, done two loads of laundry, cleaned out Gary the Snake, did some gardening, did the weekly shop and rat shopping (the joys of having a snake), cooked dinner but on top of all of that even managed a bit of crafty time. I'm looking forward to an early night today and a deep clean of the craft room tomorrow along with some lazy slouching. 

Today's card was inspired by two images, one over at Inspired by All the Little Things and another over at Just Us Girls. I was also inspired by the sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch. The background is from my box of unfinished projects, and I was inspired by the flowers and the pink, green and turquoise colour scheme of the second image. I created the background by stamping and heat embossing in clear powder, and then inking using Spun Sugar and Milled Lavender Distress ink. I then used my new Lawn Fawn Scalloped Rectangle dies for the background, and Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners and Violet's ABCs to create the sentiment (which says "to grandma" in Finnish). I inked around the scalloped rectangle using Distress Ink, and attached everything onto white linen textured card. So happy to finally find a use for the background I made ages ago, it's always nice to make some room in the unfinished project box. I'm also linking up my card with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where the theme is Make It Girlie.

Card: 300 gsm linen textured card, 160 gsm Hobbycraft white card, 160 gsm Hobbycraft Three Shades of Green card, scrap of turquoise card
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Inks Spun Sugar, Milled Lavender and Peeled Paint
Stamps: Inkadinkado Floral Wood Cut, Lawn Fawn Violet's ABCs
Other: Ranger Fine Clear Embossing Powder, Lawn Fawn Scalloped Rectangle and Everyday Sentiment Banners dies, Papermania Seafoam White Embossing Powder

Mother's day round one

I'm so excited, this is the first card I'm photographing with my fabulous new camera. I only got it a few days ago, and have managed to figure out how to take pictures using the automatic settings but that's pretty much it. I can't wait for the weekend to have a little more time to play around with it.

Today's card is for Mother's Day round one, which is the UK mother's day in March. Round two will be in May for Finnish Mother's Day. I think it's strange that they are at different times. Anyhow, as I figured it's highly unlikely the Culinary Consultant would be making a card for his Mum, I thought I might as well do it. I used the sketch over at Retro Sketches, and a cute stamp from a set that came free with a crafting magazine. I was also inspired by the bow tie theme over at Fusion Card Challenge as well as the bright colours and the bow tie in the inspiration picture over at Cure for the Monday Blues. I would also like to enter the Girly Girl challenge over at The Pink Elephant, the Mum's the word challenge over at Digi Choosday, For a special Lady over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and Mother's Day over at Dream Valley Challenges.

Card: 300 gsm white card, coloured 240 gsm kraft card raspberry, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card

Paper: Free paper bundle that came with a crafting magazine, scrap of rainbow striped paper

Stamp: Free Bently Bear stamps that came with a crafting magazine

Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

Colouring: Copics B00, B41, B45, E33, E34, E39, R43, RV29, V93, V99, YG11, YG13, YG17, Y13, Y15, Y19

Other: Lawn Fawn stitched circle dies, Stampin' Up Hello You dies, Bow builder punch

Grandma's Mother's day card

You may think I'm late posting this Mother's day card, but in fact I'm very early. Because it's a Mother's day card for my Grandma, and in Finland Mother's day isn't until mid-May. This card is inspired by two challenges, this week's Mojo Monday sketch and this week's Color Throwdown. I especially loved the color throwdown as pink-green-brown is one of my absolute favourite color combos ever. As the theme for this week's The Pink Elephant challenge is "use your favourite color combo" I decided to enter this card there as well.

For this card, the star is the amazingly beautiful designer paper. I used cardstock in Sahara Sand, and printed the sentiment in Early Espresso. It says "Grandma, Happy Mother's Day" in Finnish. I inked the edges of the sentiment in Blushing bride, and die cut the doily in Sahara sand. I am still ecstatic about my Big Shot, I have had it for a few months now, and I still get ridiculously happy every time I die cut or emboss something, just because I can!  I used the banner punch in the same designer paper (this is the reverse side of the paper) and in Old Olive cardstock. I know it's a bit of a cheat but the Old Olive went better with the designer paper than Pear Pizzazz, and the challenge rules say that you don't have to use the exact colours as long as you use something similar so I decided to take a bit of a creative licence on this one. I inked around the edges of the banners in Early Espresso and slightly shaped the banners so that they are curled up a little bit. I also stamped a rose inside the card and coloured it in Blushing Bride, Pink Pirouette, Pear Pizzazz and Wild Wasabi. I hope my Grandma will like the card when she gets it in May.

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Sahara Sand, Old Olive, Hobbycraft cream 160 gsm cardstock
Inks: Stampin' Up Blushing Bride and Early Espresso
Papers: Stampin' Up Tea for two DSP
Other: Nellie's multiframes MFD020 dies, and for the inside of the card and the envelope Inspirations clear stamp set and Stampin' Up markers in Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette and Wild Wasabi