Birthday Mandala

I've enjoyed a week off work and am now approaching the Sunday night when I know I have to go back to work... I'm trying to spend some time in the craft room to take the edge off the anxiety. And nothing beats going back to work blues like a rainbow.

I used the gorgeous mandala stamp called Elizabeth Background Hey Love (there is a really great Pinterest board with some really gorgeous cards made with this stamp which make me swoon). I heat embossed the mandala in white and sponged Distress Ink on the card before die cutting it with the STAMPlorations Crazy Double Running Stitch die. I added a Lawn Fawn sentiment which I heat embossed in white on a strip of black card.

I'm also super excited to say that soon I'll be back to a more regular blogging schedule, more about that in a few days. 

I'm linking up with the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - S is for... (sponging ink in my case)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Daring Cardmakers - Resist

Crafty Gals Corner - Emboss it!

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Elizabeth Background Hey Love, Lawn Fawn Holiday Party Animal
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Ink
Dies: CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting dies

Pencils on Black

What a gorgeous day it was today, first real day of spring. The spring is making itself known in the garden. Lots of yellow everywhere. 

Today's card is inspired by the "Pencils on dark card" theme over at House of Cards, the Sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches and the colours at Sunday Stamps. I stamped and heat embossed the gorgeous Elizabeth background stamp in white fine powder, and then filled in some of the spaces with my lovely scented pencils which I got as a Christmas present from my sister in law. I die cut the sentment from a leftover piece of green card I had inked up at some point as well as some yellow card. 

Card: Black 250 gsm card, scraps of yellow and lilac card

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Elizabeth background

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, pencils

Other: CUTplorations Hugs Word die, Wow white fine embossing powder