Rainbow love hugs

I'm back! I bet you all missed me very much? Well, if you didn't notice I was away, it's because of my cunning scheduling of some cards I made in advance. Anyhow, as much as I loved being away from real life for a week in the Cyprus sun, it's good to be back as well. We had a very lazy holiday with Sis, and burned our fair Scandinavian skin to a crisp despite SPF50+, staying covered up and in the shade as much as possible. I think our next holiday has to be Antarctica or Greenland...

Paphos, Cyprus, one of the beaches near our hotel

I'm not usually writing about anything of much gravity here, as this is my crafty retreat from all the goings on in the real world. However, while I was away there were two world news that I feel I have to comment on.

The first piece of news is what inspired today's card. I bet you can guess what it is. I rejoice in the ruling of the US Supreme Court which in my mind is the only possible alternative. As much as I'm trying to respect everyone's opinions, I cannot understand how anyone could oppose to people being able to marry if they are so lucky as to find someone to love and who they want to spend their life with. I am a firm believer in total equality and the ruling makes me very happy for my US friends who it concerns. Obviously, I have my own opinions about marriage being a totally antiquated institution in itself, but I would not be so arrogant as to want to deny it from those who value it. This is in my opinion the crux of so many differences of opinion - live and let live, just because something isn't for you, who are you to judge what is right for someone else and deny them the opportunity? A gender equal marriage law was also approved by the previous Finnish parliament. Although the law still requires approval of the new parliament which does not support it to an equally high degree as the last one, I sincerely hope it will be passed into a law soon. Amidst all the celebration, I think it's very sobering to spare a thought to all the people who still live in places where basic human rights, whether extending to who you are allowed to love or what you are allowed to think, still are not respected and to remember that so many rights we take for granted are not reality everywhere.

Which takes me to the much more sombre news which obviously stopped me in my steps as I was relaxing on a holiday while other fellow happy holiday enjoyers lost their lives in the most horrible of attacks in Tunisia. As much as the previous piece of news gives me hope that we are going in the right direction, this piece of news makes me doubt that humanity has any chance of long term survival while people holding these horrible views and committing these heinous crimes are still out there.

Ok, that was a short and very inadequate summary of my feelings coming back from holiday. I'm off the soap box now, and will focus 100% on crafting again. For today's card I picked distress markers in all the colours of the rainbow and just painted a rainbow background using the markers and a water brush. I die cut the sentiments using Lawn Fawn dies from watercolour paper and finished with a bit of Ice Stickles.

I would like to link up with the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - Anything goes
Addicted to CAS - Splash
Our Creative Corner - What Makes You Smile (this was the perfect challenge for today's card)
Through the Purple Haze - Use Bright Colours

Card: 300 gsm white hammered card, Daler&Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine watercolour paper
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress markers Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Abandoned Coral, Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio, Mowed Lawn
Other: Lawn Fawn Stithed Rectangles, Scripty Hugs and Cole's ABC's dies, Ranger Ice Stickles

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Fusion card challenge

This is the card I wanted to make ever since the first time I saw the gorgeous STAMPlorations Bloom Sketches stamp set. I love the gorgeous big flowers and there are so many ways to use them. And they are so great for water colouring. When I saw the the inspiration image over at Fusion Card Challenge I knew exactly what my card would look like. I kind of used the sketch too, or maybe not, I'm not sure. I would also like to link up over at Allsorts Challenges where the theme is Use a Stamp, The Artistic stamper challenge where the theme is Summer Is On It's Way, Live and Love Crafts Inspiration Blog with the theme In the Garden and the STAMPlorations Anything Goes challenge.

To create this card I created a mask and then stamped the flowers using the mask to give the impression of depth. I chose the colours from the inspiration image and coloured the flowers using Tim Holtz Distress markers and a water brush. I also created a green shadow around the flowers to further emphasise the impression of depth. Then I inked up the Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and spritzed it with water before stamping to create the effect of watercolour splotches. Then I die cut the sentiment which was inspired by the colours of the butterfly in the insoiration photo, and stamped the second part in black ink. Last, I matted the front panel onto green and blue cardstock to match the watercolour splotches. I absolutely love the look of those flowers, and I love how impressive stamps are the perfect tools to create really impressive cards without much more than a few markers and a watercolour brush.

Card: white 300gsm card, Hobbycraft three shades of Blue and Three shades of green as well as 160 gsm white card, scrap of black card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Sketches, Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge

Ink: Tsukineko Staz-On Jet Black, Tim Holtz distress markers Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Ripe Persimmon, Spiced Marmelade, Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry, Gathered Twigs, Walnut Stain, Seedless Preserves, Mowed Lawn, Broken China

Other: Lawn Fawn Scripty Hugs die

 

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Holly Jolly - Tag It

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our "Frame It" challenge over at Holly Jolly. If you haven't had a look yet, hop over to see if you were one of the lucky winners. We also have a new challenge up for the next two weeks and this time we are challenging you to "Tag It". You can make a Tag or a project with a tag on it, there are many ways to interpret the challenge.

This time our sponsors are Stitchy Bear and QKR Stampede who are giving away prizes to lucky winners. You can hop over to the Holly Jolly challenge to see how the other Design Team members have interpreted the theme and showcasing images from our sponsors.

 

For my tags I used the QKR Stampede digi Christmas Moose. Very simply, I printed the moose onto kraft card and coloured him with Sharpies and Copics and stamped the sentiment. Then it was just a matter of inking Vintage Photo distress ink around the edges and then distressed the edges using a distress tool. I used a snowflake punch to make a hole for the twine. I also thought that one of my moose shaped paperclips would make the perfect embellishment for the tag.

I would like to join the following challenges

Winter Wonderland Challenge Blog - Anything But a Card

Sparkles Christmas Challenges - Christmas Animals

Jingle Belles - 12 Days of Cardstock

 

Card: Kraft card
Stamps: QKR Stampede digi Christmas Moose, Lawn Fawn Violet's ABC's
Inks: Tim Holtz Disterss inks Vintage Photo, Stampin' Up Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Sharpies, Copics
Other: twine from my stash, Fiskars snowflake punch, reindeer paperclip from my stash

 

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Watercolour flowers in turquoise and pink

I can't believe we have passed midsummer. The longest day of the year has gone and now it's inevitably getting darker again. But hopefully not colder! This must have been the coldest start of the summer in ages, makes you wish for a bit of that global warming you keep hearing so much about. I am currently typing up this post in my Sis' living room, under not one but two blankets! It's something about these old townhouses, they never seem to warm up. But tomorrow we are jetting off to a somewhat different climate as it seems to be 28 degrees in Cyprus at the moment! I can't wait to be able to walk around wearing nothing but a summer dress. And of course bathe in SPF50 and probably still get sunburn... I have a few posts scheduled for when I'm away but it will be quite quiet overe here for the next week or so. I hope my stamps don't feel horribly abandoned and depressed in the meantime.

Today's card is yet another chance to play with my awesome new STAMPlorations goodies. The card is inspired by the colour challenge over at Color Throwdown as well as the new sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch. I'm also linking up over at the STAMPlorations Anything Goes challenge.

 

Card: white 300 gsm card, scraps of Stampin' Up Basic Grey, Melon Mambo and Tempting Turquoise card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Sketches, Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge

Ink: Tsukineko Staz-on Jet Black, Stampin' Up Basic Grey, Melon Mambo and Tempting Turquoise

Other: Lawn Fawn Scripty Congrats die

 

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Dragon on a cloud

My obsession with the Puffy Cloud dies goes on, and is not showing any signs of going away just yet. This time it was time for the cute little dragon from the Critters Ever After to sit on the clouds. I was inspired by the "Stars and/or stripes" theme over at Lawnscaping. I would also like to link up over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where the theme is to use your favourite technique or products. Here I combined my love for watercolours with my love for Lawn Fawn. I'm also linking up with the Animal Friends challenge where the theme is fantasy animals and Ladybug crafts where the theme is "Use your dies".

I also had my very own little Lawn Fawns visit my garden this morning. The Culinary Consultant spotted the smaller of the deer having a little snack by the field out behind our garden, and then she decided to come and munch a bit on our lawn, and soon a friend appeared as well. It was great fun to watch the little critters, but I do wish I had a proper telezoom lens to capture these moments with. 

Card: Coloured 240 gsm kraft card lilac, baby pink and purple, Daler&Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine watercolour paper, Hobbycraft 260 gsm white card
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters Ever After and matching dies, Scripty Sayings
Ink: Tsukineko Staz-on Jet Black, Versamark, Tim Holtz distress inks Chipped Sapphire, Black Soot, Mowed Lawn, Cracked Pistachio, Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Seedless Preserves
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies, Puffy Cloud Borders, Ranger clear embossing powder

What diet?

It's very easy to feel creative when work is over for the week, and to top it all up there is a whole week of annual leave to look forward to. On Monday I jet off with Sis for a few days away in Cyprus. As the weather over here is showing no signs of summer, I'm happy to get away somewhere sunny and warm for a while. Of course, that means a whole week away from my crafty stash so today I'm crafting enough for a week! 

I am continuing to play with my new STAMPlorations goodies, this time I inked up the Sugar Rush set. My inspiration for today's card was the gorgeous sketch over at Viva la Verve. I was also inspired by the Daring Cardmakers challenge where the theme is bokeh and The Friday Mashup where the theme is to use stencils. I used stencils for the bokeh effect. I'm also linking up over at the STAMPlorations June challenge which is stamps and washi as well as the STAMPlorations Anything Goes for anything using STAMPlorations stamps.

I started by stamping the yummy looking Sundae and colouring using Copics. I also added some Glossy Accents to the sundae glass bowl to make it look a bit more like glass but it doesn't show very well on the photo. For the background, I inked using Tim Holtz Distress inks in Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry, Cracked Pistachio, Mowed Lawn and Seedless Preserves. Then I used white craft ink and a Tim Holtz stencil along with a stencil I made using a circular die. I die cut the background using a Lawn Fawn stitched rectangle stencil. Last, I stamped a sentiment from the Sugar Rush set and attached the panel to some linen pattered white cardstock and added some washi for a finishing touch.

Card: 300 gsm white linen card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Sugar Rush
Ink: Tsukineko Staz-on Jet Black, Tim Holtz distress ink Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry, Cracked Pistachio, Mowed Lawn and Seedless Preserves
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle Die, Tim Holtz Bubble stencil, washi tape from my stash

Hello hummingbird

I have to admit I have over-indulged lately. First there was the Cambridge Satchel Company sale, and I mean... it only makes sense, right? I have wanted one of their gorgeous leather satchels for ages, so when it turned out they are on sale, it's just like putting money in the bank. Never mind that I have to pay for my holiday as well from this month's budget... And then I finally caved in and ordered myself a few stamp sets from STAMPlorations. I have been lusting after the sunflower stamp set as well as the sugar rush set for ages and I thought as I'm already so far over budget this month, a bit more won't make any difference. I don't know if anyone can fault that logic? And there was  a very generous offer of free stamps to go with the order, so I just could not refuse. 

Anyhow, my beautiful stamps made it across the Atlantic with lightning speed arriving today and what else is a girl to do than skip the gym and come straight home for some crafty time? The large hummingbird and the morning glory stamps looked perfect for my favourite technique - watercolouring. So off I went and stamped them onto watercolour cardstock in Staz-on ink. I also got to use my other favourite, masking. I think one layered cards with masked images just look so elegant, and I get a childlike feel of excitement to see how it all turned out when you remove the mask and magically you have your images in the foreground and background. I used Stampin' Up markers to colour onto a clear block, and used the ink to watercolour the image. All there was to do was to stamp the simple little sentiment and mat onto coloured card.

My inspiration for this card came from a few challenges. Firstly I was inspired by the bright and summery colour combo over at Colour Me...! I was also inspired by the sketch over at STAMPlorations, althought I did turn it over on the side instead of using it just "as is". I was also inspired by the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where the theme is to use your favourite technique or products. I'm also linking up at Addicted to Stamps for their 3rd Birthday Challenge (Happy Birthday Addicted to Stamps!!) with the theme Clean and Simple. Last but not least I'm linking up over at the STAMPlorations Anything Goes challenge where you can link up anything created using STAMPlorations products.

Card: Daler&Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine Watercolour paper, Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay and Rich Razzleberry card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Stamp Lab Hummingbird and Morning Glory
Ink: Tsukineko Staz-on Jet Black, Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive