Botanicals revisited

I was lucky, with this card, to find a sketch and colours I thought combined well: CAS Colours and Sketches #255 (Perfect Plum, Wisteria Wonder, Soft Sky) and Fab Friday's #129:

 I used some old favourites to make the card: I like me, they're kind of semi-retired!
The card:

Made using Stampin' Up:

Dies: Botanical Builder, Flourish

Stamp: Vertical Greetings (sentiment)

Paper: Whisper White, Perfect Plum, Wisteria Wonder, Soft Sky

Embossing Folder: I think it was called Christmas?

Other: American Crafts POW glitter paper (white) and Rosie dots: enamel and glitter enamel 

Krafty!

I was immediately drawn to the colour combination in the latest Colour Throwdown Challenge (#476; Kraft, Light Blue and White) and used those colours in Freshly Made Sketch's Challenge #320.  For the koru (swirl) shapes inside the frame, I sponged an embossing folder with blue ink and then embossed the card. I backed the sentiment with Kraft paper to give it a bit more oomph.

Made using:

Stampin' Up: paper (Whisper White, Marina Mist, Kraft) ink (Marina Mist) Quilt Builder and Celebrate You thinlits Glitter Enamel dot.

Other: Craft Creations koru embossing folder and a random bit of blue paper left over from my daughter. 

Hearts & Flowers

I love both the symbolism and the shape of hearts, and am enjoying my recent purchases of Stampin' Up's Sweet and Sassy Framelits and Heart Happiness stamps. Hand Stamped Sentiment's Challenge #281 and Stamp, Ink, Paper's SIP#133 allowed me to use both:

I stamped and then hand-coloured the big heart, and used a little device which both stamps and embosses hearts for the white hearts. 

Made using:

Stampin' Up:Paper (Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White), Sweet and Sassy Framelits, Heart Happiness stamp set, Shake and Celebrate stamp (sentiment) Fashionable Hearts Embosslits, Basic Black ink.

Copic Markers: V122, V04, B02, B05, RV21, G99, YG03, Y21, Y17

Framed Flowers

I thought the latest colour challenge from The Paper Players (#376) was great: Dapper Denim, Lemon Lime Twist and Tranquil Tide. I especially liked how we could choose one other colour to use. I sponged quite an intense background with Dapper Denim and Lemon Lime Twist and framed it with the Tranquil Tide, so chose Pink Pirouette to lightly sponge flowers and for the top layer of the sentiment - just to lighten things up.
The card:

Made using:

Stampin' Up: paper (Whisper White, Basic Black, Shimmering White, Pink Pirouette, Dapper Denim, Tranquil Tide, Lemon Lime Twist); ink (Whisper White, Dapper Denim, Lemon Lime Twist, Pink Pirouette), Celebrate you thinlits (sentiment)

Craft Creations Mega Nesting Rectangle Dies

Sizzix Jim Holtz Small Tattered Florals Thinlits

francheville rhinestones

Rainbow birthday

CAS(E) this Sketch's sketch #254 was very pretty and floral:

The sketch provided my inspiration - but I think I ended up a bit off-piste - perhaps my decision to try to avoid the literal interpretation of using flowers was to blame! I think you can still see the remains of the sketch, though: 

I do love the new rainbows Stampin' Up has introduced - am going to play with these lots, I think. (And they just beg to be combined with balloons!)
Made using:
Stampin' Up:
Dies (Stitched Shapes, Rainbow Builder Framelits, Up and Away)
Stamps: Lift Me Up, Balloon Celebrations (for the sentiment)
Paper and card: Kraft, Soft Sky, Whisper White, Botanical Gardens Vellum, (and for the rainbow, Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Rose Red (and a random other purple piece)
Derwent Ink Intense Watercolour pencils

Say thanks with flowers

At first glance, I wasn't particularly excited by the new Stampin' Up Petal Passion Suite. However, having used it extensively to make this card, in response to Time Out's challenge #100: Be Thankful; and As You See It's lovely sketch challenge #167, I'm a convert. I also had a chance to try alcohol based markers, and loved those as well. More playing ahead!
The card:

Made using:

Stampin' Up: Petal Psssion Suite (Petal Palette Stamp set and Petals and More thinlit dies), Stampin' Blends Markers (Pink Pirouette light and dark, Rich Razzleberry Light, Old Olive light and dark), ink (Sweet Sugarplum, Basic Black), card (Sweet Sugarplum, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Night of Navy) and dies (Stitched Shapes, Labels)

Birthday Tea

It's a while since I made a card for a competition - summer break and all that. This card uses Fab Friday's #128: (Berry Burst, Lemon Lime Twist and Emerald Envy) and CAS Colours and Sketches #254:

as inspiration. I was also responding to my daughter's request for a card that referenced tea! Here's the card: 

Made using: 

Stampin' Up inks: Berry Burst, Lemon Lime Twist, Emerald Envy, Stamp for sentiment (Big on Birthdays) and card: Whisper White heavy card

My Favourite Things stampset and dies: Kitschy Kitchen

Kaisercraft paper (for shelf) Oh So Lovely