Cloud Nine Birthday

A lovely sketch from CAS Colours and Sketch's as their challenge #318 led me back to an old favourite, the 'Lift Me Up' Suite from Stampin' Up! I used two of the colours from Paper Craft Crew's 'Mystery Colour' challenge PPC334 - Coastal Cabana and Poppy Parade - and added Balmy Blue.
There's something about making a card with the sky in it that makes me feel good!

Ingredients: Stampin' Up card, (Balmy Blue, Whisper White), ink (Stazon Black, Memento Black), Lift Me Up stamps, dies (Rectangle Stitched, Up & Away), watercolour pencils (Coastal Cabana, Balmy Blue), blender pen, Lift Me Up DSP.
Other: Derwent Inktense watercolour pencil in Poppy Red.

Plaid and roses

The Card Concept's challenge #113 was an intriguing mix of textures and colours - soft and strong together.

 I ended up using the contrast between the strong lines of the plaid and the delicate patterning on the china, as well as the black/white/pink/green colours, as the inspiration for this clean and layered card.

Ingredients: Stampin' Up! card (Whisper White, Garden Green), Memento Black Ink, stamps, (Detailed with Love, Petal Palette), Petals and More thinlits, pearlized doilies.
Other: Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils (Field Green, Apple Green, Fushia), Faber Castell watercolour pencil in light magenta, My Favourite Things Plaid Background Builder stamp.

One layer card for men

I was very excited to discover a challenge that caters for cards for men  - it will give me the impetus to make more! So thank you, The Male Room - and thanks for your current challenge TMR#109 - anything goes, with a one-layer twist. I opted for simple and one of my favourite ever Stampin' Up! sets, Totally Trees. I daubed the colour on to the stamps, so that the whole effect was muted rather than strong. As for the colours, I turned, for the second time, to the colour combo in Sunday Stamps latest challenge, SSC203, choosing, this time, the more 'masculine' options:

Here's the card:

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up! Thick Whisper White card, ink, (Elegant Eggplant, Mossy Meadow, Crushed Curry, Memento Black), and stamps (Totally Trees, Thoughtful Banners)

Rich colours

Hello from a Southern Hemisphere gorgeous autumn day. The sun is shining and the leaves are gold, red and bronze. The colours in Sunday Stamps challenge SSC203 look springlike, but their richness also suits my autumnal outlook:

I've used Global Design's sketch challenge #GDP186 to bring them to life:

Here's the card:

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up! card, (Whisper White, Gorgeous Grape), Memento Black ink, watercolour pencils (Crushed Curry, Gorgeous Grape), stamps (Itty Bitty Birthdays, Butterfly Gala), dies (Stitched Shapes, Framelits - Square Collection, Petals and More, Butterfly Beauty), Needlepoint Nook DSP.

Other: Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils - Apple Green and Leaf Green.

Daisies and plaid

I liked the Flower Challenge's sketch #31 a great deal, and it gave me a chance to experiment with masking and stripes, to form a plaid background for my old favourites, the daisies from 'Grateful Bunch'. I had thought I might just use shades of pink, but decided, as I put it together, that it needed a pop of green.

Ingredients: Stampin' Up! card (Flirty Flamingo, Lovely Lipstick, Whisper White, Call me Clover), ink (Flirty Flamingo, Memento Black, Stazon Black), Grateful Bunch stamps, daisy punch, Petal Palette stamps (sentiment), Petals and More Thinlits.

Other products: My Favourite Things Plaid Background Builder, francheville rhinestones. 

Needlepoint thank you

Subtlety is definitely not my strong suit, so Less Is More's #393 - Subtle Colours - was definitely a challenge! I used the clean sketch from Stampin' Up! Only Challenge's SUOC221 as inspiration for my response. I was pleased with how the border turned out - I experimented by using this die from Flourish Thinlits on this DSP from Needlepoint Nook:

The card: 

Ingredients: Stampin' Up! stamps, dies and DSP from Needlepoint Nook Suite, card (Whisper White, Thick Whisper White), Flourish Thinlits, epoxy dots, Balmy Blue ink, Memento Black ink.

Bright and bold thanks

I usually love the challenges at CAS Colours and Sketches, and #317 was no exception: Blueberry Bushel, Real Red and Crushed Curry. I've teamed these colours with a cool sketch from Fab Friday's challenge Fabfri161.

Ingredients: Stampin' Up! card (Whisper White, Whisper Thick White), ink, (Blueberry Bushel, Real Red, Crushed Curry), Bloom by Bloom and Well Said stamps, Bitty Blooms punch, epoxy dots, Rectangle Stitched Framelits

Boy's birthday

I've been trying to discipline myself to make some cards for boys/men, which is difficult when all the lovely flowers and other girly things keep on calling to me. However, Freshly Made Sketches FMS384 made me turn immediately to Stampin' Up!'s 'Classic Garage' Suite. It invited me to play with the DSP, particularly, so that's what I did!

Ingredients:
Stampin' Up! card (Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Basic Gray), Geared up Garage stamps, Garage Gears thinlit dies, Classic Garage DSP, Real Red watercolour pencil.
Other products: Stazon black ink.

Birthday dots

I enjoyed making this card as a response to Sunday Stampers #202 (SSC202) and Hand Stamped Sentiments #312 (HSSCC312). I ended up with a cheerful, colourful card for my niece's birthday. I've been tinkering around with the Piece of Cake stamps, but adding a little dsp meant that this time it all came together for me. Here's the result:

Ingredients:
Stampin' Up! card (Whisper White, Calypso Coral), Piece of Cake stamps and punch, Well Written dies, Softly Falling embossing folder, watercolour pencils (Daffodil Delight, Balmy Blue, Calypso Coral), Happiness Blooms DSP
Other: Stazon black ink

Rainbow Love

It was a delight to be chosen as guest designer for Retro Rubber's 'rainbow' challenge - I love this symbol of hope and inclusive love.

I went back to one of my favourite suites - Love Blossoms - which I bought from the October 2016 Occasions Catalogue (all the products are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise stated). I've enjoyed using this suite many times - it's an old friend.
For this card, I used Shimmery White card as a base. I sponged a rainbow of colours onto card, then die cut the heart from them. I kept the flowers simple, so as not to detract from the heart - although I did use Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots to give their centres a little lift!
I've kept the rest of the card simple as well - because really, what else is needed if you've got a rainbow heart? I made the stitched frame using two Die-namics Stitched Square frames. The simple sentiment is from Jar of Love, from the 2016-2017 Annual Catalogue.
Here's the card: