Image inspired thanks

I loved Hand Stamped Sentiments inspiration image for challenge #322:

I was particularly drawn to the bottom image, and it started me wondering how I might achieve a similar look. The result was definitely floral, so I decided to enter it in The Flower Challenge's #36: Anything Goes, as well. 

For the background pale card, I started with Whisper White, lightly stamped in Sahara Sand, then clear embossed over the images. I finished by very gently sponging a little Sahara Sand over the card, to remove the pristine white. For the larger, pink/red background, I clear embossed the images and then sponged in Merry Merlot and Rococo Rose. I stamped and sponged white card and then die cut the sentiment, die cutting it also in Early Espresso as a backing. 

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up! card, (Whisper White, Early Espresso, Merry Merlot), ink, (Rococo Rose, Sahara Sand, Merry Merlot), Seasoned with Kindness stamps, Well Written dies.

Other: Sizzix Small Tattered Floral dies, Versamark watermark ink, francheville rhinestones. 

Not Halloween!

It's a strange time of year for those of us making cards in the Antipodes - not only are there lots of autumnal colours, but Halloween approaches - which isn't really a big thing down our way - well, not like it seems to be in the USA, anyway.
When I saw the colour combination from CAS Colours and Sketches #337: Garden Green, Soft Suede and Pumpkin Pie, I decided that I'd steer clear of the Halloween associations (even the name of the orange speaks to the season!) and go, instead, with The Male Room's #119 'Autumn' suggestion instead.
I clear embossed the orange leaves and the sentiment (thank you, Stamparatus!) to add texture. I love running my fingers over the embossing on some book covers, so it thrills me to be able to add my own.

Ingredients:
Stampin' Up card, (Whisper White, Garden Green), Grapefruit Grove foil, ink, (Garden Green, Soft Suede and Pumpkin Pie,) stamps (Totally Trees, Thoughtful Banners), clear embossing powder.
Other - Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Vanilla thanks

I'm determined to use more Very Vanilla card, since I accidentally double ordered it a while ago. The trouble is, my inclination is always to turn to white. So thanks, Global Design Project 205, for having a colour combination that made me think vanilla instead. And thanks, Freshly Made Sketches FMS401, for a sketch that got me creating!

Ingredients:
Stampin' Up! card, (Whisper White, Mint Macaron, Rococo Rose), vellum, ink (int Macaron, Rococo Rose, Memento Tuxedo Black), stamps, (Lovely is the Day, Mixed Borders), dies, (Lovely Leaves, Layering Circles, Stitched Shapes, Needlepoint Elements)
Other: francheville rhinestones

Dad's Christmas Cards

As I said a couple of posts ago, I've used the lovely Perfectly Plaid bundle from Stampin' Up!'s 2019 Holiday Catalogue to make a set of six Christmas cards for my bagpipe playing, all-things-Scottish-loving father. I used Sunday Stamp's great sketch from challenge SSC212 for this last card.
I used the same stamp to add small trees in the masked and stamped background, and then as the punched out main image. On this main tree, I added some accents with both gold and red Wink of Stella.

Once I completed the six cards, I made a gift box for them. Here's the complete set, with the box. I hope Dad likes them! 

Ingredients for this card:

Stampin' Up! card, (Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White), Perfectly Plaid stamps and DSP, Pine tree punch, gold star, Itty Bitty Christmas, Layering Circles dies, Tin Tile embossing folder.

Other: Memento Black ink, Wink of Stella in gold and red. 

Perfectly Plaid again

I've worked with this perfectly delicious bundle from Stampin' Up! a few times now, and still love using it. The 2019 Holiday Catalogue is now live, so everyone can enjoy it as much as I am!
Here, I'm using a great idea from Less Is More's #403: Metallics. Im my last post, I talked about how pleased I was with the result of double heat embossing the tree/leaves stamps in Perfectly Plaid, and I did the same thing again here. I've given them a very simple setting so they can shine.

Ingredients:
Stampin Up Thick Whisper White card, Gold embossing powder, Perfectly Plaid stamps and DSP.
Other: Memento Black Ink, American Craft Zing! green glitter embossing powder, Versamark watermark ink.

Plaid Christmas 1

I just LOVE the Perfectly Plaid Bundle in the upcoming Stampin' Up! 2019 Holiday Catalogue. My father has played the bagpipes for 70 years, (very well, I might add - it's no hardship to hear him!), and loves all things Scottish. He's also a great believer in Christmas cards, carefully handwriting messages to friends near and far. I've decided to use the bundle to make him a set of cards to send - and because he likes to get them sent early (as in the end of October!), I've started making them now, using challenges as inspiration.
All that is by way of introduction to this card, which is a response to Freshly Made Sketches 400th (Congratulations, by the way!) challenge sketch:

a satisfyingly symmetrical and appealing starting point. 

I'm super pleased with how my experiment in double heat embossing turned out - the tree in the middle's branches were embossed in gold, then leaves in green. 

The card:

Ingredients:
Stampin' Up! card (Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, gold foil), ink, (Soft Suede, Shaded Spruce), Perfectly Plaid stamps, punch and DSP, Itty Bitty Christmas stamps, gold embossing powder.
Other: Versamark Watermark ink, American Crafts 'Zing!' glitter embossing powder in green