Tuesday 31 October 2017

Happy Halloween

Hi Crafters,

are you ready for tonight? 

I thought this Halloween would be especially cool for us, since it is a bank holiday in Germany this year. But actually this has caused a lot of families, to make other Halloween plans. Therefore our own party will be a lot smaller than it was in the past years, as so many kids are not coming. 

But we decided to have fun anyway. So, here is out invitation this year.


Since I don't write Halloween cards to friends (Halloween is not that kind of holiday in Germany), I always try to refrain from buying any Halloween stamp sets. With the result that I have to make do without them for the Halloween invitations. 

This year I was feeling particularly uncreative, until I came up with the idea to use creepy nighttime trees as a backdrop. From there it all was so easy. 

I didn't have any light purple card stock, so I printed the invitations on white card stock, making sure that I got the spacing just right, so I could cut two card bases from each sheet of paper. Then I sponged on some lilac ink around the edges. I also sponged some additional card stock strips with the same ink, to back the sentiment strips with later on.

I embossed black card panels with a tree silhouette embossing folder and enhanced the pattern with white pigment ink. Then I adhered three sets of differently sized googly eyes. 

For the sentiment I picked a creepy-cute spider's web font and printed "invitation" on orange card stock and cut it to uneven strips. Those I backed with the extra lilac card strips I had prepared. 

Last I assembled it all and printed the names on the envelopes with the same font.

Now, go ahead and get creepy!
Ela


Challenges: 

Always Fun Stamping: #30 Halloween
Night Shift Stamping: Bäume 
Stempelküche: #81 des Nachts/Night Time
Simon says stamp: Anything goes
 Shopping our Stash: #327 Halloween


Saturday 28 October 2017

Challenge up your life: Challenge #78 Two Die Cuts/Punches

Hello Crafters,

how time flies. It's almost Halloween, which is traditionally the point in time, when I switch from worrying about being late for the Halloween Party preparationsto whirring in Christmas panic mode. 


But there is always time for a Challenge at




This time, we ask you to get out your die cutting machines and use 

Challenge #78 Two Die Cuts/Punches


My card this time is very simple, as I was running late and my schedule was busy. I revisited an idea I had used before, but made it into something new. 



Here is the original idea:

I coloured the die cut with distress inks in fall colours and stamped a simple Birthday greeting in brown ink. I debated long with myself whether to doodle a border or  not - well I shouldn't have, I don't like how it turned out, but since I had already adhered the leaves, I didn't want to start over.

So, now it's your turn, what will you create?

Hugs
Ela



Challenges: 

Simon says stamp: Anything goes
Creative Friday: #191 Autumn
Fusion Card Challenge: Autumn Leaves  

Friday 27 October 2017

Googly Halloween

Hi Crafters,

are you ready for Halloween? We're having our yearly party and I am already in panic, because my preparations aren't as far as they should be.

However, I have a very simple card to share.

I have this huge supply of googly eyes, because I always seem to stack up on them, whenever I find any. I don't even know why, I don't use them that often.

So I wanted to use some of them, and try out my glow in the dark embossing powder.



I don't think I need to explain how I created any of this, it's too simple. Only the embossing was a bit tricky, the powder wasn't very clear in my first two tries. Then I decided to stamp the sentiment with white embossing ink instead of clear and put the powder on top. That worked better, but the sentiment is still rather faint in the light. In the dark it looks pretty cool.

Do you  have any tricks on using glow-in-the-dark embossing powder? If yes, I'd be grateful if you could share them.

Creepy Halloween greeting
Ela



Challenges: 
Simon says stamp: Anything goes
Creative Friday: #191 Autumn (I hope Halloween counts)
 

Saturday 14 October 2017

Challenge up your life: Challenge #77 Arrows

Hello Crafters,

If you have been reading my blog, you might  have noticed, that I hardly ever use patterned paper. Mind you, I love patterned paper, I just can't let go of it. And I am not good at using it on cards, I never seem to know what to do and where to place it. For today's card, I actually did! So it's a double challenge for me because this card is for another challenge at





This time, we are encouraging you to create a card with arrows:


Challenge #77 Arrows



I actually found this one rather challenging indeed. I knew I wanted to use my AladinE StampO Arrow stamp set, because these are pretty much the only arrows I own. And besides I bought them years ago, because they were rather inexpensive, and hardly used them since.




So I started out stamping a panel of different arrows in green ink, but then I was a bit lost as to what else to do. I decided I wanted them to pop out more, so I outlined them with a grey alcohol markers and a blender, creating a shadow.

After that I spent some time pushing it around on a black and grey card base, feeling a bit lost some more, before I remembered that I have seem some really neat layering with several smaller layers lately. Mostly on scrapbook pages, but I decided: I can do that too! So I die cut a stitched panel from green card stock and vellum and from my arrow panel as well and tried to arrange those, but it just wasn't working for me. So I pulled out a leftover piece of that brightly striped patterned paper. I love that one, it's so cheerful. And I have several sheets, so I can actually use it. With a panel of that paper, it finally worked for me, but I wanted a bit extra for the card base, so I pulled out stencil and some clear embossing paste to create a subtle texture. 

I arranged the panels and added a black die cut and a white embossed sentiment strip. It means "Hello how are you?" in German. 

I only recently invested in quite a few German sentiment dies and I really love them. I generally tend towards German sentiments, as I am making cards for friends and family, who mostly don't share my love for the English language.

I adhered the die cut to the black strip, which was in turn adhered with foam tape. So the Hello floating over the panel. I also added a, arrow paper clip, to tie in the arrow motto some more.

For the envelope, I used the same patterned paper and my envelope punch board.


So, now it's up to you, I hope you join us!
Ela



Tuesday 10 October 2017

Unicorn stickers

Hey Crafters, 

how are you all? I hope you're all well.

Today I'd like to show you another card with the colouring stickers. This time I used one of the girlie sets, to create a Birthday card for a school friend of my daughters'. Unicorns are very popular at our school right now. 



I started out without knowing where I wanted to go with this card, I just knew I needed it quick. My girls suggested unicorns, and since I don't have any unicorn stamps I decided to use one of the stickers. I chose the easiest one, because I wanted rainbow hair and the sectioned mane seemed best for that. I coloured the image with alcohol markers, with rather simple shading. As I wanted to pop up the sticker, I adhered it to white card stock and cut it out. 

When trying to arrange it on the card base, I decided the image is a bit small, so I coloured the cloud and rainbow as well and also stuck it to card stock. 

I had planned to just sponge a bit of blue behind the unicorn, but with two images that didn't seem a good solution anymore. So I decided to sponge on some clouds. Turned out, I don't even own a cloud stencil, so I used a piece of card stock to create my own. I used a rather long strip and cut cloud shapes from both sides, so I could turn and move the stencil to get different arrangements. I think that turned out pretty cool, I'm glad I did it that way. 

I stamped a nice Birthday sentiment and added a few sequins in rainbow colours. At last, I added lots and lots of Wink of Stella, because unicorns must be glittery. 

When I was done, by daughter instantly claimed that card for herself and didn't want to give it away, so we recreated it with a different unicorn for her. Only hers is not a card, just a panel, so she can put it on her magnet wall. In the end she was very happy to keep the new version, because we had made it together and she'd done all the sponging and part of the colouring herself.


Now have a magic day!
Ela


Challenges: 
Fusion: Sunshine on a cloudy day 
Stempelküche: #79 Märchenhaft/fairy tales
TCP:  #340 Sparkly
Seize the Birthday: Anything goes Birthday 
Addicted to Stamps and More: #262 Make your mark




 




Friday 6 October 2017

Alien Party Alarm

Hi Crafters, 

how are you? we are enjoying the holidays a lot.

A while ago, I found some amazing stickers at the Dollar store (actually Euro store, but that sounds wrong to me). They are colouring stickers, so you can customise them yourself. I bought a pack with robots, because I liked them a  lot and I have that cogwheel die, that goes so well with them. But it turned out there are 4 sheets (48 stickers) in the set, with all different images: robots, pirates, dinosaurs and aliens.


So I guess that's sufficient for all the Birthday cards for the two baby boys in our family for the next few years, and it cost me only one Euro. I have actually already gone back and got myself some of the other sets, with unicorns, mermaids, fairies etc.



I started by colouring one of the images, just to try how they would stand up to alcohol markers. They do, but they bleed quite a bit, if you apply lots of colour, so I had to be a bit careful with my colouring. 

When I was done I though "Man, he looks grim, can I even use him?" So I decided the sentiment would have to  be something aggressive, like party attack or party alarm. 

That decided, I created a galaxy background with water colours, because I really, really wanted to try that for ages, and never had a great idea how to use it. So this was my chance, and I grabbed it. 

I didn't like who my first galaxy turned out, so I created a second one. I think that one could have been darker in places, but as the first was too dark, I went with it. I didn't want it to end up too dark again. 

To give the alien something to look at, I coloured one of the smaller images, a planet. Then I die cut the word party from white card stock and created an ombre effect on the letters with my alcohol markers. I also die cut a that spiky comics speech bubble, coloured it bright yellow and stamped alarm on it. 

When I had it all adhered down, I realised  that the dark background shimmers through the stickers, but I couldn't peel them up again. Next time I want to use and of them on a dark background I'll back them with white card first. 

Anyway, I like how it turned out and I am very content with these stickers. Here's a closer look at the boys set.


Have a nice day
Ela



Challenges:
Seize the Birthday: Anything goes Birthday 
Addicted to Stamps and More: #262 Make your mark