Snippets Challenge #437

Time for another challenge over in the Playground and this time everything came from the Snippets mountain apart from the base card. I had a snippet of background paper large enough to trim so that it fits the card and the 'windows' section was cut from a snippet of white.  Plenty of white snippets always so I was able to stamp and colour the gnomes, and the die cut trees were some left over from last year's seasonal card making - I knew they'd come in handy eventually 😉.  The fussy cut lamp post was also amongst these saved bits.and there were also a few holly leaves and berries just asking to be used.  Another white snippet for the stamped and die cut sentiment and that's another card for the Christmas box which is gradually filling up.

Two to Share

 I certainly seem to be having a run on making this style of card at the moment and I've made two very similar ones, both inspired by a YouTube demonstration from the talented Jo Rice.  I have the Forest Inn stamp which she used but sadly not the poppies so had to improvise.  I started by stamping two of the toadstools onto watercolour card - one was coloured using Inktense pencils and a water brush and the other with Polychromos pencils (no water needed).  Both of these cards are more of a CAS style than many of my designs which are often done on Gelli plate backgrounds - I like both styles and would find it difficult to decide which method I prefer.  Depends how the mood takes me I suppose😉.  Think I will have to get back to clearing my desk again and using up some of the 'stuff' which seems to pile up when my attention is elsewhere - Either these bits breed or someone is scattering leftovers 🤣🤣

Stamps and stencils - all  Lavinia Stamps

Stamping

 Another inked and stamped card today, made for a friend's birthday and as I know she has now received it I can share it with you.  Again I've used one of my Gelli plate backgrounds using cream card rather than white.  Not much more to say about this one really - you can see that I've stamped the fairy in black and her wings were brushed over with Wink of Stella clear although sadly this doesn't show up in the picture as well as it does in real life.  Dandelions were stamped using green ink and coloured using pencils and the rest of the foliage was first and second generation stamping in various colours to tone with the background.

Stamps from Lavinia
Background - Distress inks and Brusho powders on circular Gelli plate
Inks for stamping - Versafine Claire
Colouring - Faber Castel Polychromos pencils

Christmas Wreath

 I make a point of trying to catch video tutorials from the talented Eileen Godwin posted on YouTube and I quite often make my own versions of them using stamps which I have in my collection.  I must admit there is the ever present temptation to order more stamps but I'm trying to resist 😉😉.  One I saw recently was a Christmas wreath card - holly leaf stamp used - but of course if a different stamp were to be used for the leaves I think this would suit other times of the year as well. A wreath isn't just for Christmas. I really enjoy using Lavinia stamps in this way to build up designs - lots of inspiration on YouTube from several members of their design team.

Stamps by Lavinia
Gel Pens and stencil used as well

Quick Cards

Most of the cards I make aren't of the 'quick and easy' variety but this one came about because I decided to re-arrange some of my stamps - became side-tracked as usual 😃.  I came across a couple of sheets of Hobby House printed images with just a few odd ones left on each and instead of putting them away I've challenged myself to make them all into cards straight away to use them up.  This is the first one and I'm afraid I had to print some papers to match the image but hopefully I should have something in my stash to go with the remaining ones which I hope to get made tomorrow.  

Image from Hobby House

Elephant Fun

A fun card to share today with some cute elephants and a little mouse friend - it is said that elephants are scared of mice but that doesn't appear to be the case here 😉.  I started by cutting the round windows into a piece of card which was then backed with a piece of patterned  paper using some thin foam pads.  Elephants and other 'bits' were stamped onto watercolour card and coloured using watercolour pencils before being die cut and arranged peeping out of the little 'windows'.  Some toning card and DSP finished off this card with the addition of a stamped sentiment.

 Dies and Stamps - Stampin' Up
Colouring - Inktense pencils blended with water

Stamping Sensations Challenge

 The theme for the September challenge on Stamping Sensations is **feminine** and, naturally, the main element of the project must feature stamping.  Luckily I had prepared a selection of Gelli plate backgrounds recently and have used one of them to produce this card which I think fits the brief.  I've pulled out some of my Lavinia stamps for a mystical scene with a fairy and a hare.  Why not look at your own stamp collections and maybe have a go - there are prizes on offer for the lucky winners drawn at random at the end of the challenge.