Joy to the World

I'm always amazed at what makes me buy a new stamp set ... sometimes it's just one image among many, sometimes it is a special sentiment in just the right size and font!

I love the small sentiments in the Merry & Bright stamp set and paired them with the layered tree from Favorite Season.

This was my first card ...

I thought that the string would perhaps be better at the bottom  - and I added more trees on this one ...

The Merry Christmas sentiment in the tree was embossed in silver to match the silver string, and silver liquid pearl dot.

My entry to ...

... Time Out Challenge : Merry and Cheerful

... Addicted to CAS : Tree

... Simon Says Stamp : Christmas Card Day

Happiest Wishes

It's time for a new CASology Challenge. This fortnight's cue word is DRAGONFLY.

I thought I would do some inlaid dies to keep it flat and CAS. To add focus and flow, I die cut some curved edges to make masks to add some shading.

I added Diamond Stickles to give those wings some real shimmer, and some Nuvo Crystal drops for a flight line.

Fly on over and check on the creations of the design team and be inspired. Looking forward to seeing your take on the cue word.

Deidre Payne

Jacquie Southas 

Janet Ribet (you are here)

Jen Wills 

Joyce Mehrberg

Karen Haman

Melissa Chipperfield

Milka Gubo

Nancy Barnett Elrick

Sue Symens

Guest Designer : Deepti

Sponsor : Stamplorations

I will also enter this to ...

... AAA Cards - Clean & Simple : One Third and Inlaid Dies

Flowers for my Mother

It's getting close to Mother's Day (although the dates vary by country!) so it's timely to have the cue word of MOTHER at the CASology challenge this week.

I spent 6 weeks with my mother over March & April ... 3 weeks in South Africa, and then she came over to Mauritius for 3 weeks.  It's a pity we live so far away from each other, especially as she gets older.  She is so tiny now ... we joked that we had put her in the tumble-dryer and she shrunk! She's only 4' 9½" now.

She loves flowers, and loves pink, so this is my card for her.  I masked off a heart area to restrict the stamping of my Hero Arts rose stems.

This is also a shout out to the golden oldie and firm favourites of Hero Arts as they celebrate their 45th Birthday!

Come and check on the creations of the design team and be inspired. Looking forward to seeing your take on the cue word.

Bharati Nayudu

Deidre Payne

Jacquie Southas 

Janet Ribet (you are here)

Jen Wills 

Joyce Mehrberg

Karen Haman

Melissa Chipperfield

Rachel Bergfeld

Sue Symens

I will also enter this to ...

... Papercraft Challenge : For women & girls

Quick Cards

A super quick card ... or two!

Masked off the left and both, and brushed on Hero Arts Cornflower ink with the wonderful Clarity brush. Inked, spritzed the flower, added a sentiment and couple of enamel accents.

Thought it might be better to have the flower overlap the shading. And then I flattened the accents once they were dry.

Can't decide which one I prefer. I think I like the leaves overlapping, but would have preferred to have the flower in the shading.

Here's the time for my first card ... excluding drying time for the enamel accents.

My entry for ...

... Inkspirational Challenge : Make a card in less than 10 Minutes.

... The Flower Challenge : One Layer Card

Masked Petals

Sorry that I have been away for so long ... I think I left my mojo in South Africa. But I had to get my act together to give a course on Thursday. I couldn't resist using my new Hero Arts Antique Rose stamp.

Some masking to create depth, and colouring with Distress Inks. I painted the edge of the die cut rectangle with Gesso before sponging.

My entry for ...

... Addicted to CAS : Petals Challenge

... Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge : Mask It

Lovely Wildflowers

Had a slow start to this year's creativity, but getting into the groove now.

I was inspired by the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch : #156. I distressed the background masking a circle for the moon, stamped the flowers, coloured the blooms with Uniball White gel pen.

A little bird ...

Starting with the sketch on Fusion Challenge ...

Making my mark, Addicted to Stamps Challenge ... by masking with stencil and using texture paste, and using a cloud mask when sponging the circle ... so can also enter the Mask Challenge at Addicted to CAS, and the Add a little Texture at Simon Says Stamp.

A close-up of the paste, and cloud masking ... 

The sentiment is stamped and embossed on vellum. Although the Hero Arts bird stamp is an oldie, it's still one of my favourites - nice to pair it with the relatively new branch die ... good for the Nature Challenge at Hero Arts.

I'm also entering this to the ...

Bird Challenge at The Paper Players

Hello Friend

One Layer Simplicity Challenge #9 : Hip to be Square.

A little bit of masking ...

I will also enter this into the NBUS Challenge #2 (Never-BeforeUsed Schtuff). Thank you Darnell for organising this .... I have way too many "virgin" stamps due to excessive one-line shopping!!! They arrive too fast that I I feel inundated. I think a moratorium on buying new stamps is in dire need! 

Some Bunny loves you

A fun Easter card for my nieces ...

I masked the eggs, and coloured the Bunny tag with copics.

I will enter it the Simon Says Happy Easter/Sweet Treats Challenge and CAS-ual Fridays Good Egg Challenge where you must use ovals.

OLSC : Repeat that

Playing in the "new" One Layer Simplicity Challenge : Repeat that theme.

I used masking to give the impression of depth.