Tulips

The new watercolour challenge at Happy Little Stampers starts today. I have gone with the optional twist of emboss.

 

 I stamped this lovely Uniko tulip stamp onto a piece of mixed media card and embossed it in gold. I diuted some brushoes on my craft mat to paint it with. With hindsight I should have just added the sentiment and stopped there, but I didn't.

I decided I wanted a wash of pale blue behind the tulips but it came out much too dark. I managed to lighten it by the liberal application of water then mopping it up with kitchen towel. It's still a lot brighter than I wanted, but decided that it waas time to call it a day.Once I'd trimmed it and mounted it onto gold and then the card base it didn't look as bad!

I hope you'll be able to join us.

Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge

It's time for the April Christmas Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

 

As usual it is anything goes but you can use the optional twist of festive animals if you wish.

I found this topper in my box of bits, obviously made some tome ago and never used. So this was the perfect opportunity! I mounted it onto some blue card and added some scalloped stitch peeloffs round the edge, and some glitter glue snow in the sky.

A bit of an easy card but I think like a lot of people my mojo has gone for a walk in these difficult times. Stay safe and well.

Stars for Happy Little Stampers

Well here we are at the start of another month so its time for the first challenge of the month at Happy Little Stampers.

 

  As I usually do, I have gone with the optional twist.

I used one of Concord and 9th's turnabout stamps, stamping with Versamark and using four different embossing powders. Then I brushed Stormy Skies and Tumbled Glass Distress Oxides over the whole thing and finally sprtized with water. Now I hadn't properly thought this through when I started, so had stamped on some SU Whisper White card and it really doesn't like getting wet as it bubbles abit. Fortunately not enough to spoil it! A die cut gold star and some gold ribbon added the finishing touches.  Do hop on over to the challenge blog to see the lovely creations there.

Happy Little Stampers Christmas

Welcome back and today it's time for the new Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge.

As always it is Anything Goes or you can use the optional twist which this month is beverage. I eventually found a sweet digi stamp from Bugaboo that fitted the theme.

I coloured it with Copics using colours to match the paper I used. Why don't you join in the fun too and help build up your cards for Christmas? There's a heap of inspiration on the challenge blog.

A Watercolour Daffodil and Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

I have had this lovely Uniko daffodil stamp for at least a year and never used it, so the new challenge at Happy Little Stampers is the perfect time to use it as it falls on St David's Day! Alright so I am a little early but that's because of the time difference!

 

I blended yellow, orange and lime green ink with blender brushes to make the background, then used the same colours and a water brush to colour in the flower. It is quite a large flower so I have ended up with a 7"x7" card.

Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge

Welcome back to the second Christmas challenge of this year at Happy Little Stampers.

 
 As always it is Anything Goes but with the option of Christmas wings. My original intention was to do something with an angel on, but then realised I didn't actually have any angel stamps, or indeed anything else. So what other choice did I have but to go with ever popular Christmas robins!

I found some decoupage robins, some robin patterned paper, some Christmassy ribbon and peel off greetings, and ended up with three cards.

If I can keep this up throughout the year my Christmas card target will be easy! Please check out the challenge blog to see what the rest of the DT have made and join us to get a head start this year on those cards.

HLS Watercolour Challenge

My goodness can you believe that we are already onto our second challenge of the year!

I went with the option of bling as I thought this stamp lent itself to it. Once again it was a magazine freebie. I stamped the background with parts of the stamp before stamping and fussy cuttig the main image.

I used Zig Clean Colour brush pens and a water brushto colour the main mage and added the bling all round the edges.

Lots more inspiration over on the challenge blog

Trim the Tree!

Well Christmas is only just over and here we are making Christmas cards again! It's time for the Happy Little Stampers Christmas challenge.

This year I'm on a mission to use up some of my old stash and for this challenge I found some old Kanban decoupage toppers, bought when I first started cardmaking and neglected for a long time.

I used a scrap of SU designer paper to back it and added some gold adhesive ribbon. I added glitter to elements on the card, but I'm afraid the photo is not very good, it was a very grey day!

Please do join in the fun and make a start on those cards - it's never too early!

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge

Happy New Year 

 And here we are (almost! ) in 2020 and the first of the Happy Little Stampers challenges.

 

 I have gone with the optional twist as I usually try to, but it is entirely up to you whether to use it or not.

I found the background in my drawer of bits. I made it by spraying it randomly with Distress Spray them smooshing Distress Oxide inks over it. I then found another piece of card where I had been playing with Brushos and diecut the flower using a Spellbinders die. A simple sentiment finished it off.

I do hope you'll check out the challenge blog and join in with us.

Candy Canes

It's time for the Christmas challenge at Happy Little Stampers - the last one before the big day so I hope you're well on the way to getting all your cards made.

As always it is Anything Goes but you can use the optional twist of Candy Canes.

I always try to use the twist but thought I might have to miss it this month as I didn't think I had a candy cane stamp or die. However one of the recent magazine freebies had a small candy cane stamp which I used.

As it was quite a small stamp I did multiple stamping after masking of the sentiment, which was also a magazine freebie.The images are coloured in with Promarkers.

There are some super makes from the rest of the DT over on the challenge blog.

Watercolour "Selfie"

It's the first of the month (in Australia) so time for the last challenge of the year for Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge, and of course the optional twist is Christmas!

 

I used a new set of stamps from MFT that really appealed to me called Christmas sELFies.

I thought the upside down elf quite cute.

I coloured him with Zig watercolour pens with some added glitter. I rounded the corners to hide a snudge but I could have said for added interest!

I hope to see you joining in after checking out all the inspiration on the challenge blog.

Bah Humbug!!

Well here we are at the penultimate Happy Little Stampers Christmas challenge before the big day! Goodness knows where this year has gone!

 

As usual it is Anything Goes but the optional twist is Bah Humbug if you want to go with it. Crafts Beautiful magazine produced this Bah Humbug Christmas pud digi stamp a few years ago which I used to make a card for my youngest son as he hates Christmas!

So I had to search my PC to find it for this challenge. I might even send this one to my son - he might have forgotten about the first one!

I coloured the image with Promarkers and inked some green around the edges of the panel and the backing paper. You'll find a whole heap more inspiration from the rest of the team.

Birthday Cat

Hello and welcome to a new challenge at Happy Little Stampers. It's the start of the month so time for the watercolour challenge.

 

I have had this cat's face stamp from Visible Image for ages and not used it, so now was the time. I actually made this card for my step-daughter's 40th birthday in October. She's cat mad, although hers are black and white not ginger!

I started off with a Brusho background using brown. The face was stamped in black and clear heat embossed. The eyes and nose were coloured with brushoes as well. I mounted it onto black and then copper mirri card. The inside had the big 40 number rather than the outside. Didn't want to spoil the cat's face!

What animals have the rest of the team used, if any?

Twinkle! Twinkle!

I hope you are all getting ahead with your Christmas cards, if not then here's your chance to get started. This month's Happy Little Stampers Christmas challenge starts today.

 

I went with the option of Twinkle for my card. 

I cut the die, which is from The Works, out of red glitter paper and backed it with silver glitter card. So lots of twinkle there. It didn't look right just added to a white card blank, or red,or black or Kraft, so found some Christmassy paper which looked better, but I still dont really like it. It's definitely not how it looked in my head!
There's some fab makes from my teamies so do hop over to the challenge blog to check them out and join in with us.

 

Botanical for Happy Little Stampers

It's the start of the month so time for the first of the monthly challenges at Happy Little Stampers.

I always to try to make my DT card with the option if possible and this gave me the opportunity to use a new stamp from Woodware called Flower Garden.

I stamped the image with Gina K amalgam ink which is suitable for both watercolouring and alcohol markers. To colour it I used some watercolour crayons that have been languishing unused in a drawer. No sentiment as I don't know what I'm going to use it for yet, but I think it will make a nice birthday card. I had to add a small die cut dragonfly as I managed to smudge the ink!

Other challenges entered:

Stamping Sensations 

An Elf!

The Christmas challenge at Happy Little Stampers this month has the option of using an elf on your card.

 

As usual I went with the option and used a new Woodware stamp. I have to say that I did not realise how large it was when I ordered it!

I decided as he was so large that the card needed nothing other than him! He's coloured with Spectrum Noir sparkle pens, but he's not as sparkly as I would have liked.

Don't forget to go and visit the other DT cards and look forward to seeing youu in the gallery.