Ain't Love Grand

It seems like everyone I know is celebrating wedding anniversaries over the next few weeks and it struck me how different I wanted to make each couple's cards. I recently blogged a very modern anniversary card, but I've gone down a traditional route for this next one.

I decided to use a sketch from The Sweet Stop, as part of their SSS155 sketch challenge. I chose to work with this sketch, SSS120, as I felt it would really suit the stamp I chose to work with.



The stamp is from a retired Stampin' Up! set called Summer by the Sea. I love the sketched look it has and I chose to colour it using water based wax pastels. Here's a look at it before and after painting...

 

I've used patterned papers from Stampin' Up! and Sassafras (Indie Girl) along with poly stitched ribbon in Poppy Parade from SU. The butterflies were made using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit from SU. The base card is So Saffron (SU) and is an easel card with a message inside. The sentiment is from the retired SU set Cheer and Wishes, which I've cut out using the Modern Label punch.

The Proposal

I was thrilled this week to find out that a friend of mine had got engaged. I knew which stamp I wanted to use as it was crying out to be used on an Engagement card. It is by Rubber Romance and I stamped it using Versamark and embossed the image in silver. A rhinestone became a rock of an engagement ring!

I wanted to keep the card simple but with a feminine touch so I matted the main image with Naturals Ivory and Baja Breeze card from SU and added a section of Neutrals striped patterned paper. To add the girly feely I added two side sections, cut using the PTI Filigree Border Die.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:-

Crafty Catz Challenge #129 - Stripes
The Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge #182 - Inspired by a film title (The Proposal)

Watercolour fun

I found a fabulous challenge whilst browsing the net yesterday - Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Trigger. The trigger this week is a beautiful dress covered with watercolour butterflies.

One of the first things I noticed was that it had the pink, white and orange colour scheme which is the challenge for this week at The Play Date Cafe. I instantly knew who I wanted to make a card for - my fab Sister, who loves this colour combo.

I started off with some watercolour paper and my Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie inks from SU! I brushed the paper with water to begin with and then I inked up a butterfly stamp (free with a magazine) by tapping the ink pads directly onto a non-stick sheet and pressing the stamp into the mixed ink colours. I played about with a paintbrush, adding extra ink to some areas and creating a coloured section at the bottom. I then dried the whole piece with a heat gun.

To complete the card I layered the watercolour paper onto a black mat and added some of the scallop dots ribbon from SU! I stamped a sentiment, from Hopeful Thoughts, and cut it out with the Scallop Oval punch, sponging some of the ink around the edges. This was then affixed using stampin' dimensionals. The whole lot was then added to a white card base.

Happy Ever After

I've been struck by inspiration lightning today in the form of a number of fantastic blog challenges. I've chosen to incorporate four of them into this card's design.

The colour scheme of Pink, Black and white comes from the CCEE Stampers challenge #1216.

With such a clean palette I had to go with a Clean and Simple sketch, so CAS-ual Fridays challenge #49 sketch was perfect.

I was drawn to the 'How Charming' challenge laid down by the guys down at Less is More this week because I'm not usually one for using charms on my cards. However, never one to shy away from a challenge, I made my own charm using shrink plastic and a stamp from Stampin' Up's Fifth Avenue Floral set. I stamped the image using Memento ink and coloured it with my Promarkers before shrinking it with my heat gun.

Last, but not least, I'd like to enter this card in the C.R.A.F.T challenge #151 for being an anniversary card.