Cheerful Thank-you

I set myself the challenge of using some colours I don't normally use and settled on this vibrant yellow scheme. First I embossed the back card using Paper Studio's A2 triangles embossing folder (discontinued).Then, cutting a separate piece of white card stock, matted on a deeper yellow, I proceeded to sponge the edges with a light yellow Memento ink (dandelion) pad. All the stamping was done using Altenew's Hennah Elements set. The background was further stamped using Cantaloupe and Tangelo Memento inks. The main flower was stamped in Memento black and coloured using Tria (alcohol markers). I know the current trend is for Copics and Spectrum Noir, but I've had Tria's since forever and am rather heavily invested to start again, but I'm sure whatever kind you use it will come out beautifully. The centre of the flower was finished with a gold gelly roll pen and some accent dots stippled around. 

Also entered in Simon Says Stamp Monday Blog Challenge- for the love of plants. It's great fun to do these challenges, give them a try and stretch your artistic boundaries!

Condolences

Sending Prayers

Making a card for someone who has lost a dear relative is always hard. I chose soft, neutral colours to reflect the sombre mood. The background was created with Distress Inks in Peeled Paint and Crushed Olive and spritzed with water. Then the ferns from Paper Trey Inks Meadow Greens set were lightly stamped over the stop, accented with the Queen Anne's lace from Inkadinkadoo's Meadow set stamped in brown dye ink and splatters from Stampin Up's  French Foliage (discontinued but try ebay) in gold ink.
I then used Paper Treys Meadow Greens die set to punch out ferns and the Queen Anne's lace from kraft brown cardstock. Carefully lining them up I stamped on top with the corresponding stamps from the Meadow Green set again, using die inks from Memento and a white pigment ink. I then accented the Queen Anne's lace with a white gelly roll pen.  Before mounting to the main card I stamped the stalk and Sending Prayers (also from the set) with dark chocolate memento ink. I also distressed the edges using Tim Holtz's distress tool.

I decided to be brave and enter it in a couple of Monday challenges from my favourite companies. One is Simon Says Stamp's Monday challenge (click for link) the other is Make it Monday with Paper Trey Ink. Great ideas to keep your designs fresh!