Sketches

I usually struggle making cards based on sketches, what is meant as a helpful tool in the creative process often makes my head go blank. On occation though, and idea pops into my head immediately, like this one:

This card is based on Lucy Abram's sketch challenge over at the Lily Pad blog, but since I don't have any Penny Black stamps (a requirement for this challenge) I'm not entering it into this challenge (naturally, LOL). Still, I wanted to share the card here, simply because I ended up liking the result!
Thanks for looking!

Anette :o)

Hero Hostess "inspired by-challenge"

The currest Hero Hostesses over on the Hero Arts Flickr Group are hosting a sort of farewell challenge, since this is their last week "on duty", and the challenge is to make a card inspired by any group member. The inspiration in this group is amazing, I think I could call this site my second home, and there are so many great artist to choose from! I think maybe choosing who to be inspired by was the hardest task!

I chose one of the hostesses, Anita,  as my inspiration. A while back she made a video tutorial on how to make twisted flowers, and after coloring yard after yard of ribbon and lace with my Distress Stains, I have made quite a few of these flowers. They are great to have in my stash, they can really "make" a card in an instant! Stop by Anita's blog too, she's got such fun and beautiful cards!

Anette :o)

Design Team projects

I realized today that I have not shared the majority of Design Team projects I've done for Kreative Fornemmelser, so I thought it was about time!

First up is a card using the fab background stamp Luscious Floral Background (CG301), and one of my fave techniques: emboss resist:

The second card features masking, another fave technique! This is also a one-layer card:

I started out stamping the sentiment with StazOn Jet Black Ink on watercolor paper, then I stamped the flower from Luscious Frames (CL509) with Versamark ink, and clear embossed. After masking off the frame using Post-It notes, I added the color from Distress Inks Wild Honeyt, Worn Lipstick, and Barn Door using a sponge. Added lots of various sizes of white pearls to the center of the flower.

That's all for tonight, but stay tuned, I'll share more projects very soon! See ya!

Anette :o)

Make it + mail it

One of the Hero Arts designers, Lisa Spangler, is having a new challenge on her blog, make it + mail it, wich basically is about making a card for someone, and then mail it! Genious, isn't it?

This is my card, it goes out to a friend far, far away, and it's a glimpse of how the spring forest looks like here in Norway, the birch trees with its tiny fresh green leaves. And some tiny splashes of colorful flowers peeking out from between the trees. So pretty, and a sight I look forward to every year when we are approaching spring!
The Tree Trunks (S5477) were stamped with Versamark on watercolor paper, and clear embossed. Then I spritzed water on the image, and added color with Distress Stains Broken China and Peeled Paint. The ribbon is also colored using the Peeled Paint stain. The tiny leaves on the trees are Liquid Pearls Opaqe white, colored green with Copics, the flowers are Dimensional Pearls Wild Plum.
Great challenge, Lisa!

Anette :o)

More washi-tape

I am so hung up on trhe color combo on this washi-tape, and the FUN part is that the colors match almost exactly the Distress Inks Antique Linen, Pumice Stone, Worn Lipstick, and Barn Door!! How fun is that??!!??
This time I "mounted" the washi-tape on som regular white cardstock (3 stripes), and used it as I would pattered paper, cutting with a border punch:

Anette :o)

Spring!

Spring is definately here, and that means not so much time inside the house making cards, 'cause there's plenty to be done outside!

Look at these! Yellow is one of two FAVORITE colors during spring! Everything is grey and dull after winter, and then COLOR pops up here and there, makes me really happy!

In about 4 months this little one will be bursting with blackcurrant! And the colors of these NEW leaves is my second favorite color of spring, fresh GREEN!

My rhubarb is coming along nicely too, I can't wait to make rhubarb and strawbery jam! YUM!

Just look at this field now before there are leaves on all these trees! When translating the names that we use for these flowers here in Norway I get anemone and black eye, ever heard of those? This is a sight I am looking forward to every year when the snow starts to melt, it's like a white and blue carpet!

Happy spring and Easter, everyone!

Anette :o)

Spring/Easter card exchange

Hi there,
One of the Hero Hostesses, Anita, organized a card swap with Spring and Easter as a theme (you can check it out here), everyone interested in participating would send one card, and receive one.
My recipient in this challenge was Cheiron, and since I know she has received the card now, I can share it with you also:

This is also a result of experimenting with the new Distress Stains, both on paper and on lace.

Have a great evening!

Anette :o)

My type of friend

I just got my first roll of Washi Tape, and this is what happened when I tried it:

Except for the card base this is all scraps of paper, a little bit here, and a little bit there. The Washi Tape is perfect for stamping sentiments on it, and probaly a lot of other images too... LOL. I can think of several other ways of using it, so I'm working on that! But just kind of rough edged like this is super cool I think! The typewriter is covered with Glossy Accent.

Anette :o)

Part 3...

OK, so do I do anything at all these days except experimenting with my new friends, Distress Stains?? No, not much.
Here's another one:

This is pretty much done the same way the cards I shared yesterday, but I noticed that some of the petals had puddles of color in them, and I thought it looked kind of cool. So I enhanced those puddles with some Glossy Accent, and was really pleased with the result! What do you think?
(And a tiny bit of ribbon there, colored with... Distress Stain Peeled Paint. Well, what do you know??)

Anette :o)

Distress Stains, part 2

I have been having the greatest time these past days, playing with my new "toys"! I only have 4 colors (so far!), but it's amazing how many ways you can use these 4 colors! 

On this card I stamped the Wildflower Garden with Versamark, and clear embossed. Then I spritzed water on the stamped piece before adding the Stains. Added Peeled Paint to the bottom part, and Broken China to the top part, and since the paper was wet, the colores somewhat mixed where they overlapped, creating the watercolor look that I love so much! And SO easy! The butterfly is made from Grungepaper, a Spellbinders die covered with Distress Crackle Paint Broken China, and sprinkled with glitter while it was still wet.

Here's another card made with the same colors:

With some ribbon colored with Wild Honey Stain - of course!

Are you inspired to try these inks? I hope so!

Have a great day!

Anette :o)

Coloring ribbon

I finally got some of the new Distress Stains!
I couldn't wait to try them out, and the first thing on my mind was to color ribbon, so I got to it, and here is part of the result:

The yellow/orange ribbon is colored with Wild Honey, the lightest one was wet when I colored it, so the color is more "washed out". The darker one has a more intense color, and is the one I used to make the flower on this card:

Coloring ribbon and lace with Distress Stains is such a PARTY!!!

Wearing disposable gloves might have been a good idea...

I have been playing even more with the Stains, stay tuned, and I'll share more later!

Have a great saturday!

Anette :o)