Adventure Ahead FM168

My husband begins a new job this week so I decided to put a little card together to wish him well in the next phase of his life. I chose the train from Traveler, a new Stampin' Up! stamp set and paired it with a greeting which usually comes with a bicycle in the Hostess stamp set Life's Adventure.  You can probably read it for yourself, but it says 'enjoy the adventure ahead.' I received both those stamps in my BBB last Thursday, so I could hardly wait to find a reason to use them! The Large Polka Dot Embossing Folder is a new one in the catalogue too, I'm planning to have a lot of fun with it too, I can see many different ways to use it.

There's a double challenge at Friday Mashup, but I have left out the summer part of the challenge and just used the suggested colours: Mossy Green, Hello Honey and Lost Lagoon.

Bye for now
Rachel

Off To The Open Sea

It's difficult to think about going to the beach when we, in the southern hemisphere are in the depths of winter, but they don't call these challenges for nothing, do they? I can remember the bracing walks I used to go on, along the beach when my boys were youngsters. They loved the stormy weather with high tides and large waves! I just liked taking them out for exercise so they would give me some peace and quiet later.
I've used The Open Sea stamp set here, and Top Note Bigz Die to stamp the image on. The background stamped on Coastal Cabana is a ship's log. Behind the sailing boat, I used an easy watercoloring technique. Scribble with Stampin' Write markers onto an acrylic block, spray with water, then 'stamp' onto card. It is more subtle than I'd hoped for. I had fun with the twine and button, just something a little different.
So, Nance at the Paper Players set the Beach Challenge.
Over at the Friday Mashup the challenge was for a watercolor wash. Maybe I should have used water color paper, I went with Stampin' Up! Naturals White this time.

Hope you're having a good week,

Rachel

Old Cats for Friday Mashup #145

Isn't this sketch just so good? Sara at The Friday Mashup provided the sketch and an extra challenge if you choose to use it, sponging. I love sponging, and used to ALWAYS sponge edges of punched pieces, etc etc.

If it had an edge, it was sponged. Then I began my CAS (clean and simple) phase and I stopped using my sponge daubers.

I've had an idea for using the different cats that Stampin' Up! has on stamps at the moment - Cool Kid, new in the Occasions Catalogue and Giggle Greetings, in the Annual Idea Book and Catalogue. Toss in a couple of balloons from Sketched Birthday, and the Happy Birthday greeting on the inside, as well as another cat from Giggle Greetings. I sponged with sky blue and  a scallop punch-out to get the clouds.
I've then waited for my Big Brown Box (BBB) to arrive this morning with Just Sayin' stamp set and matching dies, to add a cute greeting in a speech bubble.

And just now in a big rush, with 30 minutes till the challenge closes, I've stamped the greeting, die cut, added to card, photographed, watermarked and then placed on my blog!!!! All before breakfast too!!!!


 Thanks Sara and Friday Mashup for an inspiring challenge
Rachel