Making Me Smile

The Inspired by challenge board really caught my eye and it didn't take long before I decided to try out an idea.

I do love using neutrals occasionally, especially the combo of white and kraft used here. Those two colours were inspiration for my card and I think the leaves also echo the triangular shape of the bookshelves. 

I cut all the leaves and veins from both heavyweight watercolour and kraft heavystock - I love the extra heft for small pieces, plus they take really well to dry embossing. I stamped the 'make me smile' part of the sentiment a little darker as I wanted to emphasise those words.

Materials used:

• stamps - Sentiment Strips 2 (Altenew)
• card - watercolour (Cansen), kraft heavystock (Tim Holtz), basic white (SU)
• inks - crumb cake (SU), vintage photo archival (TH)
• other - craft foam, Dimensionals, blending brush, water spritzer, Big Shot, MISTI, regular and 3D embossing folders, Artsy Leaves dies (TH)

Hope you have some crafting in your day today. Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Edited to add: Thanks so much to the design team for the pick as winner for this challenge.

In the Mood for Mauve

According to Vogue, mauve is the 'home decor colour taking over homes in 2023', making in-colour Moody Mauve very 'in' right now. There's a plethora of shades to go with it and for today's card - my first using this new colour - I picked ivory and sage green with hints of gold.

I cut my flower out of watercolour card, coloured the leaves with three green distress inks and the petals with light then darker applications of moody mauve. Such an amazing colour in the ink! The flower centre has touches of black and blackberry bliss to help it blend in. The piece behind it - also watercolour - has a little stencilling, a little stamping and some gold embossing powder splatters, while the background mauve was dry embossed then edged with gold embossing powder. As little extra touches, I sponged mauve ink in patches over the texture and gave it some gold splatters too, this time with ink, and it has a lovely shimmer. 

I could add a sentiment strip but I like having cards I can use for various occasions on hand, just adding a sentiment when I know its purpose. 

This is indeed a very moody colour, in all the best senses of the word, in my opinion. It won't take over from Boho Blue or Copper Clay for favourite position but now that I've used it, it's growing on me. Which are your favourites of the new in-colours?

Materials used:

• stamps - background elements (stash)
• card - moody mauve, watercolour
• distress inks - bundled sage, peeled paint, forest moss
• other - craft foam, Dimensionals, blending brushes, Sunrise Stem wafer die (Simon Says Stamp), Big Shot, Timeworn Type 3D embossing folder (SU), sponge daubers, diamonds decorative mask, gold embossing powder, heat tool, water spritzer, Versamark ink, Golden Glitz ink (Delicata), fan brush

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry