Waltzingmouse and Flamingos

After our little Christmas break, it's time for another challenge over at Waltzingmouse Fanatics and we have a colour challenge based on a flamingo.

Although it's a bright and sunny image, the weather here in the UK has had me digging out my Christmas jumpers so I decided to use that for inspiration for my card.  I selected the flamingo pink, white and black from the colours for the stripes on my jumper inspired background and put it on kraft base to use 4 of the 6 colours in the scheme.

The background stamps are all from Nordic Winter and I just masked off the edges of my card before stamping them across and filling the background.  Once I removed the masks I added some faux stitching with a thin marker and then stamped a sentiment from Say it Loud Winter Holiday over the top.

We have a prize up for grabs for this challenge too - so I do hope you'll hop over to blog and play along with us - you have until 9th January - http://waltzingmousefanaticschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/

Gradient Background

I'd been struggling with No 49 on list of 75 challenges I am trying to complete - make your own background paper - not difficult but I just couldn't come up with an idea - see here for the full list, and this one is another of the challenges set by Cath over on Moxy Fab world so there is a deadline to be met http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2013/01/75-creative-card-challenges-week_9.html

I have however signed up for the latest online card class and there was a technique yesterday that was the perfect inspiration for this challenge - Jennifer's gradient background technique.  So as well as my challenge entry its also my homework for yesterday's lesson ;-)

I used one of the border strips from the Waltzingmouse Nordic Winter set to create my background and stamped it repeatedly with rhubarb stalk, tangelo and dandelion inks.  I added a mat and then used the same red card to stamp and heat emboss my sentiment from my current go to set - Heyday Sentiments from Hero Arts and Studio Calico.  I finished with a die cut heart covered with glossy accents and a really cute arrow shaped paper clip.