Feelin' Blue

I have been feeling sickish and kind of punky since Sunday.  My sweetie has had a cold since early last week and is just now starting to shake it off.  I haven't come down with it but feel like maybe I am trying to as I have been a little sniffly and coughing, but mostly just feeling poorly and tired.  So I have been doing more sleeping than stamping of late, but did have a very productive day yesterday.  In addition to the cards I blog here, there was one more, for a total of 5 cards!  However, a neighbor came over to buy several other cards from me, saw that one (unfinished!) on the table and decided he loved it, as is, and bought it on the spot.   I didn't even get a picture of it!

The ones I did get pictures of are for two different challenges this week.  The first is this week's teapot Tuesday challenge, where a photo of a teapot is the inspiration for the challenge.  In this week's picture, the teapots were stacked to become the base of a floor lamp.  Thus the challenge was to make something camouflaged, concealed, etc. on a card, with an extra cookie for using a heart in the mix.  This was tough!  After racking my brain and looking at some of the creative solutions others found with their cards, I broke out an old Rubber Stampede stamp and my watercolors and came up with this:

This is one I wasn't sure I liked at first, but it has grown on me after letting it sit for a while. I haven't decided whether it is a bunch of leaves and flowers disguised as a pear, or vice versa.  I stamped the image in Versamark watermark ink on watercolor paper and embossed it with Stampa Rosa detail gold powder.  This EP comes out looking more brownish yellow than gold or metallic but it is great for a detailed stamp.  I watercolored the image then cut it out and backed it with some dark brown.  The card itself is made from kraft cardstock, with some new (to me) K & Co designer paper layered on (the green and wood grain layers).  I decided I wanted a little more pizzazz behind the pear and added a strip of brown striped and solid brown paper from my scrap pile, and used the Fiskars threading water punch to ad the scalloping.  I distressed the edges of the green paper slightly before adding all the other layers and mounting the pear piece with foam tape.

The other challenge yesterday was a color one, with a favorite color combo of mine:  navy blue, light blue and a light or sandy brown.  This color combination always makes me think of seashore and nautical themes, so while my watercolors were still out, I made this card:

The image is one of my oldest stamps, a PSX image that I have used in lots of cards over the years, and one of my favorites to color.  The image is stamped using Memories black ink (waterproof!)  I mixed up some darker and lighter blues for the water and the sky, and added some light brown to the boat itself.  Another kraft card base, layered with navy cardstock and a bit of light blue mulberry paper, with the watercolored image mounted with foam tape.

For the greeting I stamped the sentiment (Stampin' Up) on a piece of light brown twill.  I used tape runner to put it in place on the card, then added the dark gold brads to finish it off and also hold it down for the long haul.

I initially thought about using this card for my dad's birthday next week but I am pretty sure I have used this image on plenty of past birthday cards and Father's Day cards for him!  I will come up with something new for his birthday this year.

Still feeling the navy/light blue/brown love, I started another seashore themed card, which was the one my neighbor bought from me.  I decided to make another card using the same designer papers I had started that card with, and use my new (to me) Stampin' Up set, All I Have Seen.  I started with another kraft card, inked the edges in midnight blue ink, and added a piece of designer paper from an old Provo Craft paper pad, inking the edges of that as well.  I used the same midnight blue ink to stamp the dragonfly image on a piece of light brown striped paper, rounded the corners and layered it onto some navy cardstock.  I finished the card by stamping the sentiment in dark brown ink on the same light brown striped paper, attached it, and added a navy blue organza ribbon bow.

Finally, as  I was winding down, I noticed the cardboard piece from a just opened box of tissues had a nifty circle pattern in--guess what!--dark blue/light blue/light brown.  I just had to make one more card using it.  I layered some more dark blue designer paper (same Provo Craft pad) onto yet another kraft brown card, and trimmed and added the cardboard piece.  Not only did it match well and fit the theme of the challenge, the perforations add a neat little detail along the edge of the piece.  I stamped the sentiment (Michael's/Studio G) on some more of that brown striped paper and layered it onto navy cardstock and then onto the card.  I finished it off with a blue flower sticker.

I think I have the navy/light blue/light brown color combo out of my system now for at least a little while!

Have a great day, and thanks for looking!