Just playing around

I spent some time on Sunday playing with new stuff and experimenting a little. I tend to fall back on easy layouts and the tools I'm most comfortable with. But not this weekend! The first card gave me a chance to try something I've had on my mind since I picked up a tiny flower punch from the Target $1 spot a couple of weeks ago. I cut out a circle with my Creative Memories cutter, then used the punch around the edges before layering another color of cardstock underneath. I think it turned out pretty cool! The card base is bashful blue, the DP is Basic Grey Lily Kate from the scrap pile. The sentiment from Happy Harmony is stamped in chocolate chip on whisper white, with the edges sponged with bashful blue and layered on celery. I used some of the punched out flowers to accent the sentiment. I also stamped a flower from Delight in life in bashful blue along the bottom edge and filled the centers with diamond stickles. I tied a white organdy ribbon and scraps of chocolate organdy and lilac rickrack under the circle. I think I'm going to submit this to the latest Caardvarks challenge to use circles.

This card uses some of the cool stuff I found at the local stamp store that is going out of business. I started with a blush blossom card base, with flannel plaid stamped over it using a MicaMagic burnt orange (by Colorbox) ink. I used the same ink to sponge the torn bottom edge and the edge of the main image. The image is from Artfully Asian; I stamped it in Versamark then embossed with detail gold. I painted inside the flowers with Ranger Perfect Pearls in blush and copper. They're a little like Pearl-Ex, but you can paint with them just using a little water on your aquapainter or a paint brush. I'm still learning how to use them, so any tips or suggestions would be welcome! The main image is layered on pumpkin pie, and tied with gold cord and a ribbon scrap in orange. Sentiment is stamped in artichoke. This or something similar is likely to be used as my Thanksgiving card this year.