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Mar 2, 2019

Allsorts 509: Seasons - What's Your Favorite?

Hello and welcome! Happy March!! It's almost time now for flowers to start peeking out of the ground! I am so ready!! But for now it's still too cold and we might be getting more snow later this coming week....

Today is the start of a new theme at Allsorts challenge, it's Tracy's turn to host and she picked the theme of "Four Seasons - What's Your Favorite?".

Not that I enjoy spring showers, but Spring is my favorite season, I love all the early spring flowers, my favorites being Daffodils and Snowdrops. Spring in Illinois doesn't seem to last very long, it turns into Summer quickly, so that is my second favorite season - love the longer days and all the Summer flowers but hate the mosquitos which unfortunately are always a big part of our Summers.

To make my card I used the newer stamp In Paris by Penny Back along with some Distress Oxides and inks.

I used Cracked Pistachio and Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide inks to created the inky background.  Using my stamp platform I next stamped the image  In Paris onto the inked background with Versafine Claire Nocturne ink. The sentiment is from the older Penny Black set Enjoy Life and I used the Classy Stripes stencil by Altenew to ink up a striped pattern with black ink. I finished off the card with a little prima flower and brad, matted onto some pattern papers from my stash and then onto a white Neenah 110 lb card base.
Oh, and the script I stamped in pink is Stampin Up's French Script. This background stamp is long retired but I've seen it on ebay.



Paper Flower and Brad // Stampin Up French Script Background - retired




I am sharing my card with these challenges:
Paper Minutes - WeeklySpring Signs
Little Red Wagon - Something You Love (I love this color combo and Paris Themes)
Addicted to Stamps - Anything But a Square
Inkspirational  - Use Your Stash (old Designer Paper, Old Background Stamp, Old Paper Flower and Brad)
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - use Penny Black stamps
and Anything Goes themes here:


This past Thursday I was excited to receive my Hero Arts order from their new catalog, I didn't place a big order just enough to earn free shipping, but I really wanted to get these seaside themed stamps and a super cute set with stamps for the back of cards. I added this cowboy set from an older release (which will come in handy for masculine cards) to reach the $50. Not that I didn't want to get more, but this already exceeded my crafting budget this month.


So I decided to make another card for the Allsorts challenge theme, this time it represents Summer, which I almost like as much as spring. 

I used two Hero Arts stamp sets to create this card. If the stamps look familiar to you, it's because they were part of the June 2018 monthly stamp kit, which was voted as #1 favorite past kit, so Hero Arts re-released the stamps with their catalog last month. (The kit itself had sold out very fast last June and I wasn't a subscriber back then so missed out on the complete kit). The waves and clouds are "2 and 3 -step" stamps, then there are some sentiments included and some silhouettes like this mermaid. And how cute are those sandy footprints??!!

Unfortunately the "Layering Waves" set is currently out of stock. The Layering Sea set is currently still available (as I type this), and this set includes the clouds, sea silhouette images including the cute footprints. I used distress inks Broken China and  Stormy Sk to ink up the waves, then added a post it note over the waves and inked up the sky with Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide. Next I stamped the rock using Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide ink and the Mermaid and birds using Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink. The two step clouds were first stamped with Pumice Stone oxide ink then  Hickory Smoke oxide ink for the second layer. The bottom portion was inked with Pumice Stone ink and I stamped the sentiment which is part of the Layering Waves set and the footprints with Pumice Stone ink as well. The beach ball was stamped using Candied Apple Distress Oxide. (By the way, I wish I had all these inks in Distress Oxide formula, but didn't, so I had to use some regular distress inks (which are great inks for all things watercolor-y but not so great for solid stamping.) Versafine Clairs would have been a great option too, but only have one ink pad in black (nocturn) from the Versafine Clair line of stamps.)


I also ordered this cute set of Signature Greetings  for the back of the cards. It's only $7.99 and looks like it is back in stock now as I type this.






Sharing this card with these challenges:
Sisterhood of Crafters - 2nd/4th Wed., 3entries - Use Red (red beach ball)
Alphabet Challenge - Y is for Yarn,  String or Twine
Crafting By Designs - Silhouettes
Ike's World - B for Blue
Use Your Stuff - Do You Believe in Magic

Anything Goes themes here:



Thanks so much for visiting today! Hope to see you over at Allsorts with your "4 Seasons - choose one" creation. We have a great prize to give away again (see photo below). 






This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. All products used in today's post have been purchased by me at full retail cost and all opinions are my own. 

27 comments:

brenda said...

Like you love Spring without the showers Ellie, bit I guess we need he latter to produce all those lovely blooms. And very much like the soft blue and green hues behind the Tour Eiffel, a wonderful place his time of year.

B x

Mervi said...

Fabulous cards Ellie. Love the Paris in springtime card. Gorgeous stamp, I have had in my shopping list too, but I have been in Paris in spring - and it was so hot time then (I burnt) so those umbrellas is too much, lol;-))m

Marilyn said...

Cute card!
Have a great day!
Marilyn❤

Wendy L said...

Your gorgeous cards depict the seasons perfectly Ellie, xxxxx

Alice (scrAPpamondo) said...

Spring is my favourite season too! :) Love the fresh but sunny days, the flowers, singing birds etc... But also like summer! So both your cards appeals to me. :) Fabulous Eiffel tower card, very dramatic with those colours and silhouettes and love the beach scene on the second card, great perspective look!
Hugs

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

These are STUNNING! Loving the scenes you created on each one!!!!

Amy Johnson said...

Oh wow! I love these cards, especially the first one!

Sandma's Handmade Cards said...

Two fabulous cards. The first on has a great contemporary feel to it and the second one is great fun. I love the little mermaid x

Kathleen said...

Your first card reminds me of the old song 'April in Paris' and April is part of Spring so a great choice of image and a lovely card.
A super scene for your second card and a lovely image.

Kath x

Karen Letchworth said...

Gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing with us.
Karen
Word Art Wednesday

Imke said...

The "Paris" Card is awesome - love the watercolor look.

Thanks for joining our "Love it " Challenge @ Little Red Wagon this week. Hope to see you back again soon !

Imke ~ MY CRAFTY PLACE

crafty-stamper said...

Fabulous Paris card and stamp-love the watercolour effect.Thank you for joining us at Artistic Inspirations
Carol DT x

Jackie C said...

Fabulous!
Perfect for our Challenge! So glad that you have shared your great artwork with us here at Always Fun Challenges. Good luck hun and do come back again!
Jackie DT @AFC

Basslady said...

a fabulous card!

thank you so much for playing along with us at alphabet challenge!

hugs and kisses from germany,
Silvi xoxo

Shauna said...

Such beautiful cards! I love the Paris card... the reflection, the subtle colors in the background, the whole design! Thanks for sharing with us at Inkspirational!
- Shauna

CaroleAnn said...

Wowza!!!! I just fell right into sunshine with this card!!! I could hear the sea breeze - so well executed on all points! Thanks so much for sharing with us at QKR Stampede!
CaroleAnn DT

Linby said...

I love how you used the PB Paris stamp - it is on my wish list as I do love it and seeing this makes me want it more lol! The perspective on your second card is just perfect and a great scene you created.

ike said...

Really beautiful cards - I LUV them both :-)
Thank you for coming to play at IKEsWORLD Challenges.
Hugz
IKE x

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Joyce Erb said...

All your scenes are lovely. Thanks for joining us at The Mod Squad Challenge

Sall said...

That is stunning, so beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to join in with our challenge and sharing your creativity with us, I love to see your talent, creativity and imagination at work. I hope to see more of your creativity in the near future. Love 'n' hugs Sall IkesWorld Challenges DT

Theresa said...

your Paris card is amazing. it looks more like a watercolour painting. thank you for sharing it with us at TTCRD and good luck, Theresa xx

Sherri said...

Beautiful watercolored background and such a gorgeous scene! Thanks for joining our weekly challenge at QKR Stampede!

bolletjelucky.blogspot.com said...

Beautiful scenery cards did you make. Thank you for joining the challenge at Addicted To Stamps Challengeblog.
Greetings Miranda (dt-ATSC)

Mandy said...

Gorgeous cards! The scenes you've created are wonderful.
Thanks for joining us at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
Mandy xx

Tracy said...

I love this Ellie, a perfect creation for my theme. The scene is gorgeous and the background is beautiful, unlike a lot of people I love the rain in spring, so refreshing.
Happy crafting
Tracy x

OlgaB said...

Wow you did great with your stamp collection. Love the silhouettes.
Thank you for joining Creative Moments.
Hugs from Africa!
Olga

Paddington fan said...

I love your gorgeous Paris card, the Eifel Tower looks fab against the inky background. Thanks for joining us at PBSC, good luck in the prize draw and I do hope you'll join us again soon,
Love Jacky