WFC2104W1 - Waffle Flower Challenge: Pastels

 

Today, I am thrilled to share a special card for a challenge with Waffle Flower Crafts. I was fortunate enough to take part in this challenge as a guest designer, and had an absolute blast creating my card.

The theme for the challenge is pastels - which is just perfect for me. I often use pastel colors and I love how they make any project feel dreamy and magical. For my card, I was inspired by the beginnings of spring all around me, so I decided to make a magical fairy card.

A little ink blending with white splatters and a spray of flowers and leaves pairs perfectly with two lovely fairies. I am so happy with how it turned out and please do expect to see me play with this fun stamp set a lot more in the future.

- Little Fairies Stamp Set

- Classic Sentiments Stamp Set

- Dots & Lines Sampler Paper Pad (Unicorn stripe)

- Enamel Dots - Up & Running

- Enamel Dots - Clearly Enough

Tea Thanks

 

I've been drinking lots of tea lately - it's been both energizing and soothing, not to mention delicious. It's not completely out of character for me, as I've enjoyed tea throughout the years. But I'd always stuck to my familiar herbal teas. Lately, I've been trying other flavors and discovering what I love and what I don't. Since I was feeling inspired, I thought I'd make a simple little card with a teacup and I like how it turned out.

I've been going through phases lately of wanting to do things in a very minimal (clean and simple) kind of way, and then bouncing to more complex/layered as a way to make good use of many supplies. It's very rewarding to explore different styles, even if I'm not always comfortable with them.

I think growth comes from pushing past our comfort walls and into places where we can explore intuitively. We get better with practice - lots and lots of practice.

Coffee Smiles

 

In contrast to the card I shared yesterday, today's card didn't turn out the way I imagined it at all. In the past, that would be something that would frustrate me to no end - especially when I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do. I've been trying to relax my expectations a little lately, though, and still share things that are imperfect.

I think I will revisit this idea again in the future. Even if it didn't turn out the way that I expected, it might work with a different set of supplies. Sometimes a different execution can make the idea become a better fit.

We Flamingo Together

 

Today is my birthday and I wanted to share a card that makes me happy. It's an idea that's been in the back of my mind for a few weeks now, but I hadn't gotten around to creating it until now. And it turned out just like I wanted it to - which is amazing.

I'm not doing anything big today. Just a quiet day that I can spend on my favorite hobbies - which is a perfect birthday in my book. How do you like to celebrate?

Cookie love

 

I really enjoy baking. There's something so warm and comforting about being in the kitchen, mixing ingredients just right and walking away with a delicious treat. Despite how lovely it is, it's another activity that had to take the back seat in 2020. I still baked Christmas cookies (it's my favorite tradition), but nothing more than that.

I know that things are still stressful, still difficult and exhausting. But I would like to slowly go back to doing what I love this year. Step by step, start focusing on activities that make me feel more whole - like baking delicious treats for my family and creating art. It will never feel like there's enough time for everything, but I have to start somewhere...

Season's Greetings (February)

 

It is the last day of February, and it's time to share my monthly holiday card. As I'm writing this, I can see snow through my window - big, lazy clumpy snowflakes that dance around as they're picked up by small gusts of wind. It is my favorite kind of snowfall, as it just makes everything look peaceful and magical.

I've been thinking about slowly introducing some small personal challenges again to help boost my creativity. Lately, I've been staring at a blank page (or in this case card base) and feeling overwhelmed. There's so much I'd like to do and so much to create that I don't know where to start...

Hopefully, a small challenge will give me a starting point. I'll let you know how it goes - but hopefully, I'll have a few cards that to share at the end of it.

Thank you for reading!
~Elle~

Thinking of You, Spring

 

My favorite season is autumn. I love the cool weather, the rain and the changing leaves. In contrast, my least favorite season would probably be spring. Though similar to autumn, spring comes with seasonal allergies that make me miserable.

I recently watched a short indie movie about the different seasons. One of the things that stuck with me is how we're intrinsically tied to the seasons, on a spiritual level. If we celebrate each season as it unfolds, we feel closer to nature and life feels more simple. As I've actively worked on living and enjoying a simple and slow life, the idea of celebrating seasons really resonated with me.

This spring, I will try to celebrate the season instead of complaining about allergies. I will look to new growth and new possibilities of seeing my creativity through a fresh perspective. I'm excited to see new things I can try and master with a different outlook.

Be Happy

 

There are just days when my creativity is asleep. No matter how hard I try, I just can't get past the mental or creative block. If I force it, I end up creating something really simple that makes me feel "meh". On the other hand, if I stay away from creating for too long, it takes even more time to get back into the flow of things.

I haven't figured out the solution yet, but I think it's worth exploring different types of creativity at times like these. I might not be able to pull off a complete card, but I could play with die-cuts or do some coloring. One big thing I'm trying to keep in mind is that it's okay to just play. I don't have to complete a project every crafty session. Sometimes starting it and walking away when I get stuck gives me that clarity to know what I want to do when I came back to it.

Hello Girl

 

A while back, I purchased a few pieces of 12x12 scrapbook paper with the idea of trimming it down to use as a card front. Most of the papers ended up being far too large and too finicky to use on a card, but a couple of pieces looked like they could make a good focal point.

I combined one of those focal points with a die-cut from a die-cut pack. While it's not one of my more complicated cards, I feel like it was a good learning experience - if nothing else, then how to be more careful and selective about my purchases. I still have several 12x12 papers, but they are using as backgrounds when I take card pictures. 

If I do purchase more of 12x12 paper, I will pay more attention to the size and scale of the pattern.

Grazie

 

Re-discovering ephemera in my crafty stash is always a joyous moment - even more so when it's something that still inspires me to create. I remember buying several set of resin flowers on Etsy because I fell in love with resin flowers that came in a card kit years ago. I bought several options and colors, but (surprisingly!) didn't go overboard.

I'd forgotten about these resin flowers for a while, as they add significant bulk and most of my cards were made for easy mailing. But they are absolutely lovely and make a card look really special. So, I've pulled a few to use on a card or two. I think they will be an interesting element to use on a few hand-given cards.