Mostly Leaves ...

Good evening ... I hope that you've all had a creative weekend ... it's been tipping it down with rain all day ... so no chance to do the gardening but rain never stops the creative process!!!  So I have spent the day creating ... first up:

Two cards, one stamp set, two designs and two occasions!

I masked the central section and then created the background by painting water colours on to acetate before smooshing it on to the card panel ... I tried the panel between colours and also added some splatters. I stamped and heat embossed the outline leaves then die cut 'Happy' out of the panel and three scrap pieces of card, I stacked and adhered the letters together and placed them back in the panel. I finished the card by adding a 'birthday' die cut.

I'm entering this card into the Addicted to CAS challenge:

I began by stamping and heat embossing the leaves onto some water colour card.  I coloured them with water colours before fussy cutting them out.  I adhered them using foam tape to add dimension and movement.  I die cut the sentiment and adhered the panel to a card base.

I'm entering this card in this month's CAS Watercolour Card Challenge:



I used:

STAMPlorations: The Bees Knees - Layered Leaves
                            CUTplorations - Thanks die
WOW Embossing Powder - Gold and Black
Die Namics - High Rise Alphabet

I'm entering both of the cards in this month's Twofer Card Challenge:



Enjoy!

A special card ...

Good afternoon from a very snowy Oxfordshire ... I hope you are all tucked up somewhere dry and warm!!  I've been trying to get the house straight all ready for Christmas ... something that I really shouldn't leave until December!!!  

I'm just taking a lunch break and wanted to share this card with you ... a very special card for a very exciting and positive event.  You see my daughter has just got engaged!!! I make lots of cards but this one is more special than ...

I ink blended a panel of card for the hearts and stick frames.  I created some washi tape using a mixture of stamps, tissue, distress inks and double sided tape.  I also die cut congrats four times and adhered them together to create a solid sentiment.

I used:

Sizzix Heart dies

Poppy Stamps Stick Frames die

Distress Inks - Salty Ocean. Mermaid Lagoon, 

STAMPlorations - Mixed Media Elements, Mixed Media Grunge

CUTplorations - Congrats die

Wink of Stella

Tissue

I'm entering into the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up - December Challenge - die cutting, ink blending, stamping, splatter, tissue

Addicted to CAS #126

STAMPlorations Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge

Enjoy!

At last ...

Good evening ... at last I've managed to create a card for this week's challenge at "Less is More"!  Actually this is the second card that I've made ... you know how you tell your children at exam time to read the question carefully? well, I should take my own advice!! Guess what? the first card I made for the challenge had layers!! and the theme for this week's challenge is 'ONE Layer featuring a vehicle' ... on a positive note I have a card for another day!!

Anyway less waffle, here is the card:

I embossed a square into the card base and then stamped the image and sentiment.  I then coloured the camper van with markers and that was it!

It is my dream to own a camper van!

Details of the challenges:





Enjoy!

Christmas wreath ...

Words have escaped me this morning ... so I will spare you from my drivel and get straight down to business!!

Another Christmas card!

I was lucky enough to win a challenge at UNIKO and could choose a stamp set - a difficult choice to make when there are so many brilliantly design sets to choose between.  So it seemed fitting to use the stamp set for the new challenge at UNIKO - the theme is Christmas which fits nicely with my need to get my cards finished!!

I drew a circle lightly in pencil and then stamped the holly leaves and berries.  I masked off the leaves before stamping and heat embossing the fir leaves.  Stamped the sentiment and popped it on with foam adhesive.  I edged the panel with distress ink (very subtle!) before mounting the panel with fun foam to the card base.

I used:
UNIKO:  Winter Foliage Stamp Set
Distress INks - Festive Berries, Pine Needles
WOW Gold Embossing Powder

I'm entering the following challenges:

UNIKO #36


Addicted to Stamps #220


Enjoy!

Purple daisies ...

Good afternoon!  I should be outside gardening but the lure of card and ink was too great so here I am crafting!!

Today's card:

I began by inking the reverse of the stencil with shades of purple distress ink, spritzed it with water and then laid it onto some water colour card.  Once dry I then stamped the daisies with versafine onyx black ink.  I die cut a panel from the sheet, added some black card behind before stitching it to the card base with a sentiment stamped and embossed onto vellum. 

I used:
STAMPlorations - Daisy Dance Stencil and Bloom Sketches stamp set.
Distress Inks - Shaded Lilac, Wilted violet, Dusty Concord and Seedless Preserves
Versafine Onyx Black Ink

I'm entering the following challenges:
"Less is More" #295 - Thread
Addicted to CAS #97


Enjoy!

Welcome, welcome ...

Excitement time again!  I've been asked to Guest Design for the new challenge at Addicted to CAS ... it is always an honour to win a challenge and then to be asked to Guest Design is the icing on the cake!!

The them for the challenge is:

I got a bit carried away with myself and created two cards.  The first card is all about type:

Take some letter dies and distress inks and the result is a simple but to the point card!

The second card is all about cute!

Equally as simple - this time a stamp and distress inks!

Thank you to the team at Addicted to CAS for inviting me to join them for a challenge.

Enjoy!

Flower time ...

Just popped by to share a card for this week's challenge at "Less is More" - it is one layer week with the theme of TIME.  This is all I could come up with:

Sorry about the glare ... at least it highlights the embossing!

It's not the most exciting design!  I used:

Stampin Up Flowering Fields Stamp Set
Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Carved Pumpkin, Crushed Olive and Twisted Citron.
Cosmic Shimmer Gold Embossing Powder
PaperArtsy JoFY 09 

I've been lucky this week ... Addicted to CAS picked me as a winner of a challenge.  It's always exciting to win a challenge - thanks to the design team for choosing my card!  This is the card that won:



Enjoy!

Dragonfly ...

We are officially half way through 2016 ... where has the last six months gone!  The summer is here and now all we need in the UK is the weather to go with it!!

I've had a free day today so I spent the day crafting!  I've been able to make a number of cards.  This is the first I have to share:

Dragonfly stamp by Sheena Douglas

I heat embossed the dragonfly twice onto vellum and then coloured them both from the back with Zig real brush markers I adhered them together down the body.   I used the stencil with some paste to add texture to the background before adhering the dragonfly on top of some silver thread to add more interest.  A simple sentiment and the card was done.

I used:

Sheena Douglas Stamp Set - Dragonfly Dance

Versamark

WOW Platinum Embossing Powder

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

Golden Modeling Paste

ARTplorations Tribal Weave Stencil

I'm entering the following challenges:

Mixed Media Card Challenge #25

Hopefully the heat embossing and silver thread gives enough sparkle!!


CAS Mix Up Card Challenge
I've stamped, embossed, coloured with markers and used molding paste and thread to add texture

Addicted to CAS #91

Enjoy!

Too much white? ...

Good evening!

A quick post to share a card inspired by this week's challenge at "Less is More" it is a Sketch this week (see below) and this is my entry:

I think there is just too much white!  The chrysanthemum was heat embossed in white before colouring with distress inks.  I also heat embossed the chrysanthemum onto the cards base - you can just about see it in the photograph.  The angled panel is set on foam to add dimension and the die cut leaf has been hand embossed to add some texture. The flower is from the Uniko Pure Florals Chrysanthemum set.

Edit:
I've sat looking at my card and there was something I just did not like about it - there was too much white. I like white space but I think this has a tad to much so I gave my card a haircut and it is now square and I feel much happier!

I'm entering the following challenges:
"Less is More" #278


Addicted to CAS #89


Enjoy!

Kindness ...

Friday seems to have whizzed around so quickly ... one minute I was finishing work for half term and a week's holiday and the next thing I know it is over with only the weekend to go!!  I've had a lot of family commitments this week so not quite as much time for crafting as I had hoped.  I've also spent quite a bit of time procrastinating!!!

This morning I woke up full of resolve to get on ... so I've done the weekly food shopping, planned dinners for the next few days, washed three loads and finally made a card!!

Today's card takes inspiration from the challenge at "Less is More" - it is back round to the One Layer challenge this time with the theme to include a Stem - they also have a call out for new Designers to join the team.  I dream of being good enough to join a design team ... but don't think I'm there yet! 

This is my card for the challenge:

I used:

PaperArtsy JOFY 11 stamp set
Stampin Up Lotus Blossom sentiment
Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves
Versafine Onyx Black
Lawn Cuts Stitched Rectangles
Perfect Pearls Spray

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" Week 263 One Layer Challenge
Addicted to CAS #81


Enjoy!

Stylised flowers ...

I feel like I'm on a bit of a roll this week as it's Tuesday and I'm posting on my blog!  It is quite a while since I've had the time and energy to craft in the evenings!  So here goes ...

I created this card with a new stamp set from PaperArtsy  (Eclectica EDY10) ...

The flowers have been stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink and then coloured with Inktense pencils.  A simple clean design.  My mum has the same stamp set and I'm hoping this will give her an idea as to how she can use one of the stamps.

I'm entering the following challenge:

Stamping Sensations February Challenge - Anything Goes

Addicted to CAS Challenge 81



Enjoy!

Winter's butterflies ...

I'm off to a flying start this week - I've already managed to create a card, cut out 25 small hearts, 24 medium hearts, 15 pieces for 5 cushions and pattern pieces for 2 minions!  Now it's time to create a blog post and update my Facebook page before bed!

This is the card:

Never before have I had a sentiment stamp that exactly matched the theme of a challenge but today I have! The current challenge at TIME OUT is to be inspired by the words - "Snowflakes are Winter's butterflies", the exact words I have used!  My original plan was to use some blue and turquoise ink with just a few embossed snowflakes but once I had embossed a couple of snowflakes I decided to keep my design to silver and white.  I cut the stamped panel to add some dimension and interest.

I used:
Uniko  Stunning Snowflakes
Versafine Onyx Black ink
Personal Impressions Silver Dollar Embossing powder
Crafter's Companion Watercolour card

I am entering the following challenges:

TIME OUT #45 - Snowflakes are Winter's Butterflies
UNIKO #27 - Anything Christmas with the optional twist of CAS
Addicted to CAS  #77 - Dimension
AAA Cards #53 Anything Goes

Enjoy!