Purple Cosmos ...

It's reminder time for the July/August challenge at UNIKO ... it is all about flowers and as the Guest Designer I would love it if you joined in with the challenge.  If you need inspiration pop across to the blog and see the amazing design team cards.  I've created a card using the beautiful Uniko Cosmos stamp - I hope it with provide you with some inspiration to join in with the challenge.

I used:
UNIKO - Pure Florals and Simply Said Stamp sets
Inktense pencils
Distress Oxide - Wilted Violet
Lawn Cuts Stitched Rectangle dies
Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Challenge details:

Please pop along and check out the stunning design team designs and while you are there check out the beautiful stamps and dies created by Bev.

Enjoy!

Gardener's delight ...

Well not quite gardener's delight but certainly a flower inspired card.  I've decided that I am developing (what some might say is) an unhealthy obsession with masterboards - I absolutely love the act of creating them.  I find it relaxing just to be able to sit and colour with Inktense pencils (another obsession!).  I'm even finding it easier to cut them up!

Today's card takes a section from my newest masterboard created with JoFY stamps from PaperArtsy.  I've taken the sketch from Sketch Saturday and turned it on its' head to come up with this.

This is the masterboard that I used sections from:

I used the following;

PaperArsty Stamps: JOFY 09 and JOFY 24
Derwent Inktense Pencils
Distress Ink Seedless Preserves

I'm entering two challenges:

Sketch Saturday


CASology


Enjoy!

Smiling Monday ...

Lots to smile about today!  It's Monday but no work as it's a Bank Holiday.  I've been gardening and managed to clear the patio of most of the weeds.  The sun is shining.  I've created a card which I will enter into a couple of challenges.  The biggest smile was when I found that one of my cards had been chosen as a Top Pick on the STAMPlorations blog - it was the first time I had entered a challenge on this blog and I'm honoured to have been chosen.   You can see the card that was chosen here.  Do take the time to visit STAMPlorations blog they produce a great range of stamps as well as running challenges.

Today's card involves acrylic paint, gesso and a stencil to create a paper - similar to the paper I created for my Rainbow card here.  The colours are not as vibrant as a rainbow but are mellow and soothing - I'm hoping it will make the recipient smile!

The layer of gesso defines the flowers and adds texture

I will enter this into the following challenges:

"Less is More" - Makes Me Smile
Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

Enjoy!

Masterboard revisited ...

A quick post today to showcase another card using a piece of the masterboard I created (see here).  I originally created it following the inspiring example produced by Jo Firth Young on the PaperArtsy Blog.  I loved the whole process of creating the masterboard so much that I am currently creating another one - more on this later!!

This is the fourth card that I have created from this original board.

I'm excited to see that this week at PaperArtsy Jo Firth Young is showing creations that she has created from her masterboard and they are so inspiring.  As the challenge is always a response to the week's contributors I thought I would submit this card to the challenge showing how I used my master board.  Check out earlier posts here, here and here to see other cards made from my masterboard.

Enjoy!

Shadow Stamping ...

Now I'm the first to admit that I do love a challenge ... but I think shadow stamping might be a challenge to far!!  

Since the start of 2014 I have been trying to enter the weekly card challenge at "Less is More" each week. This week the challenge is for a One Layer Card (which I love) with the added twist that it should involve Shadow Stamping - a technique that I haven't used before and may never use again.

I tried lots of different stamps, some I stamped twice without re-inking, some I stamped with a lighter shade and then a darker shade but each time it just didn't seem to work.  I had some success when stamping flowers on kraft card using white ink and a colour but as Jen (one of the Less is More Designers) had used this colour combination I really wanted to do something different.  I finally stamped the image twice without re-inking and then coloured the image with inktense pencils using water to blend and create a wash of colour for the shadow.

This is the result:

I added an embossed box to ground the image

I used the following:

Versafine Onyx Black Ink
Dovecraft Eastern Promise Stamp Set
Clearly Besotted Pretty Petals Plus Stamp Set
Derwent Inktense Pencils

Enjoy!

Tulip Bouquet ...

This is my final post for the day - I promise!

I wanted to use a new set of stamps and dies from Clearly Besotted - the set is Pretty Petals Plus and is part of their April Release.  This is what I've created:-

The photograph does not do justice to the colour, sorry

I used the following:

Clearly Besotted - Pretty Petals Plus stamp set and dies.

Stampin Up - Bermuda Bay ink and card

I am going to enter this into the Clearly Besotted Challenge with the theme of Spring!

Enjoy!