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!

Distressed Dots ...

I mentioned earlier that I have been trying out some new techniques (new to me!) and I even managed to complete a card using one of them.  The circles were made by inking a solid stamp with two shades of distress ink (one all over and the other just round the edge) then spritzing with water.  I think it creates an interesting effect although I do need to practise more.

I used:

Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Festive Berries
Versafine - Onyx Black
Simon Says Stamp - Lots of Dots stamp set
Clearly Besotted - Dandelion Dreams
Random Flower stamps (no packaging so no idea where they are from!)

I am going to enter the following challenges:

CAS(E) this Sketch


Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

Inkspirational - Bloom

Enjoy!

Patchwork Poppies ...

Sunday sunshine, after a very wet start to the weekend we have been lucky today as the sky is blue and the sun is shining!  I've managed to cut the grass and make a small start on the gardening - still a long way to go!

I found time to create one card for a number of challenges and I've been trying out some new techniques as well (not perfected enough for a card!).  Today's card has been inspired by quilting and poppies also my new love for water colour painting.  I stamped and embossed the image with white embossing powder before painting with water colours and die cutting into small pieces. 

I die cut the sentiment three times to add a bit of weight

I used the following:

Clearly Besotted - Geometric Style Die Collection and Hello Word Die
Habico - Flowers 05 stamp set
Windsor and Newton Water Colours

I'm going to enter the following challenges:

"Less is More" - Recipe week to use a Die Cut
Inkspirational - Word prompt Bloom
CASology - Flower

Enjoy!

Blue Gerbera ...

New stamps quickly become an obsession to me and the Gerbera stamp set from Uniko Studio is no different!  New techniques also have the same effect - having been a participant on the Watercolor course on onlinecardcourses.com (if finishes today) I can see it becoming my go to technique!

Today's card combines both of these obsessions!  Luckily for me this week's theme on one of my favourite challenge blogs, "Less is More", is Flowers, in addition I have used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

I embossed the gerbera with white embossing powder before painting.

I used the following:

Uniko Studio Stamp Set - Gerbera
Tim Holtz Stencil - Stripes
Versamark Ink
Stampendous Embossing Powder
Distress Inks - Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers
Windsor and Newton Water colours

I will enter it into the following challenges:

"Less is More" - Flowers

Freshly Made Sketches


STAMPlorations - Stamps and Flowers

I'm also going to put it in the Gallery on the Watercolor course to show that I have dome some homework!  I used the technique shown by Tim Holtz to create the striped card as well as colouring the stamped image with water colour paints.

Enjoy!

Flower circle ...

A quick post this evening.  This is another card based on this week's sketch at "Less is More".

I used the following:

Derwent Inktense pencils
Woodware Stamp Set Square Garden

I am entering this into these challenges:

"Less is More" Sketch Challenge
Addicted to Stamps and More - Make Your Mark
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Keep It Clean and Simple

Enjoy!

It makes me smile ...

A big  welcome to all of my new followers and hello to all that have been following for a while.  I hope that you are all enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend in spite of the rain that has descended on the UK.  The up side of bad weather is that I can craft without a guilty conscience of not doing the gardening!

So I've been getting messy with paint and trying some new techniques - some worked and some didn't!  I'll be sharing the results with you all over the next few days - the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

This card I created in response to this week's challenge at "Less is More"

"Makes me smile!

It's simply that... something that makes you smile.

 It could be something cute, pretty, humorous, or merely a technique which satisfies you and makes you pleased with your finished article.

SO... lots of scope, but we'd like you to tell us the reason for your choice!"

My family and friends make me happy when I'm with them or thinking of them. To share time with them is very important to me - without this I know there is nothing that would make me smile!   So because of my family and friends there are many things that make me smile - the thought of making someone else smile when I send them a card for no apparent reason, a card just to say "hello, you are  in my thoughts".  

So the challenge set me thinking - what sort of card could I design that would also make me smile.  I decided that the colours of the rainbow combined with flowers would be a good place to start.  Rainbows bring a smile to my face because the sun has to be shining for the rainbow to appear and just who doesn't love to see beautiful flowers!

I created the hexagons by first making a rainbow on a piece of watercolour card using distress inks and loads of water.  I then took a stencil and some gesso to create the flowers (a small masterboard).  It looked like this:

I was pleased with the finished look but knew that I was going to cut it up to create a card so using a hexagon die that is what I did and the rest, as they say, is history!

In addition to the challenge at "Less is More" that inspired my card I will also enter it into challenges at Addicted to Stamps and More where Anything Goes; and Lets Craft and Create: where the criteria is to use Dies and Punches.

Enjoy!