Patience and die cuts ...

Morning all!  I ran out of time yesterday to post this second card ... made during my day of crafting.  

I die cut the focal point using a Tim Holtz die designed to stay in the card.  I used the same die to cut up some scraps of card coloured using the faux mother of pearl technique (leftover from a previous project) and the inlaid the elements in to the focal point.  I can safely say that I am unlikely to use this die for this technique again - the pieces are just so small and fiddly!!  As you can see, I also used the die to cut the card base to echo the design and to add more interest.  I popped the panel on to the base and stamped the sentiment.

I used:
Tim Holtz Mixed Media #2
Distress Inks - Spun Sugar Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet and Salty Ocean
UNIKO - Simply Said
Dovecraft 3D Pearl Effects

I'm entering the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up April Challenge 


STAMPlorations CAS April Challenge


Enjoy!

Ranunculus ...

Good evening ... I hope you are all enjoying the holiday weekend and have lots of chocolate to hand.  Today I have had a crafty day ... I've made a couple of cards and spent a lot of time messing about with paint, stencils and my gel printing plate.  I seem to have a lot of paper with paint on it but nothing that really makes my heart sing - I guess I'll just have to try again tomorrow!!

This is my first card for the day and is all about Spring colours and flowers:

I used:

Simon Says Stamp! Sketch Ranunculus
Inktense Blocks
Wow White Embossing Powder
Dienamics Stitched Square Dies

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" #324


Inkspirational #132


Enjoy!

One layer wonder ...

When I first started card making and entering challenges the one that filled me with dread was the "one layer card" ... you see sometimes my stamping is not quite perfect (it still isn't!) and stray bits of ink are difficult to disguise without adding more layers!  But I have to say that I do now enjoy the challenge!  Just as well because "Less is More" this week is One Layer week.

This is my first design for the challenge - well, one design, two colourways:

If you are a regular visitor to my blog you will recognise the technique that I am currently obsessed with - faux mother of pearl!  I decided that it would be worth trying on a masked element of a card front to see if it would work ... and it did!  So a simple technique for two very simple one layer cards.  I just need to remember this when I need a card in a hurry!

I'm entering the following challenge:

"Less is More" #323


Enjoy!

Flutter ...

Do you ever remember a technique that you haven't used for ages ... and then keep doing it?  I was showing my mum how to do the faux mother of pearl technique using pearl effects, distress inks and cling film ... so having created a number of panels using different colours I decided I would try to make a card with them.  Also I find that when my creative mojo goes off for a walk trying out old and new techniques sometimes gets the ideas flowing again.  So this card uses some of the panels:

I die cut the pale blue using a Tim Holtz mixed media die which is designed to stay in a piece of card but I thought if I trimmed it, it would look like a piece of lace.  I die cut the solid butterfly in pink faux mother of pearl before layering the detailed white die cut on top. Stamped the sentiment and then added it all to the card.

I used:
Tim Holtz Mixed Media #2 Dies
CUTplorations (STAMPlorations)  Flutter Zen 1 Layering dies
Distress Inks - Tumbled glass, Mermaid Lagoon, Spun sugar, Picked Raspberry.

I'm entering the following challenges:

STAMPlorations - April Anything Goes with the twist



STAMPlorations Never-Ending Challenge



"Less is More" #322




Enjoy!

Things with wings ...

Today is the first day of a 'Blog Hop and Linky Party' over at STAMPlorations ... and I'm lucky enough to be joining in!  Why not pop over and check it out - there are prizes to be won as well as an opportunity to visit lots of blogs and view some amazing creations.  We are celebrating Spring ... with wings!

I'm hoping that my card will inspire you to join in with the fun!

I created a patterned piece of card before using it to die cut the butterfly and sentiment.  Isn't that a beautiful butterfly die ... it is part of the new release from STAMPlorations and there is a matching solid butterfly die which you can just see peeking out from underneath.  I love created patterned card to use for die cuts it just seems to add the right amount of colour but with extra interest that you just don't get from a flat colour.  I also white heat embossed the base card with some solid butterfly images - not very easy to see in the photograph but it just adds a bit of interest.

I used:
CUTplorations - Flutter Zen 1 Layering dies,  Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Dies,
Sweet Spring Wishes Die
STAMPlorations - Mixed Media Grunge, Mixed Media Elements and Trendy Butterflies
Distress Inks - Tumbled Grass, Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch

Pop along and join in the fun!

Epic Stamping ...

Another month ... can you believe we've made it to April already?!  In the UK it's a month of sunshine and showers ... and that, of course, creates rainbows and that is my inspiration for this card.  I hope that this will inspire you to join in with the new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More - this week it is your choice as Anything Goes 

I hope you will feel inspired to join the challenge.  This is my card:

This card is all about stamping - three stamps and six distress inks.  I treated myself to a stamp positioner and it proved to be invaluable for creating this card.

I used:

STAMPlorations - Grunge Floral Strip

Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean, Candied Apple, Carved Pumpkin and Wilted Violet.

I hope you will pop along and join in with the challenge.

Enjoy!

Pastel ...

That's another week that has whizzed by and a new month begins ... it's hard to believe that a quarter of the year has gone and there are still New Year resolutions that I haven't even made a start on!!!  The upside is that Spring is here in the UK ... blue skies, sunshine and flowers blooming in the garden ... just what the doctor ordered!

A new month brings round the colour challenge at "Less is More" and this week it is ... Pastels!  This is a stretch for me ... so here goes:

Soft and gentle!  I began by stamping and heat embossing some of the images on a scrap of card.  I then stamped the images onto a panel of card using a mix of distress inks.  I die cut the embossed images and popped a couple onto the stamped image just to add some dimension.  I heat embossed the sentiment onto some vellum and added that to the panel.

Do you have problems deciding how and where to add a sentiment?  I always have problems deciding what to do so a lot of the time I just don't add one!!  Now I'm quite happy to create a card without a sentiment but sometimes wonder if that means my card looks unfinished.  Should I start with the sentiment and work out where it needs to go and then place the focal image? How do you decide what colour ink to use for your sentiment?  Which sentiment should you use?  What about the type face? ... questions but no answers!  Maybe I should just shut up about it!

I used:

Clearly Besotted - Simply Quilled Stamp set and matching dies
Distress Inks - Spun Sugar, Squeezed Lemonade and Dried Marigold
WOW White embossing Powder

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" #322


Stamping Sensations - April Challenge, Anything Goes

March ended on a high note for me ... I was Top Pick for the CAS Mix Up Card  Challenge. Thank you to the Team for choosing my card ... I always get childishly excited when I am chosen as a challenge winner ... thank you, it means a lot.  This is the card:



I'm off to do the ironing now ...

Enjoy!