Turquoise, turquoise and turquoise ...

It will come as no surprise that I love the colour turquoise - it is such a fresh and clean colour. Today's card is another card using three colours but this time shades of the same colour.

This card is all about stamping and masking and very little else!  I've chosen the three shades to meet the challenge at "Less is More" - I just hope I have left enough white space to meet the criteria.  I've used the sketch from Sketch Saturday and will also pop it into the challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where Anything Goes.

The card

I used the following:

Clearly Besotted - Superstar stamp set and dies
Stampin Up Inks - Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana
Distress Ink - Peacock Feathers

Sketch Saturday this is the sketch:


Enjoy!

Take Three Colours ...

Washing, shopping, gardening, cooking and crafting - what else should you do on your Wedding Anniversary!!  That's all that I've been up to today 28 years after saying 'I do'.  I'm ashamed to say that I bought my husband a card even though I spend all my spare time crafting. I left it too late to create a special card maybe I should make one now ready for next year!

I've just signed up for the 'Watercolour for cardmakers' course at onlinecardclasses.com so have spent sometime today doing pre-course homework!!  I even dragged out a set of water colour paints that I was given as a gift years and years ago but never got around to using.  So I'm all set for the off on Monday.  I'm really looking forward to learning some new techniques.

I have managed to create one card this afternoon to enter into a number of challenges.  I've used three colours to fit this weeks challenge at "Less is More" along with the sketch from CAS(E) this sketch.  The Simonsaysstamp Wednesday Challenge where 'Anything Goes'.

The sentiment is die cut and inlaid into the card

I really have to do something about my photographs - the dots are beautiful turquoise and not as dull in real life as they appear in this photograph.

I used the following:
Simon Says Stamp - Lots of Dots stamp set
Stampin Up Inks - Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana
Stampin Up Card - Bermuda Bay
Navy card from my stash
Clearly Besotted Hello Word Die

I need to finish my post with a big thank you.  Firstly to my new followers - welcome to my blog and thank you for joining me.  Secondly I need to thank the bloggers at Sketch Saturday for honouring me with a top three place for this card.

And finally a big thank you to TIME OUT challenge where "I got Honours at taking Time Out" for this card.

Enjoy!

Happiness ...

Tonight I am childishly excited and honoured that one of my cards has been awarded a 'Top Three Winner' on the CAS - Colours and Sketches blog.  The theme for the challenge was a colour one and you needed to use black and two shades of grey - you can see my card that they thought was a winner here.  Thank you.

It's funny really that tonight I have been working on a grunge style card and it was a grunge style card that was a winner!  I like the idea of grunge but my style is more clean and simple and I find it difficult to get my head around this apparent conflict.  This week at  Addicted to CAS the theme is Grunge whilst bearing in mind the need to produce a clean and simple card - the embodiment of my conflict!

So here is the card I will be entering into the challenge:

The sentiment has been white embossed and then the background water coloured using distress inks

The sentiment has been set on dimensional adhesive

I used the following:

Distress Inks - Vintage Photo, Tea Dye, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed
Versamark
Stampendous White Embossing Powder
Stampin Up Gorgeous Grunge stamp set
Kaisercraft Clear Stamp - Way of Life

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!

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!

Always be ...

It's a real April day today - sunshine and showers (actually sunshine and downpours!!).  You know the kind of day when it's washing out on the line, washing in, washing out on the line, washing in and eventually the weather wins and the washing stays in!

I struggled to get going this morning - I'd planned to spend the day crafting but just didn't know how to start.  I've dabbled with a couple of new techniques to see if they will work for me.  I think I need to practice some more before trying them on an actual project but a lot of messy fun to get me started.

I returned to a tried and tested technique to produce a card for this week's challenge at "Less is More" it is sketch week.  This is my first attempt - I thought I would try a single layer card.

I used the following:
Distress Inks - Fired Brick, Salty Ocean, Seedless Preserves, Festive Berries,  Weathered Wood
Simon Says Stamp - 'Be' Stamp Set
Clearly Besotted - 'Pretty Petals Plus'
Versafine Onyx Black ink

This is the sketch:


Just popped back as I found that the challenge on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is Clean and Simple this week - so thought I would enter here too.

Enjoy!

Black and two greys ...

This is my 100th post!!  I guess that it should be something outstanding or earth shattering but I'm afraid not, it's just another card based episode in my crafting life!

It was back to work today after the Easter break - so it's back to crafting in the evening and at weekends.  I did have an idea for a card developing in my mind over lunch so decided to give it a go this evening.  What do you think:

These cog dies seem to be my go to resource for masculine cards!!

These are not brilliant photographs - I used two shades of grey plus black.  I need to sort out my set up for taking photographs and/or replace my camera - maybe I'll wander around the internet to see if there are tutorials or blogs about good photography!

I will be entering this card into the following challenges:

CAS - Colours and Sketches


TIME OUT Challenges - Happy Birthday with the optional twist of masculine card.

Enjoy!