STAMPlorations new release ...

Today I'm sharing a card that I created using one of two a new stamp sets being launched today at STAMPlorations - "It's a girl thing: Sunshine" and "It's a girl thing:Kindness" - these are two simply lovely sets.  Both sets contain encouraging words as well as beautiful images of flowers, hearts, borders and butterflies.  It will be well worth your time popping across to the blog to see the sets in detail as well as some fabulous projects from other designers.

The focus of my card is the words ... I like to create encouraging cards for friends and family ... and by choosing neutral colours my card is suitable for all sexes.  The stamps used are from the "It's a girl thing: Sunshine" set.

I decided to go with the graffiti style with a simple design plus a few messy splatters!! - not really my style but the finish still seems to be Clean and Simple.

There is a prize to be won linked to this release - all you need to do is comment on my post, visit and comment on STAMPlorations blog and visit and comment on the other designers post as well.

The prize - $15 coupon to each to three commenters randomly drawn from comments left on all the blogs

Commenting closes on January 31. Winners will be announced February 10 in the January winners post.

Pop along to STAMPlorations for more examples and full details of the stamps.

Enjoy!

STAMPlorations CUTplorations January Challenge ...

As the New Year begins it is time for a new challenge at STAMPlorations CUTplorations - this month we are looking to the catwalk for inspiration ...

This image has been chosen to inspire you to create a project from an element that catches your eye... is it the colours? the layout? the ladies? ... we need your projects to involve die cutting and one STAMPlorations product.   I was inspired by the colours and the small detail of the black and white stripe down the sides of the third model.  This is the card I created:

I created a panel to die cut the 'Happy' and '2019' using alcohol inks and foil on yupo card - I love the vibrancy of the colours you get from using alcohol inks.  I stamped the 'graffiti style' background using distress inks and a mixture of STAMPloration stamps.  I adhered the panel to the card base using foam tape to add dimension as well as the strip of black and white washi tape.

I used:

STAMPlorations Stamp Sets:

Art Marks, Mixed Media Grunge,

CUTploration dies:

Happy, Numbers Plate Die

Distress Inks - Salty Ocean, Mermaid Lagoon, Peacock Feathers, Twisted Citron

I hope you will be inspired to join in with the challenge and look forward to visiting your blogs.

Enjoy!

AAA Cards ... Sketch challenge

Good morning ... time for the first challenge of the year at AAA Cards.  This year we are still looking for CAS cards (see below for the definition that we work to) but we have added an optional twist for each challenge ... for the first challenge the details are:

For this challenge you need to use this sketch (flipped, rotated or as it appears above) and you have the additional option of using pastel colours.  I've used the sketch as it is and have used pastel colours.

I failed to create enough Christmas cards so am now trying to catch up by sending New Year cards to friends!  This a simple design using dies, some coloured card (created using the shaving cream method) and a stamped sentiment.  I die cut the stripes out of a panel of card and mounted it on to the card base using foam tape for dimension and to lift it off the coloured panel.  I finished by die cutting 2019 multiple times in black car, adhering the stack together to add shadow to the numbers and stamping the sentiment.

I used:

Dienamics High Rise Numbers

Sizzix Border dies 662672

UNIKO Simply Said sentiment

Versafine Onyx Black

I hope you will be inspired to get out your crafty supplies and join in with the challenge.  I look forward to seeing all of your creations.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year ...

... a new year brings with it new challenges and opportunities.  For me, January can be the longest and hardest month to deal with ... a time for reflecting back on the year that has gone and looking forward to the year to come.  One thing I've been thinking about is my blog and how I can improve it ... I seem to get less visitors as time passes. Part of the problem is that I haven't been posting as often as I did so I plan to rectify this (of course this means I need to find more time to be creative!!).

So here we go ... my first post for the New Year ... 

I was inspired to create this card by two challenges:

Time Out Challenges #126


Inkspirational Challenge #177
 

It seems strange to be asked to CASE one of my own designs for a challenge ... this is the original card:

Enjoy!

STAMPlorations CUTplorations December Reminder ...

I've just popped by to remind you that you still have time to join in with this month's challenge at CUTplorations:

Another simple design using Christmas images 'hanging' with gold thread.

I used:

STAMPlorations - Dee's Artsy Impressions, Christmas Bell Medley

                           - Bloom Happy Dies

Don't forget to check out the blog for more inspiration.

Enjoy!

AAA Cards ... Three of Something

Good Morning ... it's time for a new challenge at AAA Cards ... it is the last one for the year so why not get your crafty supplies out and join in!

  

The sponsor for the challenge is UNIKO and I've used one of the stamp sets to create a simple CAS card ...

I stamped and heat embossed the bells with gold embossing powder.  I also embossed the edge of the focal image and he sentiment.

I used:

UNIKO - Jingle Bells

            - Simply Said

WOW Embossing Powder

Versamark Ink

I hope you will join in with the challenge ... I look forward to seeing all of your creations.

Enjoy!

STAMPlorations CUTplorations December Challenge ...

A new month and time for a new CUTplorations challenge at STAMPlorations - this month's inspiration:

It will be no surprise that the image is about Christmas - I hope you have all your cards ready to send, if not then why not take inspiration from the photograph and get making!!!

I've taken the idea of hanging images as decorations:

I die cut three circles from a left over piece of card created with alcohol inks and also from vellum.  I then die cut the circles using a section of a cover plate die to create the pattern and adhered them to the vellum to create Christmas baubles.  Sometimes it pays to look at your dies with a fresh eye and see if you can use them in a way they were not intended to be used. I stamped the sentiment using part of a Christmas Typographia stamp resulting in a card made by selective die cutting and selective stamping!!

I used:
STAMPlorations - Bloomtangled 1 Cover Plate Die
                              - Shaker Balloons #2 Star
                              - Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Dies
                              - Peace, Love and Joy Christmas Typographia Stamp

I look forward to seeing all of your creations.

Enjoy!