Rainbow Balloons ...

A quick post to show a simple balloon card.  This is another card using the inlaid die technique - I prefer this one to the Speech Bubbles it's more compact and joined up in layout.

The die cut balloons are painted with water colour paints

I used:

Clearly Besotted Stamp and Die Set - Make a Wish

Windsor and Newton Watercolour paints

I'm going to enter the following challenges

Addicted to Stamps and More - Make Your Mark!

CAS(E) this Sketch!

Enjoy!

Speech bubbles ...

It's amazing how much crafting you can do when you have a weeks holiday and the weather is awful - it has done nothing but rain today!

This is my second card and second post of the day.  I don't have a lot to say about this card except there are no flowers and no patchwork shapes! I am a little concerned that it might be too 'Clean and Simple'!

The speech bubbles have been die cut and inlaid

I used the following:

Simon Says Stamp - Be stamp set
Distress Inks - Salty Ocean, Evergreen Bough, Peacock Feathers
Stampin Up Ink - Bermuda Bay
XCut Decorative Dies - Speech Bubbles
Versafine - Black Onyx Ink

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" - with the theme Die Cut
CAS(E) this Sketch!


Enjoy!

Happy Hexies ...

I think I'll describe this card as "a happy accident" because it is nothing like what I set out to create but it seems to work.  

I started by trying to use a technique that I learnt about on the online Watercolor course (onlinecardcourses.com) which involved embossing a background stamp and then using watercolours to selectively colour small sections.  I got off to a good start - stamping with versamark and then heat embossing with white embossing powder.  I selected three blues and a turquoise paint and started to fill in the hexagons.  All was going well until I dropped the brush and splattered the whole piece and then in a childish tantrum I painted over the piece with more water and left it to the side!!   The happy surprise for me was finding it the next day - having dried out it has proved to be quite a pretty background.

The sentiment is white embossed on vellum

I used

IndigoBlu Honeycomb Background stamp
Versamark
Uniko Studio - sentiment from Pure Florals: Gerbera
Windsor and Newton Watercolours

The card is based on the sketch at STAMPlorations


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!

Floral Hexagons ...

It's the weekend!! It's also the start of the half term holiday - a week off work for me.  An opportunity for me to craft when I want and for as long as I want, in between catching up with housework!

This is the third card I've made this week using hexagons in one form or another.

The hexagons have been die cut into the top layer

The stamped images are on the card base

I used the following:

JoFY Stamp - JM34
Clearly Besotted sentiment
Derwent Inktense Pencils
Hexagon die

I'm going to enter these challenges:

CASology - Flowers

CAS - Colour and Sketches


Enjoy!

Gerbera, again! ...

My love of my Gerbera stamp continues and forms the main focus of tonight's card.  I water coloured this one sometime ago and couldn't decide what to do with it that was different.  Last night I was playing with hexagon stamps and an idea began to form and this is the result:

I used the following:

Uniko Studio - Pure Florals, Gerbera

Windsor and Newton Water colours

Clearly Besotted Stamps -Pretty Petals Plus

Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Die - Honeycomb

I'm entering the following challenges:

STAMPlorations - May Challenge Stamps and Flowers

"Less is More" - Flowers

Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes

Enjoy!

Grandma's Flower ...

I've mentioned before my love of crafting with textiles as well as papercrafts, today's card is another reflection of where the two crafts meet.  I've used hexagon stamps to create the same effect as when creating a 'Grandma's Garden Flower Quilt'.  Having created the panel I then embossed it to add depth and texture - this is the same as stitching a quilt.

The embossing is difficult to see in the photographs but it does add a lot of texture.  I used the following:

Stampin Up Inks - Bermuda Bay, Regal Rose, Baja Breeze, Coastal Cabana and Crisp Cantaloupe
Stampin Up Bermuda Bay card and ribbon
Clearly Besotted - Honeycomb Stamp Set
Die'Sire Embossalicious Knit One, Purl One embossing folder.

I'm entering in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes

STAMPlorations Sketch Challenge


Penny Black and More - Anything Goes

Enjoy!

Reach for the stars ...

Just a quick post tonight, I finished this card using a piece of card left over from my Blue Gerbera card posted yesterday.  This is the background I created using distress inks and a stencil to give a water colour effect.

I'm going to enter this into the challenges at:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Die Crazy
Freshly Made Sketches

onlinecardcourses.com

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!

Watercolor* homework ...

At last I've done some homework for my watercolor course!!  Tonight I've water coloured a stamped image .... I'm quite happy with it and really enjoyed completing the image.  I'm not sure about the final composition of the card itself.  Here it is:

The image is from a Uniko Studio stamp set - Gerbera

I used Windsor and Newton water paints.

The Watercolor course is at onlinecardcourses.com - it is brilliant, I need to find more time to practise the techniques.

I will enter the card into the challenge at STAMPlorations  the theme is "Stamps and Flowers"

*I have used the American spelling as a tribute to the course designers!!

Enjoy!

Thank you too! ...

Still avoiding homework!  A quick card, similar in style to the card I posted yesterday but it is cleaner and brighter and all one layer.

The tag is created by using a die to emboss the shape

I used

Stampin Up - Gorgeous Grunge
Distress Inks - Vintage Photo, Spiced Marmalade, Tea Dye

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

"Less is More" - one layer thank you card.

CAS(E) this Sketch!



Enjoy!

Thanks ...

When I was studying I used to find lots of things to do when it came to avoiding homework - tidying my desk, doing the washing up, knitting, reading - in fact I would almost do anything to avoid the inevitable.  It would seem that age hasn't changed me one little bit!  This evening I've tidied my craft table, sorted my stamps all in an attempt to avoid my Watercolor Course homework!!!  A bit ridiculous really as there are no deadlines, no exams and no teacher/tutor to tell me off and yet I feel very naughty!  

I have created a card - not using watercolour techniques but the tried and tested technique of stamping!  I think this fits the challenge at "Less is More" for a One Layer Thank You card - although I am a little concerned about the sentiment stickers.

Apologies for the apparent difference in colours between the photographs but I have a new camera and haven't quite mastered it yet.  I embossed a tag into the card using a tag die, masked it and then stamped around the tag before adding alphabet stickers to create the sentiment.

I used the following:

Stampin Up - Off the Grid,  Gorgeous Grunge stamps
Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo, Tea Dye
Dovecraft - White pigment ink
Do Craft Mini Alphabet stickers

Enjoy!

Watercolour Gerbera...

After a weekend away with family it was back to work today!  Back to crafting this evening - I've managed to make two cards, one consigned to the "I'm not happy with it pile" and one that I'm going to share with you.

As I mentioned I'm doing a Watercolor course  (at onlinecardcourses.com)and should be doing homework every evening but life sometime seems to get in the way so I'm busy playing catch-up!  Tonight I've created a card stamping an image to create a watercolor finish and this is it:

I'm going to enter this card into two challenges:

"Less is More" this week the challenge is a 'One Layer Thank You' card.
STAMPlorations - the monthly challenge - Stamps and Flowers

I used the following:

Uniko Studios Stamp Set - Pure Florals: Gerbera
Clearly Besotted - Many Messages
Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade,  Mustard Seed, Tea Dye

Before finishing I would like to thank the designers at Addicted to CAS they have awarded me CAS Perfectionist for one of my cards for their grunge challenge.  Thank you!  This is the card they liked:

Enjoy!

Wedding Balloons ...

Today I'm in sunny Lincolnshire (at least I hope it is sunny!) for my nephew's wedding! I've scheduled this post so that I could share with you all the card that I created for the lovely couple.

The bridesmaids are going to have purple in their outfits so this is where I started with my design. I then changed my mind numerous times and tried lots of different ideas - balloons, white on white, floral, graphics and all the way back to balloons!  This is the card that made the cut and by the time you read this will be in the hands of the bride and groom!

I used the following:

Clearly Besotted Stamp set and matching dies - Make a Wish
Memento Ink - Grape Jelly
Card from my stash
Embroidery Thread.

Enjoy!

Edit: Sunday early evening.

I've popped back (after a hectic weekend and lots of driving) to enter my card into the following challenges:

Inkspirational - this week is a photograph for inspiration!



The Card Concept - I would describe my card as Clean and Layered and the criteria is for monochromatic purple!



TIME OUT Challenges - No. 5 'Time Flies, Love Lasts'

In stitches ...

As well as papercrafts I love working with textiles - cross stitch, embroidery, sewing, knitting and other textile crafts - so I was delighted to read on Virginia's View Challenge that the theme is 'Stitches'.  This was going to be a chance to combine two of my loves and also a new challenge, so off I went to find inspiration card and threads.  Looking through my stash I came across a circle that I had already hand stitched and so a plan came together and this is my card.

I've left the layout very simple just adding a sentiment and popping the circle onto some dimensional adhesive.  All there is to do now is pop over and enter the challenge.

Enjoy!

Flowers ...

A quick second post for this evening - I started this card at the weekend but kind of lost my way with it.  The initial ideas seemed to disappear into the ether and I was left not knowing what to do - a quick wander around some wonderful blogs and ideas started to form.

I've taken the colour scheme from the challenge at Inkspirational of Pink and Green, with the sketch from STAMPlorations bi-weekly sketch challenge and the monthly challenge also at STAMPlorations where the theme is Stamps and Flowers (I'm not sure whether it is acceptable to enter one card into both challenges, apologies if it isn't).

The card

I haven't included a sentiment at this stage and will add one to suit the occasion

I used the following:

Derwent Inktense pencils
JoFY Stamp JM34

This is STAMPlorations sketch:


Enjoy!

Day One, Watercolor course ...

As I mentioned I have joined the Watercolor course at onlinecardcourses.com. I hoping to learn lots of techniques but I'm not very good at doing homework!  Day one and two are about creating watercolour backgrounds - this is my homework based on one of the techniques which I have enjoyed attempting.

The card base is actually dark navy and not the black it looks in this photograph!

I used watercolour paints that I've had for years but never used - they are going to take a bit of mastering especially as the depth of colour changes as the paint dries.  I'm reasonably happy with the finished card but do need to practise more.

Enjoy!