Monday 30 June 2014

Recycled too ...

We are now half way though the year!  It's hard to believe that tomorrow we start the seventh month of 2014 - where has the year disappeared to?  I've even started thinking about Christmas cards.  I know that many create Christmas cards all year round but I find it difficult to be inspired when the sun is shining and the doors are open.  However, I have been trying out an idea that I might use this year - when I'm happy with it I'll share it and see what you all think.

Less chat, more action!  Here is the card I would like to share tonight:



This week's challenge at "Less is More" is to 'Use a recycled item!' - this card combines a recycled design (not sure this is what the Less is More Designers intended!!) along with a piece of a coca cola can!  I heat embossed the sentiment onto a piece of the can - I wasn't totally convinced the technique would work but it has although there is some embossing powder where it shouldn't be.  I then used an embossing folder to add texture to the metal.  I had to stick the metal onto a piece of black card stock to stop it from curling!

I used:
Kaisercraft Clear Stamps - Way of Life
Versafine Onyx Black Ink
Stampin Up - Off the Grid and Gorgeous Grunge

Enjoy!

Sunday 29 June 2014

Geometric birthday ...

A quick post this evening to showcase a card I made for my son's birthday.



The background for the letters was created by inking a stencil with distress inks, spritzing with water and then laying onto watercolour card - I love this technique as it extends the use of stencils.

I'm entering these challenges:

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Enjoy!

New home ..

I think this is one of the quickest cards that I have ever made - unless you count the thinking time!

I've created it using an old cork coaster.  I bought an old wooden box at a car boot sale recently which was full of 'useful stuff' - there was half a dozen old cork coasters and quite a few old wooden cotton reels.  I very nearly threw the coasters away but I'm really pleased I kept them.  I think the design of this card is simplicity itself 



I used the Tim Holtz Alteration Die - On the edge.

I'm going to enter these challenges:

"Less is More" - it's a recipe this week, the challenge is to 'use a recycled item'
Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes

Enjoy!

Wednesday 25 June 2014

Happiness ...

Bright and colourful card to celebrate the sunshine!

It is a simple take on the TIME Out challenge where we are asked to CASE a beautiful card created by Donna Mikasa. This is my one layer take on the design:



I used:

Distress Inks - Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed
Versafine Onyx Black
Dutch Doobadoo - Dutch Mask Art A5 Fabric
Kaisercraft Clear Stamps - Way of Life

This is the TIMEOUT Challenge inspiration


I'm also going to enter the challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More where Anything Goes!

Enjoy!

Monday 23 June 2014

Pretty in pink ...

Another sunny day, another gerbera card - I promise this is the last one ... for this week!!!

Again I'm going to enter the challenge at "Less is More" as I have watercoloured the image using Inktense pencils.

















Enjoy!

Sunday 22 June 2014

Return of the Gerbera ...

It's difficult for me to stay away from my Gerbera stamp for too long and here it is back again!

Before I begin I need to say a big 'Thank You' to the designers over at "Less is More" as they have selected me as the monthly winner for May.  I love this challenge blog and try to enter a card every week - they are so supportive of all the people that enter the challenges. I'm honoured, thank you!

It seems fitting that tonight's post is a card created for this week's challenge at "Less is More" where the challenge is to use Watercolour.  

I first masked a square in the top half of the card, stamped the gerbera and drew in the square with a fine liner.  I watercoloured the image and then cut away the square.  Less talk, more action - here is the card:

You can see garden through the aperture!


I used:
Uniko Studio stamp set - Pure Florals: Gerbera
Windsor and Newton Watercolour paints

Enjoy!

Saturday 21 June 2014

Rainbow borders ...

Happy sunny Saturday! Smiles all round, it's amazing what a bit of sun and warmth will do.

I made this card when I should have been making one for my son - it's his birthday tomorrow.  I have difficulty designing for men and those that I've made my son as already seen as he is my number one critic (in a positive way!).




I started the day with my usual problem with deciding which colours to use but was helped by the challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More this is the inspiration:


The inspiration for me was the rainbow of colours so that was my starting point along with the stamp set Grunge Floral Strips from STAMPlorations.

I used:
Distress Inks - Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Seedless Preserves
STAMPlorations Stamp Sets - Vignette: Grunge Floral Strips and Subway Builders: DARE

As well as Addicted to Stamps I am going to enter the monthly challenge at STAMPlorations where the theme is Stamps and Borders.

Enjoy!

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Golden bloom ...

I've another clean and simple one layer card to show for this evening's efforts!  I've tried a new to me technique using a stencil, distress ink and cosmic shimmer texture paste.  It's a fun technique to do but not very easily photographed - in fading light it is quite difficult to see the shimmer the paste creates but trust me in real life there is a lovely sheen to the image.  I might try to get another photograph in the sunshine!



I used:

Distress Inks - Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Pine Needles
Cosmic Shimmer Clear Texture Paste
Imagination Crafts Stencil
STAMPlorations - Subway Art Builders: DARE

I am going to enter the following challenges:

"Less is More" - One Layer card, Off the Edge
Inkspirational - CAS
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Stencil It

Enjoy!

Monday 16 June 2014

Border blue ...

Tonight's effort is a tribute to blue!  A clean and simple card based on the new sketch at STAMPlorations and using two new stamp sets that I treated myself to from STAMPlorations,



I used:

Stampin Up Ink - Not Quite Navy
STAMPlorations Stamp Sets - Vignette: Grunge Floral Strips; Subway Art Builders, DARE

I am entering the following challenges:

STAMPlorations


Addicted to Stamps and More - CAS

Inkspiratonal - CAS

Enjoy!

Sunday 15 June 2014

Pretty Poppies ...

I've had a hectic weekend with lots of driving including a traffic jam that added two hours to my journey - I was merely trying to get from Oxfordshire to Lincolnshire on a Friday evening!  I was visiting my parents so no time for crafting but lots of time for discussing ideas with my mum (an avid card maker) and craft supply buying, always fun!

I did get back earlier enough to have a little dabble with a new stamp set and  some water colour paints - not the most exciting card I've ever made but it satisfied my need to create something before the weekend was over!



Simple layout created with the following:

Versafine - Smokey Gray
IndigoBlu Stamp Set - "Live Laugh Love"
Windsor and Newton Watercolour paints.

I am entering the following challenges:-

"Less is More" - One Layer Card and Off the Edge
Inkspirational - Clean and Simple

Enjoy!

Thursday 12 June 2014

Teeny tiny card ...

Evening!  Popping by for a quick chat and to share tonight's contribution to the card crafting world.  I've combined a couple of challenges to create a very small card - a task I thought would be relatively easy, how wrong could I be!

This month's challenge at Virginia's View Challenge is to create a Tag or Scrapling (I wasn't sure what a scrapling was but basically it is a very small card!) incorporating something that you've recycled.  I also decided to have another go at the Bleach Blocking challenge at Craft Stamper Magazine - I love this technique for adding texture to the background.

This is the card - not a brilliant photograph!





The colours are a lot cleaner in real life, my photography skills seem to have left me this evening I guess it doesn't help that I've had to use artificial lighting.  The card is approximately 1.5 inches by 4.5 inchies.

I used:

Distress inks - Shaded Lilac, Spun Sugar and Seedless Preserves
PaperArtsy - JOFY 11 stamp set
Recycled string from a clothing tag for the bow.

Enjoy!

Tuesday 10 June 2014

Talking Dad ...

Just a quick post tonight to share my card for my Dad on Father's Day - it is not the most exciting card but hopefully he will like it.  Unfortunately my Dad doesn't have many hobbies so it was quite difficult to know where to start, add to that a distinct lack of suitable 'male stamps' and I had to resort to a graphic based card.

The speech bubbles have been die cut, coloured, stamped and then inlaid into the card front.



I used:

Distress ink - Salty Ocean
Stampin Up Ink - Not Quite Navy
XCut Speech Bubble dies

I'm going to enter the following challenge:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Fathers Day/Masculine
Inkspirational - Designers Choice CAS

Enjoy!

Sunday 8 June 2014

Border flowers ...

I spent a great amount of time last week moaning about colour challenges and yet I seem to be strangely attracted to them!  On reflection I think my problem was more to do with the colour pink than anything else.  So here is today's card based on two colour challenges and a sketch challenge.


The sentiment is heat embossed on velum.
I used the following
Distress Ink - Mustard Seed
Stampin Up Ink - Coastal Cabana and Lucky Limeade
Versamark Ink
Stampendous White Detail Embossing Powder
Simon Says Stamp -  Handwritten Borders
V&A Stamps sets based on Patchwork Quilts housed in the museum.

I will enter the following challenges:
"Less is More" - the colour of your bedroom (I've used the colours of my bed linen)
CAS Colours and Sketches - colour challenge, daffodil delight, tempting turquoise and wild wasabi
CAS(E) this Sketch


STAMPlorations June Challenge - stamps and borders

Enjoy!

Saturday 7 June 2014

Bleach Blocking ...

The newest issue of Craft Stamper magazine has a tutorial from Hels Sheridan on bleach blocking - a technique using distress inks and water to create an interesting background.  I thought I'd better have a go to see for myself what I could create.  I love the technique it is so straight forward but really effective.  The June challenge at the Craft Stamper blog is to use this technique so that is what I have done.  The finished card is very different to the first card I made today!


I paper pieced the flowers and popped onto dimensional
I chose the colour palette to reflect the blue of the summer sky when the sun is shining with the flowers (although stylised) looking up and happy.  I used a stamp that I bought ages ago and have just looked at and admired but never used and also some pearl embellishments that have never been opened! 

A blog friend, Darnell of djkardkreations, is celebrating reaching 500 followers by organising a challenge for her followers - the challenge is to create a card using NBUS (this Darnell defines as "never-before-used schtuff" ) so this card is also for her challenge.  Please pop over and check out her blog - her cards are amazing and her posts are smile inducing!

I used the following:
Distress Inks - Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers and Evergreen Bough
PaperArtsy Stamp set - JOFY 11
Hobbycraft large white pearls coloured black with Spectrum Noir
Kaisercraft Clear Stamps - Curiosity

I will enter these challenges:

Craft Stamper - Bleach Blocking

TIME OUT Challenges - Summer with the optional twist of flowers


Enjoy!

Lime and Lemon ...

Today has turned out to be a beautiful day - we started with a torrential downpour which didn't look as if it was ever going to stop and now the sun is shining and the sky is blue.

My first card for the weekend is simple, clean and created with my go to stamp set - Uniko Studio's Pure Florals: Gerbera - the leaves are the feature this time!  I've taken the colours from a duvet cover - this week's challenge at "Less is More" is a colour challenge and you are to use the Colours in Your Bedroom.



I used the following:
Uniko Studios - Pure Florals: Gerbera Stamp Set
                         - Today, Tomorrow, Always, TIME
Derwent Inktense Pencils
Stampin Up Lucky Limeade Ink

I'm going to enter these challenges:
"Less is More" - colour challenge


TIME OUT Challenges - Summer with the optional twist of flowers

Enjoy!

Tuesday 3 June 2014

Pink Gerbera ...

I couldn't resist returning to my very favourite stamp - the Gerbera - for another card.  Apologies to my wonderful followers for the repetition but I still have love this stamp and believe it or not I have even more ideas!!  I also wanted to enter another card in the Uniko Studio challenge and it just seemed appropriate to use my favourite stamp.

I've been a bit of an idiot as I've struggled to create pink with my water colour paints and moaned because I didn't have the 'right' pink in a stamping ink and all the time I had a JOFY Limited Edition set of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics which includes two shades of pink!!  I think I need to remember to think outside of the box and repeat '.. all resources can be used to create cards ... all resources can be used to create cards ..."

I began by white embossing the image on water colour card, then painted the image with the acrylics, cut a panel to go on the top with a 'window' opening and stamped a sentiment.




I'm entering this card into these challenges:

Uniko Studios


Inkspirational - Bloom

Enjoy! 

Monday 2 June 2014

Stamping type ...

I decided to forget all about matching colours this evening and just use the whole rainbow!  I've also had a bit of a giggle at my own expense. You see the challenge at "Less is More" this week involves 'Using more than One Stamp' but there is no prize for using the most - if there was I think I could possibly be a contender.  I've used 27 stamps! - check it out:



I've used the sketch from the new challenge at STAMPlorations:



I masked off a panel, randomly stamped letters, stamped the typewriter, cut it out and mounted it on dimensional adhesive.

I used the following:

Distress Inks - Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean and Seedless Preserves
STAMPlorations Vignette: Old Type
Happy Day Clear Stamps - free with a magazine

Enjoy!

Sunday 1 June 2014

Surprise Post ...

The surprise to me is that I managed to create another card which involved a colour challenge - this time the challenge named the colours that were needed so no colour matching involved on this occasion.  I've realised that it was problems I was having with colour matching that was causing my creativity to dive bomb!  So onto the card ...



I was lucky with this challenge as although I don't have many Stampin Up inks - I did have two out of the three listed for the Color Throwdown challenge and a third that is similar (I hope!).

I used the following:

Uniko Studio - Today, Tomorrow & Always TIME
Clearly Besotted -sentiment from the Pretty Petals Plus stamp set
Stampin Up Inks - Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana and Baked Brown Sugar
All Occasion Dies - Trellis Trio Part 2

I am going to enter the following challenges:

Color Throwdown 


"Less is More" - Lucky Dip using more than one stamp

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Enjoy!

Pink and Pink ...

Last day of my week off work and the sun finally decides to shine with attitude!  At least I'm getting the washing dry!

I've been struggling this weekend to find my creativity - I've dabbled with inks, cut up pieces of card, failed to create a stencil, struggled to find colour combinations that work!  I have succeeded in creating a lot of  scraps/off cuts that may or may not end up in the bin!

I wanted to enter the challenge at Uniko Studio but I didn't feel I could continue my obsession with the Gerbera Stamp set (I do still really like it and enjoy creating with it!!) as luck would have it I treated myself to a new set from the lovely Beverley (thanks for the discount!) - Today, Tomorrow & Always TIME - so I thought I would give it a go!

My next problem was colour matching, the theme for the challenge - Thinking of You with the following colour combination



This is where my problems really started - in a desire to be as close to the colours as possible I seemed to go round and round in circles.  I've decided that I really do not like Pink!  I had to resort to mixing a couple of shades of pink with my water colour set and came up with this:

Apologies for the jaunty angle of the photograph!


I heat embossed the stamps and then coloured with water colour paints, cut the panel up into strips and the mounted on the card base using dimensional adhesive.

I used:
Uniko Studio - Today, Tomorrow and Always TIME
Stampendous Embossing Powder
Simon Says Stamp - Handwritten Borders Set

I'm going to enter

Uniko Studio
"Less is More" - it is Lucky Dip week and the challenge is to 'use more than one stamp'

Finally I would like to thank the designers over at Addicted to Stamps for giving one of my cards an Honourable Mention - this is the card they liked:


Enjoy!