Purple daisies ...

Good afternoon!  I should be outside gardening but the lure of card and ink was too great so here I am crafting!!

Today's card:

I began by inking the reverse of the stencil with shades of purple distress ink, spritzed it with water and then laid it onto some water colour card.  Once dry I then stamped the daisies with versafine onyx black ink.  I die cut a panel from the sheet, added some black card behind before stitching it to the card base with a sentiment stamped and embossed onto vellum. 

I used:
STAMPlorations - Daisy Dance Stencil and Bloom Sketches stamp set.
Distress Inks - Shaded Lilac, Wilted violet, Dusty Concord and Seedless Preserves
Versafine Onyx Black Ink

I'm entering the following challenges:
"Less is More" #295 - Thread
Addicted to CAS #97


Enjoy!

In the pink ...

I have some exciting news to share with you ... I have been chosen to join the Guest Design Team over at STAMPlorations!!  I cannot describe how delighted and excited I am and to think I very nearly didn't put myself forward when Shery put out the design team call.  Right up until the point that I sent the email I dithered - should I, shouldn't I - but I did and I'm so pleased to have been selected I only hope that I manage to fulfil the role and inspire you to join in the challenges.  I'm joining from October through to December!

I'd like to share a card with you that features some of the beautiful stamps from STAMPlorations - it is a very special card as I created it for my lovely daughter's birthday. This is the card:

I used:

STAMPlorations - Born to Roam (for the sentiment)
                           - Floral Bliss
Distress Inks - Piked Raspberry and Wilted Violet
Sizzix Heart Die
WOW Clear Embossing Powder
Golden Molding Paste

I'm entering the following challenges:
STAMPlorations




And more exciting news - the design team over at CAS Colour and Sketches have selected one of my cards as a weekly winner.  Thank you so much I an delighted and honoured!  This is the card:


Enjoy!

Blue butterflies ...

Another day, another card!

Another time consuming card ... lots of inking and embossing and waiting for ink to dry!  I created the card using the same technique that I used for my Autumn Thanks card that you can see here.  I began by inking the panel with Tumbled glass before stamping and clear heat embossing some butterflies.  I inked the panel again with Mermaid Lagoon, left it to dry and then stamped and clear heat embossed some butterflies.  I did this two more times. Then ironed the panel in an old telephone directory to remove the embossing.  I die cut the square and frame using stitched dies.  The frame is adhered flat to the card base and the butterfly panel is mounted on fun foam before adding to the card. Ta da!!

I used:
Distress inks - Tumbled Glass, Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean and Blueprint sketch
STAMPlorations - Trendy Butterflies

I am entering the following Challenge:

STAMPlorations
 

Enjoy!

Ombre smile ...

Another working week begins ... and it's raining!!  Autumn is on its way and the evenings are drawing in - it will soon be time to switch on the heating ready for hibernation!  In the mean time I'm determined to find time for crafting so this evening after getting in from work I created a card before cooking dinner, this is it:

A simple layout and design using one stamp, a selection of inks and a word die.  I thought it might make a nice card to cheer up a friend.

I used:
Clearly Besotted Geometric Style stamp set.
Distress inks - Tumbled Glass, Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean and Blueprint Sketch
CUTplorations "Smile" die

Once again, I've been inspired by the challenge at "Less is More" - the theme this week is "Diamonds".  My immediate thoughts were all about gem stones but a quick look at the inspirational designs by the "Less is More" team and I knew there was more to the challenge than I first thought!!

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

It's time for another big 'thank you' this time for the fabulous design team over at AAA Cards they kindly placed one of my cards in their top three picks - Thank you.  This is the card they liked:


Enjoy!

Autumn thanks ...

After a hectic week I've been lucky to get an early start to the weekend - school was closed today because of flooding!  So a bonus day off deserved to be dedicated to crafting ... although I haven't managed to finish many cards I have had fun!!  I did manage to finish this card:

This card took quite a lot of "drying" time and "patience"!  The panel is created using the 'iron-off' embossing technique.  I began with inking the panel with fossilised amber then stamped a few leaves with Versamark ink and heat embossed the images with clear embossing powder.  I then inked the panel with carved pumpkin, stamp some leaves with Versamark ink before heat embossing with clear embossing powder.  I continued this process a further three times - allowing the layers to dry before stamping and embossing. When finished I then ironed off the embossing to reveal the vibrancy of all the colours.  I die cut the panel creating a frame and mounted the panel using fun foam to lift it from the frame. The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed with white on a small piece of vellum.

I used:
UNIKO: Beautiful Blooms I and Pure Florals Gerbera
STAMPlorations: Boxed Blooms and Bold Sentiments
Distress Inks - Carved Pumpkin, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, Candied Apple and Fired Brick
WOW Clear and White Embossing Powder

I'm entering the following challenges:

UNIKO Challenge #36


Addicted to Stamps and More #211


TIME OUT #66 Photo Challenge


Enjoy!!

Autumn Leaves ...

Another card ... two in one day!  Well actually this is the third card I've made today but I can't share the other one just yet.

I was inspired by the current challenges at TIME OUT and CAS Colours and Sketches - details of both are below.

I used:
STAMPlorations Trendy Leaves and Bloom Sketches
Distress Inks - Carved Pumpkin, Fired Brick, Scattered Straw and Crushed Olive.

A simple one layer card.

TIME OUT Challenge #65 - Inspired by words:

“Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year.”

CAS Colours and Sketches #190 As you can see I flipped the sketch.


STAMPlorations Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge


Enjoy!

Monochrome flowers ...

Morning!  Card two for the weekend ... I call that a success!  I've a busy week coming up so thought I would treat myself to more crafting today - I have been whizzing around the garden trying to sort and tidy it ready for the winter but it's too hot to do much more today.

My treat for you is a monochrome card - it seems a little strange creating a floral card just in black and white but here it is:

I stamped a number of flowers and then die cut sections (no complete flowers) which have been adhered to a panel of card with foam tape to add dimension.  I die cut 'smile' 3 times before stacking them and adhering them to the card - unusual for me, I added some clear Wink of Stella to the top of the 'smile' to add a little interest. I added a strip of washi tape just to add some balance and extra interest to the finished card.

I was inspired by the current Theme and Sketch challenge at STAMPlorations, I went with the theme:


I used:
STAMPlorations: Floral Bliss
CUTplorations: Smile die
Versafine Onyx Black 
Spellbinders Nestabilities
Washi tape - origin unknown

As I used STAMPloration stamps I'm going to enter the never-ending challenge too:


Enjoy!

Favourite flower ...

Good afternoon ... week one of the new school year is over!  The weekend is here along with the rain ... I need to garden but the weather is against me so I've had no choice but to be creative!!  I'm busy with my knitting needles at the moment - the projects are too secret to share but I will when I can!  I've also been busy creating cards, most of which are also too secret to share!  I do have one card to share:

Apologies for the photograph quality but with all the rain the daylight is quite dull and I've yet to master my daylight lamp - its either too white or too many shadows!

It is One Layer week at "Less is More" with the theme of "Your Favourite Flower".  My favourite flowers are freesias but, as yet, I do not have a freesia stamp - so I turned to my beloved Gerbera!  For those of you that know me you will know that I am forever creating cards with this stamp set.  This time I have used brusho and versamark  to colour the image - you stamp the solid image with versamark and then sprinkle with brusho and spritz with water.  I then stamped the outline image with black ink, added a sentiment and scored lines above and below the sentiment.

I used:
UNIKO - Pure Florals: Gerbera
Brusho - Orange, yellow and lemon
Versamark
Versafine Onyx Black

It is also time to say a big thank you to the STAMPlorations team - they chose one of my cards as a Top Pick - exciting!  I'm always delighted when one of my designs is highlighted in a challenge.  This is the card they liked:



Enjoy!

Peacock colours for Christmas ...

Goodness ... it is Thursday already!!  It is back to work for me this week and what a week it has been and I still have to make it through Friday!!  I did take a bit of time out yesterday to create a card for this week's challenge at "Less is More"  - it's a colour challenge this week and the requirement is to use the colours of peacock feathers.  I need to get on with creating Christmas cards so this is my take on the challenge:

I began by white heat embossed the snowflakes across a panel of water colour card.  I then inked up an acrylic block with three shades of distress ink, spritzed it with water before placing it onto the panel.  I then die cut a rectangle and the sentiment.  The sentiment has been heat embossed with gold. The panel has been mounted onto the card base with foam pads for added dimension and interest ... and that, as they say, is that!

I used:
Uniko Stunning Snowflakes
Creative Expressions 'Happy Christmas' die
Distress inks - Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon and Wilted Violet.

Enjoy!