Wet Saturday ...

Today has been a typical British Summer's day ... it has been raining for most of the afternoon!  I did manage to spend an hour sorting my garden this morning but it definitely needs lots more time spending on it but rain stopped play ... so I had to come in and start crafting!!

I've only managed to create one card ... it seemed to take ages to water colour the panel and then I didn't know what else to do with it!!  Eventually this is the finished card:

I stamped and heat embossed the image before water colouring it with distress inks.  I trimmed the panel and stitched it to the card base.  A stamped and heat embossed the sentiment and adhered it with foam tape to add some dimension.

I used:

STAMPlorations - Bloomtangled ATC #1 

UNIKO - Pure Florals Cosmos

Distress Inks - Mustard Seed, Twisted Citron, Festive Berries, Carved Pumpkin and Ripe Persimmon

White machine Thread

Wow White Embossing Powder

I am entering this into the following:

"Less is More"  #339

Stamping Sensations July Challenge - Anything with Flowers

STAMPlorations Never ending Anything Goes Challenge

Enjoy!

ATSM Mark Your Mark ...

It is simply amazing how quickly the weeks speed by ... it is time for a new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More ... it's Make Your Mark time!

Fancy joining in?  Why not pop along and see all the wonderful inspiring creations by the Design Team ... this is my card, hopefully it will inspire you!

I stamped the row of deckchairs and coloured them using Zig markers. I die cut 'Happy' from the middle and additional letters out of a scrap of card before stacking and adhering them together and placing them back into the panel.  I stamped the birthday sentiment and adhered the panel to the card base.

I used:

Simple Homemade Magazine free stamp set

Die-namics High Rise Alpha Dies

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

I hope you will be inspired to join the challenge and I look forward to seeing your cards.

Enjoy!

No stamping ...

Good evening!! This is the first week of the school summer holidays ... so for me that means no going out to work!!  So far I've had a super time ... I spent Sunday with my beautiful daughter in London to see the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy.  Then yesterday (my birthday) I was treated to a very special lunch.  So today it has been down to work ... gardening to be precise - at least I've made a start but there is still lots to do.

I've even had time to create - inspired by this week's challenge at "Less is More" the theme is no stamps!  So out came my dies, stencil, embossing paste and a scrap of card coloured on my gel plate.  This is the result:

A simple design with some added texture from the paste.

My plan is to spend time every day being creative ... a reward for gardening, sorting and housework!  Mornings will be chores and afternoons/evenings for fun!  I hope to spend some time perfecting my photography skills!

Details of the challenge:



Enjoy!

AAA Happy Rainbow ...

Good morning ... another two weeks has whizzed by and it is time for a new challenge at AAA Cards and this time we are all about rainbow!!  My favourite kind of colour scheme!

I love the contrast between the colours of the rainbow and black/white ... so this was my starting point and this is my card:

I began by finding every 'birthday' stamp that I own and stamped a section of the card using these and black ink. I also stamped a scrap of card using distress inks in rainbow colours and mixed media stamps.  I die cut 'Happy' from the card and replaced the letters with letters die  cut from rainbow coloured scrap.  I die cut additional letters and then stacked and adhered them to make thick letters.

I used:

Various Birthday stamps

STAMPlorations Mixed Media Grunge Stamp Set

Die-namics High Rise Alphabet Dies

Distress inks - Mustard seed, Carved pumpkin, Candied Apple, Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet and Blueprint sketch.

Pop along to AAA Cards and look at all the amazing projects from the design team.  I hope you will be inspired to join in with the challenge.

Enjoy!

Cut Flowers ...

It's time for a new challenge at UNIKO and guess what?  I'm the guest designer!  It is a bonus for being the winner of their last challenge ... I didn't have to think long before agreeing to do it ... I love UNIKO stamps, Bev's designs are simply beautiful.  The theme for the challenge is:

This is the card I created to inspire you all to join in with the challenge:

I began by stamping and masking the flowers before water colouring them with Picked Raspberry distress ink.  I then fussy cut between the flowers to add some interest and added the sentiment.

I used:

UNIKO Beautiful Blooms II; Simply Said

Picked Raspberry Distress Ink

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Do pop along to the blog and check out the beautiful cards from the design team ... you will not be disappointed.  Why not get your supplies out and join in ... you never know you just might win!

Enjoy!

Taking Time Out ...

There are sometimes when you just need to be able to sit and craft ... today is just one of those days!  After an "interesting" day at work there really is nothing better than getting creative ... inspired by the challenge at TIME OUT where the theme is to CASE another designer (See the photograph below) ... I came up with this:

When I first saw the challenge all I could see was the brilliant design by Cornelia and couldn't think what I could do but then I remembered the new stamp and dies from STAMPlorations that I had just received and then I new just what to do!  As you can see I took my cue from the colours and the image ... I added a few splatters just for fun!

It is worth checking out Cornelia's blog for more inspiring projects.

I used:

STAMPlorations - For the Birds stamp set and coordinating dies

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Distress Ink - Twisted Citron

Stampin Up - Off the Grid

I'm also entering:

STAMPlorations Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge

Before I go ... I do have some fun and positive news that certainly has lifted my spirits.  I won UNIKO's last challenge - thanks to the wonderful design team for choosing my card as a winner!  This is the card:

And I received an Honourable Mention from the design team at Mixed Media Challenges for my entry in their June challenge.  This is the index card that I entered ... I'm so excited as I don't do much in the way of mixed media.

Enjoy!

ATSM Photo Inspiration ...

Whoosh ... that's the sound of another week flying by ... so it must be time for another challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More!  This week we have a photograph to inspire you:

What do you see ... for me it is all about the colours and shapes.  So this is the card I created to inspire:

I used:

Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry, Twisted Citron, Mermaid Lagoon and Wilted Violet

Simon Says Stamp - Sketch Ranunculus

Lawn Cuts - Stitched Borders

Do pop along to the blog and check out the awesome designs from the team ... then get out your supplies and create!!

Enjoy!

AAA One layer ...

Before you think you've gone mad and missed a day let me assure you that it is Saturday! Let me also assure you that I haven't lost the plot either and posted on the wrong day ... you see we have teamed up with "Less is More" to bring a joint challenge running from this morning (8th July) until Friday 21st July - so get the supplies out and start creating ... you'll only need one piece of card!  You see it is a one layer challenge with a coloured base!

A double whammy with two design teams out to inspire you ... check out both blogs for lots of inspiration.  I love the challenge posed by One Layer cards ... at least I do after I've come up with an idea!  The coloured base was a bit more of a worry but then I thought about the 'bleaching' technique and all was good! This is my take on the challenge:

I stamped and heat embossed the lily onto the coloured card base and then used bleach to "paint" the image - the main picture shows the effect more clearly.  I then drew a frame around the lily using an embossing pen and heat embossed it and the sentiment in gold.

I used:

UNIKO - Pure Florals: Lily; Originally Organic

WOW - Gold Embossing Powder

Stampin Up - Bermuda Bay Card

Bleach

Why not pop along to AAA Cards and check out the design team projects ... then get out your supplies and join in with the challenge.  I would love to see your creation.

Enjoy!

Feathers ...

This weekend has not gone to plan ... a friend and I had tickets to see Adele perform at Wembley Stadium yesterday evening ... but it was cancelled!!  Fortunately, for me, my friend came up with a Plan B ... we went to London and saw a musical - Kinky Boots - and it was brilliant!!  So sometimes things do turn out alright in the end!  I just hope that Adele's vocal chords recover and I get the chance to see her again!

Today has been mainly about crafting ... 

I created this card with the "Less is More" challenge in mind - the colours of my country's flag.

I used:
Hot of the Press - Feathers Stamp and die set
Distress Inks - Blueprint Sketch, Festive Berries
WOW White embossing Powder

"Less is More" #335


Enjoy!

Inkspiration Guest Design Slot ...

Good morning!  Today I join the team at Inkspirational Challenges as Guest Designer my reward for winning one of their recent challenges ... a real honour.  I'm hoping that my card will inspire you to join in with the challenge.  The prompt for the challenge is "Rural"... 

I wasn't sure which direction to take at first but decided that wild flowers, butterflies, open spaces and beautiful uninterrupted sunsets were all about the countryside and this is what I came up with:

Apologies for the dappled lighting!

I masked off the area and then ink blended the background with distress inks before stamping the image.  The stitched frame was die cut from another piece of card, stamped with the sentiment and adhered to the card base using foam adhesive.

I used:
Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Carved Pumpkin and Candid Apple
Die-namics - Blueprints 29 dies
Papercrafter Magazine Free Stamp Set
Versafine Onyx Black Ink.

I hope you feel inspired to join in with the challenge, please pop by the blog and check out all the inspiring projects from the design team.

Enjoy!