Tuesday 31 March 2020

Stencil too ...

Good afternoon another sunny day in Oxfordshire ... I hope you are all keeping well and safe.

Today's card:




A simple and quick card created by first stencilling the flower with acrylic paint before adding detail with coloured crayons.  I die cut the image creating a frame from part of it.  The main image is adhered to the card front and then I created a window panel added the frame and popped the front onto the card with foam tape to add some dimension.

I used:
UNIKO Pure Florals Chrysanthemum stencil
Dienamics Stitched circles nesting dies
Simon Says Stamp Happy 3 x 4 Stamp Set
Faber Castell Polychromos

I'm entering the following challenges:

AAA Cards #162


Perfectly CAS Challenge #7


Before I go I need to say a great big thank you to the team at the Twofer Card Challenge for the Honourable Mention that I received for my entry in the March Challenge ... I'm a big child at heart and get very excited when I 'win' a challenge.  These are the cards that got me the Honourable mention.












Take care and stay safe!

Sunday 29 March 2020

Simple stencil ...

Wow it's been very, very windy and quite chilly today ... so I hunkered down to do some crafting (after my daily walk).  Ideas were in short supply so quite a bit of the time was wasted gazing out of the window!  I did manage to create this card:



A simple card made in a matter of minutes - I did use my heat gun to set the texture paste!

I used:
A scrap of card previously created with acrylic paint and a brayer - actually it was a clean up sheet from a session of gelli printing.
Dreamweaver Black Embossing Paste
Sweet Poppy Brass Stencil
STAMPlorations Clear Stickers Shine Bright

I was inspired by the following challenges:

AAA Cards #162



Addicted to CAS #181


Stay Safe!

Saturday 28 March 2020

Floral One Layer ...

I've created a card for the new challenge at "Less is More" and this time the challenge is to create a one layer card with NO sentiment!!  I like to make cards without a sentiment because then I can add one if and when required.  However, when I create one layer cards I find that adding the sentiment is the real challenge!

This is my card:



Once I had stamped and water coloured the image I felt that the card lacked something so decided to add a pierced border to frame the flowers - hopefully adding a little more interest.  I guess I could have coloured all of the flowers but I quite like the subtlety of limiting the colour pallet.

I used:
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
Versafine Onyx Black Ink
WOW Clear Embossing powder
STAMPlorations Softly Stamp Set



Stay Safe !

Single Rose ...

Just a quick post to share this card:



A simple card made with a rose leftover from an earlier project, a piece of grey/silver card stock.

I used:
UNIKO Pure Florals: Rose
Spellbinders Square Nesting Dies
Poppystamps Stick Frame die
Distress Ink Festive Berries
Versafine Smokey Gray Ink

I'm entering the current challenge at Perfectly CAS

Stay Safe!

Friday 27 March 2020

We Can Do This ...

... social distancing is hard for us all but I know that we can do this ... I know that we have to do this for the good of our family, friends and complete strangers ... so stay home, stay strong and stay safe ...

I continue to try and occupy my days ... crafting, housework, keeping in touch via social media and telephone with family and friends ... we've even had sunshine for the last two or three days in the UK so I've been able to make a start on the gardening.

This afternoon I have created a card for the challenge at TIME OUT:

the third 'flower' is the a shadow ... to much sunshine!



I used:
Stampin Up - Gorgeous Grunge and Off The Grid
Distress ink - Wilted Violet
Distress Oxide - Wilted Violet
Sizzix Tim Holtz Wildflowers die
Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles
STAMPlorations Clear Stickers Shine Bright

It is a special challenge at TIME OUT designed to increase awareness about Epilepsy - please check out the blog for more information and join in with the challenge to help increase awareness.

TIME OUT Challenge #158


Stay Safe!

Sunday 22 March 2020

Happy Mother's Day ...

It's not the easiest of Mother's Days for any of us this year so stay strong in the knowledge that you are loved by your children and hold on to the thought that when you meet up the hugs will be enormous ... and possibly cause bruises!!

It is not difficult to see who inspired this card:


I used:
PaperArtsy Eclectica EEVIO
Uniko Simply Said
Simon Says Stamp Happy
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

I'm entering the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More #381


Stamping Sensations March ... Spring Florals

Take care and Stay Safe!

Tuesday 17 March 2020

Hey, Chick Take Two ...

Another day of uncertainty and another afternoon of crafting ...

Today's contribution to the great card stash is inspired by this month's Twofer Card Challenge where the theme is Spring Animals.





I used:

Stampin Up: Hey,chick stamp set
Simon Says Stamp Happy stamp set
Lawn Fawn Milo's Alphabet
Distress Inks - Festive Berries, Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed
Versafine Onyx Black

The challenge details:


Enjoy and Stay Safe!

Sunday 15 March 2020

Hey, Chick ...

Back again ... three posts in one day must be something of a record for me!!



I used:
Stampin Up: Hey, Chick
Lawn Fawn:  Milos ABC
UNIKO: Simply Said
Robert Addams Trellis Die
Dienamics Stitched Circles
Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Festive Berries, Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron

I'm entering the current challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches


... also the Craft Stamper Magazine March Anything Goes take It Make It Challenge

Enjoy!

A splash of colour ...

I hope you are all keeping safe ...

Today's creative distraction:



A simple card inspired by the new challenge at AAA Cards:


... without the twist!!

I used:

Stampin Up: Gorgeous Grunge
STAMPlorations: Art Expression
Distress Inks: Festive Berries, Spiced Marmalade, Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean, Seedless Preserves, Wilted Violet.
Memento Dandelion
Versafine Onyx Black
Spellbinders Square Nesting Dies

Enjoy!

STAMPlorations March Challenge reminder ...

Have you joined in with this month's STAMPlorations Theme and Photo challenge ... if not then you still have time!!  The challenge prompt:

Hopefully this project will inspire you to join in ... once again my second project for the challenge is not a card!!  I've created a set of ATC's to inspire you to get crafting ... not my usual CAS style but full of mixed media:






I used:
STAMPlorations - CUTplorations ATC Tag Builder die
                           - Sanna Lippert Leaves 2 stencil
                              - Bloomdala Bliss
                           - Mixed Media Grunge
Versafine Smokey Grey Ink
Distress Inks - Seedless Preserves and Weathered Wood
Reeves Molding Paste 

I hope you'll find the time to join in.

Enjoy!

Saturday 14 March 2020

Mixed Media Bird ...

Back for my second post of the day ... this time not quite such a CAS card ... I'm trying to extend the range and type of cards I create ... although CAS remains my favourite!!



Stamping, layering and die cuts ... hopefully resulting in a tidy mixed media card!!

I used:
STAMPlorations Distressed Damask Background Stamp (retired)
STAMPlorations For the Birds
CUTplorations For the Birds Coordinating Dies
Versamark Ink
Stampin Up Not Quite Navy Ink

I'm going to enter the following challenges:

TIME OUT Challenges - 6th Birthday Anniversary!! I've even include the optional extra of die cutting!!



Craft Stamper March Take It Make It Challenge

Enjoy!

Roses ...

I hope you are all keeping safe ... it is a difficult time for the world health ... hopefully the storm will pass quickly and life will return to some semblance of normal.  I think being creative helps to distract from things that you cannot control.

I have quite a number of projects that I hope to post but writing blog posts is not easy for me, I'm never quite sure what to say.  So first up is a card inspired by the new challenge at "Less is More" - it is a colour challenge this time - red, raspberry and grey




I used:

UNIKO Pure Florals: Rose
Simon Says Stamp Happy stamp set
Spellbinders Nesting Square dies
Crafters Companion Rustic Lattice
Distress Inks - Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry and Pumice Stone
Versafine Smokey Grey Ink
WOW Clear Embossing Powder

Challenge details:

Less is More

Craft Stamper Magazine Take It Make it Challenge
March Anything Goes Challenge

Enjoy!

Sunday 8 March 2020

Sunday Geometric Symmetry ...

Balance in everything ... a simple card created with geometric shapes and card coloured with stencils, modelling paste, acrylic paint and a gel printing plate:



A simple design and easy to make card ... especially useful when you need a card and have little time available to make it!!

I used:
Acrylic Paints
Stencils
UNIKO Simply Said Blocks
Clearly Besotted Geometric Style II dies

I'm entering the following challenge:

Addicted to CAS #179


Enjoy!

Tuesday 3 March 2020

Steam Punk ...

Today's project is a very different style to my usual ... it is far from being "Clean and Simple" and the colour scheme is not something I choose very often.



I used:
Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo, Rusty Hinge, Black Soot
PaperArtsy - Electica ESN05
Tando Creative Mask: Cogs Group
Dreamweaver Black Embossing Paste
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Remnants Rubs Numbers
Tim Holtz Cogs Die
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Chitchat
STAMPlorations Stitched Tags Nesting Dies

I was inspired by this month's challenge at The Artistic Stamper where the theme is - Steampunk.

Enjoy!

Monday 2 March 2020

Simple Best wishes ...

Another successful Monday "being retired"!!  I think I'm slowly getting into the swing of retirement although it is still strange and I feel quite "naughty" crafting during the week!  However, it is nice to be able to join in with more challenges as they really do provide inspiration ... I still need to try harder though!

One of today's project was in response to the challenge at TIME OUT (details below).



I used:
Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits Wildflowers
Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles
Visible Image Go To Words
Acrylic Paints

TIME OUT Challenges #156


Enjoy!