Monday sunshine ...

 There is nothing better on a Monday morning than blue skies and sunshine!! Although I'm retired I still feel that Monday morning feeling especially with the UK still in lockdown ... I keep struggling to look on the positive side but at least I am safe in my craft room!

Today's card:

I created the circle using a stencil and inktense pencils as a water colour wash.  The foliage was created with a stencil and matt black embossing paste.  A simple one layer card.

I was inspired by the following two challenges:

AAA Cards #182

Perfectly CAS #11

Keep positive!

Christmas words ...

Popping in to share a card inspired by the current challenge at AAA Cards - along the edge:

... actually two cards, one design, two colourways!!  I'm not sure I like them - there is something not quite right about them but they were fun and easy to create.

The AAA Cards Challenge #179

Keep crafting!

Along the edge ...

I've started the week with that Monday morning feeling ... I'm sure I should be doing something useful or important but instead I have been messing around with paper and card.  Even this had me going round in circles ... I did mange to create a couple of cards:

 

Simply die cutting and sticking!

I used:

Various snowflake dies

STAMPlorations - Alpha die; Merry Christmas sentiment die

Gelli print for the snowflakes

I'm entering the current challenge at AAA Cards #179

Keep Safe!

Red and Gold ...

Today's been another day of Christmas card making ... having seen the new challenge at AAA Cards I decided to use the sketch (see below) to see what I could do ...

I stamped and heat embossed a panel using a seasonal text background stamp with gold embossing powder.  I also stamped and heat embossed the gift before water colouring the it and then ink blending the panel of text.  I fussy cut the gift and cut the panel into strips. the stripes were adhered flat onto the card base and the gift with foam adhesive.  I finished the card by stamping and heat embossing the sentiment.

Having created one card I had enough pieces to create another three in the same design before moving on and trying out the sketch in a different orientation.

This time using my favourite Christmas colour combination of blue and silver.  Pretty much the same technique as the red and cold but using snowflakes instead of text.

I'm entering the red and gold one in the AAA Cards #178 sketch challenge with the optional twist of using primary colours:

The blue and silver card I'm entering in the CAS Christmas Card Challenge

Keep Crafting!

A Special card ...

I can now share a card I actually made a while ago but needed it to be seen by the recipients before I could share it.  I made this card for my daughter and son-in-law to celebrate their first wedding anniversary - I don't suppose anyone could have guessed what their first year of marriage would be like, certainly nothing like 2020 has turned out to be!!

 

I created a water colour wash down the left hand side and across about a third up from the bottom.  I then stamped over the blue with picked raspberry distress ink and some background stamps.  I finished the card with the die cut heart and the sentiment strip which was hear embossed.

I'm going to enter the current challenge at AAA Cards #178 with out the optional twist

Stay well and Keep Crafting!

Star ...

As October draws to a close I wonder what November will bring ... I'm hopeful that we might get some clear dry days so I can get the garden sorted before winter ... I don't hold out much hope though as we have and another wet, windy and overcast day.  I have taken the opportunity to create some more cards so I thought I would share this one with you:

This is a very simple card ... just a die cut and a clear sticker.  Lots of white space and no embellishments.

I was inspired by the current challenge at AAA Cards

I love CAS cards but sometimes it feels like cheating when I create such a simple card.

Stay Safe!

Fancy a Cuppa?

At last it has stopped raining but I'm still sitting in my craft room!

Today I want to share with you just a quick one layer card ... well I say quick but it took sometime to decide on the design but the execution was quick:

I was inspired by the challenge at AAA Cards #175

I used:

STAMPlorations: Sweet Kindness and Coffee Petites

Lawn Fawn: Milo's ABC

Faber Castell Polychromos Pencils

Stay safe!

Adventures ...

 Good evening!  This is something of a change for me ... two posts in one week!  It has been a while since I created enough to enter any challenges but today I spotted two challenges that provided me with the necessary inspiration - the sketch at AAA Cards and the theme at TIME OUT challenges (full details are at the end of this post).

This is the card I created:

The Adventurous theme brought to mind travel which led to thoughts of rainbows and chasing dreams at the end of the rainbow.  All this led to this card ... I took the sketch (I changed the orientation) and multi stamped the sentiment in rainbow colours.  The stack of suitcases were stamped and coloured using polychromos colour pencils before the image was fussy cut and adhered to the card base with foam tape for added dimension.

I used:

STAMPlorations: Born to Roam

Faber Castell Polychromos Colour Pencils

Distress Inks - Festive Berries, Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet, Spiced Marmalade, Twisted Citron

Memento - Dandelion Ink

Details of the challenges:

AAA Cards #173

TIME OUT Challenges #170

Stay Safe!

Choose Happy ...

Good evening!!!  The sun seems to have taken a holiday today so I've been back in the craft room instead of the garden.  I've started a number of projects but only completed one!

I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment.  I masked off the sentiment and then stamped the flowers, leaves and dots over the top.  That's all simple design, simple technique - the hardest thing was fussy cutting around the sentiment.

I used:
STAMPlorations:  Choose Happy
                             Dee's Artsy Impressions: Frames and Flowers
Distress Inks: Carved Pumpkin, Candied Apple, Twisted Citron and Crushed Olive
Memento Ink: Dandelion
Versafine: Onyx Black
WOW Clear Embossing Powder

I'm entering the following challenges:

AAACards  #165


Perfectly CAS #8


Stay Safe!

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!

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!

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!