Pastel ...

That's another week that has whizzed by and a new month begins ... it's hard to believe that a quarter of the year has gone and there are still New Year resolutions that I haven't even made a start on!!!  The upside is that Spring is here in the UK ... blue skies, sunshine and flowers blooming in the garden ... just what the doctor ordered!

A new month brings round the colour challenge at "Less is More" and this week it is ... Pastels!  This is a stretch for me ... so here goes:

Soft and gentle!  I began by stamping and heat embossing some of the images on a scrap of card.  I then stamped the images onto a panel of card using a mix of distress inks.  I die cut the embossed images and popped a couple onto the stamped image just to add some dimension.  I heat embossed the sentiment onto some vellum and added that to the panel.

Do you have problems deciding how and where to add a sentiment?  I always have problems deciding what to do so a lot of the time I just don't add one!!  Now I'm quite happy to create a card without a sentiment but sometimes wonder if that means my card looks unfinished.  Should I start with the sentiment and work out where it needs to go and then place the focal image? How do you decide what colour ink to use for your sentiment?  Which sentiment should you use?  What about the type face? ... questions but no answers!  Maybe I should just shut up about it!

I used:

Clearly Besotted - Simply Quilled Stamp set and matching dies
Distress Inks - Spun Sugar, Squeezed Lemonade and Dried Marigold
WOW White embossing Powder

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" #322


Stamping Sensations - April Challenge, Anything Goes

March ended on a high note for me ... I was Top Pick for the CAS Mix Up Card  Challenge. Thank you to the Team for choosing my card ... I always get childishly excited when I am chosen as a challenge winner ... thank you, it means a lot.  This is the card:



I'm off to do the ironing now ...

Enjoy!

Reverse stencil ...

After a busy weekend with my parents in Lincolnshire ... I decided to take some time out this evening to create a card even though I should be ironing!!!

I created the focal point by inking the reverse of a stencil using distress inks, I then spritzed it with water before placing onto a panel of water colour card.  I let it sit for a few seconds - mopping up any escaping ink with a piece of kitchen roll.  Once the panel was dry I stamped the flowers with the coordinating stamps.  I die cut a square from the panel - leaving lots behind for another card! I also die cut two frames - one black, one white - then combined all of the elements, added a sentiment and considered the card finished!

I used:
Distress inks - squeezed lemonade, mustard seed, dried marigold, ripe persimmon
STAMPlorations - Daisy Dance Stencil and Bloom sketches Stamp set
Versafine Onyx Black Ink
Dienamics - Stitched Square dies

I'm going to enter the following challenges:

"Less is More" #321


AAA Cards #86


STAMPlorations March CAS Challenge


STAMPlorations Never-Ending Anything Goes Challenge


Enjoy!

Daffodil ...

Another week has whizzed by and it is time for a new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More - this week it is all about CAS possibly my most favourite style.

Here is my card:

This card is all about the flower!!  I stamped the daffodil using Mustard Seed distress ink before heat embossing with clear powder.  I find heat embossed images easier to water colour as the embossing acts as a barrier to the water.  I then water coloured the image using more distress inks - I also ink blended another piece of card to create the mat and the die cut stick frame.  I adhered the flower with fun foam behind it to add some dimension.

I used:
STAMPlorations Boxed Blooms
WOW Clear Embossing Powder
Distress inks - Twisted Citron, Carved Pumpkin and Mustard Seed
Poppystamps - Stick Frame die

I hope that I have inspired you and that you will join us in this week's challenge - do visit the blog and see all of the design teams fabulous cards.

Enjoy!

More washi ...

You may know that I am currently obsessed with making custom washi tape ... and today it has proved to be very, very useful.  You see it is theme week at "Less is More" and the theme? ... use washi tape!!!

This time I made a sheet of washi using Stick It and tissue paper which I stamped randomly with shades of green.   I die cut a stitched rectangle out of card and then die cut the random dots.  It was at this point that I had made the process very difficult because I then die cut the dots from the washi tape and tried to line it up with the dots on the rectangle ... not very easy!  I did manage it in the end! (along with a few choice words!)

I used:

Distress inks - twisted citron, mowed lawn, cracked pistachio

STAMPlorations - Mixed Media Grunge, Mixed Media Elements

CUTplorations - Stitched Rectangle

Lawn Cuts - Hello

Sizzix Tim Holtz - Mixed Media Dies

Stick It adhesive

Enjoy!

Birthday leaves ...

Good afternoon!  Yesterday I coloured some modelling paste for a card I was making and coloured far too much - so I created another background using the same stencil.  I thought I would use it sometime and much to my surprise I used it today!!

Once I had created the background it just seemed to make sense to add a die cut flower and a small sentiment.  To make the flower I smooshed some distress ink onto a piece of card - I love this technique as it coloured the flower but with added texture and interest.  I also did the same with some distress ink to die cut the ink splat from.  I added a brad for the centre of the flower and popped some foam tape behind to give a little more dimension.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up Card Challenge - Loll and her design team are celebrating the challenges 1st birthday.  I love this challenge as it gives me an excuse to tip my toe into mixed media but in a CAS kind of way!  This month the theme is:



I used embossing paste, stencil, smooshing distress inks, stamping and die cuts.

Inkspirational Challenge #130



Enjoy!

Something different ...

I've been working on a number of projects recently around doodles of lines and circles.  The whole idea kind of began when I needed something to do as a distraction from thinking ... I've quite a lot going on at the moment and it has been difficult to switch off.  One evening I created this:

This is hand drawn on Khandi paper using a uni pin fine line (0.5) pen.  I then took a ghost monoprint created using a Gelli plate to create a postcard to send to my son:

Still in need of distraction I decided to see if I could continue to develop this idea and create an 'embroidery'.  Whenever I have a printing session with acrylic paint and my gelli plate I always print at least one on calico ... so I took one of these prints and created this mixed media piece.

The print was created using three colours, three layers and a number of handmade stencils and masks.  The circles were then added with embroidery silk in three colours.

I'm going to enter this mixed media piece in the STAMPlorations challenge:



Enjoy!

With thanks ...

Time for this week's contribution to the challenge at "Less is More" - it's time for the one layer challenge and this week the theme is 'Leaves'.  My first thought was to go for Autumnal colours but that would just feel like wishing the year away ... so instead I went for Spring.

I had planned to inlay the die cut 'thanks' back into the card but it just didn't seem to work ... so it turned out to be quite a simple card.  I used modelling paste coloured with distress inks through a leave stencil to create an ombre effect - I had already die cut thanks from the card.  The photograph does not do justice to the colours.

I used:
STAMPlorations: Leaf Prints Mini - ARTplorations stencil
Distress Inks: Mustard seed, Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn
Reeves: Modelling Paste
Lawn Cuts: Thanks die

I'm entering the following challenges:





It is appropriate that I have created a 'thank you' card as I need to thank the lovely team over at CAS Mix Up Card Challenge they picked my card as one of the outstanding designs in their February challenge.  Thank you so much - I really appreciate the honour.  This is the card:

Enjoy!