Month: November 2017

Cheers

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Here I am again posting to a challenge at the last minute – well – the last hour or so. The current challenge from CASology had the cue card ‘cheer’. I had in mind my ‘Stamps by Me’ set. I have a couple of sets with glasses and wine, this one is the smaller set of the two, but I did use the ‘Cheers’ sentiment from the large set.

A one layer card, stamping the bottle and glass first, then added the two sentiments, making extra sure the black ink was dry before I even considered using the embossing powder. I didn’t want that glittery powder getting everywhere.

One I had checked it was dry enough, I stamped the wine part in Ranger Perfect Medium, and heat embossed using a white/light glittery embossing powder from ‘WOW!’.

However, this didn’t really show up very much, so I turned to thinking of red sparkly wine, so – thank goodness I used my Misti and had left the stamp on the lid – I used the Perfect Medium again, on top of the glittery white, and heat embossed using a glittery red.

I tried very hard the get the sparkle on the card in the photo, so please forgive the slight shadow, but I think the glittery-ness shows up.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CASology – Cheer

Addicted to Stamps and More – CAS

STAMPlorations – CAS – not using twist

Less Is More – shine

 

 

 

Pink and Sparkly Congratulations

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What a busy few days I’ve had, with no time to post to my blog. I  have been making up for it today with Christmas cards, and this sparkly little number. Here are some more photos of the sparklyness…..

There are several reasons for making this card, the main one being that a couple of friends of ours are coming round this evening for a Chinese Take-away, and bringing their new daughter. Well, I say new daughter – would September 1st baby still be classed as new? I think so……..

I couldn’t very well not make a card for them, when I make cards all the time, but I was wondering about which style to use. If it is something like Christmas and celebrations, then I tend to turn to my Sue Wilson dies, and my glittery card stock, and have at it! I also tend to do bigger cards, and add loads of die cuts, which means I have to put them in a box, as they won’t fit in an envelope.

I can make my own boxes, but when I have pre-cut cards, then I use pre-cut boxes. Saves a lot of time, especially when you don’t want to do anything much to the outside of the box.

So – this card . Colours – pink and sparkly – was inspired by the current Card Concept challenge. I know that many people are making Christmas cards, but I went with the new baby card for my friends, but inspired by the colour scheme from this challenge.

The glittery card stock is from Stampin Up – and boy does that shed glitter!!!! – and the other pink card is Foundations Card from Creative Expressions.

The main larger layers I just measured and cut with my Cutterpillar, but used Sue Wilson dies for all the die cutting – debossed square, frilly oval, two inner ovals, and even the three beaded swirl additions.

The sentiment is actually from the Altenew stamp set – ‘Baby Zoo – a recent and long-awaited purchase from Seven Hills Crafts. I don’t really make ‘baby’ cards, and tend to make do with what I have but when I saw what my sister did with this stamp set, I waited for the stock to be replenished at Seven Hills so I could order it.

Challenges I will be entering:

The Card Concept – photo inspiration

Time Out Challenges –  word inspiration (used a twist on celebrate)

Try it on Tuesday – colourful – no or little white areas

Crafty Gals Corner – use your dies

 

Blooms blue and silver

A very short and quick posting today. I couldn’t resist using the colours on the current Color Throwdown again, with the Blooms Fill-in stamp set. I am loving playing with this set, and there are many, many ways of using it. I still haven’t done any of the die-cutting with it – but I am sure it will come.

For this card, I stamped and heat embossed the background in silver, actually stamped and heat embossed twice so I had good coverage. I then stamped the flowers in the light blue and dark blue. Such a great combination of colours, and I think this card really shines with the background heat embossed.

So – a quick posting just to share this card. 🙂

 

 

The blue’s and silver

 

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Hello again. I have been having a little more play with my marbling layering stamp set from Waffle Flower. I really like messing with the positioning of the stamps, and trying to follow the guide from their web site…….but it doesn’t really matter of you get it out of alignment. Well, I don’t think so, anyway.

I took the colour inspiration from Color Throwdown – dark blue, light blue, and silver – to create this version. I think it looks quite ‘icy’ and clean with these colours. Both of the blue colours are from Altenew, and stamped fairly neatly together, then I went in with some of the smaller stamps in the set – not the stand-alone ones, either – and filled in the gaps.

The darker blue I lined-up with their own base set, but also stamped them in the gaps left over. The silver is an embossed silver – some of them the third layer on the stamps, some stamped haphazardly on top of the dark blue, and ………even took three little leaves stamp from the Concord and 9th Blooms fill-in and stamped them in  some gaps, and on top of some of the blue. I think that if you look closely you can make them out.

Any stamp in a storm, right?

The sentiment is from Catherine Pooler. I took a piece of card, placed Be Creative double-sided sticky tape on it, added silver embossing powder, heat-set it, then die cut the ‘Merry’. I don’t think you can heat emboss many sticky tapes – but this one if ideal for things like this.

The shape of the sentiment tag is again from Catherine Pooler.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – blue, light blue, silver

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge – Christmas with option of blue

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog – anything goes with a sentiment

Neutral Christmas

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Hello. I am sharing one of my Christmas card makes with you today,  made with neutral colours – and a little bit of bling!

The base card is an 8 inch square Kraft card, to which I added some square layers cut with Sue Wilson stitched squares. I also cut out a frame using two of the squares together. On one of the layers, I die cut the Sue Wilson trees, and stuck that down with a double-sided sticky sheet, so that I could add some Tim Holtz Distress Glitter to the open spaces. I have several colours of distress glitter, and find it gives a shine – but not over the top.

I then die cut Sue Wilson Deer Family, inking through the die with some distress ink to give some interest. Putting it all together, I stuck the deer down with a combination of foam pads and glue, depending on which part of the deer was inside the frame or on it.

The sentiment is from Altenew, and so are the little stars I added to each side.

I shall be entering this card into the following challenges:

Inkspirational – Christmas card using neutral colours

The Merry Christmas Challenge – anything goes + Christmas

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge – furry friends

Allsorts Challenge blog – use glitter

 

Poppies

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Hello again. A short posting with a fairly simple card for you today. A couple of colours, a little stamping.

I used a stamp set from Stamps By Me, and the Altenew Crimson ink. Using my Misti, I inked the stamp then spritzed the inked stamp with water, before then stamping it. I wanted a water-colour effect, and not a solid block of colour on the flowers. I did this twice with each position.

The card is an 8 inch square card, and therefore I used the same stamp three times across the width of the card. I used the outline stamp in Stampin Up Basic Grey, but I didn’t actually like the muted effect of the grey outline, so I then went in with a black gel pen and kinda scribbled around the same outline. I added some extra lines myself, to get a more hap-hazard effect.

I used some green ink and my water brush, to create a ‘floor’ underneath the flowers, and added some green to some of the stems.

I did contemplate using a sentiment, but I actually like the card as it is. In this way, it can be used for any occasion.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crazy 4 Challenges – card including poppies

Pause Dream Enjoy – CAS

 

 

White on white

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20171113_200506Hello everyone. Well, isn’t this card different to my recent past cards? This card is all about die-cutting, and not using colours.

I made this card for the challenges which were for white on white, and as I am trying to make Christmas cards, I turned to my trusty and always useable Sue Wilson dies.

I have always been a fan of hers, and this particular angel is my bestest and most favourite ever – she is the 2014 angel. I have another couple of Sue Wilson’s Christmas angels, but this is certainly my favourite. She always looks beautiful and effective, whatever you cut her with, and whatever you put around her – well, I think so, anyway.

I used Centura Pearl for this card, and whilst the card is white, there is a hint of silver in there. I must admit that I had to run her through my die-cutting machine several times to get everything cut well, as Centura Pearl is quite a thick and coated card. As I was using my electronic Big Shot – not a problem. Unless you count moving your finger from one side of the button to the other for reversing direction a particularly arduous task!!!!

For the rectangular layers I used another Sue Wilson die set – Shadow Box Collection – Stitched Lattice Frames. Only using the frames, and not the lattice. I did try the lattice, but my angel got lost when I put her on it, so I kept the card behind her plain.

After I had cut her out, I removed her from the die, to realise that all of the little pieces in her skirt had stayed in place. Realising what a great look this was – I am quick sometimes, you know – I removed the small pieces from her wings, then quickly sprayed the back of her with glue and stuck her down. Phew. Once I decided to do that I was quite nervous every time I had to pick her up, in case some of them dropped out.

The greeting is an X-cut die cut, and the little dove – from the same Sue Wilson 2014 Angel set – is raised on a foam piece for some more interest and dimension.

I shall be entering this into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – Snow White

The Paper Players – White on White

Crimbo Crackers – anything goes Christmas

 

 

Orange Poinsettias

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Hello there. Welcome. I had some good news the past couple of days – I was a winner in the Uniko challenge for October, and also a chosen winner for Happy Little Stampers October CAS challenge – one layer card. Yay! Talk about being inspired. It certainly got my creative juices flowing this weekend.

I have also been having a look through the Inkspirational challenge cards where I am still Guest designer – another few days to go still – and there are amazing creations on there. I am still going through and visiting people and looking at their cards and their process…….

Onto the card for today……I had so much fun putting this card together, and I am definitely going to make more of this style and theme. I just wanted to share with you straight away.

I took inspiration from several challenges, but the colours were from Color Throwdown, and the theme/topic was from The Card Concept. I knew I wanted to do a card with poinsettias on it, and decided to go with an orange poinsettia. I know there are some out there, as I did a Google search, but have never actually seen on in real life.

The base card is Kraft card, and I die cut Avery Elle ‘Diagonal Stripes’ leaving out the centre rectangle, but inserting a smaller rectangle from another die set. I wanted the Kraft card to show through the die cut so it looked almost like a trellis against wood.

I used Stampin Up adhesive strips around the edge of the die cut, and added some to the centre rectangular piece – but I didn’t take the sticky off the inner rectangle. Why not? Well, I knew I wanted to place the flowers and leaves in, under and around the white die cut, so having that inner rectangle stuck down wouldn’t work. Lateral thinking, huh?

I then stamped the poinsettia with Catherine Pooler orange ink, and the leaves with Altenew green ink. The centre of the poinsettia is where the brown comes into the card. The stamps themselves are also from Catherine Pooler. I die cut them, and then started to play with the positioning. Once I had it sorted – kinda – I then used 3D glue gel to put the flowers down first, then the leaves, as this glue gel gives me time to move things around until I am happy.

I think you can see the dimension on the die cuts from one of the photos. Sticking down the leaves half in and half on the white die cut, underneath the flowers, generally creating a positive cornucopia of foliage. 🙂

I didn’t add a sentiment, for several reasons. Firstly – I couldn’t find one which would suit or match the card, secondly I couldn’t find anywhere to put one where it wouldn’t look out of place, and thirdly – I didn’t want one!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – Brown, Orange, Green, Kraft

The Card Concept – Photo inspiration – Poinsettia and leaves

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes (option reindeer)

Allsorts Challenge blog – Autumn colours

Crafty Friends Challenge – Christmas

 

 

CAS colours

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20171111_135209Hello everyone. I made this card today to ether the CAS Colours and Sketches challenge of using the three colours Emerald Envy, Metallic Silver, and Tranquil Tide.

I am in a Christmas card making mode at the moment, so I took the opportunity to continue along that theme with these colours.

The card base is pre-scored and embossed with a Crafters Companion embossing folder called Nordic Christmas ‘Jumper’. I stamped the sentiment in Tranquil Tide onto an Emerald Envy piece of card, then stamped some snowflakes from Concord and 9th ‘Christmas Cheer turnabout’. I haven’t used this stamp set yet as a turnabout yet, but it comes with many small stamps ideal for adding to other projects.

I embossed those two different snowflake stamps with silver embossing powder and then cut the card making it look like a banner, deciding to make it a little dimensional – adding some 3D foam pads under the middle. I am not sure I still like it, and will be making another card with it added flat – at some point – but at the time it seemed like a good idea.

There is still time to join the Inkspirational challenge where I am Guest designer, with the theme of ‘Trend’. It looks like there are some gorgeous projects there at the moment, and I’m going to nip on over and have a closer look.

 

 

Hidden word

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Hello everyone. I have been experimenting again. I have been playing with my Altenew alphabet dies, and also trying to do a technique – no idea what the technique is called – where the word is cut from the same background, then added back in with dimension…..can anyone help me with the name of the technique?

I used three colours only for the card – Altenew lilac and purple for the ink blended background, and Altenew dark green for the leaves that I stamped. I really like how the colours matched together.

The stamps are from Catherine Pooler, and I just let myself go with the stamping. I had no plan when I started out, and just kept adding smaller and smaller images from the same stamp set to fill in the gaps. I didn’t even use my Misti! (I know…..brave of me!)

The ink and stamps worked well together, so I just made sure before I stamped each one, that there was good coverage. I seem to be enjoying working with backgrounds at the moment, don’t I?

Once I had put the card together I added some sparkle to the ‘XMAS’ letters  as I felt that they didn’t really stand out very much – is this usual for this technique? Is my background a little too busy for this? Hubby couldn’t actually see ‘XMAS’ until I moved the card around, and said I needed to add something around the edge of each letter….hmmm – not sure about that.

I think I’ll try with the word a solid colour too, as a contrast to any background……

I shall be entering the following challenges:

AAA Cards – ink blending

Cupcake Inspirations – purple, lilac, dark green

Cards in envy – letters or words as focus

Sweet at Sweet Stampin’ – anything goes Christmas