Handpicked Bouquet

Hello again. I designed a card to enter the current sketch challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches:

I stamped the Altenew Handpicked Bouquet using Altenew inks, and used a Lawn Fawn ‘Lacy Borders’ for the bottom edge.

The bottom piece is MFT ‘Framework background’ stamped using a Catherine Pooler ink, then cut to the size I wanted, and placed onto a 5 inch square card.

The placement of the stamped flower, and then the two layers of card were challenging – but I don’t know why! Just one of those things I just couldn’t get my head around…..mind block!

The sentiment is from the Altenew ‘Leaf Medallion’ stamp set, and stamped in the same ink as the background stamp – I didn’t want it very bold, as I wanted the bouquet itself to shine and noticeable more than anything else.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch

QKR Stampede – anything goes

Happy Birthday

Hello everyone. I think I’ve finally recovered from the three days Crafters Companion ‘Craftaganza’. Phew – what a full-on three days that was. There was ink blending, stamping, stenciling, die-cutting, foiling, sewing (not for me!!), and any number of hints and tips from the Crafters Companion ‘tutors’. 

Since being back, I have been at work, but managed to try some colouring with a new set of Copics, and found they actually blend well with the Crafters Companion Illustrator pens too – win-win situation.

Here is a card which shows my colouring:

Here is a close-up of the glittery silveryness and colouring:

I stamped the Concord and 9th ‘Grateful For Everything‘ in a newly acquired Gina K Amalgam ink – liking this for colouring with alcohol markers – then set to the colouring.

The colour scheme is from the current challenge at Color Throwdown, and the layout from the current sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches.

I used grey for the leaves as a ‘free’ neutral colour. The silver is a piece of glimmer card I had left over – how handy are those little strips?

I find combining a colour and a sketch challenge really helps me plan what card I want to make, and you may have noticed I have done that in the past. This time, I went away from the Christmas cards – for a short time only – and decided this would best suit a birthday theme.

I shall be entering this card into the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – red, aqua, silver

Freshly Made Sketches – sketch

Seize the Birthday – birthday with option of CAS

Watercooler Challenges – occasions

It seems WordPress has made some changes to the way you add items to a blog post, and I must say I like how much more simple it is now. I have even played and updated by challenge badge page………..I think I’m going to play with the ‘all about me’ page next – maybe add some photos……. :) :)

Snowflakes 2 ways

Hello again. I am off to a Crafters Companion weekend tomorrow, and away until Tuesday evening. Can you imagine? 3 full days of crafting? Now worries about work, no cleaning, no cooking……..Oh yes!

So before I go, I wanted to post a couple of cards I made with a snow flake theme – but different styles and different colours. The first card is for the current challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and Color Throwdown following the sketch and the colours:

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The white die-cut is from Christina Griffiths, raised on foam pads to give that added dimension behind it. The blue strip I added to the back of this so it highlighted some of the detail in the die.

The candles are from Altenew, as were the inks used for the layering. The hardest part of the layering was the blinking flames……….as they were a lighter colour, it was very difficult to line them up – but I managed!

This second card is for the current challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches and The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge:

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As you can see – I went big and bold with these colours! The die-cut snowflakes are from Uniko. I first ink blended water-colour card with ‘Broken China‘ Distress Oxide then stamped and heat embossed some snowflakes in Wow! embossing powder, then die cut the snowflakes.

The panel is Altenew ‘Layered Plaid‘ cover plate die, using only one of the two layers and embossing into the card  instead of die cutting.

I am so looking forward to meeting the Crafters Companion team in the ‘Craftaganza’, even though my bestie has had to pull out at the last minute.

Are any of you going?

:) :)

Christmas Greetings

Hello everyone. I have been playing with different coloured backgrounds – as mentioned in a previous post – and this one surprised me by how much I like the colours for the background of a Christmas card:

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I did the Distress Oxide blending then cutting out with the MFT Die-namic, flipping the two inner rectangles for colour variation in the background…….and I like the it. Don’t ask me which colours I blended, but I am sure there is a squeezed lemonade in there somewhere………….

I again splattered the background with a sparkle pen – not too many big blotches this time (!) and raised the outer frame on foam pads, the rectangles flat to the card base.

The images are from as mix of stamp sets I have listed and coloured with Crafters Companion Illustrator alcohol markers.

I’m still colouring with them, and still enjoying a small amount of time colouring – but still finding it a chore if I stamp too many images and try to colour them! I find it difficult to walk away if there are un-coloured images – maybe that’s why……………”walk away Lynda – walk away!!” :) :)

The sentiment is from the new release from Uniko, which was actually too long for the space – so I just masked off one part of it before stamping. Cutting the sentiment up? Oh no thank you very much!! I will have much more use for a long repeating Merry Christmas than yet another small ‘Merry Christmas’ – I have lots of them. (I think!!)

I  thought about putting some shading under the little log cabin – as you can see I didn’t. I thought about putting a sentiment or saying on the North Pole sign – I didn’t.

How about all those thoughts going round my head? I didn’t realise I did so much thinking when crafting…..who knew??? :) :)

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas with option of glitter

Addicted to Stamps and More – make your mark

ABC Christmas Challenge – ‘W’ for Wishes and/or ‘X’ for Christmas

You Inspire Me

Hell there. I have spent a lot of time in my craft room so far this weekend, and planning on spending more time there this afternoon. Here is a card using the colours and sketch from the current challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches:

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I had the newest release delivery this past few days, and couldn’t wait to play with this floral stamp set.

I didn’t have the exact colours for the challenge, but I think these colours work well together.

The sentiment is also from Uniko – a block sentiment I already had – and the bow is from the most recent Catherine Pooler ‘Stamp Of Approval’.

I was toying with the idea of adding a bow of string or ribbon, but I like this clean and simple look more, by drawing some lines and stamping the bow to match the sketch.

This card will be entered into the following challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch and colours – gumball green, midnight muse, raspberry ripple (double whammy!!)

Addicted to Stamps – anything goes

Clean and Simple on Sunday – brighten someones day

Santa’s Sleigh

Hello again. I have had some time to craft – and hopefully more time throughout the weekend. I am still doing Christmas cards, and still loving the stamping, colouring and mini-scene cards. (Stayed away from the reveal wheel this time!!)

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I have just received a lot of stamps from the new Uniko release – so I will be playing with those later today – some great stamps and stencils to play to my hearts content.

This card is using the Mama Elephant ‘Santa’s Sleigh‘ stamp and matching die set, coloured with Crafters Companion Illustrator pens. I’m getting to grips with them. (Still liking them.)

I have been playing with different colours of my Distress Oxides to get some different backgrounds. I have tended to go with blues in the past, but wondered what it would be like with these colours here – and I’m liking the effect.

I splashed the distressed card with a glitter pen instead of water, then die cut once it was dry.

I turned the two die-cut rectangles upside down in their little slots for even more interest. The outside main die is raised on foam strips, and the two panels set inside flat to the base card.

The main images arranged as you see here.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Die cutting Divas – anything goes with a die cut

Watercooler challenges – anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

4 Crafty Chicks – Christmas

 

Christmas Dreams…..

Hello again. As I finally managed to get my head around the Lawn Fawn ‘Reveal Wheel’ – I can’t get enough of it. It’s a good job I need a few more cards for the charity sale of Friday………..here is one using the Lawn Fawn ‘Christmas Dreams’ stamp and die set:

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I used two shades of blue Distress Oxide for the background this time, making it a little darker at the top, and backed the reveal wheel portion with some Stampin Up DSP I found in my stash. I don’t used patterned paper very often, but have a bunch of it – I might need to look to YouTube for ideas how to use it more.

I stamped the images and coloured them as you see – laying them down for a cute scene inspired by the current challenge at Just Us Girls – a photo challenge – and went with the reds and the fireplace.

Again – colouring not my pleasure, but these images were so cute I made another card, with a slightly different background and lay-out:

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You may notice that some of the layers are slightly out of order – the tree should be in front of the mantle swag, the cat should be on top of the presents – but hey………..a girl has gotta go with what she has. I was so into the colouring and the layering that things got away from me……………

The first card will be entered into the following challenges:

Just Us Girls – photo inspiration

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

oooohhh – just realised I didn’t complete the sentiment on the first card…………….pretend the same one is there!!! It will be – before Friday!! :) :)

Altenew Playful Blooms

Here is a bright and sunny card:

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These flowers really are a playful stamping. The outline is quite thick – which I like – and the base and detail layer are quite unusual – they don’t fit neatly into the black outline. No – I didn’t do it wrong – I followed the guide, was a little sceptical – then took the matching dies………and they don’t follow the black outline either.

I must admit, I was wondering what I had done wrong…….but the dies actually match the base stamping layer, not the outline. I am assuming that is the playful part of the stamp name – and the fact the stamps are very solid for each layer.

Or maybe it’s playful because it almost makes you think you did something wrong – then hey – surprise! You actually did it right all along………………

The three coloured strips are ink pad direct to card to match the colours of the flower, and die cut with a wavy border. I didn’t want straight lines as the flowers are quite fun and playful – the lines ought to be too…….

The colours for this card was inspired from the current challenge at Addicted To Stamps and More, and the sketch layout is from the current challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches.

 

A winter Wonderland

visiting librarian badge

Hello everyone. An early posting as I am excited to be the visiting librarian for the new Library Challenge beginning today.

Marina asked for some book suggestions from people who played in this challenge previously, and this was one of my suggestions. I was supremely excited when she asked if I wanted to be the ‘visiting librarian’ and create a card for this challenge, and I very gladly accepted – then spent the next couple of weeks grappling with it! You’d think it would be easy, wouldn’t you?

Here is the book cover:

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I toyed with a door in the middle of tress, but then found my Heffy Doodle ‘Ad-roar-able lions‘ stamp set and used one of those lions:

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The base is glimmer card, with an extra piece I used to colour blue using Distress Oxides – who knew that would work!! – and die cut the middle with an MFT tag die to represent the doorway.

The lion is welcoming you through the doorway into the winter wonderland, where I placed a Christmas tree. Again, my thoughts turned to more trees, a variety of trees, but – you know – I kinda like the simplicity of this card. It looks like fun to me. It was certainly fun creating it. :)

I hope you join Marina and I for the challenge, and I look forward to seeing what you create with this marvelous theme.

Best wishes to you all. :)

 

Wanna build a snowman?

Hello everyone. I mentioned the other day about the Lawn Fawn ‘Reveal Wheel‘ and that I was off to play with it………..here is my second (!!!) attempt:

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You could say I had fun creating this…….but I wouldn’t exactly agree in the first instance! I made a few  beginner errors, and watched the Nichol Spohr  YouTube video at least 10 times, and watched the Lawn Fawn/Kelly Marie Alvarez video the same amount of times. I added the brad the wrong way, I added the foam pads too near the wheel, and to the wrong panel – at least my first attempt was out of plain white card so I could get the hang of it!

And that’s without all the stamping, and colouring, and die-cutting, and layering…………

I still love using the Crafters Companion Illustrator markers – but not particularly on such small images. I actually stamped all five of these images 6 times (I know!!) and coloured them all in.

I now know that I find so much colouring, and small creature/animal colouring very tiresome. I don’t particularly enjoy it, and use it to make cards, not for the joy of colouring in itself – though I am going to try larger images in the near future. Maybe that’s the issue. Maybe………….

The colours on this card are from the current challenge at Color Throwdown – dark teal, rust, cream. The teal sky is from an Altenew ink which I blended into the background – ‘Teal Cave‘. This came out a little lighter than I had planned, but I like it all the same. The rust – I don’t have anything called ‘rust’ but I used a dark red/brown crafters companion glitter pen. It actually looks less like red in ‘real life’.

Have you noticed the penguins (mostly) have their feet hidden? That’s because I couldn’t use orange! I know – crafter little blighter, aren’t I?

The words on the wheel are stamped in a rust-like Catherine Pooler ink.

I shall be entering this into the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – Dark Teal, Rust, Cream

Watercooler challenges – holidays

Alphabet Challenge – ‘P’ for Penguins

I am well on my way for a stock for the charity sale next Friday………….and I’m going to keep going. :)