CAS

Sketchy colours

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Hello again. I will be spending some time in my craft room this weekend, and this is the first card I made today. It is using a range of different techniques – embossing, colouring, die cutting, stamping – but think I have kept it quite clean….

The rectangular card base has a layer of Lawn Fawn ‘Narwhal’ card (loving that grey card) then layered with white card which has been embossed using a Sweet poppy metallic stencil.

Now, I may have made a little mistake in using this stencil…… It is quite a large metal stencil, and when I took it out of my die cutting machine – it was a little bent! Well – not just a little! It was curved so much, I may not be able to use it as a stencil. I think the pressure and layers were too much. I straightened it a little, but I didn’t want to bend it too much, so I may be brave and run it through the opposite way – just to see if I can even it out a little more……I’ll let you know.

The Altenew ‘Hello Sunshine’ flowers were stamped and heat embossed, coloured with my Zigs, and die cut with the matching die set.  I arranged them underneath and on top of the banners, for a little dimension, but not too much.

The banners are from Sue Wilson, with the sentiment from ‘Hello Sunshine’ heat embossed with white onto the aqua card.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches – sketch

Color Throwdown – aqua, orange, grey

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – layer it up

Cardz 4 Galz – anything but square

 

 

Somethings new, and old

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Hello there. I quick evening posting for this card, which I made yesterday. I had a delivery of the latest Catherine Pooler Stamp of Approval box, and I also ordered some more of her inks. I love her inks. Easy to use, stamp beautifully even on new stamps.

This stamp set is a new one from Uniko, paired with the new ink from Catherine Pooler ‘Royal Treatment’. A clean and simple design, using just the one ink colour on the white background.

The sentiment is from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous and stamped in the same colour.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CASology – late

Uniko – something old, something new

QKR Stampede – anything goes

Stamplorations CAS challenge – CAS without optional twist

 

Hug Me!

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Good evening everyone. I have a little card for you today which I have been thinking about for a couple of days, and just this evening have gotten down to doin’ it.

I was inspired by several challenges again. I die cut the main image in a post-it note, stuck it to the card base, placed the Stampin Up stencil over the top, and used the three red/pink colours from one of the challenges below. I then moved the stencil a little, and inked the same three colours again. I did this to create a kind of ombre look……

After stamping the main image, I coloured him in using my Faber Castell pencils, again in three different red/pink colours. I tried a little blending, but I don’t think the card base was that suitable for this technique – but it doesn’t look toooooo bad, I don’t think!

I then stamped three individual hearts along the right hand side, in the three different coloured inks I used. No reason why I did that, just thought I would as I saw them sitting there in the same stamp set.

As I was going down the clean and simple route again, I judged my card as finished at that point – it would have been so easy to add bits here and there.

Anyhoo – here are the challenges I will be entering:

Paper Craft Crew Challenge – deep red, light pink, reddish pink, neutrals white and black

Moving Along With The Times – Clean and Simple

Simply Less Is More – Clean and Simple and cute, one layer card

Addicted to CAS – ombre

 

Simple sparkle

Hello again everyone. I have some time this weekend to do some crafting, and have put together these cards. I started to make these earlier in the week, and finally managed to complete them this morning.

The stamp set is from Uniko, one of their new stamp sets, and this time I have used the bud images from that set. After stamping with Versafine black onyx, I went in with my Polychromos to colour them, and even though they are quite small images, I still managed to give some dimension and blending to the flowers themselves.

I stamped the sentiment in black onyx too, as I like bold sentiments which stand out.

I then took a small piece of green glitter card from Crafters Companion, and die cut a strip from a Catherine Pooler collection I have, adding that for some added extra for a clean and simple piece of sparkle.

I am playing around with ways to photograph my cards, and these images came about as I have been putting my Christmas decorations on my table, and saw that this gorgeous plate – a Christmas present from a very dear friend – was just sat there, with some twig lights around it, looking all pretty……so I placed the cards on it.

I like how these turned out, and may have to keep the set-up for future cards.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

AAA Cards – CAS sparkle

Use Your Stuff – anything goes

QKR Stampede – anything goes

As You Like It – anything goes

Moving along with the times – flowers

 

 

 

 

Uniko Christmas Tree

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Hello everyone. I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since I posted to my blog. My goodness – time flies! I cut down my working days from 5 days to 4 days, and I seem to be even busier. Maybe it’s the time of year, and social occasions going strong.

I have been crafting and making some complicated Sue Wilson-type cards for family and then decided I needed some simpler cards as I seem to be falling way behind in making them.

I also went to the Uniko retreat in Stockton-On-Tees last Saturday. It was a great day, spending at least five hours playing with Uniko stamps, plenty of inking plenty of playing, and plenty of chat and coffee – my ideal day. Thanks Bev. :) :)

This tree stamp set is one I bought that day. I love the simplicity of the tree, and I find it is quite elegant.

I started by stamping the front tree in a red Altenew ink, masked it and stamped the green trees. I then added the sentiment from another Uniko set, stamping it in black, then heat embossing it with clear embossing powder.

I thought I’d photograph it with the snow in the background. It may not be a lot of snow compared to other places around the world, but it does seem to impact on travel in the UK quite quickly.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Aud sentiments challenge – Christmas and sentiment

Hand stamped sentiments – photo inspiration (trees and colours)

CAS on Sunday – CAS Christmas

Alphabet challenge – ‘T’ for trees

Uniko challenge – Christmas

 

Hold on to each other

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Hello everyone, just one card for today, though I am playing with other cards during the weekend, and I am sure you will be seeing them at some point this week.

This card was quite a simple idea, though it took a little planning – and constant washing of my hands so I didn’t smudge anything!

I used a sentiment stamp from a Sheena Douglass set I have had for years, then a silhouette couple from an Altenew set, and a street light from a Card-io stamp set. Then I spent some time placing them on a card base to see where I wanted them to go. This actually took quite a bit of time, trial and error, in deciding the size and shape of card, too. I went with a 6 inch square card, and stamped just to one side, leaving a lot of open space.

I also added a yellow aura around the streetlight, and took some guidance from a recent craft show I watched from Card-io. I took a dry baby wipe, and some yellow Altenew ink, and first tried it on a scrap piece of paper – just rubbing around in a circle.

Then – I Took the plunge. Yellow aura stamped first – just in case – then used my Misti to stamp the other elements direct to the card base in Versafine Black Onyx. Then left it to dry before I touched it again. It is at this point that I usually pick the card up to have a close look at it – and smudge!

Not this time!

I left it alone for a good 15 minutes…….

I shall be entering this card into the following challenges:

CASology – Cherish

The Card Concept – inspired by the lovey dovey two little birds

Hand Stamped Sentiments – inspired by black and the silhouettes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge – anything goes

 

 

Forgotten Birthday

20171022_133913_001Hey there. I have spent quite a few hours this weekend crafting, exploring different techniques, and generally having a productive time. All this, because I realised there’s a lot of inspiration out there at the moment, and I just couldn’t help myself. A lovely crafty weekend, therefore.

This card is inspired by three challenges, all with a Clean and Simple rule. I think I have managed it, but probably all thanks to the stamp set from Uniko. A recent purchase, last weekend, where I also met Bev and her design team. This is a gorgeous layering stamp set. 20171022_133920

I started with a large card base, as I wanted to use a lot of the images for the flower set – Beautiful Blooms III. I used my Altenew inks, and I must say I think they go well together. I also had a hunt around for a suitable sentiment, and by chance came across my Crazy Talk from Tim Holtz and Stampendous – who’d a thunk (!!) that a stamp set made for a more grungy look would fit and suit this pretty card? Just shows you……..

To further make me happy – I didn’t make one smudge, I didn’t have to add sequins or some-such to cover anything – it kinda all came together nicely.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

     clean and simple following theme

For your blog     card with flowers – clean and simple

     clean and simple, one layer

Two clean and simple cards

Hello everyone. I have two clean and simple cards for today – just for whilst my Brusho backgrounds are drying after a colourful play. It is too late for me to take a photo outside – very grey and a little rainy – so inside it was.

The first card was inspired by Just Us Girls photo week and Clean and Simple Colours and Sketches.

The photo inspiration looked very green to me, and lots of leaves, especially down the left side, so I used my ‘Grass Skirt’ from Catherine Pooler, and placed the leaves as per the sketch. The leaves were from a Stamps By Me set I recently purchased – yes, another set. The sentiment is also from the same company, putting two sentiments together from two different stamp sets.

The second card was inspired from the current challenge from CASology. The cue card was:

Now I spent some time thinking about this card. I didn’t have a clue what to do, so I was sat there, checking my emails, thinking of lucky rabbit feet, fortune cookies, stroking one of my gorgeous black cats – I have two – then the bolt of lightning struck me…….lucky black cats! Yay! Problem solved……

I hunted through my stash, as I knew I had several cat stamps, including the Tim Holtz Crazy Cats, Indigo Blu, Stampendous, but also knew I had a solid cat stamp somewhere…. and found it in my trusty Altenew box ‘Dancing In The Rain’…..

So now to the sentiment. I couldn’t find any ‘good luck’ stamps initially, I hunted through loads of my stuff, then found a set from JustRite, from a wedding set, and liked the look of the font.

I stamped them both in Versafine black onyx, and decided to stop there. No embellishments, no further additions. (remember to keep it clean and simple, Lynda!!)

Hopefully, my Brusho backgrounds will be dry so I can put together some more cards for tomorrow……..

Challenges entered:

Just Us Girls – photo inspiration

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch

CASology – cue card ‘fortune’

 

CAS Safari

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Bonjour from Quebec City everyone. (That’s about the limit of my French, so don’t worry that I’m going to try more!)

I have been raiding my sister’s crafting stash again, for an idea to enter the CASology challenge for this week. The cue card is above. I see there are already lots of great cards on the challenge site, and wondered what to do. Then my sister showed me her Heroarts monthly stamp set. Have you seen this set? Absolutely amazing. So many images – animals, trees, grass, birds, hillocks – you name it, this stamp set has it.

As soon as I saw this cute little giraffe I was hooked. And then I saw there was a grass stamp…….sorted. Well, so I thought. Talk about trying to position a straight stamp along the bottom of a piece of card. That took me a little while, then placing the little giraffe ‘just so’…….huh. Definitely not the ‘simple’ of clean and simple, let me tell you.

The colours are basic – green for the grass, (Stampin Up), and black for the giraffe (Versafine Black Onyx) and sentiment, so I added the piece of white card directly onto a black base card.

Tomorrow’s posting will be the colour challenge from CAS Colours and Sketches, my third post as guest designer this month. I hope the colours chosen inspire you to create a card to join in the challenge.