Flying By To Say Hello….

I had a play with new – and some not so new – items and created this card:

The hummingbird die is part of a Spellbinders/Bibi Cameron class last weekend. We created a total of three cards with the hummingbird die set, which also comes with some large lilies. I understand these die and their add-ons will be released next month. In the meantime, I have been playing….

I changed my mind several times with this card. I first die cut the hummingbird and all the layers with some lime green and yellow card stock – to match the colours of a current challenge – but decided the image was too flat, despite the layers.

I decided to create my own yellow and lime green card by ink smooshing Twisted Citron and Squeezed Lemonade Distress Inks, and then using those two panels to die cut the bird layers. The only decision to be made was which colour for which layer – but I like how this turned out.

The background panel was created using a piece of light blue card stock, a a Sizzix 3D embossing folder. I thought the blue was too even, so I then took the Hero Arts Unicorn White pigment ink and gently – so very gently – swiped it across the piece of card. The white highlighted the most raised areas of the embossing, and I was much happier with this look.

I cut down that panel to be slightly smaller than an A2 card base, adhered it with 3D foam, and then attached the bird – also with 3D foam.

The sentiment is from the add-on sentiment stamp set from the same release.

I also added some light blue iridescent sequins – three slightly underneath the wings of the bird, and three below the sentiment.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challengeemboss it

Color Throwdownpale blue, yellow, lime

2 Crafty Critter Craziesanything goes with an animal as main focus

Crafty Animalsanything goes with an animal

Triple B challengebirds, blooms, butterflies – any or all

Many Snowflakes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new ‘anything goes Christmas’ challenge. Here is my card:

I started by dry embossing using a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder – I knew I wanted a lot of snowflakes on this card and this folder fitted the bill perfectly.

I then die cut the Hero Arts snowflake die out of a larger circle of white card and adhered it to a previously created background. If I remember correctly, the background card was sprayed and splattered, and then a shiny coat added – but I can’t remember what the shine is from as I did this soooo long ago – just waiting to be used!

I then stuck some varying sizes of gems into the centre of each snowflake and stuck the whole circle down onto the embossed panel.

The sentiment was stamped in black and clear heat embossed – to give this a shiny look too – then fussy cut around the general shape – not too fussy and fancy – just the overall shape of the sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us this time round. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Mixed Media Loversanything goes mixed media

Peace On Earth Christmas ChallengeChristmas mood board

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends anything goes

Addicted To Stamps and More anything goes

CYHTP embossing folder – option things with wings not taken

Hello There….

I used the colours for the current Color Throwdown Challenge to create this card:

I first turned to some ink smooshing onto Distress Heavystock Mixed Media card using Antique Linen for one piece, Bundled Sage for another couple of pieces, and then my first play with Villainous Potion – my goodness that purple is – well – purple! Such a strong and vibrant colour, which I thought was a perfect foil for the other two more subdued colours……

Once those pieces had dried sufficiently, I die cut the Birch Press Design Eucalyptus and Berries die several times – not yet deciding which colour I wanted for which element.

I knew I wanted the berries to be the cream, and the leaves green, but the stems I had a play and think about – deciding on what you see here – a mish-mash of both really…..the leaves and berries are layered dies to create dimension.

I die cut the purple with a circle die, but then die cut it again smaller so I could have more of the leaves and berries hanging over the edge.

The base cream card stock is embossed with the new Tim Holtz ‘Woven‘ embossing folder, and adhered to the card base.

The purple circle was adhered with 3D foam squares, and the leaves with a mixture of foam squares and glue.

The sentiment was stamped onto cream card stock.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown sage green, purple, cream

Krafty Chicksanything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder, option to use green

INTAASinclude a circle

The Alphabet Challenge – ‘Y’

Helen is hosting the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Having reached the letter ‘Y’ we want to see ‘Your Favourite Colour Combination’. Here is my card:

I didn’t really think I had an absolute colour combination, but looking back through my cards, I do seem to trend towards more green, blue, and red – and for this card I also used a spot of yellow.

Onto a white card base I used my oval mask created myself using some mylar. I then took the Lawn Fawn cloud stencil and some blue Distress Ink and worked my way down the oval. I then stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set in the top right corner.

The image is from Clearly Besotted, stamped, coloured with Copics, and cut using my Scan-n-cut – always a little nerve-wracking when the colouring has already been done……!

The Design Team has come up with lots of very colourful creations, I hope you can come and join us using your favourite colour combination.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – add some green

Promarkers Challenge use markers and CAS

Lil Red WagonCAS

Colour Crazy Challenge week 9 anything goes with colouring

Inkspirational – word prompt – CURVE

Playing with colours and papers

Hello. I’ve spent a little time in my craft room today, playing with different patterned papers I have accrued – and that’s a lot of patterned papers….. I actually don’t know how to layer them, how to play with the sizes of them, or how to put collections together really – but I enjoyed creating this card.

There are so many layers, so many different elements, a lot of die cutting – and a lot of gluing…..

I attended the virtual Maker Mania 4 last weekend – well, I say attended, when I still have lots more to see and lots more ideas to try a re-create from that weekend. A lot of the papers I used today were from the kit sent from MM4 – and some oldies but goodies from my stash.

I started by using a rub-on from the kit – the bird on the centre of the circle – which was also part of the kit. I can’t remember the last time I used a rub-on image – if ever – but this bird just sang to me – pun intended!

The flowers are from MFT, the layered leaves were from Sizzix, as was the embossing folder.

A piece of patterned paper onto the base card, to which I glued the dry embossed piece after I had also distressed that with the same brown distress ink. The circle was glued down with Pinflair glue – I like to be able to move it and lift it when layering other elements, and that glue gives me enough time.

The layered leaves – top layer again darkened with distress ink – were added next, then the orange and purple flowers – and you guessed it – they were dampened down a little with brown distress ink – and all arranged as you see here.

So – outside my comfort zone, enjoying playing – and maybe – just maybe – getting to grips with patterned paper and layering…….but still a work in progress…..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown purple, orange, green, kraft

Here Is A Place To Start use patterned paper

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge anything goes

Beyond The Blue Challengelayered die cuts (leaves and flowers)

Critter Crazy Challengeanything goes with a critter

Die Cut Divas anything goes with die cuts

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Glittery and Inky Snowflakes

Hi. A quick post to share some inky backgrounds with some very glittery snowflakes.

For the two darker blue backgrounds, I used Tim Holtz Water-colour card, Brushos, Crafters Companion sparkle pens, and lots of water, and smooshing.

For the teal background I used the same card stock, lots of water, and ink smooshed with the sparkle pens on top of Peacock Feathers Distress ink.

The snowflakes are a mixture of Tim Holtz and Simon Says Stamp die cut out of bright silver glitter card. The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn.

Some of the glimmer and shine:

and a cat who wanted to help place the card in the right place for the photo:

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Cup Cake Inspirationsphoto inspiration

Always Fun ChallengesChristmas

Allsorts Challengesparkle and shine

MMM Challengecreate own background – in an inky way – smooshing/water-colour/Brushos etc

Christmas Craft Creations Christmas and Winter Blues

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Make My Monday Challenge Blog

Colours and Sketch 238

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Hi there. I’m posting this a little later than planned, as I had forgotten all about it. I only made it yesterday – how weird is that? I knew I wanted to use the sketch and colours from the double challenge above, and made the card, then wondered what sentiment to put on it – then completely forgot to finish it!

I got home from work, checked my emails, made us some tea, opened my challenge spreadsheet – to find this challenge highlighted in the yellow of ‘got to post it soon’. So, I photographed it – in between a little panic – and here we go.

I didn’t have all the correct colours, so I used Broken China distress ink, with Certainly Celery, and Powder Pink from Stampin Up. I used the new stamps from Catherine Pooler Stamp of Approval for the flowers, and even used the large die to cut the scalloped background.

The pink diagonal rows are from Altenew ‘Pattern Play ‘Hexagon’, which I stamped using my Misti as these are quite solid images.

CAS Colours and Sketchessketch and colours

 

 

Colour challenge

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Hi there, everyone. I hope everyone is enjoying some intermittent sunshine. It’s quite cool here is Derbyshire, UK, but at least it’s stopped raining!

I have been crafting again – already! As you can see, I have gone more simple this time round……the card inspiration from the Color Throwdown challenge site with the theme of using the four colours listed – lime green, turquoise, yellow, white.

I did think of doing flowers initially, after seeing Amy Rysavy YouTube video on her take of the theme, but then I say another challenge from Simply Less is More with the theme of geometric – so I brought out my Neat and Tangled ‘Origami map’ and had a play.

Now, I have read the rules – several times – and for clean and simple cards it does say ‘lots of white/blank space’…….so I hope the blue background fits in as blank space…… I haven’t embossed it, I have left it pure and clean – well, apart from inking around the edge a little for more depth around the countries.

I started with a 6 inch square white card base, and put a slightly smaller blue layer on top, but cut out the origami map first, as I wanted the actual stamp to be paper pieced into the aperture. I didn’t want too many layers – yesterday’s card more than covered the layers side of me for a few days.

I then inked around the internal edges to make them darker – blinking difficult when there are small projections sticking out. I then used double-sided tape to stick this to the card base.

I stamped the world in Versafine black onyx, and let it dry, (not embossed that either!) then coloured with my Zigs. One colour – no water, no shading – just coloured. I love the fine tip on these pens, so you can into every nook and cranny. Once coloured, I cut it out with the matching die, and stuck it into the ready-made aperture.

The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn, and supposed to be an edger die, but I like how long the sentiment is, and covers the whole of the base of the blue card.

As a tip, I cut the sentiment out from a piece of card which had some double-sided sticky sheet on the back of it, to make it easier to stick down. If I forget to do this, then I use my Xyron machine – but I remembered this time.

These are the challenges I will entering this card into:

Color Throwdownturquoise, lime green, yellow, white

Simply Less is MoreGeometric

Artistic Inspirations – anything goes option of clean and simple

Crafting from the Heartanything goes