One layer

Christmas Spirits….

Hello once again. I hope you are keeping safe. I have a CAS card to share today:

I took a square base card and stamped some images from a newly purchased Clearly Besotted stamp set ‘ Drink and Be Merry’ in Gina K Amalgam ink, then very simply coloured with Copics.

The berries are one of the gold’s from my Gansai Tambi set – and those little berries are exactly that – little!

The sentiment is from the same stamp set – and there are loads of sentiments with this actually quite small set – you certainly get a lot for your money.

I have a confession to make – this is my second attempt! The first did go in the bin – I couldn’t save it……………I took ages creating a mask for the glasses on the original card, then used a circle stencil and Distress Oxide Speckled Egg as a background – it looked absolutely horrendous!

Really – I mean horrendous! It was only because the Speckled Egg is a greyish-blue, and covered some of the black lines up – my fussy-cutting isn’t the best in the world – so I drew over them in black pen – went squiggly without even touching a drop of alcohol……..I still thought I could save it – coloured the images, stamped the sentiment……nope! Binned.

The version you see here is much better and I feel a whole load happier. I keep trying new things – but sometimes going back to what you know is better. I’m not having a very patient day………………..warn hubby now!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – blue, green, peach, metallic gold

Aud Sentiments – Christmas in July with a sentiment

Simply Less Is More – CAS one layer Christmas

Christmas Blog Challenge – Christmas and a square card

christmasblog

Only stamping

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Hello again, and a Happy New Year to everyone. I hope the year is off to a good start for you.

I have been in my craft room for a couple of hours, and playing again with stamping and blending. This card was inspired by the current challenge at Inkspirational, with the challenge to use stamping only, and Time Out, with the theme of ‘New beginnings’. I have translated this loosely – a new beginning for someone whose birthday is today……a mixture of a new year for them, as well as a new year for all of us.

I still had my Uniko and Stamps By Me collection on my craft table, along with my Distress Oxides, and this is what I came up with.

The base card is 8 inches square, and the first thing I did was to stamp the ‘Happy Birthday’ sentiment. The same sentiment as yesterday, quite large, and I wanted it to be the focal point of the card.

After stamping in Versafine Black Onyx, and heat setting it in clear embossing powder, I then set about stamping my leaves etc for the back ground. I did set off originally with only stamping around the sentiment, masking it off with some ‘post it’ notes, but I carried on stamping and stamping until I had covered most of the background – large leaves first, using an Altenew green ink, and the leaves from the new Uniko ‘Pure Florals: Rose’.

I then took some smaller stamps from Uniko ‘Originally Organic’ and a small star from ‘Reach for the Stars’ – also Uniko – to fill in the spaces. For this I also used some brown Altenew inks.

Once I had completed the background, I felt the sentiment was a little too open and stark, so I masked the area around it and went in with my Distress Oxides, blending to leave the centre of the word a little brighter. I think I used Twisted Citron – or it could have been Fossilised Amber……! Hmmmm – does anyone else forget what they used when they are all on your craft table? 🙂

 

 

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

Simple Florals

Hi there, everyone. A quick posting – though a few more pictures than usual. One stamp set, several colours for today. Another stamp set from ‘Stamps By Me’ which includes the three flowers, and the three splashes of colour, matching up nicely with the centre of the flowers. The sentiments are also from that same stamp set, with a shading on the top of each letter. I didn’t notice until I had stamped them, then thought I had done something wrong – but no – that is the way they are.

As it was one layer, I used my Catherine Pooler inks, and I am getting addicted to the orange colour. I always seem to want to use this very bright and cheerful orange.

I am feeling I may be stamping these flowers onto water-colour card in the future, and playing around with shading, perhaps having a go at some pencil shading too – you never know.

I will be entering the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS – Florals

Cards In Envy – easy as 1, 2, 3

 

 

CAS colours

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Hi there. I have a card different to the ones I have posted recently. They have been a riot of colour, almost, so this is the opposite side of the coin. Just three colours.

I was inspired by three challenges with this card – CASology, Cupcake Inspirations, and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.

I used Altenew ‘Celebrations’ stamp set for the cake, and the sentiment below. Isn’t a piece of cake just absolute contentment? There is almost a deep sigh when I take the first bite of a piece, so I thought the sentiment fitted quite aptly. I think the sentiment is supposed to mean contentment with marriage, and celebrating happiness – but I like it how it is.

I stamped with Versafine black onyx, and coloured with my Zigs. The difficult part was deciding where on the card I wanted the cake and sentiment to go…….the cake moved several times until I settled with this placement.

The challenges I will be entering are:

CASology – cake

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – clean and simple

Cupcake Inspirations – pale yellow, red, green

 

 

Uniko delivery

Hi everyone. A quick posting today, as I had a delivery from Uniko – and I have played already! Just in time to join the current challenge at Time Out.

I used the Gerbera stamp on both cards, but using a different technique. The first one is actually the card on the right, stamping the background builder stars in rainbow colours and Catherine Pooler Inks, then stamping the flower outline and main flower. I didn’t really like how this came out, as you can see the stars behind the flower.

The second card, I stamped the flower – no outline – then masked it off and stamped the rows of stars. I liked this much better, and the Misti made lining them up so much easier. I just moved the card along, leaving the stamp where it was.

The sentiment is also from Uniko, a block sentiment, in Versafine black onyx.

I can see I will be playing with these stamps over the next few days as I order the new bundle at 5% off – it would be rude not to! – and added the Gerbera stamp and die set too. 🙂