sketch

Lime Rickey Baubles

Hi there. A quick posting to add a card I have been thinking about for several days – and finally got to finish. And – yes – it’s a simple enough card so I have no clue why it took me so long:

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I used the stamps and dies from the latest Catherine Pooler ‘Stamp of Approval’ collection – which also included WOW! embossing powder to match three of her inks. How fabulous is that?

So – I stamped the baubles with Lime Rickey, then also embossed with Lime Rickey. The bows are also stamped in Lime Rickey – but not embossed.

The sentiment is from the same collection stamped in – you guessed it – Lime Rickey. Have I said that ink name enough?

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches – sketch

Addicted to Stamps – CAS

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

I have also been playing with some alcohol markers. I have bought some Crafters Companion Illustrator pens – then went back the following day for more colours. I am currently going through YouTube videos at a rate of knots to get as much information about them as I can. I am – actually – enjoying colouring and blending, which is highly unusual for me. I am sure I will be posting some creations soon….  :)

 

Painted Poppies

Hi there. Boy – when the mojo comes back…..it comes back, doesn’t it? I think my mojo is knocking on my head repeatedly as I’ve got so many ideas in there…….it’s just finding the time to do it!

Before I go to create my card for my Guest Star Stamper for the Color Throwdown Challenge beginning on the 12th September, I wanted to post the cards I made this morning:

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I took the colours from the current CAS Colours and Sketches, and made these two variations.

I do like a little inks smooshing, so I took the Night of Navy and my version of Gorgeous Grape – I don’t have that colour so used a Zig instead – and smooshed two panels. I die cut them using a Catherine Pooler die, which is a favourite of mine.

After I had stamped and heat embossed the flowers and leaves, I used the three colours to water-colour them, but left the prickly leaf without colour.

I had a play with the layout and that’s where the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch came in.

I couldn’t decide which card I preferred so I am showing them both – does anyone have a preference?

The sentiment is from a Concord and 9th stamp set.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches – Night Of Navy, Crushed Curry, Gorgeous Grape

Watercooler Challenges – feminine anything goes

CAS(E) This Sketch – sketch

CAS On Sunday – CAS Flowers

 

 

 

 

Tropical Friendship

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Hi again. I have been playing with my newest Catherine Pooler ‘Stamp of Approval’ box. I took the opportunity to use the Altenew Artist Markers, too, as I have recently received them. I used three colours for the flamingos, after first stamping the outline with black ink.

The trees and grass are also from that same Catherine Pooler box, and stamped using the same greens as I used to  blend the background, with the brown trunk on the trees a Catherine Pooler ink.

I did find stamping the tree tops, then die-cutting, then stamping the trunks made it easier to ensure correct placement and angle as the tree and trunk comes in one die. It could be possible to stamp at the wrong angle, but I found this way easy.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches – sketch

Give a Crafter a Cookie –  photo inspiration

Crafty Gals Corner – Tropical Colours

 

 

 

 

 

 

Altenew Perfectly Perfect stamp set

Hello again everyone. I have been making a card to enter a colour challenge and a sketch challenge:

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I knew I wanted to use the colours from Color Throwdown and use flowers, and I knew I wanted to base the layout on the current sketch from Freshly Made Sketches – but which flower stamp set just kept me thinking and over-thinking…..I couldn’t decide.

Then – Mr Postie arrived…..with a delivery from Seven Hills Crafts…..this stamp set was inside the package……. I just had to use it straight away.

I stamped the images onto water-colour card, in a grey from Stampin Up, then stamped again with an embossing pad and heat set with clear. I then coloured with my Zigs using a couple of yellows, and a couple of greys  to tie-in with the colours from the Color Throwdown challenge.

I die-cut the rectangle out of Kraft card with my stitched wonky rectangle from MFT, stuck that onto a white card base, and glued my flowers and leaves down with 3D glue. I only put the glue in the centre of each flower, as I was playing with the sentiment and leaves to decide where I wanted them to go, so no pads near the edges gave me more lee-way. I like to put leaves and flowers on top and underneath other flowers, as I think it adds more interest and dimension.

The sentiment is from the same stamp set, white heat embossed, and glued in a jaunty angle to match the sketch. I think it’s quite ironic that the stamp set is called ‘Perfectly Perfect‘ and the sentiment is wonky. (Maybe it’s my sense of humour! :)

As mentioned, I shall be entering into:

Color Throwdown – grey, yellow, kraft, white

Freshly Made Sketches – sketch

Altenew Cherished Memories

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Hello again everyone. I have a card to share inspired by the current sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches, and using the colours from Color Throwdown.

I stamped and gold heat embossed the leaves from the new Altenew Cherished Memories stamp set onto a piece of navy card, and adhered that to a white card base.

I stamped the flowers onto a blush Creative Expressions card base – even though it looks white here, it is a blush colour card – then die cut, and arranged as per the sketch.

I didn’t want the flowers completely in a straight line, slightly out of line, but still giving the over-all impression following the sketch. The sentiment is from the same stamp set, stamped in navy onto the same blush card, and using a little corner rounder punch.

I then took a gold gel roll pen – still using the freebies from the Altenew day the other week – and dotted the middle of the flowers, so they matched in a little more with the background.

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Bye for now

 

colours, sketch, birthday

Hi there. I have been creating a birthday card again, and really had fun with the colours and the die cutting.

I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday, but where the left hand side of the sketch looks like twine, I have done three embossed lines, well, debossed lines!

20180119_143238However, I soon realised that the more I added the flowers, then the more these lines would be covered….I hope it still counts…..

The flowers are from Altenew Hello Sunshine, which is one of my favourite stamp sets, but then anything from Altenew could be included in that list of favourite things!

I stamped the flowers using Tranquil Tide and Dapper Denim, then die cut them with the matching set, and then started to play with the layout and the base colours. I didn’t think I was going to lay the flowers all around the white rectangle – but it just happened, and I liked it.

I also thought about colouring the flowers with the same colours, but I tried on a couple of extra ones I had stamped, and didn’t like it. I like this effect – even though the card could be considered busy, I still think it’s quite clean, lots of open space. I find I am tending towards that genre more and more – though I also like to ‘chuck’ everything at a card every now and again.

Here are the challenges which inspired this card:

Sketch Saturday – sketch

The Paper Players – Dapper Denim, Lemon Lime Twist, Tranquil Tide + one other colour )white)

Try It On Tuesday – my favourite things (Altenew stamp set)

Seize The Birthday – Birthday – optional twist one layer (not used)

(Last but not least – a huge thanks and best wishes for Bev from UNIKO, who sent me a  ‘Hugs’ card after hearing I had one of my cats put to sleep last week. XXX)

 

 

Thursday two-fer

Hi all. I have a couple of cards for you this time, for different challenges.

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For the first card, I stamped some test tubes from Sheena Douglass ‘Alchemy’, coloured with Distress Oxides inks – of which I must have used about 5 colours to get the colour I wanted in the tubes – then die cut them with the matching dies. I curved them a little with my poky-tool, and added 3D foam squares to back of them to raise them a little.

The large sentiment is from the same stamp set and cut with my stitched rectangles from Lawn Fawn, with the smaller part of the sentiment from a Uniko stamp set – which happened to be just sitting there….

This card will be entered into:

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second card is using some of the Brusho water-colouring I did at the weekend.

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I placed a panel on a piece of card, then stamped a Uniko floral layering stamp on it several times, making sure to stamp off the page, too. I found the best way to do this was using my Misti, stamping on top of the brown, placed on the card, the  removing the brown panel and stamping directly onto the card base. That way, there isn’t any missing stamping near the edges of the panel, aligning the brown again when sticking it down.

I used Versafine black onyx for the outline, then used Altenew inks for the actual leaves. I didn’t add any other colour, keeping it quite monochrome, but I did add some dew drops to the top of the buds for a little added something.

This card will be entered into:

Uniko Challenge 43: Autumn/Fall (colours)

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: monochrome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travelling and challenge entry

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Hello everyone. Have you noticed I have been a little quiet this week? Well – I am currently in Quebec City visiting my sister! I know, trans-atlantic travelling. I love this city, and have been here several times before.

I arrived from London on Friday evening – after 2 hour delay from Heathrow – flew into Montreal, then flew up to Quebec. Not so bad, actually, as Air Canada transfers all your luggage for internal flights anyway.

Yesterday was spent doing a little food shopping, a little craft shopping – I know, first day! – and chilling. Then – raided her craft stash.

We both make cards, our styles are quite different, but she has LOADS of stuff I can play with.

This card is using the Altenew ‘Doodle Blooms’ stamp set, then colouring in Cracked Pistachio Distress oxide, then die cut with matching dies.

The embossing folder is from Spellbinders ‘Garden Delight`M-Bossability, and I used the curved die from Simon Says Stamp `Stitched Slopes and Hills’. The sentiment from a Stampin Up set ‘Les deux font la paire’ – thought I`d stay with the French language seeing as how I am in Quebec.

I shall be entering this card into the following challenges:

Fusion Challenge – sketch

Crafting with Dragonflies – embossing wet or dry

 

 

Hello Sunshine Flowers

Hi everyone. A later posting today, as it took me so long to sort out the placement of this flower and leaves. I had an idea in my head, but just couldn’t get it right. It seems to be a running theme with me these days – taking ages to plan my layout…..

This card has been inspired by the colours from Just Add Ink, and the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch.

I used my Altenew stamp and die set ‘Hello Sunshine’, stamping the flower in black on some Whisper White cardstock, but the leaves in a softer grey. I don’t have the Smokey Slate from Stampin Up, so used Evening Grey from Altenew. I thought the leaves would be too stark if stamped in black, and I wanted a softer look for them.

The flower I stamped in black, and coloured all of them in Lemon Lime Twist, using my water brush on the ink pad casing. I must say, this is now one of my favourite colours. I love it. It comes a very close second to the Catherine Pooler ‘Lime Rickey’ ink – love them both.

The sentiment is from Altenew – Wood Pallet Background. I was going to use the wood pallet, but I used my We R Memory Keepers next level embossing folder instead, to give a trellis look. (I need to move away from the trellis look, I think!)

I stamped the banner in Crumb Cake, as well as the sentiment, and cut it out. And – no die cut for this! All my own snappy scissor work……. :)

The base card is Crumb Cake, layered with the Whisper White embossed layer, the sentiment added with 3D glue gel, and the flower and leaves stuck behind this.

So – Whisper white is used for the stamping and the embossed layer, Lemon Lime Twist for the colouring, Crumb Cake for the base card, and Evening Grey instead of Smoky Slate for the outline of the leaves.

Challenges I will be entering:

CAS(E) This Sketch – sketch

Just Add Ink – colour combination

QKR Stampede – anything goes

 

 

Sketch Inspiration

Hi there, everyone. Despite it being very, very hot here in Chesterfield, UK, I have been in my craft room. I am not really a sun-bathing fan, except when on holiday somewhere with a beach, pool/sea, and a bar, so I have been in my cool room playing.

This card was inspired by the sketch from CAS Colours and Sketches, and I took the opportunity to use my new Catherine Pooler Stamp of Approval stamps. There is one huge stamp set with lots of different medallions on it, which all can be used individually or that quite a few of them fit inside one another.

I also used the Catherine Pooler inks ‘Lime Rickey’ and ‘Aquatini’ – love those colours.

The two circles are two stamps from that set, and I used a circle to mask the larger image when I stamped the smaller image to give the effect of one behind the other. The three smaller flowers are also from that same stamp set, with the sentiment using two words from separate stamp sets in that collection.

As I stamped the words in black, I added a strip of black paper from Stampin Up I had laying around.

I shall be entering this card into the following challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch

Brown Sugar Challenge – anything goes

Crafty Catz challenge – anything goes