Color Hues #134

Is it June already? Mind you the last week has dragged somewhat, we're not used to such high temps limiting what you can do. At times like this I can hear my Mum say that she was wasting time when it was so hot, I can see her point of view now!

Anyway, I've been playing in the craftroomj and not feeling guilty about it. Here's a card I made for the brand new challenge over at Color Hues.

I found this cute digi from LOTV in my printed off but not coloured box and thought it would fit the new challenge colours, together with a couple of neutrals, grey for the elephant and pale brown for the cushion he sits on. The DP is really ancient and has been sitting in my stash for 20 years plus I think! There's still over half a sheet left, so I must remember to use it! 

After colouring the image with Copics, I fussy cut the image and set it aside. I had a vague idea for a layout and found a die cut panel in my stash which I embossed with an equally ancient Cuttlebug folder. The gingham DP was added to a white note card and then the image was added to the embossed panel before being added to the card base on foam pads. I did think about using a ribbon across the bottom half of the panel but it obscured the text, so I left it off, along with a stamped sentiment which did the same!

So that's it really, but the rest of the team our GD Kim Miller have come up with some fab inspiration, check it out here.

The challenge will be open until June 14th @ 9am EST!

Have fun!

Joining in over at:-

Use stencil and/or EF

I chose EF

Keepy Upies

Hi, it's a lovely warm and sunny Bank Holiday here in the UK, very unusual.

As a result we are staying close to home as being retired, every day seems like a Bank Holiday, we also get to miss the crowds which accompany a warm sunny Bank Holiday!

So here I am with the curtains closed to keep the heat out with a card I'm linking up to a few challenges.

This is another of the fab LOTV digis from my stash coloured in my Son in Law's team colours of Liverpool, hence the choice of DP too. I found the sketch on Pinterest and have used it a couple of times as it allows the image to shine. 

For once I decided not to fussy cut my Copic coloured Striker image, simply layered him onto some red card, adding some DP and zig zag detail to make up for the size of the image panel. On more red card, I mounted some matching NitWits DP, finishing with a LOTV stamped sentiment. The whole panel was then added to an A5 card base.

Joining in over at:-

 

#850 Anything Goes

Happy 17th Birthday ladies

#838 Special Anniversary Anything Goes

Happy 17th anniversary too.

Uniko FB Challenge

Just popping by to remind all Uniko followers that there is still a couple of weeks to join in with the FB VIP Challenge on the theme of ANYTHING GOES and the chance to win £15 to spend in store!

Here's a card I made recently for my daughter's friend's birthday, all details are on the Uniko blog here.

Joining in over at:-

Happy 7th Birthday!

A Cosy Jumper

 Morning all. I can't believe a month has gone since the last Cardz4Guyz challenge went live but it must have as there's a new one!

This month it was my choice and I chose the theme of -

SQUASH IT!

In other words use an embossing folder to do all the hard work!

I love EFs and have a box full of them, though I don't always use them as often as I should. They range from geometrics to florals, those that add texture and even some that create a scene. For this simple card, I've used a cable knit one that was a freebie in a mag I believe. With out much effort you have a very effective sweater.

To begin, I chose some camel coloured card cut a partial circle from the top of an A6 panel, then embossed it, centering the cabled to achieve a balanced look. I remembered just in time to cut the opening as if not you run the risk of squashing all that lovely definition in the embossing! On another piece of the same card, I used two nesting circle dies to cut a piece which I laid over the original opening. A scrap of white linen textured card was then glued behind to suggest a T-shirt. I trimmed the panel to slightly less than A6 before adding to an A6 base card in the same cardstock.  A simple die cut sentiment, Uniko was added to complete. 

I've used this technique a few times to create simple masculine cards, here are links to other projects, here, here and here along similar lines.

So what EF will you incorporate in your designs? We're looking forward to seeing all your MASCULINE makes in our gallery but if you need further inspirationj, please check out the Cardz4Guyz blog.

Color Hues #133

Afternoon all. As we are over halfway through May already, its time for a brand new colour duo from Color Hues. Here's my take.

I was walking around the garden the other day whilst my pooch was on a sniffari and I noticed that the iris I split up 2 years ago were about to burst into full bloom. Last year they seemed to resent their splitting up and didn't make much but this year they have gone mad! Although as of the time of typing this they are still in tight bud, they should soon be in full bloom!

So as I was looking through my stash for inspiration for the latest Color Hues challenge, I landed on Altenew's Build an Iris stamp and set too with my watercolours. Of course the blooms had to be violet but the throat is usually orange or yellow but that's NOT ALLOWED, so I improvised with dots of white toned down with some of the lime green paint I used on the stems and leaves. I'm not sure which iris the designer was looking at for this stamp but mine don't have curly leaves, I suppose it's artistic licence! As usual I painted each petal and leaf in turn as in the peony from last month, keeping away from the last until it was dry to reduce bleeding, adding a little bit of neutral Paynes Grey for the shadow. The papery bud wrappings, are a mix of Burnt Umber and the Violet

After fussy cutting, I mounted the blooms on a panel of embossed white card and then added a die cut stamped sentiment, also Altenew.

So that's me done, but there's lots more inspiration from the rest of the team for your delectation! Looking forward to seeing your makes in our gallery.

Joining in over at:-