Photo Inspiration @ATSM

Good morning. 

Is it really a fortnight since my last DT for Addicted to Stamps and More?

Well this Indian Summer of ours continues so the trees around here aren't quite in their full autumnal glory yet but a couple of sharp frosts and they will.

This week at Addicted to Stamps and More its our picture inspiration week and this is my interpretation,

and this is the picture we would like to inspire you with -

I took inspiration in the horizontal shuttering, leaves and colours to create my card.

I didn't have an embossing folder with broad stripes so had to think how to make the background. In the end I cut strips of card and mounted them on a small piece of card at both ends then ran my panel through my Grand Caliber. I was quite pleased with the result, not as crisp as a proper folder by I quite liked the slight irregularity.

I'm afraid the Brusho came out again as I think its a great way to get intense colour in a random way. I changed my mind after creating a panel to out out the foliage so cut it out then inked it again with those fab little crystals. I added a strip of burlap/hessian, small tag sentiment and some linen twine to complete.

Why not pop over to the main blog and check what the rest of the girls have come up with I'm sure you will be inspired by their fantastic work.

This week we are sponsored by

who are offering 5 digis to the winner!

OK, over to you and good luck.

I shall be entering the following challenges:-

Just us Girls - Photo
Crazy 4 Challenges - Leaves or a leaf
Make My Monday - Die cuts - punches
edited 3/10 Ruby's Rainbow - Autumn Leaves

No balls allowed

Morning all. 

My September is almost at an end and the countdown to shorter days is growing apace.

As it's Tuesday it also means another new challenge at Cardz4Guyz. This week we would like to see your designs with a theme of -

SPORT - NO BALLS ALLOWED

In other words, no football or cricket etc., but we welcome winter sports, motor sport, sailing etc..

Now I don't really have anything male orientated sport without balls so I had to think hard but then remembered this stamp by LOTV of a little boy skiing so here it is.

I kept the pallette quite clean and crisp to reflect the snow theme using some LOTV papers as well as their little skier and his buddy. Last time I used this stamp I cut the little dog off but decided to leave it in this time. As usual I used Copics to colour the image, the white panel was embossed using a Cuttlebug - Snow embossing folder to give extra dimension.

I made this with a few challenges in mind including:-

LOTV - Pretty Papers (Frosty Christmas)

Christmas Stampin' All year long - AG/non traditional colours

Sweet Stampin' - Cards for Men

Addicted to Stamps - White and one other colour

STAMPlorations - Stamps and Markers

Merry Monday - Polka dots and/or stripes

OK, so why not pop over to the main site meet a couple of new faces and see what the rest of the DT have been up to, then join us.

Bye for now. :)

Brusho and Muse

Evening all.

It's been another fabulous day here in the Shropshire countryside and a fantastic sunset to finish off.

I can't believe it's almost October and we are still having days in the low 20's. I suppose its a compensation for the awful August we had!

I saw the Muse card at the beginning of the week but it's taken me this long to get my finger out!

I really wanted to take part this week as the guest Muse is my teamie from ATSM, Anita. Her card had an Art Deco feel about it but I went with a Christmasy feel.

and this is Anita's card

You can see that I've basically taken Anita's card as a sketch and gone with a Brusho panel heat embossed with detail white using a Stampendous snowflake stamp.

I really am enjoying playing around with this medium, it gives a real vibrancy to the work.

I tried two ways with this panel, first create then stamp, which gives a really intense effect but I eventually went with emboss first then add the brusho and spritz. It gave a softer look which I could add to if I felt it wasn't dark enough. 

I die cut both sentiment halves, one in white on the vellum the other in silver. Hope the pic comes across OK, the light was going as I took it. Lot's of shadows cast in my usual spot plus mucky windows thanks to hubby's pointing activities!

I shall also enter the following challenges -

CASology - Flutter

ABC Christmas Challenge - S for something festive

OK that's about it, thanks for stopping by!

Here come the girls

Good morning, good morning, good morning.

Hope you are all up and about on this autumnal weekend.

My daughter asked me to make a card for her friend's imminent baby girl so I decided to link it to this weeks theme at Fantasy Stampers of -

HERE COME THE GIRLS

Well hopefully all will be well when Nich's friend has her baby, just the one baby girl so perhaps it should be here comes the girl!

Now Nich is not a great one for pink but it is for a little girl so I'm sure she will allow this for once.

The phrase is computer generated but the teddy is from a new set of stamps by Kaisercraft - Teddy Bear's Picnic. The pink gingham paper was from the stash as were the buttons and the frame was a Spellbinders die. The little bear was coloured using Copics and fussy cut. I softened the pink by using a little bit of lemon card for the frames.

OK so why not pop along to the main blog to see what the other girls have been up to for your inspiration

I shall enter it into the following challenges:-

City Crafter Challenge - Focus on the sentiment

Sketchy Colours - Pink, brown and yellow

Simply Create Too - Special Occasion

(Pin)spirational #124

Thanks for popping by, see you again sometime.

Water

Morning all. 

Gosh the days are slipping by, nearly the end of the month but the weather is still looking settled.

This means pointing for the hubby as he continues to point the old barn walls. 

It also means that as it's Tuesday it's another challenge at Cardz4Guyz. 

This week we would like to see your creations on the theme of -

WATER

Just before I show  you my card for the DT inspiration I would like to thank you for your wonderful response to our no patterned paper challenge last week. Pop over to the main site to check who Helen has chosen for her top 3, not an easy decision. 

OK, now for my card -

This week I have gone down the digital route for part of my card. As the ink on the printer was running low I thought I would try using a digital programme to make the background.

I used NitWits digital papers - Aye Aye Captain and the sketch from this weeks Sketch Saturday.

As I used this LOTV By the River stamp for the image I mirrored the sketch to allow for the floating log.

Once I got my head around the programme I ended up with a finished look that perhaps was a little flat in comparison to using layering but it's certainly easier on the ink!

To give more dimension I fussy cut the main image and popped him up on pads. I also added a white layer before mounting on a mustardy base card.

I shall also enter the following challenges:-

Allsorts - Inspired by a film title - A River Runs Through

Tokbobok - Masculine

OK, that's about it. Why not pop over to the main blog to check out the rest of the DT inspiration and join in the fun.

Thanks for stopping by, see you back soon.

Autumn Chrysanths

Evening all, round two.

We went to the local garage to look at some vintage cars this lunchtime, mainly for a trip down memory lane and to see the chimney sweeps pride and joy.

Yep, there was a Ford Anglia with it's cut in back window, just like the one I had to push when it wouldn't start on cold mornings. 

Dad steering, me pushing hoping I wouldn't be late for school! 

No Ban the Bomb Cortinas for Al but there was a Ford Capri JPS special just like the one we went away for the weekend to Scotland in, with our next door neighbours the year after we got married. Also on the forecourt were assorted other Fords as well as Vauxhalls including the Viva model my friend Ali had at school. There were also some really vintage cars as well as scooters and motorbikes, even  a little red bubblecar! Anyway enough of the nostalgia, back to the craftroom.

Challenges are coming together for me at the moment, so although I had ideas for my MUSE entry this week I have been able to tweek it to include a couple of other challenges.

This is my card inspired by Marion Vagg's Muse card.

Other challenges include

and

All the looking back reminded me of my Father in law's and Dad's penchant for growing Chrysanthemums and Dahlias in their retirement, so this was another inspiration for my card.

Love the yellow and golds of these large blousey flowers, even if they did get earwigs in, just like the roses in the Curtain Call pic and you can't get more fussy cut than these flowers either for the AAA challenge!

I couldn't decide what greeting to include but in the end went with this Spellbinders die cut.

I used a Sizzix Original Daisy die which I cut from two shades of the two colours in copy paper, then layered up and curled. The leaves are also Sizzix from a stamp and cut set which I bought a while ago and not used NBUS, according to the wonderful Darnell. She has been running her #2 NBUS inspired challenge so I may enter this there as well as option 4, none of the above!

OK that's about it folks and thanks for stopping to the end!

Sunny Sunday

Morning all, the sun is out and there is promise of another lovely day.

I'm rather late with posting this card as I have Nich and family over, so Ben had first dibs on the laptop and then Joe used it to watch the match last night. I was also out with Nich doing some window shopping yesterday so although this card was made before their arrival I couldn't down load it from my phone!

I made it with a few challenges in mind -

Face the music and dance - Song 'The green green grass of home'

and

I love it when I can group challenges together!

I used a couple of Memory Box dies and a nested square to create the scene and stamped the greeting using one from a Woodware set. I just used scraps from the stash and a piece of marbled paper also from the stash.

I think this could be perfect for someone moving to a new house.

OK, that's a wrap, better go and see what Benny boy is up to in the lounge!

One Layer

Good afternoon bloggers.

Quite a lovely end to the day around her after a rather damp and misty start. 

Had to take Max to the vets for his booster shots first thing this morning. He knew something was a foot and cowered on the vet's table, not impressed. It was one of the male vets, not the lady vet who makes a real fuss off him that we saw and Max wasn't keen!! The vet had to muzzle him as Max decided that he wasn't going to stand still and be jabbed. :(

Anyway he seems to have forgotten the indignity now and is back to his usual self.

So after mowing the grass before tomorrow's rain and taking Max out I have been relaxing in the craftroom with a couple of challenges in mind.

The cue word at Less is More 

is BEVERAGE in their one layer week

 and 

SQUARE is the theme at One-Layer Simplicity.

The image is a stamp from LOTV - Love Boat and perfect for a congratulations card.

I masked off the outside of the card to leave a scalloped central panel, then stamped the image. I extended the trailing vines to fill the space then coloured the image.

I shall also enter the challenge at:-

Thanks for calling by, come back soon.

Holidays @ATSM #113

Morning peeps, it's been a busy few days for me in the craft room after my jollies, getting up to date with all my DT cards. Didn't plan that very well! Anyway it was a good excuse to ignore the dusting and hoovering and hole myself up in my craftroom.

The sweep came yesterday to clean the flues of the range and woodburner in preparation for those chill autumn nights, not that the days are cold as we seem to be in the middle of a very pleasant 'Indian Summer'.

While walking the dog yesterday I picked up a small branch from an oak tree next to the drive, such gorgeous colours, acorns as well. The trees are very colourful at the moment, especially the Field Maples and it was these that inspired my card for the latest challenge at ATSM -

HOLIDAY

OK, I know we don't have a holiday at Thanksgiving like they do in the US but I was in autumnal mode and not very Christmasy! So here is my card.

It was a bit of an experiment combining embossing and the wonderful Brusho. I had forgotten how much fun it was to use and the spectacular effects you can get. (and how messy!)

I first embossed the tree using a Dreamweaver stencil and white embossing paste, then when dry I put the stencil back on and inked the trunk and branches with a Copic pen.

Taking the stencil off again I removed some of the pen with the blending pen to create some hi lights. I then scattered small amounts of Brusho using a dry coarse brush over the tree image, being very careful not to use too much. I then spritzed the surface with water and drew out a few lines to ground the tree with the end of my spritzer. 

When it was dry I added some jute twine, some beech leaves punched from some waste from an other project, a thanks tag and a small button. The panel was then popped up on pads on a co ordinating card base.

This is getting back to my watercolour and pastel roots, I really enjoyed the experimenting and the trip down memory lane!

Now it's over to you, we'd love to see your HOLIDAY inspired projects and if you aren't inspired by my creation pop over to the main site and check out what the rest of the talented DT have made for your inspiration.

This week we are again sponsored by the wonderful

who are giving away 3 digis to the winner.

I shall join in at the following challenges with this card:-

Moving Along with the Times - Texture

Simply Create Too - Fall

Just Us Girls - Watercolour

Okay dokey, that's about it. Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again soon. 

No Patterned Paper

Morning all.
Before I talk about the new challenge, can I take the opportunity to say thanks to all of you that joined in our CAS challege at Cardz4Guyz last week. You didn't make it an easy choice for the top 3, but you can find out the result by checking the main site. Thanks again for joining in and I hope some of you will join in our latest challenge:-

NO DESIGN PAPERS

My inspiration for this weeks card was that a friend's daughter gave birth to a baby boy last week, so I thought why not show you what I made to celebrate the occasion.

This is a simple design but believe it or not it took on many guises before finally ending up looking as it did! Sometimes you can have too many ideas!

The stamp is from Hobbycraft and the sentiment from Personnel Impressions. The cardstock is from a book of card I bought from LIDL! I used up some odd bits of white card so really it only took one sheet of baby blue card. 

I used my old faithful Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder for the background and my new Die-Namics pierced rectangles and punched circle dies for the white top panels.  I used some plain white paper scraps together with a few sequins and dew drops from the stash to complete.

OK, that's about it for this post other than to say why not pop along to the main site and see what the rest of the team have made for your inspiration.

If you would like to join our happy band, why not add DT after your name as we are on the lookout for some more crafters to join us in promoting men's cards. What ever your style why not give it a go? 

I shall enter the following challenges:-

CAS on Sunday - Sequins Celebration

Addicted to Stamps - Man or Boy

Creative Inspirations  - Anything Goes

Crafty Little Fairies - Sparkle and Bling

Allsorts - Sugar n Spice 

Well the verse starts as- 

What are little boys made of?

Slugs n snails and puppy dog's tails, 

that's what little boys are made of.

What are little girls made of?

Sugar n spice and all things nice, 

that's what little girls are made of. 

17/9 damn forgot the main challenge I was entering!!

Swirls at Cards und More

Good Morning.

Another month has gone by so it's time for my next card for the Cards und More challenge.
This time our challenge to you is to make a project with the theme of

SWIRLS

Well when I looked in the old box of stamps one or two swirly ones popped out but I needed a focus. In the end I went with Christmas baubles after spotting a card on pinterest which caught my eye. Can't give a credit as I can't find it again, not being signed up.

I couldn't decide between the inny or the outy design so made both!

The bauble or Wesley Bob, as my friend Jenny B would say, die is one I've had for an age from GoKreate. The swirls are from the stash, one was a freebie the other I've lost the packet wrapper!
The first was inked with DI in Squeezed Lemonade and Festive Berries after the stamp was heat embossed with gold. The bauble was then cut using the die and popped up on foam pads, greeting from a Woodware set, organza ribbon from the stash.
The second was done the same way but instead of popping the bauble up I popped up the surround, a sort of invertage! The sentiment was from the same set as before. I used a textured card for this one with a bit of DI in Frayed Burlap for dimension. I also added a bit of bling and a bow from the ribbon box.

OK that's about it, so why not join us, can't wait to see your swirly creations, stamped of course!

I shall enter the following challenges:-
Festive Friday 

I went with baubles, especially my beige one.

Crafty Little Fairies - Sparkle and Bling

Mosaic Muse

Good morning all. 

It's a bit misty this morning but the weather man says it will brighten up soon, still we can't complain nearly half way through September and temps in the 20's.(degrees C)

I saw the latest challenge over at Muse while on holiday and thought what a brilliant job Therese had done with the muse card and just couldn't wait to have a go when I got home.

However, my first attempt was a bit of a failure but I had another go yesterday with a different image and came up with this.

This is the original

The only grid die I have is a Sizzix hexagon one so that's why its as is. The hexagons are a little small but I think it works. The butterfly was a free digi off t'internet and I used the colours from the latest challenge at Colour Me but using Copics to match.

I don't have any inks or card from SU so I coloured a white strip and some pearls with matching Copics. My word dies were too small so I stamped this SU hey! then fussy cut and mounted on pads.

Now for the real tricky bit. I had seen a video on You Tube about using the waste from die cuts like this but it used a product that is unavailable in the UK or prohibitively expensive to ship and I can't remember the name now or the link!!!

Anyway, I improvised with double sided tape and I was quite pleased with the result. I popped a few extra hexagons up on pads for extra dimension.

I will also enter the following challenge:-

City Crafter Challenge - Butterflies

OK, that's about it. Thanks for calling round and I'll si'thee.

Autumn Colours

Good Morning, hope you had a good week and are going to have a relaxing weekend. 

I've been off for a few days of sun sand and scenery on the Llyn Penninsular in North Wales, it has been glorious.

Now it's time for a new challenge over at Fantasy Stampers and this time Jan has chosen another photo for your inspiration.

So we would like to see your STAMPED (sorry no digis) projects based on this sumptuous piccy.

For my card I took the oak leaves and the russet colours and went with a CAS interpretation.

I had some paper left over from an earlier project using Brusho to create a watercolour effect here, so used it to create these leaves. I stamped the background using two stamps from the Autumn Foliage set from Creative Expressions, (they have been lying in their plastic wrapper for far too long, over eight years so they are definately NBUS) in Versafine Vintage Sepia then fussy cut them.

The top panel looked a little flat so I stamped and heat embossed in detail white my Stampin Up Woodgrain stamp. I used some jute twine and a button from the stash and stamped a Woodware sentiment on a cut off to finish it off.

OK that's it, so why not pop over to the main site and see what the other DT members have created for your delectation!

I shall join in at the following challenges:-

Penny Black and More - Autumn Colours

#2 Anything goes

Brusho, jute twine, embossing, button and stamping

 

leaves of course!

Thanks for popping by, come back soon.

Oriental

Good afternoon. 

The sun is shining and its another wonderful day on the Llyn Penisular in North Wales. The sun is so hot that we have had to come in from the beach to take a bit of a siesta. I can't believe our luck with the weather this week.

There are a couple of challenges which have caught my eye so I thought I would have a go.

Over at ATCAS the cue word is

and the one at CASology is

Now I had a card in mind for the ATCAS challenge then the CASology one came along so I have combined them both with this card.

I had lots of ideas about the word Oriental but was impressed with Loll's DT card based on the Japanese art of minimalist flower arranging,

  IKEBANA.

I used a cut down Spellbinders window as a background, a bowl made from a cut down Spellbinders label die in black, a strip of red and some branches and some Memory Box die cut tulips. As the cue for CASology was 3 then three flowers it was. I used a Personnel Impressions greeting to complete. I know red is an auspicious  colour in China but not sure about Japan. Apparently white is the opposite so I hope it isn't in Japan as well!

OK that's about it for today. Don't forget that the latest challenge over at Cardz4Guyz is CAS so why not pop over and link up a masculine CAS card, you never know your luck.

Thanks for popping by, see you again soon.

CAS at Cardz4Guyz

Good morning all, thanks for stopping by.

It's Tuesday again so that means it's a new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. This week it is my choice of theme and guess what I chose to see your -

Clean and Simple (CAS)

creations for the men or boys in your life.

I think CAS is a great way to make masculine cards, they don't need all the frippery just a strong design, less is definately more.

As the nights draw in the leaves are starting to turn the hedgerows come alive with colour, it's probably my favourite season, still warmish in the day and with a hint of chill at night. So I went with an autumnal feel for my DT inspiration, so here it is.

I used an off wide cardstock for this, not cream as I think it shows the colours off better.

People have been talking of using Brusho in Blogland and it reminded me that I used to make leaves with my class using Brusho, a crystallised ink that can be used as a w/c or strainght from the tub in very small doses as it is extremely concentrated!

I created the background panel by watercolouring some diluted yellow as a background with plenty of water, then added tiny sprinklings of the raw powder in yellow, brown and crimson. It is very messy and the dust will stain your fingers but the effect as you let the dust come into contact with water is spectacular. The dust separates into the constituent colours so you will get odd flecks of blue in the brown etc.

The tiles were cut using my Cookie Cutter nesting square die and the leaf shape using a very old punch. Because I used a punch I couldn't get a very random cut but the end result was OK I think.

After the inked panel was dry I cut it down and stuck it flat to the top panel but popped the squares up on foam as I did the top panel on the base.

The greeting was stamped on a tab from a Marianne set using a Woodware greeting.

OK, that's about it. Feel free to have a play, have fun and join us over at Cardz4Guyz.

By the way we are still looking out for some talented crafters to join our happy band, so just add DT after your name when you enter the challenge. We don't bite honestly!!

I shall enter the following challenges -

The Male Room - Autumn Colours

As You like it Challenge - Your favourite season

I went with the picture only

Thanks for calling by, see you again soon.

Under the Sea

Morning all, a bit misty again here but hopefully it will burn off just like yesterday.

Hopefully it will be an improvement on yesterday in blogland as I did think of posting this card but Mr Linky was on strike. Not sure if it was just me but all the challenges I tried to look at yesterday had a fault on the InLinkz site. Pressed the blue link then nothing happened just the loading symbol, some had lost the list of entries completely! Anyway all back to normal now I hope.

This is the card I made with a couple of challenges in mind.

 Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

Bi weekly sketch

Obviously I went with UNDER the sea with this mosaic style fish stamp using white embossing powder and watercolours. The central panel I inked using DIs then bleached out some bubbles with water then hi lighted a few with homemade glossy accents. I die cut the image using my Cookie cutter squares then inked the waste with the DIs and then cut again to create a border.

OK better get a move on as I'm off to have my boobs squeezed at the hospital. Yep folks it's mamo time again. Hopefully things will be OK but it always makes me nervous, it's 8 years since the last op and it's a new hospital since we moved. 

By for now and thanks for calling round.