Congratulations Shery

Just a quick post to share the happy news that Shery of STAMPlorations fame and her hubby are the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl called Catherine. You'll be pleased to hear that mum and baby are both fine. 

I've got the stamps all ready to post this by snail mail so hopefully it will arrive before the bub's first birthday!

Becca, The Damsel of Distressed Cards, is organising a blog hop to celebrate the safe arrival.

If you would like to leave some love for the Russ family just hop over to the STAMPlorations blog for more information.

Once again lot's of love and best wishes to Shery, David, and the baby.

Just linking up over at -
Simply Create Too - Special Occasion

Alium Panel

Hi and welcome. It's Bank Holiday weekend over here in the UK so it's bound to rain!

Just the excuse you need to play along with the latest challenge over at Fantasy Stampers.

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

THE COLOUR PURPLE

So a traditionally stamped image on a project that is predominantly PURPLE or shades there of!

Here is my card.

This has a new stamp from LOTV as it's focus, Alium Panel.

My friend Di got it with my loyalty points before the shop in Farsley closed. 

I wasn't sure how well it would colour as the petals are very small! In fact I stamped it in 3 different ways just to try out some techniques, white embossing, on watercolour paper and this one using Copics. The background panel was embossed using a DoCrafts embossing folder and that was mounted flat on a purple base card. Just the thing for this week's challenge at CASology! The LOTV sentiment tag was attached with a little jute string wrapped around the alium panel.

This panel was stamped then embossed in white on plain card, then coloured using DIs in a w/c technique before cutting out with a MFT pierced rectangle die. The purple panel was also cut using a bigger MFT die and all were mounted flat onto a white base card. The sentiment is from a Woodware set. MFT dies and a stamp are just the ticket for the challenges at MFT and Stamping Sensations.

This panel was stamped on w/c paper  then a little bit of masking fluid was popped onto some of the floret centers before DI colour was washed over very loosely. After rubbing away the masking fluid some yellow centers were added. The final effect was a little sparkly because I'd used my mat earlier for Inka Gold and some wax was obviously still left on the surface after I'd cleaned up!

This closeup shows the happy accident a little clearer!

All three techniques have their merit and I'm not quite sure which is my favourite, they all have something different going for them.

OK, hope that has given you some inspiration and you will join us. For more fab inspiration please check out the main blog.

I'm joining in over at -

  
Summer  
          The purple and the flowers just fit the bill I think.      
                
                    

               
                        Summer Flowers              Anything Goes with a stamp and a die



Thanks for stopping by, see you back soon. :)

CAS @ATSM

Good evening and welcome to the latest challenge over at Addicted to Stamps.

This week the challenge is all about =

CAS

Yep, we would love to see your clean and simple cards, where it's all about the design.

I must admit this is my favourite style. So here is my card for your inspiration.

I used the sketch over at Less is More for my layout.

and had an eye on the pretty patterns challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays.

I used one of the tiny star stamps from STAMPlorations to repeat stamp in yellow, red and blue.

The red ink I had was a little too deep so the red here is second generation stamping, that is stamp off the ink on scrap before stamping on the project.

I used the side of a pierced rectangle from MFT to cut the angle on the white top panel and added a slither of black card to give contrast, before stamping the sentiment from Stampin Up, Endless Birthday Wishes and the curved line from the same STAMPlorations  Dee's Artsy Impressions Banners and Balloons set as the stars. The celebrate from the Stampin Up set was embossed in white.

This week we are sponsored by

who are offering 7 digis to the winner chosen by the DT.

OK, that's it from me. Check out the rest of the fab DT for more inspiration and join in!

I'm joining in the fun over at:-

Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments, they are really appreciated. :)

Good Luck

Good morning folks.

As it's Tuesday it's time for a new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. 

This week Caz has chosen the theme of -

Myth and Magic

Quite a broad theme, but finding something in my stash that followed the theme was a little more tricky.

In the end I used one of the images on a sheet from a magazine from yonks ago, I think it was Simply Cards and Papercraft.

There are quite a few mythical creatures on this sheet but I went with the leprechaun as I wanted a good luck card for my son's new job.

I used paint to isolate the image I wanted then printed it off on card and coloured it with Copics.

After fussy cutting him out I attached him to my base card which follows the latest sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch, with pads. The embossing was done using a Lifestyle Crafts folder. The sentiment was also a magazine freebie.

Check out the rest of the DT and why not join us this week.

I'm joining in over at:-

     

Thanks for stopping by, see you back soon. :)

Teacher Thanks

Afternoon folks.

Just a quick post of a card I made awhile ago for my grandson's teacher to say thanks.

I'd taken a photo but forgotten all about it, but it suits the latest challenge over at ATCAS.

So here it is, better late than never!

It uses a digi I won awhile ago from Sweet and Sassy Stamps and thought that it would suit this type of card very well.

I coloured the cheeky mouse and rosy apple with Copics before fussy cutting out. I stamped the thanks from the STAMPlorations Boxed Blooms set in Memento Grey Flannel on the base card then attached the apple and mouse to the frame and mounted it all up on pads.

Job done.

I'm joining in over at -

Watercolour butterflies

Hi and welcome to a reminder about this months challenge over at STAMPlorations. 

As well as the blog hop we still have our regular monthly challenge and/or sketch.

Here's my card.

This time I've not used the sketch, just the watercolours.

I used one of the large butterflies from the Flutterby stencil, drawing around the edge of it with a fine liner in a pale colour. Then I washed in the colour for it's wings, keeping inside the lines. When dry I added some background colour wash and some splatter to ground the butterfly on the page. I used a dark purple grey Copic to draw in the butterflies body then added details on the wings using the stencil and a white gel pen. The sentiment was stamped in Versafine onyx black is from the Noteworthy set.

I was in a watercolour mood last week and I had some time to kill waiting for a parcel to be delivered, so I had a play with a triptych  using a frame I picked up at the supermarket the other day.

This time I used the sketch and a couple of stencils, Bloom Silhouettes and Shower of Flutters.

Using the same technique as before I traced around the stencils with a pale w/c fine liner on w/c paper, then using some artists masking fluid I painted over the right hand butterflies then using the stencil as a mask over the left hand side I washed in some blue and green DIs to give me my background. Then keeping the stencils in place I over stamped with some Mown Lawn DI with a couple of grass stamps plus some free hand flicks with a paint brush. 

Removing the stencils and masking fluid, I painted in the flowers and butterflies. I used a reference book on butterflies to get somewhere near the actual butterflies that inspired this painting. Using DIs in a w/c technique and some Copic and white gel pen colour where necessary.

OK, now it's over to you.use the theme or sketch or as I did, both! 
You can now enter up to SIX times and as before STAMPloration stamps are not essential, but it would be nice :) . Although the format has changed the prizes are just the same.

Prizes

• Winner voted by the design team receives a $15 gift certificate or choice of two (2) standard-size (5x7) ARTplorations stencils if the project has STAMPlorations products; if the winning project doesn't have a STAMPlorations product, winner receives a $10 gift certificate or choice of one (1) standard-size (5x7) ARTplorations stencil.
• Top picks voted by the design team each receive a $5 gift certificate or choice 2 digis
• 1 winner randomly drawn from entries that have STAMPlorations products (stamps and/or stencils) receives a stamp & stencil pack or $10 gift certificate
• Winner and top picks invited to be guest designers in the October Challenge.

For more fabulous inspiration check out the rest of the DT and GDs.

Annie GD
Barbara Roe GD
KT Fit Kitty GD
Becca DT

Laura Jane DT

Sari DT

Tenia DT

Wei Wei DT

I'm joining in at -


Just the summer flowers!


Take a Technique
Pens and Pencils



Thanks for stopping by. :)

Banners and Balloons

Good afternoon and welcome to day 2 of |STAMPlorations July spotlight blog hop.

My on the ball followers may have had a sneaky preview of this card as I inadvertently scheduled this post for last Wednesday before I'd finished it!

Anyway here it is now showcasing the wonderful Banners and Balloons from Dee's Artful Impressions here at STAMPlorations.

As you can see I only used a few of the stamps from the set but repeat stamped them. 

For the balloon panel I stamped and masked balloons before adding the strings then coloured them with Copics to match the repeat stamped BIRTHDAY  panel for which I used DI's. I die cut a balloon shape using a MFT die, from this panel before mounting the balloons on a black base card and popping up the top one on pads. I cut a few happy's with an Avery Elle die, layering them up and attached it across the bottom of the top panel.

That's it from me so why not check out what the rest of the team made! 

You'll find links to all our projects here.

Leave a comment on this and the rest of the girl's blogs before August 24 for some fab prizes

• FIVE (5) commenters randomly drawn from the designers' blogs will each win the stamp set featured for the day.
• ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $25 gift certificate

OK, so now it's over to you. Thanks for stopping by.

I'm joining in over at -

Time

Morning again. 

Tuesday means another challenge over at Cardz4Guyz.

This week out theme is-

IT'S ABOUT TIME

So anything to do with clocks and timepieces of all descriptions. I was tempted to go off piste with my interpretation but in the end I kept it straight.

I used the sketch from this weeks challenge at Sketch Saurday as the main influence and as stamps in this category are thin on the ground I used a DoCrafts embossing folder and some off cuts from my stash.
After using the EF, I inked it with DIs to bring up the texture then had a scour through my stash for some clock paper. I found some odds and ends from some Graphic 45 papers from an old project but they looked a little boring on their own so I cut out what was left of the large pocket watch and cut away the face and center of the winder. I added some Glossy Accents to the case of the watch and popped it up on pads and glued the face flat. I cut out some clock fingers from some embossed black card and embossed a sentiment in gold on another scrap. The strip across the bottom of the card was also a Graphic 45 scrap. In fact all the elements of this card were from my bit boxes, yes I have lots, all colour coded, sad I know, except the base card!

OK that's about it, now it's your turn. Check out the rest of the fab DT for more inspiration if you need it.

I'm joining in over at -

Cards for Men

Good morning.
Today is going to be a little busy in the post department, but more of that later.
First off the ranks is this card for the new challenge over at Cards und More.
For this challenge we would like to see your  -

MEN'S CARDS

Couldn't be plainer really!
So here is my card using an image from this week's sponsor.

who are providing 4 digis to the winner.

My card uses Pin up Portrait Photographer. I printed her out then used Copics to colour then fussy cut her out. On a spare strip of white card I stamped a photo negative strip using Kaisercraft's Art of Life.  I fussy cut that as well and attached the stamped Smile sentiment down one side of it before gluing the whole lot down flat on a plain white base card.
Simples!
For more inspiration check out the rest of the DT over at the main blog and join in.

I'll be back with another masculine card in an hour.
Don't forget that the challenge at Fantasy Stampers is also male orientated this week!

I'm joining in over at -

See back here soon. :)

World Birthday Cakes

Good afternoon and welcome to day 1 of the STAMPlorations July release blog hop.

Today we are showcasing the World Birthday Cakes by Shirley.

I needed an anniversary card for my daughter and son in law and after painting my DT card for the August challenge, I was still in a watercolour mood! So this is the result

Paris is such a romantic destination, so I chose to work with the Eiffel Tower cake stamp.

I had been browsing t'internet for a picture of the saidlandmark and saw a photo of a sunset behind the tower, so that was my starting off point. It is far too many years since I climbed to the 2ieme etage to be sure of the geography so I went with a little bit of artistic licence!

On watercolour paper, I stamped then embossed the tower in black, first rubbing away powder from the central part of the cake before heating. I then sloshed on some washes of DI in Seedless Preserve and Faded Jeans, when dry I repeatedly I over stamped part of a tree from the Vignette Tree Silhouettes set in Black Soot, masking off the base to get a clean edge with a post it. A little bit more sloshing of water over the top and I was happy.

The sentiment is from the stash. The finished panel was mounted on silver then a dark blue base card.

Leave a comment on this and the rest of the girl's blogs before August 24 for some fab prizes

• FIVE (5) commenters randomly drawn from the designers' blogs will each win the stamp set featured for the day.
• ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $25 gift certificate

Check out what the rest of the team have made! You'll find links to all our projects here.

I'm joining in at-


Anything Goes


Lilac/ Blue/Grey

One for the Boys

Good morning, hope I find you well and the lousy weather of the last couple of days here in the UK has not interrupted life too much!

As it's the start of the weekend it means that there is a new challenge over at Fantasy Stampers.

This time we would like to see your projects, stamped of course , no digis please, on the theme of -

BOY'S RULE

So with my regular spot over at Cardz4Guyz it's going to be a little masculine couple of weeks!

So without further preamble here is my card.

I was thinking about what to do for my DT card when I saw the latest challenge over at Muse. 

This is the muse card from the wonderful Michele Ferguson. 

I saw straight away where I was going with it then. I took all of the elements from her card then rejigged them into my interpretation.

I used the large green text, embossed background, silver chord on the balloon and vellum banner.

As Fantasy Stampers is a stamping challenge, I couldn't use a die cut balloon so I stamped some using my Dee's Artsy Impressions Banners and Balloons stamps and fussy cut them after colouring them with Copics. The strings were stamped then embossed with silver and the birthday from the set was stamped  and heat embossed in silver as well. The letters of happy were cut from a scrap of green in the stash using a MFT alphabet die and were mounted on the clear strip across the middle of my embossed panel.

OK, now it's over to you. Check out the rest of the DT's inspiration and join in.

We are also having a DT call so if you would like to join our happy band just send Jan an e-mail at jaybe63@hotmail.co.uk and tell her a bit about yourself, why you would like to join us and a link to your blog.

I'm joining in at -

     

                                                         Seize the Birthday

Owl's fan

Welcome to a scheduled post to announce the latest challenge over at Addicted to Stamps.
This week its -

MAKE YOUR MARK

So anything that you have to make a mark with! Pens, inks, thread, embossing, endless possibilities.

This is my card for the DT and a couple of challenges out there!

I used the sketch at CAS(e) this Sketch for the layout and had one eye on the OLC challenge over at Less is More.
Using a bit of waste from cutting out a branch as a guide, I sketched in the position of the branch then stamped the owl from Paper Smooches Chubby Pals where I wanted it. After masking the owl with a fussy cut owl on a post it, I inked the background through a tree stencil with Tumbled Glass DI.
I used Copics to colour the owl and branch and then added some Glossy Accents to the eyes. Not sure what happened with the GA as the eyes look a tad yellow in this photo, must be something to do with the light reflecting!
This is currently winging its way to a very old friend and ex neighbour, who used to take me to football matches when I was in my teens. She is a sports fanatic and a very keen Sheffield Wednesday supporter. We have this thing that I try to send her something linked to owls, nickname of Sheffield Wednesday FC, for birthdays and Christmas. This is this year's offering! Apprently she has kept them all from years gone by!
Anyway why not join us over at ATSM.
This week we are sponsored by


who are offering a 20$ gift certificate to the lucky winner chosen by the DT.

I'm joining in at -

           


OLC- The eyes have it!