Audrey loves her Make-up

Morning all.
Well autumn is still being held at bay chez Beech. Mind you the strong winds of the last few days have stripped a lot of leaves from the trees before they have had chance to turn. One of the walkers I bumped into the other day, while out with the dog, said they'd seen redwings gathering but he had his binoculars with him, I only saw a flock of brownish birds fly off as I walked into the field on Monday! Still if they were redwings then the fieldfares wont be far behind and the trees will be stripped of their autumnal bounty!
So although the hedgerows should be glowing reds, oranges and brown at this time of year, most are still green!
The new challenge at Cardz4Galz is all about this time of year -

FALL/AUTUMN COLOURS

For my card I decided to leave the leaves behind and just stick to the colours with this.



I used the sketch from Sunday Stamps and the theme from Inkspiration for my take on the theme.
When I saw the theme at Ink, Glamour, I knew the exact stamp I wanted to use. It's a new to me from Stamping Bella, Audrey loves her Makeup. It's a v elegant image but a devil to colour, what with those thin arms and legs! I stamped and coloured her with Copics before fussy cutting her and mounting her on pads over three narrow die cut panels in a gold flushed brown, on a background of shaded orange DP from my stash that came in a mag over 5 years ago. Definitely time I used it!
The sentiment is from an equally ancient Personnel Impression set stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa on a cream die cut banner. I added a few dew drops to finish. Looks like the glue hadn't completely dried on the middle one before I took  photo, oops.
For more inspiration please check out the rest of the DT and join in!

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Merry Monday & ATSM

Welcome to a post to announce the start of the latest challenge over at ATSM. This week it is our theme of -

HOLIDAY

Here is my card for your inspiration.

Not your usual Christmas colours but the one's featuring over at Merry Monday. I've missed them over the summer but now they are back from their break it makes sense to use the inspiration!

The layout is from the sketch at Paper Players, and rather than use my Woodware wreath stamp I winged it with the use of assorted buttons, pearl and bling additions! Don't know if you can tell, but there is an aperture in the middle of the wreath which I was going to keep but decided I rather liked the white. The background panel was made by stamping and embossing in white a Stampendous Christmas background stamp, then inked up with some Spun Sugar DI. Before popping up the white panel on pads I added some silver Christmas thread as a hanger and a bow, so that fits in with the challenge over at Less is More!

This week we are sponsored by

SLSlines is the work of Sal Scheibe, a freelance illustrator and graphic designer who loves to draw and create fun illustrations. Sal works as the Art Director of ArtTrader Magazine. Prior to freelance illustrating, she worked as a Creative Designer for a music firm working with TV and advertising clients. 

Sal spends her nights drawing geeky things like RPG characters, zombies, fairies, awkward people, pretty girls and odd animals. She offers a broad range of fun digital stamps in many themes from geeky to cute and whimsical to realistic. Her digital stamps start life as sketchy little doodles which are then cleaned up digitally in Photoshop and made presentable and perfect for you.

Sal's favorite tools are Wacom pen and tablet as well as Copic markers, lots of fineliners and many types of erasers (which are used often). Her favorite artists include John Singer Sargent, Norman Rockwell, JC Leyendecker, Joe Sorren and Phil Hale. And Steve Epting too.

If you'd like a custom digital stamp made or have some suggestions, feel free to write to Sal with themes you'd like to see in the Etsy store.

Prize: 2 digital images
So for more holiday inspiration why not pop over to the ATSM blog and check out the rest of the DT.



I'd like to join in over at:-

      

 

                                                    Thread

Autumnal Happy Birthday

Morning all.

Although the trees around here are still hanging on to their leaves, it wont be long before the leaves turn and the birds start stripping the bushes of berries. I saw from what some bloggy friends have posted, that there has been heavy snow as well as floods in some parts of the US, while we have had a very mild start to the autumn.

Anyway, over at Cards4Guyz we have a new challenge for you.

AUTUMN/ FALL COLOURS

Lots of scope there I think for masculine cards!

Here is my take.

I used a technique called embossed resist to create my leaf panel. You can find out the details of the technique here.

I started by taking a piece of A6 dark cream card and stamping a selection of solid leaf stamps and embossing with clear EP. I then inked the panel with Scattered Straw DI and then when dried added further clear embossed leaves. Next I inked the panel with  Spiced Marmalade DI and repeating the embossing. Finally I added some leaves with Memento Morocco. Then it was time to iron off the embossing to leave the finished panel. The rusty red looks a bit more subdued in the finished panel except around the edges of the orange embossed leaves, no idea why, but I like the overall effect.

The finished panel was cut with a MFT stitched rectangle then glued flat on a cream base card. Happy Birthday was then stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa. There was a bit of the panel left but perhaps I will keep that back for the moment!

Please check out the rest of the team here and why not have a go and join in.

I'd like to join in over at -

Time Out Challenge #66

    

Smile. it's your birthday!

Morning all, the weekend beckons, but the weather,  well let us just say it may not be dry for us here abouts!

Anyway its time for a brand new challenge over at Fantasy Stampers.

This time our theme is-

WATCH THE BIRDIE

For my interpretation I went literally! What do you think?

The cheeky little birdies are from Paper Smooches Chubby Chums set. I've used the other chums before but this is this chicks first outing!

I made the film strip bu punching the edges of a strip of black card with an ancient Fiskars edge punch, then cutting out the frames with a square die. The birdies were stamped then coloured with Copics before being fussy cut and placed behind the strip. The sentiment is an amalgum of a couple of greetings sets. THe top panel was trimmed down to leave a small border before being glued flat on a white base card.

For more birdie inspiration, please check out the rest of the team and why not join us here, we'd love to see what you come up with. So long as it's a hand stamped image the rest is up to you.

I'd like to join in over at -

        

                                                           Add a sentiment

No squares allowed

Trendy Christmas Trees, a STAMPlorations mini hop

Afternoon folks.

I was in the hardware store yesterday and the assistant was complaining that they were putting out the Christmas stock already! Well I know many of you like to get a ahead start with your Christmas cards, as do I, but the shops do seem to put up their Christmas stock far too early!

Anyway, STAMPlorations have launched a new set of Christmas stamps ready for all those cards you have yet to make!

We are also having a mini hop to celebrate too. 

Here are a couple I made with the new Trendy Christmas Trees set.

       

The first I made before the dies arrived, so I fussy cut these trees which I stamped on some Christmas from the stash. I cut them out and then layered them up before laying them on to some stitched snowdrifts and a frame made from the inside of a Christmas wrapping paper and the Crazy Double Running Stitch Nesting die set. The sentiment is from last years set, Christmas Bell Medley.

The second I went a bit more contemporary, using bright, almost neon colours. 

I cut a small stitched rectangle then die cut a tree shape with one of the matching dies and then using one of the crazy double running stitch rectangle die set, I cut a mount in white. It took a bit of fiddling as there wasn't one the right size! I glued the tree panel after colouring with Copics in green, onto the white panel then stamped another of the trees inside the aperture, colouring it with Copics.

One of the new word dies 'amazing' was cut using white card then coloured with a matching Copic. The 'Christmas' sentiment is from the Holiday Sketches - Christmas Candle set and the 'have a' was masked off from the Partytime set.

For all the details and for info on how to take part and for the chance to win the set, please check out the STAMPlorations blog, but you can start by leaving a comment here to be entered into the draw to win the set.

I'd like to join in over at -

      

                                 No colour option for me                         No pattered paper

recycled kraft from Christmas Wrapping paper center

ABC Christmas Challenge - S is for Sew What

A Classic Guy!

Morning all.
Is it a whole week since I was here to announce the start of the last Cardz4Guyz challenge?
Well the weather hereabouts has been glorious, except for Tuesday afternoon when we had a couple of thunderstorms. Its been like we were on holiday, sitting on the patio reading, pottering in the garden, housework(what ever that is) on the back burner, but hey the weatherman said the warm, even hot sunny weather is passing by, but only to be replaced by mild sunny weather which I can just about cope with!
Any way, as I was saying it's time for a new challenge at Cardz4Guyz. This week our theme is -

CARS

Classic, vintage, cute, regular, sporty, your choice, I went classic sports with mine. It reminded me of a friend's hubby's retirement project! His classic E Type was bright yellow though.

I bought this LOTV stamp from the Port Sunlight stamp fair last May and this is it's first inking up. It's coming up again a week on Saturday, have you got your tickets? I have. I've one or two stamps on my wish list LOL!

I kept the layout simple, I wanted to use the layout at Sketch Saturday and was unsure which DPs to use, so I went flicking through my EF box with half a thought to using one for one of the panels. I came across this Sizzix Argyll EF and then remembered that LIM had diamonds as their word of the week, no more searching and head scratching! I coloured the image with Copics then fussy cut the frame, mounting it on the EF panel. The greeting was from another LOTV set, a trio stamp which I added along the edge of my embossed panel with a couple of faux screws (small punched silver circle embossed with the edge of my knife) to complete. The whole lot was then glued to a white base card.

OK, that's about it from me. Please check out the rest of the team and join us, we'd love to see your card in the gallery.

I'd like to join in over at-

     

Diamond

Bloom Where You Are

Afternoon peeps. Just posting a reminder that there is still time to enter the sketch/theme challenge over at STAMPlorations.

Here is my inspiration for you.

For this card I went with the sketch.

If you prefer, try the theme of 

or combine the two, its up to you.

This card was influenced by the challenge over at Less is More where the girls are asking for a one layer card that has your favourite flower as its focus. I love the daisy stamps of Shery's so decided to use this one from the Boxed Blooms set. Being a OLC, I had to think hard how to make it interesting yet keep it CAS. As the daisy is in a square frame I decided to use one of the dies from my MFT square stitched frames set to create an embossed frame. Stamping the daisy and embossing it in white, I then masked the area of the frame with a die cut mount before using the splatter stamp from the Mixed Media Elements set to colour the petals with Angel Pink Memento. I took the stamping over the masked area before adding some darker pink splats in 2nd generation Rose Bud Memento.

Using the same stamp, I inked it up with Memento Dandelion and then stamped the flower center, adding a little Canteloupe in the shadow area.

To define the bloom I added some Picked Raspberry DI with a paintbrush and water. The DI reacted with the Memento and gave a little bit of texture to the petals that I quite liked.

I removed the mask and finally stamped the sentiment from the Subway Builders DARE set in Memento Grey Flannel

Please check out the rest of the DT for more inspiration and join in, you have until the 30 September to enter.

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One Layer Week - Your Favourite Flower

Take a stamp - Anything Goes

Muse

Morning all.

Over at Cardz4Galz we have a brand new challenge for you. This time we would love to see your projects that are -

NOT A SQUARE

I used to make lots of square cards but lately I've been sticking to the A6 rectangle shape. So for this challenge I went totally mad and made this.

My inspiration came from the latest challenge over at MUSE.

Here is the card by Tracey McNeely that I used as inspiration.

For my card I took inspiration from Tracey's gorgeous white embossed flowers on a soft splattered background, stitched panel and a bold black sentiment.

I used Brushos to create my background, adding Turquoise and Lime Green to a panel of watercolour paper that I had stamped my Stampendous roses and embossed with white EP then masked off. To get the fun started, I spritzed the panel with water and left it to dry. When dry, I removed the mask then added Brusho in Orange and Scarlet and spritzed again. When everything was dry I wiped off any excess ink on the embossing, then stamped the sentiment, free with a mag sometime ago, in Versafine Onyx Black. The base card was cut using a Marianne die and the top panel die cut with a MFT stitched circle die from my inked and stamped panel.

So for more inspiration, please check out the rest of the DT and why not join in?

I'd like to join in over at -

     

Blooming Buds

Hi and welcome to a late night post to announce the start of a new challenge over at ATSM.

This week our theme is -

ANYTHING GOES

Exactly what is says on the tin, link up whatever project you like as there are no restrictions!

Here is my card for your inspiration.

I've used the Blooming Buds stamp set by this week's sponsor

Founded in June 2013, California-based STAMPlorations™ is owned and managed by husband-and-wife team, David & Shery Russ. From just a handful of stamps, we now have 100+ stamp designs, 4 stamp designers, our exclusive line of stencils, and 20 amazing crafters spread across 3 teams who constantly produce gorgeous projects featuring our products. Our clear stamps are perfect for creating CAS, one layer, and mixed media cards, and they can be combined to create a variety of paper crafts. All of our stamps are proudly made in the USA. Our clear stamps are made from the finest, non-yellowing photopolymer resin. Through our stamp line, we hope to encourage crafters of all ages and

experience levels to "Stamp with all your ART!" 

I'd seen a couple of new to me challenges pop up in my feed so thought I would have a go at one.

I was inspired by the bold black and white stripe in the photo at Inspired by the Little Things, but didn't want to overpower the card so kept the DP to one side and I masked and stamped the flowers down one edge of a piece of white card before cutting away the edge that overlapped the strip. I'd seen  a technique like this over on the Altenew blog a while ago. 

The colours of the Can You Case It challenge this week are flamingo pink, chartreuse green and grey, so I went with those for the flowers. Stamping the outlines in Memento Grey Flannel, I used Copics in matching pinks and greens to colour. I also stamped the sentiment in Grey Flannel.

Please check out the rest of the DT and join our ever popular Anything Goes challenge.

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GOAL!!!!

Back again this morning, with a post to announce the latest challenge over at Cardz4Guyz.

This week it was my choice and I chose -

BALLS

So, anything with a ball as the main focus, cricket, soccer, rugby, American football, Aussie rules or even playing in the park with the dog, so long as it's for a guy. 

Here is my card.

I made this for my Grandson's birthday a while ago and have been waiting for this challenge to come around!

I used a Sizzix Album, Accordian Flip 3D die to create 2 cards which I glued together to make this. I made the base in green and added panels of white card stamped with part of the LOTV trio set I'd used for the other images. 

Two of the inner panels were covered with a die cut panel to represent the goal nets and the other 2 panels were left green, being framed by the footballs. 

The trio of LOTV images were stamped, die cut and coloured with Copics before being framed by larger circles of red or blue. The fourth circle is a LOTV circular sentiment, also framed with blue.

That's about it then from me.

Please check out the rest of the DT and join in!

I'd like to join in over at -

     Frames

   

   One for the Boys

Flying Mouse

Good morning folks. The weatherman says it could be the hottest September day on record here in the UK, hotter than LA and the same as Thailand! Hate it when its hot and humid, I tend to hole up inside with the curtains closed, September is usually OK for being out and about without all the heat!

OK, enough ranting, down to business.

Its time for a new challenge over at CardsundMore, which is

NO DESIGN PAPER

Now that should be an easy enough challenge!  I'll tell you more about that in a mo. 

First off, here is my take on the challenge using a digi - Flying Mouse from our sponsor for this Rick St Dennis.

Here is one I made earlier

Can you spot the difference? Yep I used a scrap of DP for the sky, what was I thinking?!

Anyway, I rectified my error which I only realised when I typed in the challenge theme for this post!

To correct my error, I used a die cut cloud as a stencil, moving it around a panel of white card as I inked in the sky with some Tumbled Glass DI, disaster averted.

The clouds across the diagonal were also handmade to match the sketch at Sketch Saturday. I stamped a LOTV sentiment in the bottom right hand corner. 

The cute aviator mouse, was coloured with Copics and fussy cut before mounting him above the clouds on pads.

For this challenge we are sponsored by Rick St Dennis 

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                                                       Anything Goes - Option of a sketch 

(no sketch for me this time)