Wild Flower Happy Birthday

Evening all.
It's time for a brand new challenge over at ATSM, so here is my inspiration for you.

I made this based on this flowery photo montage.



My inspiration was the actual layout of the photos and the colours of the blooms.

I decided to give my Altenew Wildflower Garden set it's first outing, stamping a variety of flowers in colours from the photo on a panel of white card. When completed, I used the frame die from MFT's Blueprint Sketch #27 to cut out the grid. From a scrap of matching card, I cut another and then again from fun foam and glued them together. The stamped panel was trimmed down to leave a small gap when glued to a matching white base card and the other pieces were placed back into the panel.
On another strip of scrap card, I stamped the greeting from STAMPlorations and die cut it with a banner die from the same Blueprints set.
OK, that's all from me but please check out the rest of the DT here for more photo inspired delights.

Joining in over at-

From all of us

Morning peeps.

It's time for a brand new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz, where we aim to show you that making cards for the boys is not as difficult as you may think!

Our new theme is:-

CHRISTMAS CRITTERS

Here are my critters, cute aren't they?

I saw this stamp when I was off learning how to use Copic pens properly at the end of last month.

I just couldn't resist and it's a dream to colour too.

The stamp by Stampingbella, was stamped and coloured with Copics before being fussy cut.

From a panel of white card, I cut my opening and then embossed it using a Cuttlebug EF.

On a matching white base card, I added some DP from the stash and a little bit of white card that would be framed by the top layer, which I added with pads. The trio of cute critters were added to the scene followed by the sentiment from the set and the Merry Christmas from Uniko.

Job done, but for more inspiration from the DT please check out the Cardz4Guyz blog here.

Joining in over at :-

CAS Christmas

November Chill

Get ready for Christmas

AG

Stamping with Brusho

Have you come across Brusho ink powders and their ilk? I love them, the end results are usually spectacular so when I saw that you could stamp with them I just had to try for myself. This is the result of my experiments.

The idea is that you ink the stamp with Versamark then sprinkle Brusho or other ink crystals over, spritz with water then stamp. I chose a PB stamp as it had large leaves but then realised that the berries were also on the leaves so I had to rethink the technique to get a good image. 

Using my MISTI, I inked the berries and stems with a Versamark pen before adding my powders and spritzing and stamping on watercolour paper. I repeated the process, but this time over the leaves. Think I went a bit mad with the water and put too much Brusho on the leaves as well but the end result wasn't too bad, especially when I added some splatters! To crisp up the berries, I added some white hi lights with a gel pen. 

The panel was originally bigger but I decided to cut it down a little, eliminating most of the branches from the design, mounted it on a panel of red and then an off white base card. Sentiment is from Uniko.

Joining in over at:-

     

CAS Christmas

Uniko Challenge #50

Morning all.
It's time for the last challenge of the year over at Uniko.
Here is my inspiration for you.

Our theme is -

I decided to play with my Copic Various Inks and Embossing Paste on Yupo paper, to create this panel.
Just a few drops of the Various Inks, blow down a straw to allow some mixing, then when dry add gold embossing paste using the Scandinavian Christmas Stencil.
My frame was cut from a panel of red textured coated card that's been in the stash for years, using an Avery Elle die. The sentiment from Pure Florals Poinsettia was stamped and embossed in gold.
 My completed panel was then trimmed to allow a small border and glued to a matching base card.

While I was playing with my inks I created a blue panel and turned it into this.

For my background panel I used some Copic markers as well as my Various Inks. The main reason being I don't have any dark blue Various Inks!

On a piece of Yupo, I scribbled some B29 and B39, then added some Various ink in B12 and B00, as well as a little colourless blender to make the ink move around. This produced a more even colour on the panel just what I wanted.

 I placed the scattered Polka Dots stencil over the panel and spritzed with some isopropyl alcohol.

PLEASE DO THIS AWAY FROM NAKED FLAMES AND IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA

I quickly moved in with a piece of kitchen roll and mopped up the excess ink before removing the stencil and washing it quickly. When I came back I decided that there wasn't quite enough texture so gave it another light spritz with the alcohol without the stencil, mopping again. This gave a much better result and softened the edges of the previously stenciled area. The alcohol reacts with the ink but because some was removed with the stencil you get a different effect in those areas.
I repeated the layout and sentiment but on white this time and added a torn card snowdrift and a gold stag cut from mirror card with an IO die

OK, that's all from me but don't forget to check out the rest of the girls' inspiration here.

I'm joining in over at:-



Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - #40 Anything Christmas Goes


#416 - with an animal

Season's Greetings from Santa

Evening and welcome to a post to announce the start of a brand new challenge over at ATSM.
Here's my card for your inspiration.

Of course our theme this week is-

I used the layout at CAS(E) this sketch! and the theme at CAS Christmas for my inspiration.

My Sugar Nellie Santa was stamped, coloured with Copics before being fussy cut. 

On a separate panel of linen effect card, I cut an oval and mounted Santa to one side, adding a Uniko sentiment for him to stand on. On my base card I added a scrap of DP so that it would show through the oval and popped the panel up on pads to give a shadow line to the aperture.

Simples.

For more inspiration, check out the rest of the team here and then why not take the chance to add to your stash and join us in the gallery.

I'm joining in over at:-

    

Congrats to the happy couple

Hi and welcome.

There have been a couple of weddings this week for my daughter and son, my son being Best Man for his bestie yesterday. Congrats to Holly and Ben. 

As it always is, the call of  'Mum, I need a card' came but when I went to design it I was unsure as to what to make. Being for my son to give I didn't want it to be too frilly and girly so went with a monochromatic palette, chic and classy so it will appeal to Holly too!

On a white 5 x 7 card I masked and stamped in Altenew's Silver Stone ink, the outline flower and solid leaf stem from Altenew's Beautiful You. 

The die cut 'Congrats' is from an ancient Cuttlebug plate die, cut from white card and inked with matching ink and a bit of clear Wink of Stella.

The sentiment strip cut with an MFT banner die was stamped in the same ink using a HLS sentiment. A few PPP clear sequins complete. Quite a quick card in the end and one I used to make another for my daughter's friend earlier in the week, but more of that later!

Joining in over at:-

Monochrome or Rainbow

I went with monochrome for a classy looking card. It might have flowers on it but I thought this understated style was perfect for my son to give to his best friend on his wedding day.

Wedding

25 Days of Christmas Tags

Hi and welcome to a post to share a few tags for Tracey McNeely's 25 days of Christmas Tags as part of Uniko's sponsorship of the event.
Always in need of tags for family and friends I decided to make a batch!

These are a take on this Christmas jumper using the recently released Background Builders Christmas 2018. 

I always struggle to make a neat tie for a tag that doesn't interfere with the tag design, so I decided to make a feature of the attachment!

I started by cutting some tags in bright colours using a Sizzix tag die and then stamped the strips and embossed with white EP. I added the Merry Christmas using two of the words from the Festive Sentiments set. 

The top of the tags were made by adding a white paper die cut circle over the edge of the tag and trimming the excess away and the collars were cut freehand.

For the masculine tags, I used a black bow to attach the matching baker's twine and for the feminine ones a matching button.

Here's a couple of close ups.

For more information and to join in click here. 

There are lots of ways that you can win so don't hang around!

I'm joining in over at:-

Using stamping, heat embossing, die cutting

Kylie's 12 days of Christmas

Welcome.
Today I've been invited by the lovely Kylie to join in celebrating her 12 days of Christmas.
Each day, Kylie has asked one of 12 friends to make a Christmas card, an encouragement to get a wiggle on with our Christmas makes.
Here is my contribution.

My starting point was an ATC I made last year and as I loved the mix of turquoise and gold, with the die cuts I turned it into a CAS card.

I started by stamping Uniko's background stripes on a scrap panel of linen effect card and embossed with twinkly gold EP. A couple of small tags were cut, one from the same linen effect and one in this fab holographic mirror turquoise. It's been in the stash for years but it is a bit in your face to use much of it at one go but all the white and gold around it on this card tones it down a bit. The snowflakes were die cut from scraps using an IO die set and some white as well as some gold linen effect card that I bought many, many years ago and had been saving, 'cos I didn't know if I could get some more! 

My JOY die cut is an ancient  Sizzlet die, you remember them, they came in a little plastic square that left a mark on the card when you cut it out, so only good for cutting a word and no fancy techniques. 

I was only talking to the lady from Dies to Die For the other day about the cost of alphabet dies and how relatively cheap they are compared to the old Sizzix alphabets that came in the long thin boxes. I bought my first in the sale and it was still twice what the latest Altenew set I was buying cost. It now sits in the cupboard unused. How things have changed.

The rest of the sentiment was stamped and embossed in gold, trimmed and slipped through the 'y' of joy. My panel was then popped up on foam over a white linen effect base card.

That's it from me but I must thank Kylie for inviting me to be part of this super event.

Check out Kylie's blog everyday until the 12 November to see what she and her friend's have come up with to inspire. 

So if you are stuck for an excuse for making a Christmas card for your stash, why don't you join us?

Joining in over at:-



I used EP with sparkle

Winter Blues C4G

Morning all, it's time for a brand new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz.

This time our theme is -

WINTER BLUES

So projects of a wintery nature in blue, simples!

Here is my card.

When I went shopping on Friday the supermarket staff were putting out the Christmas decorations already! They could have waited until after Bonfire night, couldn't they?

Anyway I do like a decorative bauble so went with that idea for my card.

It's quite simple to make, just 2 circles of white card. Ink one with shades of blue to make a night sky, I used DI in Chipped Sapphire, Salty Ocean and Blueprint Sketch, adding in a few stars with a white gel pen. Keep the center lighter then it looks like the bauble has some depth! 

From the second I cut my snowy silhouette using STAMPlorations Winter Landscape and from the other side of that circle I cut a drift of snow using the same die but trimmed the trees off!

The snow drift was glued onto the silhouette section then the whole was popped up on pads over the night sky layer. 

On a trimmed down panel of white card I stamped Uniko's sentiment in Memento Paris Dusk and added some silver ribbon from which to hang my bauble. The layered circle was placed over the ribbon and then a small matching bow added before the completed panel was glued flat onto my base card. 

OK, that's it from me but there's more masculine inspiration over on the Cardz4Guyz blog.

Check it out and then why not join us?

Joining in over at:- 

    

Thankful Wreath

Good afternoon peeps.

It's time for a brand new challenge over at STAMPlorations. Over at the CUTplorations DT we have been getting in the Thanksgiving mood.

Here is my take on this month's inspiration photo.

As you can see I went pretty literal with my interpretation.

I started by taking my homemade wreath maker and a square of cream textured card and placed it in my guide in the MISTI. You can see how to make one here.

Using some of the smaller stamps from STAMPlorations, the gorgeous Frames and Flowers set.

I started by stamping the leaf sprays in orange DOx, then the small flowers, using a mister to wet the stamps before stamping to get a faux watercolour effect. Before they were fully dry I went back in to over stamp to get a sharper look. I continued to add flowers and leaves until the wreath was filled.

On a panel of scrap card, I smooshed some of the same colours and when dry die cut the THANKFUL word die. Before adding this to the finished wreath panel, I splattered some of the colour over to add a little bit of extra texture. The orange mount was just a piece of card inked with matching orange DOx ink.

OK, that's all from me but for more inspiration and all the challenge Ts and Cs click here and go to the CUTplorations blog.

I'm joining in over at:-

     

Went with the wreath in the picture

A Flaming Good Birthday

Good evening peeps.

Hope you are all well and looking forward to a brand new challenge over at HLS CAS.

Here is my inspiration card for you, can you guess this month's theme?

Were you right?

OK, fantasy isn't my thing so had to put my thinking cap on for this one and then remembered this dragon stamp which came free with a mag last year sometime. The fab sentiment was also from the free set too.

So what colour do you colour a dragon? Well I went with green and purple and orange flames.

To construct the card, I first added some soft Broken China DI behind the dragon and stamped the sentiment. The dragon and flame were stamped and then coloured with Copics before being fussy cut. I popped him up on pads and slipped the shot of flame under and flat to the base card, simples.

So where will you go with the theme? For more fantastic, fantastical inspiration check out the DT here, then why not have a go and join us this month.

Joining in over at:-