Saturday 30 January 2016

CCMC391 and ColourQ326

Well, it's almost the end of the summer school holidays and alas, the end of largely unlimited crafting time. This afternoon, I made the most of the time left and played around with my new stamp set, Timeless Textures and came up with this card. It was inspired by the sketch challenge at Create with Connie and Mary and the colour combination at ColourQ.






Update: Delighted with a Top 3 Pick at Create With Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge.
Ingredients
Card: Old Olive, Whisper White, Wild Wisteria
Stamps: Timeless Textures, Kinda Eclectic, Crazy For You
Inks: Early Espresso (sorry, have no Chocolate Chip), Old Olive, Wild Wisteria, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight.
Other: Linen twine, Elegant Butterfly punch, Bitty Butterfly punch, Brad base, Old Olive and Daffodil Delight candy dots, a dimensional.





As You See It 121 - DT

This week, we have another sketch for you to play with. That lovely white space at the top gave me lots of options, as did the three layers - so many, that it was hard to settle down to one idea.


Anyway, this is what I settled on in the end, even if I have now done balloon cards twice in a row. The Balloon Celebrations set is SO useful and SO versatile, you'd hardly recognise the same set if you compared this card with last week's DT card.




So, come play this week's challenge with us. You have until 11:55pm PST on Wednesday February 3rd 2016, which is  8.55 pm Thursday 4 February New Zealand time, to join us.

Ingredients
Card: Whisper White (heavy) for the base, Whisper White for the panel, Coastal Cabana, So Saffron, Calypso Coral, DSP from Sale-a-bration 2015.
Stamps: Balloon Celebrations
Ink: Early Espresso
Other:  Couture Classic Chevrons die, Balloon punch, Early Espresso baker's twine, dimensionals.

All products Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted.





Friday 29 January 2016

Less is More 260

I wasn't going to play challenges this week - too many things to do before school goes back next week - but, what can I say, I love to make cards and the challenge at Less is More was just too wonderful to keep ignoring! I think I will sneak in before the deadline.

The challenge this week is to make a card that includes a silhouette.





First I masked off a column and sponged in Blackberry Bliss, Elegant Eggplant and Perfect Plum to create a twilight sky. I used Blackberry Bliss to stamp the leaves, flowers and dragonfly. As I wanted to add in some gold, I stamped off the versamark before adding in the leaves as I wanted a light coverage of gold. I highlighted the flowers with a gold gel pen.

Ingredients
Card: Whisper White
Stamps: Summer Silhouettes, Awesomely Artistic, Wetlands (sentiment)
Inks: Blackberry Bliss, Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Other: Gold embossing powder, gold gel pen.
All products Stampin' Up.

Tuesday 26 January 2016

The Paper Players 279

I know that there is massive snow in the USA this week but here, it's a heat wave. The second week in a row of high temperatures has seen the swimming pool and the barbecue getting lots of use. Despite the heat in my craft room, I had to brave it for this week's wonderful sketch at The Paper Players.


I've been continuing my watercolour experiments with Flowering Fields from the Sale-abration catalogue, which is a set that I hadn't anticipated liking so much until I started playing with it.




I used an acrylic block to stamp Lost Lagoon and Old Olive onto watercolour paper. I white embossed the images then used inkwash to colour them in. I dried it with a heat tool because, in this case, I did not want to have a bleeding effect. I also stamped a few images in Old Olive to give the illusion of depth.

Ingredients
Card: Lost Lagooon, Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss, Wildflower Fields DSP, watercolour paper
Stamps: Flowering Fields, Balloon Celebrations, Papillon Potpourri
Inks: Old Olive, Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Lost Lagoon, Versamark, Tuxedo Black
Other: White embossing powder, honeycomb embossing folder, circle framelits, Itty Bitty Butterfly punch, Blackberry Bliss marker to colour cut white edges, dimensionals

Monday 25 January 2016

Time Out 48

Today is another scorching hot day and I've been driven from my craft room by the heat yet again. I've retreated to the living room and the air-con to do some posting and catching up on blogs. But before I was driven out, I was determined to finish my card for the challenge at Time Out. The challenge was to CASE this beautiful card by Marika from Me and Minime Crafting.


I loved the composition of this card - so why change perfection? I liked the soft sponging too. I got to thinking about black tie celebrations and fancy events: maybe weddings or 21st birthdays or graduations. Maybe the Oscars were in the back of my mind but I got to thinking about glamour and that's where I've tried to go with this card.




Update: Delighted to get an Honourable Mention at Time Out Challenge.

Ingredients
Card: Whisper White, Basic Black, Smoky Slate, Silver glimmer paper
Stamps: Balloon Celebrations
Ink: Smoky Slate, Tuxedo Black
Other: Botanical Builder framelit dies, 1/8" silver ribbon, silver cord trim, rhinestones, sponges


Saturday 23 January 2016

Try Stampin on Tuesday 293 plus Fusion

When I first saw this sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday, I wasn't interested because it called for a detailed background and I'm more of a clean space kind of girl. However, while I was away for a few days - which meant I could only think about crafting - I saw it had possibilities for a masculine card.


And, like many of us, masculine cards don't always come easy. Today, I also saw the inspiration photo at Fusion Challenge. What interested me in this photo were the colours: blues, browns, white; the circular shapes in the polka dots and the wreath, and the rustic element that comes from the weathered boards and the distressing on the flowers. These have translated into the colour choices for this card, the retro circles and button, and the use of linen twine and distressing around the main panel.


I love this little Retro Circles stencil from Stamplorations, which I won through their sponsorship at Casology. The little button is from my mother's button box, which I inherited some years ago, so I estimate it's at least 40 years old. Hoarder or what?! The die-cut is stacked to give it some depth.



And an inside peek, using my new Timeless Textures set...



Ingredients
Card: Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Whisper White
Stamps: W&W Big, Bold and Party, SU Timeless Textures (inside)
Inks: Night of Navy, Island Indigo, Crumb Cake
Other: Stamplorations Retro Circles stencil, sponges, button, linen twine, W&W Big, Bold and Party die.



As You See It 120 - DT

It's hard to believe another week has rolled around already. The summer school holidays will soon be over and then it's back to school for me. So, I'm making the most of my crafting time and was delighted with the sketch that Amanda has for us at As You See It this week.

I've mentioned before the big box of Stampin' Up stuff I got last week. Well, I'm still working my way through it and the sketch for this week seemed a good chance to give the new Balloon Celebrations (and co-ordinating punch) their first outing - literally straight from the box!

Here's the sketch for this week.



It was really the way the image goes upwards moving from larger to smaller that made me think of the balloons and of moving the colours from dark to light as well.




To get the gradients of colour, I used diluted Elegant Eggplant ink onto water colour paper in various concentrations then stamped and punched the balloons from that. The top balloon is made from diluted Perfect Plum on water colour paper.

The greeting, also from the Balloon Celebrations set, is gold embossed to match the balloon bling. The little gold star outlines, stamped in gold ink, are also from the same set. The background is Island Indigo using the grunge dots from the new Timeless Textures set. They're a pleasing middle ground size that will fit well with the fine dots and large dots in Gorgeous Grunge.

You have until 11.55pm Wednesday 27 January (PST) or if you are in New Zealand, you have until 8.55pm on Thursday 28 January to get your entries in, so why not join in the fun this week at As You See It?

Ingredients
Card: Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White, scrap of Perfect Plum, water colour paper
Stamps: Balloon Celebrations, Timeless Textures
Inks: Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Island Indigo, gold versacolour, Versamark, Tuxedo Black
Other: Balloon Celebrations punch, gold embossing powder, dimensionals

Sunday 17 January 2016

Freshly Made Sketches 219

Today's reminder post about this week's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches came at just the right moment for me: just as I was pondering how to pull together some ideas I had for my son's birthday card. Somehow making a card for a specific someone is more challenging than just making a card because you're playing.

So here's the just-at-the-right-moment sketch.


And here's the card, made for he who is a musician and composer currently working on his honours degree in music - and who is single-handedly responsible for my moderate stash of music-themed products! It's good to get them out for a run.




The trickiest parts of this card were stamping the sentiment in two colours. This required a couple of 'practice' runs. The second thing, which wasn't so much tricky as fussy, was matching the details on the two embossed pieces. This was a technique I first saw on this week's card from Amy Ottmers at As You See It challenge, and was keen to try out. Thanks Amy!

Ingredients
Card: Basic Black, Smoky Slate, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, unknown music DSP, silver glimmer paper
Stamps: MFT Geek is Chic
Ink: Tuxedo Black, Cherry Cobbler
Other: Darice Music embossing folder, Star thinlit from Circle Card thinlit set, Francheville music brad, dimensional.


Just Add Ink 294

Great to see Just Add Ink back for 2016 and they've started the year with a Blog Hop and a "Just Add... Something New" challenge.

Not only was the Blog Hop inspirational, but the challenge is just perfect for me, since I've been steadily occupied working my way through my box of new Stampin' Up goodies for the last week. Yes, it's been six days since my box arrived and I'm still working through it as each thing I take out seems the best thing I ever bought. Then there's another thing come out of the box...

So last night, late again owing to the summer heat wave making it impossible to craft during daylight hours, it was the turn of Botanical Blooms and Birthday Bouquet. Fresh and new, straight from the crate.

Usually, I don't use much DSP in card making but I've gone a bit crazy with the new catalogue and have got two sets from Sale-abration and I got Birthday Bouquet, purely because I couldn't resist the utterly wonderful colours. So, what to do with it? (There's another new thing.) I get a bit freaked out putting pattern on patterns when I'm making cards. As soon as I feel that clean space disappearing, panic sets in! Hence this card saw a few layout revisions before it was done.




This Botanical Blooms die set is amazing. I know it's everywhere with its coordinating papers but it looks so good in any colour way and it seems to me that the combination of the various flowers, leaves and stamps is virtually endless. So wonderful, that I wonder if there's anything left in my box that could be as good....

Update: Utterly delighted to get an Honourable Mention at Just Add Ink for this card.

Ingredients
Card: Blushing Bride, Pool Party, Birthday Bouquet DSP, scraps of Old Olive, Mossy Meadow and Black
Stamps: Botanical Blooms, Butterfly Basics
Inks: Tuxedo Black, Blushing Bride (soft sponging of flower)
Other: Botanical Blooms dies/edgelit, 1/4 inch circle punch, Blushing Bride candy dot

Saturday 16 January 2016

CAS Colours and Sketches 156 HSS 229

Well, we can't complain that summer hasn't arrived. We had a blistering hot day yesterday - 34 C - and today is not much cooler. It was so hot in my craft room, even with the windows open and the fan on, that I just couldn't think and had to resort to very late night crafting when the temperature was at least bearable.

As a result, this card has taken two days to complete owing to adverse weather conditions! I've combined this week's beautiful sketch at CAS Colours and Sketches and an equally beautiful colour combination at Hand Stamped Sentiments.


Elegant Eggplant and Sahara Sand are colours that I've used a lot, although I confess that Always Artichoke spends a lot of time in the drawer -  although he's worked well in this combination, I think.





I'm still playing with my new stuff, once again the Flowering Fields set from the Sale-abration catalogue.

Update: Delighted to be a Weekly Winner at CAS Colours and Sketches.

Ingredients
Card: Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand, Whisper White
Stamps: SU Flowering Fields, Altenew Label Love
Inks: Sahara Sand, Elegant Eggplant, Stamp'n'Write markers Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant
Other: Oval framelits, Elegant Dots embossing folder, dimensionals.



As You See It 119 - DT

This week, we have a sketch challenge for you to play with. This one coincided with the arrival of my box of new Stampin' Up goodies, so gave me yet another chance to play.


And, it truly was a play around too, resulting in a card that relies heavily on DSP and a sentiment as the focal point,  both of which are unusual for me. Yet, I like it a lot. I can imagine giving it to a guy just as easily as a woman.




I like the party hat on the e - the Happy Birthday is on the inside. The DSP and the stamp set are Sale-abration items available for a short time with orders over $110.

So, why not get your stuff out and have a play around with our sketch. You have until 20 January to get your entry in.

Ingredients
Card: Old Olive, Blackberry Bliss, Whisper White, DSP from Wildflower Fields packet.
Stamps: Hello (only available until 15 February)
Inks: Blackberry Bliss, Old Olive, Calypso Coral
Other: Dimensionals, Blackberry Bliss thick baker's twine, Calypso Coral candy dots, oval framelit.

Wednesday 13 January 2016

Global Design Project 18

I've been lurking along at the Global Design Project since it began and I'm always agog at the wonderful Design Team offerings and the entries in the gallery. The wonderful sketch on offer this week has got me making an entry at last.


That, and of course, the arrival of my box of Stampin' Up goodies yesterday which included the Sale-abration Flowering Fields stamps and Wildflower Fields DSP.




Regular readers will know that I have a bit of a fascination with watercolour and/or smooshy backgrounds and this lovely set is just perfect for it. I started by using an acrylic block to with Pear Pizzazz and Lost Lagoon (one of my favourite combinations). Then I used a mix of white embossing powder and Old Olive to stamp in the flowers. Then I coloured the flowers with a Blackberry Bliss Stamp'n'write marker and touched up some of the leaves with Mossy Meadow. I love this effect and will be experimenting more with it. The cute little butterfly that is part of the set is outlined in white embossing and then coloured with Lost Lagoon and Blackberry Bliss.

The sentiment is from Balloon Celebrations, stamped on vellum.

This stamp set and DSP set is available as a free gift with each $110 spent during the promotion.

Ingredients
Card: Lost Lagoon, Blackberry Bliss, Whisper White, Wildflower Fields DSP, vellum
Stamps: Flowering Fields, Balloon Celebration, Papillon Potpourri
Inks: Versamark, Lost Lagoon, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Tuxedo Black, versamark
Other: Stamp'n'write markers: Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow; small butterfly punch, white embossing powder, dimensional



Tuesday 12 January 2016

CAS Colours and Sketches 155

Since the New Year, I've suffered a mojo slump. Awful really, to have time off work and be devoid of inspiration. I think part of the problem was that I'd ordered things from the new Occasions and Sale-a-bration catalogues so for the last week, every time I thought about making a card I'd think about the things I didn't yet have... and then do nothing.

Anyway, no such excuses today when the courier man brought me a box of stuff this morning! One of the items I wanted more than anything else was the Timeless Textures stamp set. So it was first out of the box. Apologies to the lovely ladies at CAS Colours and Sketches because my entry to their colour challenge this week is really just my excuse to play with my new stamps.


Between the distressed nature of the stamps and the soft, somewhat wistful, colours it's ended up being a sympathy card. My new Wink of Stella pen also got its first outing on the wings of the butterfly, which was stamped with Smoky Slate onto Pool Party.





I think this set will be a really useful addition to my scrapbooking arsenal.

Ingredients
Card: Smoky Slate, Marina Mist, Pool Party, Whisper White
Stamps: Timeless Textures, Papillon Potpourri, A Dozen Thoughts
Inks: Smoky Slate, Marina Mist, Pool Party
Other: Small butterfly punch, dimensionals, sponge, Marina Mist candy dot, Wink of Stella.