One Layer Thank You

Good morning guys

I made this card last night as I wanted to have a go at the latest Muse Challenge as its their 1st Anniversary.  But then my internet decided to throw a wobbly so I couldn't get a connection!  So, this will be a very quick post this morning otherwise I'll be going to work with no make-up and wet hair!

I'm not crazy about this card in the slightest, I was fiddling around for ages trying to figure out what to do and this isn't what I intended at all but I thought I'd share it with you anyway...

I was inspired by the grey gridded background and the trio of colours.  I stamped the distressed grid and then I went in search of some red, green and blue card and some dies.  Nothing was really working and this ended up as a one layer stamped card!  Oh well, another to add to my stash anyway! :)

Materials used:

• Stamps: Kaisercraft - Grid; Marion Emberson Designs - Just Because; Clearly Besotted Stamps - Many Messages
• Ink: Versa Color - Rose Red, Green, Royal Blue, Polar Blue; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Gems from stash

This is Jackie Rockwell's card we were to use as inspiration...

Phew, right I'm off to get ready for what Monday has to throw at me.  Have a great day whatever you're up to.

Square of Squares

Hi there

I'm back again today with another card which fits a few challenges.

So, without further ado, here it is...

I stamped each piece of coloured cardstock with the same stamp using VersaMark ink.  I then cut these out with a small square die.  I used a larger die from the same set to emboss the base card, simply running it through my Big Shot using the rubber mats instead of the cutting plate.  The tiles were then adhered inside the embossed square and I added a simple sentiment to finish.  Easy peasy :)

Without realising, after I'd made this card a bell was ringing in my mind that I'd seen something similar before!  It seems I've CASEd one of Stephanie Wincott's cards featured in this post a year ago...I even used the same stamp!  Thanks for the inspiration Stephanie, my brain must store up these images somewhere :D

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Leafy Accents and Many Messages
• Ink: VersaMark and Versafine in Onyx Black
• Dies: Xcut - Nested Squares
• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock; base card from stash

Challenge entries:

Keep it Simple - Challenge #32 - Square

CAS-ual Fridays - CFC126 - Colour Blocks

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #79 - Clean and Simple

Dream Valley Challenges - Challenge #74 - No Designer Paper

ColourQ - Challenge #225 

Who knows, I may be back again today with a third card!

Bright Hello

Hi guys

I'm finally back with another card, apologies for the lack of posts this last week.

Although I've had no time for crafting I've had a real boost this week from various challenge sites where I've received some shout outs.  I can't quite believe it but its really made my week!  I've updated the details here.

So, back to today and this morning I've enjoyed making this bright and cheerful card to add to my stash, and have managed to combine a few challenges too.

This little dragonfly and sentiment are from a stamp set I recently purchased from eBay.  I chose some bright patterned paper from a retired Stampin' Up set and coloured the dragonfly with co-ordinating ProMarkers.  I wanted to fussy cut the dragonfly and sit him on top of the circular die but his antennas posed a problem!  So I stamped him once and cut him out with a circular die, keeping the antenna and tail within the circle.  I then stamped him a second time, coloured him in and then fussy cut him out, cutting these parts off, before adhering the coloured image over the top, with his wings protruding off the edge :)

I added some definition to the paper by framing it with some coloured cardstock, and rounded the bottom corner of the card to echo the circular die and curved sentiment.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampendous - Doodle Wings
• Ink: Impress - Jet Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Die: Xcut - Nested Circles
• Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up - Summer Smooches
• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock (colour); white cardstock from stash
• Tools: Fiskars - Corner Edgers

Challenge entries:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #30 - New (I have used a new stamp set)

CASology - Week 79 - Contrast (I have used bright contrasting colours which also contrast with the white)

Addicted to Stamps and More - Clean and Simple

Less is More - Week 156 - Sketch

Thanks so much for visiting today and as always for your lovely comments and support.  Have a lovely Sunday whatever you're up to :)

Dotty Birthday

Hi guys

Very quick post tonight to share a card I've just made to add to my stash of birthday cards which is somewhat lacking!

I also wanted to have a play with two new sets I bought from the last release at Clearly Besotted Stamps.  I was lucky enough to get the sets I wanted before they sold out :)

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Geometric Style II and Say It In Style
• Ink: Versa Color - Opera Pink, Imperial Blue and Sand Beige; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock (pink); white card from stash

Challenge entries:

CASology - Week 78 - Dot

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #30 - New (I used new items from my stash)

Creative Inspirations - Challenge 248 - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly Challenge - New Year, New Stash

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Your Favourite Style (mine is Clean and Simple)
Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

CAS - Colours and Sketches - Challenge #57 - Colours (I don't have any Stampin' Up inks so hopefully these are close enough!)

Thanks so much for visiting and apologies for being a bit quiet with my posts lately.  Hopefully I can manage my time a little better from now on!

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend :)

One Layer I Love You

Hi guys

Just popping by tonight to share a very simple card I've made to combine a few challenges.

To add some dimension to a one layer card I tried embossing with dies on this card previously and loved the effect so have used it again here.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps - Many Thanks and A Little Sentimental; Uniko Studio - Flower Power #1
• Ink: Versa Color - Petal Pink and Laurel Leaf; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Rectangles Large
• Gem: Papermania - Glazed Gems (Iridescent)

Challenge Entries:

Less is More - Week 154 - One Layer Card - Hearts

Simply Create Too - Challenge #52 - Anything Goes

Clearly Besotted - Challenge #7 - Love

One-Layer Simplicity Challenge #1 - Restocking the Shelves (my stock of finished cards is lacking in every type so I may be back with more for this challenge!)

Thank you so much for visiting.  I hope to be back at some point over the weekend.  I have our works Christmas Party on Friday night which means travelling up to Kent so won't be back in Blogland for a few days.  You never know, our party may get me in the mood for starting this year's Christmas cards! hehe

Take care

It's a Boy!

Hi guys

Well, after a long time of getting frustrated at having some digi images and not being able to use them, I was finally able to treat myself to a new printer at the weekend! Yay!  

A friend of mine also gave birth to a little boy a few days ago so I decided to make my first digi card using an image and patterned paper I'd recently bought from Pink Petticoat.  

Here it is...

Materials used:

• Image: Pink Petticoat - Sweet Cheeks
• Patterned Paper: Pink Petticoat - Little Dots
• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accents: Glitter Glue: Stickles - Star Dust; Ranger - Glossy Accents
• Punch: EK Success - Dotted Scallop

Challenge Entries:
A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #110 - Something New
Moving Along with the Times - New Beginnings
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes (with option to celebrate something new)
Simply Create Too - Challenge #52 - Anything Goes
Passion for ProMarkers - Week 229 - Clean and Simple


That's all for now, I hope to be back later this week with more to share with you.

Take care

Bubbly Bears

Hi guys

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for the lovely comments left following my recent showCASe at Less is More for this card.  I was absolutely gobsmacked to be chosen for the Top 3 by Chrissie and Jen, so thank you SO much ladies for starting my 2014 with a big smile on my face! :D xxx

I've had lots in my diary this week so after a week of no crafting I've finally found the time this morning to make a card.

I thoroughly enjoyed doing a bit of colouring with my ProMarkers, its so therapeutic.  My colours are still a bit limited but I managed ok with what I had for this one.  I also inked up a stamp I bought a while ago but have never used.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampavie (Penny Johnson) - Bubbly Bears; Stampin' Up - Fabulous Phrases
• Ink: Impress - Jet Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants - Country Boutique
• Cardstock: Papermania Premium Textured Cardstock (brown); base card from stash
• Button: Creative Expressions - Wood Buttons
• Glitter Glue: Stickles - Star Dust
• Jute twine from stash

Challenge Entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #77 - Make Your Mark
CASology - Week 77 - Bubbly
Crafty Cardmakers - #107 - Bear With Me
Crafty Creations - Challenge #254 - Something to Drink
I Love ProMarkers - Challenge #201 - Add a Bow
Crazy for CAS - Challenge #35 - Chevrons
Passion for ProMarkers - Challenge 229 - Clean and Simple
Freshly Made Sketches - #118

That's all from me today.  Thanks so much for popping by.  There are so many great challenges around at the moment so I'm hoping to be back again very soon with more to share.

Have a great Sunday!

40 & Fabulous

Good morning fellow crafters

Just a quick post this morning.

2014 is the year when many of my friends (and myself) will be hitting the big 40 milestone....eeek!  How scary is that?!  So here is the first of a few 40 cards I'll be making this year.

I used a couple of fishtail flag dies to cut out various pieces of patterned paper from a pack I've owned for years but had abandoned.  I love black, white and pink so plan to use more of this again.  The '& fabulous' sentiment was actually from 2 separate phrases in the same stamp set so I used post-it notes to cover the parts I didn't want to use before inking up.

Materials used:

• Patterned Paper: Dovecraft - Designed Paper Pack 'A Hint of Pink'
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax
• Stamps: Dovecraft - Numbers; Clearly Besotted Stamps - A Little Sentimental
• Ink:  Versa Color - Magenta
• Ribbon from stash

Challenge entries:

I think this is my first time entering a card for these two :)

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes with 'Toppings' option of Numbers

Freshly Made Sketches #117



Thanks, as always, for popping by.  That's all from me today as I've got a busy day ahead.  It's time to put all the Christmas decorations back in the loft and then try to get the flat back to normal, as well as doing a food shop and popping into work to clean the office.

Hope to see you soon :)

En'twine'd Hearts

Hiya

Yesterday evening I made my first card of 2014.

I've been wanting to take part in the latest challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch ever since it was launched before Christmas but never seemed to find enough time.

I also won a challenge last month at Creative Inspirations and was able to purchase some goodies from Bunny Zoe's Crafts, and the package arrived a few days ago so I wanted to have a play :)

Here is my card...

The distressed grid was stamped in white on the card base.  I then stamped and embossed the hearts before cutting them out with their co-ordinating dies.  I placed some glue dots behind where I wanted the hearts and randomly spiraled some jute twine, using the glue dots to hold it in place.  Before adhering the hearts on 3D foam I stamped the sentiments, and then finished off with some gems.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Kaisercraft - Grid; Clearly Besotted Stamps - Love Hearts (with matching dies) and Happy Days
• Ink: Versa Color - White; Versafine - Onyx Black; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Stampin' Up - White; Rubber Stampede - Gold
• Gems: Papermania - from Capsule Sunshine set
• Jute twine from stash

Challenge entries:

CAS(E) this Sketch #58

And as there are a few hours left I decided to add this as another entry at:

Less is More Week 151 - Choose any previous challenge - I chose Week 143 'Stringing Along' (use string/twine)

While I'm here I'd like to say thank you for all the wonderful comments on my 'Year in Review' post.  I had a great first year and hope to continue for many more.

That's all for now.  Have a great weekend and I hope to see you soon.