Happy Little Stampers August 2019 CAS Challenge

Hi there

Another month has whizzed by and we're back with new challenge week over at Happy Little Stampers.  Here is the cue card for the August CAS Challenge...

And don't forget to keep your entries clean an simple:

For my Design Team card I wanted to use the top third for my design so chose a balloon theme...

This was very simple to make.  On a white cardstock panel slightly smaller than the card base I used a balloon stencil and Distress Inks and blended them overlapping, perfect for balloons as they are transparent so no masking was required!  I added some light and shade to the blending too.  I die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die and then stamped the sentiment banner in black.  To finish, the panel was simply popped up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stencil: MFT - Big Balloons
• Stamp: Altenew - Label Love
• Ink: Distress Ink - Broken China, Crushed Olive, Dusty Concord; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

Challenge entries:

Just Add Ink - Challenge #468 - Just add 'C' (congrats)

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #352 - Make Your Mark

CAS on Friday - Challenge #162 - Use a Stencil

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge - Anything CAS Goes

Don't forget to pop over to the main HLS challenge blog, here, for more inspiration from my teamies, and keep an eye out for the other August challenges, all starting over the next few days and which all run until the end of the month.

Thanks so much for visiting, I'll be back in the morning with details of the new Less is More challenge.

Designing for Honey Doo Crafts - Floral Display Stencil

Hi guys

Today I'm sharing more makes using products by Honey Doo Crafts, some of which will be showcased on Hochanda (Sky 673 / Freeview 85) this coming Friday, 12 July, at 10am and 3pm.

I'm also over the moon to share that I'm now officially a member of the Honey Doo Crafts Design Team!!  I'm so happy to be joining Amanda and the team, and to continue creating samples using the fabulous products Honey Doo has to offer.

As well as lots of stamp sets, Honey Doo also have some fabulous stencils, all of which are a great size.  They are A5 (UK sizing), which measure 8 1/4 x 5 3/4 inches, and today I have two sample cards for you, both using the beautiful Floral Display Stencil.  One card colours the positive image and the other has the colour within the negative parts.

For my first card I used embossing paste...

I mixed some embossing paste with a little Distress Oxide ink to create the pretty coral shade and began by spreading the paste through the stencil onto some white cardstock, just covering the first third of the stencil.  I then added more paste to the mix and blended so the shade was a little paler and covered the second third of the stencil, then once more added more paste which created the palest shade to cover the final third of the stencil.  By overlapping each third slightly created a soft ombre effect.  At this stage, once the stencil is lifted away, be sure to clean the stencil in warm soapy water as the paste does begin to dry quite quickly.

Once the panel was dry I trimmed it down and matted it onto some textured silver cardstock before adhering flat to the card base.  Then, using a circle die cut, I blended with the same shade of Distress Oxide and then splattered it with water and blotted away the droplets.  Once dry I heat embossed the sentiment in white and adhered the die cut to the card using 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Floral Display
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver - White Matte
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Abandoned Coral; VersaMark
• Stamp: Honey Doo Crafts - Hopeful and Happy Quotes
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

My second card uses the same stencil, but this time using the emboss resist technique...

On a panel of white cardstock I pressed through the stencil with my VersaMark ink pad and then heat embossed the pattern with clear powder.  I then blended over the resisting embossed areas of the pattern with Distress Oxide inks.  Next I cut the panel down using a stitched rectangle die and used a single hole punch to cut two notches in the panel before wrapping some looped ribbon around it and adhering the panel to the card base.  I heat embossed the sentiment in white onto a black die cut tag, trimmed this with the same ribbon and popped it up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Floral Display
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Blueprint Sketch, Mermaid Lagoon, Twisted Citron
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss, Opaque Bright White
• Dies: Create a Smile - Double Stitched Rectangles; MFT Die-namics - Stitched Traditional Tag Stax
• Stamp: Honey Do Crafts - Just in Case

Thanks so much for looking, I'll be back hopefully tonight, and over the next few days to share my remaining samples before the Hochanda shows on Friday, but if you can't wait to see them, all the Honey Doo products I've used are all available to purchase direct from the website, here.

I hope to see you again soon.

Cute Wedding

Hi there

Apologies for the radio silence.  I've completely lost my creative mojo lately, I'm hoping to sit down and have a proper look for it later!

In the meantime, I thought I'd pop on and share a card I made last month.  I was commissioned to create a card for a friend for her son's wedding, I was waiting until after the day to share it here then it completely slipped my mind.

Here it is, the brief was an A5 wedding card with a cute theme featuring owls...

As a CAS cardmaker I really struggle with larger sizes such as A5, as I find it difficult to fill such a large area whilst maintaining my usual style.  As I opted for the textured frame I was really happy with how this turned out.

I began by cutting the upper panel, from a sheet of embossed stripe cardstock, and die cutting the stitched aperture.  This way I could be sure that the focal point was positioned correctly on the card base behind.  I roughly marked the focal area with a pencil and then stamped the branch, owls, leaves, hearts, top hat and flower, before then roughly masking and creating the clouds with a stencil and Distress Ink.  Before adhering the panel, I wrapped some decorative ribbon around the panel and topped with a bow.  The panel was then adhered on 3D foam strips.

I printed the wording onto some white cardstock (using a font called dearJoe 5 CASUAL) and cut the two hearts out with a stitched heart die to tie in with the stitched aperture.  I adhered these, popping some 3D foam squares behind the parts that overlapped the aperture, and to finish added some Glossy Accents to the owls' eyes...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Paired Up (branch/hearts/leaves), Woodland Pals (owls); Mama Elephant - Three Amigos (hat); Penny Black - Salutations (flower)
• Ink: Altenew - Lava Rock, Mocha, Morning Frost; Versa Color - Olive, Pink, Rose Red; Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stencil: MFT - Cloud
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; MFT Die-namics - Stitched Heart Stax
• Accents: Glossy Accents

Challenge entries:

Fab 'n' Funky - Challenge #440 - Wedding

Thanks so much for visiting, hopefully I'll find some crafty inspiration soon and be able to share more with you.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :)

Less is More Challenge #395

Hi guys

These weeks are going past far too quickly, can you believe we're back with another new challenge at Less is More?!

We have a Theme challenge for you this time, here's our cue card with the details...

We also have a new sponsor for the month of May, the fabulous CAS-ual Fridays Stamps...

and as well as a prize for our monthly winner they are also offering a 15% off voucher for LIM participants...

Joining us as a Guest Designer for this challenge we have Helen, who was our monthly winner for March.  Please do pop over to her blog, here, to say hi and check out her awesome card for this challenge.


I only have one sample card for you this time, using stamps from our sponsor.  My mojo has decided to vanish lately and I've just had no creative imagination.  Hopefully it will inspire you a little...

I stamped the teacup image onto a circular die cut and coloured it with ProMarkers.  This was then matted onto a larger die cut from pink textured cardstock.  I die cut a stitched rectangular panel and added some triple score lines vertically and horizontally, these can be seen more clearly in the next photo, I couldn't get the camera to pick them all up when photographing from directly above...

I adhered the layered die cuts where the score lines crossed and then stamped the sentiment in black before adhering the panel to the base using fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: CAS-ual Fridays - Serendipi-tea
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Dies: Hero Arts - Circle Infinity Dies; Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Coloured with ProMarkers

Thanks so much for visiting.  Hopefully my creative mojo will return very soon and I'll be back to posting more projects.  You can find lots more inspiration for this challenge from my teamies by visiting the main challenge blog, here.

Spring Cards from Skull and Cross Buns

Hi there

I'm here today to share a couple of Spring themed cards I've made using the most recent release from Skull and Cross Buns. 

Although the collection was released before Easter, the products include lots of Spring related elements too, so there's lots of scope to use them for Spring cards and more.  You can find the latest products here.

And for info, to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day, quote NSD19 to get 25% off your SACB order on the website and a free embellishment gift until 6 May!

For my first card I used the Spring Friends and Spring Motifs sets...

The used the cute curly sheep image and repeatedly stamped it on a strip of vellum and heat embossed in white.  In between I stamped the stem, leaves and flower head from in pigment inks and heat embossed in clear.  The vellum strip was wrapped around some lilac textured cardstock and secured on the reverse.  I stamped the sentiment below in black and adhered the panel flat to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Spring Friends, Spring Motifs
• Vellum and cardstock from stash
• Ink: VersaMark; Versa Color - Olive, Pink; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White

Challenge entries:

My Time to Craft - Challenge #396 - CAS

STAMPlorations - May CAS Card Challenge - Anything CAS Goes (option of lilac)

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #339 - CAS

Alphabet Challenge - C is for CAS

I used the Spring Friends and Spring Sentiments sets, together with the Gingham Stripe Large Stencil for this next card...

I die cut a stitched rectangular panel and stamped the chicks one on top of the other and then coloured with Promarkers.  Then on a panel of white cardstock I created the plaid pattern by masking various sections and shifting the stencil.  In the wider gaps purposely left I drew some lines with a dark grey fineliner pen.  This was also then die cut with a stitched rectangle die.

This was my third attempt at creating the background!  The first time I forgot to leave gaps so it was just a weird two colour check which wasn't what I had in mind, then the second time I got it right but had picked up the wrong masking tape so it ripped my cardstock when I removed the stencil.  It really was a case of third time lucky...I was ready to throw in the towel!

To finish I adhered the plaid pattern flat, popped the chicks panel up on 3D foam and added a sentiment strip from a scrap of yellow cardstock.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Spring Friends, Spring Sentiments
• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Gingham Stripe 
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Distress Ink - Squeezed Lemonade, Mermaid Lagoon; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accent: Staedtler Triplus Fineliner

Challenge entries:

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #108 - Bees or Chicks

Thanks so much for visiting, I hope you have a lovely weekend, and enjoy the May Day Bank Holiday (in the UK).

Guest Designer for Honey Doo Crafts - Selection Three

Hi guys

Tonight I'm sharing the last few of my makes for my Guest Designer spot with Honey Doo Crafts. 

The new sets will be showcased on TV shopping channel, Hochanda tomorrow, 3 April 2019 at 12pm and 4pm BST so please do tune in if you can (Sky 673 / Freeview 85).


So, my cards today have used three more of the new sets I've yet to share.

First up is a shaker card I made using a lovely set called Peony Crest...

To begin I blended a little pale pink ink on the card base and stamped the sentiment.  I then created the offset oval shaker window using a oval stitched die, backed with acetate, and edged the panel with a stitched rectangle die.  The panel was popped up on 3D foam strips, trapping the confetti shaker bits inside.  I then stamped, coloured and fussy cut the main peony crest image and adhered to the panel.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Peony Crest
• Ink: Distress Ink - Spun Sugar; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Lil Inkers - Stitched Ovals
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Shaker Contents: Nuvo Pure Sheen Confetti - Diamond Harlequin; Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Itty Bitty Stars (Neon Bright)

For this next card I used the small images from a new set called Garden Peony to create a background pattern...

I stamped and coloured the panel the same size as the card base.  I then used a border die to cut away an inner section (I can use the cut away part on another card).  The remaining two parts of the panel were popped up on fun foam and the sentiment stamped between, directly onto the card base.  Simples!

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Garden Peony, Peony Crest (sentiment)
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Die: Avery Elle - Dotted Border Dies

And a nice sunny card to complete my selection, using a set called Hello Sunshine...

I masked the card base and blended ink through a sun ray stencil for the central background.  I then created a frame using two rectangle dies and stamped the sentiment along the top before popping up on foam strips.  I then stamped the sunflowers onto watercolour paper and watercoloured with my Zig markers.  The image was then fussy cut out, adhered over the base, using foam pads to pop up the parts within the frame, and then the edges were trimmed to align with the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Hello Sunshine
• Ink: Distress Ink - Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade; Versafine - Onyx Black; Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
• Stencil: MFT - Sun Ray
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

Challenge entry:

Allsorts - Challenge #513 - Use Yellow


Thanks so much for all your lovely visits and comments, I appreciate each and every one of you.  And I hope you love these new stamps and enjoy the show tomorrow if you are able to watch it, unfortunately I'll be at work during both shows so I'll be catching up afterwards.

Guest Designer for Honey Doo Crafts - Selection One

Hi there

I'm excited to share the news that I'm once again joining Honey Doo Crafts as a Guest Designer for their latest release.

There are ten new stamp sets, all lovely floral designs that Amanda and the team do so well, and all so perfect for Spring.

The new sets will be showcased on TV shopping channel, Hochanda on 3 April 2019 at 12pm and 4pm BST so please do tune in if you can (Sky 673 / Freeview 85).

Honey Doo are also doing a Facebook Live on 1 April 2019 at 7pm BST which you can find here where they will be showing the new stamp sets in full detail.


Ok, onto my first few samples.

This first card uses a lovely new set and I think it's my favourite from this release, called Repot Rose!...

Here, I masked off my card base and used the emboss resist technique where I stamped and heat embossed the image in white and blended with Distress Oxides.  I then die cut the top panel and created a circular aperture, stamped the sentiment from the same set and popped the panel up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Repot Rose!
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Picked Raspberry, Shaded Lilac; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Hero Arts - Infinity Circle Dies

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #334 - CAS

AAA Cards - CAS Game #136 - One Image + Spring

Next up is the Repot Rose! set again, but it looks completely different in a sepia design...

I used a cream base and panel here, stamped the image in Distress Ink and watercoloured, drawing in the stamped ink and adding more watercolour details with the same ink.  I stamped the sentiment from the same set in a co-ordinating ink and then added gold watercolour to the flower centres and some gold splatters.  Then panel was popped up on fun foam.  The gold detail can be seen more clearly here...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Repot Rose!
• Ink: Distress Ink - Gathered Twigs; Altenew - Espresso
• Paint: Gansai Tambi Watercolours

The following card uses a new set called Summer Blossom, and the sentiment from the Repot Rose! set...

On a panel of lavender cardstock I initially stamped the image in a pale grey ink, before adding some highlights with coloured pencils.  It's easier to add the detail before embossing the image and if using a stamp positioner such as a MISTI this allows you to restamp in exactly the same spot.  I then restamped and heat embossed in white.  The sentiment was stamped in a co-ordinating ink, the panel adhered flat to the card base and some jewels added to finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Summer Blossom, Repot Rose!
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Hydrangea
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Grape Mix Jewels

My final card in this first selection uses a gorgeous new set called What's Up Buttercup?...

I used the same process as the last card for this image, stamping in a yellow ink first, colouring with ProMarkers and adding detail with coloured pencils.  I then restamped and heat embossed in white.  Some polka dot paper was added to the card base, and the panel die cut with a curved edge and adhered flat.  The sentiment from the same set was stamped in green onto a die cut oval and popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - What's Up Buttercup?
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Hunters Green
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Coloured with ProMarkers and Faber Castell Polychromos
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Basic Edges; Lil Inkers - Classic Ovals
• Patterned Paper: Lawn Fawn - Let's Polka

Challenge entry:

Allsorts - Challenge #513 - Use Yellow

Here's a snapshot of all the new sets...

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll be sharing my samples using the rest of these new sets ahead of the TV shows on Hochanda on 3 April, so would love for you to pop back and take a look.

Enjoy your weekend :)

Skull and Cross Buns April/May Release! - Spring Scene

Hi guys

Popping, or should I say, hopping by today to share the first of my makes using the fab new April/May product release by Skull and Cross Buns.

The release includes:

• 3 new clear stamp sets
• 4 new stamp set bundle
• Happy Stamping Card Making Kit - loads of Spring themed goodies
• Bundle of 5 stencils

You can find all the new products by following this link, here.  These are also feature on the Skull and Cross Buns Facebook page, here.  I've included a collage of the new products at the base of this post.

For my first card I've made a Spring scene for an Easter card combining three products form the new release...

I ink blended the background with Distress Ink and a cloud stencil and a little green along the base.  The rest is just stamping and colouring of all the little individual elements.  And for a little bling I added some sparkle to the bee's wings...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Spring Motifs, Spring Sentiments, Spring Friends (available in the stamp bundle or kit)
• Stencil: MFT - Cloud
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Mowed Lawn
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accent: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear

Skull and Cross Buns April/May Release:

Challenge entries:

Uniko - Challenge #52 - Spring: optional twist Easter

Inkspirational - Challenge #183 - Cloud

I'll be sharing lots more over the next few days so I'd love for you to pop back if you have time.

Happy Little Stampers March 2019 CAS Challenge

Hi guys

It's time for the new CAS challenge for this month over at Happy Little Stampers.  I'll get straight to it with the cue card...

Lots of scope with this theme, just remember to keep your entries clean and simple.

I chose to use one of my new stamp sets for my DT card, I think a baby's arrival is certainly a special day!  Here it is...

I stamped the word baby and heat embossed it in white.  I then used emboss resist and blended it with two shades of Distress Oxide ink.  I love lemon and mint green for baby cards.  The image was then die cut using the co-ordinating word die and I popped this up onto a stitched rectangle cut from some cardstock which is embossed with stripes.  The sentiment from the same set was stamped below in black.

Materials used:

• Clearly Besotted - On The Shelf (and co-ordinating die)
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Squeezed Lemonade, Cracked Pistachio; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

Challenge entry:

CAS(E) this Sketch - Challenge #311

Don't forget, all the HLS challenges run until the end of the month so lots of time to play along and link up.  

Thanks so much for visiting.