Honey Doo Crafts - October 2019 Release - Selection One

Hi guys

I've been busy behind the scenes recently making sample cards for the latest release at Honey Doo Crafts.  I'll be sharing lots of samples over the next week, ahead of their next showcase shows on Hochanda TV next Thursday, 24 October 2019.

The new release includes more fabulous florals that Honey Doo Crafts do so well, some autumnal themes, Christmas sets, sentiments and also some great new stencils.


Ok, first up is a card I made using new sets, Stars and Stripes and Pumpkin Corner...

I loved the design of the flowers in the Stars and Stripes set the minute I saw it and because the flower has only four petals I knew it would work well for a repeated background.  With a bit of measuring and a ruler and a pencil I set down some guidelines and then repeatedly stamped the same flower.  Once the stamping was complete I erased the pencil lines and coloured the images with ProMarkers.  To finish, I simply heat embossed the sentiment from the Pumpkin Corner set in white on a strip of vellum, wrapped this around the panel and adhered the panel to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Stars and Stripes, Pumpkin Corner
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Vellum from stash

Challenge entries:

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #132 - Monochrome

Sweet Stampin' - Autumn Colours/Harvest

For my next card I've used the Stars and Stripes flowers again but to create a completely different look, and the sentiment from the Retirement set...

I stamped and heat embossed the different sized flowers from the Stars and Stripes set onto vellum, coloured them on the reverse using Zig markers and then fussy cut them out.  On the card base I masked two edges and ink blended with some green ink just to ground the design.  I then layered up the flowers, arranged and adhered them to the base and popped in behind a few die cuts from the previously released Feathered Flourishes die set, also cut from vellum.  To complete the card, I used a fancy rectangular die cut, inked up the edges to match the ink blending on the base and stamped the sentiment from the Retirement set.  This was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Stars and Stripes, Retirement
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Cracked Pistachio; VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
• Vellum from stash
• Dies: Honey Doo Crafts - Feathered Flourishes; Spellbinders Nestabilities - Reverse Wonky Rectangles

Next up I used just the leaves from the Stars and Stripes set together with the Autumn Changes sentiment...

On a strip of vellum I stamped and heat embossed the leaves from the Stars and Stripes set in white.  I die cut a panel using a stitched rectangle die, masked a vertical section slightly wider than the vellum strip and ink blended this in autumnal colours before wrapping the vellum around and securing on the reverse.  I then stamped the sentiment called Autumn Changes using my MISTI, repeatedly stamping in varying colours of pigment ink to co-ordinate with the inked section.  The panel was then popped up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Stars and Stripes, Autumn Changes
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint, Frayed Burlap; Versa Color - Bamboo, Umber, Topaz
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Vellum from stash

Challenge entry:

Stamping Sensations - October Challenge - Trees/Leaves/Autumn

Next up is another autumnal themed card using new Autumn Colours and Pumpkin Corner...

I stamped the main image from Autumn Colours onto a white die cut cardstock panel and again on a scrap of cardstock, this one then heat embossed in copper.  I ink blended over the embossed image with Distress Inks before die cutting with a circle die.  The circle was then lined up over the main image and popped up on 3D foam.  The panel was matted onto a brown piece of cardstock and onto the base, and the card was finished with a heat embossed sentiment from the Pumpkin Corner set, and again die cut with a circle die.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Autumn Colours and Pumpkin Corner
• Ink: Versa Color - Bark; VersaMark; Distress Ink - Peeled Paint, Carved Pumpkin, Frayed Burlap
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Copper
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Hero Arts - Infinity Circle Dies

My final card for this first post used the new Palm Leaves stencil and the Autumn Changes sentiment...

I used the ghosting technique for my background here.  I die cut a cardstock panel then ink blended with Distress Inks before laying the Palm Leaves stencil over the top, spritzing with water and then blotting away the colour.  This panel was popped up on fun foam then the Autumn Changes sentiment was stamped and heat embossed in gold on some brown cardstock die cut with a fishtail die.

Materials used:

• Stamp: Honey Doo Crafts - Autumn Changes
• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Palm Leaves
• Ink: Distress Ink - Fired Brick, Brushed Corduroy, Forest Moss, Crushed Olive; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax

I hope you're loving these new products.  There's lots more that I'll be sharing over the next few days, I went a bit crazy and made lots of samples this time!

The shows will air on Hochanda TV here in the UK on Thursday 24 October 2019 at 12pm and 4pm. (Sky 673 / Freeview 85)

Thanks so much for stopping by.

(AD - some products kindly gifted for design team purposes)

Less is More Challenge #406

Good morning!

At Less is More starting today we are back with a Colour challenge.  Here is the cue card with the all important details...

Bright or pastel rainbow colours are welcome for this challenge.

Our generous sponsor for October is the fabulous Uniko and the lovely Bev is joining in as our super talented Guest Designer for this challenge so please do pop over and say hi.

I have two cards to share with you for this challenge, both of them using products by Uniko.

Here's the first...

I used stamps from three different Uniko sets for this one.  I used a double chevron stamp and used my MISTI to line up the stamping in rainbow coloours.  I then simply stamped the sentiment and heart in black ink, die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle and popped it up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Background Builders: Chevrons, Flower Power #3 (heart), Big & Bold Hugs (sentiment)
• Ink: Altenew - Crimson, Orange Cream, Warm Sunshine, Forest Glades, Caribbean Sky, Lavender Fields, Puffy Heart; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles

For my second card I used a fabulous Uniko stencil...

This was a pretty simple make.  I blended through the stencil using Distress Oxide inks in rainbow colours.  The image is quite large so I chose to cut this down with a stitched die cut to maintain white space on my card.  The panel was popped up on 3D foam and I added a small black sentiment strip, with the sentiment embossed in white.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Uniko - Pure Florals: Chrysanthemum
• Stamp: Uniko - Just Because
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Abandoned Coral, Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Salty Ocean, Cracked Pistachio; VersaMark
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #362 - Make Your Mark

Dream Valley - Challenge #211 - Clean and Simple

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #37 - CAS

STAMPlorations - October Stencil Challenge - Anything Goes

As always, you have two weeks to play along before the linky will close.  And don't forget, this is a colour challenge, not a rainbow challenge, so lots of options for you, just remember to keep your creations clean and simple.

Less is More Challenge #405

Good morning

I'm back to introduce the next challenge starting right now over at Less is More and this time we are back with a Recipe challenge.  Here is the cue card with the all important details...

so all cards have sparkle plus another from this list

sparkle + gloss

sparkle + matte

sparkle + pearl

sparkle + chalky

Our generous sponsor for this month is Visible Image and just by playing along puts you in the running for our monthly prize!

Ok, I have two sample cards for you, here's the first using the Sparkle + Gloss option...

I used a stitched die to add some background detail to the card base.  I then used a cocktail glass die and cut it out twice, once using white sparkle glitter cardstock and again using a glossy cardstock...boy, was this difficult to photograph!  The glossy cardstock is white with a pink/purple oil on water effect.  I used the glitter cardstock for the glass and inlaid the 'liquid' using the gloss card.  To finish I stamped a simple sentiment in black ink.

Materials used:

• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Strip; Xcut - Cocktail Glass
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Tiny Type
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Cardstock from stash

Next up I chose the Sparkle + Pearl option...

I die cut two squares using a pierced square die from pearlescent cardstock.  On the smaller panel I stamped and heat embossed the diamond ring in using sparkly silver embossing powder. the die cuts were adhered, the upper one on 3D foam and the sentiment was stamped and heat embossed in silver.  I added more sparkle to the diamond using a sparkle pen but was unable to catch this on camera.

Materials used:

• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax
• Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Happy Wedding
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver, Metallic Silver Sparkle
• Cardstock from stash

Thanks so much for joining me today.  This challenge is a great chance to have a rummage in your stash to mix and match your products, I can't wait to see what you create.

Perfectly CAS - September 2019 Challenge

Hi there

I'm super thrilled to be a member of the Design Team of a brand new challenge that is starting right now.  The 'Perfectly CAS' challenge is exactly that, all about creating perfectly CAS (clean and simple) cards by following the rule of one third. 

Our first monthly challenge is an easy one...

Here's my sample card...

I chose a lovely icy blue/lilac shade of textured cardstock for my upper panel.  I then used floral images from a stamp layering set, stamped and embossed the outline image in silver, then stamped the second layer in a blue tone to co-ordinate with the background.  After adhering the panel flat to the base, the sentiment was then stamped in the same blue ink onto a white strip and popped up on 3D foam.  I love this simple sentiment, it could be used for lots of different occasions.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Altenew - Golden Garden, Leaf Canopy
• Ink: VersaMark; Versa Color - Smoke Blue
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver
• Cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #36 - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations - September Challenge - Anything Goes with Flowers

Please do pop over to the main challenge blog, here, and check out what the rest of my fabulous teamies are sharing, they have some gorgeous examples for you.  And as this is a monthly challenge there's plenty of time to link up.  Even if you find CAS cards a little daunting, why not give it a go :)

Less is More Challenge #404

Good morning!

Today marks the start of another challenge over at Less is More, and this time we're back with a Theme challenge.  Here's your cue card...

Our generous sponsor for the month of September is Visible Image, so, as always, just by playing along will give you a chance of winning the monthly prize

Just the one card from me this time, and it was a super quick one...

I started with a panel die cut with a stitched rectangle die.  All the text you see here is one stamp, so it was super easy just to stamp and heat emboss in white.  I then used post-it notes to mask the areas around the embossing then ink blended with Distress Oxides.  The panel was then popped up on the card base using fun foam.

Materials used:

• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Stamp: Avery Elle - Cheers
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxides - Squeezed Lemonade, Mermaid Lagoon
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White

My teamies are sharing some fabulous projects over on the main challenge blog, please do pop over for more inspiration.  And as always, there's two weeks to play along.

I'll be back with another post this evening, to share details of the first challenge at a new challenge blog, Perfectly CAS, so I hope you'll stop by.  My posts are like buses, nothing for days then two posts in one day!

Skull and Cross Buns - Hochanda Showcase Selection 2

Hi guys

Apologies for the timing of this post, I'm off work this week so rather than schedule it I thought I'd just publish it right away when I finished typing it up.

Another batch of makes for you where I've used products from the Skull and Cross Buns ranges which will be showcased on Hochanda here in the UK this Thursday, 5 September, at 4pm (Sky 673, Freesat 817, Freeview 85).


This first card uses a mix of products; one of the stencils, two of the clear stamp sets and an acrylic embellishment...

One of the stamp sets in the range is called Days and Months.  Although great for lots of crafting products and of course, scrapbooking, journalling, calendars, etc. I wanted to come up with an idea of how to use the stamps on a card.  So this idea came into my head...love you every day!  I started by using the Decreasing Circles Stencil to create the rainbow of dots in the background, just by blending one colour, then cleaning off the stencil, shifting over and re-blending in the next colour, and so on.  And it worked out perfectly that there are seven colours of the rainbow and seven days of the week!  I stamped the days in black and also the 'love you' from the Brush Hearts clear stamp set, but I chose to emboss this with clear embossing powder to add a little gloss.  The panel was die cut with a stitched rectangle and adhered to the card base on fun foam.  I finished with a pink acrylic heart from the Brush Hearts Embellish! set.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Decreasing Circles Large Stencil
• Ink: Distress Ink - Spun Sugar, Shaded Lilac, Tumbled Glass, Cracked Pistachio, Squeezed Lemonade, Dried Marigold, Candied Apple; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Days and Months, Brush Hearts
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss
• Die: Create a Smile - Double Stitched Rectangles
• Accent: Skull and Cross Buns - Brush Hearts Embellish! set

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #356 - Anything Goes

Time Out - Challenge #143 - Inspired by Words

Next up is a card using another stamp set which you wouldn't initially think of using for cards...

The stamp set I used for this bubbly background is called Planner Banners, and is perfect for crafting, scrapbooking and of course bullet journalling, and works so well with the Days and Months set I used on the first card.  I chose to use the three circles of varying sizes and stamped and heat embossed them in white on some watercolour cardstock, before watercolouring the 'bubbles' with Distress Inks.  I mounted the panel onto black cardstock and then flat to the base.  To finish I cut another piece of black cardstock in a diagonal strip and adhered this, topped with a clear acrylic embellishment from the I Believe In Unicorns Embellish! set.  I think the cloud works well with the bubbles theme.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Planner Banners
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Worn Lipstick, Shaded Lilac, Salty Ocean, Cracked Pistachio
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Accent: Skull and Cross Buns - I Believe In Unicorns Embellish! set

Next up, I've used the Planner Banners set, combined with two other sets in the range...

On a die cut panel I drew a pencil line in a curve and then stamped the flags from the Planner Banners set.  I then joined them up with a fineliner pen and erased the pencil lines.  I used one of the circles from the set to create the balloon and curved one of the straight lines in the set to create a balloon string.  Next I stamped the letters from the Lightbox Love set and the word 'time' from the Tropical Party set.  I coloured the flags and balloon with ProMarkers and then stamped some of the smaller elements from the Planner Banners set to finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Planner Banners, Lightbox Love, Tropical Party
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versa Color - Silver; Altenew - Olive
• Coloured with ProMarkers

And the last for this post is another using the Planner Banners set...

I simply stamped lots of the images from this set in different directions and colours.  I stamped the 'happy birthday' from the Quirky Sentiments stamp set and finished the card off with a few different enamel dots.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Planner Banners, Quirky Sentiments
• Ink: Altenew - Lagoon, Olive, Starlight, Ultraviolet; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Enamel dots and stars from stash

Thanks for taking a look.  I'll be back soon with more of my samples ahead of the show on Thursday.

(AD - some products kindly gifted for design team purposes)

Less is More Challenge #403

Hi there

Apologies for the lack of posts lately, I have been crafting away behind the scenes but haven't been able to share those makes yet.  Lots to come over the next few days though so stay tuned :)

Back to the purpose of today's post, and of course it's new challenge day over at Less is More.  And as August has an extra Satuday we have a Lucky Dip challenge for you this time.  Here is the cue card...

Funky Fossil Designs continues as our sponsor for this challenge so please do play along for a chance to win our monthly prize!

I only have one card to share with you this time but I'm excited to say...I have my first 2019 Christmas card in the bag! 

Here it is...

This was very simple to make.  I started with a stitched circle die cut and heat embossed the sentiment in copper.  This was then popped up on fun foam.  I then die cut the pine needles from green cardstock, the bells from silver mirri card and the bow from gold mirri card, and layered and adhered these in a cluster.

Materials used:

• Stamp: Happy Little Stampers - Mixed Christmas Sentiments
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Copper
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Double Stitched Circles; Clearly Besotted - Tag Along Die Collection (bow); Marianne Design Creatables - Petra's Larix Larch; Xcut - Jingle Bells
• Cardstock from stash

I really appreciate your visits, thanks so much for stopping by.  Please do pop over to the main Less is More challenge post for more inspiration from my teamies and to see how they've incorporated metallics into their CAS creations.  And the challenge, as always, is open for a fortnight so there's plenty of time to link up in our gallery.  Hope to see you there :)

Designing for Honey Doo Crafts - Peony Crest, Hello Sunshine and Paint Splodges

Good morning

I have more Honey Doo Crafts goodness for you this morning.

For these cards I've paired floral sets, Peony Crest and Hello Sunshine with one of the larger sets, Paint Splodges, and used the solid paint splodge images as my colouring medium.

Here's Peony Crest...

I was clearly in the mood for rainbow colours when I made this one!  As I still had some linen cardstock out on my desk I thought paint splodges would work great to give the effect of a painter's canvas.  First I stamped the floral crest image and the sentiment in black ink.  I then worked my way from one end of the image to the other, stamping some of the different paint splodge images in colours of the rainbow.  I felt that nothing more was needed so the panel was popped up on fun foam onto the card base for dimension.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Peony Crest, Paint Splodges
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Altenew - Puffy Heart, Lavender Fields, Turquoise, Forest Glades, Warm Sunshine, Orange Cream, Crimson
• Linen cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #349 - CAS

Try It On Tuesday - Colours of the Rainbow

Stamping Sensations - July Challenge - The Earth Laughs in Flowers

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge - AG CAS

{PIN}spirational - Challenge #242 - Photo inspiration (below)

And Hello Sunshine...

I had the same idea for this card, but this time I stamped the floral image directly onto the card base.  I used various images from the paint splodges set to replicate the colours of sunflowers, but giving it a very abstract look.  The sentiment was heat embossed in white onto a black strip and was then adhered on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Hello Sunshine, Paint Splodges
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Altenew - Honey Drizzle, Dark Chocolate, Moss; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Penny Black and More - July Challenge - Summer Colours

Time Out - Challenge #139 - Inspired by Words

STAMPlorations - Summer Theme and Sketch Challenge - Stamps and Anything Goes

Inkspirational - Challenge #190 - 3 or 5 of something (3 flowers/3 colours)

And don't forget, if you are able please tune in to Hochanda tomorrow, Friday 12 July, at 10am and 3pm when Amanda of Honey Doo will be showing the products in detail and doing some demos (Sky 673 / Freeview 85).

I'll be back this evening to share my final two sample cards, I hope you can pop back and take a look.  Happy Thursday!