Beer Cheers

Hi guys

It's been a while since I shared anything so I'm popping by tonight to share a card I made for my boss for his birthday.

I find masculine cards especially difficult but I'm pleased with how this one turned out.

I began by embossing a panel of white cardstock using a streamers and confetti embossing folder.  Next I stamped the beer glasses from a set which was free with a magazine, and also had co-ordinating dies.  I coloured the image with ProMarkers.  I die cut the 'cheers' from some gold glitter cardstock and once again from some fun foam, and stacked the two together for some dimension.  The panel was adhered to the base on fun foam, the glasses on 3D foam pads and the cheers adhered below.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Hobbycraft - Streamers
• Stamp: Bubbles & Fizz - Free with Papercraft Essentials magazine (and co-ordinating die)
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Die: Paper Smooches - Birthday Words

Challenge entries:

STAMPlorations - June Challenge - Stamps and Birthdays

STAMPlorations - June CAS Card Challege - Anything CAS Goes

Seize the Birthday - Challenge #167 - Anything Goes

Uniko - Challenge #53 - Anything Goes + Optional Twist Masculine

Thanks so much for visiting, I hope to share more very soon.

Happy Little Stampers June 2019 CAS Challenge

Hi guys

It's time for another CAS challenge at Happy Little Stampers.  As usual, the other HLS challenges will all be going live over the next few days.

Here's what we want to see for the June CAS Challenge...

I'll get straight to my card, and I used some stamps I've had for a while which were a freebie with a magazine last year...

This was super simple to make.  The image and sentiment were stamped in Memento ink and the image coloured with ProMarkers.  I cut it out with a pierced square die and then die cut another square using the same die but from blue cardstock.  I adhered these together slightly offset and then mounted them to the card base using 3D foam.  That was it :)

Materials used:

• Stamps: Bright & Breezy - Free set with Creative Stamping magazine
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax

Thanks so much for popping by, I hope you'll find time to play along and enter your funny cards over at the main challenge blog.

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.

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.

Happy Little Stampers April 2019 CAS Challenge

Hi guys

Over at Happy Little Stampers the April challenges are kicking off and today it's the turn of the CAS challenge.  Here are the details...

For all the challenge rules please pop over to the main HLS challenge post.

Ok, onto my DT card, and this is the card I sent to my dear mum for Mother's Day, which in the UK took place on Sunday...

This card is purely just masking and stamping.  I masked the base leaving the square exposed.  I began by blending some blue Distress Ink in from the edges of the square.  Next up was the turn of the script stamp which I stamped in grey.  I then stamped the flower which consisted of the outline, the base colour and two further detailed layers.  The linear images were then stamped in black before removing the masks and stamping the sentiment.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up - En Francais; Altenew - Beautiful Day; Clearly Besotted - Brushed Sentiments
• Ink: Distress Ink - Salty Ocean; Memento - London Fog; Altenew - Arctic, Caribbean Sky, Persian Blue; Versafine - Onyx Black

Challenge entries:

My Time to Craft - Challenge #393 - Mother's Day / For a Female

All of the Happy Little Stampers challenges run until the end of the month.  The Watercolour challenge is already live and the rest of the April challenges will launch over the next few days.  I hope you can join in and play along.

Skull and Cross Buns April/May Release - Crafty Harlequin Diamonds and Easter Icons

Hi guys

I'm back this evening to share another couple of makes using products from the Skull and Cross Buns April/May release.

I think you're going to love the new set called Crafting Is My Super Power.  There are some great crafting item images as well as some crafty sentiments, including this fab one I've used on my card.  I've also used the Harlequin Diamond Pattern Stencil which is part of a five stencil bundle...

I used the shifted stencilling technique on a white cardstock panel, first inking in Cracked Pistachio before shifting very slightly and then inking with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink, both of which were faded out towards the centre.  I then stamped and fussy cut the stencil and ink pad images and popped these up on 3D foam alongside the sentiment.  The panel was then adhered flat to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Skull and Cross Buns - Set of 5 April/May 2019 Large Stencils (Harlequin Diamond)
• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Crafting Is My Super Power
• Ink: Distress Ink - Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Coloured with ProMarkers

For my next card I've combined two more of the new stamp sets, Spring Motifs and Spring Sentiments...

Although this card looks fairly simple, it did take some time to stamp and emboss the words onto the kraft card as most of these are separate stamps so there was lots of lining up and stamping in stages to ensure the ink was still sticky enough to accept the embossing powder.  Once the panel was complete I sliced away the central diagonal section and adhered the two corners to the card base.  I then stamped five of the images directly on the card base and coloured these very simply with ProMarkers.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Spring Sentiments, Spring Motifs
• Ink: VersaMark; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Coloured with ProMarkers

Challenge entries:

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #103 - Use Kraft

Uniko - Challenge #52 - Spring optional twist Easter

Here's a reminder of the full Skull and Cross Buns April/May Release, all now available on the website, here...

As always, thanks so much for visiting.

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.

Less is More Challenge #392

Good morning

I'm back this morning to introduce the next challenge over at Less is More.  As there are three Saturdays in March we have a Lucky Dip challenge this time.  Here is the cue card...

eg. sunlight, moonlight, starlight, electric light, or anything else that springs to mind.

Once again, our wonderful sponsor for this challenge is Visible Image. 

We also have a member of the Visible Image Design Team, Veerle Morels, joining us as a Guest Designer for this challenge, so please do pop over to her blog and say hi.


For my card I used a stunning stamp set from Visible Image called Into The Woods, together with a couple more stamps from my stash...

I first die cut a circle die from a post-in note to use as a mask for the sun before blending the gradient background with four different shades of Distress Ink to create the sunset.  I then stamped the background layer of trees with grey ink and the trees in the foreground in black.  The birds were also stamped in black before trimming down the panel and matting onto some black cardstock.  This was then adhered to the card base the sentiment stamped below in black.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Visible Image - Into The Woods; Inkylicious - Simply Trees (birds); MFT - Grand Peaceful Wild Flowers (sentiment)
• Ink: Distress Ink - Faded Jeans, Seedless Preserves, Spun Sugar, Squeezed Lemonade; Memento - London Fog; Versfine - Onyx Black

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #334 - Clean and Simple

Thanks so much for visiting.  For more inspiration please do pop over to the main Less is More challenge page where my fellow teamies are sharing some great makes, and there could be more on their personal blogs too.

I have a lot to share over the next few days so would love for you to pop back and take a look.  Have a great weekend.

Cosy Christmas for my Bestie

Hi guys

Today I'm sharing the Christmas card I made for my best friend.

I absolutely loved this 'Winter Wear' stamp set from Concord & 9th when it was released and managed to get my hands on it.  The sentiment I used was taken from a different set, as the Winter Wear set had 'cosy' spelt the American way of 'cozy'. 

I die cut a white cardstock panel with a stitched rectangle die and used the stamps in the set to build up the two characters...that's me on the right with the 'up do' and specs, and my bestie on the left with the longer hair :D  I coloured the images with ProMarkers and stamped the sentiment below in the same black ink.  I added shimmer to the hat and Glossy Accents to the glasses which the camera has picked up in the photo below...

The panel was then adhered using fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Concord & 9th - Winter Wear; Clearly Besotted - Cosy Christmas
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Die: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accents: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear; Ranger - Glossy Accents

Challenge entry:

Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas/Last Minute Christmas cards

I'll be back tomorrow sharing more of this year's Christmas makes.

Christmas Card Multiples - Eat, Drink, Be Merry

Hi folks

Back tonight sharing another set of Christmas card multiples.

There cards were purely stamped directly on the card base, so perfect for mailing...

I started by positioning the glasses and holly on my MISTI, just to get the placing right, then stamped the holly first, before masking it then stamping the glasses and bubbles.  All that was left to do was stamp the sentiment below in black and add some sparkly shimmer to the Christmas fizz!

And I love how I managed to capture the sparkle in the next photo, that doesn't normally happen! :)

Materials used:

• Stamps: Avery Elle - Sip Sip Hooray; Clearly Besotted - Holiday Sentiments (holly), Most Wonderful
• Ink: Memento - Cottage Ivy; Altenew - Crimson, Sea Glass, Morning Frost; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accent: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear

Challenge entries:

CASology - Week #324 - Holly

Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas / Last Minute Christmas Cards

Thanks so much for visiting!