Addicted to Stamps and More #124

Hi there

It's new challenge time at Addicted to Stamps and More and we've whizzed around to one of the favourites this week, and my favourite also...

CAS (Clean and Simple)

You can make anything you like but please keep it clean and simple

The challenge rules can be found here.

This week's challenge is sponsored by StampArt Design who are offering 5 free digis to the challenge winner!

Here's my card.  I decided to use a technique I've only tried once before, the chalkboard technique...

If you're not familiar with this technique here's how it's done...

I die cut a piece of black cardstock and initially wiped it over with my dust buddy as I didn't want any embossing powder to stick where it wasn't wanted.  I stamped the sentiment with VersaMark ink (this sentiment is all one stamp) and then heat embossed with white embossing powder.  Next I used some tissue to randomly wipe some white pigment ink over the black card.  A baby wipe was then used to wipe away the ink until I got the effect I wanted.  This panel was then matted onto some red cardstock and adhered flat to the card base.  I stamped the holly leaves and berries and fussy cut these out.  These were then adhered with 3D foam pads and I added some Glossy Accents to the berries for some shine.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Most Wonderful and Holiday Sentiments
• Ink: VersaMark; Versa Color - White, Evergreen and Scarlet
• Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Rectangles
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Glossy Accents

Challenge entries:

Let's Craft and Create - Challenge #99 - Christmas

Oh La La Creations - Challenge #170 - Christmas

Crafty Creations - Challenge #277 - Embossing

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #100 - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar - Challenge #122 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

So, if you've got some time on your hands this week, probably in between putting up your Christmas decorations, why not have a go at the challenge at ATSM.  The Design Team have created some wonderful cards, and they are all very different if you need some inspiration.  It would be great to see you there.  

Thanks as always for stopping by.

Kylie's Christmas Card Challenge

Hi guys

This evening I'm here to tell you about a new challenge being held by my lovely 'boss' at Addicted to Stamps and More, Kylie.

Kylie will be hosting a Christmas Card Challenge from now until 6pm on 21 December 2014 (AEST) and the challenge linky can be found here.

Kylie has recently started creating watermark and signature designs and the one I'm currently using on my card photos is a Kylie creation.  More of her designs can also be seen on the challenge page.

The prize being offered by Kylie to the winner of the Christmas Card Challenge will be a watermark and signature valued at $40 US.  So why not have a go and enter the challenge, no doubt we are all in full swing creating our Christmas cards, or in my case, the last few weeks rush!

Here's my card to whet your appetite and there are plenty more on Kylie's page to inspire you...

I printed some digi paper from Pink Petticoat onto some thin cardstock and used a stitched curved rectangle die to cut it out.  I then cut some white cardstock with the same die and then cut the tree landscape and snow drift die cuts from each end of the rectangle.  I stamped the sentiment onto the tree landscape die cut and adhered this flat to the patterned background.  The front snowdrift was then aligned and adhered to the panel with 3D foam.  I adhered the completed panel flat to the cardbase before accenting with some Stickles.

Materials used:

• Digi Paper: Pink Petticoat - Falling Snow
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rounded Rectangles and Snow Drifts; Clearly Besotted - Tree Landscape Die
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Little Pudding
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stickles - Star Dust

Challenge Entries:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #53 - Dots

Let's Craft and Create - Challenge #99 - Christmas

Inkspirational - Challenge 70 - Christmas (no red or green)

Simply Create Too - Challenge #75 - Snow, Snow, Snow

Oh La La Creations - Challenge #170 - Christmas

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #291 - Season's Greetings

AAA Cards - Challenge #29 - Blue Christmas

It would be great to see you over at Kylie's blog with your Christmas card entries.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon.

Sending You Christmas Wishes - Colour Me...! Guest Designer!

Hi there

This is my last week as Guest Designer for the month of November over at Colour Me...!  So before I share the colours of the new challenge I'd like to say a massive THANK YOU to Hayley and Tara for having me, I've had a lovely time being part of the team over the last few weeks.  And thank you to the lovely ladies on the Design Team, you've all made me feel very welcome xx

So, without further ado, here is this week's colour palette, isn't it gorgeous?!

And here is my card (I had a little trouble with the photography this week, the aqua ink was refusing to show up so, apologies, it's not the greatest!)...

I recently bought the Endless Wishes set from Stampin' Up so wanted to ink it up for this card.  I used some white cardstock and randomly stamped the different sized snowflakes in three ink colours.  I then cut this with a pierced square die.  On the card base I marked a horizontal strip on the back of the card front with pencil.  I then used my score board to make small diagonal stripes all the way across the width of the card.  The snowflake panel was then mounted using 3D foam pads.  Next I used a strip of white cardstock to stamp the sentiment in the darker purple ink and offset this onto a snippet of aqua cardstock.  This was also then adhered with 3D foam.  The final touch was a scattering of gems.  These are gorgeous, they are almost flat, but just have a slight dome shape to them.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Endless Wishes
• Ink: Versa Color - Orchid, Seafoam, Heliotrope and Violet
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Squares Stax
• Accents: Glitterati gems
• Tools: Stampin' Up - Simply Scored

I would like to enter this card at the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #52 - Sketch

Let's Craft and Create - Challenge #99 - Christmas
Inkspirational - Challenge 70 - Christmas with a twist of no red or green
Oh La La Creations - Challenge #170 - Christmas


All the rules for the Colour Me...! challenge can be found here and there is some fantastic inspiration from the Design Team using this week's lovely colours.  So why not have a go yourself and share your creations.

As always, thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again very soon.

Take care

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Hi there

When I saw the current challenge at Less is More on Saturday where the theme is 'Jingle all the Way' I wanted to have a raid of my craft stash to see what I could use.  I do now have quite a few Christmas themed products but I really wanted to use bells and what do you know, I found one!

And, when we hear that recognisable sound of the sleigh bells, it means one thing....Santa Claus is coming to town!

Here's my card...

I started by drawing two curved lines with a fine black pen on a spare piece of white card (I actually created the curves by drawing around my bow maker).  The little bell stamp is from a Card-io set of little Christmas icons.  I stamped the bells in red and green as if hanging from two wires.  I then stamped the sentiment.  I used a pierced square die to create a nice border for the images and then used the next biggest die to cut a mat of red cardstock and mounted the white square onto this.  The layers were then adhered to a textured linen card base using 3D foam.  Lastly, I added some Glossy Accents to the bells to give them some shine and left well alone to dry.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Card-io Majestix - Deck The Hall; Clearly Besotted - Naughty or Nice?
• Ink: Versa Color - Scarlet and Green; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Squares Stax
• Glossy Accents
• Cardstock from stash

I would also like to enter this card at the following challenges:

Merry Monday - Challenge #136 - Red, Green and White

The Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #91 - Anything Goes

Let's Craft and Create - Challenge #99 - Christmas

Oh La La Creations - Challenge #170 - Christmas

That's all for today, I'll be back with more to share tomorrow so please pop back if you have the time :)

Choo Choo!

Hi there

Just a quick post this afternoon to share a card I made last week for a little boy's first birthday.

I cut a square panel of white cardstock and a slightly larger square of grey textured cardstock.  On the white panel I stamped the track, this was stamped three times with a stamp that creates a continues image.  The train, carriages and number 1 were stamped next and die cut with their co-ordinating dies.  I temporarily placed these where I wanted them to go so I could stamp the sentiments, steam and carriage connectors.  The stamped panel was then mounted on the grey before the train elements were then popped up on 3D foam.  This was then mounted directly onto a larger square card base.  For some reason the grey ink looks quite pale here but it was darker in real life.

Materials used:

• Stamps and Dies: Clearly Besotted - Full Steam Ahead
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Indigo, Cardinal, Green and Sky Gray
• Cardstock: Papermania - Premium Textured Cardstock; white from stash

Challenge entries:

Crazy 4 Challenges - Challenge #261 - Number It

The Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #91 - Anything Goes

CAS on Sunday - Challenge #47 - Children's Card

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Birthday

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend.  I've not had a chance to do any crafting this weekend, I've just spent the last few hours putting my stash back where it belongs after my guest designer gauntlet last week.  I couldn't cope with the mess so had a really good tidy up so I can start again...no doubt it will be in a mess again after the next card! 

CAS(E) this Sketch! Guest Designer!

Hi there

I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining the fantastic CAS(E) this Sketch! team this week as a Guest Designer.  When Chrissy invited me I was so excited, how could I refuse?  This is such a well loved challenge so I'm delighted to be part of it.

So, I won't waffle on any longer, here is this week's sketch to get the brain cogs going...

And here is my card...

I began by drawing a faint pencil line around a circular die onto the card base.  I then stamped the three baubles.  The tops of the baubles are also stamps and I drew the strings using a silver gel pen and a ruler.  Next I die cut five each of two different leaf dies from white cardstock.  I then laid these down on some scrap paper and sprayed them with Cosmic Shimmer Mist and left them to dry overnight.  Then came the fiddly bit!  I arranged the first leaf dies evenly around the circle and once in position began sticking these down with Tombow liquid glue, just on the first four or so leaves so the uppermost part remained unstuck, erasing the pencil lines as I worked my way around.  I then adhered the remaining fern leaf dies in between, adhering under and over the previous die cuts, all following the same direction.  I stamped the bold sentiment in silver ink and the finishing touch was some Glossy Accents on the baubles.  I love the shimmer and shine on this card, the pearl shimmer of the wreath just adds that little something to the white on white.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Card-io Majestix - Dotty Snowflakes; Clearly Besotted - Holiday Sentiments
• Ink: Versa Color - Orchid, Seafoam, Sky Blue, Silver
• Pen: Sakura Gelly Roll - Silver
• Dies: Britannia Dies - Leaf Strip and Fern Strip
• Accents: Cosmic Shimmer Mist - Pearl; Glossy Accents

Challenge entries:

Inkspirational - Challenge #69 - Word prompt 'Shine'

Dream Valley - Challenge #95 - Anything Goes

Love to Create - Challenge #142 - Make it for Christmas

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #98 - Anything Goes

I can't wait to see what the rest of the Design Team were inspired to create from this sketch, their cards and the challenge details can be found at the CAS(E) this Sketch challenge blog, here.  

I seem to have been on a little Guest Designer sprint this week and you're probably sick of seeing me popping up here and there in blogland!  But I've had a great time joining in with these fabulous teams.  The craft blogging community is such a wonderful place to be, don't you think?

That's all for the moment, bye for now...

Thinking of You - Colour Me...! Guest Designer!

Hi there

I'm absolutely loving my guest designer role at Colour Me...! this month and today I'm back to share the latest challenge.  Thank you to everyone that entered last week's challenge using our striking colour combo, we had some really eye-catching entries.

This week we have some subtle earthy colours for you.  We'd like to see your creations using this colour palette...

Here is my card using these earthy tones...

I started by using some embossing paste and used part of a stencil to spread the paste onto my card base and then left well alone to dry.  I cut the leaf die from a scrap of cardstock and adhered this overlapping the embossed area.  Next I stamped the butterfly onto a small piece of white card using brown ink and die cut using the co-ordinating die.  I coloured in the image using a FlexMarker and then coated the butterfly with some clear Wink of Stella to add some subtle shimmer.  The butterfly was then popped up on 3D foam.  I stamped the sentiment in brown ink and added some Doodlebug sprinkles to finish.

Materials used:

• Stencil: MFT MIX-ables - Concentric Circles
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Elegant Butterflies and Many Messages
• Ink: Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Dies: Clearly Besotted - Elegant Butterflies and Leafy Accents
• Doodlebug Sprinkles - Bon Bon Assortment
• Wink of Stella and FlexMarker - Saddle Brown

I would like to link this card up at the following challenges:

Dream Valley - Challenge #95 - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #98 - Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - To Die For

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 151

Thanks so much for visiting me today.  Why not pop on over to Colour Me...! for more inspiration from the fabulous Design Team, we'd love to see you taking part in the challenge.  Full details of the challenge can be found over there too.

That's all from me today.  I will be back again very soon to share more with you...can't say more than that right now! ;) 

Have a fab day whatever you're up to.