Happy Little Stampers April 2016 CAS Challenge

Good evening, crafters

This is a scheduled post as it's my brother's wedding day today and no doubt I'll still be partying and will have had far too much wine to even think about writing this post! lol

It's time to announce this month's CAS Challenge at Happy Little Stampers and we have another great technique for you this time...

If you are unsure of this technique there are some tutorial links included over on the main challenge post.

This challenge is sponsored by Happy Little Stampers and as we are having a month long birthday celebration of Happy Little Stampers, each of the challenges this month has the following prizes:

$30 gift certificate to the winner

£10 gift certificate to each of our Favourites

Joining us as a Guestie this month is my fabulous blog buddy and Less is More teamie, Sarah of Sazzle Dazzle Crafts.  Her creations are wonderful so please drop by her blog and leave her some love.


So, on to my DT card.  This card kind of evolved as I went along, I had no clue where I was going with it when I started my stencilled piece.

I began by randomly inking up my stentil with three Distress Inks, spritzed with water and then placed it onto some white cardstock where I left it for a short while, blotted and pressed gently with a paper towel before lifting it off.  When this was dry I die cut a section using a double stitched circle die.  I decided to adhere the circle in the corner of my card base, trimming off the excess.  Next I stamped the flower and leaves, and coloured with some ProMarkers before fussy cutting them out and adhering over the edge of the die cut.  The sentiment was then stamped, and some Wink of Stella and a glittery enamel dot added to the centre of the flower.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Harlequin
• Ink: Distress Ink- Cracked Pistachio, Mermaid Lagoon and Blueprint Sketch; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Double Stitched Circles
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Doodled Flowers
• Accents: Wink of Stella - Clear; Doodlebug Sprinkles - Silver

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #248 - Anything Goes

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes (option: Water) - My stencil was spritzed with water after inking

AAA Cards - Game #61 - Stencilling

All the challenges at Happy Little Stampers run until the end of the month (some yet to be announced) so there's plenty of time to join in.

Thanks so much for visiting today.

White Space But Not White

Hi there

We've got a great new challenge for you this week over at Less is More.  As it's the beginning of a new month we're back with our regular Colour challenge and our theme for you this week is...

White Space But Not White

We have another great LIMette as our Guest Designer this week, the lovely Liz of Crafty Sunflower.  If you have the time I'm sure she would love a visit from you.

I only have one sample card for you this week.  It's been one of those hectic weeks where my evenings have been full of things to do and not enough hours to do them in!

Here's my card, I chose kraft as my 'white' space.  My daylight lamp made this one look a little washed out, the colours are a little richer and warmer in real life.

I decided to do a little shadow stamping here, so the floral images were first stamped in white pigment ink then once dry, overstamped with coloured pigment ink.  The sentiment was stamped in VersaMark and then heat embossed in white.  I adhered the panel flat to my card base and added a few smooth gems to the smallest white flowers.

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Neenah - Desert Storm
• Stamps: Wplus9 - Happy Wishes; Clearly Besotted - Sunshine and Smiles
• Ink: Hero Arts - Unicorn; Versa Color - Raspberry, Boysenberry, Green and Evergreen; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #248 - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #169 - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #109 - CAS

My teamies have created some lovely cards this week so please do pop over the the main challenge blog and follow the links to each of them for more inspiration.

Right, I'm currently in the middle of getting myself ready for my brother's wedding, really looking forward to a wonderful day :)

Happy Saturday whatever you're up to.

Being Featured!

Hi there

I just wanted to pop by as I'm really excited today.  I was recently contacted by Dotcomgiftshop as they wanted to feature Neet & Crafty on an upcoming blog post, together with some of my past designs!

The post is about handmade birthday cards and it is live on their blog, here, if you'd like to take a look.

Some of my wonderful friends in blogland are also featured along with some who are new to me, it's worth a look if you want to discover more crafty bloggers.

Thanks for popping by, as always.

Going Dotty!

Hi guys

Happy Saturday!  And another Saturday means it's time for a new challenge over at Less is More.  And this week it's the turn of another Recipe challenge which is...

Polka Dots

Please remember to keep your creations clean and simple.

And before I share my cards with you I'd like to introduce our fab Guest Designer for this week's challenge, one of our regular LIMettes, the lovely Kay Wallace.


I have three cards for you this week, here's the first...

I started by adhering some polka dot paper to my card base.  I then took a panel of white cardstock and used a stitched rectangle die to partly cut the panel to create two stitched edges.  I stamped the sentiment in black before adhering flat over the patterned paper and added three Doodlebug sprinkles to finish.

Materials used:

• Patterned Paper: Papermania - Spots and Stripes Pastels
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Altenew - Painted Greetings
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Cupcake, Bumblebee and Lilac Collections

Challenge entries:

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #109 - CAS

Crafty Catz - Challenge #317 - Stitching (real or faux)
Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes (not topping option this time)

I decided on a very classic layout for my second card...

I started by die cutting a pierced square from some white cardstock.  After removing any static with a powder tool I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark before heat embossing in gold.  I then stamped the balloons and strings, one onto a co-ordinating die cut which was mounted on 3D foam.  The square panel was then adhered to the card base on 3D foam strips.

Materials used:

• Die: MFT-Dienamics - Pierced Squares
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - It's Your Birthday, Got Your Number
• Ink: VersaMark; Versa Color - Pacific, Mint; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich

Challenge entry:

Color Throwdown - Challenge #385 - Teal, Aqua, Gold

And my third card I have made for my boyfriend as we are celebrating another year together tomorrow...

I die cut various hearts from three shades of polka dot glittered cardstock and adhered these overlapping onto a panel of white cardstock.  I then simply stamped the sentiment in turquoise and black before adhering the panel to the base using 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Dies: Lawn Fawn - Hearts
• Coloured Cardstock: Kanban - Sherbert Pips
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Happy Anniversary
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Turquoise

Challenge entry:

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #418 - To Die For

Thanks so much for visiting today.  I look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery this week and I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend. 

Addicted to Stamps and More #186

Hi there

It's new challenge time over at Addicted to Stamps and More and we're back with our regular challenge, and everyone's favourite...

Anything Goes

Just get creative and share your projects with us over at ATSM

Our sponsor this week is SLS Lines and they are offering 2 digital images to one lucky winner.

For my Anything Goes DT card this week I decided to go super simple as that's just what I love to create...

As I do more often than not I started with a panel of white cardstock slightly smaller than my card base.  Each of these daisy stems are one stamp but as I use small ink cubes it's easy to ink up the stems and blooms separately and then stamp all at once.  I just love these delicate sketchy images, they almost look like they are drawn with coloured pencils (I wish I was that artistic!).  I stamped the sentiment in black and popped the panel up on 3D foam strips.  And that was all there was to it!

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Both Way Blossoms; Wplus9 - Strictly Sentiments
• Ink: Versa Color - Bamboo and Marigold; Memento - Tuxedo Black

Challenge entries:

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #109 - CAS
Addicted to CAS - Challenge #84 - Delicate
Crafty Creations - Challenge #311 - Spring Fever
My Time to Craft - Challenge #317 - Flowers
STAMPlorations - March CAS Card Challenge - Anything CAS Goes (Yellow)




Thanks so much for visiting today.  If you have the time please drop by each of my teamies, they are sharing some lovely creations this week.

Bye for now!

Less is More - Week #268

Hi guys

It's new challenge time over at Less is More and we have a great Theme challenge for our LIMettes this week which is...

What's Outside Your Window

(you can use your imagination and dreams!)

We also have a lovely Guest Designer joining us this week, and someone from my neck of woods, Lou from A Devon Kitchen Table.  If you have the time please pop over to her blog and leave her some love :)


Ok, my first card is quite realistic for what's usually outside my window.  Until about a fortnight ago I think a day hadn't gone by this year without us having some rain!  Pretty normal for England so not just April showers!

On a white cardstock panel I masked a square and used Distress Ink to blend the blue background.  I then stamped the stems, flower heads and the raindrops.  After the mask was removed I stamped the sentiment and added some hand drawn dash lines with a black fine liner pen.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass; Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versa Color - Evergreen, Rose Red and Sky Gray
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - A Little Something, April Showers Additions, April Showers II
• Pen: Derwent Graphik Line Maker

Challenge entry:

CASology - Week 189 - Doodle (hopefully my hand drawn dash lines will qualify!)

For the next card I created a view I would love to see from my window.  I live in a first floor flat and have a very small garden, and as there are lots of cats in my neighbourhood a bird bath wouldn't be a success!

I printed the digi image onto some white cardstock and coloured it in with my some Flexmarkers.  I used a stitched rectangle die to create the panel and stamped the sentiment before popping it up on 3D foam.  Super simple.

Materials used:

• Digi image: A Day for Daisies - Daisy Bird Bath
• Stamp: Happy Little Stampers - Doodled Flowers
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles

Challenge entry:

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #16 - In the Garden

Right, I'm going to wind up this post as I'm having internet problems which is driving me mad.  Thanks so much for visiting today, I hope to see you in the gallery this week.

Muse Challenge #157 - Have a Fabulous Day

Good afternoon

It's my turn to be your designer over at Muse for this week's challenge and hopefully my card will inspire you to play along.

The idea at Muse is to use the designer's creation as the inspiration for your project.  You can, for example, use the layout, colours, technique, etc.  Hopefully there are a few elements here that will kickstart your creative mojo!

This card just sort of evolved as I went along, I didn't have a finished image in my head, just went with the flow...

On a white cardstock panel I started by masking a horizontal strip before blending out from it with pink Distress Ink.  I then added a little water to a couple more Distress Ink colours on my craft mat and created some splatters over the blended area, blotting gently with a paper towel to keep the splatters a little more subtle.  Next, I stamped the flowers, leaves and flourishes, using masks over some images as I went.  The horizontal mask was then removed and the sentiment stamped in the centre before popping the panel onto the card base using 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Mermaid Lagoon; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Stamps: Altenew - Hennah Elements; Clearly Besotted - Just Fabulous

Challenge entries:

My Time to Craft - Challenge #317 - Flowers

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes/The Great Divide

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #246 - Pretty Projects

Thanks so much for visiting today.