Addicted to Stamps and More #198

Hi there

This midnight post from me signifies a new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.  We've rotated around our challenge sequence which means this week it's time for...

Addicted to Holidays

(your project must relate to a holiday such as Christmas or Easter,

or you can perhaps share a vacation related creation)

Our Sponsor this week is STAMPlorations who are offering a prize of two digi images.

For my DT card this week I've gone super CAS with a Christmas card.  I love how this turned out so I may have to make a little batch of these later in the year :)

Super simple, I embossed the two part sentiment in gold and then stamped the little images to create the evergreen bough.  The panel was adhered on 3D foam strips and that was it...finished!

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Simply Said Christmas, Background Builders Vines Winter Additions
• Ink: VersaMark; Versa Color - Evergreen, Pinecone and Camelia
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich

That's all from me today, why not visit my ATSM teamies if you want some more inspiration.  It's never too early to start your Christmas cards so this holiday challenge is the perfect opportunity to add one to your collection!

Muse #170 - Let Your Dreams Take Flight

Hi there

I'm delighted to be your designer over at Muse this week and hope that my card will inspire you to play along.

I chose some Distress Ink colours I've not used before and decided to make a background using the layered emboss resist technique. There are a few steps involved with this technique but you can get some great results.  So I hope the colours, design, technique or perhaps layout will give you some inspiration to create and link up this week.

I started with a panel of white cardstock, stamped some butterflies in VersaMark and heat embossed in clear powder.  I then blended over the entire panel with Distress Ink in Tattered Rose, resisting the original butterflies which popped out in white.  I then made sure the ink was completely dry with a little help from my heat gun, and free of static by using an EK Success powder tool before stamping more butterflies, again embossed with clear powder.  I then blended over the entire panel once more, this time with Distress Ink in Victorian Velvet, making the pink/peach butterflies pop up from the background.  Finally, after making sure the ink was dry and free of static I stamped the final layer of butterflies and heat embossed in clear.  These give a tone on tone effect over the final background colour.  The panel was then cut down slightly and matted onto some peachy cardstock and a sentiment strip was made from the same cardstock, with the sentiment embossed in white.

I liked the glossy butterflies here but I've also seen tutorials of this technique where, at the end you can remove the gloss of the embossing by using the 'ironing off' technique.  I've not yet tried this but as I understand it you place your embossed panel face up on a cloth or towel, cover with some paper and then iron over it, and the embossing powder transfers to the paper leaving your project with a matt finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Beautiful Butterflies; Clearly Besotted - Flutterby Dreams
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Tattered Rose and Victorian Velvet
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear; Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured Cardstock: Papermania Solid Cardstock

Thanks so much for visiting today, I hope I've inspired you to play along at Muse this week.

Vintage Rose Wedding

Hi guys

Back in November last year I shared some Save the Date cards I made for a friend's forthcoming wedding.  You can find the post here.

I've been meaning to share the invitations with you which I made a couple of months ago so here they are.  I'm a bit disappointed with the photos but these are the best results I could get before delivering them to the happy couple.

Although only 20 invitations were required, they actually took a fair amount of time to create due to the rose and leaves being three step stamping.  So each of the horizontal panels required 12 individual stamped images...the rose, and three separate leaves.

The wording was printed using the same fonts as the Save the Date cards, EcuyerDAX and Elegant Typewriter.  For the ampersand I used another font but can't recall the name.  I then continued with the tag theme and also the jute twine to echo the Save the Date cards.

The wedding is taking place over an entire weekend so inside, as well as the venue details I also included an itinerary for the day.  I also then included a menu for pre-selection and RSVP cards together with return envelopes.

Materials used:

• Cardstock: Paper Mill Direct - Smooth Ivory, Neenah - Desert Storm
• Stamps: Altenew - Vintage Roses
• Ink: Versa Color - Vanilla, Sand Beige, Umber
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Tags
• 2 ply jute twine

Challenge entries:

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #179 - Anything goes (Wedding Stationery)

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #165 - Monochrome

I will also be making some Order of Service stationery for the bride and groom which will be very slightly different.  I'll share these with you once created.

Thanks so much for visiting today, your visits and comments are so appreciated :)

Less is More Week 280

Hi guys

Happy Saturday everyone which means new challenge time over at Less is More.  It's that dreaded week again....One Layer Week...and this week we would like to see...

Splatters

I've chosen green and blue tones for my DT card this week to create a card suitable for a girl or a guy.  There was lots of masking required for this one and a little time spent under a heavy pack of cardstock to remove the slight warping from the heat embossing, but I'm really pleased with the result.

I started by stamping the sentiment in the centre and heat embossing in white.  Next I used large post-it notes to mask the edges before ink blending the central rectangle with Distress Inks.  I then placed a splatter stencil (another wonderful goodie provided by STAMPlorations, one of our June sponsors), in various positions, masking around the area I wanted to use, and blended the same three colours but with a lot more depth.  I finished with a few splatters of ink mixed with a little water.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Wplus9 - That Is All
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Salty Ocean, Cracked Pistachio and Peacock Feathers
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Stencil: ARTplorations by STAMPlorations - Art Splatters

Challenge entries:

One Layer Simplicity - Challenge #28 - Stencil

STAMPlorations - June CAS Card Challenge

My fellow LIM teamies have created some great cards this week so if you have the time I'm sure they would appreciate a visit from you.

I only had time for one DT card this week as I've had to cram lots in before I head off for a few much needed days away.  Not far, only Dorset, but it feels more like a break when you actually stay away for a few nights :)

I have a few blog posts scheduled in a couple of days so hopefully Blogger will behave and share them with you.

Thanks so much for popping by today x

Less is More Week 279

Hi there

The first Saturday of the month means that our new challenge this week at Less is More is a Colour challenge.  And this time we would like you to...

Use Some Purple

Our wonderful Sponsors for the month of June are Dies to Die For and STAMPlorations.  

For my first card this week I've used some stamps by STAMPlorations, sent to me by the super generous Shery!  Thanks so much for my happy mail, Shery!

I stamped the rose image with waterproof ink onto some watercolour paper and coloured it with my Inktense pencils and water.  I then stamped the sentiment from the same set in black ink.  The plan was to add diagonal stamped stripes to the corners but I messed up my stamping so I saved my panel by slicing off the two corners and then mounting it to my card base which was first covered with purple polka dot paper...phew!  I think I prefer this look anyway, so never throw away creations that could be used after all!  A few sequins finished off the card.

Materials used:

• Stamps: STAMPlorations - About a Rose
• Ink: Archival - Jet Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils
• Patterned Paper: Dovecraft - Back to Basics IV 6x6 Designer Paper Pack
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Sparkling Rainbow Sequin Mix

Challenge entry:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #89 - Petals

I did a bit of masking to create this next monochrome card...

I started by masking a cardstock panel with the aperture created from a circle die, which I placed off the edge.  I blended within the mask with Distress Ink before splattering with water.  I left the bottom part of the mask in place but removed the top half before stamping the foliage in three different purple shades extending above the circle.  The sentiment was stamped in black before adhering the panel with 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Wilted Violet; Versa Color - Imperial Blue, Boysenberry, Heliotrope; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Inkylicious - Meadow Breeze; Clearly Besotted - Brushed Greetings II

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Mask It

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Monochrome

CASology - Week #200 - CAS

Thanks so much for visiting today.  My LIM teamies and I would love for you to join in this week so if your creation is CAS and uses purple, why not link up?!

Hope to see you again soon.

Happy Little Stampers June 2016 CAS Challenge

Hi there

We're at the beginning of another month which means the beginning of another CAS challenge over at Happy Little Stampers, as well as other HLS challenges starting in the next few days too.  We have another technique for you to incorporate on your CAS creations this month...

There are some links to video tutorials included over on the challenge blog if you're new to this technique.

This challenge is sponsored by Happy Little Stampers and there is a great prize up for grabs too...

So, onto my card, and I used HLS Everyday Sentiments on this one...no idea why I decided to make a Christmas Card in May! lol

I blended three shades of Distress Ink on a panel of white cardstock before placing a snowflake stencil over it and spritzing with water.  This was left for a few seconds to lift the colour before blotting with a paper towel.  I then used some anti-static powder along the base before stamping the 'Merry' in VersaMark and heat embossing in white.  I stamped 'Christmas' in a co-ordinating pigment ink, adhered the panel to the card base on 3D foam and added a die cut snowflake to finish.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Spun Sugar, Shaded Lilac, Tumbled Glass; VersaMark; VersaColor - Lavender
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Everyday Sentiments
• Stencil: Imagination Crafts
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Die: Uniko - Snowflakes

Challenge entries:

A Gem of a Challenge - Weather 

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Challenge #283 - Use a Sentiment

Thanks so much for visiting today.  The challenge is ongoing until the end of June so there's plenty of time to join in. We would love for you to join us :)

Addicted to Stamps and More #196

Hi there

There is a new challenge just going live over at Addicted to Stamps and More, and this week we're back with our super popular challenge...

Anything Goes

Our Sponsor for this week is Eureka Stamps who are generously offering a prize of 3 digital images for one lucky winner!

For my DT card this week I decided to have a go at some no line colouring with some sketchy images...I love how it looks like I just painted this!  :D

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped the two stem images in Antique Linen Distress Ink.  I then watercoloured over the design with more Distress Inks in blues and greens.  I finished by adding some gentle splatters and the sentiment in black before adhering the panel on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Altenew - Botanical Garden, Painted Greetings
• Ink: Distress Ink - Antique Linen, Peeled Paint, Evergreen Bough, Salty Ocean, Mermaid Lagoon and Blueprint Sketch; Versafine - Onyx Black

Challenge entries:

Fusion Card Challenge - Something Blue

Sunday Stamps - Challenge #127 - Colour Challenge

Time Out - Challenge #57 - 'May All Your Weeds be Wild Flowers' - whoops, missed the deadline!  The post went live while I was asleep and then I got up and went to work completely forgetting to link up! :D

My teamies have created some wonderful cards this week, please take a look from the links on the main blog if you have time.  Any creations welcome this week so why not join us?!