Twelve Days of Christmas Cards Challenge with Kylie and Friends!

Hi there

Today I'm excited to be sharing a card as part of Kylie's Twelve Days of Christmas Cards Challenge.  

For twelve days Kylie is sharing a different handcrafted Christmas card and has some friends from blogland joining her each day along the way.  I'm delighted to have been asked to join her today, which is Day 11.  So please do click back through Kylie's posts if you've missed the previous posts with some wonderful inspiration.

Kylie is my 'boss lady' at Happy Little Stampers (and also at Addicted to Stamps and More where I was previously a DT member).  I also had the pleasure of meeting this wonderful lady back in July at the Happy Little Stampers Craft Retreat, she's an absolute star.

Ok, back to the challenge, you can enter as many times as you like and there are prizes up for grabs too! The linky tool will be open until 12pm on the 17th of December (AEST).

$20 Gift Certificate

$20 Gift Certificate

20€ Gift Certificate

So, onto my card, and I've used one of the new sets from the latest Happy Little Stampers release, Christmas Joy...

On a panel of white cardstock I masked off the top half and firstly stamped my holly images in VersaMark before heat embossing in white.  I then used the emboss resist technique to blend over three different green shades of Distress Ink before removing the mask.  I then used the watercolour lift technique by adding water to the leaves and lifting the colour away with a paper towel.  I stamped the sentiment in black and adhered the panel onto the card base using 3D foam.  I then added some Stickles in pink....after looking for red Stickles which I don't actually own! lol

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Christmas Joy
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Forest Moss, Pine Needles, Lucky Clover; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Accents: Stickles - Pink

Challenge entries:

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #184 - Anything Christmas Goes
Dream Valley - Challenge #146 - Christmas
Fantasy Stampers - Challenge #77 - CAS Christmas
AAA Cards - Game #79 - Christmas
Inkspirational - Challenge #123 - CAS with Sparkle

Thanks so much for joining me today.  I hope you'll play along by linking up your Christmas creations.  We would love to see them and you might even win one of the fantastic prizes up for grabs.

Bye for now

Less is More Week #306

Good morning

At Less is More this week can you believe it's time for another One Layer challenge?!  And we have an interesting one for your one layers this week...

Outlines

I should have been using this as an opportunity to make more Christmas cards as I'm still way behind with the amount that I need, but no, I went with a Thank You and an Anniversary!  I'm so helpful to myself, lol!

Anyhow, here goes with card number one where I used an outline style font...

I used some watercolour cardstock as my card base here and watercoloured a central area with three colours of Distress Ink.  Once completely dry and prepped with my anti-static powder tool I stamped the Thanks in VersaMark and heat embossed in white.  That was it for this one.  The card is a little warped from the water and the heat embossing so I'll need to place it under something heavy for a while longer.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch; VersaMark
• Stamp: Uniko - All Occasion Sentiments #6
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entry

CASology - Challenge #227 - Space

And now for my second card which has a few outlines..

I started by embossing my card base using a stitched heart die.  I then stamped the pebble couple before masking and then stamping the bench.  Next I chose a 'happy' in a shadow outline font which I stamped in red to match the enamel heart I added above, and then finished off the rest of the sentiment in black.  So I have the outline image, the heart outline and the outlined 'happy'.

Materials used:

• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Heart Stax
• Stamps: Inkwell Stamps - Pebbles Allsorts; Wplus9 - Whole Lotta Happy; Clearly Besotted - Happy Everything (anniversary sentiment)
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Camelia
• Accents: Enamel heart from stash

Challenge entry:

Penny Black & More - December Challenge - Black and White Plus One

My teamies and I would love for you to join in and play along this week.  They have also created some wonderful cards this week so please do take a minute to visit their personal blogs if you can, in between the madness of the Christmas preparations!

Hope to see you again soon :)

Muse #195 - Butterfly Ribbon Birthday

Good afternoon, Crafters

As we're back to the first Monday of the month it's my turn to be your designer for this week's challenge over at Muse.

Hopefully you'll be able to take inspiration from some elements of my card this week, eg. the layout, the horizontal curve, the ombre colouring, the butterfly, inliad die cut, scripty sentiment.  Although it's very CAS hopefully you can draw some ideas from it.

I was itching to use this new die that I bought from the Sincerely Yours Papercraft Show last weekend.  As much as I desperately need to get more Christmas cards made this was a welcome break from the festive creations, and we always need birthday cards in our stash!

I started by die cutting the butterfly ribbon from a panel of white cardstock.  I then also die cut it from a panel that I'd blended with three Distress Inks.  I then just needed to slot them together.  I wanted to pop my panel up for some dimension which would mean the inlaid die would be floating so I slotted the three pieces together and used some sticky tape on the reverse to adhere the butterfly section to the white parts above and below.  Next I manipulated my sentiment stamp to follow the curve before stamping in black then used some 3D foam strips to adhere the panel to the card base.

Materials used:

• Die: Poppy Stamps - Bellina Butterfly Ribbon
• Ink: Distress Ink - Cracked Pistachio, Mermaid Lagoon, Blueprint Sketch; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Sweet Little Sentiments

Challenge entries:

Allsorts Challenge - Week #392 - CAS
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  If you have a chance between Christmas crafting and preparing for the big day I'd love for you to join in this week...or perhaps even change this up to suit a festive creation!

Less is More Week #305

Hi guys

It's 8am on a Saturday morning which marks new challenge day over at Less is More.  And the first Saturday of the month means we're back with a Colour challenge for you.  This week we would like to see...

Primary Colours

We have a new Challenge Sponsor for the month of December...

Bev from Uniko is joining us as a Guestie this week, as is our October Winner, Kathy K of Purple Princess Diaries.  Please do pop over to their personal blogs and show them some love.

I'm desperately trying to get my Christmas cards made as I was very late last year.  And this year I'm even later getting started!  So, if I can make a challenge fit, it calls for another card to add to the stack that is slowly getting taller.  So here's card number one...

A bit more emboss resist after last week's challenge!  I embossed the snow and stars in clear embossing powder and then inked over in blue.  I then die cut a section of my inking using a stitched circle die.  I die cut another circle in white and die cut again using a stitched landscape die to create the snow.  Before adhering together I stamped the sentiment.  The little polar bear's hat was stamped first, then masked before stamping the bear.  I coloured with ProMarkers and then fussy cut him out and adhered him to the scene. This was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Snowy Backdrops; Clearly Besotted - Arctic Animals
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black; Distress Ink - Broken China
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Double Stitched Circle Stax; Mama Elephant - Landscape Trio
• Coloured with ProMarkers

Challenge entries:

CAS on Sunday - Challenge #97 - Christmas
Time Out - Challenge #71 - Christmas
Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #34 - Anything Goes with Christmas

Dream Valley - Challenge #145 - Winter Animals

I decided to make a gender neutral birthday card too...

I die cut the stitched rectangle first and then stamped the sentiment using the MISTI to ensure I got a good impression.  I die cut two balloons from scraps of patterned paper and added some hand drawn strings before adhering the balloons off the top edge. The panel was then adhered using 3D foam, with a little under the balloons too.  Super easy!

Materials used:

• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Wonky Stitched Rectangles; Clearly Besotted - Laugh Out Loud
• Stamps: Uniko - All Occasion Sentiments #2
• Ink: Versa Color - Cyan and Royal Blue

Thanks so much for popping by today.  My teamies have created some wonderful cards this week so please pay them a visit if you have time.  I know they will appreciate it.

Happy Little Stampers December 2016 CAS Challenge

Hi there

And welcome to a new CAS Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.  For this challenge we would like you to revisit your favourite technique or product from any of the previous 2016 CAS Challenges.

This challenge is sponsored by Happy Little Stampers and as always there's a prize for one lucky winner...

Over on the main challenge blog, here, we have included a list of all the previous challenges to refresh your memory, together with links if you need help with the techniques.

One of my favourite techniques is Ghosting.  Stencils are inexpensive so are great to add to your stash without breaking the bank. Here's my DT card, I decided to add another to my Christmas card collection and used one of the stamp sets from the lastest HLS release, Christmas Joy... 

On a piece of white cardstock I blended an area with Distress Ink in Festive Berries.  I then laid the holly stencil over it, spritzed with water, removed the stencil before leaving for a few moments and blotting away the colour with the paper towel.  I then flicked some splatters over it with a mix of perfect pearls and water.  Once completely dry I die cut a section of the red panel with a stitched tag die.  I then stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in silver.  I stamped the holly images onto the card base in silver pigment ink and coloured the berries with a coloured pencil.  Finally, I tied some ribbon and thread through the tag before adhering the tag using some fun foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Festive Berries; VersaMark; Versa Color - Silver
• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Festive
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Traditional Tag Stax
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Christmas Joy
• Accents: Perfect Pearls - Pewter; Derwent Coloursoft pencils; ribbon and thread from stash

Challenge entries:

Time Out - Challenge #71 - Christmas with Optional twist of Glitter/Shimmer
Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #34 - Anything Christmas

Uniko - Challenge #38 - Christmas
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #222 - Make Your Mark (sponging and stencilling)
Creative Inspirations - Challenge #263 - Christmas Creations
The Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #162 - Christmas and/or Birthday

I'm looking forward to seeing lots of these great techniques in the gallery, so why not join in!  The challenge will run until the end of December, and don't forget to check out the rest of the HLS challenges, all starting in the next few days.

Less is More Week #304

Hi there

It's new challenge day at Less is More and this week we're back with our Recipe challenge.  This week we have a technique for you and it's one that can create some fabulous effects.  We would like to see you...

Use an Emboss Resist Technique

Apologies again, just one card for you this week.  I was away last weekend and have had two evening meetings this week as well as visiting a friend so I've struggled to make any more in the evenings.  Hopefully things will now slow down a little....I hope so, I've not really started my Christmas cards yet!  But here's one to add to my pathetically small collection so far!

I decided to use the work of the awesome Heather Telford as my inspiration.  Heather is an amazing artist and I particularly love her snowscape creations.  I've seen her previously create snow on branches using emboss resist so I decided to give it a go.  If you have time you really should pop over to her blog, you certainly won't be disappointed.

This look is created by stamping first in VersaMark, and then shifting very slightly, only a millimetre or two, before stamping again in coloured ink.  I used black here.  The MISTI was the perfect tool for this as I stamped and then just shifted my card up a touch before stamping again, you could use a stamp positioner for this too. All the stamping is then heat embossed in clear so that when you ink blend over the top the stamped images resist the ink.

I finished by stamping the sentiment and then adhering the panel to my card base on some fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Card-io - Branching Out; Paul Pascual - Christmas Messages
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Stormy Sky, Tumbled Glass, Victorian Velvet
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #221 - Anything Goes
The Male Room - Challenge #49 - ????Scapes
Time Out - Challenge #71 - Christmas
Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #34 - Anything Goes Christmas
CASology - Challenge #225 - Soft
Inkspirational - Challenge #122 - Chill

I love how this turned out, although I shifted the card a little more on the lower branch than the upper  one...it was obviously snowing heavier lower down! lol :)

Thanks so much for joining me today, and please don't forget to visit my teamies over at the challenge blog for lots more emboss resist inspiration.

Happy Little Stampers New Release Blog Hop!

Hi there

Today I'd like to welcome you to the Happy Little Stampers blog hop to celebrate the release of six new fabulous stamp sets.

My fellow Design Teamies will be sharing their projects using these new stamp sets and to be in with a chance of winning a fabulous prize of a $50 gift certificate to the HLS Shop all you have to do is join in the hop and comment along the way.  A winner will be chosen at random from all the comments left.  The hop will run for one week, finishing at 12pm AEST on 28 November.

A full list of the designers taking part is shown below, so if you've joined mid-hop you can pop to the beginning following the link.

My first card uses a lovely new Christmas set called Christmas Joy, a great mix of festive sentiments and images...

I started by die cutting a stitched oval from some Strathmore Bristol cardstock and stamped the sentiment in black ink.  I then stamped and heat embossed the poinsettias and holly in white surrounding the sentiment.  I then coloured the images with Zig markers and blended with water.  I added a little shading around the images in a blue/grey colour just to add some interest.  I then popped the oval up on some 3D foam onto a card base which had been scored horizonally across the centre.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Christmas Joy
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
• Die: Lil' Inkers - Stitched Oval 

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

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #452 - Christmas/Holidays
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #220 - Photo Inspiration
Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #177 - Embossing Heat or Dry
Stamping Sensations - November Challenge - Christmas Greetings
Penny Black and More - November Challenge - Anything Christmas
Happy Little Stampers - November Christmas Challenge - Watercolour

I went a bit crazy with my second card, well, crazy for me as I usually create with clean lines but I wanted to give these balloons the Brusho treatment...and Brushos like to do their own thing!  This card uses the new Simply Said set which is full of great sentiments, a balloon and a heart...

On some Derwent watercolour cardstock I stamped the balloons and heat embossed in white.  I then brushed some water over and around each balloon before sprinkling some Brusho crystals over each one.  A little more water was required to activate the crystals so I spritzed a little and that's when it got a little out of control.  But I think the design suits the fabulous bold sentiment which was heat embossed in white onto some black cardstock.  The panel was adhered over some red cardstock and adhered flat to the cardbase before the strip was popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Simply Said
• Ink: VersaMark; Brusho - Brilliant Red, Purple, Turquoise
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Cardstock from stash

I'd like to link this one up at the following challenge:

AAA Cards - Game #78 - Circles (may not be CAS enough, please disregard if it's not)

And finally, a one layer card uses a great new set called Wish You Were Here which has sentiments in a great font, together with some world famous images, and the female silhouette which I've used here...

I masked off a vertical panel and blended three colours of Distress Ink.  I then used the Ghosting Technique of spritzing water through a stencil and blotting away some of the colour.  I stamped the silhouette and sentiment in black ink before adding some gentle splatters using the same colours of Distress Ink mixed with a little water.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Wish You Were Here
• Ink: Distress Ink - Cracked Pistachio, Mermaid Lagoon and Blueprint Sketch; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Dot Fade

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

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #101 - Ombre
My Time to Craft - Challenge #334 - No layers
Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Happy Birthday

Here is the order of the hop, and be sure to comment along the way to be in with a chance of winning that fabulous prize!

Happy Little Stampers 

Kylie Purtell

Michelle Dees

Anita Bowden (that's me!)

Linda Walmsley

Julie Beech

Jane Taylor

Laurie Schmidt

Valentyna Komisarenko

Carol Steedman

Susan Renshaw

Stephanie Lanzalotto

Neha Parab
Amy Seigler

Thanks so much for popping by, and good luck!