Uniko Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Monochrome Silhouettes

Good morning

I'm over on the Uniko blog today and I have a trio of cards using various silhouette stamps paired with the Pinstripe Background Blocks.

You can find all the information about how these were made over on the Uniko blog, here.

So, here's the first one, using coral shades...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Background Blocks Pinstripe II, Just Because, Simply Said Blocks II
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Saltwater Taffy, Abandoned Coral, Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Jewels: Cherry mix

My second card is in teal tones...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Background Blocks Pinstripe, Season of Beauty, Simply Said Blocks
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Salvaged Patina, Peacock Feathers, Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Jewels: Shimmering Pool mix

And finally, in shades of blue...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Background Blocks Pinstripe II, Happy Days, Simply Said Blocks II
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Salty Ocean, Prize Ribbon, Versafine Clair - Nocturne
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Jewels: Blueberry mix

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day and I hope to be back soon with more to share.

 

Less is More Challenge #366

Good morning, crafters!

Apologies that this post is a little late, after being stranded because of the snow and awake for 36 hours I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer yesterday to write this post!  I've now had a good night's sleep and back to normality, apart from my car still being ten miles away at work! lol

So back to Less is More.  Here are the details for this fortnight's challenge...

Definition: Monochrome - 

using only black, white, and grey or tones of one colour

Our wonderful sponsor for this challenge is STAMPlorations and I have three sample cards for you, all using STAMPlorations products.

So, onto my cards...

I stamped the buttercup on watercolour paper with yellow ink and then watercoloured with my Zigs.  It lost some definition so I used an embossing ink pen to highlight some of the outlines of the image and heat embossed in gold.  The sentiment was also heat embossed in gold and I then added some ink splatters using my Zigs mixed with water.  The panel was then adhered to a sunshine yellow card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: STAMPlorations - Buttercups and Butterflies
• Ink: Altenew - Mango Smoothie; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Coloured with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
• Embossing Pen: Whispers Embossers
• Cardstock: Yellow from Bazzill Basics assortment

Challenge entries:

Allsorts Challenge - Week 457 - Ladies Only

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - In My Garden

Card two...

I blended some Distress Inks along the bottom half of my card base.  I then used a stencil, spritzed with water and lifted some colour away  I then used the stencil again and blended another shade of blue through it.  I took a panel of white cardstock and used a stitched die to cut the curve.  I then stamped the butterfly in three shades of blue ink, curved a sentiment and stamped that in dark blue and adhered the panel flat to the card base.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch, Mermaid Lagoon; Altenew - Caribbean Sky, Persian Blue, Sapphire
• Stencil: ARTplorations - Confetti Circles
• Stamps: STAMPlorations - Blossom like a Butterfly; Clearly Besotted - Message Me
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Basic Edges

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #281 - Anything Goes

My Time to Craft - Challenge #365 - Monochromatic

Card three...

For this one I tried some no line colouring with my coloured pencils.  I stamped the flower onto the card base in a pale yellow ink but found it lost some definition after I coloured it (probably due to my rubbish colouring skills! lol).  I made sure I left the stamp in my MISTI so re-stamped in a coral colour once I'd finished the colouring.  I looked up Heleniums and the centre of the flower should be more of a brown shade but I didn't want to drift too far from the Monochrome theme of the challenge.  A top panel was die cut with a stitched window and the sentiment stamped beneath, and was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: STAMPlorations - Helenium Large; Lawn Fawn - Scripty Sayings
• Ink: Altenew - Buttercream, Peach Perfect
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Peek a Boo Window

Challenge entries:

Artistic Impressions - Challenge #194 - Anything Goes/Flowers
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes


That's all from me today.  Please do pop over to the main challenge blog, here, to see the wonderful creations by my teamies and follow their links for more information and possibly more makes too!

Monochromatic Merry Christmas

Hi there

Tonight I'm sharing another of the cards I made whilst away last month.  This was one that I made whilst sat around Sarah's dining table along with Kylie.  In no time at all we made a delightful mess of her dining area (in fact, I've found a photo I took at the time which I've shared below! lol)

Right, back to the card...

I started by covering my card base with black cardstock.  I then die cut the houses die from white cardstock and stamped the sentiment in black.  Before adhering to the card base I coloured a few scraps of card with a yellow ProMarker and adhered these behind some of the windows.  I didn't have any star stamps with me while I was away so I completed the card with the embossed silver star when I returned home.

Materials used:

• Die: Happy Little Stampers - Neighbourhood Die
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Mixed Christmas Sentiments; Clearly Besotted - Merry Little Christmas (star)
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver

Here's the mess we made!! :D 

...and I've still no idea what to make with that stag head!


Over the next few days I plan to blog the remainder of the cards I've made but not yet shared with you, so please do pop back if you have the time.

Thanks so much for all your support and lovely comments, I read each and every one x

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 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.

Fabulous Blue

Hi there

In between keeping up with my DT cards I wanted to just have a play and make a card for some challenges so this is what I created last night.

I've only used this stamp from Honey Doo Crafts once before and I love it so I wanted to use it again.  I cut down a piece of blue cardstock slightly smaller than my card base, dusted the surface with my EK Success Powder Tool to remove any static and then stamped the image off the edge, and the sentiment, in VersaMark ink.  I then heat embossed with white embossing powder.  Next I added some depth to the flower images using using three blue FlexMarkers.  I popped the panel up on 3D foam strips and added two blue gems at the base of the flower heads to finish.

Materials used:

• Cardstock: White - Anna Marie Designs; Blue - Papermania
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Fancy Flowers; Hero Arts - sentiment (unknown set)
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured with FlexMarkers
• Accents: Blue gems from stash

Challenge entries:

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #71 - Blue

AAA Cards - Challenge #47 - Spectacular Embossing

My Time to Craft - Challenge #303 - Flowers

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #388 - Monochrome

Thanks so much for visiting as always.  I so appreciate you taking the time to pop by and for your lovely comments.  In the UK it's a Bank Holiday Monday, it was forecast to be the best day of the weekend but looking out of my window it looks more like January!  I hope it's better where you are, have a lovely day whatever you are up to.

Less is More Week 232

Good morning crafters

We've whizzed around to Saturday morning again which means it's time for a brand new challenge at Less is More.  And this week we're back with another One Layer Challenge and our theme is...

Masculine

Please ensure you read our guidelines if you're unsure of our rules.

I used to panic at the thought of creating one layer cards but I actually love creating them now.  A lot of my cards evolve as I go but with one layer cards you need to pretty much have the finished design in your mind before you start as there's nowhere to hide!

I've got three cards to share with you today.  I have literally no masculine cards in my stock so decided to create a few while I wasn't in pretty mode! haha

I masked a horizontal panel and blended Distress Inks in three colours.  I then used the ghosting technique by laying a stencil over the panel, spritzed with water and removed the stencil then blotted with kitchen paper to remove the colour.  The sentiment was stamped in Versafine Smokey Gray.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Pumice Stone, Walnut Stain, Faded Jeans; Versafine - Smokey Gray
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Sentimental Type
• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Splatters

Challenge entries:

Crazy 4 Challenges - Challenge #290 - Masculine
Loves Rubberstamps - Challenge #159 - Anything Goes
Inkspirational - Challenge #86 - Grunge

My second card...

For this card I used a different part of the same stencil and blended through with three different Distress Inks.  The sentiment was then simply stamped over the top.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Inks: Barn Door, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Splatters
• Stamp: Stampin' Up - Sassy Salutations

Challenge entry:

CASology - Week 154 - Repeat

My third card...

I remembered a card that Jen Nelson had created from my early days in blogland where she used tone on tone colouring on kraft, here.  I think this one sticks in my mind as it was the very first time I entered a card at Less is More!  I chose some neutral coloured cardstock and stamped the plane directly onto the card base.  I added just a little colour in two co-ordinating FlexMarkers, stamped the sentiment and then added some simple score lines in opposite corners to add some interest.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Need for Speed; Clearly Besotted - Many Mini Sentiments
• Ink: Memento - Rich Cocoa
• FlexMarkers: Champagne and Sandstone

Challenge entry:

Crazy 4 Challenges - Challenge #293 - Monochromatic

I think most of us will agree that guy cards are the toughest to create so why not have a go and get a card or two in your stock.  I hope you'll join us and can't wait to see your creations in our gallery this week.

Red Monochromatic - Colour Me...! Guest Designer!

Hi there

I'm very excited this morning because, as you can probably work out from the title of this post, I have a new role!

I was recently contacted by Hayley and Tara at Colour...Me! and couldn't wait to accept their kind invitation to join their fabulous Design Team for the month of November.  Thanks so much for having me :)

So, let me introduce the new challenge, and for this week it's Monochromatic...

Here's my card...

I used a panel of white cardstock smaller than the card base and used a circular die to cut a mask from some scrap paper.  I placed the aperture over the panel, slightly off the edge.  Then I inked up the script stamp, stamped it off onto some scrap paper and stamped it through the aperture onto my panel to create a slightly faded impression.  Next I stamped the rose image which is made up of three separate stamps, the stem and leaves, the bud, and the petals at the base of the bud.  The sentiment was stamped next and while the ink was still wet I heat embossed it using clear embossing powder to add some gloss.  The panel was then matted onto some red textured cardstock before adhering flat to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up - En Francais; Clearly Besotted - Sweet Rose
• Ink: Versa Color - Cardinal
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear
• Die: Xcut - Nested Circles

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

Brown Sugar - Challenge #118 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Challenge #253 - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #96 - Anything Goes

Loves Rubberstamps - Challenge #125 - Anything Goes

I must admit, the monochromatic theme did scare me a bit as it's not something I would usually create but I'm really pleased with the result.  So, why not pop on over to Colour Me...! and have a go yourself, the Design Team have some great inspiration for you.  Full details for the challenge can also be found there.

It's my chap's birthday today so we have the rest of the week off work and we're off for a yummy lunch today.  I'm not sure what the rest of the week has in store but not setting the alarm is good enough for me!

And, as it's November 5th, if you're off out to a bonfire/firework party tonight, have a wonderful time and stay safe.