Uniko Brand Ambassador Inspiration - Clean and Simple with Metallic Accents

Good morning

I'm over on the Uniko blog today with some CAS cards incorporating some metallic elements and for both cards I've focused on Uniko dies.  

All the information about how these were made can be found over on the Uniko post, here.

 

First up is a clean and simple shaker card...

Materials used:

• Dies: Uniko - Designer Dies Passiflora Collection; Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Stamp: Uniko - Birthday Wishes
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Rustic Wilderness, Dried Marigold, Abandoned Coral
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - shaker mixes

For my second card I used created an aperture to add some gold accents...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko - Flower Power #1
• Dies: Uniko - Designer Dies Flower Power #1-#6 Collection; Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Scalloped Rectangles
• Ink: Versfine Clair - Nocturne; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Copper
• Accents: Gold cardstock and black gemstone from stash

I really wanted to go back to a true clean and simple style with these and I hope you've got some inspiration from them.  Now I need to shift my focus from autumn to Christmas as time isn't slowing down and I've not even started...yikes!

Enjoy the rest of your week and sending crafty hugs,

 

Case Me a Christmas Card with Michelle Lupton

Hi there

I'm so pleased once again to have been invited by the fabulous Michelle Lupton to join her annual Christmas card challenge.  This year there is a spin on her previous Challenge Me a Christmas Card series.....this time it being Case Me a Christmas Card. 

So this time we are both making a Christmas card inspired by any of our previous creations, not just Christmas designs.  And my goodness, what an amazing array of cards I had to choose from!

Here is my card, followed by Michelle's gorgeous design which inspired me...

I stamped the snowflake background with VersaMark ink and then heat embossed in white.  Then, using the wet on wet technique, I painted half of the panel using a selection of Zig markers in shades of blue mixed with water.  I trimmed the panel down and adhered to a card base, flipping Michelle's design with the colour at the top.  I then also used a two font, two colour sentiment strip and finished the design with some sequin accents.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Wow! - Blizzard; Clearly Besotted - Brushed Sentiments
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Turquoise
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - True Blue mix

And this is Michelle's beautiful make which you can view, here...

And you can follow this link, here, to see which of my cards Michelle has chosen to CASE...I'm intrigued to see it myself as I have no idea!

Thanks so much Michelle for inviting me to join you again this year, always such fun to play along.

Googly Rudolph!

Hiya

Back again with a super clean and simple make.  I did make a few of these but due to the raised embellies I didn't post any, just hand delivered a few.

I stamped the antlers/ears in brown ink and the sentiment in black.  Then simply adhered the googly eyes and a red sequin for his nose.  Easy peasy!

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - In Print, Tiny Type
• Ink: Versa Color - Pinecone; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Googly eyes from stash; Doodlebug - red sequins

Challenge entries:

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Challenge #418 - Anything Goes Christmas/New Year
Fab 'n' Funky - Challenge #420 - Cute Christmas
AAA Cards - CAS Game #130 - Three of Something (three embellishments)




I really appreciate your visits, I have one more Christmas card to share which I'll be back with very soon.

Happy Little Stampers October 2018 CAS Challenge

Hi there

As we're at the beginning of another month (!!!) it's new challenge time over at Happy Little Stampers, and the CAS challenge has just launched.  I'll get straight to the details...

The winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the shop! Check out all the details HERE.

IF YOU USE STAMPS BY HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS AND YOU ARE THE RANDOM WINNER, YOUR PRIZE WILL BE DOUBLED!

There are lots of different ways to use vellum and I chose to use it for a shaker card instead of using acetate, you get a lovely muted effect through the shaker window...

I started with a die cut panel and then die cut a circle aperture for my shaker window.  Before creating the shaker I stamped the sentiment on the panel in gold pigment ink.  On a piece of vellum I stamped the snowflake in VersaMark ink before heat embossing in silver.  I then adhered the vellum behind the aperture.  I attached foam tape all over the reverse of the panel, sprinkled a sequin mix onto the card base where the aperture would sit, and then adhered the panel, trapping the sequins inside.

I only realised when writing this post that the layout of this card is exactly the same as my HLS card last month, I clearly love this layout! 

Materials used:

• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles; Hero Arts - Circle Infinity dies
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Let It Snow
• Ink: VersaMark; Versa Color - Gold
• Vellum from stash
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Eternity Ring shaker selection

Challenge entries

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Challenge #405 - Anything Goes (something beginning with 'S')

Please do check out my teamies' creations over at the main HLS challenge post, here, for some great inspiration of different ways vellum can be used.

The links for all the HLS monthly challenges are open until the end of the month so plenty of time for you to play along :)

Muse Challenge #278 - Happy I Do Day

Good afternoon

It's a new week at Muse challenge and it's my turn to be your designer.

I recently purchased a new mini stamp set from Clearly Besotted's August Release called I Do Day and really wanted to ink it up, and as wedding season is in full swing I thought this theme would be ideal for this challenge.

Hopefully you can find some inspiration from this one such as the apricot colour, monochrome design, white embossing, florals, wedding, roses, etc.  This was quite a quick and easy one to make too.

Here it is...

I wanted a soft colour to go with this pretty roses stamp and found this unusual apricot colour in my stash.  It's not a colour I use often but I thought it would be lovely and soft for a wedding theme.  I stamped the roses four times, at different angles around the edge of the panel in VersaMark ink and then heat embossed in white.  I then stamped and heat embossed the sentiment (also from this stamp set) also in white.  I popped the panel up on the card base using fun foam.  The sheen from the embossing can be seen better below...

To finish I adhered a scattering of co-ordinating sequins, from two different sets of shaker mixes.

Materials used:

• Coloured Cardstock: Bazzill Basics - Assorted pack
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - I Do Day
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Sequins: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Pearl Necklace and Peach Schnapps

Challenge entries:

STAMPlorations - Summer Theme & Sketch Challenge - Anything Goes

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge
Cards in Envy - Somthing New (new stamp set)

I hope you can gain some inspiration from my card.  The challenge linky will be open for a week :)

Thanks so much for visiting.

Muse Challenge #252 - Butterfly Meadow Shaker

Hi there

I'm your designer for this week's challenge over at Muse and I've gone for a pastel Spring card, and one I made for my best friend.

The idea at Muse is to use the designer's card as inspiration for your own creation.  It could be the theme, colours, layout, technique, etc.  Just see where it takes you, and I hope you can get some inspiration from mine this week.

Here it is...

I started with a panel of white cardstock and stamped the grasses in pastel greens and pinky nudes.  I then stamped the sentiment over these in black.  I die cut the butterfly and made a shaker window with acetate surrounded by 3D foam and filled with sparklies from two different shaker sets.  I trapped the sparklies inside and adhered the foam backed panel to the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Simple Silhouettes, Make a Wish
• Ink: Versa Color - Sage, Cinnamon, Seashell, Laurel Leaf; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Die: Marianne Creatables - Tiny's Butterflies 2
• Accents: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Phosphorescence, Itty Bitty Stars Clear Iridescent

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope you find time to play along this week, and don't forget to visit your fellow participants along the way, and vote for your favourites at the end of the challenge.

Less is More #362

Hi guys, and a very Happy New Year to you!

I'm here to introduce the first challenge of 2018 over at Less is More and we're changing things up a little this year.  The challenge will be changing to 2-weekly.  For full details about the challenge please do pop over to the main challenge blog.

Ok, let's get to it, and this time it's a Colour challenge...

And to kick off our new challenges of 2018 we also have a fab new Sponsor for the month of January, Skull and Cross Buns Rubber Stamps.  I've recently joined the Design Team for Skull and Cross Buns and the lovely Emily Fox creates superb quality rubber stamps and also has some great little sets of clear photopolymer stamps too.  As well as the website, Emily also sells her stamps at Not on the High Street, and also has an Etsy store.  Emily is offering a prize to one lucky winner who participates throughout January so why not play along?

Ok, onto my cards, and as much as I love purples, it's still the colour that my camera hates for some reason, the colours always look more blue than they actually are.  For both of my cards I've used almost all stamps by our January Sponsor.

Here's the first...

I started with a gentle blend of Distress Ink through a stencil to lightly cover the centre of the card base.  I then stamped a few clusters of the leaves and hibiscus flowers directly on the card base before stamping the banner sentiment and die cutting with it's co-ordinating die.  A few clear sequins were then added to finish off the card.

Materials used:

• Stencil: MFT - Fishnet
• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Tropical Party; Clearly Besotted - Mini Basic Banners (and co-ordinating die)
• Ink: Distress Ink - Milled Lavender; Altenew - Morning Frost, Lavender Fields, Midnight Violet, Deep Iris, Soft Lilac
• Accents: Little Things From Lucy's Cards - Sparkling Rainbow Sequin Mix

And for my second I used a Christmas lights stamp to create a celebration card...

On a panel of white cardstock I repeatedly stamped the string of lights in black ink and coloured with ProMarkers.  I die cut a curved edge and adhered the panel to the card base.  I coloured a strip of cardstock using one of the ProMarkers and adhered the purple trim, also cut with the same die, to the edge of the panel.  I used another of the ProMarkers to colour another scrap of cardstock and then heat embossed the sentiment in white and popped this up on 3D foam.  To finish I added some detail to each of the bulbs using a white pigment ink pen.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Christmas String of Tree Lights, Tropical (sentiments)
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; VersaMark
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Snow Drifts
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accents: Signo Uni-ball pen - white

Challenge entry:

STAMPlorations - January Challenge - Theme and Sketch - 'Stamps and Curves'

Thanks so much for dropping by.  Please do take a moment to pop on over to the main challenge blog, my teamies are sharing some wonderful creations this week.  

Apologies for the delay with my first post of the year, I've had a horrible flu bug for the last week which really took hold of me so I've been out of crafty action.  Fingers crossed I'm over the worst of it and I can now start 2018 properly!

Less is More Week #299

Hi there

It's Recipe challenge time at Less is More for the next week and we have a fun one for you....and a choice.  So why not enter more than once?!  We would like to see you using...

Vellum or Acetate

I've made one of each for you so let's get to it...

This card uses some vellum I've had for absolutely ages!  It comes from a book of tone on tone vellum that was part of a larger set of books of papers I bought from QVC, in the days when I bought all my craft kits from there.  The vellum is clear and it has a slightly pearlescent design printed onto it...that wasn't my handy work folks!

So I started by cutting an angled piece of vellum and then masked off the lower part of my card base that would be showing below it. I then sponge blended some distress ink fading down from the top of my card base underneath where the vellum would be overlaid.  I stamped the sentiment in a co-ordinating ink onto the base and then adhered the vellum on the reverse where it folded over the top. A few sequins were added to finish.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Cracked Pistachio, Altenew - Mountain Mist
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Just Fabulous
• Vellum: Hot Off The Press - Tone on Tone 
• Sequins: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Icicle Sequin Mix

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #216 - Anything Goes
STAMPlorations - October Challenge - Theme / Sketch - Stamps and Sponging





And for my card using acetate I created a very CAS shaker...

I started by die cutting the flower from a panel of white cardstock.  I adhered some acetate behind the opening and then inlaid another die cut from the same die, this time from pearlescent cardstock.  I stamped the 'hi' sentiment in black and then added lots of 3D foam to the reverse of my panel, particularly around the flower head as this part was to be the shaker element.  I marked in pencil on the card base roughly where the flower head would be and then sprinkled on some sequins and beads before adhering the panel over the top.

Materials used:

• Die: Creative Expressions - Scribble Flower
• Stamp: Paper Smooches - Bold Buzzwords (a pre-loved set recently purchased from the lovely Michelle Short - Thanks Michelle!)
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Sequins: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - True Blue Shaker Selection
• Pearlescent cardstock from stash

Challenge entry:

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #1 - Anything Goes




Thanks so much for visiting today.  If you have the time please do pop over to my fellow LIM teamies, they have some great inspiration for you.  I'm really looking forward to seeing your CAS ideas for vellum and acetate this week.

Less is More Week #295

Hi there

Where on earth did that week go?  September seems to just be flying by, I can't believe it's Saturday again!  Well, as it IS in fact Saturday that means it's time for a new challenge over at Less is More.  It's the turn of our Recipe challenge and this week we would like to see you using...

Thread

I've got two cards to share with you this week.  And if you stop by the challenge blog you will see some fabulous creations made by my super clever teamies, and all very different too.  So head over there if you need some inspiration.

For my first card I used this fabulous die to create part of a large balloon, I had been after this die set for ages and I'm so glad I finally got my hands on it...

I started by using a striped embossing folder on just my card front.  I cut the balloon from a scrap of cardstock and blended with two Distress Inks.  I then took some blue/white twine and tied a bow onto the balloon base, leaving one long end.  I adhered the balloon to the card base and trimmed off the edges, then created some loops in the twine which I held in place with some small dabs of Glossy Accents.  I stamped the sentiment in both black and a co-ordinating blue shade and adhered the strip to the base.  To tidy up the inside of the card I added a panel of white cardstock to the reverse of the card front so that it was completely smooth.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug - James' Set
• Die: MFT-Dienamics - Blueprints 26
• Ink: Distress Ink - Mermaid Lagoon, Peacock Feathers; Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versa Color - Lagoon Blue
• Stamp: Paper Smooches - Birthday Sampler
• Twine: Doodlebug - Brights Collection

I used some metallic thread and sequins on my second card...

I started by die cutting a horizontal strip of cardstock on either edge with a pierced zig-zag die.  I wanted to wind thread around the panel so thought the zig-zags would be ideal to hold the thread in place.  Before adding the thread I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark and heat embossed in silver.  The thread was then adhered to the reverse and I used a needle to add sequins and beads randomly as I wound it around.  The loose end was then also adhered to the reverse.  I adhered the panel with some 3D foam strips and the card was finished.  Super simple with a little bling for interest.

Materials used:

• Die: Avery Elle - Dotted Borders Dies
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Sweet Sentiments Plus
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver
• Bling: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Kaleidoscope Shaker Selection
• Silver metallic thread from stash

Thanks so much for popping by.  Today I'm taking myself off to the Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts show in Exeter just to have a look around.....pahahahaaaaa, we all know that's a big fat lie!  We crafters can never just have a look can we?! ;)

Enjoy your Saturday :)

Less is More Week #292 - Peacock Feather

Hi there

Honestly, where does the time go?!  At Less is More we've whooshed around to the beginning of another month which means today marks the start of another Colour challenge.  And this week we want to see colours of...

Peacock Feathers

When I think of peacock feathers I think of greens and aquas, and also deep indigo/purple shades, as well as what seems to be a shade of gold.

I've made two cards this week, here's the first...

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped the flower and leaves image in waterproof black ink.  I then watercoloured using my Zig markers.  I used Strathmore Bristol cardstock as this works brilliantly when blending with these markers (thanks to my LIM buddy, Sarah, for the samples!) so the panel was adhered directly onto the card base.  The die cut Thanks was then adhered, this cut from some pearlescent gold cardstock.

Materials used:

• Stamp: Stampin' Up - So Very Grateful
• Ink: Archival - Jet Black
• Coloured with Zig Clean Color Real Bush Pens in Light Green, Deep Green, Blue, Turquoise Green and Violet
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Twice the Thanks
• Gold cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #209 - CAS

And as this thanks die is a shiny new addition to my craft stash I just have to link up at the lovely Darnell's NBUS challenge.






And for my second card I made a shaker, and decided to leave it sentiment free...

I started by die cutting the smaller stitched rectangle from some white cardstock.  I then die cut the butterfly from it and adhered some acetate to the back.  The same butterfly was cut from some pearlescent gold cardstock and inlaid into the aperture.  I then filled with sequins to create the shaker.  I was going to adhere the small rectangle to the card base but it looked a little incomplete so I inlaid it into a larger stitched rectangle and then adhered this to the card base on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Wonky Stitched Rectangles; Memory Box - Vivienne Butterfly
• Sequins: Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Rainforest Shaker Selection; Doodlebug - Various

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - It's a Stitch Up

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #28 - All Kinds of Everything (Butterflies)

CASology - Challenge #213 - Stitch

My Time to Craft - Challenge #328 - Something that Flies

My teamies have created a wonderful array of cards using these colours this week, if you have the time please stop by at their personal blogs for more inspiration.

I'm looking forward to the colourful gallery of entries this coming week!

Muse #177 - Belated Birthday Shaker

Hi there

Well, don't these months just fly by?!  It's time for me to be your designer over at Muse for this week's challenge.

This is a card I made for a friend.  I knew I wouldn't manage to see her on her birthday so I made this belated card as I knew she'd be receiving it late.  I'm not sure I've seen a shaker card at Muse before and I've only ever made a few so I thought this might give you some inspiration, as well as a few other elements which might catch your eye.

Here it is...

I started by cutting a panel of white cardstock slightly smaller than the card base, die cutting the stitched aperture and then stamping the sentiment below in black.  On the card base I marked in pencil where the aperture would be and then stamped the two butterflies. These were simply coloured with coloured pencils and a touch of Wink of Stella.  After erasing the pencil marks I then added the acetate and 3D foam to the panel, sprinkled some pink sequins and silver/holographic hearts over the butterflies and then encased these within the top panel when adhering it to the card base.

Materials used:

• Die: MFT Die-namics - Peek-a-boo Window
• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Beautiful Butterflies; Clearly Besotted - Fancy Sayings
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Derwent Coloursoft Pencils
• Accents: Wink of Stella - Clear; Sequins - Little Things from Lucy's Cards - Princess Shaker Selection; Heart sprinkles from stash

Challenge entries:

Just Us Girls - Challenge #353 - Wild Card Week 'Girly'
AAA Cards - Challenge #70 - Stitching
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #204 - CAS
Allsorts - Challenge #374 - A Touch of Sparkle





Don't forget, at Muse you can take any inspiration from the designer's card, e.g. colours, layout, technique.  So, I'll look forward to seeing where this takes you.

Thanks for popping by today :)