Bear Hugs

Hi there

Back again to share a card I made for my friend's birthday.  You may wonder why I sent a birthday card with the sentiment 'Bear Hugs' on it....well, her name is Claire and she is known to many of us as Bear so I thought it would be fun! :)

Using a die I cut an aperture in a white cardstock panel.  I then marked through the aperture onto the card base to indicate where the window would be.  I used a post-it note cut into a curve and masked the background to create the sky and then used the other part of the post-it to mask the sky and blend the grass.  I stamped the bear and die cut using the co-ordinating die and then watercoloured him with Distress Inks.  Next I stamped and die-cut the banner.  The top panel was popped up on 3D foam, as were the bear and banner.

Materials used:

• Dies: MFT Die-namics - In and Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangles; Clearly Besotted - Bear Hugs and Mini Basic Banners
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Bear Hugs and Mini Basic Banners
• Ink: Distress Ink - Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawn, Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Spun Sugar; Versa Color - Pink

Challenge entries:

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #150 - Animals or Birds

Simply Create Too - Challenge #91 - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar - Challenge #157 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #92 - Banner/Flag

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #69 - Banners (only one banner but hopefully my card will qualify!)

Thanks so much as always for looking, your visits and comments are always greatly appreciated :)

30 and Fabulous!

Hi there

I'd like to share a card I made for a good friend of mine who celebrated her 30th birthday last month (oh to be so young!) and she loves pink, sparkle and butterflies! I completely forgot to share it so here it is...

On a piece of white cardstock I stamped the pale pink flowers, masked them and then stamped more in a darker pink.  I die cut this with a pierced square die and then stamped the '30' in black.  I temporarily positioned the die cut where I wanted it while I stamped the 'and Fabulous!' below, and then popped the die cut up on 3D foam.  On the cardstock that was leftover from cutting out the square I blended two Distress Inks to create a gentle ombre effect and then die cut the butterfly.  I adhered the butterfly and embellished it and the flowers with some glazed gems.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko Studio - Flower Power #7 and Classic Numbers
• Ink: Versa Color - Petal Pink, Orchid; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry
• Dies: Clearly Besotted - Butterfly Duo; MFT Die-namics - Pierced Squares
• Accents: Papermania - Glazed Gems (Iridescent)

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #134 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #323 - Flowers

Crazy 4 Challenges - Challenge #293 - Monochromatic

Thanks for visiting, I'll be back shortly with another card I sent to a friend earlier this week.

Berry Nice!

Good morning crafters

It's 8.00am on a Saturday which means it's time for a brand new challenge at Less is More.  This week we're back with a colour challenge and we would like you to use...

Berry Shades

Please remember to follow our guidelines and keep your creations clean and simple, remembering to leave some white space.

Here are my cards to hopefully give you some inspiration...

I die cut a panel from a diagonal stitched rectangle die then stamped the sketchy heart three times in different berry colours.  This was pigment ink so I then heat embossed the hearts using clear embossing powder.  The panel was popped up on 3D foam and the sentiment stamped beneath. Easy peasy!

Materials used:

• Die: MFT Die-namics - In and Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Stampin' Up - Work of Art, Clearly Besotted - Sentimental Type
• Ink: Versa Color - Cardinal, Raspberry, Grape
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear

Challenge entry:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

I decided to do some Distress Ink blending for my second card...

I masked off a rectangular panel with post-it notes and blended the background in two colours of Distress Ink.  I then used the used the ghosting technique by spritzing through a stencil with water and then blotting, to create the subtle chicken wire pattern.  Once dry I stamped the fern and then stamped it again without re-inking to create the shadow.  I then removed the masks and stamped the sentiment.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves; Versa Color - Grape
• Stamps: Inkylicious - Fern Leaves; SP & Company - Just a Note
• Stencil: The Crafters Workshop - Mini Chicken Wire reversed

Challenge entry:

Simply Create Too - Challenge #91 - Anything Goes

And my third card...

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped the balloon in three different colours and then masked off one of them before stamping the strings.  I stamped the sentiment on a strip of white cardstock and heat embossed this with clear powder.  The white strip was matted on a strip of dark purple cardstock before adhering to the panel, and the panel was then adhered to the base on 3D foam strips.  I love this perfectly round balloon stamp and in these colours they really remind me of little cranberries and blueberries!

Materials used:

• Stamps: Wplus9 - Whole Lotta Happy; Clearly Besotted - Make a Wish
• Ink: Versa Color - Cardinal, Raspberry, Boysenberry and Grape
• Embossing Powder: Rubber Stampede - Clear

I love these gorgeous juicy colours and would love for you to join us this week.  I think the gallery is going to look stunning!

Happy Saturday lovelies!

Happy Birthday, Chrissie!

Hi there

At Less is More this week we have a very special challenge.  Our lovely 'boss', Chrissie, is celebrating her birthday this weekend and will be 70 years young tomorrow!

So our challenge this week is dedicated to her and our theme is...

Snippets for Chrissie!

We want you to use bits and pieces, leftovers on your cards this week.  We all have those sitting on our craft desk or popped in a box somewhere so here's a great opportunity to put them to good use.

We also have a fabulous Guest Designer joining us this week, and who better for this challenge than the wonderful Di of Pixie's Crafty Workshop.  Over at Pixie's Crafty Workshop Di runs a regular challenge called Pixie's Snippets Playground where the idea is exactly this, to create something by using up any little bits from your stash.


So onto my card...

I matted and layered a white cardstock panel onto some bright pink to create a frame.  I also stamped a banner in pink on a snippet of white cardstock and die cut this using it's co-ordinating die.  The 'flower' actually started its life as a butterfly die!  I saw this die at a craft show last month and loved how intricate it was.  I've die cut the butterfly four times from snippets of silver mirri card I've had in my stash for as long as I can remember.  The lower wings were then snipped off and arranged before being adhered together to create the flower petals.

This is what the two part die cut looked like before I trimmed it up...

This took quite some time to figure out the best layout but I'm really happy with the final result.  Each set of two lower wings were then adhered to the card base to create the flower and the banner was popped up on 3D foam over the top.

Materials used:

• Dies: Britannia Dies - Large Elvendene Butterfly; Clearly Besotted - Mini Basic Banners Die
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Mini Banners
• Ink: Versa Color - Raspberry

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

CAS(E) this Sketch - Challenge #133

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge #149 - Birthday Wishes
Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Edit:
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 186 (I wasn't sure on the timings of Di's challenge but I can just about sneak in the door before this week's linky closes. Phew!)


I hope you'll join us this week to celebrate Chrissie's special day and I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow, Chrissie xx

Uniko Challenge - Guest Designer! Have you joined us yet?

Good morning

I'm super lucky to be back for a second week as Guest Designer at Uniko and to bring you a mid-challenge reminder about the current challenge they have running.

There is still another week to enter as the challenge runs until the end of the month and the theme we have for you is...

Black and White with the optional twist of a Splash of Colour

The Design Team have lots more inspiration for you over at Uniko and I've also had some more fun playing along.  Here's my card...

I adhered some black cardstock to my card base and then cut a white panel at an angle.  I then built up the vine pattern by stamping in black and turquoise along the edge of the panel and added the sentiment.  The white panel was adhered flat.  Super simple :)

Materials used:

• Stamps: Uniko Studio - Background Builders Vines and Pure Florals Gerbera (sentiment)
• Ink: Versafine - Onxy Black; Versa Color - Turquoise

I've used Uniko stamps on my card but you don't have to if you want to play along.  There are some great prizes so why not join us...

The Prizes

The DT will choose a winner who will get a £10 gift voucher.

The DT will choose a top 3 who will get 50 Loyalty Reward Points added to their customer account.

There will be a random draw for those who used a Uniko stamp and this winner will get 150 Loyalty Reward Points added to their customer account.

There will be a random draw for those who twist with us (splash of colour) and they will receive 100 Loyalty Reward Points added to their customer account.

I'm also going to link my card up at the following challenge:

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - No Designer Paper

Have a wonderful day whatever you're up too.  I'm off to work but I can see the weekend from here (if I stand on tippy toes!) 

Addicted to Stamps and More #154

It's time for my fortnightly midnight post which means there's a new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.  We follow a regular rota for our challenge themes so this week brings us to my favourite of our challenges which is...

Addicted to CAS

(clean and simple)

We have two sponsors this week:

Deedee's Digis - a $15 coupon is up for grabs

Rosey Hearts - the prize is for 5 free digis

Here's my DT card...

On some white cardstock I blended Distress Ink in Abandoned Coral to create an ombre panel fading from dark to light, and then used this to die cut my poppies.  On my card base I applied some white embossing paste through a dotty stencil and was very patient and left it to dry!  I then simply stamped the sentiment in the same ink, adhered the die cut over the paste and added some glossy gems to finish.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Abandoned Coral
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Miniature Floral Collection
• Die: Poppy Stamps - Arched Poppy
• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Dot Fade
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver - white

Challenge entries:

Dream Valley - Challenge #111 - Embossing Wet or Dry

CAS-ual Fridays - Challenge #141 - Embossing

Crazy for Challenges - Challenge #293 - Monochromatic

Happy Little Stampers - July Sketch Challenge

There are some stunning projects in our DT gallery this week, my teamies have done some wonderful work with their CAS creations. I'd love for you to pop by and leave them some love.

Thanks for visiting as always.

CASology Guest Designer!

Hi there

I was absolutely delighted to win a recent challenge at CASology and thrilled when I received Melissa's email inviting me to guest design at CASology once again.  I love CAS designs so this challenge is right up my street and I love to join in when I can.

So, this week's challenge has just gone live and this is the cue word this week...

I had a few ideas flying around in my brain, some of which were better in theory than in practice.  I did end up making two cards to share with you though.  Here's the first one...

I blended three Distress Inks across my card base, one of which is my new fave shade, Abandoned Coral.  I then took a panel of white cardstock and die cut the pierced border to split it into two parts.  I placed them back together to stamp the flower, to ensure the stem was straight, and then stamped the sentiment.  I adhered the panels flat to the card base, leaving a gap for the 'line' of blended ink to show through.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Flower Arrangement
• Die: Avery Elle - Dotted Borders Die

Challenge entry:

Sketch Saturday - Week #370

Here's my second card using the word 'line' as my inspiration...

I used a stamp by Lawn Fawn which is one line which forms a curvy line and sentiment.  I thought it looked like the wire for a string of lights so I stamped little bulbs along it.  The bulb and screw fixing is one stamp so I used my ink cubes to first stamp the thread part in silver, and then the main bulb in blue, green and red.  I then added Glossy Accents to each bulb for some shine.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Scripty Sayings; Card-io Majestix - Deck the Hall
• Ink: Versa Color - Silver, Camelia, Green, Royal Blue; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: Glossy Accents

Challenge entry:

One Layer Simplicity - Challenge #18 - Sparkle and Shine

Thanks for visiting today.  I'm sure if you pop over to CASology there is lots more inspiration for you, those DT ladies are super talented.  Thanks again to Melissa for inviting me :) x