Muse #152 - A Leafy Hello

Hi there

Wow, I can't believe how fast the last month has flown by and that it's my turn to be your designer again over at Muse this week.

Just to recap, the challenge at Muse is to take inspiration from any element(s) of the designer's creation, e.g. layout, colours, techniques, etc.

I hope my card will inspire you this week...

I was recently super lucky to receive some happy mail from my lovely blog buddy, Sarah (thank you, sweetie!), which was a set of two fabulous embossing folders so I wanted to use one on this card.

On a panel of cardstock slightly smaller than the card base I stamped the leaves, stem and berries from a set by Papertrey Ink.  I then ran the panel through my Big Shot in one of the wave embossing folders to create this fabulous texture.  I then die cut the 'hello' from some pink cardstock to co-ordinate with the berries.  The panel was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Lovely Leaves
• Ink: Versa Color - Winter Green, Celadon and Magenta
• Embossing Folder: We R Memory Keepers - Next Level 'Wave'
• Die: Lawn Fawn - Scripty Hello

Fingers crossed you like my card and I hope to see you in the Muse gallery this week.

Have a great week, bye for now

Less is More - 5th Birthday Celebrations!

Hi guys

We're having a party at Less is More this week as we have reached our 5th Birthday!  Thanks so much for your continued participation, it's because of the fabulous entries we receive each week that we are still going strong with our CAS challenges.

We are continuing with our usual sequence of challenge themes and as we are at the start of a new month we have our regular Colour challenge for you which is...

White on White

We have some fabulous sponsors joining us this week and we have some great prizes up for grabs too.

For my card this week I decided to say thank you to YOU, our lovely participants...I hope you like it :)

Apart from the embossed background, everything here is by Clearly Besotted.  I stamped the flower, the 'you' and 'thank' in Versamark and heat embossed in silver and cut these out with their co-ordinating dies, and the 'thank' onto a strip of white cardstock.  The leaves were stamped and heat embossed in white and also cut with the co-ordinating dies, and the smaller leaves were die cut from white vellum.  For the main panel I used some white embossing paste through a stencil.  I then layered these up, adhered to the panel and then popped it up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Thank You and Love Quotes II
• Dies: Clearly Besotted - Thank You, Love Quotes II and Leafy Accents
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver and Opaque Bright White
• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Dot Fade
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver
• Vellum from stash

Challenge entries:

The Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #142 - Monochromatic

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #161 - Anything Goes (use something from your stash)

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #105 - Anything Goes

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #156 - Punches and/or Dies

We can't wait to see your white on white creations.  And there's lots of inspiration over at the Less is More page too as our sponsors have been creating with us this week too.  So, if you have the time please pop by and show your appreciation, we all love some feedback :)

Bye for now

Happy Little Stampers February 2016 CAS Challenge

Hi guys

We've got a new CAS challenge for you just starting over at Happy Little Stampers.  Our CAS challenges this year are technique based and this month we have a really fun one for you.

Happy Little Stampers are sponsoring this month's challenge and one lucky winner will receive a stamp set from HLS!

I had great fun with this technique which was something I'd never tried before, so I made two cards!  If you're unsure of how to do embossing folder stamping there are some tutorials included over on the challenge post to help you.

For this card I lightly inked up my embossing folder with two of my mini Distress Ink pads, spritzed with water and then stamped onto my card.  I actually found it easier to place my card over the open EF rather than lift the EF and stamp with it.  Once dry I cut the panel down with a stitched rectangle die and stamped the sentiment with the same blue shade of Distress Ink.  The rest of the sentiment was embossed in white onto a strip of navy blue cardstock and trimmed into a flag before adhering to the panel.  I added a few glazed stars and popped the panel up on 3D foam strips.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Darice - Stars Assorted
• Ink: Distress Ink - Blueprint Sketch and Crushed Olive; VersaMark
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Bold Birthday Sentiments
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Accents: Papermania Sparkling Stars - Assorted Brights and Assorted Pastels

Challenge entries:

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes (no topping this time)

Simply Create Too - Challenge #101 - New (new to me technique)
Pinterest Inspired Challenge - February Challenge - image

And a more feminine style for my second card...

I chose the negative side of the embossing folder for this one.  Try it both ways, you get very different effects.  Again I inked up my embossing folder with Distress Inks, spritzed and stamped onto some cardstock.  I cut the panel down and matted it onto some pink cardstock to frame it above and below.  This was adhered to the card base and the butterfly was stamped and die cut using its co-ordinating die, adhered on 3D foam and accented with some clear Wink of Stella.  The sentiment was stamped in black to finish the card.

Materials used:

• Embossing Folder: Darice - Bold Daisy
• Ink: Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry and Dusty Concord; Versa Color - Grape; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Butterfly Birthday
• Die: Happy Little Stampers - Butterfly Dies
• Accents: Wink of Stella - Clear

Challenge entries:

Just Us Girls - Challenge #328 - Wild Card Week  - Tic Tac Toe (I chose Die Cuts/Stamps/Flowers)

The Paper Players - Challenge #280 - Tic Tac Toe (I chose Die Cuts/Pink/Girly)

So, why not have a go at this great technique and link up at the challenge blog.  You have the whole of February to play along.

Less is More - Lucky Dip Week!

Good morning crafters

Hopefully Blogger has been nice to me and published this scheduled post for me.  Right now I'll be sitting down to a much needed brekkie after my works Christmas bash last night (unseasonably late I know!), before heading off on a four hour journey back down to Devon from Kent (my employer's Head Office is in Kent so the other branches travel there from all over the UK).

So, while I'm probably nursing an inevitable hangover (no doubt after a free bar!), I'll introduce this week's challenge over at Less is More.  As we have a fifth Saturday this month it's the turn of our Lucky Dip challenge.  And as we have Aussie Kylie bringing Happy Little Stampers as our sponsor this month, our theme is...

Down Under

Feel free to interpret this however you like, just remember to keep your creations clean and simple

I struggled with this challenge for a while as I had nothing Australia themed in my stash like koalas, kangaroos and didgeridoos to name a few, but then an idea popped in my head.......sun, sea, sand and surfing!  Obviously you can go off in a completely different direction with how you interpret the challenge if you wish.  Here's what I came up with...

I didn't have anything resembling a surfboard so I popped into MS Word, created an elongated oval with two vertical lines going down the centre, printed it on some patterned paper and....voila, one surfboard!  I then made a beach scene using a variety of dies.  The sky, sea, sand and sun all started from round dies which I then cut using scallop dies to create the layered up scene.  I nestled the surfboard in between the sand layers, with the top popped up on 3D foam, then adhered the whole circular scene to the card base slightly overlapping the edge, then trimmed off the excess.  I then manipulated the sentiment stamp into a curve on my acrylic block before stamping around the curve.  I'm actually really pleased with how this one turned out as I was having brain block for days before this idea materialised!

Materials used:

• Patterned Paper: Echo Park - Sweet Day
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Double Stitched Circles; Clearly Besotted - Scalloped Edges Die Collection; X-Cut - Nested Circles
• Coloured Cardstock: Papermania - Capsule Solid Cardstock; Neenah - Desert Storm
• Stamp: Happy Little Stampers - Mix Mash
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black

Challenge entries:

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #105 - Anything Goes

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #156 - Punches and/or Dies

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #343 - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations - January Challenge - Anything Goes with a Die(s)

So, get your thinking caps on and we would love to see your creations in our gallery this week.

Bye for now

Addicted to Stamps and More #178

Hi crafters

Another week has whizzed by and it's time for another new challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More.  Our sequence of challenges has moved on to the next theme which means we're back with...

Addicted to Holidays

(create a project relating to a holiday such as Christmas, Easter, etc. or create a vacation themed project)

Our sponsor this week is DRS Designs who are offering a prize of a $10 gift certificate to our lucky winner.

I've used one of its designs on my DT card this week...

I started by printing the digi image onto some white cardstock.  I then masked off the snow banks at the base and blended various colours of Distress Inks to create a Northern Lights effect.  I only have one type of cardstock that will successfully go through my printer which, unfortunately, isn't the best for blending, it was a bit 'squeaky' and not fun to use at all.  But for the effect I was trying to create I think the uneven blend actually works ok.  I stamped the sentiment then mounted the panel onto a black frame before adhering to the card base.  I finished by adding some 'stars' using a white pigment pen and added some Stickles to the snow banks for that all important Christmas sparkle.  And there you have it, my first Christmas card of 2016 in the bag!

Materials used:

• Stamps: DRS Designs - Triple Tree with Snow; Happy Little Stampers - Mixed Christmas Sentiments
• Ink: Distress Ink - Twisted Citron, Broken China, Festive Berries, Squeezed Lemonade, Black Soot; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Accents: White Signo Uni-ball pen; Stickles - Crystal

Challenge entries:

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Challenge #265 - Use a sentiment

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #343 - Anything Goes

Inkspirational - Challenge #100 - Blast from the Past (previous colour challenge) - Neons

AAA Cards - Game #56 - Winter Wonderland

My teamies have created a wonderful selection of different projects for you this week so why not pop over and grab some inspiration. And as this is a holiday challenge, why not take the opportunity to get an early start on your Christmas cards! ;)

Less is More Week #260

Good morning

Where do the weeks go?  Can you believe it's time for another new challenge at Less is More?  Well, it is and this week we have a Recipe challenge for you which is to...

Include a Silhouette

Please remember to keep you creations clean and simple.

I have three sample cards to whet your appetite this morning so let's get to it.

Some Distress Ink blending for my first card...

I used a circle die to create a mask and then blended Distress Inks to create the sun.  I then stamped the bird and branch silhouette in black ink.  I then messed up with my sentiment stamping, I tried to re-stamp it to create a sharper impression but didn't line it up exactly right (can't wait to get my hands on a Misti!).  So to correct it I embossed the sentiment in white onto a strip of black cardstock, adhered this over my blunder and then added some smooth clear gems to finish.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Squeezed Lemonade, Dried Marigold, Abandoned Coral; Versafine - Onyx Black; VersaMark
• Stamps: Card-io Combinations - Christmas Scenery 2; Clearly Besotted - April Showers
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White

Challenge entries:

Creative Inspirations - Week 343 - Anything Goes

I tried a different approach with Distress Inks for this next card...

I masked off a horizontal section on a panel of white cardstock and used a circle mask for the moon.  I then blended with Distress Inks but instead of building up the colour to a smooth finish I kind of swiped back and forth horizontally to build up the blend.  I then removed the mask and used a wet wipe to swipe across, to gently remove some colour and to spread it across the moon to (hopefully) give the impression of a cloudy dusk sky.  I then simply stamped the dove and sentiment in black before matting and layering onto the card base with a black frame.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord, Faded Jeans; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Paired Up; Uniko - Flower Power #1

Challenge entries:

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #159 - Anything Goes

And my Brushos had a little outing for my third card...

On a piece of white cardstock I sparingly sprinkled some Brusho crystals (and I mean sparingly - you only need the lightest sprinkling), spritzed with water to reveal these gorgeous colours and left it to dry.  Next I die cut a section of the cardstock with a stitched rectangle die and also die cut the dragonfly, before placing some black cardstock behind the negative space.  I stamped the sentiment, added some small black gemstones to create the flight trail and then mounted to the card base using 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Ink: Brushos - Purple and Emerald Green; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangles; Clearly Besotted - Dragonfly Die
• Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Just Fabulous
• Accents: Hobbycraft - 2mm black gemstones

Challenge entries:

Stamping Sensations - January Challenge - Anything Goes with a Die(s)

Happy Little Stampers - January CASE the Designer

Inkspirational - Challenge #100 - Blast from the Past - Previous colour challenge (Purple, White, Green)

There are lots of solid stamps out there so I'm sure you have something in your stash that fits our challenge.  We'd love for you to join us this week.

Bye for now

We're Kissing at Less is More

Good morning, crafters!

So, there's a new challenge for this coming week just kicking off at Less is More and we have an interesting one for you.  Our theme for this week is a technique, which is...

Stamp Kissing!

This involves inking up a solid stamp and a detailed stamp and then 'kissing' them together before stamping onto your project.  There is a more detailed description over at Less is More or you can find lots of tutorials over on YouTube.

I've got two examples for you today.  I won't lie, I dragged LOTS of stamps out of my stash before I found some which worked together.  And a little tip for you, I find this technique works best with pigment ink, the sticky consistency seems to help in keeping hold of the detail of the images.

So, here's my first...

For this one I chose leaves as my solid images and a distressed grid image for my detail.  For each leaf I inked it up with the lightest ink, then inked up the grid stamp with a darker shade, 'kissed' them together then stamped on my card base.  I stamped a few leaves in different shade combos directly on my base.  I embossed the sentiment in white on a black strip of textured card, adhered this flat and then added some enamel dots.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Paper Smooches - Leafy Greens; Kaidercraft - Grid; Sentiment from Hero Arts set (unknown name)
• Ink: Versa Color - Green Tea, Evergreen, Bamboo, Olive, Umber; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Limeade

Challenge entry:

Daring Cardmakers - Leaf it Alone!

I decided to go with a fun feel for my second card...

Again, I stamped the solid images, this time the balloons, with the lightest shades and then inked up a circles background stamp with the darker co-ordinating shades.  These were kissed together, stamped, and then die cut with the co-ordinating balloon die.  I stamped the balloon strings on a white cardstock panel and adhered the balloons flat to this.  I added the fun style sentiment and then popped the panel up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Wplus9 - Whole Lotta Happy; Uniko - Balloon Bash (strings); Pink Cat Studio - Background Stamps
• Ink: Versa Color - Cyan/Royal Blue, Heliotrope/Violet, Pink/Opera Pink; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Die: Wplus9 - Whole Lotta Happy

Challenge entries:

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #408 - A Bit of Fun

Seize The Birthday - Clean and Simple

Simply Create Too - Challenge #100 - It's Party Time

Stamping Sensations - January Challenge - Anything Goes with a Die(s)

Time Out Challenges - Challenge #47 - Birthdays with Optional Twist (I didn't twist for this one)

If you are new to this technique why not have a go, I've only done it once before so this was also a challenge for me this week.  I hope you'll join us.