A male sketch challenge

Here's a card made for the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches here. I decided to go for a male-orientated card as it seems like most of my recent creations have been a bit girly!

Card base of marina mist, with a layer of spotty DSP from the print poetry stack. I love this stack, it's got a fab mix of patterns and colours - I'll be sad to see it go in the summer, but need to use it as I am drowning under the sea of gorgeous DSP I have hoarded over the years!! The rosette is stamped in midnight muse ink and cut out with the largest scallop circle punch. The happy birthday sentiment is stamped in summer starfruit ink on the corresponding cardstock, cut with the 1 3/8" circle punch and layered on the rosette with dimensionals. The ribbon tails are inked in midnight muse on crumb cake cardstock, trimmed and attached to the card.

Thinking of you is stamped in midnight muse on vanilla cardstock and attached to the bottom of the card. I used the happy whale die for the little stars on the left (summer starfruit, midnight muse and crumb cake cardstocks). I added a thin strip of midnight muse cardstock where the DSP and vanilla layers meet, just for extra definition.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Blue Ribbon, Curly Cute
• Ink: Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit
• Cardstock: Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit 
• Other: Print Poetry Designer Paper Stack, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Happy Whale clearlits die, dimensionals.

Where oh where…..

……..has this month gone? Certainly not in the pursuit of a suntan – hypothermia and webbed feet would be more likely LOL! I’m hoping I get this posted in time to link to the Pals Paper Arts challenge 137, which is a sketch challenge this time round.
The not quite navy card base has been stamped with the chart/ledger stamp using not quite navy ink. A circle of confetti cream cardstock has been stamped with the globe image in crumb cake ink and attached to the card base. The ship has been inked in not quite navy in, then cut out and attached to the globe layer using dimensionals. The compass has been stamped in cajun craze ink, then cut out with the 1 1/4” circle punch and attached using dimensionals. Linen thread has been wrapped around the left hand side of the card to add a little texture and balance.
Products used (all Stampin’ Up!):

• Stamps: The Open Sea
• Ink: Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Cajun Craze
• Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Confetti Cream
• Other: 1 1/4” punch, stamp-a-ma-jig, linen thread, dimensionals. 

Double whammy

Sit down and take a deep breath. I’ve managed to participate in TWO challenges AND get a photo taken before the challenges close! I think that’s a first for me :) The two challenges are the ColourQ challenge 137:

       

and also the Freshly made sketches 37:

I flipped the sketch to landscape and started with a crumb cake card base and added a subtle background using the swirl from Everything Eleanor and second generation stamping. I inked the stamp, then stamped onto a piece of scrap paper before stamping on the card – this produces a paler impression. I used the very vintage wheel with razzleberry ink onto white cardstock, then sponged a little crumb cake ink on the edges to soften them a little. This has then been trimmed and added to a navy layer with one scalloped side.

The label shape from Everything Eleanor has been stamped with bashful blue ink on white cardstock, and the sentiment added using navy ink. This has been trimmed and attached to the card using dimensionals. Two razzleberry coloured flowers have been cut out and attached to the top right hand corner of the label. A pearl in the centre of each flower finishes the card off.

Products used (all Stampin’ Up!):

• Stamps: Everything Eleanor, Sincere Salutations
• Ink: Crumb Cake, Rich Razzleberry, Night of Navy, Bashful Blue
• Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Night of Navy
• Other: Scallop Edge border punch, Basic Pearls, Stamp-a-ma-jig, dimensionals.

Another challenge card

Today's card was inspired by another colour challenge - this time it was the Just add Ink colour challenge 112, to use the following colours:

I've used pink pirouette, crumb cake and chocolate chip inks to stamp several of the images from the spiced paisley set. I also stamped one of the images using versamark, then used heat and powder and dazzling diamonds glitter to add a little sparkle to the background layer. Next I embossed this layer using the square lattice embossing folder to add a bit of texture, and added to a chocolate chip mat and a crumb cake card base.

A strip of chocolate chip cardstock, cut with the lace ribbon border punch, provides a background for the gorgeous lace crochet trim. A double-loop bow of the lace has also been added using an antique brad.The sentiment has been stamped in chocolate chip ink onto an oval of vanilla cardstock, and added to the fabulous vintage-looking frame (cut with one of the tags dies in pink pirouette).

And I thought I was on time to post to the challenge blog! Unfortunately I forgot the time difference between here and Oz ;) Here’s a closer look at the glittered paisley - unfortunately you lose a lot of the glitter when it is embossed.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Spiced Paisley, Sincere Salutations
• Ink: Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Versamark
• Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip
• Other: Lace Ribbon border punch, Lots of Tags Sizzlits die, Extra Large Oval punch, Victoria Crochet trim, Antique brads, Heat and Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

A SAB colour challenge

My mojo was missing-in-action, so I thought a colour challenge might get the creativity flowing. I decided on the Splitcoast Stampers colour challenge CC366, to use Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight and Pool Party with a neutral of white or Vanilla. An added option was to use ribbon or seam binding. Kerching!!! A card is born!

A strip of pool party DSP has been trimmed with a daffodil border, made using the dotted scallop ribbon border punch, and layered onto vanilla cardstock. The vanilla ribbon has been added with the ends tucked under the vanilla mat, which has then been added to the poppy cardbase.
The stamp image from the SAB set Fresh vintage has been stamped in daffodil, poppy and pool inks onto vanilla cardstock, then cut out with the 1 1/4” square punch. These have then been mounted onto a scalloped square of the corresponding coloured cardstock, and adhered to the top of the vanilla layer at different angles. (Didn’t I do well not putting them in a straight line? It really had my OCD gene a-jangling, though :) )
The sentiment has been inked using the 3 different markers, and stamped off-centre (gulp!) onto an oval of vanilla cardstock on a poppy scalloped oval. A little flower, made with the boho blossom punch and a large pearl, occupies that spare space next to the sentiment. I crumpled the layers a little to give a bit more texture.
I’m really pleased with this one, I probably wouldn’t have teamed these colours together but the end result is so bright and cheery. I may just use this one again :)
Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Fresh Vintage (SAB set), Petite Pairs
• Ink: Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Pool Party
• Cardstock: Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Very Vanilla
• Other: Spice Cake DSP, Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, 1 1/4" Square punch, Scallop Square punch, Scallop Oval punch, Large Oval punch, Boho Blossoms punch, Pearls, 3/8" Vanilla velvet ribbon, dimensionals.

Some of the retirees!

I thought I'd update the blog with cards I've made using stamps or colours that will no longer be with us next month :( I'll certainly miss some of these products, but I'm also looking forward to finding new favourite stamps and colour combinations. A crafter can never get enough stash!


This card was produced for a (sketch?) challenge but I didn't get chance to take a photo until afterwards. If I can find the challenge again, I will post details. Please contact me if you know which one it was!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps - True Friend
  
• Ink - Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Mellow Moss
  
• Cardstock - Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Sahara Sand
  
• Other - Designer paper pack (Hostess level 1), Mellow Moss button, 1 1/4" Circle punch, Nestabilities (non-SU), brads (non-SU).

Challenges!

As promised, here's a card made using one of the sets from the new mini catalogue. It's called Vintage Vogue and I think it may become one of my most used sets, the images are so gorgeous! I decided to participate in a few challenges with this one. The Creative Card Crew challenge is a vintage/aged theme, and over at Just Add Ink the challenge is to use the following colours.


I didn't manage to upload the card by the deadline for Just Add Ink, but that's the great thing about challenges - you can use them for inspiration at any time!


A blush blossom panel has been stamped with the Very Vintage wheel using close to cocoa ink, and coloured using a blender pen with coral and cocoa ink and a white gel pen. This has been layered with a cocoa scalloped mat and kraft ribbon onto a kraft cardbase. The friend stamp has been inked using coral and cocoa markers and stamped onto blush blossom cardstock with a cocoa mat. The edges of the layers have been distressed to give a more vintage feel to the card.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps - Vintage Vogue, Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel
  
• Ink - Close to Cocoa, Cameo Coral
  
• Cardstock - Kraft, Blush Blossom, Close to Cocoa
• Other - Scallop Edge punch, kraft taffeta ribbon, white gel pen, dimensionals.
  

A valentine!

I made a card using the sketch featured on the Clean and Simple stamping blog this week. It's very similar to the example card, I've just changed the colours/sentiment and rotated the layout so that I could fit the sentiment on. I think I'll be using this sketch again as it's very adaptable, and the 'simple' layout would probably appeal to the male of the species.


It's hard to see in this photo (rubbish weather here in the North East, just for a change!) but the coloured squares have been stamped using various background stamps with Versamark and popped up on dimensionals. After I took this photo, I decided the card needed a little something extra so I stamped the red heart again, cut it out and added crystal effects to produce a shiny finish. When dry, I layered it over the stamped heart using dimensionals. Weather permitting, I'll take a photo tomorrow of the updated version!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps - Whimsical Words (SAB set), Darling Dots (L1 Hostess set), Paisley BG, Medallion BG, En Francais BG
  
• Ink - Basic Black, Versamark, Real Red
  
• Cardstock - Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Basic Gray, Real Red
  
• Other - Whisper White satin ribbon, Crystal Effects, dimensionals.
  

Get your sunglasses on!

I was playing with my new Circle Circus set and decided to step out of my comfort zone and go bright! And I really like the result! This set of 10 stamps features circular images that co-ordinate brilliantly with the different size punches in the catalogue. Here I've used just one stamp with 3 different inks and cardstock and 2 punches - I used the sketch challenge 235 on SCS for inspiration.

The sentiment has been coloured using markers, and a rhinestone brad adds a bit of bling!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps - Circle Circus, Wow Flowers
  
• Ink - Pink Passion, Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise
  
• Cardstock - Whisper White, Pink Passion, Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise
  
• Other - 1 1/4" Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Stampin' Write Markers, Circle Fire Rhinestone brad, dimensionals.

Another challenge card

Here's a card I made for a challenge on Kate and Steph's new blog, A Passion for Papertrey. The challenge was to make a one layer card, something I very rarely do (those layers are handy for hiding little mishaps!) I must admit that I struggled with this one - none of the embellishments I wanted to add looked right, so the end result is truly a one layer card! Please excuse the bad photo, I couldn't take the picture till late this afternoon.

The swirly leaves are embossed in gold, as is the sentiment, then the leaves have been coloured using green ink. The flowers have been stamped in pink ink and the little butterfly in pearlescent blue.

Products used (Papertrey Ink unless stated otherwise):

• Stamps - With Sympathy, Out on a Limb sentiments
• Ink - Versamark, Ripa Avocado, Raspberry Fizz, Pearlescent Sky Blue (Brilliance)
• Cardstock - Stampers Select White
• Other - Gold embossing powder (SU).