Snowflake Edges

I have a simple one layer Christmas card to share today, made using one of the stamps from the 'Snowflake Edges' set by Simon Says Stamp. I stamped it along the folded edge of a smooth white card blank using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it using white embossing powder. I blended 'Broken China' Distress Ink over the top of the embossed area, then once dry added a stamped sentiment using one of the stamps from the 'Festive Phrases' set by Funky Fossil.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Gals Corner - Fill in the Blank 'Snow.....' (Snowflakes)
• Little Red Wagon - A is for Anything Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Snowflakes
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes (Optional 'CAS')

ABC Christmas Challenge - W & X are for?

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Fabiola is the host, and the themes are:

'W is for Watercolour'

&

'X is for Xylophone'

(Photo Inspiration!)

The prize for the lucky winner is this gift certificate:

For my 'W is for Watercolour' card, I used stamps from a Woodware set called 'Sketchy Pure Branch'. I inked the two branch stamps using three shades of green Distress Inks (Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles & Forest Moss), spritzed then with a little water, then stamped each several times on to watercolour paper, inking again each time before stamping. I then spritzed it all with some more water, and allowed the inks to bleed into each other to create a watercolour effect. Once dry, I mixed gold and red Cosmic Shimmers mica pigments with water, then splattered those over the branches, and added a die cut sentiment...cut from a snippet of gold mirror card using a Creative Expressions die. I matted the watercolour panel on to some more gold mirror card...distresssing the edges a little before adding it to a card blank.

For my 'X is for Xylophone card, I took inspiration from the bear shape, and picked a Little of the Valley stamp called 'James the Bear - Little Star'. I stamped him on to a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. For the background, I took inspiration from the multicoloured bars on the glockenspiel, and picked a piece of watercolour effect paper from the 'Pastel Watercolours' pad from The Works. I embossed it using the 'Jolly Christmas' embossing folder by Couture Creations, then matted it on to a snippet of black card before adding it to a card blank. I stamped a sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous) on to a teeny snippet of black card using white pigment ink, then added that and James the Bear on to the background using 3D foam pads.

I'm also entering these cards into the following challenges:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas' - First card only)
• Aud Sentiments - Glitter and/or Christmas & a Sentiment (First card only)
• Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Elliebelle's Crafty Wednesday - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Incy Wincy - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas Card with Handmade Background' - Second card only)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (Second card only)
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas' - First card only)

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Guest Designer - Seize the Birthday Challenge

Today, I'm excited to share that I'm a Surprise Party Guest at the Seize the Birthday Challenge!

If you're new to their challenges, they have an optional 'Topping' theme, which this fortnight is:

But, if the 'Topping' isn't sparking those creative juices, there's always the option to enter an 'Anything Goes' Birthday card!

When I made my card, I was away from home with limited stash...and without anything suitably stripey! I put my thinking cap on, and decided to try making my own stripes using Distress Inks on watercolour paper. I used masking tape to mask a strip on the watercolour paper, then painted stripes of Distress Ink in varying thickness down the page. Once dry, I removed the masking tape, added a stamped sentiment, using a stamp from the 'Signature Greetings' set by Memory Box, then distressed the edges a little. I picked an image from the 'Cheerful Critters' set by Penny Black...stamping it on to watercolour paper, and colouring it using a mixture of watercolour pencils, and the same Distress Inks I used for the stripes. I carefully cut out the image, then added it on top of the striped panel using 3D foam pads before adding it to a kraft card blank.

For more inspiration, from the fabulous design team, please pop over to the Seize the Birthday Challenge. Thanks for inviting me to your party!

Flowing Flowers N Leaves

I have a pair of cards to share today, made using a Hero Arts background stamp called 'Flowing Flowers N Leaves' that I picked up in a charity shop recently. For both cards, I stamped it on to smooth white card using Versamark Ink (inking and stamping a couple of times to make sure I got a really good impression), then heat embossed it using clear embossing powder. For the first card, I picked a trio of 'sunset' coloured Distress Inks...Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade & Mustard Seed, and blended them over the top of the embossed background. Once dry, I gently wiped it with a paper towel to remove any ink from the embossing. So as to leave as much of the background uncovered as possible, I stamped a sentiment (using a stamp from the 'Floral Garden' stamp set by Simon Says Stamp) on to a snippet of black card using a white pigment ink, heat embossed it in white, then added it using 3D foam pads. I matted the floral panel on to some more black card before adding it to a white card blank.

I had intended that the second card would 'match' the first, albeit with a different trio of Distress Inks, but I really liked the subtle peaceful effect of the clear embossing on the white card, so decided to leave it alone. I trimmed it down to a square, then added a simple sentiment...using a stamp from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image and 'Metallic Silver' embossing powder from WOW...over the centre. I gently distressed the edges of everything, then added it to a white card blank.

Challenges for these cards:

• AAA Cards - Anything CAS (Optional 'Sympathy or Get Well') (Second card)
• Dream Valley - Anything Goes (First card)
• Everybody Art - Anything Goes (Second card)
• Krafty Chicks - Stamps (First card)
• Little Red Wagon - Sympathy (Second card)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It (First card)

PBSC August - Anything Goes (Optional 'Flowers')...More Inspiration!

It's the third Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for some more inspiration for this month's Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'

or

'Flowers'

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:

Prize - a $20 voucher!

For the floral element on my card, I used the Penny Black 'Together' stamp...inking it using Distress Inks (Mermaid Lagoon, Uncharted Mariner, Chipped Sapphire, Mowed Lawn & Forest Moss) and stamping it on to watercolour a few times...with some second generation stamping to add some depth...definitely inspired by my favourite pick from last month's challenge - this card by Bonnie! I heat embossed a sentiment from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image using metallic gold embossing powder, then added the '90' using numbers cut from snippets of gold mirror card using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet dies. I mixed some gold Cosmic Shimmers pigment with a little water, then splattered it over the top, before distressing the edges, and matting it on to some gold mirror card, and adding it to a white A5 card blank.

You can see the gold splatter a little better form this angle:

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Beautiful Blossoms - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Sparkle & Shine
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Sparkle & Shine
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Add a Sentiment
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes (Optional 'Summer in the Garden')

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Stay Curious!

Today's card features a cute little dog stamp by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company called 'Stay Curious!'. I stamped it, along with it's matching sentiment, on to a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then distressed the edges and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I used a fun 'Bones' stencil from Funky Fossil for the background, inking directly on to a kraft card blank using 'Pumice Stone' Distress Ink.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Favourite Cats or Dogs (Dogs for me - growing up we always had a dog or dogs...mostly Golden Retrievers, which is why I nearly always colour dog images this way)
• Cutie Pie - Something Beginning with B (Bones (and Bottom!))
• Krafty Chicks - All Occasions
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Add a Sentiment
• Sparkles Forum - One for the Boys

Together Bookmark

I have a bookmark to share today...made using a lovely floral stamp from Penny Black called 'Together'. I inked it up with Distress Inks (Mermaid Lagoon, Uncharted Mariner, Chipped Sapphire, Lucky Clover & Mowed Lawn), then stamped it on to a snippet of kraft card. I stamped a 'Music Background' stamp by Hero Arts/BasicGrey inked with 'Pumice Stone' Distress Ink over the top, then finally rounded the corners using n old woodware punch.

Challenges for this bookmark:

• Allsorts - Flowers
• As You Like It - Favourite Non-Card Project (I, along with several family members and friends, am a keen reader, and can always make use of a bookmark)
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Scraps (I made use of one of the scraps created by trimming an A4 sheet of card down to make a square card blank)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

Rainbow Christmas Trees

Today's card features a Woodware Christmas tree stamp called 'Mini Tall Twiggy Tree'. I stamped it across a piece of watercolour paper in a rainbow pattern using Distress Inks: Festive Berries; Spiced Marmalade; Mustard Seed; Lucky Clover; Salty Ocean; Chipped Sapphire; and Wilted Violet. I added a sentiment cut from black card using a Poppy Stamps die called 'Folk Merry Christmas'. I matted the panel on to some more black card before adding it to a DL card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Stamps
• Everybody Art - We Love Stamping

Garden Bouquet

Today's card features an old Hero Arts floral silhouette stamp called 'Garden Bouquet'. I inked it up using a trio of bright Distress Inks (Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet & Mermaid Lagoon), then stamped it along the bottom of a piece of watercolour paper, overlapping the colours. I added a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image, then distressed all the edges before adding it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Anything CAS
• Allsorts - Optional 'Flowers Galore'
• Dream Valley - Summer Colours
• Incy Wincy - Summer Flowers
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Bright & Cheerful
• We Love Stamping - Fabulous Florals

Together

Today's card features a floral stamp by Penny Black called 'Together'. I started by stamping a Hero Arts music background stamp on to watercolour paper using 'Speckled Egg' Distress Ink. I then stamped the floral stamp over the top...inking it with more Distress Inks (Broken China, Mowed Lawn & Forest Moss). Once dry, I stamped a sentiment (from the 'Signature Greetings' set by Memory Box) using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it in gold. I matted the panel on to gold mirror card...distressing the edges, before adding it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Beautiful Blossoms - Anything Goes
• Crafty Gals - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Make Your Own Background
• Sparkles - April Showers Bring May Flowers
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes

Sketched Flowers

Today's card features my lovely 'Sketched Flowers' stamp by Simon Says Stamp. I stamped it a couple of times on to a piece of watercolour paper, along with one of the sentiments from the set, using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Gold Rich' embossing powder from WOW. I watercoloured the flowers using Distress Inks (Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Victorian Velvet, Seedless Preserves, Dusty Concord, Mowed Lawn & Peeled Paint), then splattered some gold Cosmic Shimmers mica pigment mixed with water over the top. I used my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' die to cut the '80' from some snippets of gold mirror card then added those to the card front. I matted the panel on to some more gold mirror card, distressing all of the edges a little, before adding it to a cream card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Aud Sentiments - Watercolour and/or Spring & a Sentiment
• Everybody Art - Numbers
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Spring Flowers
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Showers or Flowers
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spring')

ABC Christmas Challenge - H & I are for?

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Carol is the host, and the themes are:

'H is for Hats'

&

'I is for Inky'

The prize for the lucky winner is this die set:

For my 'H is for Hats' card, I stamped as many of the animals from the 'Christmas Hats' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company as I could fit on to a DL kraft card blank, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. The sentiment is made from a couple of stamps from the 'Wintertime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

For my 'I is for Inky' card, I started by smooshing some Distress Inks in various shades of blue (Speckled Egg, Salvaged Patina, Peacock Feathers, Stormy Sky, Broken China and Uncharted Mariner) on to a large acrylic block, spritzed it with a little water, the stamped it on to smoe watercolour paper. Once dry, I stamped snowflakes around the edges using stamps from the 'Snowflake Edges' set by Simon Says Stamp, and 'Broken China' Distress Ink. I cut the sentiment from snippets of white card using a Creative Expressions die...layering up three die cuts to get a more 3D effect, then added that to the centre. 

I'm also entering these cards into the following challenges:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Optional 'Animals') (First card only)
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - Anything Goes
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Snowflake Trees

I have a simple Christmas card to share today...made using one of the Christmas tree stamps from a set by Paper Artsy (Eclectica range 'EKC10'). I started by placing a strip of masking tape across a piece of watercolour paper, then stamped the tree over the top using a couple of blue shades of Distress Ink (Uncharted Marine & Broken China). Once dry, I removed the tape, then stamped a sentiment (using a stamp from an old Lili of the Valley set) in the void using 'Twilght' Versafine Clair ink. I distressed the edges of the watercolour paper a little, then added it to a kraft card blank. This was so quick and easy to do, I can see myself making more cards in this style with other stamps.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - All Occasions
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Happy Mother's Day

Today I'm sharing the card and a notebook that I made for my Mum for Mother's Day. For the card, I picked an old Hero Arts floral stamp called 'Garden Bouquet'. I used the watercolour stamping technique, painting Distress Inks (Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Seedless Preserves, Blueprint Sketch & Mowed Lawn) directly on to the stamp, then spritzing with a little water before stamping on to watercolour paper. I added a sentiment (from the 'Sentiments' set also by Hero Arts), then distressed the edges and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, before adding it to a kraft card blank.

I decorated a notebook for part of my Mum's gift...a blank spiral bound one from Hobbycraft. I picked a couple of Penny Black mice images, and papers from a My Mind's Eye pad called 'Penny Lane'...this pad is really old (I bought it in 2010!), but I still have plenty of snippets! I stamped the images on to snippets of watercolour paper and coloured them using watercolour pencils. I distressed all of the edges, and again added faux stitching using my Cutterbee Bug and a black gel pen. The image on the front is called 'Literally Giant!':

And 'Everest Next' on the back:

Challenges for this card & notebook:

• As You Like It - Monochrome or Colourful (Colourful for me...I like too many colours to not use them all at once!)
• C.R.A.F.T. - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Stamps
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (Just the notebook)
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Bright & Cheerful
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Add a Sentiment (Just the card)
• We Love Stamping - Feminine (Just the card)

Butterfly Birthday

Today's card features another recent charity shop find... a swirly background stamp by Stampin' Up! I started by making a simple watercolour background, by blending Distress Inks (Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon, Broken China and Chipped Sapphire) on to wet watercolour paper. Once dry, I stamped the swirly background stamp over the top using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using metallic gold embossing powder from WOW. I cut a butterfly from a snippet of gold mirror card, using a die from the 'Mini Detailed Butterflies' set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix, then cut the matching solid butterfly shape from a snippet of pearlised aqua card to layer behind it. I added the butterfly to the background using 3D foam pads, and matted it all on to some more gold mirror card before adhering it to a white card blank. Finally, I stamped a sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image) on to a snippet of white card, matted it on to another snippet of gold mirror card, before adding it to the card.

Challenges for this card:

• Aud Sentiments - Use Dies + a Sentiment
• My Time to Craft - Make Your Own Background
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday

Guest Designer - AAA Birthday Challenge

Today I'm sharing some projects I made for a Guest Designer spot at this month's AAA Birthday Challenge!

The theme this month is to 'Add a Tag'...either feature a tag on your project, or make a matching tag.

I chose to make a matching Birthday card and tag for my Aunt's birthday. 

For the card, I used a mixture of butterfly stamps (Indigo Blu 'Big Butterfly' and the 'Butterflies' set from the Urban Stamps range by Papermania), stamping them on to watercolour paper using Versamark ink, then heat embossing them using gold embossing glitter from WOW. I then watercoloured the butterflies using Distress Inks (Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Seedless Preserves, Chipped Sapphire, Broken China & Gathered Twigs), and added a heat embossed sentiment (in matallic gold this time), using a stamp from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image. I distressed the edges a little, then added it to card blank.

For the tag, I picked just the large butterfly, and again heat embossed in in gold glitter on watercolour paper, and coloured it using Distress Inks. I trimmed it down, distressed the edges, then added it to a kraft tag along with some coordinating twine.

For more inspiration from the fabulous Design Team, please pop over the AAA Birthday Challenge.