Simply Stampin Sketch Challenge

Good morning,

I hope that everyone is not too wet from all the rain we are having I never mind the rain it's a great excuse to sit indoors and make cards!

Now onto this weeks Simply Stampin' challenge which of course as I have already mentioned in my title is a sketch, I'm sure you will all love this one!

I really love sketches, especially neutral ones like this one, there's so much you can do with it!

Here's what I came up with for it

Now this card may look simple but there were a lot of different techniques that went into it.

I started off by using my crimper to give the Sahara Sand layer texture, I also spritzed it with my Blushing Bride marker pen, Next I cut sections of Blushing Bride and Basic Grey CS, I used a sponge dauber and some champagne shimmer paint to give it a bit of sparkle, before using my mat pack to punch holes around the edges for my faux stitching. Next I cut a tag out of Sahara Sand CS, and sponged Sahara Sand and Blushing Bride ink around the edges again adding faux stitching around the tag to tie it all in together and stamped the Young Vermilion Bird stamp in Basic Grey ink. Finally I added three different ribbon  strips to the top of the tag.

I hope you like what I've done, and that maybe I've inspired you to join in the challenge! Don't forget to check out this weeks fab inspiration for the Design Team and this months Guest Designer Lynne Fahey!

Before I go I have to say happy birthday to my partner in crime at Simply Stampin' Kirei, I hope you are have a brilliant birthday!! and I'll be back later to share the card I made for Kirei with the rest of you!

Happy stamping,  xx

Simply Soft Mother's Day

Good morning,

Today I am sharing a card that I was asked to make for my friend to give to her mum from her children. I went looking for inspiration on the internet, and found a gorgeous landscape card using this set (sorry I can't find the original, if you  know who made it please leave a comment) so I changed the orientation and got stamping.

I love this flower head image, but it was a little bit of a pain to colour in all the sections with a white gel pen. I also added a few touches of shimmer paint, but I don't think you can see them in this picture, do you see the rough edge of the oval? I ran my scissors along the edge to get this rough and ready feel.

Hope you like it, I'll have another card to share with you tomorrow, xx

Mocha Morning Gift

Hello there!

When I opened the new catalogue the first thing I HAD to have was the beautiful Mocha Morning DSP, they are just so pretty with the gold details and flocking, when they arrived me and my mum opened and stroked them arguing over which ones were the prettiest.

So when I went on a trip to a craft store and found a square chipboard tissue box I knew I had to make one for my mum. I started by painting the base black,

then I chose three of the papers, (not an easy task in itself) rounded off the corners, and inked the edges for that vintage feel, then stamped the beautiful flourish from Baroque Motif set in Staz on ink, before giving the whole thing a spritz with shimmer paint for added sparkle. The lid piece is one of the flocked paper that just begged to be touched!

I'm sure my mum will love this gift, but I think it may still need something, maybe an embellishment to one of the sides? What do you think?

Plus don't forget there is still time to enter this week's Simply Stampin' colour challenge!
Hope you are having a fab day, xx

Simply Stampin' Sketch

Good Morning,

We had some fantastic entries into the Halloween challenge, last week, so lets hope that you'll enjoy this week just as much!

This week is sketch week, and it's a great one. I really like sketches they are the perfect jumping off point when making a card. So here is the sketch for this week.

I have decided to go for a Christmas card, and as I'm in love with my new Mocha Morning DSP I've teamed it with Dasher.

These papers have a really luxurious feel to them with touches of gold, I have used the Brushed Gold CS with them to bring out the gold.
I started by stamping the snowflake image from Winter Post with my Champagne mist shimmer paint (you can't have Christmas without sparkle), next was my toughest job, deciding which if the gorgeous DSP to use! I went with this beautiful stripe in the end, edged with more brushed gold CS. I couldn't resist adding a bit of Glass Glitter for Dasher to stand on!

I can't wait to see want you come up with for this sketch, xx

Calypso Coral Cupcakes

Good morning,

After a horrible day at work yesterday and a walk-a-bout cat I was so glad that I had booked today off as holiday a while back. Not only is the weather lovely, but I'm planning to spend the day crafting and possibly watch the king's speech later, just what I need!

I'm hoping that this won't be my only card I get completed today, I have been looking at the finale Viva sketch I still had to complete to enter the months competition for some time, but nothing was coming to me. So while I was looking at some challenges this weeks Color Throwdown combo jumped out at me, it contains 3 in-colours 2 of them brand new ones available to you from Saturday!

I wasn't sure that Poppy Parade and Calypso Coral would go together but actually I think they are a great match, they layer together perfectly. I didn't want to go too over the top with the Chocolate Chip so I just stuck to stamping and inking edges with it. I have added Dazzling diamond glitter to the cupcake frosting, a girl can't have a cupcake without glitter. This card is for my niece Beth, whose birthday is early next month, so I have added a monogram to the tag which I rubbed over with Champagne mist shimmer paint, looks lovely IRL.

Here's the sketch the Viva La Verve sketch that I was working from, as you can see I have swapped that flower element for you a bow tied with Poppy Parade ribbon.

Why not give it ago yourself, xx

Something For Christmas

Good evening,

Tonight I'd like to share with you a card that I have made using a brand new a la carte stamp called Something For Christmas, it features three sentiments Christmas sentiments all in a row with baubles hanging from the last one.

For this card I have used marker pens to colour each of the sentiments a different shade of blue, Night of Navy, Marina Mist and a new in-colour Island Indigo, stamped repeatedly to make my own backing paper.
I have mixed this new stamp with a current one, Tree Trimmings, Serene Snowflakes and a little shimmer paint for that added Christmas sparkle.

Hope you like it, xx

A Stitch In Time

Hello there,

I woke up all excited this morning, every Friday Viva La Verve post a new sketch, I've done all the other sketches for this month so I couldn't wait for this one. As soon as I saw it all I could think was wow! It's very pretty so I couldn't wait to get started. I have decided to team the sketch with a colour combo challenge over at Color Throwdown which I love, I don't think I've ever used Perfect Plum before and I really can't think why?!

See what I mean? Beautiful! I don't normally do stitched cards, but when you're working with a sketch this pretty you have to go the extra mile, so out came a needle and thread, and a paper piercer, and here are the results

I'm also entering this card for the Just Add Ink challenge which was to use something 'from your stash' I have used a stamp from a Sale-a-bration set that I haven't inked since February called Punch Bunch, and also I found at the back of my drawer a pot of shimmer paint that I bought but I thought I'd lost because I've never used it! Here's a close up of the shimmer on the tag

I have had so much fun making this one, hope you like it too, xx

Broadsheet Anniversary

Hello!

I love my Broadsheet Alphabet set, any excuse to get it inked up and I'm there. So when my friend Gill asked me to make her son and daughter-in-law an anniversary card I knew exactly what I was going to do.

I pulled out my retired Mr and Mrs set and my Broadsheet alpha, not forgetting (of course) the fail safe Baroque motifs set and the card practically made itself!
Just a touch of glitter, some punched and shimmer painted Boho Blossoms, with a band of beautiful striped grosgrain ribbon and this is what I came up with.

I'm loving monochrome at the mo, its so sophisticated and elegant. Thankfully Gill liked it to, so this card will be winging it's way to the happy couple this weekend.

Happy crafting xx

Crafty Cardmakers Wedding

Hello,

Well it's the start of the Easter bank holiday weekend, which for me means extra crafty time, as I only really get chance to get creative at the weekends.

Today I have teamed a challenge with a card I have been asked to make, well not really teamed I was asked to make a wedding card and the challenge this fortnight at Crafty Cardmakers is a wedding card with at optional extra of red, white and blue, for a royal twist. I have just stuck to wedding.

Here's my card

I borrowed the Full Heart Punch from Lou (thanks Lou!) to make the bride and groom, I heat embossed the flourish from Baroque Motifs with Versamark ink and sponged some Champagne mist shimmer paint over it to give it a bit of sparkle, don't know if you can see that well in this picture. The background is the flourish from this year's SAB set Bliss, stamped repeatedly using my trusty Stamp-a-ma-jig, I don't know what I would do with out this handy little tool!

The recipe
Stamps, Baroque motifs, Bliss SAB
Paper, whisper white CS, Basic black CS
Ink, Staz on, Versamark
Accessories, Full Heart punch, Clear Embossing Powder, Shimmer paint, Sponge dauber, Pearls, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Dimensionals, Scallop border punch.

Hopefully this time I've read the brief for this challenge properly unlike last time when, I missed off half of the requirements!! Oops.

Happy Craftin'
xx