Autumn Fruit Birthday

Earlier this week I went to a workshop where we made 'tiles' to use as toppers on cards or scrapbook layouts.  We stamped an image onto scraps of mount-board, which we'd cut into shapes with various dies, then coloured and sponged them before adding several layers of clear embossing powder. the effect is rather like a glazed tile. I had an idea when I got home for the Make My Monday challenge, which is still using the theme of Autumn but this week they want to see ribbons and bows too. Here's my card

The tile is the focal point and I used the pear from Faith in Nature and some distress inks before embossing.  I cut out a dark brown cardstock shape and spritzed it with gold mica powder. I added two little buttons from Sweet Buttons, a die set, and some ribbon from my stash.  I also used one of my special pearlised card blanks which my husband brought me back from one of his business trips to the Netherlands.  Finally a simple sentiment from Happiest Birthday Wishes. It would probably have photographed better in natural light but I'm too impatient!

Colours and Sketches First Challenge

If you're into Clean and Simple designs, which I clearly am, then we have a brand new challenge blog for you! Colours and Sketches (C and S - get it?) Challenge blog can be found here. I am so chuffed to have been asked to be on the DT with several other extremely creative and talented ladies, and there's still time to join, if you add DT to your entry name. Every week there will be a challenge for either a colour combination or a sketch, but to kick it off we're going for both! This is the first sketch:

Combine that with Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Chip - it's enough to make your mouth water! Here's my card, with the little bird shown up close so you can see the detail on the stamping, using the Language of Friendship stamp set. I used  matching ink on the card stock and the Two step bird punch and the Boho Blossoms punch set.

The tiny sentiment is from a Kanban set. I used cream cardstock to make the card base and showcase the little birds.  I started off with different coloured birds but decided I preferred them all brown.  Don't you just love those little legs?

Merry Monday on Wednesday!

I just have 5 minutes before work today to show you this card which I have made for the Merry Monday Christmas Sketch Challenge. The sketches on this challenge are fantastic, take a look at this one

It's the last one for 2012 -and I only just found this blog :( last week. But happily they will be back in the new year to get us crafting ready for next Christmas!! Here's my take on the sketch

I love this red polka dot paper from SU, the dots are slightly raised and shiny, so it adds great texture to your card.  The stamp set I used is called Seasons Of Joy, and I stamped the poinsettia in red three times, masked them and then stamped the green one.  Matted onto green and red card the image and the sentiment are coordinated. I gave the flowers little red gem centres. Finally a lovely little bow, I think the white stitching goes well with the paper. I used Naturals White card for the whole project, it really is the most used thing in my stash right now - note to self- order more soon!

The Winter Blues

Not for me! I love snowy, frosty weather, and Christmas, of course!  It's just that Winter Blues is the challenge at Cas-ual Fridays and we've even had two weeks this time to be organised.  I'm making packs of cards for my son to sell now.  He's raising money to buy a toilet for a village on Komodo Island, where he will be travelling in the summer as part of an expedition.  The toilet will protect the villagers from the komodo dragons, particularly the children who fall prey occasionally to these very large and ferocious lizards when they go outside the village boundaries.
Here is one of my designs

It has to be quick and simple to make so that I can easily make a pack, not too expensive and eyecatching.  I used a new stamp from SU called Open Sleigh, stamped onto dark blue cardstock and heat embossed in silver and added three gems.  I matted it onto paler blue card and then used a sheet of vellum to cover the white card blank. I am also going to enter the challenge for a CAS project at Addicted To Stamps and More with this card.Next step - teach son how to make them himself!

Christmas Flag It!

I found a new challenge today,well new to me anyway and I found it because I noticed a few cards around that all looked quite similar and I liked every one! Of course they were following a sketch, this sketch actually

The challenge blog is Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge and this one is called 'Flag it'  I just love those ribbons and with a central sentiment and a focal point it is perfect for a cas kind-a-girl like me. Here's my card

I used a cream card blank and a selection of matching Christmas Papers. I made a 3D bauble using Ornament Keepsakes stamp set from SU, stamped in Raspberry Ripple and the greeting is from Sassy salutations, stamped in and matted onto Lucky Limeade. I sponged the edge of the sentiment in the same colour and added a few pearls.

A Kiss under the Mistletoe?

The final challenge for November over at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown is an embellishment challenge and this week the DT are looking for your creations incorporating pearls! Just think of all the things you can do with pearls! As I was thinking about this challenge the tiny white mistletoe berries came into my mind, just like little pearls and set against a dark green background - I stamped this card.

The pearl berries are actually liquid pearls - I love using this stuff! A simple sentiment and a classic red bow complete the job. I hadn't thought about it until I uploaded my card but it does look a bit like looking through a window into a bush of mistletoe! Do go and see the other projects created by the other DT ladies at 52 CCT - they really are very inspirational!
Hope you get lots of kisses under the mistletoe this Christmas!

Vellum Vase

What to do with vellum!  It's so luxurious, especially with gold, and yet I find it difficult to find the correct adhesive to use with it. Well, using vellum in an autumn themed card is the challenge at Make My Monday this week.

I have used the vellum to make a vase for my lovely autumn chrysanthemums.  I cut it out using one of the dies from the Ornament Keepsakes set, trimming off the bottom. I stamped the stems using the Perfectly Preserved stamp set and the flowers are two step stamps from a stamp set called Reason To Smile. I quite like the rough over-stamping effect but I suspect you could get a sharper image using a Stamp-a-majig. I've used burgundy ink, overstamped in red onto Naturals White cardstock and matted the image onto burgundy card and then onto another sheet of gold vellum. The little sentiment is from a Kanban set, I forget the name. It's another clean and simple project, but there are lots of other ideas on the blog - go and have a look!

Card for Chris and Gill

My husband and I have been invited to a party this evening to celebrate some friends 30 years of being together. So I've put this one-layer card together and managed to enter a challenge too! At Less Is More this week they are looking for 'Hardware' and I've made the little 'balloon'  from a metal heart, some very thin wire and a few beads.

I used the 'Congratulations' sentiment from Sassy Salutations, stamped in purple to match the bead, as it seemed the most appropriate. Lots of lovely white space, but I couldn't take a photo without the shadows, which is a bit disappointing. With a bottle of something fizzy and this card I think we'll be welcome at the party!

Christmas Scripture

A project based on Scripture or Verse is this week's challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and I have gone very CAS on this one.  Now, I don't know about you but many of the mass produced Christmas cards that feature scripture always seem a bit old-fashioned to me so I wanted to be bang up to the minute with mine and I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

I typed out the verse I wanted, choosing a handwriting font and printed it onto DSP, then die cut the blue mirri board to match.  I used a matching paper on the card blank and finally added a row of tiny blue gems under the scripture. This verse always makes me feel very Christmassy and it will soon be here now!

I'm Dreaming of a Pink Christmas!

Well, not really! But it's colour challenge week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and this week it's a very modern combination for Christmas of Pink, Black/brown and white/cream. Do click on the link and look at the fantastic cards the rest of the DT have made to inspire you! This one is mine:

I used a pearlised pink card blank and stamped the small ornament stamp from an old SU set called Hung Up On The Holidays in pink onto Naturals White card stock.  You can't see it very well but the one in the centre is also popped up with dimensionals.  Each bauble has a small pink gem in the centre.  I stamped the strings in black and matted the images onto black card.  The sentiment is my current fav -Sassy Salutations. The whole effect is shimmery and pale pink, not your usual for a Christmas card and I have to tell you that it took me a long time to get my head around it.  Funnily enough I then went a bit Pink Christmas mad and made the card I posted last week for another challenge!

3D Trees

A last minute card for Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge, featuring a technique from Technique Tuesday.  This is a Christmas card with at least three patterned papers (4 actually) and a die cut shape, in this case a pennant, made into 3D. This die shape makes lovely Christmas trees and I've made a CAS card with an Icicle embossing panel from Tim Holtz Alterations (although they are a little difficult to see on the photo) and a sentiment from SUs Sassy Salutations set. I've added some olive green bakers' twine.  A little snip on the edges with my hand held hole punch makes a tiny tab to hold it in place.

I am always reluctant to use double sided DSP as both sides are usually so beautiful Here it wasn't so bad as these trees only take up very small pieces.  I cut 5 for each tree, following the tutorial. I might make some more as it's a really effective technique - thanks Mynnette and the team!
PS. Yippee my first commission - my mum wants 10 of these cards to send to her friends!

Christmas Blog Candy

There is some fabulous Christmas blog candy up for grabs at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge 2 - take a look

Starting in January 2013 this new monthly challenge will be for Christmas cards and there will be a fantastic prize every month from Bugaboo Stamps but just to get you started you can join in this blog candy give away to celebrate the launch. Best of all you can enter from anywhere in the world!

Traditional and not so Traditional

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The new stamp set I have just got my hands on from SU after my party last week lends itself to the traditional Christmas card and this particular design has been in my mind since I saw the set in the Ideas Book.  I love green and red as a Christmas combo and what can be more traditional than Christmas stockings.  I have popped up  one to add dimension and there are three little brads to act as pins.  The sentiment is from Sassy Salutations This is my card for St Luke's Charity Challenge -the final challenge. Sadly the challenge is ending but I've loved doing every one and sending some of my cards in to be sold to raise well deserved and much needed funds

Using the same stamp I them went for a more contemporary Christmas, this time for the Less Is More challenge.  It's a colour challenge this week and the colour is ....pink! I think many people will think of birthdays and flowers but I wanted to be a little bit different and so I thought'Christmas' and 'stocking' and here's my card

I used a white card blank and stamped the  stocking from SUs Open Sleigh set.  I stamped it again on some textured white, (can you see the texture in this photo?) and cut it out, popping it up with dimensionals.

 A small bit of matching pink bling acts as the pin to hold it up. I embossed the Christmas words using a Tim Holtz Alterations embossing folder.  There lots of lovely white space on this card and with that little touch of pink I think it is probably more LIM than CAS.  Hope you like it!

Autumn Tweet Leaves

There's a great challenge that I haven't done for ages...shame on me, but today I have made a card that I think fits the bill quite nicely.  The challenge blog is Make My Monday and the challenge is Autumn with Kraft and twine.

I made the background with kraft card which I stamped with an oak leaf from my Lovely as A Tree, a favourite set -first use of the leaf though. Then I stamped the Tweet Leaves image using a variety of autumnal coloured inks, I sponged the edge and mounted onto the Kraft background. I stamped a little 'for you' sentiment and cut it out in the shape of a tag.  Stamping some more leaves, this time from Autumn Days I fussy cut them and popped them up on dimensionals.  Finally I added a twine bow and yes it is orange twine, straight from the garden centre. I used Naturals White card stock for the card base and all the stamped images - it's the best  thing in my stash right now! I will also enter this card in The Cupboard Trilogy Challenge, as over there the theme for November is Autumn or Halloween.
November 19th Update - just looked over at Make My Monday and my card has been picked for Top 3! Chuffed!

Masculine teen card

I am challenging myself to make more  cards for the men in my life and this time I was prompted by the challenge at Cas-ual Fridays - a clean and simple masculine project.  It has turned out a bit of a teen card, though I'm sure this still counts.

Funnily enough, I started with the sentiment, from SUs Sassy Salutations set, which I inked up using my in colour markers.  Then I added a glittery embossed black frame to make it stand out. The little icons I have punched out of a piece of wrapping paper, the smiley face one is stuck on with a dimensional.  Finally I added some 'music' washi tape.  I am really pleased with how this has turned out - it would be perfect for any of my sons' friends. 

The house is a little quiet this weekend as my oldest son has gone to visit his sister at Uni for a couple of days. Only the youngest one left, but we made the most of it with a trip to see the fireworks yesterday and an outing to the cinema to see Skyfall this evening. Loved it!

Christmas Stripes and Baubles

I had such a lot of fun making this card! I used the bingo card challenge at Addicted To Stamps and More - not done this before and there is almost too much choice but it is interesting looking at the possible combinations.  I chose to go across the middle - Black, Stripes and free and using Mica powder was my free choice.

I started with making the stripes, using double sided tape of various widths and ultra fine glitter, I built up the stripes for the background. I cut out the baubles from black cardstock and used mica powder to add the colour and sentiment, stamping the sentiment over the top of two of the baubles.   It's from SU new set Sassy Salutations. Using mica powder was a new-to-me technique which I learned at our craft club meeting last week - I'm hooked, I love that shimmery blingy effect and it's so simple.  I added some gold thread to the baubles and positioned them off centre for a CAS contemporary Christmas card

Reindeer Sketch

Well November is here and so it's a new sketch challenge from the team at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and this week it's a real goodie. Take a look:

I thought I'd give  Dasher another go, this time in a grey and light blue colour combination.

I dry embossed the panel with a snowflake design from Tim Holtz' Alterations range and, using the same cardstock, heat embossed the sentiment in silver.  Dasher has some silver Stickles  to decorate his antlers and instead of the heart I have added another snowflake (which doesn't show up very well on the photo - sorry!) Three little light blue gems in the corner complete the sketch.  I am getting rather keen on sketch challenges - there are such a lot of really inspiring sketches around and the work is half done for you, don't you think? Have a look at the other cards from the DT at 52 CCT - they are fantastic this week!