Thursday 28 February 2013

Vintage Vogue Flower Card


Isn't this a fabulous sketch? I just loved it the moment I saw it. It's the new challenge from CAS Colours ad Sketches.  I have been a bit naughty with it though - what do you think?

I stamped the flowers from Vintage Vogue (Stampin' Up) with every intention of using a central 'topper' with the Top Note die, but I loved them so much in the end I cut a thin frame out of my die and just used that.  A matching gem in the middle flower and I just thought that's as CAS as I want it to be. I think I will add a sentiment when I know who it's going to.

Sunday 24 February 2013

Out of Africa for Dad

My safari with Zoo Review continued today as I made a card for the new challenge at Addicted to CAS. The cue word is Masculine. These are the hardest cards to make for me, simply because I don't usually see the potential in either the stamps or the paper but with Zoo Review it's pretty obvious.

I started with Naturals Ivory cardstock, which is quite yellow in colour I think- it was the right neutral for the very 'African' themed card I wanted to make. I cut a piece of mountboard ( to give dimension to my card) and covered it in animal print decopage paper  I stamped three images from Zoo Review and placed these on top, after layering them onto kraft card.  Some score lines stop this panel from floating in space on the card.  The 'Dad' is simply inked up die cut letters, made from grunge paper to add depth. The inks I have used are all naturals too.
My Dad never went on safari, and at nearly 80 years of age I don't think he's up for it but I know he would have loved to- may be my card will make up for that.

Saturday 23 February 2013

Hi Ho Silver 2

I had entered my card (see post below) at the challenge at CAS-ual Fridays and was cruising around blogland looking for another challenge when something on one of the CAS blogs caught my eye.  It said CAS was all about the design, not the techniques, not the tools, not the embellishments but the design, with lots of uncluttered white space and a main focal point. You will find the full text here.
So, I am going to enter again having crafted this card with that statement in mind




I thought long and hard about the design, did I want the card to say 'On your Engagement' or could the design 'say' what I wanted it to? Should I layer the ring onto black? Should I keep to one piece of 'bling', needed for the solitaire diamond? Where should I place the ring?
 In the end I went for this, a band of silver, with a simple contemporary sentiment, adapted from Friendly Phrases and a 'solitaire' with two small 'diamonds' to set it off. The ring looked best placed slightly to the right.
Did I do a better job this time?  I think so!

Hi Ho Silver

Hi Ho Silver - that's the cry from Cas-ual Fridays challenge blog this week, whilst Merry Monday's challenge #50 is for an Elegant Christmas card. I've created a card that fits the bill for both..
 I used a Tim Holtz embossing folder to emboss the card blank with snowflakes and stamped the large ornament stamp from Merry and Type in Versamark, before heat embossing it in silver. I added gems to one of the baubles and 1 in the centre of the large one.  I matted the black card onto silver mirri card.  Finally I stamped the little oval Christmas Greeting and also heat embossed that in silver, popping it up on dimensionals.
A simple recipe, white, black and metallic -CAS and elegant I think.

Christmas on Mars?

I may have pushed the boundaries too far this time folks! Danielle, our lovely hostess and setter of challenges for the month of February at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown has chosen felt embellishments for this week. I looked in the shops and in my boxes of stash and couldn't find anything that I thought would make a Chistmas card. Look at these wonderful embellies Danielle found to inspire you
I had felt cupcakes, and moons, stars and sheep, and aliens. So I had to think a bit more laterally - Hey I can do aliens!!
So this is my Christmas card, a heat embossed silver tree, trimmed with blue and red gems and a little felt alien, matted onto some very martian green dp. Oh, you need to see inside -

It's a different style for me and I'm going to have to think hard who I will send it to, not aged aunts or well respected community members, but I have lots of friends who like a laugh and I'm sure it will end up in appreciative hands! So go on, push your creativity too, there are lots of challenges out there.

Thursday 21 February 2013

F is for Friend


A lovely 'summery' colour combo this week from CAS Colours and Sketches. Don't be put off if you don't have the exact Stampin' Up colours, use the closest you have - but no other colours, if you want to be in with a chance of Top 3.
One reason I love papercrafting is the friends I have made, not just in blogland but for real, in my own community. One lovely lady lent me the stamp set I have used for this card ( and a few others you might be seeing over the next couple of weeks).  It's called Vintage Vogue.

I've used a technique known as triple time stamping and I'm so pleased with how it turned out. I must thank my friend Viji, as I cased one of her cards. I can't give you a link, as she doesn't blog, but I'm not going to claim all the credit. I had a lovely afternoon crafting with this stamp set, and yet I'd never thought of getting it as I was put of by the name...silly isn't it!
Do have a look at the other cards from the DT over on the Colours and Sketches blog.

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Christmas Zoo Review

This card came about as I played with my new Zoo Review stamp set for something I need  next month and it was so nice that I have decided to enter it into a couple of challenges, Make My Monday, where they are asking for ribbon AND buttons and  Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge, for which you need to have made a Christmas card with snow.

I stamped the bear onto a Top Note die, masked it and then added dots of versamark, which I heat embossed with clear powder.  I then brushed the ink over the top and the resist technique makes it look like snow. I added a bow and some matching buttons, all 'icy' blue colours.  The sentiment at the bottom is new too, from SU -Friendly Phrases, but the little Christmas greeting is a freebie (I found it in my stamp drawer, no idea where it came from, but I think I might be using it a lot from now on).  Finally, I sponged the edges. Do you think the polar bear looks like he's lost in a snowstorm? Just remembered I can enter this  card into Crafty Hazelnuts Extra Christmas Challenge for February - if you've made a Christmas card and posted it this month why not link up - lots of prizes for the lucky winners!

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Candy Jars

Yay! I made it! I have been trying and trying to make a card for the Addicted To CAS challenge since it started and today, thanks to the half term holiday, I've done it. The cue word was CANDY, and I have a very sweet tooth so I love all kinds of sweets (except green ones - I make it a point never to eat green sweets!) .  I am really a chocoholic but this challenge didn't say chocolate it said candy so here goes....

I stamped the jar from Perfectly Preserved onto white card and covered it in double sided tape.  Then I sprinkled on the 'card candy' circles. Then I stamped another jar, this time in white onto acetate and cut it out.  I stamped the lid from the jar in violet and attached it to the acetate. I originally had one jar but felt it needed the second one too. I then stuck the candy jars onto a white card blank. The whole thing is very 3D!
The sentiment is from the Sweet Cake set and I think it's perfect for the project, I just added one each of the 'sweeties'. I am so pleased with the way this turned out.

Saturday 16 February 2013

A Bit of Christmas Love

ooohh It's all hearts and flowers now, with Valentines' Day just gone, hope you got some love from someone special.!Whilst we are a Christmas card challenge blog here at 52{Christmas} Card Throwdown we are keeping with the theme of love for this week. We want to see your Christmas cards featuring hearts or expressions/sentiments of love..

My card started as a piece of DP, what I mean, is it was the paper from which the whole card grew.
I found this paper in my local craft shop, and I've made a matching 3D heart ornament (hand cut and embossed with Swiss dots), added a few bows too, and to finish what I think is a perfect sentiment - here a close up
Do have a look at the creations from the rest of the team.  It was great to craft with hearts for a Christmas project and I'm sure you'll be inspired too.  Don't be too quick to put all your Valentines' embellies away!

Thursday 14 February 2013

No Valentine Here

Although it is Valentine's Day I don't have a romantic card to share with you, but a masculine birthday card. I guess the loving feeling just didn't flow into my crafting today. This is the sketch for the challenge at CAS Colours an Sketches  this week
It's really fab don't you think?  You don't have to use the same shapes, (as you will see from my card) as long as we can still see the basic sketch in your card - rotate it, flip it, whatever.
I was making a card for a 'bookish' friend and started with a very pale patterned paper for the base.  I stamped the birds (Crafty Individuals) first, masked a rectangle and then added the text stamp (Waltzing Mouse) over the top. I coloured one of the birds for impact. Then I used a tab punch to punch out 'divider' tabs so it looked like a page in a file.  I continued the theme in the sentiment, which is from Sweet Cake. Although it's quite 'busy' I still think it is clean and simple -no sponging, distressing or 'frilly' embellishments.

Monday 11 February 2013

Liebster Award




What a lovely surprise - to be nominated for this award by Kylie, thank you.  Kylie and I are both on the DT for  CAS Colours and Sketches and I am in awe of her weekly creations so check her blog out!


ABOUT THE AWARD-This award was designed to be a blog award in the pay it forward fashion. Once you've been nominated, you award it to blogs that you like that have fewer than 200 followers, to encourage new visitors to visit these new blogs. 

RULES FOR ACCEPTANCE- 
Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog. Post the award onto your blog. Give the award to five bloggers who you appreciate that have fewer than 200 followers. Leave a comment on their blog letting them know that you have given them this awesome award!



PAY IT FORWARD- I've chosen 5 fabulous blogs from the regulars at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown where I am also a designer. These ladies are all so talented and to be honest I could easily have chosen another 10!



I think Meg must have a wicked sense of humour- her cards always make me smile
Suzie's life must be very full but she still finds time to create the most fantastic cards and blog about them!
and they are gems!  This lady creates very stylish and elegant cards
Daen Y's cards are like a breath of fresh air, she always creates very artistic projects
Anita's cards are stunning. Do check out her blog!


I can't say too much about these ladies as I don't know them very well, but what I do know is that their crafting inspires me to try to be more creative. Thanks to Kylie again for the nomination for this fab award.  I do hope that everyone gets more followers on their blogs - the more we share the better we all become!

Saturday 9 February 2013

Gingerbread Men

When I first saw the colour challenge for February on 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown I was a bit worried! Two of my least used colours, brown and yellow, and for Christmas!  What was I going to do? Thank heaven for challenges as when I sat down to craft this little card was created and I must say I will be using this colour combo again!

The main image with my little gingerbread men and stars reminds me of a tray of cookies, fresh out of the oven.  I added the gingerbread men's buttons and eyes with liquid pearls. Bakers twine and raffia tied in a bow keep the cookie theme going, the sentiment, which I heat embossed, looks like a box to put them in!
Do have a look at the cards from the rest of the DT at 52 CCT - lots of ideas to get you started if you're a little out of your comfort zone as I was .
I am going to enter my card into the challenge at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge and crafty hazelnuts extra christmas challenge too, this week it's cards with anything without snow, snowflakes etc. Lovely warm gingerbread should fit the bill.
 BTW I love gingerbread men - I nearly always spoil myself with one when I'm out shopping in town as there is a great little bakery that makes the most delicious ones ever!

Thursday 7 February 2013

Snowflakes

I love to heat emboss.  It's still magical I think.  But, I bought some embossing powder a while back called Snowflake White and I expected it to be, you know, white.  It was only when I used it on white cs that I found out it's more a vanilla shade of white. Well, every cloud.... this week at CAS Colours and Sketches we have a colour challenge for you featuring Very Vanilla, with Plum and Crumb Cake (or kraft). Here's my card
I used Kraft cs and heat embossed my 'vanilla' snowflakes, using a freebie stamp image from a magazine. Then I made the three panels and stamped on more snowflakes, in crumb cake, plum and very vanilla. I layered these onto some more plum coloured cs. There are a couple of tiny gems in the centres of the purple ones. I made a sentiment too, but it looked too busy on the front of my card so I put it inside - look!
I know the other members of the DT have made some fabulous cards using this colour combo too, so do go and have a peek.

Wednesday 6 February 2013

All You Need is Love Take 2

I don't normally enter challenges twice - I'm often not even organised well enough to enter once, but, today as I added the sentiment to my Less Is More challenge entry, another idea popped into my head.  Having the time and the idea at the same time is quite unusual so I got straight down to it and created another card for the kraft and cream challenge.


I used the owl punch from SU again, punching one out of kraft and one out of cream and a couple of flourish 'branches'.  I have reversed it this time, so I've used  kraft cs as the base. All these two little shy owls need is love, so I added the same sentiment.  Not so much pretty and feminine this time as cute and fun :)
Don't forget it's their second birthday over there, so do 'fly' over and join in the challenge!

All You Need Is Love

For today  have a very delicate, feminine card, with the perfect combination of kraft and cream, which is the theme at Less Is More.  This week they are celebrating their 2nd birthday, so congratulations Less Is More and thank you for the fabulous challenges - here's to many more!!


started with  cream card stock for my base, cut out the border and matted kraft behind. The gorgeous bow matches perfectly with my die cut leaves and punched flowers and follows the theme of the border.  The sentiment is so sweet, I just added a little punched heart. Lots of 'white space' left.
I knew I wanted to make a card with die cuts but wasn't sure what, so I just cut out everything I had in kraft and played around!  This was the result, hope you like it too.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Embedded Image Postage stamp card

This is probably a bit too keen, but when I saw the technique featured on Technique Time Tuesday I just knew I wanted to try it right away! It's a Christmas card again, sorry, but such lovely traditional colours!



I made the four little 'postage stamp' images as embedded images as described in the tutorial here.  Lots of fun this bit! The rest of my card is  bit of a DP 'party'  as I layered up and twisted the shapes I cut out of various papermania papers with my nestabilities dies.  there are 4 red rhinestones and the edges are ribbon to give t a bit of a 'Scandinavian' feel.  Here's a close up of the four little stamps, the flash has wiped out a bit of the colour I'm afraid, but you get the idea.


 I am also going to enter this card into Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge where the theme for your christmas card had to be 'p'... postage stamp, and in to the Crafty Hazelnuts Extra Christmas Challenge for February where anything goes as long as it's Christmas.

Saturday 2 February 2013

Tic Tac Toe Christmas Card

This is a great idea to get lots of different ideas going, the Tic Tac Toe, or bingo, challenge from Merry Monday. I must admit it took quite a while for my project to come together and I only managed when I went round to a friend's to craft.  She showed me how to use the technique known as reducing image and I used my markers to colour in my image. Here's the bingo card
and I used the diagonal line, snow, markers and DP.
I used liquid pearls to make the snow.  The image is from Papermania, Urban Stamps range. I made a matching tag with a little sentiment and attached it using some ribbon and a peg (or clothespin). After stamping and colouring the image twice, I cut out decreasing sizes of nesting dies and then layered them back up with dimensionals. I popped the image up on some red CS and then layered it onto some beautiful DP, trying to keep the colours all matching.
I had been looking for a snowman stamp and found this one, he is rather jolly I think!

Copper Christmas

The sketch challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown is very CAS this week, featuring three squares turned on their corners.  I instantly liked it and had an idea for the sentiment at the bottom which was my starting point
The sentiment is a piece of twill ribbon and I backed it onto some paper, also featuring fabric strips.  I used copper coloured mirri board for all the matting and layering.  The stamp is an old Papermania one, and I embossed it in copper too.  The glitzy buttons are my final copper touch.  I think the green card blank sets it all off nicely.