Two for Three

Three challenges inspired me to make the following two cards, I don't very often blog two at a time but these go together. Both cards are for the Grunge challenge at Addicted To CAS, I am totally addicted to Stampin' Up's Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and so any excuse to use it I grab!
This was my first attempt, CASEd from a card I found on the internet and pinned, here

I have used the colour combination from the challenge at Stampin' Royalty, I love the blue accent on the yellow and orange.

I was hooked on this corner stamped design and wanted to make another one and so, this time using the colours from The Colour Throwdown

I made this card

The pink is very pale , but you an see it better in the close up of the humming bird below.  I used a stencil and sponged the three colours to give the idea of iridescent plumage, adding some dazzling Details to enhance the effect and a tiny irridescent gem for his eye. After fussy cutting him out I used dimensionals to pop him up and added the sentiment fro Sassy Salutations. This time I've rounded all four corners.

Hope you like my CAS Grunge cards and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Baby Love

I had a bit of time to play and so created a card for two challenges, Make My Monday and Addicted to CAS.  It is nice sometimes to forget yor DT work and just craft! Both of these challenges want to see
inspired by the word 'Baby' or 'Babies'. Isn't it nice to be thinking about spring and babies, instead of all that dreary weather?

 I just love this bunny image, which I've stencilled in silver.  Polka dots always say 'baby' to me. When I was rummaging in my stash for the EF I found this washi tape too, which added a bit of colour.  Mt Stamp-A-Ma-Jig allowed me to accurately stamp the sentiment banner, using two small sentiments from Pennant Parade.  I know it's CAS but I did want to put a bow on my bunny. hope you can forgive this little extravagance. Just taken the photo and it's 5pm , so there's a bit of a blue cast, might try and re-photo tomorrow. As my EF folder is very small (had to put the card base through the Big Shot 4 times to get coverage all over) and with the sentiment, my card is definitely a class in matching up- don't look too hard for the joins!

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Tumbling Leaves

Lots of you out there have already discovered the card sketch challenges at Mojo Monday but it wasn't until yesterday that I visited their blog for the first time and immediately became a follower! So, I'm entering in my first Mojo Monday sketch challenge, and I'm certain it won't be my last.  Here is this week's sketch

 I've also used a little bit of inspiration from the DT over at Addicted To CAS, as I loved their cue word

So, here's my card

I usually make square cards, but I have been playing around with other formats recently and I though this sketch would look best kept in it's original rectangular form. You can't see so well but the circle is embossed with Stampn' Up's cloud embossing folder. The leaves, which re the most gorgeous stickers I've ever seen, are 'tumbling' down on the acetate banner, which I've edged with red glitter. The dotty theme of the clouds is picked up by the DP and the red twine bow complements the autumn feel.  The sentiment was the hardest decision, as I didn't want anything too big to detract from my acetate banner, so I finally chose the small Thank U from Pennant Parade

Serene Circles

A day spent with my good friend Jacqueline has kick started my crafting after a break and, spotting this challenge on the blogs I decided to have a go.  The challenge cue is circles and the blog is Addicted To CAS. This is my card - full of colour, I think you'll agree

I started off thinking about what circles I had and remembered this image from the Serene Silhouette set. I had seen a card made with these stamps in bright colours arranged vertically  and so I started to think how I could adapt the design.  I chose different colours of course, and in laying them across the card came up with the idea of cutting away half of the card so that the circles become really prominent.

Then a combination of sentiment stamps from Sassy Salutations and Whacky Wishes, a couple more circles in the form of stick on brads and a coordinating mat on the inside of the card and it was done. Still lots of white space and some very eye-catching circles!

Chevrons, Flowers and Friendship

It feels like I've been making cards all day today.  First, I went to my local craft club this morning, we had a lovely time chatting, looking at some new stuff and making a fab card - it's amazing when everyone makes the 'same' card at how different they turn out to be. Anyway, I was introduced to a new colour there - Primrose Petals - don't ask me why it's pink as I thought primroses were yellow, but that doesn't really matter. This afternoon I used the fold we were shown this morning, with a twist, and the colour to make a card for two challenges CAS-ual Fridays, where the theme is Chevrons and Flowers and Addicted To CAS, where they want a CAS project inspired by the word Friend.

 I used the stamp set The Language of Friendship (perfect for the ATCAS challenge) to stamp the flowers, and, because I don't own the matching punch, fussy cut them out. I used Primrose Petals CS (thank you, Jacqueline!) to layer some SU chevron DP and make an inverted frame which makes a 'springy' base.  The leaves are made out of coppery coloured Fimo, rolled very thinly and scored with 'veins'. Then the leaves and flowers were stuck to the centre panel, which pops right off the card, but you can't see it all that well . Inside the card I have stamped some more little flowers.  The sentiment is also stamped in Primrose Petals and comes from the same stamp set.

Can you see the dimension a little better in this photo? I have made a few more cards, which I'll be sharing with you later, until then Happy Crafting!

More Madison Avenue

My adventures with Madison Avenue continue. I am really loving this free Stampin' Up Sale-a-Bration set and it's so different from anything else I have.  Coupled with some of the DP, also from the Sale-a-Bration offer, I've made a card using the cue from Addicted To CAS which is 'Spring'. These are very stylised spring flowers, but the colours, yes it's Calypso Coral again, this time with Lucky Limeade, are so warm and spring-like (unlike the weather this weekend in the UK where there is still snow everywhere)

I really love the way this turned out. I've used a flat bow style this time and two gorgeous brads which coordinate perfectly- here's a close up. Oops, I see now one is not quite centred, oh well, that's the beauty of hand-made!

 I cut out all the flowers and stems and popped them up on dimensionals.  The central stamp is from Decorate a Daisy, love those words, although the first time I read it I thought 'Streetwise? That's a funny thing to write on a card' - can you see what I mean?

Black Bird

Good morning!  It's my day off but unfortunately I have to go into work this afternoon for some training so just time to create one card, inspired by a few challenges (which is unusual for me, I usually only have enough brain power to focus on one!).
I have cased a sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch and used the theme from Addicted To CAS and made a card which is definitely  Less Is More How's that!

I actually hope that I don't need a Sympathy card right now, but I thought that the bird is uplifting, whilst still being quite somber so I thought it was the most appropriate sentiment, especially with the black frame.  Enough talking, here's my card

 The bird is die cut from DP and then clear heat embossed to accentuate the black.  The frame is actually a peel off, would you believe it, and it took ages to get it in exactly the right place. I have paper pierced around the edges of the frame to add a minimal accent, you can just see it on the photograph.
So that's my crafting done for today, :(

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.

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.