Kinda Eclectic Thank You

So, I'm hosting over at CAS Colours &Sketches and had to design a sketch. I don't know how you do this, but I tend to think of a card and 'distil' the design from that idea. This time I really wanted to have a change in size between the two elements on the card.

I used three stamp sets, as the butterfly from my Kinda Eclectic set has gone missing. I did quite a lot of 'precision' stamping, using my Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to get things in the right position (still had quite a few goes to get things right!)

First I stamped the large sun image in Crushed Curry. Then I split the sentiment stamp up and stamped off first in one direction and then the other to get the faded effect. I really wanted the words to line up centrally.

Finally I stamped and fussy cut out the butterfly from Papillon Potpourri before colouring it with watercolour pencils. I've used Perfect Plum ink for the sentiment and matched the colour for the butterfly.

Finally I used some foam tape to pop up the card front. I do hope that you like the sketch and will give it a try. Do go and have a look at the super examples my teamies have made with this sketch.

Autumnal Thanks

Still on holiday so here is my scheduled post for this week's challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches it is a colour week

Now, I don't have Cajun Craze, so I went with a generic orangey- brown colour. Mine is probably a little lighter than CC but it still works in the colour palette. Whilst CC&S uses Stampin Up names for colours it's more than OK to use any other brand, as long as the colours are close.

I stamped the ink pad onto white card and left it to dry before over stamping with Marina Mist. I also stamped the Thanks ( from Seasonally Scattered) on the card base in the same Marina Mist and then matched up the two images. Before sticking down the panel I stamped some leaves from Kinda Eclectic

Finally I added a double score line frame around the edge of the card, keeping it CAS with minimal layering. Sorry about the title, I'm not wishing the summer away, it's just that my card seems to be rather autumnal in design.The whole card is based on stamping and I was after a thank you card suitable to send to a man. These colours definitely said 'man card' to me but I will look forward to seeing what others create from them.

CAS Floral Birthday

Its holiday season and like many people I am scheduling this post to go live when I am away, I hope it works and you are seeing this for the first time on the right day at the right time! It's my DT card for this week's challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches. 

It's a fab sketch, so many possibilities. I knew what I wanted to do as soon as I saw it...

Using Kinda Eclectic and Stippled Blossoms, I dropped the design to the bottom of the card so that the sentiment, from Fabulous Four, could take centre stage. The border is hand drawn. Inside I have stamped a traditional Happy Birthday greeting.

I kept the card monochromatic, using just Primrose Petals, stamped off to create the lighter tones on the flower and just coloured in a few stamens on each bloom

I don't often use flowers on my cards, but when I do it is often using this two step stamping set. I do like the effect it creates. Fussy cutting out the two blooms and using foam pads on one gives some easy layers whilst keeping things CAS with lots of white space.

Just noticed the date I'm scheduling this post for and it is my wedding anniversary today! 26 years! I expect we will be celebrating somewhere, it will be ' Our Day'.

Beautiful Butterfly.

Here is a card I made for a friend who's going through a difficult time. It is a magic slider card, you can google Magic Slider Card and you will find tutorials on how to make them. this is my first and it amazes me, so much that I actually wanted to keep it! Good job we can blog these cards so we kind of get to keep them.

The frame is made from a 12x12 piece of DP, the stamp is a very old one, I have no idea where from. The flowers were punched out and layered together. The leaves are stamped using Kinda Eclectic and fussy cut out.

This shows the dimension . The next three pictures show the magic slide effect, pull the tab and the butterfly magically becomes beautifully coloured.

I used the sentiment 'life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful' as it seemed just right for both the design of the card ( have you tried stamping on acetate!!) and the occasion. I am entering the challenge at Addicted To CAS where the theme is Butterflies.

Kinda Bokeh

Flying a bit close to the wind today, just found a little time this morning before work to make my card for the challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches. It is a sketch week and here is the sketch, designed by fellow DT member, Lizy and very clean and simple

I've seen a few cards, using a bokeh technique, where you blend your ink on the card and then, using the negative of some punched circles sponge white ink through the holes. I wanted to try it out. I also found these gorgeous colours at The Colour Throwdown and thought I'd give them a whirl

So this is the result. I've used Kinda Eclectic for the tone on tone stamping

I also used a piece of Adventure Bound DP for the grey, and so proving to myself that it can also be used for feminine cards. The layering and vertical stripe were simply made from matching card stock. It took a little longer than I anticipated for this card to come together but as I'm going to also enter a couple of challenges I am not complaining.

Triple Time with three stamp sets

It's Saturday again, that's a nice feeling! I've had such a busy week, I've been away from home for work, for the first time I think since having my children! I've really enjoyed a few nights in a lovely hotel, with colleagues, learning new and very useful skills, but I'm afraid it's put my crafting on the back burner. Just had time last evening to make my last hostess card for April for 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and, like many things when you are rushing, it took me a few goes to get it right. I've chosen to finish with a technique

This is definitely a technique I love to do. I have used heat embossing this time, and combined three stamp sets, definitely not all Christmas ones! I have kept to a two colour palette: Blackberry Bliss and Mossy Meadow

I have used the sunburst from Kinda Eclectic, and images from  Ornamental Pine and a touch of Gorgeous Grunge. There are a few gems dotted around and I've popped the ornament up on foam pads. I used more Blackberry Bliss card stock for the mats. I have offset the three layers, you can do so many layouts

It had to be quick, I was so tired after the training course, hope it doesn't show in my card!

50 shades of Green (well, four anyway!)

April is going to be a bit of a busy month for me in blogland, as I'm hosting two challenge blogs where I am on the DT. The first one starts today. Of course it's the turn of CAScoloursandsketches on Thursdays and I've chosen this monochromatic colour palette

Green is so spring like, and I knew I wanted to use Kinda Eclectic again, so this became a lesson (to myself of course) on how CAS can I make it. I started by using my three shades of green, Certain Celery, Lucky Limeade and a Mossy Meadow and covering a sheet of A4 with the stamp images. Then I cut it up to use as a background.

These two above are the final, most CAS versions. On the way I first made this birthday card, using a Pear Pizazz marker for the sentiment and fussy cutting out a butterfly from Papillon potpourris.

This one I'm going to enter in the Anything Goes challenge at Seize The Birthday

I was lucky enough to be picked as a runner up last week so I'm going to support them again this 

week, well, it would be rude not to!

Then I made a card with more white space and used the sentiment from KE. I figured that I could reverse the white space, using it as the focal panel rather than in the background, but it was hard covering up all that lovely  green stamping!

So, which one do you think is most clean and simple in its design? I do hope that you like green and that you will be tempted to play around with your green inks, markers and papers in much the same way as I was. My sheet of A4 did actually make 4 cards, but I'm saving that last one to show you another day.

Kinda the Same

Today I had to make a couple of cards for a swap I'm part of. The brief was think Spring and friendship. To help with the colour choice I found this lovely subtle Spring palette at The Paper Players

I'm still playing around with my newest stamp set; Kinda Eclectic. This time I've combined it with stamps from an old set, Vintage Vogue. I think they go together really well. I love the sunburst behind the leaves and flower. This was the first card I made

Here you can see which elements are stamped flat and which are raised on foam pads. Like the little matching gem?

Next I made the second card, this time on a square base. This means it's all closer together. I changed the colour used for the sunburst.

This time different elements have been left flat or raised up. The letter is fussy cut out and mounted over the dots and I coloured in the centre of the flower before adding the gem

Here you can see both cards together. Which one do you prefer? I think the first is my favourite but it was fun to play around with an idea and try out different ways, I usually only make single cards.

Kinda Eclectic Christmas

It's a busy old weekend for me as our County Swimming Championships gat under way and my youngest is performing in the orchestra for his school production of Disneys Beauty and The Beast (have to admit I'm a little bit excited about seeing it ...LOL) I just have time to post a card that I made for the challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown. We have a new hostess for March, Gill. She's getting us off to a cracking start with this sketch..

I set myself another challenge too, to use my new stamp set Kinda Eclectic to make a Christmas card. I just think this set is so versatile and I wanted to try it out

I was a bit stuck on my colour scheme until someone mentioned Blackberry Bliss and Kraft, I just added in some metallic gold. The label was cut out at a workshop, I have no idea what it's called, only that it is from Stampin Up. I layered it to add depth, after stamping the sunburst in Versamark and heat embossing with gold powder. This rich colour scheme would be suitable for a male friend or relative so I'm going to enter the challenge at Completely Christmas this week.

The horizontal panel is also stamped fre Kinda Eclectic and heat embossed. Finally, I added an ancient sentiment, also heat embossed (you could be forgiven for thinking that this was a technique challenge!) and a few stars fell out of a bag when I was searching for an embellishment and I thought 'they look good like that'

 My card was finished and actually I would have to say that it looks better in real life. I am obviously not a very good photographer! Hope you get chance to try your hand at creating a Christmas card for this challenge. Now, I'm off to watch some swimming!

Kinda CAS

I have new stuff!!! EVERYONE  gets excited about new stuff and I was lucky that I could start playing straight away with my card for the challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches. This week we have a colour challenge

 ...and I got my new stamps inky.

It took me a while to realise that I NEEDED this stamp set and my first card was a case of chucking it altogether to see what came out. I added foam pads to the leaves to get some dimension into my cars and a couple of gems to lift the colours. If you are wondering why the Lost Lagoon looks so pale it is because I stamped off first to get a lighter shade of blue.

You can see the blackberry bliss mat and the raised leaf in this photo. The sentiment is from Whacky Wishes- I dont use these very often but I think they go well with these stamps

I am going to enter a couple of challenges this week. Firstly, Addicted To Stamps and More have a CAS challenge on and ShowCASe your Style want to see birthday cards.

( Oops, missed the deadline on that last one, never mind!)