Card with a peg

Sorry, couldn't think of a better name for this post! As January has 5 Thursdays, for this 'extra' week we are giving you a combined sketch and colour challenge at CAS -Colours and Sketches

Don't forget you don't have to use exact Stampin' Up colours, just the best match, but do stick to just those colours please if you want to be considered for top 3.

I stamped quite a bit this time, unusually for me. I used a set called Fruit and Flowers and overstamped a panel, which I matted onto Indigo Island CS. I stamped extra flowers which I cut out and I used the sentiment from Sassy Salutations. The peg and ribbon are my little extra touches and you will see that I have decorated the inside of my card too

Do have a look at the other fabulous creations from the DT and I can't wait to see all your lovely cards too!

Sorry I forgot!

I was out at our local craft club last night when I looked across the table and remembered that I had forgotten my friend Sue's birthday. Oh no, it was on the 9th January, so I'm only 3 weeks late! Luckily, we were crafting 3D water distressed flowers and so I was determined to make a card today using my flower, especially for Sue.
I scouted around and found a perfect sketch to follow (I'm starting to become an addict to sketches!) at Addicted To Stamps and More

I've used two different papers, some decorative washi tape and some twine, along with a die cut tag shape onto which I watermark stamped a (very) suitable sentiment! I have watermark stamped some more flowers inside, masking off an area to write, but as I'm already pushing my luck photographing this card late at night I didn't think this subtle stamping would show up well enough, Enough babbling, here's my card and a close up of the flower

I will give it to my friend when I see her tomorrow at our second crafting club evening(I know, two in one week!)

LIM Valentine

OK,OK I know I said I'd only make one Valentine's Day card this year but this one just popped out of my head, courtesy of the sketch challenge at Less Is More and one of the cards created by  the guest designer over there this week, Jen.

I cut out a section of my card and spliced in some flocked acetate. Then I added red ribbon and a dash of fancy washi tape The sentiment if from Sweet Cake.

I think the whole thing adds up to much more than the sum of it's parts, if you know what I mean and that must be LIM. In a quandry now as I don't know which one to give him!

Triple Time Stamping

Final challenge for January (where did that month go to!!) at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and we have a technique challenge for you. This time it's a simple but very effective technique called triple time stamping. I tried a variation, where I used different shape and size layers, not decreasing layers, but over on the blog you can see examples of the more usual layout.  We don't mind how you do it as long as you use the basic technique

I used Naturals Ivory, a slightly creamy CS and Indigo Island and Pool Party inks, not your typical Christmas colours. The stamp set is Season of Joy and I've added a small silver bow with a jingle bell and tiny silver gem centres to the flowers. I've used silver mirri board for the matting and layering.  I did attempt to triple time stamp a sentiment but, to be honest, it wasn't that successful and so I have not used it on my card.

Valentine Be Mine

The sketch this week at CAS_Colours and Sketches features a large heart.  Now, you don't have to follow the heart theme, any large shape will be fine, but I thought I would make a traditional Valentine's Day card.

I did just remember that our lovely Challenge Blog creator, Jacqueline, wants to see some stamping in every CAS Colours and Sketches card so I stamped the background, using a couple of SU stamps, Outlined Occasions and Confetti.  I am afraid the flash on my camera has taken away some of the detail of the stamping though. I made a mat for my gold mirri board heart (cut out by hand as I don't own a heart shaped die), using a some red paper also layered onto the mirri board. The hearts at the side are a mixture from my stash. This is probably the one and only Valentine's day card I will make this year, so I hope 'he' likes it!

Two Birdy Cards

Hello.  I have two cards to share with you today.
The first one I am entering in a few challenges but it started out being inspired by this sketch from Make My Monday

 This is such a CAS sketch -I loved it instantly and I think I'll be using it again! This is what I did with it

I was intrigued by the theme from this week's challenge at Less Is More, which is Friends, not usually a subject for my cards but I thought of a friend that I really out to make contact with. I used the three little bird images from an SU set called Flock Together., even the name of this set puts me in mind of friendship.I had to make a sentiment as I didn't have one suitable and I used a a mask to get the two little red birds together, but other than that it was quite straight forward.. I am also entering my card into the challenge at Addicted To Stamps and More #5 for a CAS card.
As you will notice from the title of this post there are two bird cards.  Here's the second one - it's for The Merry Monday Challenge, where they want Christmas cards with birds.  If you're expecting a robin take another look!

This time I used another SU set, Nature Walk,and a little freebie hollysprig stamp. So, I can also enter this card in the Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge, where you need to use something recycled or free.  I triple time stamped this card and it's actually a case from my friend Jacqueline's Craft Club blog, you can look at her card here.

I've even decorated the inside this time.
Wow, that was a marathon post! Hope you like my cards.
February Update - just found out my 3 little birds card was chosen for top 3 at the Make My Monday , Challenge - which makes this Monday a little bit special!

Cased Feathers

Yes, it's another feather card I am afraid, but this time it's for a monthly challenge I found a while back called The Cupboard Trilogy.  Over there there are three categories for you to enter- card, scrapbook layout and anything goes. This month the challenge is 'Follow My Lead' - basically look at the DT's projects, choose one and case it.

I looked at all the cards but the project which caught my eye most was a scrapbook layout.  Now I don't scrapbook, so I thought I could apply the layout to my card, like a sketch. So that's what I did, using the scrapbook LO by Lesley.
I used some Papermania papers and matching ribbon and buttons.  The feathers are stamped in Versamark onto kraft card for a very subtle watermark effect and the sentiments are from 2 SU sets, The Language of Friendship and Happiest Birthday Wishes

A Fine Feather!

The lovely snow outside is encouraging us to craft here!  Both my sons made cards for their father's birthday, which we will be celebrating today when he arrives home after a week away and I've gone feather mad and made at least three cards featuring my new SU stamp set, Fine Feathers.  One of the images is a long thin feather, from a pheasant I guess, and I thought it would go well with this weeks challenge at Cas-ual Fridays, where the DT would like to see cards with one long and one short side, the orientation is up to you.

I made a panel using gilding flakes and stamped the feather waiting for it to dry, before cutting it out. I stamped the sentiment from Happiest Birthday Wishes, a hostess set from SU, and replaced the exclamation mark with my feather. I added a border by hand (this was a bit nerve-wrecking, but I've seen others do it and it always seems to finish off a card without too much fuss so I thought I'd try it and it was easier than I thought!), I love the effect the gilding flakes give to the feather, and the shape of the feather emphasizes the long tall shape of the card.  Thanks for looking.

Recipe for a card

Ruth is hosting the challenges during January at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and this week she came up with a 'recipe' for a card.  What a brilliant idea!! So take one card, add some patterned paper and some glitter, decorate the inside, make sure it's suitable for Christmas and there you have it- a recipe for a Christmas card.
Here's one I made earlier

Now, do you think this is a bit over the top?  I do, and I LOVE it!! It's a double stepped card and I've used three coordinating papers from Festival of Prints.  I stamped the poinsettia image from Christmas Blessings onto Naturals White CS and in the one I added the glitter to the stems and centre, colouring in the leaves with Poppy red Promarker.  On the other one I used more glitter and only coloured the outline.  The sentiment is from Sassy Salutations and when I had matted it onto more paper I added a glitter frame. Three little red gems on each. That's the paper and the glitter. Finally, I decorated the inside

Another image from the same stamp set, this time mistletoe, a repeat of the sentiment and a swatch of the paper.
I hope that you will have as much fun as I did following the recipe. I always think it's amazing that when you follow a recipe when cooking you always create something slightly different from someone else who uses exactly the same ingredients.  I guess cards are no different - I can't wait to see the variations on this one.

Pedestal Pop Up for Hubby

Today is my husband's birthday.  We can't celebrate yet as he's in the States until Sunday, but I thought I would sit down and follow the excellent tutorial on Technique Tuesday to make him a pedestal pop up card. I was helped by the fact that it's snowing here in the UK where I live and so school is shut, the buses aren't running and we all get an extra day off! They are called Snow Days and probably those of you who live out there where snow is dealt with in a much more matter of fact, get-on-with-it sort of way will be amazed!
Any way here is my card

the inside with a pop up bird.

I used two stamp sets, Fine feathers and Nature Walk, and I stamped onto polka dot paper and Naturals Ivory cs, using chocolate chip, crumb cake and soft suede inks.  The Chocolate chip scalloped edge  ribbon picks up the polka dot theme.  I picked up the colour scheme with some burgundy DSP from the Paisley Petals range and I've fussy cut out one feather and raised in on dimensionals to give the front a bit more interest.
OK, so it's not all lovey dovey for the man in my life, but I know what he will like is the 'paper engineering' - the clever pop up pedestal, inside. i rather like the inside decoration too and I think I might be doing a bit more of this.

A Snowy Scene take 2

I was very happy with the first card I made featuring the Michael Powell stamp that when I had the chance to get my hands on a second one in the sales I jumped at it (note to self - need to stop buying bargains!).Anyway, I had a plan. You must all have found Mynnettes Technique Tuesday challenge blogspot by now and Mynnette is running a Crew Call this month. I love this challenge, as it's great to learn something new and the tutorials are so easy to follow.  Eve though it's open for a month I don't always get myself organised in time to enter but I do always have a go at the technique. This one is called faux tiles.

I stamped and coloured the image, then cut it into different sized 'tiles' inking the edges before reassembling the picture on some Naturals Ivory CS. I placed this inside a card blank I cut from the same CS and covered the front with some green starry paper. Then I cut an aperture the same size as the image, added some punched out bells, stars and a hand cut moon.

3 Little Cupcakes

Another colour challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches this week and it's a very easy combination of Olive Green, Pretty In Pink and Melon Mambo (or any shades you have close to these three, as they don't have to be exact SU colours).  At first I thought spring flowers but then I was distracted by the arrival of some new SU goodies - a cup cake builder punch and the matching stamp set.  Cupcakes it is, then!

I stamped three little squares of dark pink directly onto my card base, using the ink pad itself.  Then I made three little cupcakes using the punch and stamp.  Aren't they delicious? The sentiment is from the same set and is rather fun too. Here's a close up

I am thinking now about how else I could use my punch so if you have any ideas I'd be glad to hear them!

A Snowy Scene

Today I have a card for you that was the result of an impulse purchase from the bargain bucket in the January sales. The stamp, from Papermania Urban Stamps, designed by Michael Powell, is not my usual style, but I've seen lots of lovely cards made using his stamps.

The stamp does produce a very crisp image, perfect for colouring with markers, as I did. I then used my circle die cuts to cut out the image and a mat from gorgeous and sparkly black cs. I used some paper with snowflakes as a background , I think it's also from Papermania a range called 'Deck The Halls' from a couple of years back. The banner is  cut out from matching paper, layered onto the same cs and I have punched out one of the black circles, popped it up on dimensionals and added some glossy accents to make it stand out. I love how the night sky complements the cs and the colors from the papers are picked up in the houses but most of all I love the image.
I used this sketch from The Merry Monday Challenge

and as I have used circle dies and punches I am entering my card in the challenge over at Make My Monday. No sentiment on the front, I have stamped the inside with a Christmas greeting. I am going to pop it into crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge  too as there are some fab prizes up for grabs!
Just got home from the cinema, I took my Mum to see Les Miserables - needless to say we are both emotionally drained!

Purple Baubles

Our second challenge for 2013 at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and this week it's a colour challenge - purple, metallic silver and white.  Very contemporary I hear you say! I really love this combination and the photo image also inspired me as you will see.

It's funny, making Christmas cards with Christmas a couple of weeks ago, but keep up with us and you will have at least 52 cards ready to send this Christmas! I used some vellum, with silver stars and  a white card blank. I matted some purple corrugated card onto silver mirri board and cut out 3 baubles using a punch. The white snowflakes, purple butterflies and the sentiment all come from my stash.
Do go and look at the cards from the other girls on the DT- they have some fabulous ideas to show you.
I am going to pop this card into the challenge at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge.  After Santa had a rest last week, this time it's Rudolf so you can enter any Christmas card which doesn't feature Rudolph (or any of his reindeer friends). By the way, there is an extra competition from crafty Hazel
Crafty Hazelnuts extra challenge which runs for the whole of January- another chance to win!

Blue Cake Birthday

Here is another lovely sketch challenge from CAS Colours and Sketches.

and I have made a birthday card using the Sweet Cake stamp from SU which I chose to stamp in a very, non-cake like shade -Indigo Island.  I have added a pop of colour with the cherry though!  The DSP is from Festival of Prints, which shows that it's not just for Christmas! I made my banner in the same paper, matting it onto pale blue CS, to make it stand out and adding three gorgeous fabric covered brads.

Do go and look at the other cards from the DT - there are some more fabulous ideas from them.
 I am also entering this card in a (new to me) challenge blog, ABC Challenge Blog.  I've been meaning to join in with this blog since it started towards the end of last year and, as they are asking for CAS cards this week I thought I would play along.

Fish

It's really nice to see Make My Monday challenge blog back again after their break for the Christmas holidays.  Their first challenge for 2013 asks for  work featuring dry embossing and I was stuck thinking what embossing folder to use.  Then I had a bit of a brainwave and decided to make my own! I used the die cut I wanted to feature and cut it out of cereal box card several times.  I stuck all of these down onto another piece of card from the cereal box, layering up one or two to get different thicknesses,  and made my own folder! In case you don't believe me, here it is!

homemade embossing folder

 This little chap is a Cuttlebug die, simply called Fish. I then used it in the normal way through my BigShot machine. I matted and layered the embossed panel onto two colours of CS and then cut out more fish in the same colours, sticking them over the embossed ones. It's difficult to make fish look cute but I think the addition of the little one helps.The ABC Challenge is also featuring E for Embossing so I have popped it in the challenge there too

The other fish have little pale green pearl eyes and I thought it was an appropriate sentiment (it's from Pennant Parade)! I couldn't wait to take the photo in day light so the embossing is kind of hard to see. It is, I am sure you will agree, very CAS, possibly LIM so I am going to enter it in the  challenge at 'abc' challenge for a clean and simple card.

Black and White Feathers

I love monochrome cards, especially black and white, I think it is an elegant combination and when I saw that the challenge at Less Is More this week was just that with a hint, a dab or a tiny splash of colour I knew that I wanted to give it a try. Coupled with that I received a post-Christmas present to myself of a new set of stamps from SU called Fine Feathers so I war raring to go. Here is my card

I added my dab of colour with a gem of Peacock blue. I made three versions of this card, the first one was a one-layer (see below), the second I used a scalloped circle for the image, but this one is my favourite. I love that touch of faux stitching around the edge of the die cut. The sentiment is from Sassy Salutations, if you've visited my blog recently you will know that I love to use this one.

The second card I made when I was trying out different layouts is a  one-layer Thank you card, everything else is much the same.  I liked this one too so I will put it into the Cas-ual Fridays challenge, where they are looking for CAS thank you cards, (it would also have made it for their last challenge as it certainly took less than 10 minutes to make!)

Robin Redbreast

Welcome back to a whole new year of Christmas challenges from 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown. We have a weekly challenge, including sketches, colours, themes, recipes, embellishments, techniques and, occasionally, anything goes (as long as it's Christmas!). January challenges have been set by the very talented Ruth. Our first challenge is a sketch

And here is my card - in front of my Christmas tree, which will be gone by the end of today :(

I stamped the Holly border twice onto some Naturals White card stock and matted it onto some DP, after tying some red twine around.  It looks a bit like a present! The little robin is stamped and then punched out after colouring with Promarkers. I love the way you can add his little legs now that a stamp is available to match the bird punch. I picked up the green from the holly image as a background for him and stamped the sentiment from the same set as the holly - Christmas Blessings from Stampin' Up. I have entered this card into the weekly challenge at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge Blog, where, for this week Santa has gone into hiding after his busiest time of the year and so any Christmas card WITHOUT Santa is welcome.

Fruity Thank You

A Happy New Year!
I am thinking that this will be one of my first posts in 2013, as we have been running challenges over the festive period at CAS Colours and Sketches and this one is going live on 3rd January. Of course, in order to have a well earned break with my family and friends, including much eating, drinking,films, quizzes, family games and a Murder Mystery to solve, I have been posting in advance and this one is no exception.

It is a colour week again and the colours chosen include two of the new SU In-Colours for this year - Gumball Green and Summer Starfruit, along with Crumb Cake. Don't worry if you don't have these exact colours, anything close will do.

I have made another Thank you card as I think I will be needing a few of these and have used one of my favourite CAS layouts- the 9 squares, stamping the apple and pear images from Perfectly Preserved and the little sentiment from the same set.  I have matted them onto Crumb Cake CS and I used Naturals White for the card base and stamping. Just a couple of gems in each apple, like the pips!

Happy New Year

The household has nearly returned to normal, husband back to work, kids still in bed, so I thought I would make a quick card and was inspired by the cue at CASology challenge blog- NEW! Of course, I made a New Year card - not very original but it's the only one I've made this year.

I used my Pennant Punch and some of the In Colours, along with Outlined Occasions, all from Stampin' Up. I stamped the image and coloured it, adding the balloons from Pedal Presents too. The card is double scored to add an interesting frame, but you can't see it so well. I used bakers twine to string my banner and have stuck it down with dimensionals.  It took me a while to decide where to place the banner actually, finally I went for this option. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!! xx