Pine Cone Wreath

You may not have realised but there are actually 5 Thursday's in October this year and that means an extra challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches- when this happens we do 'The Double' and give you a sketch and a colour combination to use.

These colours wouldn't ordinarily scream 'Christmas!' At me but that's what I chose to do with them (probably because I just got my hands on the new Ornamental Pine stamp set from SU.)

I stamped the wreath using the three colours and threaded Chocolate Chip ribbon through the centre by cutting slits in the middle of the image. I used a corner rounder and the sentiment from the same set on the dark blue mat. The small cone is fussy cut and has a tiny touch of Dazzling Details. I know the sketch has two horizontal panels and I have just the one vertical cone but I think it's close enough.    To be honest I found it hard enough keeping this clean and simple and with the extra pinecone it lost some of its impact, hope you can forgive me!

Through the Shed Window

Today's challenge at The Male Room a challenge blog for all your masculine inspired cards and projects, is a real classic manly theme, WOOD. 

 I used the Hardwood background stamp to create a window scene, perhaps it's a hide or a garden shed. The hardest part was positioning the centre of the window so as not to obscure too much of the Wetlands image. I used my Work of Art stamp to give the impression of watercolours and the colours I've used are Crumb Cale, Mossy Meadow and Pool Party. As there was really no room for a sentiment I lined my Kraft card base and stamped the greeting inside.

Merry Scatterings

The final Saturday in October, the big day is approaching fast. I'll admit I have to get Halloween and Bonfire night over before I start to think about Christmas preparations, apart from my cards that is. These are piling up nicely, ready to write and send (hubby's job) thanks to 52{Christmas} Card Throwdown.
We have a stash challenge for you this week

I have been eying up the three fabulous stamps in the Seasonally Scattered set for SU since the Holiday catalogue came out, just love all the ideas that are floating around Pintrest and Splitcoast 

Stampers. Here is my first inking

I used Kraft, white and Blackberry Bliss as a colour combo. I stamped the image in white ink first, but this dried to a nice shade of raspberry! So, I inked up with Versamark and heat embossed with white for this, my second attempt. The die is part of a Birthday Wishes sentiment. I used the tag top punch and sone twine. Can you see my dots? There is one on the "i " in wishes and a couple more on the tag. They match the Blackberry Bliss perfectly.

I do like this colour combo, a variation on my favourite red with Kraft and white.

Now, I'm looking nor other projects to use the other two stamps in this set.....watch this space!

Jumper and Hat card

A very quick make from me today, as I realise that I should have posted this card earlier on CAS Colours and Sketches. This week it's a sketch again and I've gone all Christmas on you

I picked up some Kraft card bases and some new Kraft papers so these were the starting point for my card. I stamped the sweater and bobble hat in Versamark and heat embossed with white powder on the red card. I used the reverse of the Rudolph paper as the mat for my panel and more red card for the lacey horizontal. Finally, a strip of washi tape and an added sentiment.

Sponging and Sketching

It is recipe week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and we have a genius recipe for you. Guess you like one pot cooking ( quick, easy, less washing up and delicious), so do you like one layer cards (quick, challenging, no where to hide your mistakes and beautiful)? That's it for this week, one layer cards

I wanted to add the impression of layers so I opted for a sponging and masking technique. I have used the Simply Sketched stamp set, these branches do remind me of mistletoe. I stamped in black ink over the sponged blended colours and touched up the berries with a white gel pen.

The sentiment is from Season of Joy (again, it never goes out of fashion I think). I added a few droplets of water to bleed out the colour, like wet snow or a bokeh light effect and a swathe of rhinestones to echo the sweep of the silver heat embossed lanterns. These could be ornaments, another use of the Celebration set.

I enjoyed creating this card and am overall pleased with it, although for me the edges of the masked area could be a little crisper. I used post- it notes. Does anyone have a better idea? I always find masking tape rips the surface of the card.

Autumn Oldies

I am having a thing at the moment about using old stamp sets and this morning I have dusted off a real favourite of mine that got shoved to the back of the drawer, French Foliage. It's perfect for Autumnal cards and this morning I have used it for a colour challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches

I love these colours together. They are quite 'floral' but today I've made them into leaves, although the deep Mossy Meadow green only gets a token showing in my card as a layer and for stamping the sentiment.

 

I made the panel, stamping the leaves and layered up on the three colours of card stock. Then I stuck this on the inside of my card and cut the front panel to expose the mat.

I stamped and fussy cut out one leaf which I added on foam pads to the slim front of the card and stamped the sentiment from Wetlands (another all time favourite stamp set ) just above.

Just to prove my point about 'floral' this is the card I first made for the challenge, using Work Of Art and Best of Flowers stamp sets

Scaredy Cat

The end of October is approaching so it's not surprising that there are a lot of Halloween theme challenges out there. It is a bit of a mixed bag in the UK, some people celebrate it, some despise it, we certainly do not, in my experience, send cards for it, but a challenge is a challenge! This is actually my second Halloween card that I've made this year and I've loved making both of them (it's the cat thing, for me) and this morning it is for The Male Room

I used a mixture of blue inks for the sponging and made the rickety old fence by stamping with the Hardwood stamp onto grey card stock. I was able to perfectly position the little fellow using my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig and added the only Happy Halloween sentiment I have, from Delightful Dozen. The cat is from You Little Furball, in case you don't recognise him, but he's not such a scary cat, is he? More of a scaredy cat!
I hope if you celebrate Halloween that you have a fun time!

Cut Out Trees

It's colour challenge week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and I set myself the challenge to use all 5 colours, although you only actually need to use at least three. They are very non-traditional too, so I've come up with quite a contemporary card.

The tree is from an old set called Season of Joy, love this happy little tree image,  the sentiment from Contempo Christmas. Of course, this card depended very heavily on my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, wouldn't be without it now.

The blue glitter is actually washi tape and I added a few gemstones to the stars.

This is how it looks flat..these really are lovely colours, hope you have a go at making your Christmas card with them, only 11 weeks to go now!

Corduroy and Mustard

For my card this week at CAS Colours and Sketches I have to admit I was a bit stumped at first. It is a sketch challenge week and here is the sketch

It reminded me of a file and I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I do as I always do when short on ideas, I searched the Internet for inspiration. I found a card that I thought I could adapt and pinned it see here. Then I thought about it for a couple of days.  Here is my version, quite different from the original.

 I used Brushed Corduroy ink and More Mustard, and some DP from a stampin up. You can see that I rotated the sketch too. I love the row of stamped circle images, from a Serene Silhouettes, they have real depth, thanks to some masking.
The grasses and flowers were stamped first in the brown ink and then slightly off to one side (using my Stamp-A-Majig) in the Mustard, to give a shadow to the image They are from a retired set called Just Believe which I borrowed from a friend, who then said I could keep the set as she no longer wanted it.....I am so lucky to have such a kind and generous friend and I'm going to make lots of cards with this one, it might be old but it's new to me! I used the tag top punch and some brown card stock and a couple of brown rhinestones.

Aspen Trees for Halloween

I was inspired this morning to make a Halloween card for a couple of challenges. I also tried out a new technique for me, inking a stencil. I did get quite inky and had to have a few goes before I managed to produce something that wasn't smeared, splodged or missing bits of the image, but here it is

I used the gorgeously Halloween colour palette from The Colour Throwdown, although I did notice that many of the beautiful DT samples were not Halloween cards,

....and Jaydee's  theme challenge over at The Paper Players, where there are some very creative and spooky cards from the DT to help you one your way.
The cat die is from Memory Box, the sentiment from Stampin Up's Delightful Dozen. I sponged the Orange background with a mask to create the full moon. Spookily pleased with this one, just need someone to send it to!

Snow is Falling

Good morning Crafters! I am at a needle felting workshop this morning so I'm scheduling my post for 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown. This week we have a sketch for you to play with. It was created by our dear friend and ex-DT member Mynnette, so I hope she has time to look at all the fabulous cards I am sure you will create.
Here's the sketch

I love the card I made for this one, it was so quick and easy and yet has quite a wow factor. I used a mat of dark blue cardstock and die cut two white snowflakes, using a Memory Box die. Then, I covered the whole mat with snow-falling printed acetate. Finally, I added a glittery silver peel off sentiment (since I've tried heat embossing on acetate and believe me it doesn't work!) and two large light blue gems in the centre of the large snowflakes. Going to enter this card in the die cuts and punches challenge at Make My Monday too

P

It was hard to photograph, to avoid reflections, and dificult to stick down the acetate -I used a glue pen on the white bits- this is what took the time, and being patient, waiting for it to stick, but the overall effect is very luxurious in a CAS kind of way.
Do have a look at the creations from my fellow teamies and don't forget, Christmas is getting ever closer, need to get those cards done now!

Hello My (Old) Friend

Happy Thursday! It's a brand new colour challenge from our hostess of the month of October, Jacqueline, over at CAS Colours& Sketches

I have to admit my Soft Sky, is actually Pool Party, but it's close enough- you don't have to use the exact shade, or even Stampin Up colours, as long as the colour palette matches the challenge. Being clean and simple is important too. I've left lots of space around my embossed sentiment, and kept embellishments to a minimum, only a few Dazzling Details on the seed heads.

You will recognise the stamps, from an old Stampin Up set, My Friend, which I recently got hold of, pre- loved. This is my first card using it. I am still not sure if I prefer the cut up version of the image, it is more effective IRL than in this photo and allows the Kraft to show through better. The Lost 

Lagoon is reduced to a mat of card stock, I have the ink pad but find it too wet to stamp well. Does anyone else have this problem?

Birds on a Wire

The Male Room is offering you a sketch this week to challenge you to create masculine projects. It's a real good one too!

I took a couple of liberties; firstly I have rotated the sketch and secondly I moved the sentiment to inside the shape, but apart from that I think you can see the basic elements.

I wanted you use a new stamp I bought over the summer, Birds on a Wire from Inkylicious. I teamed it up with some DP from Stampin Up and some Lost 

Lagoon cs. I sponged  around the image lightly with some Distress Ink, and die cut a sentiment, stamped using the new Simply Celebrate stamp set. I've kept it very monochrome, as its a card for a 

man, it's actually for my son who has just gone away to university. I like the image of the birds gathering on the wire, very 'end of summer'