Third Time Lucky

This is a tale of three cards. I got up early to make my DT card for the new colour challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches. I needed to make a few cards in advance because I will be off on holiday again next week, so I wrote the challenges down and started selecting stamp sets, inks, card stock and so on. I finished the first card quite easily, ideas were flowing and I made all the ones I needed by lunch time. Then I went to upload my card on the blog and realised I'd got the colour palette wrong! Instead of

..I had used Blushing Bride, So Saffron and ....green! Oh no! So I got all my stuff out again (I don't have a craft room, just a dining table) after dinner and made another card. Correct colours, all was fine and here it is...

I used the small flower stamp from Bloomin' Marvellous and an embossing folder I've had for years. I used tone on tone stamping and added a small embellishment in the centre of the flowers. It wasn't until I took the photo that I noticed a glue smear on the top- disaster for a clean and simple card. 

My third and final offering is this one, using Mosaic Madness, Wisteria Wonder card stock, a pale pink card blank which will pass for Blushing Bride and the embossed sentiment cut out of the previous card (waste not, want not, as they say)

I actually like this card the best, I think it makes the most of these soft, pastel shades. I do hope you have more success than I did when you make your card

Metallic Mosaic

We have one final challenge for February at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown, chosen by this month's hostess Jacqueline, and she has asked us to use metallic papers. Lucky me, for I have some metallic origami papers, given to me by a Japanese student who was staying with us one time. I also knew straight away what I wanted to do.

I started with a black card base, which I embossed with my Mosaic embossing folder.  I then used the matching punch to punch out the mosaic shapes from different coloured papers, the shiny ones are actually glittery black, which I also used for the mat, but they don't photograph well, I'm afraid.

I heat embossed the sentiment, letter by letter, in gold and finished off each mosaic tile with a tiny matching rhinestone. Quite dramatic, don't you think? The addition of the part 'tile' definitely improved the design. As I've included a sentiment I' m going to enter my card in the challenge at crafty hazelnuts Christmas challenge too, haven't been able to play there for a while.

Hope you have fun with this challenge!

Christmas In-colours

Good Morning and a happy Saturday to you! Today's my last time as hostess at 52 CCT for a while and the theme is pick a previous theme.

  I have chosen to o Christmas Ornaments, as I haven't made an ornament card in a while.  keeping with my current contemporary mood I chosen non-trad colours

I used Mosaic Madness for the centres of the ornaments, which of course are from Ornament Keepsakes. The embossing folder is a generic snowflake and the die cut sentiment is from Memory Box.  Really, really pleased with the way this one turned out!

August Double

There are 5 Thursdays in August and so, over at CAS Colours and Sketches we're doing 'the double' That means that we have a sketch and a colour challenge combined. Have a look

So, you must follow the sketch and use the three suggested colours (don't worry if you don't have the exact Stampin' Up colours) Here's my interpretation-

I die cut circles out of white cs, and embossed with my Mosaic folder. Then I cut slightly smaller circles out of the dark blue  and layered them together.  My final layer I stamped and heat embossed the pattern using Mosaic Madness and hghlighted the centres with a white gel pen.  Can't really see the large circle, I hear you say..

Ta-da

It's a fold out flap with the sentient stamped on the inside.  The bird is of course an old favourite - the two step bird punch, stamped from the same set as the sentiment - The Language of Friendship.
This is the last post from me for a couple of weeks, I am going to take a short break from designing at the beginning of September, but I do intend to comment, so I'm looking forward to seeing your 'double' cards.

Smackin' Acetate Technique

There's a new technique to try out for the month of August at Technique Time Tuesday and it's a real good one. It's called the Smackin' acetate technique (no idea where that name comes from!) and it's so simple and very effective.  There's even an easy to follow video tutorial to help you on your way.
Here's my card

Basically, you swipe markers over a sheet of acetate, spritz with water and print onto card to give a gorgeous background, where the colours blend, whilst retaining the stripes.  I had a few goes and have combined the two best onto my card. I used red, pink and yellow shades, the stamp image is from Bordering on Romance - a new to me set.  The other background is the same shades, this time stamped with Mosaic Madness.
There are some fantastic examples created by the other members of the DT over on the blog so check them out and then go and have a try yourself! Guaranteed lots of fun!

Mosaics and Snowflakes

I can't believe it, August already! Perfect time for a Christmas card, well, that's what I've made this week for the colour challenge at CAS -Colours and Sketches.  Our hostess over there this month is Kylie and she's kicking off with an awesome colour combo of

 Although these are Stampin' Up shades, don't worry if you don't have them in your stash, just use the closest.
When I imagined a card using these colours it was vibrant, with the Melon Mambo really standing out, funny then that this is what happened

The white space is more dominant.  I used a new embossing folder and stamp set -Mosaic Madness, and a very old set called Snow Flurries. I have used the grey and the pink to double mat the embossed panel. and created three 3D 'ornaments' from the Mosaic stamp.  The greeting comes from Whacky Wishes and I've curled up the fish-tailed banner.
I'm going to have some time crafting today,looking forward to getting going again after my short break. Do hop over to the blog to see the creations from the rest of the team.