Green For Go

Green is not my favourite colour, well, it depends on the green I suppose- I do love lime green and teal (if that is green) but your average green is not on my list.  Strange, then, that I got the urge this morning when I sat down to craft for the Seize The Birthday challenge to make something with green. This week it is a masculine birthday card  using the same sketch as last week.

Green is one of my husband's favourite colours so perhaps I was thinking of him.  I'm not sure a VW camper would be his top choice but that's what I stamped.  It a Papermania stamp I think, I've had it a while,

I used some chevron DP to give the effect of the panels, I think chevrons are in at the moment, they seem to be very popular. I used Gumball Green and Pear Pizazz for the colour scheme.  You won't see many coloured images here, as I'm not very confident with my markers, I am in awe of anyone who can colour images ( as you will see from many of the comments I leave on other crafters' blogs). This is my best effort!

The circles are soft circle stickers - they look a bit like brads.
Back to the crafting table to make one or two more cards this morning, I think I'll make the most of my day off!

Punch Art Christmas Tree

Have you heard of punch art?  Well, I hadn't until a month ago or so, when I had to investigate it for the challenge this week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown I started where I'm sure most people do these days - I googled it and basically, it means using punched or die cut shapes to create something else!
The best place to go is probably Splitcoast Stampers and that is where I saw this idea

I have made the tree using inverted heart shapes, from a heart punch and from the heart shape from the SU Bird Punch, decorated it with gems and a thin organza ribbon. The pot is a cup cake base and I've used DP for the sentiment.  It was quite fun to do and there are hundreds of ideas on the internet, some of which the DT have had a go at, so do go and have a look.
As my card has a little ribon and bow I am also going to enter it into the challenge at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge blog, where there are chances to win prizes and I think I can just squeeze into the April Crafty Hazelnuts Extra Christmas Challenge too!

Christmas Pudding anyone?

OK, so for CAS Colours and Sketches I've gone all Christmassy this week. Any card can be entered into the challenge, as long as it's CAS and, this week, takes it's inspiration from this sketch

and this week this is what I've come up with

The centre is a 'faux tile' or embedded image. I die cut a circle from mountboard, stamped and coloured the Christmas pudding image, sponging with distress inks and then added several layers of UTEE.  I then matted this onto red cs and added a glittery edge.  The paper is more from Summer Smooches (shows how versatile it can be!) and I chose kraft as my base.

I stamped this sentiment from Whacky Wishes in the inside of my card in Poppy Parade. The other ladies in the DT have also made fabulous cards for you to check out if you're not keen on a Christmas theme-may be it's too early for you!

A Bright and Sunny Birthday

It's a gorgeous spring day here in Herefordshire, in the UK.  The birds are singing, the garden is full of flowers and so I was inspired to make a bright and sunny card for this weeks challenge at Seize The Birthday. This is week one for the sketch and so a birthday card for a female is required.

 As soon as I saw this sketch I thought what a great sketch for showcasing paper and I just happen to have some that I wanted to try - Summer Smooches, even the name is full of sunshine! getting the strips just right took a little time.

The stamped 'buttons' are from a set called Bright Blossoms - it all goes together so well! The sentiment takes centre stage and is from Wacky Wishes. 

Fancy Folds

Fancy Folds - that's the challenge at Make My Monday this week. I love cards that are made this way, paper engineering, I call it, and there are so many different types of fold. At the monthly craft club I go to we are always making cards with crafty folds, thanks to our very talented leader, and this is one that I made a couple of weeks ago. It's called a folded frame card and you can find the tutorial here.

It's a great way to use double sided DPs as you get to see both sides.  The stamps I used are from a set called Madison Avenue, and I fussy cut them out before adding a few colour coordinating gems. This card is so dimensional and yet still folds flat to go through the post.  The sentiment is from Friendly Phrases and was perfect for the recipient of this card - My Mum! It was her birthday last Friday and we got to celebrate on Saturday, with a lovely lunch in the garden of a local pub - the sun was shining, it was a perfect spring day. Hope to have a  little more time to craft tomorrow too.

Four Santas and a Tag

Week 3 at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and that means a theme for you all to have a go with.  This month, Deborah has gone with my very favourite Christmas theme, the old man himself, Santa!

I took the inspiration for my card from this very traditional Santa image, but you can portray him however you like - cute, modern, traditional, we don't mind! However, having said my image was traditional I don't think my design is... take a look

I stamped and heat embossed the image four times onto kraft card, sponged the edges and layered onto burgundy card. I punched two holes in the centre of the card blank and threaded twine and added a coordinating button, and a 'tag' cut from Naturals White card, stamped and finished with some faux stitches in the same red. It looks a bit like a present, doesn't it?

Decorate a Daisy with Primrose Petals

It's colour week at CAS Colours and Sketches and this week we have a pink, purple and blue type combo, or to be more exact Primrose Petals, Rich Razelberry and Pool Party

Aren't they lovely! If you don't have the SU shades, (I had to borrow Primrose Petals as I had nothing like it) just use shades closest to these from your stash.
I made myself use this stamp set, as I am not quite sure why I bought it, it really isn't my style, but I do like this card

I stamped the flowers in the background first in Pool Party - they're from The Language of Friendship stamp set.  Then I stamped three large daisies in the challenge colours and fussy cut them out, finally stamping the sentiment direct onto the background in Primrose Petals ink. Originlly I had stamped the three daisiies usig masking and then added the background. I used this panel inside my card

Don't know which one you prefer - this way you get both! Finished off my card with a mat of Rich Razzelberry and a small gem.
Do have a look at the other cards from the DT over at the blog, and remember - keep it CAS!