AAA Cards #47 Spectacular Embossing

The last AAA Cards challenge for August starts today and we'd like to see some embossing on your card. Now this can be any type of embossing - heat, dry, using a light box or the window, embossing folders or any other that you know about and I've missed out.

I've made a couple of cards using some of my forgotten embossing folders - great to give them an airing and it's always a lovely surprise to re-discover goodies that have been neglected.

My first card is for my slowly growing Christmas stash.

I wanted to keep it really crisp and snowy white with just a nod to some traditional red.

I used three different embossing folders and a bauble/label die that I really had forgotten all about - one of the first dies I ever bought, way back when my cuttlebug was a brand spanking new toy.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Simply Said Christmas
Inks: SU, real red
Embossing: Cuttlebug
Die: Cuttlebug 

My second card is more of a wedding/anniversary type card and uses one of my all time favourite stamped sentiments - this quote regularly crops up throughout my scrapbooking albums.

I was trying to address the spectacular part of the challenge title. So I embossed onto some luxury pearlescent card and  matted it onto a sparkly already embossed background paper. I think it looks quite glam!

Supplies:
Stamp: Inkylkicious, twinchie
Ink: Memento, tuxedo black
Embossing: Cuttlebug
Paper/Card:  First Edition, noir & chic; pearlescent card from my stash

Now this is the part where I say - over to you. But before you go grab your embossing gear spend a little time soaking up the DT gorgeousness that is waiting for you at AAA Cards - you'll be properly impressed!

Your visit to my blog is really valued and I thank you for dropping by today, come back again soon please.

And keep crafting! 

Uniko Challenge #24 Reminder

Time to give you a gentle prod if you haven't entered the Uniko August Challenge yet. The DT have made another set of stunning cards to help you on your way or just appreciate if you've already entered. 

Remember the Uniko challenge theme is Summer with the optional twist of using this fabulous photo.

 

For my reminder card I focussed on the colours and hearts from the inspiration photo and the fact that here in the UK August is a popular Summer month to get married.

I started by smooshing a watercoloured background and then die cut my favourite stitched rectangle from it. I love these colours and really didn't want to throw away the outside left over bit from the die cut, so I popped it back in. Accidently I put it in the wrong way, but was then so taken by how this looked and balanced out the light and dark areas that I just left it like that.  

The whole panel was then matted onto a larger stitched rectangle and that gorgeously beautiful heart was added using pads for a little dimension. A couple of stamped hearts, the sentimant and a trio of sequins and I was done.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Always & Forever, All Occasion Sentiments #5
Inks: Ranger distress, worn lipstick, picked raspberry, dusty concord
Die: Lil'inker, stitched mats rectangles
Embellishments: Wink of Stella, clear; sequins from my stash

So now it's time for you to go check out the fabulous prizes Bev has on offer - here - and get your creativity flowing for a chance to win. Good Luck!!

Thanks for spending some time reading my blog today, great to have you visit.

And keep crafting!

CAS Colours & Sketches #139

The final CAS Colours & Sketches August challenge starts today. I can't believe it's nearly September already!

A really cool sketch, don't you think? It certainly had my brain in overdrive, but then I remembered a card by Beverley - here - and I calmed down and got CASEing!

I started by die cutting seven stars and used temporary glue to stick them in place. I then had great fun stsmping all round and over the paper stars.

Once the paper stars were removed I stamped a letter into each one and added a simple Christmas stamp just above. I'm loving the colours and CAS look of this card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Decorative Doilies, Garlands Galore, Simply Said Christmas, Background Builders Vines Winter Additions
Ink: SU, pool party, Bermuda bay
Die: Xcut, star

Have you seen what all the other DT have created with this sketch - here - so cool don't you think? Bet you're bursting with ideas, so get busy and I look forward to visiting your blogs.

Thanks for looking today, I do appreciate your time.

And keep crafting!

Uniko Challenge #24

A new Uniko challenge starts today and the theme is Summer. And we have two talented ladies joining us as Guest Designers for this challenge -Darnell and Wiebke. Go visit their blogs and be inspired!

So what better than a line of beach huts to evoke the quintessential British seaside scene! And that new Home Sweet Home stamp set is just the ticket. 

I started my card by creating a beach background using inks, masks and inkilicious brushes. Then I stamped the house onto patterned papers that reminded me of that faded distressed look beach huts get because of all the sand and salty sea water they get blasted with.

I attached my houses with pads and then couldn't resist using the bird from Rustic Christmas to add a cheeky seagull - artistic licence here - to each house.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Home Sweet Home, Rustic Christmas
Inks: SU, marina mist, hello honey; Memento, tuxedo black
Papers: MME, Dilly Dally

So what do you think of when Summer is mentioned? Whatever it is go and get busy crafting and be in with a chance to win one of the generous prizes Bev has on offer. Check them out and all the other DT cards here at Uniko.

Thanks for looking today. And keep crafting!

CAS Colours & Sketches #138

Today sees the start of a new colour challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches. I'm loving the retro feel of Patricia's colour combo.

And would you believe that I actually don't have two of these colours in my enormous stash of Stsmpin Up inks? I know this probably happens to you too - so just match the colours as closely as you can with what you do have. I used Memento - potter's clay and bamboo leaves.

And don't you just love the Uniko house all dressed up in these colours? I wondered about the sentiment for a while and then decided the house was perfect for a party or supper invitation as well as its obvious new home use.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Home Sweet Home; SU, Oh Hello
Inks: SU, marina mist; Memento, potter's clay, bamboo leaves
Promarkers: denim blue, marsh green
Die: Lil'inker, stitched mats rectangles

So what will you use these colours to create? I know you'll enjoy using them and can't wait to see what you make. Have you seen how the rest of the DT and our fabulous Guest Designer, Jen, has used them? Here's the link - CC&S.

Thanks for visiting my blog today, as always your time is much appreciated.

And keep crafting! 

Freshly Made Sketches 200th Sketch Celebration

This is my second post for today, if you're looking for The Male Room Challenge please scroll on down.

Today Freshly Made Sketches have reached an amazing milestone and are celebrating their 200th sketch. What an awesome achievement!

Uniko are sponsoring this momentous event and the DT have been invited to make cards and join in. Here's that sketch with the number 200:

So of course it just had to be a congratulations card!

I used a stencil to make my confetti background at the bottom and used a stitched die to mark the divison between the two parts from the sketch.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, PureFlorals Gerbera, All Occasion Sentiments #1
Inks: SU, daffodil delight, strawberry slushStencil: Hero Arts, Conftti
Dies: Lil'inker, stitched mats recatangles; Paper Smooches, Stitched

Thanks for looking today and be sure to get creative with this fabulous sketch.

Keep crafting! 

The Male Room #17

The new challenge at The Male Room begins today and we want to see some newsprint on your project.

Well this theme had me trawling through my stamp boxes as I knew I had relevant stamps, just not had them out for while.

Once the stamps were located this card came together really quickly and I'm loving the contrast of the deep brown against that red washi tape strip.

I'm thinking this card would make a great project life insert for a holiday themed page.

Supplies:
Stamps: Papermania Urban, Travel Print; Clearly Besotted, On The Beach
Inks: SU, early espresso
Dies: Xcut, spiro circles; Docrafts, postage stamps
Washi tape from my stash

Be sure to check out what the rest of the DT have created to inspire you - here - then enjoy putting your own interpretation of this theme together. Remember it doesn't have to be a card, scrapbook pages or 3D projects are also welcome as long as they are suitable for a fella.

Thanks for looking today. And keep crafting!

PS
Well what about this! My card was chosen at Addicted to CAS as a winner - here. Such an honour!

AAA Cards #46 Maskerade

Are you ready for some fun with masks or masking? Well check out the new AAA Cards challenge!

Stunning image, don't you think?

I decided to go down the masking route for my card and had such fun with this technique and was delighted with the result. Definitely something to repeat at some point!

And here's a little photo tutorial of how I did it. Apologies for the quality of the photos, but it was late and I had the light on:

1. I taped the card to my craft mat.

2. I used a piece of paper to mask off the bottom at a diagonal angle and applied ink with an inkylicious brush.

3. This shows my paper mask more clearly and you can see how the colours are beginning to progress down the card.

4. I used my craft mat to splodge the inks onto and then gradually pulled it across. I find I get better control this way.

5. This is how it looked when I took the tape off.

Once I'd finished my masking strip I needed to decide how to finish off my card and I so wanted that strip to be on show. That's why I placed the die cut off centre with a trio of sprinkles just to draw the eye in.

I placed a sheet of acetate over my card and stuck the sprinkles onto it so that I could experiment with placing them without spoiling the card. Once I was happy with the placement I stuck them to the card. Y

ou can just about make out the acetate in this photo.

Supplies:
Inks: SU, daffodil delight, crisp cantloupe, watermelon wonder, melon mambo, rose red, rich razzleberry, blackberry bliss, elegant eggplant; Adirondack, purple twilight
Die: Lil'inker, Happy Birthday stitched square
Embellishments: Doodlebug Sprinkles, beetle black asst.

I hope you like my interpretation of the challenge and are eager to get creating. But before you rush off take a look at the what the rest of the AAA Cards DT made to inspire you - all pretty cool huh!

I'm popping this card into the CAS challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

Thanks for your time today - and keep crafting!

Saturday Slot

There's a super simple sketch challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch at the moment that I couldn't resist. Take a look:

And so my super simple Christmas card was created.

 I'm loving this Christmas washi tape that has slunk into my stash and with a simple embossed sentiment and a scattering of star sequins my card was made in minutes. I'm thinking this will be a card that's repeated a few times, maybe in other colourways and definitely when I hit that I'm running out of time phase.

Supplies:
Stamp: Uniko, Simply Said Christmas
Ink: Versamark
Embossing: Personal Impressions, mirror gold
Sequins: Lucy's Cards 
Washi from my stash

So glad you had time to visit my blog today, thanks a lot.

And keep crafting! 

Friday Focus

Today my card is for Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge and they want sparkle.

And not being one to be shy of sparkle here's my card:

I think you could say it's pretty well sparkled up!

I stamped the house first and then masked it off to stamp the tree and apply the stencilled background. Apart from the star on top of the tree the sequins were placed in my usual random way by sprinkling them over and adhering wherever they landed.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Home Sweet Home, sentiment from Rustic Christmas; Clearly Besotted, Modern Christmas
Inks: SU, night of navy, soft sky, baked brown sugar, garden green
Promarkers: midnight blue, cornflower
Stencil: Hero Arts, Confetti
Sequins: Lucy's Cards, crystal
Glitter: Glamour Dust, crystal

Thanks so much for looking today, I really appreciate your visit and hope you liked what you saw.

And keep crafting!

CAS Colours & Sketches #137

Hey! A new CAS Colours & Sketches challenge begins today and this week it's a sketch.

Well this just screamed Christmas snowflakes to me and out came my favourite purples and some very sparkly cardstock.

I started by stamping the large background doily and then die cut a splot from that glitter card. The front doily was stamped, fussy cut and mounted onto pads. A simple Christmas greeting finished off my card an then I made myself stop - it would have been so easy to lash on more glitter and gem stones, but I was determined to stay CAS!

Supplies:
Stamps: niko, Decortive Doilies The Hands of Time, Simply Said Christmas
Ink: Memento, Elderberry
Die: Waffle Flower, Make Something Today

Over to you now. What will this sketch inspire you to create? Will it be a Christmas theme or something completely different? Which are your go-to colours and stamp sets? I'm so looking forward to finding out!

Thanks for your time today, I really appreciate you dropping by my blog.

And keep crafting!