CAS Colours & Sketches #171

And already it's the final CAS Colours & Sketches challenge for April. This week it's a minimal but very striking sketch.

Well I don't know about you, but this one really had me thinking hard and was well outside of the cards that I usually create.

I've kept everything really simple and tried to respect the utter simplicity of the sketch. My only nod to jazzing things up was the use of a multi-coloured ink pad.

 
Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Background Builders Vines, All Occasion Sentiments #1
Ink: Kaleidacolor, creole spice

I couldn't wait to see what the rest of the CC&S DT came up with - check it out here, you'll be impressed - and now I can't wait to see what you create. Have fun!

I'm popping this card into the Addicted to Stamps and More Anything Goes challenge.

So pleased you had time to visit today, thanks so much.  And keep crafting!

The Male Room - Challenge #34

A fabulous new theme at The Male Room for our new challenge that starts today. Cool or what?

OK, I'll confess this had me stumped for a while and I couldn't get my head round it. Then I had a light bulb moment and searched on google for Shakespearean quotes and ended up with loads and loads that sparked ideas. See if you can work out which saying I used to inspire my card.

Got it? Yep it's "If music be the food of love, play on." And while I don't think Shakespeare knew about rock guitars he'd understand the hearts!

My background was created by wetting some watercolour card and dripping refill inks on top. I then blotted the whole sheet with a tissue and then dabbed with it to mix the colours. 

Supplies:
Stamps: Visible Image, Rock Out; Neat & Tangled, Falling Hearts
Inks: Ranger distress refills, salty ocean, evergree bough; SU, lost lagoon; Memento tuxedo black

So how will you be inspired by Shakespeare? Can't wait to find out! Check out the rest of the DT cards here and then get busy.

Thanks so much for spending time at my blog today, I do value your visit.  And keep crafting!

AAA Cards Game #63 - CAS Shaker

Today sees the start of a new challenge over at AAA Cards and we'd like to see you shake your stuff by creating a CAS shaker card. Well you have to admit that's really a challenge!

There's something about a shaker card that seems to defy CAS, but I'm hoping you'll agree it can be done and that my card satisfies the brief.

I simply used the happy birthday die to create my window and added some dark patterned - but not overwhelmingly patterned - paper to help give the words more definition.

It was all popped up onto foam and multi coloured sequins added behind the acetate window to give it that special shaker movement.

Supplies:
Die: MFT die-namics, birthday centrepieces
Ppaer: Lawn Fawn, beachside 6 x 6 pad
Sequins from my stash

Not sure what AAA Cards means by CAS? Well there's a new definition in today's post and of course there's always the DT cards to help your understanding. Check it all out here.

Thanks for dropping by today, so pleased to see you.  And keep crafting!

Saturday Slot

Oh there is the most appealing inspiration photo for the current challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.

How could I resist? Purple combined with a deep pink that's almost red - a no brainer!

I stamped the purple butterfly splatter stamp straight onto the card and then the red butterfly went onto parchment, was hand cut and popped on top. I am so loving this colour combo!

I picked an inspirational sentiment to echo the words on the ATCAS photo and then just left the card alone.

Supplies:
Stamps: Visible Image, butterfly inkognito & large butterfly; Uniko, All Occasion Sentiments #6
Inks: Memento, lady bug, grape jelly

Thanks for dropping by today, your vist is greatly appreciated.  And keep crafting!

Uniko Challenge Reminder #31

Just popping in today with a little reminder about the current challenge going on over at Uniko.

As the theme is metallic and Christmas is all about the bling my sample card today is one that could be used for that occasion - but then again suitable for other times too.

I am so rubbish at capturing the colours of the metallics on my card, but believe me there are three different embossing powders and in real life they show up much better.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Big & Bold Wish, Garlands Galore, Strike A Pose
Inks: Versamark
Embossing: Ranger superfine, silver; Personal impressions, mirror gold; Crafty Impressions, black rainbow sparkle

As always there are prizes up for grabs, go check them out here.

Thanks for your time today, so pleased you visited my blog. And keep crafting!

CAS Colours & Sketches #170

How time flies! I can't believe it's already time for the next colour challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches. And another fabulous combo this week chosen by Louise.

I often play around with the colours on scrap paper first and almost immediately came up with the brown and pink flower cluster. That just left me with the turquise to think about.

It was while I was taking a break and out in my garden that I came up with the idea of a strip of blue behind the flowers - might have had something to do with a rare sighting of blue sky. I kept my card to a CAS one layer by masking off the flowers before stamping the lines.

Yes that is five gem stones - makes a change from my usual trio - finishing off my card along with my signature one rounded corner.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Beautiful Blooms III & Simply Said; SU, Gorgeous Grunge
Inks: SU, blushing bride, chocolate chip, tempting turquiose
Embellishments: Hobby House pearls, chocolate heaven 

Ok it's your turn now, looking forward to seeing how you create with CC&S colours.

Thanks for looking today, I'm grateful for your time.  And keep crafting! 

Wednesday Words

The CAS card challenge for April at Stamplorations has the optional twist of Spring Green.

 

Now every year in Spring I eagerly await the return of the frogs to my garden pond and they're green, the pond plants are green and the water is definitely green! See where I'm going?

Yep - a frog card! The image is digi and I coloured it using promarkers - love a bit of colouring, so relaxing.

I die cut a stitched square and then die cut a stitched circular window from the middle of it - sort of pond shaped? Well it's stretching a point I know!

The square die was popped back into its aperture and I added a sentiment and a trio of pearls.

Supplies:
Stamps: Digi Stamp Boutique, Bob; Uniko, sentiment from Flower Power #4
Inks: Mmento, tuxedo black
Promarker: pink carnation, fuchsia pink, meadow green, pear green, marsh green
Dies: Lawn Fawn, large stitched square stackables; MFT Die-namics, Peek-a-boo circle window
Embellishments: Doodlebug, mini pearls Spring asst.

Here's a photo of those frogs enjoying a bit of sunshine:

So pleased you had time to call in at my blog today, I value your time. And keep crafting!

Tuesday Talk

Well we've certainly had our fair share of the code word at the Addicted to CAS's challenge over the last few weeks so of course it was only right to make a card to enter their challenge.

 Here's my card:

I started by stamping the top of the umbrella and then masked it off. I placed a circle stencil and a bubble stencil over the top and inked the rainbow colours. The I stamped the umbrella handle and the sentiment.

Supplies:
Stamps: Clearly Besotted, April Showers Additions
Inks: Memento, tuxedo black, lady bug, tangelo, dandelion, bamboo leaves, danube blue, grape jelly, lulu laveneder
Stencil: ARTsplorations, bubbles

And since my card also uses three stamps - umbrella top, umbrella handle, sentiment -  and is one layer it's going into the challenges at Less is More and One Layer Simplicity too.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today, I'm so pleased you looked at my blog.  And keep crafting!

Monday Moments

How was your weekend? Because of a splattering of wet snow on Saturday and a biting cold wind I've had the perfect weekend of crafting!

Today's card was made with two challenges in mind - Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge and Stamplorations Theme & Sketch Challenge.

       

Here's my card:

I've never tried the stencil print technique before and it took several attempts - bin jobs - to find a stencil that worked for me. But now I'm loving how it gives the negative version of the stencil and stretches its use.

I added a few splatters of ink both above and below the washi tape banner flags and then finished off with a long sentiment.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, sentiment from Pure Florals: Cosmos
Inks: Ranger distress, shaded lilac, evergreen bough; Memento, rose bud, tuxedo black
Stencil: Memeory Box, texture mesh
Embellishments: washi from my stash

Thanks for visiting today, so pleased you did!  And keep crafting!

Sunday Slot

Today I'm sharing a card I made for the CASEplorations April Challenge.

Here's my card:

I've picked up on the five colours, the horizontal black strip and the black splodges. I've used a couple of the Uniko Flower Power stamp sets and the flower is so pretty!

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Flower Power #4 & #5
Inks: Memento, bamboo leaves, pear tart, rose bud, tangelo, tuxedo black; SU, mint macaron, wisteria wonder
Embellishments: Papermania iridescent stones; washi from my stash

I'll be announcing the winner of my little giveaway for reaching 50 followers this evening around 7.00pm UK time. Well that's brought me down with a bump, not had any interest!

Thanks for looking today I'm so pleased you had time to stop by.  And keep crafting!

So Saturday - and giveaway reminder

Seems I can't stop using those newly released Uniko Fun Flower stamps and today I've a card to share with you made for two challenges.

       

                                       *One for the Girls*

Oh yes and there's those pinks and purples again!

This card took a bit of fiddling with mask papers and positioning, but I think it was worth the effort. Anyways it's gone winging off into the post to a friend whose birthday got a bit sidelined by my family visiting last week.

Although it looks as if the stamps are slightly off I'm going to try to persuade you it's all to do with the raising of the top rectangle onto foam and the the angle of the photo. Have I convinced you?

Supplies:
Stamps:Uniko, Fun flowers, Simply Said Birthday
Ink: Memento, tuxedo black]Die: Lol'inker, stitched mats rectangles
Promarkers: pink carnation, fuchsia pink, orchid, amethyst

Just a reminder about my giveaway:  amazingly I've reached 50 followers. I'm so thrilled about this and have always said to myself if this ever happened I'd do a little giveaway. So if you're a follower and would be interested in being put into a random draw for a little gift please mention this in a comment and I'll pull a name out of a hat tomorrow Sunday 17th.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today, I'm always thrilled to have peeps drop by.  And keep crafting!

Uniko Challenge #31

April's Uniko Challenge starts today and this month we want to see metallics on your creation.

Here's my card:

I stamped and embossed both the frame and the butterfly, but it's so difficult to show this adequately in a photo. Maybe the one below gives more of a feel for the metallics.

Supplies:
Stamps:Uniko, Bright butterflies, Strike A Pose
Inks: Versamark; Memento, tuxedo black; SU tempting turquoise
Embossing: Personal Impressions, mirror gold; Jacquard PearlEx. inteference violet

How will you create using metallics? Looking forward to being inspired by your entries just as I hope you may have been by my card. Remember there are more DT samples on the Uniko blog, do go see!

I'm popping this card into the CAS challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.

Many thanks for spending some time at my blog today. And keep crafting!