AAA Cards - #89 Bright & Beautiful

It may be the last day of March but it's all new at AAA Cards today and a bright and beautiful challenge is just beginning.  And that's not all - there is also a DT Call going on for the duration of this challenge. So get your crafting genius on and who knows you could be joining the team soon!

Well I knew exactly which stamps I wanted to use for this challenge, and actually made two versions - one with bright colours and one with pastels. I've naturally picked the bright one for my DT card, but have a sneaky regard for the pastels version. Wondering which is your favourite?

I started by using a circle stencil with another stencil on the top of it and brushing through three colours of ink.

I then over stamped the inking with the butterfly and sentiment. I used pens to add the colours to the butterfly.

I repeated the same process with my next card but used pastel shades of the same colours.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, All Occasion Sentiments #6; Stampendous, Butterfly
Inks: Card 1 - Ranger distress, picked raspberry, wilted violet, mustard seed; Card 2 - Ranger distress, spun sugar, shaded lilac, scattered straw; Versafine, onyx black
Pens: Card 1 - Chameleon, deep violet; colorista, canary, sorbet; Card 2 - Promarkers, baby pink, lilac, buttercup

The AAA Cards DT have some quite spectacular inspiration for you - check it all out here. We also have the glorious Carol from CarolG Creates joining us as Guest Designer for this challenge. And four of the very talented So Suzy DT are also playing along as So Suzy are sponsoring the Bright & Beautiful Challenge. Hope you've time to go visit and leave some love!

I'm so pleased to have shared some of your time today, huge thanks for dropping by.  And keep crafting!

Less Is More Guest Designer

Hi! I'm so excited to have you drop by today as I'm Guest Designing over at Less Is More. As this is a month with five Saturdays it's their Lucky Dip week and the word they've pulled out to inspire your cards is SHADOW.

So I decided to attempt a little shadow stamping on my card:

I used the fabulous Visible Image butterfly inkcognito and stamped it in grey to act as the shadow. Then I overstamped it in purple slightly to the left of the grey with the matching large butterfly stamp.

I repeated this technique with the sentiment. All of the butterfly received a generous coat of Wink of Stella and I added some enamel dots to finish it all off.

Supplies:
Stamps: Visible Image, Thanks You set, Butterfly Inkognito, Large Butterfly
Inks: SU, smoky slate; Memento, grape jelly 
Enamel dots: Freckled Fawn

Thanks so much for your time today.  I hope you've enjoyed my post as Guest Designer for Less is More and will pop on over to their challenge to ogle the cards made by their very talented DT.

And keep crafting! 

Friday Focus

Just squeezing in a card I made for the Stamplorations Cutplorations Challenge.

Here's my card:

I started by die cutting the awesome sentiment a couple of times and stacked them up to add dimension. Then I set about adding some stripes to echo the inspiration pic.  This piece of card was then die cut to create the split.

I finished off by adding a trio of butterflies, each stamped twice, choosing ink colours to pick up on the colours from the inspiratin pic.

Supplies:
Stamps: Stamplorations,Winged Things, Bold Sentiments
Inks: Memento, pear tart, lady bug, bahama blue
Dies: Cutplorations, awesome; MFT Die-namics, stitched basic edges

That's all from me today, hope the sun is shining wherever you are and mega thanks for spending some time looking at my blog.  And of course - keep crafting!

Thursday Thoughts

Stripe is the recipe for the current challenge at Less is More. What a great idea. and it just so happens that I had a left over piece of watercolouring that definitely has a stripe or two.

Now I know you're going to be amazed by the colours, but even I have to step out of my comfort zone every once in a while.

I added a few extra stripes on the the background card for good measure using some stitched line dies. And I'm also sort of thinking that the sentiment quote is not too far removed from a stripe.

Supplies:
Stamp: BeeCrafty, WORDage
Inks: Ranger distress, mowed lawn, mustard seed
Dies: MFT Die-namics, double stitched rectangle stax & basic stitch line


I'm really grateful for your visit today, thanks so much. Perhaps you'll come back soon, but in the meantime keep crafting!

The Male Room #59 - Many Legs

There's a really fun challenge theme starting today over at The Male Room - Many Legs.

My first thoughts were insects, but not having any suitable stamps I opted for several two-legged animals instead.

I stamped them using Indigo Blu's flitter glue and then covered them in gliding flakes. A new technique for me and one that I like the results produced much more than the total mess iIgot into when trying it out!

I added a fun sentiment from the same Stamplorations stamp set on a flag shaped banner for interest.

Supplies:
Stamps: Stamplorations, Fowl Play
Ink: Memento, tuxedo black; Indigo Blu gilding flakes, chocolate box
Die: Lil'inker, stitched mats rectangles

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you all come up with for this challenge. Go take a peek at TMR DT cards - here - and then get stamping those legs!

Huge thanks for dropping by today, loved having you visit. And keep crafting!

CAS Colours & Sketches #220

A sketch challenge begins today at CAS Colours & Sketches and it's a corker too!

This had me searching through my stash for a scalloped edger punch, knew that was going to be my starting point.

I decided to use a wordy sentiment quote and a simple all over patterned paper for the background.

Some gems just completed my card.

Supplies:
Paper: Lawn Fawn, Beachside
Stamps: Stamplorations, Fond Expressions 2
Ink: Versafine, onyx black
Punch: Xcut scallop edger
Die: Lil'inker, stitched mats rectangles
Embellishments: Bling Bling gems

The rest of the CC&S DT have also made sample cards to inspire you, go check them out here.http://cascoloursandsketches.blogspot.com/2017/04/challenge-220-sketch.html

Thanks for you time today, I really appreciate your company. And keep crafting!

Sunday Slot

Another card to share today that I made to uplift my spirits and it focuses on being present and living life to the full.

I started by die cutting the stitched rectangle and then stamped the image. I covered it with a stencil and inked with some watery colours as this lady always looks like she's jumping through the waves to me.

I popped the rectangle back into its aperture and then stamped the sentiment so that it spanned them both.

Supplies:
Stamps: Visible Image, Tomorrow Doesn't Exist
Inks: anger distress, bluepring sketch, mermaid lagoon
Die: MFT Die-namics, double stitched rectangles
Stencil: Memory Box, Texture Wave

Thanks for looking today, I really appreciate your time.  And keep crafting!

Friday Focus 2

This is my second post for today.  Seems I've had a bit of a creative spurt and made a card, just in the nick of time, for the current Less is More Challenge.

In my eyes a Spring walk has to have flowers, has to have pink and means you need to take an umbrella with you!  Here's my card:

Out came my trusty Kaleidacolor ink pad and and a flower stamp from Uniko plus an umbrella from the now unavailable Clearly Besotted - (I invested heavily in their stamps so I've got to keep using them!)

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Background Builders Flower Power; Claerly Besotted, April Showers Additions
Inks: Kaleidacolor, Berry Bliss; SU, smoky slate

Thanks again today for visiting my blog, lovely to have your company.  And keep crafting!

Friday Focus

I'm playing at Stamplorations again today, this time for their CAS Card Challenge.

   

And since my card uses Stamplorations goodies I'm also going to pop it into their Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge.

Here's my card:

I partially stamped the daisy row and then added pastel colours on top using a home-made circle stencil. 

I finished off with a sentiment with a trio of enamel dots around it.

Supplies:
Stamps: Stamplorations, Daisy Row, Fond Expressions 2
Inks: Ranger distress, scattered straw, shaded lilac, spun sugar
Embellishments: My Mind's Eye, now & then enamel dots

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

Wednesday Words

It was my dad's funeral yesterday and I needed to lift my spirits a bit afterwards, so for me the best way to lose a few hours is to immerse myself in crafting. And I made myself an uplifting sort of card that I'm thinking sort of follows the Stamplorations current Theme and Sketch Challenge.

  

Here's my card:

I love cards where the words are the main focus and these really resonated with me. I used a 'new to me' sketchy frame and the butterfly is my wings element from the challenge.

Supplies:

Stamps: BeeCrafty, Frame & WORDage phrase

Ink: Versafine, onyx black

Punch: Tonic, butterfly

Embellishments: Papermania, shimmer dots

Thanks for dropping by today, it's been great having your company.  And keep crafting!

CAS Colours & Sketches #219

A new colour challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches this week and I think they're a bit of different combo.

What do you think? They're really subtle, but very usuable and awesome.

I decided to make more of a unisex type of card and the wonderful Explosion duo from Uniko. I stamped the background halftone splats in the taupe and green and then hand cut the mint splat and raised it onto pads to sit above.

A couple of movement lines and the word awesome and my card was rady to go in the post.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Explosion, Explosion Additions
Inks: SU, old olive, mint macaron, tip top taupe

Do go check out how the rest of the CC&S DT have used these colours - here. You'll be impressed.

Thanks for looking today, your company has been very welcome.  And keep crafting!

AAA Cards - #88 Stencil

A new CAS challenge starts today at AAA Cards and it's all about putting those stencils to good use.

As the challenge is sponsored by Stamplorations I decided to pull out one of my first ever purchases from them - Happy Flowers. It's one of my all time favourites too!

I'm really embracing orange as a colour recently, it always was one of my least favourite colours to use but I'm getting to enjoy it far more now.  I actually only used a yellow and pink ink but love how it's blended together to produce orangey areas.

I'm seeing a lot of black sentiment mats and banners around blogland at the moment and decided to give this a go. I'm loving how the contrast really makes it pop.

Supplies:
Stamps: Stamplorations, Fond Expressions 2
Inks: Ranger distress, picked raspberry, mustard seed; Memento, bamboo leaves; Versamark, clear
Stencil: ARTplorations, Happy Flowers
Embossing: Ranger fine, white

As well as the amazing Shery from Stamplorations creating a card for this AAA Cards Challenge we also have the wonderful Maria from White Mood joining us as a Guest Designer. And then of course there's all the sensational inspiration from the AAA Cards DT - here.

Huge thanks for visiting my blog today, I really love it when you drop by.  And keep crafting!