Guest Designing at LIM

Hi! I'm really excited you stopped by today as I'm Guest Designing at Less is More. Such an honour to be joining all those multi talented ladies on their DT!!

The theme for this new challenge is watercolour and I do like to dabble with a bit of smooshy watercolouring.

So here's my card:

I started by creating the watercolour background by swiping ink across an acrylic block, spritzing it with water and then smooshig it onto the card. I kept on adding more ink and water until I got the depth of colour I was after.

Next I stamped the line of cats and the little greeting.  I added some extra watercolour to the markings and noses of the cats. The whole strip was matted onto a black card base and to keep it nice and CAS I left it at that.

Supplies:
Stamps: Wodware, Les Chats; Uniko, Simply Said Blocks
Inks: Ranger distress, wilted violet, mustard seed, picked raspberry; Memento, tuxedo black 

Well that's my Guest spot at LIM just about wrapped up. Of course you will have seen the wonderful cards created by their DT, but just in case you've missed them check them all out here.

Thanks so much for looking today, it's been fun sharing my excitement with you.  And keep crafting! 

Wednesday Words

Today I'm playing along with the Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge.

I spotted that the optional twist is SPRITZ and I think I've done that. In fact with the way I use watercolours it's not often that I don't spritz with water, but I haven't used brushos like the HLS video tutorials.

Anyway here's my card:

I made my watercolour panel by applying the ink to an acryllic block and spritzing it with water before applying to cardstock. This is my most favourite way to use watercolours and I love how random it is and that you can build the colour depth by reapplying the inks to the acrylic block and repeating the process until you like what you see.

Once the watercolours were dry I stamped the image straight on top. As you can see it's only a part image. I then used a brush to apply water to the flower petals and patted off some of the colour with a tissue. A simple sentiment and I was done.

Supplies:
Stamps: Woodware, Long Tall Flowers; HLS, sentiment from Mix Mash
Inks: Ranger distress, wilted violet, mustard seed, picked raspberry; Memento, tuxedo black 

Huge thanks for spending some of your valuable time looking at my blog today, I really appreciate it.  

And keep crafting!

Tuesday Talk

Hi there!

Today I'm in scrapbooking mode and have a page I created using the sketch from the September Challenge YOUrself blog.

As well as using the layout provided it's compulsory to have YOUrself in the photos. So here's my page:

Foolishly I thought going to a soft play centre was going to be a doddle. I'd just sit and watch as he had fun - WRONG!! Seems adult participation is the norm and being a granny is not considered an opt out pass!

First time I've been on a slide for years - and it was a bumpy one! But I did enjoy the funny mirrors that flattened our heads and gave me the opportunity to take a selfie.

Supplies:
Papers: Bazzill Basics Cardstock; scraps from my never decreasing stash
Stickers: Doodlebug, Dragon Tails; Simply Said, You Are Here & Summer Vibes; Bella Bvld, Secrets of the SEa
Die: Xcut, stars
Embellishments: Doodlebug sprinkles, birthday boy asst.

 
I'm really grateful for your visit today and hope you'll return again soon.  In the meantime keep crafting!

Monday Moments

I'm sharing a scrapbook page today and it uses the sketch from the challenge at Stuck?!Sketches.

Here's my page:

The story behind this photo is so funny - just like the photo - so I'm going to add it in a pocket on the back of the page with a tab at the top to remind me there's is hidden journalling.

Here's the story: They went ahead of us in exploring the castle - well with children you would - and found this room.  Knowing I take endless photos they sat down, posed and waited.  Unbeknown to them Niall and I had found something we were really interested in and had stopped for ages reading the display and chatting. They were so relieved to see us appear through the door as they had been waiting for a good five or more minutes and were quite twitchy that someone other than us would appear first. We were so amused to see them all sitting there like royalty and I snapped a pic bfore actually taking in exactly how Leo was posed. Second round of laughter and the instruction to hurry up and finish taking photos before the next lot of tourists arrived!

Of course the photo is not the best - so dark in there - but sometimes the story is too good to worry about the quality of the photo!

Supplies:
Papers: scraps from Simple Stories Say Cheese ; Bazzill Basics red cardstock
Dies: Spellbinders, lacey circles
Punch: Woodware, circle
Embellishments: MME, Now & Then enamel dots

Thanks so much for looking today, I really appreciate your visit.  And keep crafting!

Sunday Stuff

Today I'm sharing the card I made for the Card Chain Challenge. Have you heard about this challenge? Well it's a great way to connect with other card crafters across the world by sending, and receiving in return, a card that follows at least one of the elements from the four parts of the challenge.

This was September's challenge options:

Theme Options: Pirates/ In the Jungle / Friendship

Product/ Technique Options: Graphic 45/ Metal Charms / Tri-Fold Cards

And I used the first three for my card. And in case you're wondering I know it's ok to share it as I've heard from my recipient that it has arrived safely.

And how about that - no stamping to be seen! All created with designer paper and letter stickers.

Supplies:
Papers: Bella Bvld, Secrets of the Sea
Alphas: October Afternoon, Mini Market; Ali Edwards, white alphas

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

Uniko Challenge #43

The new challenge at Uniko has started today and I'm here to ask you to join in and play along.

The theme is bang on call here in the Northern part of the world and Autumn has to be my most favourite season with all its glorious colours.

Throughout September I've been keeping a 'thankful' diary so of course my card just had to be along the same lines. I stamped some leaves and berries in brown and then added colour using prisma color pencils.

I added a strip of washi and then stamped and coloured the greeting.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Beautiful Blooms III, Background Builders Vines, All Occasion senntiments #6
Inks: SU, tangerine tango, baked brown sugar, real red
Colours: Prismacolor pencils
Embellishments: Washi from my stash

Loads more inspiration for you over at the Uniko blog, so get those Autumn colours out and get crafting. You know you want to and there's always the chance you could win a fabulous Uniko prize.

Thanks for dropping by today, I so love that you found the time.  And keep crafting!

Tuesday Talk

Today I'm playing along with two of my favourite challenges - Less is More and Happy Little Stampers CAS.

               

Here's my card:

I started by masking off a strip and then applied inks using my Inkylicious dusters. They're totally fabulous and give such a smooth blend, don't know what I'd do without them. In fact the Inkylicious stand at Craft Shows is one I always love to spend time at watching their wonderful demos and always, always spend far more there than I really should!

The birds on a wire is one of their stamps that just leapt into my basket as this design is quite a favourite of mine and I have - courtesy of my shop manager son's equally persuasive selling style - a few t-shirts with a similar design.

Supplies:
Stamps: Inkylicious, Birds on a Wire Silhouette; Uniko, Simply Said Blocks
Inks: Ranger distress, mermaid lagoon, cracked pistachio, blueprint sketch; Memento, tuxedo black

It's been wonderful having you drop by my blog today, thanks a million.  And keep crafting!

Monday Moments

It's hat trick day for me today. Yep I've managed to combine three challenges on one card - now that doesn't happen for me very often!

I've used the CAS style for Addicted to Stamps and More, the sketch from CAS Colours & Sketches and the cue card from CASology.

   

Here's my card:

I stamped the cake tiers and then masked them off and stamped the top and bottom coloured blocks.  I stamped the sentiment block onto a piece of scrap card and kept it flat as I'm intending to post this card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Freebie from Qu9ck Cards mag; Uniko, Simply Said Blocks
Inks: SU, pink pirouette, sweet sugarplum, soft sky

Massive thanks for visiting my blog today, it's been great having your company.  And keep crafting!

AAA Cards Challenge #99 - Autumn Colours

Here in the UK we're beginning to see the start of the beautiful colours of Autumn in the hedgerows and trees. And the air has that distinctly fresher feel in the mornings and evenings - I always say it's the time of year for layers of clothes as you need more at these times than in the middle of the day.

So with all that in mind AAA Cards is plumping for Autumn Colours as its theme for the next fortnight.

The sponsor for this challenge is Uniko, so of course I used Uniko stamps on my card:

They're actually the leaves from the Paradise set given a distinctly uncharacteristic twist with Autumn colours. So pretty!

I masked off the rectangle on my base card and then stamped fairly randomly with the leaf and flower petal. I added a banner with a heat embossed sentiment to finish off. 

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Paradise, Simply Said
Inks: SU, crushed curry, pumpkin pie, baked brown sugar, cherry cobbler; Versamark, clear
Embossing: Ranger superfine, white
Embellishments: Nuvo Drops, dark walnut

The rest of the AAA Cards DT have also made cards to inspire you to play along, see them all HERE. And we have the wonderful Hannelie guesting with us for this challenge. So go take a look and then break out those Autumn colours and enjoy creating!

Thanks for looking today, I really appreciate your visit to my blog.  And keep crafting!

Saturday Slot

Today I'm sharing a CAS card I made to go into the My Favorite Things Superstar Challenge.

Out came my trusty MFT dies and the Space Explorer stamp set and this is what I came up with:

I created a watercolour background and then stamped and heat embossed the rocket. I added a trio of stars round the rocket and applied a liberal coat of sparkly Wink of Stella.

I used two different MFT die sets and matted the larger stitched rectangle onto a piece of foam to lift the whole panel. I love how using dies in plain white card can add so much, but still keep the whole thing looking CAS.

Supplies:
Stamps: MFT, Space Explorer
Inks: Versamark, clear; Ranger distress, cracked pistachio, mermaid lagoon
Dies: MFT, peek-a-boo circle windows, double stitched rectangles
Embossing: Ranger Superfine, black
Embellishments: Wink of Stella, clear; Gelly Roll pen, white

Thanks so much for your time today, so pleased to have had your cmpany.  And keep crafting!

Friday Focus

I'm in scrapbook mode today and sharing a page I made using the first September sketch from Stuck?! Sketches.

Such a fabulous sketch isn't it? I think they're currently my favourite place to go to for sketches.

I decided to mainly use stamps on this layout and picked up on colours from the two photos. Couldn't resist these photos, one because they're such fun and two because it's not often I get this teenager in willing posing for a photo mood.

I started by placing the photos and then stamping the horizontal lines. Next the embellishment clusters were all placed - some stamped and hand cut, some die cut.

The splashes of yellow were to echo the gold on the stag's antlers in the background of the photos. i also like how the contrast to the other colours just lifts the whole page.

Supplies:
Paper: Chatterbox Scrapbook Walls, dark sand
Stamps: Uniko, Background Builders Seeing Stars; Precious Remembrance Shop, DIY & Positive Thoughts
Inks: SU, daffodil delight, lost lagoon, pacific point, dapper denim
Card: SU, tranquil tide + scraps of yellow & blue from my stash
Dies: Xcut, arrows; MFT Die-namics, ampersand, cute cameras
Embellishments: SU, enamel stars dapper denim

Thanks so much for dropping by my blog today, I've enjoyed your company.  And keep crafting!