AAA Cards - #73 Upcycling

Oh have we got a corker of a challenge for you at AAA Cards this fortnight! So just for a change we'd like to see you use some of those things that usually get thrown away and give them some love on your cards.

I started out with this page from a village magazine. It's a photo of the famous eight sailed windmill that is a great visitor attraction here in Heckington.

And this is what it turned into! You'd never know would you?

I thought the cool greys, white and blues would make a good chilly Christmas card so I die cut a snowflake trio from the magazine page. I also cut it from the base card and then inserted the magazine cuts into the apertures - a bit fiddly as the magazine paper was floppy and delicate.

I then finished off my card with a simple stamped grey sentiment.

Supplies:
Stamps:HLS, Mixed Christmas Sentiments
Ink: SU, smoky slate
Die: Poppystamps, snowflake triptych

So what have you got lurking in your house waiting to be thrown out? Perhaps you could use it to make a card and enter the AAA Cards challenge? You won't believe the ingenuity of the DT, do go take a peek - here.

I'm hugely grateful to have had you drop by my blog today, thanks a million.  And keep crafting!

Saturday Slot

Today I'm CASEing fellow teammie at AAA Cards, Ksenija, over at CASEplorations. Such a talent and I love both her original card on the challenge badge and her own CASEing of it on the main challenge post - here.

And here's how she inspired me:

I reversed her colours and made the pale blue the card base and used kraft card for the banner strip. I kept the orange shades for the images and red and white for the sentiment.

These cheeky reindeer have really caught my eye and I already have plans to use them on another Christmas card - watch this space!

Supplies:
Stamps: Clearly Besotted, Let's Prance
Inks: SU, real red; versamark
Embossing: Ranger superfine, white
Promarkers: poppy, tulip yellow, mustard, burnt orange

Thanks for visiting my blog today, So pleased to see you.  And keep crafting!

CAS Colours & Sketches #190

Today sees the beginning of the second September Challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches. This week it's a sketch designed by Karen.

I decided to rotate the sketch for my card and make the wonderful Uniko chrysanthemum stamp a big feature.

I started by stamping the chrysanthemum with versamark and heat embossing it in white. Then I used the small distress ink pads and applied them directly to the card - love how this gives such vivid and strong colours.

And a pat on the back for me as I actually remembered to use an embossing powder bag, makes such a difference. I've taken to storing it on top of my embossing powder pots so I see it every time I go to use the powders - looks like it's working!

I drew inside a circular die to get the curved bottom shape and then hand cut it. The whole thing was adhered to a yellow card base and the sentiment was stamped and embossed in white.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Pure Florals, Chrysanthemum, All Occasion Sentiments #3
Inks: Versamark; Ranger distress, mustard seed, spiced marmalade, picked raspberry
Embossing: Ranger superfins, white

This is a really funky sketch and has masses of potential, so I can't wait to see what you all come up with. I've been amazed by the rest of the CC&S DT cards - here - go take a peek.

Thanks for your time today, your visit to my blog is greatly appreciated.  And keep crafting!

Wednesday Words

Hey! Today I'm sharing a card I made for Addicted to CAS's Harvest Challenge.

Here in the UK it's just about time for the apple harvest so I searched out my Clearly Besotted apple stamps and here's my card:

I stamped my three apples in a row and added a patterned paper strip - sort of a shelf - to ground them. A sweet sentiment and I was done.

Supplies:
Stamps: Clearly Besotted, An Apple A Day
Inks: SU, real red; Memento, pear tart, bamboo leaves, tuxedo black
Paper: Lawn Fawn, Beachside

Thanks for looking today, I'm really pleased you dropped by. And keep crafting!

The Memory Nest - Make It Monday Challenge #71

This month at The Memory Nest we're back to just two challenges and today sees the first one for September.

Lots of opportunity to use up multiple photos or - as I did - add some journalling. And these photos did need a little explaining!

As the photos were taken outsdie in a corner of my garden I opted for this pretty floral background paper from Bo Bunny. I then added loads more elements from the Simple Stories Bloom & Grow collection.

I turned the sketch to suit my photos and stamped a row of chevrons. I die cut the S for the title and then finished it off with stickers - I like the look of combining different alphas together.

Supplies:
Papers: Bo Bunny, A gift of love; Coredinations, grassroots; ep, Little Girl 
Stamp: SU, Oh Hello
Ink: SU, pear pizzazz
Alphas: Lawn Fawn die, Louie's ABCs; Simple Stories, Bloom & Grow
Embellishmants: Simple Stories Bloom & Grow, chipboard & bits & pieces

Hope you like my bright happy fun page and will be inspired to have a go at using the sketch yourself. Remember you can use it for a card if scrapbooking is not your thing. There's also lots more ideas of how to use the sketch over at The Memory Nest blog - here.

Thanks for your time today, your visit was much appreciated.  And keep crafting!

Happy Little Stampers - September Christmas Challenge

This month at Happy Little Stampers the theme for the Christmas Challenge is a song. Now what could be easier than that?

Bet you've already got a few Christmas songs buzzing round your head. Me too! See if you can guess which one I plumped for.

Well fairly obvious really - O Christmas Tree - simple and straightforward like me!

I masked off a triangle and them stamped the script in green, which gave me a basic tre shape. then I went to town decorating it - you know a bit like a kid really!

And no Christmas tree would be complete without a bit of sparkle, so it got a good covering of Wink of Stella and some shiny adhesive gems were added to the baubles.

Supplies:
Stamps: HLS, Mix Mash, Mixed Christmas Sentiments, Thinking Of You 
Inks: SU, soft suede, daffodil delight, wild wasabi, real red
Embellishments: Wink of Stella, Papermania adhesive gems

There's nothing quite like a Christmas song for sticking in your head and driving you bonkers all day, so which is it to be for you? Have a look at what the rest of the HLS Christmas team are singing - here - and then get your Christmas song onto a card.

Thank you very much for looking at my blog today, here's hoping you've been inspired! And keep crafting!

CAS Colours & Sketches #189

Here we go with a whole new month of fun for you at CAS Colours & Sketches. Karen is our hostess for September and she's kicking off with a vibrant bright trio of colours. Just gorgeous!

And didn't I have fun making this card.

I started by smooshing on the yellow and red ink down the right hand side of some watercolour card. Then once it was dry I stamped the image and quote in Memento teal zeal - the closest match I have for the SU island indigo.

I'm totally smitten by this Visible Image stamp set, just seems so wild and free and so how I'd like to be!

Supplies:
Stamps: Visible Image, tomorrow doesn't exist 
Inks: SU, real red, daffodil delight,; Memento, teal zeal

So how will you use the CC&S colours? The rest of the DT have been busy creating with them to inspire you, so do go take a look - here. And this month we welcome Maria as our Guest Designer, check out her blog - here.

So pleased you dropped by today, thanks for your time.  And keep crafting!