The Memory Nest - Make It Monday #86

Another amazing sketch challenge begins today at The Memory Nest and this one has tons of possibilities.

This photo of my grandson really caught my eye and I knew it would be scrapped and what better way than with a sketch featuring stars. After all he is my little star!

As you can see I rotated the sketch around so that the stripes were at the bottom and i used a whole load of Stampin' Up papers in these cool greens amd orangey reds. It's always really easy to mix and match papers when they're from the same collections or colour pallettes, saves waiting for daylight to see the real tones.

I added quite a bit of blue stamping to the layout, both words and splats, to bring in the colour of his tee shirt in the photo. I also found a bottle top lurking in my stash to use in place of the flair button from the sketch.

A little bit of journalling and a ready made thickers alpha title and I called it done.

Supplies:
Papers: SU, Birthday Bouquet & Blooms & Bliss
Stamps: Uniko, Explosion Additions
Ink: Ranger distress, blueprint sketch
Alphas: AC, foam phrase stickers
Stickers: October Afternoon, Sidewalks

You're going to have so much fun using this sketch either for a scrapbook page or a card and I'm really looking forward to visiting your blogs and leaving some love. Don't forget there is a host of inspiration waiting for you from The Memory Nest's awesome DT - here - go check it out!

Huge thanks for your time today, I'm so pleased you dropped by my blog.  And keep crafting!

Uniko Design Team Inspiration - Pocket Power

Just popping in to let you know I'm sharing some new versions and ideas for using this card over on the Uniko blog.

Hope you'll follow the link to find out what I've been up to!

Thanks for your time. And keep crafting!

Happy Little Stampers - April Christmas Challenge

This is so weird doing a second post for today, but knowing it's already tomorrow in Australia where Happy Little Stampers is based. Always, always makes me stop in my tracks!

I used two types of embossing for my card, see if you can work it out.

I started by creating the background colours for the trees and then stamped and heat embossed the outlines and patterns with a pretty purple sparkly embossing powder - ha! I hear you say, purple + sparkle!

The snowflakes were embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and I die cut a panel to give the impression of a slope. After stamping the sentiment I brushed over lightly with blue ink on top of the snowflakes and green ink for the slope.

Supplies:
Stamps: HLS, Christmas Joy
Inks: Ranger distress, cracked pistachio, blueprint sketch; Versamark, clear
Die: MFT Die-namics, stitched basic edges
Embossing: Honey Doo Crafts, amethyst; Cuttlebug, snowflakes folder

How will you play along? Will you twist? Or will you just go with the Christmas theme? Before you make up your mind there's loads of DT ideas to help your decision - here. Do go check them all out!

Thanks for your time today, it's always fun to have you visit.  And keep crafting!

CAS Colours & Sketches #217

This month at CAS Colours & Sketches it's DT Bev's turn to be hostess and she has chosen some pretty springlike colours to get us off to a great start.

Here's my card:

I started by stamping the halftone block in So Saffron and then overstamping with Uniko Style blooms in Wisteria Wonder. I hand cut the flower heads and arranged them along a washi strip which I thought was a near match for pear pizzazz.

 

The sentiment was stamped in Wisteria Wonder. And I've amazed myself by using four flowerheads instead of my usual favourite three, just felt right to add one more.

Supplies:

Stamps: Uniko, Uniko Style, Background Blocks Halftone, Simply Said Birthday

Inks: SU, so saffron, wisteria wonder

Washi from my stash 

Want to see what the rest of the CC&S DT have come up with? Go take a peek here. You'll love their designs!

I'm so pleased to have had your company here today, thanks so much for dropping by.  And keep crafting!

The Memory Nest - Make It Monday #85

Here we go today with a new sketch challenge at The Memory Nest.

We had a couple of warm sunny days which meant the garden was available for play and out we went. And we noticed the bird feeders were empty - all that nest building that's going on making the birds extra hungry I guess. Loving the concentration on his face!

Once I'd placed the background papers from the sketch I then added in another layer and a couple of circular doilies - well actually it's just one doily cut in half. They arrived as part of happy mail from my internet buddy Lizzy Hill and she's very keen on making the most of your stash, so I'm hoping she'll be impressed by my thriftiness.

I added some stamped splatters and birds in a diagonal from top left to bottom right - draws the eye I'm told.

And I lucked out with finding the scalloped paper sticker strip lurking at the bottom of one of my boxes of paper. In fact all the papers I used were left over scraps - see I can stash bust too Lizzy!

Supplies:
Papers: Echo Park, Little Boy; TPC Studio, Transporatation Strip
Alphas: Simple Stories, Bloom & Grow
Stickers: Echo Park, Little Boy; Simple Stories, Bloom & Grow
Stamps: Lawn Fawn, Home Sweet Home; SU Touches of Texture
Ink: SU, night of navy
Embellishments: Doodelbug Sprinkles, blue jean asst.

Do go and check out the rest of the DT creations at The Memory Nest - here - and then get busy with your interpretation of the sketch.

Thanks for looking.  And keep crafting!

AAA Cards - #87 Shiny Spring

Well Spring is certainly well established here in the UK and our clocks have now changed over to summer time which means longer days and lighter evenings - yay! So AAA Cards new challenge that starts today is right on point.

The theme is Spring with an optional twist of something shiny and I was thinking sunshine, flowers and the hedgerows greening up when I created my card

The background mat was created using Uniko's halftone block stamp and some bright happy colours. I then stamped and added a little colour to the blooms and handcut them out.

I combined a couple of sentiment words from different sets and added a coat of wink of stella for my shiny element.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko, Background Blocks Halftone, Flower Power #4, Simply Said 
Inks: SU cucmber crush; Brusho, yellow, turquiose
Die: MFT Dienamics, double stitched rectangle stax
Pro marker: tulip yellow 
Wink of Stella, clear

Now I know the rest of the AAA Cards DT have some superb Spring cards to share with you - one of the perks of being on the DT is that I get to see and drool over all their amazing creations before the posts go live. Check them all out here. We've also got the super talented Trina from  mycraftingcloset guesting with us this fortnight and there's a gift certificate from Happy Little Stampers to be won.

Thanks for visiting today, I always love that you find time to drop by my blog.  And keep crafting!

Saturday Slot

Just popping in today with a card I made for the new challenge over at Time Out, where they have an 'Inspired by Words' theme.

'When it rains look for rainbows, when its dark look for stars'

Here's my card:

So I took inspiration from the rainbow and stars and used a stencil to create a rainbow star panel. I then stamped a quote that I thought matched the sentiment of Time Out's words.

Supplies:
Stamps: Inkylicious, One Moment at a Time
Inks: SU, real red, pumpkin pie, daffodil delight, wild wasabi, marina mist, rich razzleberry; Versafine, onyx black
Stencil: ARTplorations, Oh My Stars
Card: SU, dapper denim

I'm so pleased that you had time to visit today, thanks so much.  And keep crafting!