OLCCC Challenge #10 Reminder

Hello!  Just wanted to remind you that there's still time to join in on the current challenge over at One Layer Christmas Card Challenge.  It's always anything goes with an optional twist. The twist this time is stars.  And if you use the twist you are entered in for the prize draw!  Here's a little bit of inspiration to entice you to play....

I decided to use just a single star again and used a lovely tree stencil (ARTplorations) I hadn't used yet.  I also decided to make a square card for a change.  I made the tree off center and off the edge and secured it down. Then I sponged Mowed Lawn creating an ombré effect.  Next, leaving the stencil in place, I inked up a flourish stamp (Inkadinkado) with the same colour and stamped it overtop.  I used canary yellow and cantaloupe Memento ink for the star.  I removed the stencil and glued on some red sequins (Neat and Tangled).  I stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts) in black.  It's CAS but quite nice I think.

I hope you'll take some time and join in on the challenge.  Thanks for visiting and have a lovely day!

I'm going to link up to the following challenges:

ABC Christmas Challenge - J is for Joy
Christmas Card Challenge - anything goes

Inkspirational Challenge - Congratulations Pia!

It's an extra special challenge this time over at Inkspirational.  Us DT girls threw together a surprise challenge for our teammate, Pia, who is getting married next week.  Congratulations Pia and Thomas!  So very happy for you!  I wish you a lifetime of happiness, love and laughter.  Big hugs!

So, the challenge is to create a purple card.  Why purple?  Well, it one of the main colours Pia chose for her wedding.  Even her dress is purple.  You should see it, it's gorgeous!  If you create a purple card then you are entered in for the draw of a £15 gift certificate to Clearly Besotted.  But wait, there's a twist!  Create a purple wedding card and you'll earn an extra entry!   Now here's my card...

Purple and grey are lovely together, aren't they?  I used grey because that was another one of Pia's wedding colours.  I started my card by stamping my large bouquet (Inkadinkado) in grey and colouring it with my Spectrum Noir markers. I stamped the sentiment (CAS-ual Fridays) in grey as well.  I cut an oval from a white cardstock panel and then embossed it with a damask folder (Sizzix).  Then I attached everything to a grey card base.  It's currently winging it's way to Denmark and I hope Pia will like it.  :-)

Hope you'll come over to Ink and see what awesome projects the other DT girls made.  And I hope you'll join in on the challenge too.

Thanks so much for visiting and have a wonderful day!

I'm going to link up to the following challenges:

Uniko Studio - flowers
CAS-ology - cue word is wedding.

One Layer Christmas Card Challenge #10

Hello!  It's a lovely day to start a new challenge, don't you think?  Well, today over at One Layer Christmas Cards Challenge, we have a new one starting.  As usual it's anything goes, but there is a twist if you choose to accept.  :-).  This time the twist is Stars.

So many ways to go with this twist.  I decided that rather than using a star stamp I would create a star mask/stencil instead.  Oh but what to do with it?  Let me show you...

So once I die cut my star out I used the negative piece like a stencil.  I centered it on my card base and then inked up my Hero Arts snowy town stamp.  I used one of the new ombré ink pads by Hero Arts as well.  Then I stamped it inside my star.  I had to do a little delicate sponging to touch up around the edges.  I used some textured snow for the snowy hills and then splattered some white acrylic paint to make the snowy (or starry if you want) sky more prominent.  Then I removed the star stencil and stamped the sentiment (also by Hero Arts) in Memento Nautical Blue ink.  I love how this turned out.  Those HA ombré inks are amazing aren't they?!  I've got one other in orange/yellow that's awesome as well.  I think I may need to invest in some others.  :-)

Well, I hope I've inspired you to not only get a head start on your Christmas cards but to join us over at OLCCC.  Remember there's a prize up for grabs if you use the twist.  You really should at least check out the other DT member's projects as they are all fabulous.

I hope you all have a fantastic day and thanks so much for visiting!

I'm going to link up to the following challenges:

A Blog Named Hero - clean and simple
A 2 Z Scrapbooking - anything goes
Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - clean and simple

Happy Birthday Sandie!!

Hey everyone!  Today a bunch of us are celebrating a wonderful blogger friend's birthday.  Today is Sandie's (of London Days) birthday!  Yay!  A very Happy Birthday to you, Sandie!  I hope you have as fabulous a day as you are!

There's a linky over at Kylie's blog, Kylie is Addicted to Stamps where you can link up a birthday card for Sandie and join us in the celebration.  Here's my card that I made...

I decided to play with one of my new stencils and the ombré technique.  I took my stencil (Nestled Circles by ARTplorations) and masked off a section of my card.  Then I sponged on Teal Zeal (Memento) and Sea Glass (SSS) ink to create a ombré effect.  Once I removed the mask, I attached a trimmed piece of gold glitter tape to one side of the stenciled area.  Using my Spectrum Noir markers I coloured some foam dimensional letter stickers (Thickers) in an ombré effect as well.  I attached them to the card and then stamped and embossed in gold the birthday sentiment.  It's graphic and clean and simple.  Just the kind of card that Sandie would like.  :-)

Hope to see you join in on the fun and wish the fantastic Sandie a Happy Birthday!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

I'm sure Sandie won't mind me linking up to a few challenges (she's awesome like that):

Addicted to Stamps and More - CAS
Seize the Birthday - anything goes birthday, optional topping of "using the negative" of a die cut.  I didn't use the topping.
Little Tangles - Clean and Simple.

STAMPlorations Spotlight Project

Hi everyone!  Well, it's my pleasure to once again do a Spotlight Project post over at STAMPlorations.  And since it was so well received last time, I did a photo tutorial again.  Today I'm going to show you how I go about creating what I like to call, collage stamping.  I take a few stamps and create a collage background (combining it with sponging, splatters and other fun stuff) around a main focal image.  I've done several cards like this recently and was asked by a few people to share how I made them.  Well, here you go!  :-).

For detailed instructions on how I made this card, whisk over to STAMPlorations to see my tutorial.

Hope you have an awesome day and thanks for dropping by!

I'd like to link up to the following challenges:

Spectrum Noir Monthly Challenge - May's challenge is flowers.  I used the following Spectrum Noir markers:  DG2, BT1, BT2, BT4.
Craft Stamper Magazine - Take it, Make it Challenge, May - take a stamp (use a stamp) anything goes
City Crafter Challenge Blog - use flowers
Addicted to Stamps and More - clean and simple

Inkspirational Challenge - Designer's Choice - Recipe

Hi everyone!  All week the weather has finally been gorgeous, sunny and dry!  This weekend they forecast some rain but that's okay.  Rain is needed.  I just like to see the sun for more than a day at a time is all.  :-). Managed to get outside and clean up some of the yard and my flower garden.  Got my son outside last weekend as well as the dog for a good long time.  They were both very happy.  Nothing like the outdoors and fresh air to make you sleep well.

Anyway, it's challenge time again over at Inkspirational!  It was DT member, Shauna's choice.  She decided to go with a recipe challenge.  You have to use 3 or 4 of the following elements:  distressing, embossing, flowers, pearls.

Now using distress inks are perfectly acceptable, just make sure you let us know in your post.  Also the embossing can be wet or dry, paste or powder.  I decided to try out a new stencil I recently got on my trip to Bangor, ME.  Take a look...

I first took my cardstock panel and masked off a section.  Then using my fern stencil (The Crafters Workshop) I spread my embossing paste.  Now, I don't actually have any white embossing paste so I used textured snow instead.  I've used this many times and it works great.  What is kind if neat is the textured snow has some fine glitter in it and it really shows up quite well on this card.  I removed the stencil and mask and let it dry.  Then using my distress inks, Forest Moss and Tea Dye I painted on the embossed fern and around it.  Then I added a trimmed strip of gold glitter tape (Tapeworks) and some pearls.  Lastly, I stamped my sentiment (CAS-ual Fridays) in black.  It fit perfectly!  I just love this fern stencil.  I can't wait to play with it some more.  :-)

I hope you'll all take a moment to go check out the other DT members project too.  They are all fantastic!  Hope to see you join in on the fun!

Thanks for visiting and have an awesome day!

I'd like to link up to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use a sentiment
Make My Monday Challenge - trees or leaves
Virginia's View Challenge - layers and dimension

One Layer Christmas Card Challenge #9

Hello everyone!  It's that time again for another challenge over at One Layer Christmas Card Challenge.  As usual it's anything goes with an optional twist.  What's the twist you say?  Why it's Angels!

I do so hope you'll join us in this angelic challenge. I don't have too many angel stamps but I do have a couple at least.  I decided to go with an oldie but a goodie. :-).  Check it out...

I started off stamping my angel and flourishes (both by Inkadinkado) in Versamark and embossing in clear.  Then I sponged a new colour of distress ink I got recently, Vintage Velvet.  Such a lovely shade of pink.  Dusty and soft.  Next I stamped some snowflakes (also by Inkadinkado) in the Vintage Velvet.  I added a bit of Wink of Stella to the snowflakes but it was minimal and impossible to capture on camera.  Then I stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts) in Grey Flannel (Memento) ink.  I love doing non-traditional colours for Christmas cards. They often turn out to be some of my favourites.

Please go check out the other DT members projects as they are all fabulous as usual.  Hope you'll all come play along with us over at OLCCC!  I'd love to see you there!  Remember there's a prize up for grabs too.  :-)

Have a fabulous day and thanks for stopping by!

I'd like to link up to the following challenges:

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - white plus one colour
Winter Wonderland - clean and simple
Merry Monday Christmas Challenge - use wet or dry embossing.

CASEplorations Featured Guest Designer

Hello everyone!  It's another exciting day for me as over at STAMPlorations the CASEplorations team has chosen one of my cards to CASE!  I'm always so honored when someone CASEs one of my cards.  :-).  Now the CASEplorations team has chosen this card of mine to CASE...

It was one of my favourites that I made last year.  It was going to be published in Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking Magazine before they ended up closing their doors and so it never got published.  But that's okay.  I was able to share it with all of you and it was well received.  :-). Anyway, I wanted to join the CASEplorations team and CASE my card.   Check it out...

I decided to stick with the kraft, brown and white colour scheme, the use of a flower stamp and making it a one layer card.  However, I used a different stamp, design and didn't do any colouring with pencil crayons.  I first masked off a small strip and stamped my flower (STAMPlorations, Eclectic Florals set) in white ink (Color Box).  Then I stamped in Soft Suede (SU!).  I removed the mask and stamped the sentiment (STAMPlorations, Trendy Feathers set) in Soft Suede.  A quick and easy card but I think it looks pretty cool.

I hope you will all check out the amazing projects the CASEplorations team has created.  And maybe you can join in on the fun too!

I hope you all have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by!

I'd like to link up to the following challenge:

One Layer Simplicity Challenge - blossom
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - anything goes