Saturday 25 March 2017

CCT Burgundy, lime and cream - you still have time to join in.

Here is another card for the Christmas Card Throwdown colour challenge. 


  

I think this was heavily influenced by our previous sketch challenge. I used scraps of card to raise up the front and make the circle indented. This has made it quite weighty but I hope not too thick to post. 
You might be able to see a bit better here:



I'm still using the cream card which I mentioned in a previous post. The front has odd purple swirls on it but the back is very pretty. I'll be sorry when I run out as I can't get any more. 
Do have a go at this challenge, you have one more week to play. 
As I write this there are very few entries, either everyone is very busy or the colours have put people off. If you are not sure about them you could try using just a little bit of colour, as I have here.  

I'm also skipping over to Pixie's snippets playground. I've used quite  few snippets on the front and to pad it out and raise it.  
Also Scrappy Mo's Rudolf Days Challenge which is to enter a Christmas Card between 25th and the end of each month. As this is the 25th, I'm heading over there.  

I've used:

Inky Doodles - Print backgrounds 2 stamps. 
Tonic circle die
Tattered Lace edge die
Cranberry and Twisted Citron ink pads
Wink of Stella clear pen.
I don't have names for the other items.  

Sunday 19 March 2017

Confused about the seasons...

I've got Christmas and Spring going on here.
This is a card I have made for the current Merry Monday challenge. I'm just nipping in before the deadline.


I used a piece of coated Clarity paper and stamped a few snowflakes and swirls in Versamark. Then I inked on top and stamped some more over the inking. It's not showing up very well here. 


The die cut snowflake is embossed in bronze. It's a scrummy colour combination which I'd like to use again.




Just to prove I don't only make Christmas cards... For speed I'm adding this card to the same post. 
Stamplorations March challenge is:


 Also a lovely challenge as we are all revelling in the first signs of spring. I chose yellow and green and nothing says spring more that daffodils:



I embossed the daffodils in white, painted them in with inks then, when it was all dry, ironed off the embossing. This gives a brilliant effect which looks as though you have painted it. That is way beyond my skills!


I should have made the border very slightly bigger but too late now. 
I've used Stamplorations 'Flowers and Frames' for the border and 'Balloons and Banners' for the sentiment.

 I hope you've had time for the things you love this weekend. x

Saturday 18 March 2017

March colour challenge - Christmas Card Throwdown.

It's time for a new challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown. 


This time it's a colour challenge. 


Don't be scared, just think of it as red and green. 


I've freestyled with this, not something I often do. I thought boxes couldn't be too difficult to draw!
I drew and cut out the parcels, stamped a few patterns on them then chose some matching thread for the bows. I hope they won't come undone. I've added a tiny drop of glue on the back of the knot and somehow managed not to get it on the front.
I toyed with various ideas for adding a border round the edge but in the end I just left it how it was. 

We are always amazed by cards entered into our challenge, so clever and varied.  I look forward to seeing what you do with this one. You have two weeks to play along.




Thursday 16 March 2017

Inky star

 Here is a card I've made for a nephew. It's a very simple idea. I used Brushos on wet paper then when it was dry I cut out the star.  Then folded the paper in half to make the card. I glued an insert over the back of the cut star.


I turned the outside frame of the star around so it made a bit of a contrast with the patterns in the paint. 
Are you wondering why that sentiment is plonked there?
I tried to be clever and stamp the sentiment 3 times directly onto the card. 

WHAT! No. Don't do that! Why did I do that? 

I was very cross as I loved the rest of the card, so that oval is covering it up. Hey, it looks ok!

I'm linking this to the current Stamplorations CAS challenge and the Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge. 

http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/p/stamplorations-anything-goes-challenge.html
I've used
Namless set of star dies (from China - you guessd)
Brusho - Ultra marine.
Stamplorations - Balloons and Banners stamps. 
JustRite oval die

Saturday 11 March 2017

Happy red card

Here is another card for our current sketch challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown. 


 

 I tried to get a good photo, it's really very red but doesn't look in on my screen. Hopefully it will on yours. 
I've used Inky Doodles stamps again end embossed white on red paper. Then using a small star punch, I punched the stars down the edge and then mounted on the base card so the white shows through. 

I used the punched out pieces on the tag with a touch of glossy accents. I did leave these out of the way to dry so they did not attach themselves to anything else whilst tacky! (See previous).
You still have a week to play along with this challenge. 

I've used 
Inky Doodles - Print Backgrounds 2 and Caroline's Doodles
Sentiment - Creative Stamping #34
Sissix die


Sunday 5 March 2017

Ideas of summer

What can you do on a wet and windy day but stay in and create a butterfly card? Hopefully conjuring up images of summer. 


The current Butterfly Challenge is G for Glossy Accents and/or the colour slate blue.

I started by picking out this paper which I considered to be slate blue. Then I tried to match the inks I used to the paper.

 They turned out the be nothing like it but, by using a green frame, I think linked it all together. 


I stamped the wreath using various tiny stamps and then winked the butterflies and the centres of the flowers. 

The frame is green though it looks a bit blue here. I wish I'd left off the second butterflies but it's there now. 
Finally, I cut some tiny flowers, coloured them silver and glossied them up. That idea goes to Mrs A. Thank you very much. While they were drying, I managed to get them stuck on things not once but twice. Usually I pop things on the windowsil out of the way. 

As you can see, it suddenly says 'thank you' now. I was going to leave it blank as my brain was aching and I wasn't sure how to add a greeting. Then it came to me so here it is:
 
 I'm going to run over to Pixie's Snippets Playground, too, as I've used a few snippets. I only used the green as it was lying around having failed on another project.

I've used:
MME paper
Stamps - Card-io, JustRite, Stamplorations, Kaisercraft. I can let you
details on any particular stamp.

Tonic circle die
Tattered Lace (I think) flower die 
Inks- Mountain rose, Forest moss, Lake mist

Saturday 4 March 2017

CCT - March sketch

No posts from me for ages then two come along at once!


This week at Christmas Card Throwdown we have a sketch challenge for you. 
 

It's a lovely versatile sketch which I'm sure will be interpreted in many different and clever ways. My original thought was washi tape but then I went in another direction so you can have that idea. (You're welcome).


I've used some paper which came in a goody bag from a show. It has rather odd purple swirls on what should be the front but the back is this lovey cream colour with speckles and a tiny amount of glitter.
I stamped the design then cut the ric-rac edge and slipped a bit of red paper underneath so show off the curves. 
I also coloured the ribbon slightly with pro-marker to darken it. I tried the ink pad but is just made it mucky in this case. I washed it out then I had to get out my hair straighteners to smooth out the creases. Top tip for quickly smoothing ribbon.
I love the red on the cream and the whole card in general, really. 
I hope you'll feel inspired to get creative with this sketch and get ahead on your Christmas cards. You have two weeks for the challenge.

I've used:
All stamps are Inky Doodles apart from the sentiment which is from Creative Stamping #35
Cranberry ink pad
Scraps of ribbon and a brad found lying around

Thursday 2 March 2017

Going dotty

I've got so many projects on the go just now, I've had very little time for crafting. Also very few birthdays or occasions. 

Less is More are having a birthday month and I really wanted to join in. Due to all the busyness I 've left it almost to the last day! Anyway Happy Birthday and thanks so much for all the amazing inspiration. 
This week it's a sketch:


This is not the card I set out to make but that is often the case, isn't it?


I cut out a circle, stamped a dotty background and gave a very slight inking around the edge. I knew I had some dotty ribbon, it turned out to be a bit too pink so I inked that as well and threaded it through the button.
New dies had just popped through the letterbox so I thought I'd have a go with them. I cut out 'happy birthday' then thought it looked good in white against the card. I'd meant to colour it really. So I cut out some more and lined them up accross the card. 
Easier said than done! They are straight, I assure you.

I'm not really sure how much I like it but I hope you do.

I'm also hopping over to Pixie's Snippets Playground where they will have forgotten what I look like. I've made a tiny dent in the white snippets mountain.

I've used:
Leane creatief flower die
Tonic circle die
Dove craft dotty paper - snippet
Snippet of dotty ribbon
Nameless sentiment die
Personal Impressions dotty stamp 
Lulu lavender ink