Playing With Paper For CAS-ual Fridays

Good evening,

I can't believe this is my third post of the day, I'm really on a roll, if only I could do this everyday!
My final card of the day is combining two challenges, CAS-ual Fridays whose challenge was three shades of one colour plus brown. I have chosen Pool Party, Marina Mist, Island Indigo and Crumb Cake.

and a sketch from The Paper Players

I have changed the sketch a little, I wanted my shades of blue, to get gradually larger as they went down the card front. I have also used my sentiment as the central focal point of the card to keep it quite simple.

I stamped the flower image onto each layer of coloured CS in the same ink to give a tone-on-tone pattern, then decided to use it as an accent as well which I just couldn't resist glittering!

I know I probably shouldn't say be I'm really pleased with how it turned out. When I started I didn't think it was going to work, but somehow it all came together in the end, yay!

Well that's all from me today, hope you will come by and see me again soon. xx

A Freshly Made Card

Hello again,

My day is panning out quite well this is my second post for today, and I'm back with a card for a challenge that is new to me, it's called Freshly Made Sketches. Each Wednesday a new sketch is uploaded for us to play along with , this is a fairly new challenge, I'm joining in with week 4, so I'm sure they'd love you to stop by and join in.

The sketch features a tag, I don't put tags on my cards very often but I always like the effect when I do. Here's what I came up with.

A non-crafter may think that all the elements of a card like this are already printed and you just cut and stick, but I really enjoy starting with a plain white piece of paper and ending up with something pretty, which is just what I did with this tag. I decided to leave the image uncoloured, as there was quit a lot of detail in the background. I'm so sad that Bella Toile will be gone forever after Friday, boo hoo.

See you again soon, I hope. xx

Calypso Coral Cupcakes

Good morning,

After a horrible day at work yesterday and a walk-a-bout cat I was so glad that I had booked today off as holiday a while back. Not only is the weather lovely, but I'm planning to spend the day crafting and possibly watch the king's speech later, just what I need!

I'm hoping that this won't be my only card I get completed today, I have been looking at the finale Viva sketch I still had to complete to enter the months competition for some time, but nothing was coming to me. So while I was looking at some challenges this weeks Color Throwdown combo jumped out at me, it contains 3 in-colours 2 of them brand new ones available to you from Saturday!

I wasn't sure that Poppy Parade and Calypso Coral would go together but actually I think they are a great match, they layer together perfectly. I didn't want to go too over the top with the Chocolate Chip so I just stuck to stamping and inking edges with it. I have added Dazzling diamond glitter to the cupcake frosting, a girl can't have a cupcake without glitter. This card is for my niece Beth, whose birthday is early next month, so I have added a monogram to the tag which I rubbed over with Champagne mist shimmer paint, looks lovely IRL.

Here's the sketch the Viva La Verve sketch that I was working from, as you can see I have swapped that flower element for you a bow tied with Poppy Parade ribbon.

Why not give it ago yourself, xx

Something For Christmas

Good evening,

Tonight I'd like to share with you a card that I have made using a brand new a la carte stamp called Something For Christmas, it features three sentiments Christmas sentiments all in a row with baubles hanging from the last one.

For this card I have used marker pens to colour each of the sentiments a different shade of blue, Night of Navy, Marina Mist and a new in-colour Island Indigo, stamped repeatedly to make my own backing paper.
I have mixed this new stamp with a current one, Tree Trimmings, Serene Snowflakes and a little shimmer paint for that added Christmas sparkle.

Hope you like it, xx

Viva La Throwdown

Good evening,

I really wanted to get another of this months Viva La Verve sketches done, the end of the month is fast approaching and I still have another to get finished before Thursday!

 I needed a great colour combo to go with it so headed over to Color Throwdown where they have a gorgeously girly one.



I have swapped the large tag for three small ones, and do you spy new product?? Yes the punch is a brand spanking new one, it's also great for threading ribbon threw!

Are you ready for Monday? Coz it's just around the corner, see you then. xx

My New Favourite Christmas Stamp

Good Afternoon,

I can't hold it in any longer, I have to share a new stamp set with you. This is my favourite new Christmas stamp set, it has a gorgeous image and several great sentiments, and I'm sure by Christmas you will be sick of the sight of this one!

I have combined this new stamp set called Beautiful Season, with the final Viva La Verve sketch for this month, I must get around to making the other two that I haven't done for this month yet!

I have taken my colour palette from The shabby Tea Room, this week's challenge is entitled 'Vintage White', and the colours I have chosen to use from the selection are, Vanilla, Crumb Cake (Kraft), and Chocolate Chip. I have also used another new stamp, called Parlour Prints. I love the vintage style of this stunning background stamp.

 I wanted to show you a close up of the image it is so delicate, this time I have left it uncoloured except for a little Champagne shimmer paint which I've applied to the berries which a cotton bud to get little perfect circles of shimmer.

Of course it looks even more pretty and sparkly in real life.

I hope my little sneak peek has you even more excited about the new catalogue, only a week to wait, yippee!! xx

Mojo's Back!

Good Evening,

I'm not just talking about my personal mojo, I'm talking about Mojo Monday, they have been taking a little break for the past 2 weeks but they have returned to help us get the grey matter working, and I for one am relieved they are back!

Here's the sketch they are designed for us to play with

Isn't it fab, a perfect for sketch for me because I love to matt and layer so I decided to make a card with an autumnal feel, I know many of you will be holding onto the last days of summer, but I quite like autumn. I love the colours of the leaves changing, snuggling under a duvet with my fluffy slippers on, and its means that I can start to get excited about my all time favourite part of the year........christmas!

I have taken the colour combo from my colour coach and tweaked a little, the colours I have used are, More Mustard, Not quite Navy, and Garden Green.

The eagle-eyed among you will have spotted the ribbon and may be thinking to yourself, Stampin' up! don't make that colour ribbon, and you'd be right, I have taken the white organza ribbon and colour tinted it with More Mustard to make a matching ribbon for my card. I also blasted the tails with my heatgun until they curled up, but unfortunately they were too long for the card so I had to chop them down a lot.

Hope you have a great week, xx

Colour Q Sail Away

Hi!

I wanted to play along with a couple of challenges, a colour combo from Colour Q and a sketch from Simply Stampin. When I first saw the colours I wasn't quite sure how I was going to put them all together, I was fine with the green blue and grey, it was the red that threw me.

However when I popped over to check out this weeks challenge at Simply stampin they had a great sketch and I knew that the strips along the bottom would be a great way to use all the colours!

I have changed the sketch just a little bit, I wanted to make a masculine card and I wasn't sure about the scallop trim along the bottom of the image panel so instead I've added a little row of jumbo eyelets.
I can't believe that I haven't used this stamp before, I've had it for ages!

Now it's seen ink once I'm sure I'll be reaching for it more often, I've seen it used in so many different ways!

See you again soon, xx

Sketch and Stamp

Good evening,

I'm back with another sketch and colour challenge combo. The sketch is taken from a new challenge I've found called Sketch and Stamp, as you may have guessed they ask that you follow the sketch and use stamping, either traditional or digital within the design.

The colour combo I have used is this weeks challenge over at the Play Date Cafe, I wasn't sure if I could pull off the bright blue with the other colours, but I don't think I've done to badly with it.

Once again I have used the Garden Whimsy set from my card, I have used a sponge dauber to get the two toned effect on my butterfly and to colour the tulips. The colours I have used are Night of Navy, Tempting Turquoise and So Saffron.

 I have swapped the scallop circle element of the sketch for the popped up butterfly, which fits in perfectly for this weeks Simply Stampin' challenge which this week is Flutterby Butterfly, I'd also like to thank for ladies for naming me top 3 for last weeks challenge!

Hope you'll pop back and see me again sometime, xx

In a Flash

Good morning,

I was all excited for the Viva la Verve first sketch of September, I logged on the the website, saw the sketch and felt my heart sink. Firstly it was a DL card, I always find these cards difficult for some reason. It also had three shaped elements on it and I don't have any shaped dies that were small enough to have three on the front of the card.

I couldn't get past the mind set of 'I can't do it', I've been looking at it over and over again hoping that inspiration would strike me. Well last night, when the cat was being particularly annoying I suddenly thought Fun Flowers die!

I wanted to combine my idea with a great colour combo, and this week The Paper Players have just that, I do love Razzleberry and Olive together, and I'm really warming to grey.

So I grabbed my Fun Flowers die and set to work. My next problem was deciding which stamp set to use for the centres, I decided upon Garden Whimsy, I wish that I'd used this set a lot more, it really is a great little set with great insect and flower images and two sentiments too.

I'm so pleased that I gave this one a go, I think this maybe the fist DL card I've made that I really quite like.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

More Sell Out News

Good evening,

Just a very quick post this evening as I have not been well all day today.

The following items have also sold out from the retiring list

Choo Choo stamp set
Jolly Holiday DSP
Silver elastic cord

See you soon

Sell Out News

Good evening,

I have news of the first sell out items from the retired list

Sense of time stamp set
2010-2012 in colour re-inkers
Riding Hood red 12x12 cardstock
Jumbo eyelets, both colourways
Star punch

We are only days into the sale and already having sell-outs, I'm not surprised about the Sense of Time set at all.

On to a card I have made using a set that will be staying out in the new catalogue, Just Believe,

Although this wonderful stamp set is staying with us, unfortunately the beautiful Springtime Vintage DSP is not :(

See you soon, xx

Colour Q 100

Good afternoon,

Last week I was looking for colour challenges and found Colour Q, they are celebrating their 100th challenge, I was a little sad that I have only just found them but excited at the same time because the challenge is to combined a sketch with any of the past colour challenges I have written down some of my favourites and will try to get at least one more card done for this challenge because I had so much fun looking through the past colour combo's.

Here's the sketch they have posted to follow

and I finally decided on the colour combo #88

I knew exactly which stamp set I wanted to use, when the retiring list went live, I sat down to go through my catalogue and mark all the items that were retiring, I became more and more sad as I realised that 12 of the sets in my collection are leaving so I decided that I would have to use them. This set Sense Of Time is one of my favourites, its great for masculine cards and retirement cards I have even made a card just using the sentiment as the focal point because they are so beautiful.

If you click on the image you should be able to see the details more clearly, I have used a piece of the Newsprint DSP form the main section, it had lines printed on it like a note pad, I have turned the DSP so that the lines are vertical and stamped over them, in Soft Suede and Early Espresso, I then scrunched up the paper flattened it back out and swiped my ink pad over the top for the distressed look. This should qualify my card for the challenge over at Our Creative Corner, which is stamping onto patterned paper. I also got my spritzing tool out for the clock face and cogs, and added final dimension with some linen thread.

Don't forget if you want to get your hands on this set, it's only available until the end of the month or while stocks last!

Pop back later to see another card I'm working on, xx

Last Chance List!!!

Hello,

Well today's the day that Stampin' up! announces it's last chance list, so will have to say goodbye to some old friends, to make room for new ones. It's sad but exciting all at the same time. Over the next month I'm hoping to share with you some cards using the retiring products. So I better get crafty and start creating!

To check out the list of this years retiring products Click Here, if there is something that you have been meaning to get is on there and you just have to have it, be quick, it's while stocks last!

Plus don't forget that the mini catalogue runs until 30th September and not all the products will make it into the brand new catalogue, but don't be too sad, we'll soon have some new must haves to play with.If you'd like to be among the first to get your hands on the brand new catalogue use the contact me tab at the top of the page to email me.

I'll be back regularly with stock updates, see you soon. xx