Distress Inked Paper Flowers

It’s time for a new challenge over at Sentimental Sundays – and this week, our theme is Anything Goes!

My time has been stretched quite thin recently – I’ve taken on a more active role in the family business, my school commitments have increased and I’ve had a lot of DT projects on the go, so it was quite nice to play along with this challenge and just switch off and see what happened!!

What happened was this: messy desk, very inky fingers; snippets of paper everywhere; buttons, brads and thread hanging from every available surface!!  And the result was this lovely flower birthday card….

The flowers were cut on the Silhouette from a piece of aqua cardstock and shaded using a mixture of Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean and Peacock Feather ink pads.  Some of the petals were embossed with Sea Foam embossing powder (although it wasn’t as successful as I’d hoped, I think it looks OK when the flower is assembled), while I doodled on other petals with a white Jelly Roll pen.  One flower had some silver Brilliance daubed in the middle and on the edges of the petals.

The whole lot was popped together on a doily mat, on top of some Peacock Feather stained card, which in turn was laid on a dry embossed piece of aqua cardstock.

And then it was time to tidy up 😦

Head over to Sentimental Sundays to see how the rest of the DT played along with the challenge!

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Jolly Snowfolk

A new challenge is starting today over at Crafting From The Heart.  As always, our theme is Anything Goes and our sponsors are Dilly Beans and Angie’s Digi Images.

As I’m sure you know, I’m a huge Dilly Beans fan, so I jumped at the chance to use one her her great stamps.  As Christmas is also rapidly approaching, I decided it was time to break out the Snowman Border!

Why is it that the simplest things sometimes end up taking much longer than they really should.  My card isn’t complicated, there aren’t many detailed layers, just some cute snowmen, who had a little Tea Green ProMarker and blender added to their edges and a paper pieced hearts and scarves.

Well, technology has failed me today!  My Silhouette firstly decided not to cut Kraft, then decided not to cut anything at all.  So I dug out a trusty craft knife and cut my frames by hand (a little wonkily, I’m afraid!).

The embossing was easy – my Cuttlebug obliged happily!  But then came the button decision….  I settled for my 5th choice – it’ lucky I had a deadline to meet or I’d still be puzzling over it now, I reckon!

So, long story short – Dilly Beans have some great, versatile images that are a pleasure to use – and I’m going to avoid technology, decisions and buttons for the rest of the day!

Make time this week to share your projects over at Crafting From The Heart!

I’d like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Christmas Challenge – Anything Goes

Christmas Card Challenges – Embossing

Crafty Calendar – Anything Goes

Avenue 613 Create – Anything Goes w/ no twist

Back To CAS!

Lately, I’ve found that there is some much going on that I can’t sit, relax and let the card take shape organically….  So I’m playing along with some of my favourite sketch challenges til things calm down a bit.  Today’s card is based around the current sketch challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches:

I like the simplicity of this sketch!  It was a pleasure to head back to my very CAS style – I prefer not to use images on very clean cards, but as most of my design team work involves sponsor images, I haven’t had a chance in recent weeks to strip it back!  In  fact, this card almost felt too CAS….is that even possible? 😉

So, back to the card….  The circle, banner and back mat are all cut from AC cardstock.  The sentiment was printed on the card before cutting the shapes on the Silhouette (although it struggled to read the registration marks on the teal card, so I cut the banner by hand!).  The grey mat at the back was dry embossed with a grungy stripe folder to add a little texture.  The last element is a strip of striped washi tape, which runs across the centre of the card, anchoring all the element s together.  The right hand side of the banner and left hand side of the ring have been popped up on 3D pads to give a little more depth to the card.

I’d like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches – see sketch above #143

Keep It Simple! – Turquoise

When I Grow Up….

This week’s challenge over at Sentimental Sundays is all about what you’d like to be when you grow up!  Our sponsor, PolkaDoodles, offered us three images to choose from; I stayed girly and picked the ballerina, and popped her into a card based around the current sketch challenge over at Try Stampin On Tuesday (see below for sketch).

The image was coloured with ProMarkers and lots of Candy Floss and Star Dust Stickles, and popped into a Kraft frame which I edged lightly with silver Brilliance ink.  To give the impression of daydreaming, I chose to emboss the panel behind the image with the Clouds folder by Darice, smudging my pink chalk VersaMagic ink from the bottom to the top of the panel to highlight the clouds.  I used the same technique on the heart embossed banner, while the second banner just had the ink pulled across, without any embossing!  The panel and both the banners were mounted on Kraft.  The sentiment in the top right was cut from some bubblegum pink glitter cardstock by the Silhouette.

Make sure you head over to Sentimental Sundays to see what the other DT ladies want to be when they grow up!

I’d like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Try Stampin On Tuesday – sketch (rotated)

Love To Scrap GDT

I’m delighted to share with you today the card I have made for my first GDT post with Love To Scrap!

The challenge this week is “BINGO” – simply pick a column from the grid below and make a project that includes all the elements listed in that column…simple, eh?!

I choose the final column for my project, so I needed to include purple, brads, twine, embossing and any sentiment.  My image, Emmilou Boo, came from one of this week’s sponsors, Lacy Sunshine, who are offering 3 images for the winner of the challenge!  In addition, there is also the chance to win 3 images from the challenge’s other sponsor, The Stamping Chef!

I coloured Emmilou Boo using Pro-Markers.  I hadn’t thought about the lack of straw coloured markers in my collection….so I ended up spending a good while patch testing a variety of colour combos!  In the end I settled on Mustard, Tulip Yellow, Pastel Yellow and Putty, but to create some texture I tried my hand at Pointilism, putting down dots of colour rather than blending the inks.  I’m not 100% happy with the grass – I picked the colours in daylight, but it was late by the time I coloured and the end result is slightly more neon than I’d hoped, and not really in keeping with the pastel colours I’d used in the rest of the card, but on a positive note, I like the texture that the different shades of green have made!  Can’t win them all, eh?!  Stickles for the dandelion clocks and a glittery purple frame finished the image off.

I was originally planning to base the card around the curent sketch over at Crafting When We Can, but I couldn’t find an element for the top corner that I was happy with – I tried a few options, but they either made the card feel to cluttered or they looked insubstantial.  For the base layer, I have embossed some white cardstock using a freebie flower folder that came with a magazine, then blended some Dusty Concorde Distress Ink and mounted it on a pearlescent purple Bazzill cardstock.  The next layer just uses half a doily, mounted on the same cardstock.

The flower border is from the Silhouette Online Store, cut from a darker shade of purple cardstock.  The sentiment was created in Silhouette Studio, edged with Distress Ink, backed by some glitter cardstock and secured with a purple flower brad that has been living in my stash for a good few years, along with the butterfly beads, which I have secured using twine.

I have to confess that I had pretty much finished the card and was running through the list of required elements when I realised I’d missed something off – it went something like this “purple, check; embossing, check; sentiment, check; brad, check; twine……..ooops!”.  Luckily I was able to take the brad off, add the twine and butterflies and pop it all together pretty easily 🙂

Anyway, that’s just about it for now, make sure you head over to Love To Scrap for a look at the DT makes!  I’ll be back with another Love To Scrap GDT post later this month.

I’d like to ente this card into the following challenges:

Make My Monday – Seasonal Colours

 Perfectly Rustics – Bling, Bling, Shine and Sparkle

Melonheadz Friends – Circles

Incy Wincy – 4+ Papers/Brads

Bunny Zoe’s – Distress

Card Mania Challenges – Embossing

We Do Doobadoo – Layers

Happy 18th Birthday!

Today’s card was made for my next door neighbour’s oldest son, who turned 18 at the weekend.  I’ve kept the colours simply and masculine and opted to focus on the age, rather than add an image to this card – after all, it is a landmark birthday, so it’s all about the numbers!

The die cut is by Lori Whitlock in the Silhouette Online store (I also have similar ones by Alaa’K).  The side panels were embossed with the Darice Chevrons folder.  And, to top it all, I’ve managed to make this card entirely from my leftovers box 🙂

I’d like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Artistic Inspirations – CAS

Crafty Bloggers Network – Die Cuts and Embossing

Whoopsi Daisy – Emboss It!

Stamped Blessings – Chevrons

Robyn’s Fetish Challenge – Square Cards

Crafting Musketeers – Monochrome

While I’m here today, I’d also like to let you know that I’ve (finally) claimed my blog on Bloglovin, and have added a button in the side bar for you to click on if you’d like to join my band of followers!  I’ve recently swapped from WordPress Reader to Bloglovin as I was having trouble receiving posts for the blogs I was subscribed to – I’ve found Bloglovin really straight forward to use, both as a follower and blogger; it’s all there waiting for me when I get five minutes peace with a cup of coffee 😉

 

 

 

Midway Post For Unstampabelles

Hello again!  I’m back with my second Guest Designer project for Unstampabelles.

We’re halfway through this month’s challenge, but that still leaves you plenty of time to join in!  In case you need a reminder, this month’s challenge is to incorporate an animal or bird into your project and the twist is to use pastel colours.  Don’t forget that fabulous prize too – a $15 voucher is being offered to the winner by Regal Press.

You might remember my first project was an Easter card, with little rabbits along the bottom edge….  Well, today’s post brings you the original, unaltered rabbits!  The file is actually an Easter treat holder, which I thought would be perfect as a little extra for my children and also as a token gift for school friends.

Apart from resizing the file to fit to an A4 page, I ran it through the Silhouette and cut it from a heavy cardstock.  Before assembling the box at the back, I ran the card through my Cuttlebug, with various embossing folders (in the photos you can see the results of the Darice chevron folder and an unbranded quilting style folder).  Then, to make the pattern stand out a little more, I dragged my VersaMagic Chalk Ink pads over the raised areas. (How cute are those little tails?!)

The treat box was then very quickly assembled with double sided tape.  I was delighted to find that it was the perfect size for a tasty MaltEaster bunny to fit snuggly in the box at the back!

Make sure you head straight over to the Unstampabelles to have a peek at some more DT projects to inspire you!

I’d like to enter this project into the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge – E Is For Easter

Craft For The Craic – Easter

Jellypark Friends – Easter

613 Avenue Create – Anything Goes With Twist Candy Treats

Cupcake Inspirations – see image below

Who’s The Em-Boss?!

Embossing is the new theme over at Sentimental Sundays this week!  Whether it’s dry embossing or heat embossing, we’d love to see how you incorporate it into your projects for this week’s link-up.

The challenge is sponsored by The Cutting Cafe; they kindly offered the DT two files to use in their projects this week – I chose to use the Rain, Rain, Go Away set, which comes with so many different elements!

For my card, I chose the gorgeous Wellie boots and the cute sentiment.  I made the rainbow in the Silhouette software by adding several offset layers to build up the colours, and then overlaid the sentiment before printing and cutting the image.  The boots and puddle were cut by the Silhouette and coloured with Pro-Markers.  I added touches of Crystal Stickles and Glossy Accents to the boot and puddles to add a little detail.

Now, I hadn’t forgotten that the theme was embossing!  I chose a square of dove grey cardstock and dry embossed it by running the Darice Clouds folder through my Cuttlebug – it doesn’t show so well in the main picture, but it is easier to pick out on the photo below.  Perfect grey cloudy sky backdrop for my lovely bright rainbow!!

What will you emboss on your card?  I could do with some ideas of how to get the most out of heat embossing – I have the tools, but just don’t seem to get it right.  But dry embossing….now you’re talking!!  Can’t wait to see your projects in the link-up!

I’d like to enter this card into the following  challenges:

Tuesday Throwdown – Weather Report

Natalie and Amy – Embossing

Southern Girls – Earn Your Stripes

Coffee, Chocolate and Cards – Yipes, Stripes!

Things With Wings….

As Spring starts to arrive, the new challenge over at Kitty Bee’s Aloha Friday is “Things With Wings”.  We were very lucky to be sponsored by Dilly Beans, and I had a great time playing with this little bee image!

There are actually three bees included in the set, the other two are side on views of the bee.  However, for my card, this little fellow was just perfect!  I printed him in a circle and cut it all on the Silhouette.  I coloured the image with Pro-Markers, then ran a little Scattered Straw Distress Ink around the edge of the circle.  For the honeycomb panel on the right hand side, I embossed an off-cut of white card with the Darice Honeycomb folder and then dragged the Scattered Straw Distress Ink across it until I had reached the depth of colour I wanted – I love the way there’s still a little white edge inside each of the hexagons!

For the banner, I used the print and cut option on the Silhouette again; the font is Minya Nouvelle….my latest favourite!  For the black and yellow mat on the banner, I cut the shape from a piece of Dovecraft Back To Basics Monochrome stack, then ran my Gold Pro-Marker over the pattern to colour in the white bits and make it more bee-like.  The final layer of paper is from the Studio Calico Snippets collection.

I based the layout on the current challenge over at Seize The Sketch:

Don’t forget to head over to Kitty Bee’s Aloha Friday Challenge to show us how you’ve used “Things With Wings” in your projects!

I’d like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Seize The Sketch – Challenge 15 (see sketch above)

Crafty Little Fairies – Things With Wings

Melonheadz Friends – Bright Colours

My Crafty Spot – Cute Critters

Perfectly Rustics – Hexagons

A Random Fan – Birthdays

Splendiferous Creations/Bloggers – Birthdays

Happy birthday Little Brother!!

Today I’m sharing the card I made for my brother’s birthday recently.  As I’ve mentioned before, he’s not a big fan of coloured images and likes his cards fairly simple.  So, this is how it turned out:

I based the design on an old sketch from the Deconstructed Sketch archives.  I have been wanting to play with one of the layout for a while – it’s just a shame this isn’t the current sketch so I can’t enter the challenge!

For the circles, I cut three identical circles from Kraft card, then embossed with different embossing circles to add some texture.  The dark blue mat was cut from a piece of corrugated card that I forgot was lurking in my stash and the piece of blue spotted ribbon was also an offcut found in the depths of my ribbon box.  The sentiment was printed directly onto a piece of felt-marked card that was an offcut from some Order of Service booklets I made a while back.  For the little dots, I simply cut three different sized circles from blue cardstock and added a little Glossy Accents to the top to make them shiny!

Hey presto! One birthday card for my little brother 🙂

I’d like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Ribbons – Ribbons and Bows

Cardz 4 Guyz – Typography

Die Cut Divas – Embossing

Flat Friends – Cards for Men/Boys