Sunday 25 June 2017

CAS Colours and Sketches 228

It's colours week at CAS Colours and Sketches and this delightful combination enticed me out of my sick bed and into my craft room this afternoon.




I like the contrast of the very plain sentiment against the ornate background. It's lifted up using the new mini-dimensionals. 

I cut the medallion out of Dapper Denim and backed it with a circle of Peekaboo Peach. I copper embossed some details on the medallion before mounting it on the white card, matted with copper, onto the Dapper Denim base.


Ingredients
Card: Dapper Denim, Copper foil, Peekaboo Peach, Whisper White
Stamps: Eastern Beauty, Big on Birthdays
Inks: Versamark, Dapper Denim
Other: Eastern Medallions thinlits, Copper embossing powder, Layered Circle dies, mini-dimensionals



Wednesday 21 June 2017

Colour Inkspiration 11

I've been so busy lately that I haven't entered the challenges I wished I had. So it was a great pleasure to find the time to put together something for the eleventh challenge at Colour Inkspiration, a Facebook based challenge. The graphics are always beautiful and this one is no exception. It just begs you to come play!

It's been a while since I got out Touches of Texture but these colours seemed to call for it. As a background for the panel, I used the challenge colours as a base for a piece of faux metallic paper. I made this a few times around Christmas and used it in a class, where it was very popular. The new Garden Trellis embossing folder is perfect for this technique, I think. 





There are tiny pearls in the flower centres and there are some flicks of clear Wink of Stella in the mix as well. I couldn't resist tucking in a little bit of the gorgeous Copper Trim ribbon to pick up the touches of copper embossing on the background paper.

Ingredients
Card: Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla
Stamps: Touches of Texture, One Big Meaning
Inks: Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Marina Mist inkpad and marker, Versamark
Other: Copper embossing powder, Stitched framelits, Layering oval framelits, Copper Trim, Garden Trellis embossing folder, pearls, clear Wink of Stella




Tuesday 20 June 2017

Retro Rubber 65 - DT Card

There were lots of gorgeous entries in last week's Anything Goes Challenge which made the choosing jolly difficult! This week, there's a sketch for you to work your magic on.


All the stamps used in this card are retro, but none more so than By the Seashore, a set I'll never part with as it was the first Stampin' Up set I ever bought back in 2013. I love the seashells but the starfish is my favourite. They've been stamped, shaded with colour pencils and blender pen and sponged on the edges to help give them more depth. The background grasses are from the recently retired Wetlands and the sentiment from Thoughtful Banners, released in the 2016 catalogue and still current.


The background beach and sky I created with watercolour pencils and an aquapainter.


The Seaside embossing folder really helped to create the beach feel with those lovely sinuous lines.


Here's a quick reminder of the few rules we have at Retro Rubber. 
  • Use at least one stamp more than a year old and tell us how old it is (approximately)
  • Don't link up to more than ten challenges in total.


You have ten days to join us at Retro Rubber for this challenge and we'd love to see what you do.

Ingredients
Card: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Bermuda Bay, Shimmery cardstock, Whisper White
Stamps: By the Seashore, Wetlands, Thoughtful Banners
Inks: Crumb Cake, Bermuda Bay, Early Espresso
Other: Linen thread, Seaside embossing folder, dimensionals, Watercolour pencils, aquapainter.



Sunday 18 June 2017

Just Add Ink 364 and SIP 103

It seems like ages since I entered a challenge just for no reason. I've been busy preparing for an Extravaganza, a market day and trying to get ahead on Design Team commitments for when I go on holiday next month. But when I got some new goodies in the post, I just had to stop and just play.

For inspiration, I've turned to the sketch at Stamp, Ink, Paper and the photo at Just Add Ink.



So, it's a first out-of-the-box effort for Beautiful Bouquet. I feel it's such a versatile set, it's going to get a lot of use as are the decorative masks. The bricks are just the right scale for a card. The other three patterns in the pack look useful too.





Update: Delighted to be at Design Team Pick at Stamp, Ink, Paper.

Ingredients
Card: Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Very Vanilla, So Saffron, Garden Green, copper foil
Stamps: Beautiful Bouquet
Inks: Smoky Slate, Versamark
Other: Copper embossing powder, Copper Trim ribbon, dimensionals, enamel dots, pearls, Bouquet Bunch framelits, Brick pattern from Decorative Patterns Decorative Masks.










Saturday 17 June 2017

As You See It 152 - DT Card


Welcome back to another challenge at As You See It. We loved all the entries in out Banner Day sketch and look forward to seeing what everyone makes of this one!


For me, the key things in this sketch were the circular focal point, the sentiment bisecting it and the 'frilly' bit around the outside. Here's how I saw them...



In this card, you see a rarity for me. I've used a large quantity of designer paper! 

To get the 'frilly bit' I've cut a scallop-edged circle from the paper, exposing a scallopy circle of the Fresh Fig card base. To get the inner and outer circle effect of the sketch, I've sponged Fresh Fig ink over the outer part of the medallion, which is cut directly into the card base, forming almost a rose window.


Such an ornate die-cut and showy DSP needed to be balanced by a fairly plain sentiment. I like the strong, simple lines of this sentiment from Big on Birthdays but couldn't resist some ombre stamping using Sweet Sugarplum and Fresh Fig. That was a sweet little idea that I discovered on one of the Artisan Team's blogs a couple of months ago.

In order to bisect the circular element more cleanly, I've used two snips of ribbon: one of finely woven Fresh Fig and one of the beautiful vanilla and gold Natural Trim.


You have two weeks to join us in this challenge and we'd love to see you in the gallery.

Ingredients
Card: Fresh Fig, Very Vanilla, DSP from Eastern Palace Specialty DSP
Stamps: Eastern Beauty, Big on Birthdays
Inks: Fresh Fig, Sweet Sugarplum
Other: Eastern Medallions dies, sponge dauber, dimensionals, Natural Trim (gold) ribbon, finely woven Fresh Fig ribbon, layering circle framelits.






Tuesday 6 June 2017

Retro Rubber 64 - DT Card

Welcome to another Retro Rubber Challenge, the challenge that gets you re-discovering your old favourite stamps. This week, it's an Anything Goes challenge so there's lots of scope but just remember that you still have to use stamps that are at least a year old and tell us how old they are (approximately).


I've use some old favourites in this card. Awesomely Artistic, which although still a current set has been around since 2015. Aviary was the very first Stampin' Up set I ever bought and it first appeared in 2010. Finally, the sentiment is from Perfect Pennants, first seen in the 2014 Occasions catalogue and like Aviary, now retired.

I started by using an acrylic block to colour the background in Pear Pizzazz and the retired Lost Lagoon. Then I white heat embossed the floral image from Awesomely Artistic, then stamped it in Lost Lagoon as well.


I added in the birds from Aviary in Tuxedo Black and matted the whole panel on Basic Black before adhering it to the Lost Lagoon card base. I stamped the sentiment onto Whisper White and cut it out before adding it to the top corner. A couple of rhinestones completed the card.



So please, get out your old stamps and show them some love then link up to our challenge. You have until Friday 16 June to join us. And please, don't link up to more than ten challenges in total if you want to be considered for our Top Picks.

If you live anywhere in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. You can contact me on my Facebook page on the link in the sidebar.

Ingredients - all products Stampin' Up
Card: Lost Lagoon, Basic Black, watercolour paper
Stamps: Awesomely Artistic, Aviary, Perfect Pennants
Inks: Lost Lagoon, Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Other: White embossing powder, rhinestones


Sunday 4 June 2017

Hand Stamped Sentiments 265

Queen's Birthday weekend has given me a chance to play at a few challenges that I've neglected lately. This sketch at Hand Stamped Sentiments was just too lovely to pass up.


I like to have music-themed cards on hand but when I got a request for one, realised the well was dry. So this was a good chance to do one.

I finger-walked the Heidi Swapp Music background stamp in Smoky Slate to get a slightly distressed look to the background, then over-stamped it in Bermuda Bay with a splatter stamp from Timeless Textures.



The die cut treble clef is three layers with the black underlayer slightly off-set to create the shadow. The die cut glimmer stars were added at the end.


The die cut treble clef is three layers with the black underlayer slightly off-set to create the shadow. The die cut glimmer stars were added at the end.


It's hard to see in the photo but the black layer is embossed with a musical score embossing folder that adds nice texture in real life.



It's a good card for music lovers and a good masculine card too. Stash or request - it's fine either way.

Ingredients
Card: Bermuda Bay, Basic Black, Whisper White
Stamps: Heidi Swapp Music background stamp, SU Timeless Textures and Big on Birthdays
Inks: SU Smoky Slate and Bermuda Bay, Memento Tuxedo Black
Other: Elizabeth Clef dies, Darice Music embossing folder, Mini-Treat Bag dies (for the stars)



Freshly Made Sketches 290

I've been experimenting with the Happy Birthday Gorgeous, new from the 2017-18 Annual Catalogue, this weekend. The sketch at Freshly Made Sketches gave me some much needed inspiration.



I've masked the semi-circle, stamped the flowers and leaves then sponged with Soft Sky.


The sentiment is white embossed onto Fresh Fig. The balloon is Powder Pink on Powder pink then sponged around the edges and given a coat of clear Wink of Stella.  The Wink of Stella just won't show up in the photo but looks good in real life. The balloon's been layered to give it some strength and height and the tassel gives the vertical element from the sketch.



Ingredients
Card: Fresh Fig, Soft Sky, Whisper White
Stamps: Happy Birthday Gorgeous
Ink: Fresh Fig, Powder Pink, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sky, Versamark
Other: White embossing powder, tassel from the mini-tassel assortment, dimensionals, clear Wink of Stella, Balloon punch, sponges, post-it notes and circle framelit for mask.




Saturday 3 June 2017

Inkspire Me 303

It's been a while since I've played at Inkspire Me but a very wet and dreary Saturday gave me guilt-free time to work in my craft room. I'd had a request for a pink and flowery 50th birthday card and the sketch for this week's challenge gave me inspiration... or it that inkspiration?


I gold embossed the image from Birthday Blooms on to shimmery cardstock then water coloured and fussy cut it before adhering it to the scallop-edged square.


The numbers were cut from glimmer paper and popped up on a matching scallop-edged circle.


The colours used in the colouring were Blushing Bride, Flirty Flamingo, So Saffron and Old Olive.


Ingredients
Card: Blushing Bride, Gold glimmer paper, Shimmery cardstock
Stamps: Birthday Blooms
Inks: Flirty Flamingo, Blushing Bride, So Saffron, Old Olive, versamark
Other: aquapainter, layering square framelits, layering circle framelits, dimensionals, gold embossing powder, Olivia dies from Provocraft.




As You See It Challenge 151 - DT card


Welcome to a new challenge at As You See It Challenge, the challenge that lets you use any style you like. This week we have a sketch challenge for you.



With the 2017-18 annual catalogue going live this week, it seemed a good chance to play with some of the pre-order products that I had. I've used part of the very versatile Colour Theory suite. There are stamps, dies and paper to match all seasons in this suite.

I actually made this card for my husband's birthday this week. The sunny colours and beach chair are a happy contrast to the winter scenes outside our window.  I sponged the stitched framelit square with Crushed Curry and Crumb Cake to make a 'beach'. The deck chair was fun to stamp but it was the glass of pineapple juice - or maybe it's a pina colada -  that was the clincher for me. It immediately made me think tropical island holiday, which is exactly what we have to look forward to next month.


I tried out one of the snowflake images by stamping it in Crushed Curry so that it would look like sunshine instead of snow. I perched the drink on top of the sentiment strip so it would look like it was perched on a bar.


I like the ombre papers in the Colour Theory stack, which this Crushed Curry banner is one variant of, but my favourite is this crackle effect paper. You'll love it when you see it for real! 

The little glitter enamel dot is also a new item in the catalogue and designed to accompany the four colours in this suite.

So please, join us for our sketch challenge. You have two weeks to join us. Link up by 11.55 p.m. Wednesday June 14 PST.

If you live in New Zealand and don't have a demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. Feel free to contact me. There's a link to my Facebook page in the sidebar of this blog.

Ingredients
Card: Dapper Denim, Whisper White, DSP from the Colour Theory stack
Stamps: Colourful Seasons, Thoughtful Banners
Inks: Crushed Curry, Dapper Denim, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake
Other: Stitched Shapes framelits, Seasonal Layers dies, Glitter enamel dots, dimensionals, sponges