Autumn Feels

Hello.
We've just had the best family holiday ( 6 adults, 2 kids and 1 dog) on the Llyn Penninsula, in Wales. What a stunning place. Our days were spent on beaches, in the sea, flying kites and toasting marshmallows. Absolute heaven.
Arriving home, the weather has turned cooler and the nights are closing in. My favourite time of year.
So, I was thrilled to be asked to be a Guest this week, over at 

CAS on Friday

The theme is 'thank you' and I opted for an autumn style card.

This was a super, quick card to put together - it took me longer to choose the colours than it did to make! The little pumpkins were die cut, with the added stalks and leaves, and then attached to my card with foam tape, for some interest.

I messed up with the sentiment. Of course I did! Stamping it a little too high I think. But there was no changing it then.

Challenge

CAS on Friday

Thank you

And thanks to Janneke, and the DT for a great challenge
and for letting me guest this time  xxx

• spellbinders - holiday haul dies
• spellbinders - sending you stamp and die
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle

Big, Tiny News

Hello.
My mum always used to say, if you knit a baby blanket, a baby comes along!
I wonder if the same is true for baby cards :o)

This was a super, easy card to put together.
I stamped my teddy bear straight onto coloured cardstock and die cut it. Then I layered each bear  with a couple of extra die cuts in white card.
I attached them with foam tape, for even more dimension, and added a stamped sentiment.

Challenge

AAAColourful #7

• my favorite things - hello little one
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitched rectangle
• coloured cardstock

P-P-P-P Pick Up A Penguin

Hello.
I've kind of neglected these little penguins, and they don't get out as much as they should. 
So this card was a challenge to keep CAS, and not add all the cute, little elements in the set.

I used some scraps of card stock to make the balloon - die cutting pieces with a stitched rectangle for a bit of extra interest. The penguin was stamped and die cut, and added with foam tape.
I couldn't resist putting few dew drops on there, but then I had to force myself to step away from the embellies!

Challenge

Inkspirational  #323

Optional Twist - Animal

• the greetery - big balloons die
• my favorite things - party penguins, fish tail flag die
• lawn fawn - stitched rectangle
• distress ink- carved pumpkin
• dew drops

Cute and Spooky

Hello.
Today I'm back with another Halloween card for the pile.
I've gone with a softer colour palette for this one, using very pale pinks.

I die cut a background panel and then stamped it all over with the Happy Halloween sentiment, in a pale, pink ink.

The tombstones were stamped directly onto grey card (mushroom), the ghosts onto pale, pink (ballet slipper) and the pumpkin onto pale peach (grapefruit). 

They were then added to the background panel with foam tape.
Then I added a couple of bats, and some rosy cheeks to the ghosts - job done.
A super quick, card.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

I've turned the sketch on it's side, for a landscape card,
and my ghosts and tombstones represent the rectangles.

• my favorite things - ghostly greetings
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• memento ink - angel pink
• concord & 9th coloured cardstock

Come On, Shake Your Body, Baby, Do The Conga

Hello.
Top marks for me, for perseverance, today. This card drove me crazy!
I finished it - but it was really beyond my skill set.

I attempted a layered style, shaker card. 
(If you want to see this technique done properly check out the video from the amazing Carly Tee here)

Each panel is die cut with a nested heart, then inked up and layered, one on top of the other.
I struggled with the acetate. My Stazon ink pad was completely dry, so I ended up stamping with Versamark Ink, then using black embossing powder and heat setting it.
When I came to attach this final layer, I thought I was being oh so careful, only to find some sequins stuck to the right hand edge. Argh!
I manage to prize them out with a craft knife, and do a botched seal up, but it still looks a bit wobbly there.

Challenge

AAABirthday

• colorado craft company - conga line
• do crafts - nested hearts
• versamark ink and wow black embossing powder
• heat resistant acetate sheet
• copic markers
• distress ink - worn lipstick, carved pumpkin, peacock feathers

Don't Worry, Be Merry!

Hello.
Have you noticed, die-cutting seems to be everywhere right now. I have been drooling over all the new sets coming out. Argh! There's no budget for new Christmas supplies this year. So, I have to get creative with what I have.

Here's a merry Christmas card, using just dies.

I've used a Neat & Tangled alphabet die set, to cut my letters. Sadly, they are no longer in business, but any taller alphabet set would work for this.

The negative pieces were then lined up on top of a die-cut, snowfall background and stuck down with foam tape.
The 'Christmas' sentiment is also layered, with black foam and gold card, so there's lots of dimension on this card.

Challenge

CAS on Friday

SENTIMENT ONLY CARD

• neat and tangled, journalling alphabet dies
• avery elle, falling snow die
• my favorite things, in and out stitched rectangle, merry christmas
• concord & 9th, coloured cardstock

It's All Tickety Boo!

Hello.
When I saw the sketch over at Freshly Made, my first thought was ghosts!!
Sometimes, you've just got to roll with where your mind takes you :o)

I've seen some Halloween cards popping up on Instagram recently, so that's probably what I was thinking of. And, non traditional halloweeny colours seem to be in vogue, so I made my inky  background with pinks and yellows.

The landscape is a die that I haven't used in ages, but I like how it works here, and the ghosts were easily stamped and die cut, and popped up with foam tape.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches 

I just rotated the sketch for a landscape card.

• my favorite things - ghostly greetings
• distress inks - kitsch flamingo / mustard seed
• memory box - landscape die
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle

Here's The Scoop

Hello.
Hands up who else's parents told them that, when the ice cream van plays music, it means they've run out of ice-cream!  :o)

Here's my entry for the #6   AAAColourful Challenge 
I used the colours as a sunset for my cool critters.

I used distress ink to blend a sunset background, and then added my ice cream van, and critters, popped up with foam tape.

For sentiments I use Versafine Clair Ink, which stamps beautifully, but I've noticed it doesn't show up as black  as I would like on these inky backgrounds. What does everyone else use? I might have to try heat embossing it.

Challenge

AAA Colourful  #6

• time for tea designs - cool critters
• distress ink - festive berries / carved pumpkin / mustard seed
• copic markers
• white gel pen / gems

Gold Medal Thank You

Hello.
Ooh, I DO love a card challenge. So, I'm excited about the new, monthly one at

  Seven Hills Crafts

For their first challenge, they would like to see cards inspired by the Paris Olympics.
'Don't panic Captain Mainwaring' - if, like me, you have no 'sporty' stamps there is a hole host of things to be inspired by... the colours, the team kits, the places, etc. Check out the blog, and the photo below for ideas.

I took inspiration from the colours of the Olympic rings. The blue, yellow, black, green and red were chosen because they were the colours of all the flags of the nations at that time.

I covered a piece of card with ds tape and stuck my narrow strips of coloured card on top. Then I die cut the letters with stitched alphabet dies, and used foam tape to attach them.

Tip: lining up the letters so they are perfectly straight can be tricky, so give yourself a break and slightly stagger them!

The medal is gold card, die cut with a circle, with a gold No1 added, and some pieces of black striped ribbon.
I also made a coloured strip to go behind my panel, to try and pull everything together.

Challenge

#1 Seven Hills Crafts

• lawn fawn stitched rectangle die
• my favorite things - in and out stitched rectangle / stitched alphabet dies
• sizzix circle die
• memory box number die
• ribbon

Life Is Short... Eat The Treats.

Hello.
I'm all about the treats today - with this cute box of delicious goodies.

This is one of those stamp sets that I really love playing with. It has so many elements to put together. But, it's not an easy stamp - it tends to go a bit blotchy and is tricky to line up. I have to get over the fact that it's never going to be perfect.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

I've just rotated the sketch, for a landscape card.

• the greetery - sweet tooth
• sentiment - hero arts - eat cake all day
• avery elle - postage stamp dies
• copics

Inks

• pinkfresh studio - warm buff, doe, gathered twigs
• altenew - blush, rouge, cotton candy

Friends Don't Let Friends Play In The Snow Alone

Hello.
I've just managed to squeeze in another 'Christmas in July' card.
For this one I have gone for a green, inky background. A couple of weeks ago I made an attempt to organise my distress inks better, and bought some new sponge blenders - and it seems, tidying my stash, has made me want to use it more. The trick, I guess, is keeping it tidy :o)

I started off by ink blending a couple of distress inks, and then giving them the spatter treatment, with some white paint and some darker ink. I've still not mastered this spatter - it drives me crazy!

Then I added a die cut 'slope' and my sledging hedgies. A few trees were popped up on foam tape, and a simple sentiment, stamped in the corner. Job done!

Challenge

Inkspirational

My woodland wanders took me to these cute hedgies, having some fun in the snow.

• penny black - Christmas critters
• sentiment and trees - sugarpea designs - hey winter
• lawn fawn - stitched hillside border die
• distress ink - evergreen bough / lucky clover
• copic markers / stickles glitter