The Paper Players 288

The sketch at The Paper Players this week was a real challenge for me, since usually I like lots of clean space in my card making. But I enjoyed the challenge and I'm really pleased with the result.

I tried out a new technique on this card too. I used an acrylic block to stamp the background of my garden scene, which I've used before, but this time I sprinkled salt over the area and left it to dry naturally. It's created some lovely patterns in the background, although most of the lower ones are relegated to subtly showing through the foliage. The flowers were coloured with diluted ink and a paintbrush. (Aquapainters are on the wishlist.)

Since I rarely use even one patterned paper in a card, the prospect of using three in one card was a bit scary! Thankfully, Stampin' Up papers coordinate so beautifully.

Update: So pleased to be picked as A Cut Above at The Paper Players.

Ingredients

Card: Lost Lagoon, Blackberry Bliss, DSP from Wildflower Fields, watercolour paper, Whisper White

Stamps: Flowering Fields, Kinda Eclectic, Four You

Inks: Pear Pizzazz, Lost Lagoon, Blackberry Bliss, Mossy Meadow, Tuxedo Black, Versamark

Other: White embossing powder, Elegant Butterfly punch, linen twine, brad base and candy dot, sea salt, Honeycomb embossing folder, dimensionals.

CTD 385

I loved the colours at this week's Colour Throwdown.

The card I've made is a variation on a theme, inspired by a card I put together for my Thursday card classes.

The 'Happy' is stacked with the gold layer slightly off-set to create a shadow.

Ingredients

Card: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Whisper White, gold foil

Stamps: Dotty Angles, Crazy About You

Inks: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Tuxedo Black, Versamark

Other: Gold embossing powder, Hello You thinlits, Island Indigo baker's twine, Gold cord, dimensionals

The Challenge 65

It was very hard to resist the inspiration photo at The Challenge this week since it included vibrant colours, flowers and books! As a librarian and English teacher, who has a lot of bibliophile friends, a challenge with a chance to include birthday books is hard to go by!

The background is softly sponged in So Saffron and Melon Mambo (VERY lightly), then embossed with gold using the flower cluster from Awesomely Artistic. I've added some colour to them using diluted Melon Mambo ink and given some background splatters in Tangelo Twist. 

So, all set to add a book voucher to or to put with a book, come the next birthday of a book-lover in my life.

Ingredients

Card: Basic Black, Whisper White, scraps of Melon Mambo, Tangelo Twist, Very Vanilla

Stamps: SU Awesomely Artistic, PTI Bibliophile

Inks: So Saffron, Melon Mambo, Tuxedo Black, Tangelo Twist, Versamark, Gold Versacolour.

Other: Gold embossing powder, paintbrushes, sponges, PTI Bibliophile dies

PPA293 and FMS 229

It's a wet autumn day but after the long drought of summer, it's a pleasant relief. Being a long weekend as well, things are looking good. So today, I've combined two challenges: the soft, dreamy, spring colours from Pals Paper Arts and an interesting sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

Because the colours in the challenge were so spring-like, naturally I started thinking flowers and got out a set I haven't used for a long time, Altenew's Painted Flowers. It's a tricky wee beast to use, with its three steps but it makes such a pretty image, it's worth persevering with. I masked a strip of the background and used Timeless Textures to create a soft band of colour for the flowers to sit on.

on the inside...

Ingredients

Card: Mint Macaron, Whisper White

Stamps: Altenew Painted Flowers, SU Timeless Textures, W&W Big, Bold and Party.

Inks: Mint Macaron, So Saffron, Blushing Bride, Tuxedo Black

Other: Square framelit, black pen to colour edges of the squares.

As You See It 129 - DT

This week at As You See It, we have an interesting sketch challenge for you.

I was fascinated with the vertical lines of the sketch and came up with this:

I wanted a "One of a Kind" but only had the one from A Dozen Thoughts, so I stamped and masked it on Hello Honey to make the sentiment strip, then masked it again so the other half " For a one-of-a-kind person" is in the inside.

I'd love to see what you do, so join us this week.

Ingredients

Card: Basic Black, Cajun Craze, Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow, DSP from Botanical Blooms, Whisper White (inside)

Stamps: Botanical Blooms, Timeless Textures, A Dozen Thoughts.

Inks: Tuxedo Black (Mossy Meadow and Cajun Craze inside)

Other: Botanical Builders thinlit dies, Dimensionals

Create with Connie and Mary 398

My first reaction to the colour challenge at Create with Connie and Mary was that I didn't like it. How wrong can you be? I kept thinking about it and it nagged me into my craft room....

I really love the effect of stamping the Timeless Textures in Soft Suede onto Soft Suede. It looks like an old leather-bound book. I'm also very happy with the ink-washing of the flower and the use of a dark colour for the 'white' space of this card. I find the antique and shabby feel of this card very appealing.

Ingredients

Card: Soft Suede, Mossy Meadow, Watermelon Wonder, watercolour paper, Whisper White

Stamps: Butterfly Basics, Timeless Textures, A Dozen Thoughts

Inks: Soft Suede, Mossy Meadow, Watermelon Wonder, Stazon Black

Other: Watermelon Wonder dotty lace ribbon, sponges, dimensionals, gold pen for the stamen, Baker's Box framelit.

CAS Colours and Sketches 165

I was excited by the colour challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches this week because Night of Navy with Marina Mist and a bright colour is one of my favourited combos.

It didn't turn out exactly how I started it because of a mid-creation epiphany about using the number dies but I like it how it turned out. I hummed and hawed about putting the 'again' on the inside but in the end, kept it on the front.  I like the little firework explosions in the background behind the balloons but my favourite thing is the off-set layering of the the '29' because the Night of Navy shadow makes the numbers jump right off the card.

Update: So pleased this card was a Weekly Winner at CAS Colours and Sketches.

Ingredients

Card: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Marina Mist, Watermelon Wonder

Stamps: Balloon Celebrations,  Number of Years

Inks: Night of Navy, Watermelon Wonder, Marina Mist, Tuxedo Black

Other: Large Numbers framelits, dimensionals

As You See It 128 - DT card

This week's challenge at As You See It scared me witless, so I'm really interested to see what you all do! 

As soon as I see lots of layers and not much open space, well - panic starts to set in! Of course, I know lots of people who see open space and few layers and they start to panic. Needless to say, this one got me out of my comfort zone and that's probably a good thing.

So, join us this week at As You See It. We'd love to see what you do.

Ingredients

Card: Old Olive, Calypso Coral, Hello Honey, Whisper White, DSP from Wildflower Fields

Stamps: Clearly Besotted Say it in Style, SU Flowering Fields

Inks: Old Olive, Calyspo Coral

Other: MFT Gerbera Daisy die, SU Scalloped Tag punch, dimensionals, linen twine, Wink of Stella for flower centre.

Paper Players 286 CCMC 397

I was taken with the colour combination at The Paper Players this week. I started imaging all sorts of things but strangely, what I ended up making wasn't like any of my initial imaginings since it ended up somehow merging with the sketch at Create with Connie and Mary!

Update: So very delighted that this card was a Top 3 Pick at Create with Connie and Mary.

Ingredients

Card: Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, DSP from Wildflower Fields and Everyday Chic

Stamps: Fabulous Four, Flowering Fields

Inks: Tuxedo Black, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral

Other: Calypso Coral button, Bermuda Bay baker's twine, dimensionals, paintbrush

CAS Colours and Sketches 164

I was drawn to the very open sketch at CAS Colours and Sketches this week - even with the rule that the square had to remain a square. :-)

This card started out, in my head, quite differently. I was going through my stamp sets and picked up No Bones About It while looking for the set I'd intended to use and a new idea was born.

On the inside...

Update: Delighted to be a Weekly Winner at CAS Colours and Sketches.

Ingredients

Card: Whisper White

Stamps: No Bones About It, Timeless Textures

Inks: Tuxedo Black, Calypso Coral, So Saffron

Other: Sponges, Square framelit to make mask.

JAI302 and FMS227

The colour challenge  at Just Add Ink this week is an interesting one, using two purples and a neutral.

I'm pairing it up with the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches, which I adore - it's my kind of sketch!

I did discover that, when sponged lightly, Blackberry Bliss and Rich Razzleberry are almost indistinguishable. It's Blackberry Bliss sponged around the edge of the masked music stamp and the edges of the white panel which works well to link the two purples. 

I also can't quite believe that finally, I've taken a photo where the Wink of Stella did show! It's on the underwing of the dragonfly.

Update: So pleased that this card got an Honourable Mention at Just Add Ink.

Ingredients

Card: Whisper White, Tip Top Taupe, Rich Razzleberry, DSP from the Moonlight stack.

Stamps: Heidi Swapp Music, Clearly Besotted Say it in Style

Inks: Blackberry Bliss, Tip Top Taupe

Other: Spellbinders Dragon Delight die, clear Wink of Stella, rhinestones, dimensionals, sponges

Stamp Ink Paper 38

Friday night and I've kicked off the weekend with a card I've been thinking about for a few days. It uses the colour challenge at Stamp, Ink, Paper.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a bit of an experiment with making a circular easel card. I learned a few things along the way and decided I'd like to have another go. So here it is:

'Sending Wishes Your Way' lets this card be used for a few occasions. I've used a lot of sponging in this card to add depth and the appearance of texture. Timeless Textures stamps came in useful to give a subtle pattern to the pink scallops and the Sahara Sand circle on the base. I did find it hard to limit myself to the three colours - I really wanted to add another!

Update: I was asked if I'd share how I made the easel card. It is way easier than it looks and is no harder than a rectangular easel. 

 1. Fold a piece of card in half. Cut both layers with a framelit but leaving some of the fold uncut.

2. Unfold the base. Score a line about half-way across one of the circles. This is the base of the card.

3. Cut out a single layer of the same shape as the base. This will be your decorated front panel.

     Fold along the score line of the base piece.

4. The single layer piece should be attached to the base piece once it is decorated. The card design        will need to have some sort of raised piece where the bone folder is in the picture to hold the easel  up.

Update: Delighted to have this card picked as a Weekly Winner at Stamp Ink Paper

Ingredients

Card: Blushing Bride, Sahara Sand, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White

Stamps: Botanical Blooms, Hardwood, Timeless Textures, Butterfly Basics

Inks: Blushing Bride, Sahara Sand, Pear Pizzazz, Tuxedo Black

Other: Circle thinlits, Botanical Builders thinlits, sponges, dimensionals, 1/4" circle punch, candy dot