TSSC362

When I saw the sketch at Monday Lunchtime Sketch challenge this week, I really liked it. So when I got home from work tonight, it was straight into my room to begin the weekend with a card.

As soon as I saw the sketch, I knew I wanted to use some washi tape that I've had in my stash for a year or two. Everything else grew around it. I bought it at Typo (I think) and I've used it for a few things because it's so beautiful and so versatile. 

Feeling in a bit of a nostalgic mood, I also wanted to incorporate the very first die I ever bought, which is a Nellie's nesting rectangular set of dies. I've built up the layers a bit, cutting it in white first then two more layers in Elegant Eggplant but cutting out the centre of those layers with the next sized smaller die to create a frame.

Elegant Eggplant and Perfect Plum are such wonderful colours that I often go back to them, and their richness and strength balanced the black and white of the tape well.

There is a black rhinestone in the centre of the vellum flower but in the photo it's not really showing up.

And a peek inside...

Ingredients

Card: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Elegant Eggplant DSP, Garden Green, Vellum, scrap of Wisteria Wonder for the under-butterfly.

Stamps: SU Flower Shoppe, Papillon Potpourri and Petite Petals, Winnie and Walter Big, Bold and Party

Ink: Perfect Plum, Stazon Black, Versamark

Punches and Dies: Nellie's rectangular nesting die, SU Pansy punch and Bitty Butterfly punch, SU Leaf sizzlit.

Other: White embossing powder, washi tape, dimensionals, brad base, black rhinestones, Perfect Plum marker to colour the vellum.

Just Add Ink 261

I'd really like to thank the team at Just Add Ink for a couple of things today. Firstly, for the opportunity to have a spot as a Guest Designer. That's so fabulous that it puts me way at the top end of the happy scale. Secondly, for having such an amazing inspiration board for my first guest spot challenge. If you could see my bedroom, you'd know exactly why I found this board so amazing!

The colours are fantastic and I love the sinuous form of the leaves and lushness of the rounded shapes.

Ingredients  

Card: Whisper White, Island Indigo

Stamps: SU Kinda Eclectic, Clearly Besotted Leafy Accents and Say it in Style.

Ink: Island Indigo, Sahara Sand, Cherry Cobbler

Other: IOS die 152-N, Elegant Butterfly punch, linen twine, brad base and Island Indigo candy dot, dimensional.

Colour Me 69

This week is a challenge with choice - two options with which to be 'creative'.

Tough choice; they're both delicious. I thought I'd miss out on playing this challenge - it's been a busy weekend - but a spare hour presented itself after an early dinner. So I've played along with option 2.

My ulterior motive was also to use my new stuff. Over the past few months, I've discovered the joy of on-line international shopping. I've been amazed that often stuff arrives from both the UK and USA in about a week. My first ever purchase from Winnie & Walter broke my run of fast deliveries although it was quite entertaining watching the various locations it went through via parcel tracking. But it did arrive yesterday. This lovely die and stamp set The Big, The Bold and Party was sitting there asking to be used. Just beautiful stamps to use - very crisp.

Update: Delighted that this card was picked as a Colour Connoisseur at Colour Me.

Ingredients

Card: Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White

Stamps: SU Gorgeous Grunge and French Foliage. W&W Big, Bold and Party

Inks: Coastal Cabana, Rose Red, Cherry Cobbler

Other: W&W Big, Bold and Party die, Coastal Cabana twine, dimensionals

CAS Colours and Sketches 122

When there is a fifth week, CAS Colours and Sketches runs a double:  a sketch and colour challenge. I've never done one and was determined to do so next time it occurred. So tonight after work, I had to give it a go. I thought it was a bit of a tricky one - the sketch was a hard one and the colours a combination I wouldn't have normally picked.

So, a true challenge then...

It went a bit against the grain to rip the panel into two to get the wiggly line! I went for a "feel better" card because I liked the idea of something beautiful rising up over the cracked line; a sort of visual metaphor.

Ingredients
Card: Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White
Stamps: SU Dictionary, Papillon Potpourri, Clearly Besotted Say it in Style.
Ink: Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Wisteria Wonder, Black
Other: Elegant Butterfly punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, dimensionals, candy dots, Island Indigo marker pen

AAA Challenge 38

The AAA Challenge has had some interesting challenges and this week is no exception.

Over the last month, I've been experimenting quite a bit with using layers and holes in my cards, so this challenge was a good chance to play around some more. I've made some cards using layers of off-set circles, creating a rabbit-hole kind of effect (see here) but this is the first time I've tried the idea with ovals. Originally, I had a more off-set layout for these ovals too but this centred arrangement was more pleasing.

I will also enter this card into Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

Ingredients

Card: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Pool Party, Vellum

Stamps: SU Wetlands, By the Seashore, Hardwood and Butterfly Basics and Clearly Besotted Say it in Style

Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Pool Party, Early Espresso, Black Stazon

Other: Oval framelits, dimensionals, Early Espresso marker, sponges

CAS on Sunday 57

The challenge at CAS on Sunday was to produce a CAS card using only white and one colour. I was immediately intrigued by this and for most of the day, it was bubbling away in the back of my mind. It's funny how your ideas can change. Initially, I was playing around with the idea of using lots of textures. While cooking dinner, I had an inspiration and the card ended up quite differently to how I'd been thinking.

The colour I've used is Night of Navy. I am especially pleased with the die-cut 'happy' because the navy 'happy' underneath gives a great sense of depth and life to the word. I'm also very pleased with the simple elegance of the card.

I really enjoyed this challenge - thank you!

Ingredients
Card: Night of Navy, Whisper White
Stamps: SU Flowering Flourishes, Crazy About You,
Ink: Night of Navy
Other: MFT Happy Birthday die, Circle punch, Pearls, dimensionals

Paper Players 242

This weekend is a long weekend for the commemoration of ANZAC day. 25 April is a day for remembering the sacrifices of war. This year was a special one since it is 100 years since the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli and it is also the first time ever that the holiday has been "Mondayised" so creating a long weekend when the day falls in a normal weekend.

So in the quiet of this afternoon, I have made a remembrance card, for the many occasions we want to remind others that, for whatever reason, we are thinking of them.

This morning, I saw the new, and lovely, sketch at The Paper Players and have used that as inspiration.

I liked it so much that I've been quite literal in interpretation and have used some old favourites of mine in the process. I love the Blackberry Bliss, Sahara Sand combination with one other (often Hello Honey or Lost Lagoon). I was sad to see that my favourite background stamp, Dictionary, is retiring. And although I was slow to like Kinda Eclectic, it has become a favourite go-

to, especially the butterfly.

Ingredients

Card: Blackberry Bliss, Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Moonlight DSP stack, scrap of Hello Honey.

Stamps:  SU Dictionary, Kinda Eclectic, Wetlands (for the sentiment), Hero Arts Dandelion.

Inks: Sahara Sand, Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey

Punches and Folders: Elegant Butterfly punch, Oval framelits, CTMH Honeycomb embossing folder, Couture Charming Chevrons embossing folder

Other: Brad base, Sahara Sand candy dot, linen twine (another favourite!), dimensionals, Early Espresso marker.