Friday, July 31, 2015

STAMPlorations Inspiration - Happy Chrysler Building


I'm playing with my new stamp set, WorldBirthdayCakes, again and I've teamed it with one of Shery's new sets, Artsy Border Maker.

I stamped the Chrysler Building cake onto white card, coloured it with a wash of Distress Inks and fussy cut it, then on my base card I made a border using two of the stamps from the Artsy Border Maker set and spritzed Distress Inks.   Stamped the sentiment across the borders, then mounted my cake, and added the circle images around the candle.  I finished it off with a bit of Stickles on the circles.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog to see some fabulous inspiration from the rest of the Design Team, and if you want CASE any of our cards, you should add yours to the CASEplorations challenge for a chance to win prizes.  There are still five days to go, and to date we haven't got many entries, so your chances are good!


I'm entering my card into Simon Says Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes.


Thursday, July 30, 2015

Seize The Birthday - Embossing


It's time for Seize The Birthday, and today our topping is Embossing of any kind.  I've opted for some pre-embossed card, together with the Chrysler Building birthday cake image (with a candle on the top, of course!) and sentiments from my new set, WorldBirthdayCakes.

Pop on over to the blog for some gorgeous samples from the rest of the Design Team, and link up your birthday creation.  If you don't want to include embossing, you can still make an 'anything goes' birthday creation.

I'm entering my card into Simon Says Monday Challenge, No Ordinary Paper,

and City Crafter Challenge, Masculine Birthday Card


Wednesday, July 29, 2015

STAMPlorations Spotlight With Black Gesso


I'm in the spotlight over at STAMPlorations today with these two cards and a huge pot of black gesso.  Find out more here.


Monday, July 27, 2015

Home Sweet Home - With Extras


Inspiration time on the STAMPlorations blog.  I've paired the Houses set with the new Houses Extras again, this time stamping the images onto papers that I'd created using my 5x3 Gelli Plate, acrylic paint and stencils, then cutting out and assembling onto a bit of torn Coredinations paper.  The sentiment is made up from Sugar Rush and Sentiment Builders: Christmas and New Year.

Check out the blog for more inspiration from the team, and if you want to join in and CASE this or any of the cards you see, add them to the CASE playground for a chance to win prizes :)

I'm entering my card into Simon Says Monday Challenge, No Ordinary Paper.


Friday, July 24, 2015

From Tip To Toe


We've just had a lovely long weekend away for a family christening, and I'm still catching up in blogland (including publishing this post!).  DS2 and girlfriend arrive on Sunday from Australia, so we're going to be busy on and off for the next few weeks :)

It's Inspiration day at STAMPlorations, and we're looking back at some of the older sets.  I've chosen my first stamp set, CityGirl.  Having stamped the image and the sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black, I coloured her with Distress Inks, then inked the text stamp with the Distress Inks, spritzing before stamping.  I used the stamp unmounted so that I could bend it and get a partial print.  A bit of credit card marking, then I mounted the panel onto purple card, which looks like a muddy brown here.

This post has been brought to you by the Letter "I", courtesy of Simon Says Monday Challenge.  My "I" is Inks - specifically Distress Inks.


Wednesday, July 22, 2015

STAMPlorations Spotlight



I'm over at STAMPlorations tonight with this card which uses my new stamp set, HousesExtras designed to complement Houses.  I've also used Blossom Overture for the sentiment plaque.  Pop on over and take a look.





Friday, July 17, 2015

Just For Julie


There's a birthday in the house over at Winnie & Walter's and Shay is inviting us to link up a card here for the lovely Julie, whose birthday it is.

I had the honour and pleasure of being a guest designer for a couple of their releases, so I'm more than happy to have a reason to play with their fabulous stamps again.  I inked up the large solid chevron from Scenery: V for cheVron with Distress Inks, then spritzed, stamped and slurped my way across the card.  I stamped some flowers from The Big, The Bold and Extras, then sloshed some Distress Inks on them, cut them out and added my sentiment from the Big The Bold and the Happy.

Happy birthday, Julie :)

I'm also entering this into Simon Says Monday Challenge, Anything Goes.

ETA:  And no sooner had I posted it than I realised it's also eligible for Virginia's View, 100% Stamped!


Thursday, July 16, 2015

Seize The Birthday - Anything Goes


It's time for a new challenge at Seize The Birthday, and this time its 'Anything Goes' as long as it's a birthday theme.


I've used an image from the Tim Holtz Runway set.  Actually, this is the one that was going to go on this card last week but she looked like she was a hooker at the wrong end of town.  But on this card, with its lovely floral background she looks like she's at a summer garden party ;)

I'm entering this into Simon Says Monday Challenge, Anything Goes.


Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Becca's Birthday Bash


My fun teamie at STAMPlorations, the wonderfully named (and immensely talented) Damsel of Distressed, Becca Cruger, is having a birthday week bash.  A girl after my own heart, she doesn't just confine her birthday celebrations to one day but extends them to a week.  Don't hold back, Becca, go for the month!

So she's having a party.  She's created this mood board of the things she loves and has put the challenge out to celebrate with her by creating a card based on the board.


Let me break it on down for you. Here are a few of my favorite things (represented with pictures of course). 
>Purple and teal color combos
>Watercolor washes
>Fun, bright, eclectic clean and simple cards 
>Polka Dots 
>PUNS!! :)
>Typography
>Distressed, vintage cards full of texture

...You can use one, two, all of these things... 
Whatever inspires you!

So, my card started off with a purple and teal watercolour wash across a card-sized panel, then I ghost-stamped a flourish background with water.  What do you mean, you can't see it?  Well.  On another piece of card I had stamped one of my favourite Magenta stamps several times, then sloshed a bit of teal or purple onto the petals, cut them out, placed them on my washed and stamped background, then cleared everything off the base card ready to stick everything together.  Three of the flowers had escaped and fallen onto the white card, and they just looked so pretty and CAS that I wanted to make that card instead.  I added some splatters (of course!) and a Tim Holtz sentiment die.

I've still got the watercolour wash panel - I might be back!

I'm also entering this into Magenta Style's challenge, Use Your Favourite Magenta Stamp.

I love all of my Magenta stamps, so it's very difficult to choose just one!  All I can say is that this is ONE of my favourite Magenta stamps :)

Monday, July 13, 2015

STAMPlorations Inspiration - Sympathy Roses


We've got some more inspiration for you on the STAMPlorations blog today.  I've used the Blossom Overture set to create a sympathy card.

I started with the small rose at the bottom, then two large roses and another small rose, adding masks to each one as I went along.  I made a palette of Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick and Peeled Paint and watercoloured the flowers, adding layers of colour for depth, and extending the colour beyond the images to give a hazy halo effect.  Oh, and some splatter :)  Added a sentiment, and it's done.

Pop over to the blog for more inspiration, and if you want to CASE any of the cards you see, why not add them to the Inspiration CASE playground for a chance to win prizes.


I'm entering this into Simon Says Monday Challenge, Anything Goes.


Friday, July 10, 2015

The Party Continues...


Still playing with PartyGirl and Party Time.  Originally I'd made a one layer card with the dress but I didn't like the monochromatic background I'd made, so I cut the dress out and made a new colourful background.  I've used the Distressed Damask Background and Distress Inks (Fossilised Amber, Pickled Raspberry and Festive Berries), spritzed with water and stamped.  This is the second impression, the first one is much bolder.

Take a look at more inspiration from the rest of the STAMPlorations design team, and if you want to CASE any of the cards, link yours up to the challenge for a chance to win prizes.

I'm entering this into Virginia's View - 100% Stamped (my second entry).


Craft Stamper Reminder - Take a Stamp


Are you playing along with Craft Stamper Take It, Make It challenge?  All you need is a stamp.  Or two, or three or four!

My card started off with a huge blob of black acrylic paint.  I'd opened the tube (a real cheapie from a bargain shop), and I keep forgetting that it's really fast flowing.  So before I even squeezed it there was a huge blob of it on my craft sheet.  Not wanting to waste the paint, I brayered it onto a couple of mixed media panels and decided that one of them looked like buildings.  I added some yellow and cream paint on the end of a paddle stick to represent windows.  I stamped and coloured an image from Tim Holtz Runway (not the one on the card) but she looked like a hooker touting for business in the wrong end of town, so I stamped this more demure shopper instead.  The city text comes from my CityGirl stamp set, and the shopping' text comes from one of those dial-a-stamp things that I've had for years.

So, enough about me, what about you?  You could win four stamp plates from Art Journey if yours is the randomly chosen entry.  Or, if your entry is chosen by the Design Team, it will be published in Craft Stamper magazine in a two-page spread, you'll get to be a guest designer in a future challenge, and you'll have your very own profile post on the blog, so come and join us! (Do read the rules at the top of the blogpost first, though!)


Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Stamped and Stencilled Flowers


I've been stamping through stencils to create these lovely blue flowers.  If you want to see exactly how I did it, there's a tutorial on the STAMPlorations blog tonight.

I'm entering this into The Paper Players - The Great Outdoors,

and Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes.


Just a reminder that the theme for The Mixed Media Card Challenge this month is BLUE with the option of vase.

Tuesday, July 07, 2015

Flying High


I haven't been playing in many challenges lately (too busy with last week's STAMPlorations birthday blog hop!) but I've managed to make a card for a few challenges.

I spritzed some card with Dylusion inks, then once dry I stamped the images with Versafine Onyx Black.  The sentiment is from a set, 'Written Greetings' by Stamps Away and the images are from a magazine freebie set by Sheena Douglass.

I'm entering this into Virginia's View, 100% Stamped:


CAS(E) This Sketch - didn't stretch it too much!

The Paper Players - The Great Outdoors


Friday, July 03, 2015

STAMPlorations 2nd Birthday Blog Hop - Day 5


It's our final day of the STAMPlorations 2nd Birthday Blog Hop.  Hope you've enjoyed seeing all the different creations with these fabulous new stamps!


For today's card I applied Distress Paints in Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass and a touch of Mustard Seed, spritzed them and watched them merge into each other seamlessly.  Then I stamped the images from Party Mates and lifted out some of the colour with a pet paintbrush.  I stamped the sentiment on a strip of white card then added it across the panel.

Our Guest Designer for this final day of the hop is the amazing Jennifer Ingle!  Check out what Jennifer and the rest of the team made! You'll find links to all birthday blog hop projects here.


And here's how you can win prizes:

Prizes for commenting on the STAMPlorations blog, STAMPlorations designers blogs, and guest designers blogs:
1 winner of $25 gift certificate
5 winners of $10 gift certificate

Prizes for linking up a party/celebration/birthday project:
3 winners of the party stamp sets (1 winner of Party Mates, 1 winner of Party Time, 1 winner of PartyGirl)
1 winner of $25 gift certificate (if STAMPlorations stamps/stencils are used) or $15 gift certificate (if non-STAMPlorations stamps/stencils are used)

Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge - Take a Stamp



Hi folks, time for a new challenge at Craft Stamper Take It, Make It.  This month we want you to take a stamp.  Easy peasy!

I've used the bride image from the Tim Holtz Runway set, added a few little dots of colour (Distress Inks) and fussy cut the image, then added some small splatters to a folded card to mimic confetti.  A strip of washi tape and a sentiment from Printworks, job done.

This month our sponsor is Art Journey, and the prize for one randomly selected winner is four (count 'em!) stamp plates!

And the winner selected by the Design Team gets their entry published in the best magazine in the world :) so hold on to your entry in case it's you!  Their profile is also published in the magazine and they get to be a guest designer in a future Take It, Make It Challenge.  Yay!

So pop over to the Craft Stamper blog for some fabulous inspiration from the rest of the design team, and join in to win!

Thursday, July 02, 2015

Seize The Birthday - Red, White and Blue


We've got another challenge for you at Seize The Birthday, and this time our topping is red, white and blue.

We're in the middle of a heatwave.  Those of you living in hot and sunny climes, don't laugh.  28 degrees (82F in old money).  We are not cut out for this sort of weather.  Trains get cancelled because the lines buckle, shops run out of fans, people wilt, it's too hot to craft.  Well, almost ;)  Anyway, I'm not complaining, this is the first good weather we've had since about March!

For my card, I covered a page of dictionary print with a thin layer of white gesso, then once it was dry, stamped butterflies and hearts from Tim Holtz Watercolour in Mermaid Lagoon and Festive Berries, and added a few splatters.  The sentiment is from STAMPlorations Sentiment Builders: Happy.

Get and your red, white and blue, and join us here!  You can still play along with any colours, as long as it's a birthday creation.