Seize The Birthday - Make A Spring Garden

Hello!  Our latest challenge is up on the Seize The Birthday blog.  Linda is hosting, and she's challenging us to Make A Spring Garden.

I went a bit impressionist with this one, because I had a mop-up panel that was calling to me.

All I could see were flowers and leaves.  I used the Altenew Sketchy floral oversized stamp, and to be honest, it looked a complete mess, because there was no depth.  So I added shading around the flowers and leaves with coloured pencils, and kept going till I got more definition around the edges.

You can see where I used it in a similar way to make this card.  I do love it when I can make use of a mop-up panel!

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog to see what sort of spring garden the rest of the design team and our Surprise Party Guests have created, and join in the fun.  You can always play along with our Anything Goes theme if you prefer.

See you in the gallery!

STAMPlorations Anything Goes April Challenge

It's a new month, and a new challenge, at STAMPlorations!  As usual it's Anything Goes, and there are prizes to be won - see below.

For my card I've used the Circles All Over Texture Cover Plate  and a colourable from a new range that will be in the store soon.  The sentiment is from Birthday Bash.

We do hope you'll play along with us - there are prizes!

- winner of $25 prize code chosen by a STAMPgirl from entries that use STAMPlorations products

- winner of $10 prize code randomly chosen from entries (need not feature a STAMP product)

Simple rules:

- Anything goes, any type of project, any style

- use of STAMPlorations products not a requirement

- link back to the challenge post (if blog entry) or tag @stamplorations if joining via IG

- multiple entries per crafter allowed

- challenge ends 30 April.

Please do check the updated full challenge rules, particularly in relation to what images can and can't be used, and we hope to see you in the gallery!

When you're shopping in the store, you can get 20% off by using my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY (doesn't apply to subscriptions).

Happy stamping!

Seize The Birthday - Add A Tag

Hello!  We've got a new challenge for you at Seize The Birthday.  Jules is hosting, and she wants us to Add a Tag.  Simples!

I got the idea for a tiny tag from a card I saw on Pinterest, and I didn't save it, so I can't credit it.  Basically it was a vase of tulips with a similar shaped tag.  My image is all one stamp by Stampendous, and I've watercoloured it with Distress Inks.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous cards with tags from the rest of the design team and our Surprise Party Guests, and join in the fun.  If you prefer, you can just play along with our Anything Goes theme.

Hope to see you in the gallery!

Seize The Birthday - Use Green As Your Main Colour

Hello!  We've got a new challenge for you at Seize The Birthday, chosen by JoAnn, who wants us to use green as our main colour.

I've got a small collection of Lavinia Stamps so I thought I'd use them to make this sweet card.  Minni and Moo, the two little mieces (I love those mieces to pieces!), come as a pair.  The leaves are also from Lavinia.  The sentiments are from Altenew.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the rest of the design team and our surprise party guests, and join in the fun.

STAMPlorations Anything Goes March Challenge

Hello!  Ready to play along with the March Anything Goes challenge at STAMPlorations?  For my card I've used Sanna's Senecio1 stencil with PaperArtsy Infusions, my Dragonfly Layering Die set and Alcohol Inks, and the sentiment stamp from Shery's Brave One stamp set.  

I added standard and sparkle alcohol inks to a piece of mirri card, then cut out the solid dragonfly, and cut out a mirri outline die.  The iridescence is fabulous in real life!

We do hope you'll play along with us - there are prizes!

- winner of $25 prize code chosen by a STAMPgirl from entries that use STAMPlorations products

- winner of $10 prize code randomly chosen from entries (need not feature a STAMP product)

Simple rules:

- Anything goes, any type of project, any style

- use of STAMPlorations products not a requirement

- link back to the challenge post (if blog entry) or tag @stamplorations if joining via IG

- multiple entries per crafter allowed

- challenge ends 31 March.

Please do check the updated full challenge rules, particularly in relation to what images can and can't be used, and we hope to see you in the gallery!

When you're shopping in the store, you can get 20% off by using my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY (doesn't apply to subscriptions).

Happy stamping!

Visible Image - Love You

Hello VI fans!  I hope you managed to swag some of the Floral Grunge release?  Not only does it have some fab grungy flowers but also a great Grunge Greetings set, along with a couple of other non-florals.  I've used the Grunge Greetings, Spiralling, and Rotation stencil to make a card you could send to a loved one any time of year - why wait for Valentine's?

I started by blending Worn Lipstick Distress Ink on my card, then stencilled the same colour through the Rotation stencil.

I stamped the large image from Spiralling in Versafine Onyx Black over the stencilled circles.

I stamped out the heart and sentiments, and drew a border round the sentiments with a black Sharpie, following the grungy shape of the letters, and coloured in the background with Zig Clean Colour pens in shades of red.  I fussy cut around them, leaving a white border.

Having trimmed my panel to a square and matted onto black card, I adhered it to my card base, then added the heart and sentiments.

I love how the black spirals are offset to the stencilled dots.

You can find the whole release here on the Visible Image website.

Seize The Birthday - Anything With Wings

Hello!  Our latest challenge is up on the Seize The Birthday blog, it's Anything With Wings, chosen by Jenny.

I've been needing an excuse to use this Sizzix Vault Floral Wreath set by Tim Holtz, along with the ladybird from the Funky Insets.  The brickwork is also a Tim Holtz embossing folder.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog to see what the rest of the team and our Surprise Party Guests have created, and play along with us.  If wings aren't your thing, you can play along with our Anything Goes theme.  Hope to see you in the gallery!