A CARD IN UNDER TEN MINUTES

The Challenge over at As You See It is to make a card in under 10 minutes (time yourself too) with the theme of blossoms.  I did mine in 8 mins 35 seconds lol!  Phew! 

I inked some Speckled Egg Distress Ink as a background and then stamped this lovely image from Clearly Besotted.  The bottle was stamped in TH Archival Mermaid Lagoon and the little flowers in Picked Raspberry with a touch of Rusty Hinge on the outside.  I added the sentiment in the same blue and added sparkle to the bottle and some pearls to the flowers! 

I LOVE YOUR KIND HEART

I love this little stamp set from Simon Says Stamp - it's called Take Heart.  We don't have hummingbirds sadly in the UK but when I lived in Houston and went to Colorado we saw dozens of them - such gorgeous little birds and that's what sold this set for me.

My inspiration for this card came from the challenge at Time Out Challenge and the image they gave us to work from 

I started by stamping the images in Black Archival and then coloured them in with some Stampin Up colours - Bermuda Bay for that gorgeous green and some Tim Holtz Distress Inks for the flowers and the bird. I coloured and cut out extra flowers and added them on dimensionals.

I then used a cloud stencil to create the clouds at the back and a wood stencil for the foreground to represent the wooden decking.  I added some heart gems to go with the sentiment and some sparkle with a Spectrum Noir sparkle pen on the bird and the inside of the flowers.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Inspired By IB169

The Flower Challenge - pastels

Let's Create - Flowers

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Spring

Allsorts - Butterflies, Birds, Bees

IT'S ALL MADNESS

I'm playing along with Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge today inspired by their sketch.  I wanted to use one of the stamps from Visible Image set Stay Weird that I haven't inked up yet - and as we are all surrounded by madness at the moment I thought it was a good stamp to use.

I started off by using a Spellbinders die to cut out my papers and then inked them in Distress Oxide in Chipped Sapphire and Salty Ocean.  I inked the outside in Mermaid Lagoon.  I stamped the sentiment in Ranger Archival in Cobalt.  I used Distress Inks to colour in the flowers and cut them out.  I added some washi tape behind although it can't be seen much.  A touch of Spectrum Noir glitter pen on the mad face and the flowers and some inking around the edges finishes off the card.

I'm also adding this into the Library Challenge 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS - #IC361

Another lovely Spring Moodboard for you from Hand Stamped Sentiments this week. I hope you all managed to have a nice Easter.  We actually had some nice warm weather in the UK and we were finally, after 3 months, able to see up to 6 friends or family as long as it was outside.  We were all so grateful that the sun shone for us!  

I chose to do a tag for my project today.  I started off by stamping my images on to the card stock and then masking them off.  I used a stamp set from Simon Says Stamp called Thoughtful Flowers. Once the masks were in place I used 3 Distress Oxide Inks in Chipped Sapphire, Salty Ocean and Fossilised Amber.  I don't have an awful lot of the oxides so my choices were a bit limited but I think these go lovely together.  I added a spritz of water before removing the masks.  

I added some greenery at the bottom with some Archival Ink in Peeled Paint.  I used a Spectrum Noir Sparkle paint in clear for all the masked pieces to give them a shimmer.  A tough of twine at the top and layering onto some cardstock finishes off this tag.  This is to go on a friend's 40th birthday gift so I hope she likes the tag as well as the gift! 

I'm adding this into the following challenges

The Flower Challenge - Pretty Pastels

Try It On Tuesday - Hello Spring

Dream Valley #245 - Springtime 

Make My Monday - Easter or Spring

Inspiration Challenge - image

Use Your Stuff - moodboard 

QKR Stampede- AG 

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes with optional twist In the Garden

It's time for another month's challenge over at 613 Avenue Create - always Anything Goes but there is an optional twist. This month it is In The Garden.

I started with some brown card stock and stencilled over it with some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Walnut Stain.  I used Tim Holtz Flower Jar stamps for my flowers.  I kept the colours soft and delicate using Distress Inks and an aqua painter brush.  The stencil above is from a very old stencil I have which I've used for stencilling on furniture in the past and I couldn't resist using the French term for garden. 

To keep with the shabby chic look the card seem to be going towards I tore the edges and inked with Antique Linen Distress Ink and added some lace and a button and thread.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

A Bit More Time to Craft - AG

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - AG 

A Perfect Time to craft - AG

The Paper Players - Springtime Flowers

We love Chocolate Baroque - Springtime 

Inkspirational - Grow

Snarky Stampers - Distressed 

MONOCHROME MUSHROOMS

The challenge over at Allsorts Challenge Blog is Monochromatic - which is various shades of one colour theme.

I've used Chocolate Baroque's Mushroom House for my card - I just adore this stamp and the great sayings it has with it too.

I started off by blending just two Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Rusty Hinge for the top and Spiced Marmalade for the bottom. It is a very subtle difference.  For the stamping of the mushrooms I used another Ranger ink but this time a Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink in Orange Blossom.  It gave me just the effect I was after.  I stamped the sentiment and cut it into two and shaded the background with what was left on my blending brush.  I added a few pearls in the same colour way just to stop the card being a bit too plain.

I'm adding this into 

Allsorts Challenge Blog 617/8 - Monochromatic 

Inspired by 168 - Carrot - the colour orange 

Krafty Chicks - Use a Stamp

SPARKLES - CHRISTMAS TREES

Our challenge this month at Sparkles Christmas Challenge is all about trees.  I had such fun making this card and love how it turned out.  I started off by inking some Distress Ink on to my cardstock and then using a Tim Holtz stencil and Peacock Feathers Distress Ink for the background.  

I inked a background for my die cut before I cut it out using Peacock Feathers, Walnut Stain, Speckled Egg and Liquitex Ink in Iridescent Bright Gold.  The die cut of the tree with that lovely image of the deer and the birds is from Lisa Jones and Sizzix called Folk Christmas Tree.  It cuts out the tree and a background for the tree which I inked in Walnut stain.  

The star was from my stash and I added some more of that lovely gold ink.  The sentiment was cut from a larger stamp to show the words Christmas Tree and I added the Oh in die cuts from Tim Holtz.  I've yet to find a nice stamp I like which has Oh Christmas Tree all in one stamp!! I added some more of that lovely gold ink to the edges of the sentiment and added a border around the cardstock.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes 

FabnFunky - Christmas 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes

Addicted To Stamps - Christmas 

Through the Craft Room Door - AG

TRY STAMPIN ON TUESDAY - TSOT500

Optional Theme - Pets 

We have another great sketch for you this week at TSOT with the optional theme of Pets.  Having 5 pets, 3 cats and two dogs I had to go with the optional theme.

I started the background with some brick paper and used some Tim Holtz Distress Ink to go over the colour.  I added a panel behind the cat of Texture Paste and a brick stencil - I coloured the paste with some Distress Ink re-inker in Walnut Stain before adding it to the stencil to give a darker brown.  

The cat stamp is one of Tim Holtz' Crazy Cats stamps and coloured in with Distress Inks and an aqua painter brush.

I'm also adding this into the following challenges:

SUYP - AG 

Atlantic Hearts Sketch - 

Inspiration Station Challlenge - cats 

Here's A Place To Start - shape - rectangles of the bricks 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS #CC360

A colour challenge for you this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments - as always remember if you don't have the particular SU colours you can substitute them for similar inks. 

I've chosen an older stamp for my card - I'm  soon to be moving house - actually moving country from England to Wales!  A lot of my stamping stuff is already packed and I only have a few things left out.  This was one of the sets still in my drawer - I love it for it's collage look - I wish SU would bring back some more collage style stamps - they are my favourites.  This one is called Postage Due.

I stamped the image first in Black Archival Ink by Ranger then added the three colours above with a blender brush.  I used the same colours for the little stamps which are also part of the set.  I have a very old pair of Fiskars Paper Edgers which have the postage cut which helps when cutting out stamps.

I tore the background and edged it with the inks and added it to a piece of green DSP which I inked with a word stamp.

I added some So Saffron ribbon which I found in my stash.  The sentiment is one from Kaisercraft stamps. 

I LOVE.....

I love many things but the challenge over at Chocolate Baroque is asking us to choose something and craft it!    Well I adore this new Chocolate Baroque stamp I have called Mushroom House.  I've teamed it with some Distress Inks which I also love and that touch of gold around the outside is Liquitex Acrylic Ink in Iridescent Bright Gold which is another new find which I love.

I'm also adding this into the following challenges:

Crafty Catz - Make it Magical 

FabnFunky - Not Square

Double Trouble - Magical 

TRY STAMPIN ON TUESDAY - #TSOT498

We have a throwback sketch challenge (challenge no #48 from the year 2012!) for you this week at Try Stampin On Tuesday   It's interesting to look back on nearly 10 years and see how styles may or may not have changed.  

My card today uses some stamps I hardly use from Kaisercraft - the set is called Gypsy Rose and I bought them as they co-ordinate with their scrapbooking paper of the same name which I have used a lot of in my scrapping.  But the stamps deserve their own day in teh sun as they are great for backgrounds and I love the sentiment that comes with them.

I used a very old Stampin Up ink pad called Spectrum for the half circle - it's a shame they don't do these pads anymore as they were great for multi colouring as they have 5 ink colours in them and you can push them together to create the varied colours you see in the main stamp.

I added some of the line stamps in matching SU colours and added a touch of lace ribbon from my stash.  

I look forward to seeing what you all do with this sketch.

ANITA JERAM STAMPS

Ooh I'm loving these new stamps from Anita Jeram and Colorado Craft Company.  So relaxing to use them with watercolours and make some scenes.  I only have one set at the moment which is Birthday Wishing but I have more on their way.

I added the little bunny to a very old Cherry Pie Art Stamp I have which gives the woodland scene and thought they would match up perfectly.  

I used Tim Holtz distress inks to colour in the scene using Royal and Langnickel paint brushes.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

International Art and Soul - Add a Bunny

Colour Crazy Craft  - Add some colouring 

Dare 2bArtzy - AG

Creative Knockouts - Birthday 

Allsorts Challenge - use a stamp

QKR Stampede - AG 

Creative Crafters - AG

COLORADO CRAFT COMPANY - ANITA JERAM STAMPS

I just love these stamps - I don't normally do cute but I do remember her book as one I used to read to my children when they were little.  I first saw these stamps being used by Sandy Allnock and thought I'd never get them here in the UK - I was delighted when I found them on Seven Hills Crafts website and had to treat myself.

They are lovely stamps for doing gentle watercolouring with - and I've been having a play with them all weekend.  

Today I've used the mice for the challenge over at TGIF using their sketch as inspiration.

I used Tim Holtz Distress Inks for the colouring and a stencil for the leaf background on the cardstock.  I've kept it simple so as not to detract from the lovely little stamps.

I'm also adding this into the following challenges:

Crafty Catz - AG - optional three favourite colours - mine are green, brown and red 

Just Add Ink - shades of green

Creative Knockouts - Birthday Wishes 

Cute Card Thursday - Celebrate

Fusion - Green 

Seize The Birthday - three shades of green - I've used Distress Ink Rustic Wilderness, Crushed Olive and Mowed Lawn

Inspired By - Green 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - A bit of Green 

Crafty Gals - Green 

SWEET STAMPIN - SPRING MOODBOARD

We have a lovely Spring Moodboard for you this time at Sweet Stampin.

I have this lovely stamp set from Simon Says Stamp called Choose Joy and I knew I just wanted to use those lovely wellington boots filled with flowers.  The stamp set has a stamp which creates the plaid grid - such a great idea and a lot of fun to use.  I used Stampin Up cardstock in Soft Sky and used the same ink to add the delicate plaid background. 

I used Spellbinders Cutting Dies for my image.  I coloured the boots and flowers with Distress Inks.  The sentiment is from the same set.  I added a few Nuovo Drops to finish off the card.

I'm also adding this into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - use a stamped image 

Dragonfly Dreams - include a flower

Daring Cardmakers - plant a flower

Colour Crazy Challenge - AG 

Try it on Tuesday - Flowers 

STAY CURIOUS

I've been having a play with one of my Visible Image stamps this week called Curious Cats.  I love most animals but especially cats and have three cats - a black one, a grey and white one and a ginger female which is very rare - she decided to make an appearance on my card today as the colours I chose seem to be her colours.  I used to be a fosterer for our local cat's protection and my ginger girl came in to the pens as a stray and she was so lovely I had to keep her for myself! 

I started out with stamping the image of the cat's face with some Ranger Archival Ink in black.  I used some Distress Inks and an aqua water pen to add the stripes - I used Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade, Ground Espresso and Fossilised Amber for her eyes.  I also added some Glossy Accents to the eyes to give them sparkle.  

I double stamped the sentiment in both black and Spiced Marmalade.

I layered it onto orange and black cardstock.  

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Inspired By - Cats

Cupcake Inspirations - Cats

Chocolate Baroque - I Love.... cats

Dare 2BArtzy - AG

Allsorts Challenge - Use Yellow

Addicted to CAS - animal - I'm not sure if this is CAS enough

Just Us Girls - Animal

I'm delighted to have been chosen in the top 3 of Cupcake Inspirations 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS - #SC359

We have a fabulous sketch for you this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments. 

I used an old set from Penny Black stamps called Enjoy for my card.  I started off by inking and stencilling on my background using Distress Inks and a Vicki Boutin stencil.  The background flowers and sentiment were stamped with Ranger Archival Ink.  

The background for the embossed birds was made with Distress Inks in Ripe Persimmon and Speckled Egg. I attached a small piece of linen thread and some washi tape from my stash.

613 AVENUE CREATE - Anything Goes w/Optional Twist: CREATE A SLIDER CARD

Our twist this month at 613 Avenue Create is to create a slider card.  It's been a while since I made one of these so I was up for the challenge.

I started off with a piece of Stampin Up cardstock in this gorgeous purple colour and using an SU mask I inked it in Distress Ink Wilted Violet.  I cut out a hole with a stitched framelit in the front.  The butterfly is a Tim Holtz die and I used some old SU DSP to cut it out from.

The flowers and jug are from a Simon Says Stamp set called Take Heart.  I used SU blender pen in light grey for the jug and Distress Inks in Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive, Wilted Violet and Shaded Lilac for the flowers and leaves. 

The stamp set also has this lovely hummingbird and I wanted it to appear as though he is flying in to the flowers when you open the card.  It was coloured in with Distress Inks in Wilted Violet and Peacock Feathers with some Spectrum Noir glitter pen to make him shine.  The sentiments are from the same stamp set.  I continued the stencilling on the inside of the card.

I'm adding this into the following challenges also:

The Creative Crafters - AG 

QKR Stampede - AG

Crafty Animals - Bird

Lil Red Wagon - Fun Feathered Friends

The Library Challenge - Birds 

The Paper Players -Spring moodboard 

The Flower Challenge - shades of purple 

Tuesday Taggers - Say It With Flowers 

'L' IS FOR LIFE

What a great challenge over at Just Add Ink - Just Add 'L'.  Looking through my stamp sets I found just the set I wanted to use - a Visible Image set I'd recently bought called Just Be Happy.  I knew it would be a great one for my new journal I'm working on this year - so my L for this challenge is Life.

I started out by cutting my cardstock to 5" x 5" - I added some Distress Oxide Ink in Old Paper and then using a Visible Image stencil called Atomic Flower I went over it in Distress Oxide Frayed Burlap.  

The tree and the leaves and the Touch Life sentiment is from another Visible Image stamp set called Tree of Life. I stamped the tree in Ranger Black Archival and the leaves in Ranger Archival Library Green. I coloured them in with Distress Ink in Mowed Lawn and Crushed Olive and added some Tri Spectrum glitter pen to give them a shine.  I used the same archival green for the sentiment and coloured it in with Distress.  I edged the card with Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers.  I layered the card onto some black card stock. 

I'm also adding this into  Addicted To Stamps - Stencils/Die Cuts - I used a stencil