TRY STAMPIN ON TUESDAY - #TSOT504

Added Challenge - Nature 

Here is our sketch for you this week from Try Stampin on Tuesday with the added challenge of Nature.  

I used the lovely image from Chocolate Baroque for my card - the stamp set is called Another Brick in the Walled Garden.  I kept the image as a simple watercolour using Tim Holtz Distress Inks as it's quite a busy image.  I used some retired SU DSP for the papaer behind and a die cut piece of paper for the sides and added it to SU card stock. 

The sentiment came from my scrapbooking stash.  I added some Nuovo drops in silver to add a bit of sparkle. 

SIMPLY SAID.... WITH FLOWERS

I love this stamp set from Simon Says Stamp called Thoughtful Flowers.  I chose to use the lovely snowdrop for my card today and some artistic licence as they should really be white not yellow.  However I was following the colour challenge over at Sunday Stamps SSC255 which asked us to use particular colours of blues and greens.

I used a Ranger Archival Ink called Seafarer to stamp my images - somewhat softer than just using black.  I then used some Tim Holtz Distress Inks for my water colours - the colours I used were Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Crushed Olive, Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean.  There is a touch of Spectrum Noir sparkle pen on the butterfly.

I used a Stampin Up stencil for the clouds.

I'm also adding this into the following challenges

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday- Send Hugs

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Cheerful Colours

DIGITAL IMAGES

I haven't yet joined in with the digital stamping craze - until recently.  I was lucky enough to win the challenge at Inspiration Station last week and their prize was a digital download from Power Poppy Images.  I chose the geranium as it's one of my favourite flowers and I loved the image of them in their pot.

So after playing around with the sizing I ended up with two - a large one and a small one.  I found it interesting to see how the two images, coloured with the same inks, produced different results. One was a no line image and the other was a black line image but the difference is still quite large. 

I turned the smaller one into a card using some old SU DSP for the background - I added a lace doily and some old SU ribbon and buttons.  

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

The Card Concept - lavender image 

Angie's Digital Stamps - AG 

TGIF - Very Vintage 

Cute Card Thursday - ribbon and twine

Seize The Birthday - spring flowers 

The larger image was coloured with the same Tim Holtz Distress inks but look at the difference - I found the larger one a lot easier to add detail too especially for the leaves.  The sentiment also came as part of the digital download.  Hmmm  would I usedigitals again? - do you know I just might lol!

Their challenge this week is another photo inspiration.  For this one I used an old Clearly Besotted set called Kiss Me Quick - I've used the sheep from this one before but not yet the rabbits.  They are so cute with just the right sentiment.  I used Distress Inks to create the scene and added some extra Lavinia stamps for the toadstools and the path.

I'm adding this into the following challenges

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Sending Hugs 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS SC362

We have a great sketch for you today over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  I started off by using some retired SU DSP Botanical Prints Product Medley.  I found some in my stash of papers and had to ask the girls on my SU Facebook Page The Joy of Sets to remind me of it's name!  I chose the black and white side of the paper and coloured it in with some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Wilted Violet.

The image of the mice is from a set of stamps by Anita Jeram from the Colorado Craft Company - this set is called Birthday Wishing.  I masked off a circle and coloured it in with Distress Inks in Wilted Violet and Milled Lavender and simply used black Archival ink from Ranger for the image of the mice.  I added some Tri Spectrum Sparkle pen to the present.

TRY STAMPIN ON TUESDAY - #TSOT502

Our challenge this week over at Try Stampin on Tuesday is a mix of a sketch and a technique.  I opted to just copy the sketch for my card.

I used a new set from Wendy Vecchi for my card - such a fabulous set which includes the stamps, stencil and dies - what a great idea.  This set is called Country Flowers.  I started off by first stencilling over my background card stock with a leaf stencil from American Crafts in Tim Holtz Rustic Wilderness Distress Ink.

I added a panel behind the flowers using the stencil in the pack and Tim Holtz Peeled Paint. I added another of the stamps which are like chevrons behind in Ranger Archival Library Green.  The flowers and leaves were also inked with Tim Holtz Distress inks and I added the top flower with a dimensional.  The sentiment comes with the set and I added it as a banner with a touch of linen thread.

I'm also adding this into the following challenges

Dare 2 b Artzy - Bright Colours 

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

SWEET STAMPIN' - SOMETHING NOT NORMALLY USED FOR CRAFTING

What a challenge this one was for us all this month over at Sweet Stampin - you should have seen me hunting round the house looking for something that little bit different.  Eventually in my kitchen drawer I found a scone cutter/cookie cutter and thought aha!

I started off by using some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Wilted Violet to add a coloured background.  I then took the cutter and dipped it into some Liquitex Acrylic Ink in Turqoise Deep.  Some of the images came out as the outline and some came out filled in and I thought both looked great.

I used the same colours on some extra paper and used a Tim Holtz butterfly die to cut it out.  I added this to some black card stock and added some Liquitex Ink in Iridescent Bright Gold around the edge with a fine paint brush.

I added the sentiment with some Gold Embossing powder.  I used a deckle scissors to cut out both panels.  I love how this turned out and look forward to seeing what you use for your piece.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Make the Cards Challenge #12 - Butterflies 

Here is a place to start - Elegant 

Get Creative - AG 

Use Your Stuff - Spring 

International Art & Soul - Winged Creatures

We love Chocolate Baroque - Spring 

Dragonfly Dreams - add a creature

Allsorts - Butterflies

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday - Birthdays 

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