One layer cards can be tricky - but necessary sometimes especially as the postage costs in the UK have risen if you have a card with a 'bump' on it! I found a new challenge to me today which is asking for one layer card - Cards In Envy with the Envy meaning envelope.
They do allow for a mat layer but I've kept my card one layer. I've used some stamps from a set I got from Clear Impressions called Rural Springtime. There are some lovely stamps on it and I chose to use three from the set.
I first used some Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Bundled Sage and Tattered Rose to make the background. I used Tim's new, to me, Stamping Platform to add my stamps. I found the platform great for this type of stamping where I was positioning a few stamps to make sure they ink correctly and in the right place.
I used some of SU Melon Mambo for the sentiment and a touch of Wink of Stella on the trees just to make them sparkle and give the card a bit of interest.
I have a bit of a soft spot for Paris - on my first wedding anniversary back in 1986 (!) my darling hubby took me there as a complete surprise. The weather was kind, we sat on the left bank opposite Notre Dame drinking red wine and eating a baguette and fromage. We saw the sights, sailed the Bateau Mouche, visited Folie Bergere, gazed at the Mona Lisa and had a thoroughly lovely weekend. Three years ago our daughter sent us back there for our Christmas present - January was not quite so kind weather wise but Paris still had its charms.
Why am I telling you all this? It's because the challenge over at Try It On Tuesday is Destinations.
Rummaging in my craft cupboard I found an old faithful set by Tim Holtz which hasn't been used in a while - it's main image is the Eiffel Tower. I used a piece of Very Vanilla card stock and decided to do a tag rather than a card. I used some of my new Tim Holtz distress inks for the background, Tattered Rose, Bundled Sage and Antique Linen. I used SU Fresh Fig for the tower stamp. I also used an old SU stamp from Project Life Remember This which says Adventure Bound. The little tag has the perfume bottle from an old SU Set A Little Love .
My Christmas card today is inspired by a sketch at Sunday Stamps All Lined Up.
As I've used all old stamps on my card I'm also adding it to Retro Rubber whose challenge is Anything Goes.
I've used some old Stampin Up stamps on here - the snoman on the right and the snow flake. The other snowman is an old Rubber Stampede stamp called Merry Snowman. I've layered them with SU stitched framelits and coloured them in with retired SU marker pens in Real Rust and Night of Navy.
The background has been embossed with an SU Embossing folder, I've torn the edges and inked it with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Weathered Wood and added Dazzling Diamonds all over the top to make it sparkle. The Warm Wishes sentiment is also an old SU stamp. Some Glitter Enamel dots finish off the card.
It's nice to be able to get to use these small stamps - so often they get left uninked in favour of their larger cousins don't you think?
Something a little different from me to day - some Christmas tags rather than Christmas cards. My inspiration came from Stamping Sensations challenge blog which wanted single layer stamping so I thought I would make a start on some tags.
I've used the very popular Santa Collage stamp by Rubber Stampede - a firm favourite for me for Christmas. I've paired him up with a Reindeer stamp and used lots of Tim Holtz distress inks on them.
I've been getting out my Cherry Pie Art stamps again and making a Hallowe'en type card - all about the Orange shades in this card.
I've used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Spiced Marmalade and SU inks Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie and Early Espresso. There is one retired SU stamp used here which is the Boo word.
I'm adding this card into the following challenges:
That's Crafty - Get Your Spook On
Tuesday Taggers - It's Hallowe'en Time
Deep Ocean Challenge - Hallowe'en
I started off using Bundled Sage by Tim Holtz for the background and edges and inked Stampin Up's Daffodil Delight and Summer Sun yellows in the dots. I used the Bundle Sage again to ink one of the stamps from In This World - a retired set from Stampin Up. The red is another Tim Holtz Worn Lipstick which was sponged on and then, once the image was stamped, I used a SU Blender Pen to add more ink to the image. The stamped butterfly was coloured in with SU Summer Sun so that it shows through the cut out butterfly. I added some Dazzling Diamonds to the cut out butterfly and some Bronze Thread from SU behind. Tricky stuff to try and keep it in place. The sentiment is from another retired SU set Yay You and this was inked in Memories ink in Violet.
