Happy Little Stampers July 2017 - CAS Challenge

Hi there, it's time for this month's challenge over at Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge and it's a really easy one for this month so no excuses for not joining us! Here's the cue card followed by my 'masculine' style card.

I've used several HLS stamp sets to create this card; Big Bold Numbers, which I've heat embossed in clear having used the darkest of the 'blue' set of Altenew Inks for the Number 3, with the other images in the toning colours. The other sets are Mix Mash and Mixed Media Fun for the splatters. 
Our challenge is sponsored by HLS and one lucky person will win a prize so why not join in - there's a whole month to do so!

You might even like to link up to some of the other Happy Little Stampers challenges and all the details are on the blog HERE

Ok I hope you feel inspired to play along with us and don't forget to pop along to the CAS Challenge blog HERE where you'll find all the links and designs by fellow teamies ... you're in for a treat!

Thanks as always for visiting my blog today and catch up soon!

Less is More #221

Morning all. Are you ready for the latest challenge from  Less is More
It's recipe week and we'd like to see you incorporate a  TAG on your project.
My Dad will be 70 this summer so here's a card for him. Although having put it together I'm not sure it'll fit  Dad or Grandad!!! Crumbs!
He doesn't check my blog so I should be safe posting this now.  There'll no doubt be a few additions before he receives it.

Card Recipe:

Avery Elle: Count On It dies

Paper Smooches: Stitched Tag die

Hero Arts: Happy word die & birthday sentiment

A strip of design paper from Echo Park, plus twine and sprinkles from Doodlebug

My Dad's favourite pastime is watercolour painting of scenery mainly and 

I'm hopeless at it but wanted to show my take on water-colouring!

I'd like to enter this over at Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge

where it's Clean and Simple

Next up it's a vertical tag

This adorable set (Lawn Fawn: Gleeful Gardens)

was one of my sneaky goodies I purchased at the NEC 

and I think this is the first time I've inked it up.

Card Recipe:

Clearly Besotted: Rounded Tag

Uniko Studio: A Gift for You sentiment

Mama Elephant: Stitched Landscape Trio dies 

Images coloured with Stabilo pens and glossy accents for added dimension

Last one ... I've used an almost camouflage embossed

tag to sit the flower on then a mini tag too  

Card Recipe:

Clearly Besotted: Fresh Flowers (water-coloured with distress inks)

then die-cut with matching dies & sentiment from the same set

MFT Die-namics: Stitched border dies & Sentiment strips

I'd also like to enter this card at 

Freshly Made Sketches and ColourQ

      

        

Ok let's see what you come up with and remember to keep it

Clean and Simple with that lovely white space.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting.

I'll be back tomorrow with the latest challenge

from AAA Cards so hope to catch you then.

Uniko Studio: Challenge #18

It's time for another Challenge at Uniko Studio  and in line with the latest 'Birthday' release stamps you may guess the theme!
BIRTHDAYS
and we all love those so come on join in and have some fun.
This year I've a few 70th birthdays to prepare cards for so here's  the first one for my M-I-L from the kids.

Card Recipe:

Uniko Studio: Balloon Bash, Classic Numbers

& Strike A Pose (previously released)

MFT Die-Namics fishtails flags

You won't want to miss out on any super duper inspiration from the 

DT so please check skip over HERE for more details

We also have the amazing, super talented, wonderful 

Tracey McNeely of In My Creative Opinion guest designing this month

so please pop across and see her take on the challenge.

Here's the challenge details you need to be in with a chance of winning ...
The DT will select a winner who will receive a £20 Gift Voucher for Uniko Studio plus an invite to Guest Design for our next challenge.
The DT will also choose a Top 3 and each will receive a £5 Gift Voucher.
It's not essential but if you do use a Uniko Studio stamp then your card will be entered into a randomly selected draw to win a £10 Gift Voucher.

Thanks for stopping by and I'm so looking forward to seeing 

your creations. We had such a wonderful response to last month's 

challenge so lets see if we can beat it this time. 

FABULOUS FIFTY

Back again with two more quick cards then I'm back to crafting!  Lots to do ...

This first card was made yesterday for a friend's hubby who is celebrating this milestone on Friday so I couldn't believe my luck when I saw the Less is More 'Turquoise' colour challenge this morning. Not only that but it's one of my absolute favourite colours and I love wearing it, painting my house in delicate shades of it and creating with it. Happy Dayz!

I'm also entering my card over at Simon Says Stamp where they are celebrating not a 50th birthday but their 5th so the theme is Happy Birthday.

OK enough waffle; here's my card:

                                  

This Used:

Cuttlebug Embossing folder: Stars
Papers: Echo Park
Clearly Besotted: Sentiment from Home Sweet Home set, Rounded Tag Die
MFT Die-namics: High Rise number dies
Sequins: Doodlebug, Candy Dots: Stampin Up with Ribbon and cord from my stash


My next card is to enter the CASE Study #185 challenge. That's 2 weeks on the trot for this challenge ... pretty good as I usually miss it! The photo inspiration is so delicate and feminine that I just had to have a go.

I've used the Uniko Studio Flower Power 3 set with the stem and leaves from Flower Power 2, the sentiment is from Clearly Besotted Fabulous Fuchsias and I've added a couple of nail heads and a sprinkling of a Wink of Stella.

Thanks for checking out my cards and hope to be back soon with some more creations.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

CRAFT TURN-AROUND

Hi All

Happy Sunday - this is a scheduled post as the in-laws are up today and not sure when I'll get a minute to blog!

My first card is / was a disaster and somehow I managed to turn it round in about 5 minutes! Quite pleased with myself. It was initially a combined entry to CAS(E) This Sketch and Colour Throwdown. I decided to have a go at re-inserting die-cut bits into my Memory Box Piestra Tile die having seen this technique around on a few blogs ... BIG mistake. This particular die is far too fiddly and it took forever trying to pick up the teeny little snippety bits, aching back and eyes etched with concentration! It was heading for the garbage until I picked up a new little 6x6 pack of design papers from Doodlebug (as recommended by Michelle Short at The Card Grotto) and it all came together.

Now I did mention snippety bits and I've realised this card would certainly deserve a trip to the playground (Pixies Crafty Snippets Playground) and I'm feeling a bit guilty as I've not been there for a week or so. Simply ran out of time so today I'll go and check out the playmates.

                                    


Card Recipe:

Image & Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - Butterfly Wishes Additions & Dandelion Dreams, In the Frame dies
Papers: Papermania & Doodlebug
From my Stash: Doodlebug pearls
Other Tools: MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax & Sizzix Circles

   


My next card is another commission - this rugby-mad teenager is certainly keeping me busy and this time his sister asked for a card - specifically with a white teddy and tartan scarf! Unfortunately the tartan clad teddy was too difficult to manage but I did find Snoozing Louie from Digistamp Boutique and I've fussy cut the armchair onto some tartan paper from my stash. It has made the card look a little Christmassy but it's definitely a birthday.

I've followed this week's Sketch Saturday Sketch so I'm heading over there with it and as it's a Digistamp Boutique image I can enter it in their monthly challenge here.

Card Recipe:

Image: Digistamp Boutique - Snoozing Louie
Sentiments: Clearly Besotted - Geometric Style, For Everyone & Basic Numbers
Tools: Retro Circle embossing folder, X-cut Corner Punch, Clearly Besotted Balloon dies, Promarkers
Papers: From my stash

 


Ok that's all for me today - hope you all enjoy whatever you are doing today especially if it's crafty work.

See you soon

UP UP AND AWAY ...

Back again with a second entry to the Clearly Besotted Challenge - In Flight

Card Recipe:

From Clearly Besotted: Going Places - Balloon stamp & Die
Sentiments: Going Places
Numbers: Basic Numbers

Papers: Papermania
Other Tools: Memory Box - Country Landscape border & Clouds
Cheery Lynn - Picket Fence
Coloured with Promarkers

Another commission card for an 18 year old with no special requirements this time so I could go with whatever I fancied.

Ok thanks for stopping by but off for a bit more crafty time - lots to catch up on.

THURSDAY MADNESS

I'm really just dashing in with a couple of ultra quick posts as time is short ...

At the moment I seem to be snowed under with commission cards - not that I'm complaining but they all seem to come at once and not often ideal for challenges :-(

Anyway I've a couple to show that might just sneak in;

First up is for a rugby mad teenager hitting a 'special' birthday. Having raided my stock I couldn't find anything rugby related. After a bit of web-surfing I came across this image on the internet that's quite fun. I'm entering my card into the Seize the Sketch challenge. It's a great sketch this week and I've been looking at it for the last week or so wondering whether I'd ever get around to using it...

Card Recipe:

Papers: Pink Petticoat & Echo Park
Sentiment: Computer generated
Tools: MFT Die-namics - fishtail flags, chevrons & high rise numbers
Sizzix Framelits - stars and circles
From my stash: silver twine, glitter card and button plus I've added glossy accents to highlight some of my rugby player.




Next up is to head over to Simon Says Stamp where the theme is Mother's Day or Special Girl card and this is a Mother's Day card for my MIL. During the week I placed a little order at Craft Mojo and this beautiful butterfly die from Joy Crafts just jumped into my basket so couldn't wait to have a play with it when it arrived earlier.

Card Recipe

Image: I've stamped dandelion heads from the Clearly Besotted Dandelion Dreams set onto vellum then heat embossed with white embossing powder. the flower heads are then drizzled with glossy accents, mini beads and glamour dust.

Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - Fabulous Fushia stamp set

From my stash: Pink leafy paper, bakers twine and pearls

SPRIGHTLY SEVENTY

Evening All

Another age card ... what's going on!

Bit late for me but a couple of reasons ... firstly, my newly released Clearly Besotted products were waiting on the doormat today when I got in from work and I didn't really need an excuse to play! Secondly I received a last minute commission from my Mum for a 70th card for a family friend and lastly there were a couple of challenges I wanted to have a go at.

So here's what I came up with

This is a combined challenge for Retro Sketches and Color Throwdown and the recipient is computer- programming-mad so I got my techi son to find something suitable for the inside ... I'm told that if you enter this computer gibberish a screen will wish you 'Happy Birthday' and tell you how old you are!  Hope he's not got it wrong and it says something really rude!

So that's all for me today and hopefully I'll have something to post again at the weekend. Apologies for the photo - it's 'the dead of night' hence the shadows. Mr Dazzle can't seem to get around shadows at the moment no matter how many adjustments to the camera settings he makes. All too technical for me!!!

Items used:

Papers: Pink Petticoat and Studio Calico
Stamps: Clearly Besotted - NEW 'In the Frame' Stamps & Dies with 'It's you Birthday' for the party hats and sentiment inside
MFT Die-namics Number dies
Ribbon, twine and gems from my stash plus lashings of glossy accents which seem to be having no problem gleaming in the dull light!


   

WHOOPIE ... 2014 IS HERE!

Firstly Happy New Year and apologies for my lack of cards and responses to your thoughtful wishes but the festivities just got in the way along with a stinking collection of germs that zapped my energy and mojo for most of it! Unfortunately my mojo is still hiding somewhere.  I've put all the Christmas deccies away and admired my new crafty stuff from Santa and nothing seems to have spurred me into action!

Anyway I decided to whip round the challenge sites and see what I could muster so here's a couple of cards I made yesterday and I've been waiting for some decent daylight to take pictures.

Fortunately I do need a couple of cards for January so here goes with the first one and it's to enter the CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge, Color Throwdown and CASology where the theme is 'Party!

This used Clearly Besotted It's Your Birthday Die Collection and Stamp Set, MFT Die-namics Basic Chevrons and Josy Rose Nail Heads and Stars. The glitter card is from Dovecrafts.

      

Next up is a card for one of my son's friend and I'm hoping his mum (one of my best friends) isn't searching my blog too carefully as his birthday isn't for a couple of weeks.  Think I may have a few 18th and 16th birthday cards this year as my kids have just passed these milestones too.

So my card is to enter another couple of challenges: Colour Q, Freshly Made Sketches and Seize the Birthday where the theme is 'Numbers'

Card Recipe:

Image: Pre-purchased Die-cut numbers which I've had for years
Papers: All Pink Petticoat
Glitter Paper: Dovecraft
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - New Home Stamp Set
Josy Rose Nail heads

      

That's all for me today but hope I might get down to some more crafting this afternoon as I've so many new bits and bobs that I can't wait to play with but the imagination is on a go slow. Thankfully your fabulous blogs have lots of inspiration.

Thanks for popping along today and hopefully I'll not be AWOL for so long again.

CRAFTY BEE AT WORK TODAY

Hello Friends

Hope you are keeping dry in this disgusting weather today ... I took the dog out for a walk this morning but neither of us were keen and thankfully I hadn't done the housework before Cookie decided to shake himself like crazy as soon as we got home! Don't you just love 'em?

So what better place to play once the jobs were done ... yep the crafty cupboard. I've had quite a few commissions to do recently and isn't it great when you can combine them with a challenge or two?

For my very first time I'm going to try one post with multiple photos and challenge entries! May have to edit this if it doesn't work though!

Here's number one which is a commission for my daughter's friend, who wasn't being particularly helpful in giving me ideas and themes! After much head-scratching and web surfing I came across the Seize the Sketch Challenge and thought I'd make use of the lovely sketch along with some amazing free papers I downloaded ages ago but haven't ever used. Think I'll be making an effort to use them in future though.

Seize the Birthday (sister challenge to Seize the Sketch) have an anything goes challenge so I'm going to drop my card in there too.

Arrrgh! Only just noticed that my card doesn't entirely match the sketch ... Oh **** Well I'm going to enter anyway and hopefully get an acknowledgement for trying! Sorry ladies.



Card Recipe:

Papers: All Freebies from Shery K Designs
Sentiment: Computer Generated
Dies used: Nestabilities Labels, Sizzix Framelits Pennants, Clearly Besotted Florals, MFT Die-Namics numbers and a Martha Stewart Butterfly punch
Button, twine and gems from my stash plus a drizzle of glamour dust here and there




So onto my next card which is for a challenge I've never entered before - the CASE Study Challenge. I spotted it while checking out Amy Wanford's blog and couldn't resist entering as I had the perfect ballerina die cut image which was a freebie from Dies to Die for.

I was also itching to try out my new poinsettia stamp and die set from Clearly Besotted. I stamped three of the large outline poinsettias onto white vellum then heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I added glamour dust to the veins for extra dazzle but think I've perhaps got a bit carried away with the old glamour dust as I decided my ballerina would look pretty cool with a glittered tutu and ballet shoes!!! I've attached the vellum poinsettias to white card with brads covered with candy dots in coordinating baby pink and I'm hoping my cluster of 3 can pass as the 'circle' in the CAS - Colours and Sketches Sketch Challenge which is where my card is heading too.

Card Recipe:

Image: Ballerina from Dies to Die For, Poinsettia Stamp and Dies from Clearly Besotted
Papers: From Do-crafts (Forever Friends)
Sentiment: Uniko Studio
Sizzix Swirls Embossing folder used on the Kraft semi circle
Candy Dots from my stash


    


Did I say I'd been a busy little bee today?

So here's my last card which is another commission; this time for an 18th birthday card where the recipient loves owls.

My cute little owl reminds me of barn owls out in the countryside and on that note I've decided to enter him into the CASology Challenge where the cue word is 'Country'. I'd been watching some videos on using acetate on cards so decided to make an acetate cover for the card and layer my images on the top with the scalloped circles behind. Looking at the photo you probably can't tell there's any acetate so you'll just have to take my word for it.



Card Recipe:

Images, Papers & Sentiment: Clearly Digi Stamps who are sadly no longer trading (I stocked up before they closed the doors) but you can purchase items from Doodle Pantry
Acetate, metallic cord and gems from my stash plus I've added a few glossy accents for extra definition.




Wow that's got to go down as the longest blog post I've ever done ... a marathon indeed. Going for a lie down now or should I do the ironing???? No contest!

Hope to catch up with you all tomorrow and enjoy the rest of your evening.  Fingers crossed this multiple blog post will work when I come to enter the challenges Hee Hee!