Uniko - Wishfully Thinking of Summer

Hello there, I've another 'just for fun post' here which I'm coinciding with a DT Inspiration post for Uniko, which you can find HERE and there's a sneaky peek at my card at the end of this post!

Having spent a few days away in London last week I discovered lots of colour and pattern inspiration from various shops and displays so I couldn't wait to re-create my take on some with my cards once I got back.

So here's a card I've made using the latest sketch from CAS Colours and Sketches and inspired by some clothing fabric that caught my eye!

Here's my inspiration ...

The fabric definitely has a summery feel so, wishfully thinking the season would arrive soon, I pulled out the Paradise and Paradise Foliage sets from Uniko and set about creating a background on red cardstock. Firstly, the images were stamped in Hero Arts Unicorn White pigment ink then moving the red card slightly re-stamped  some of them Sapphire Blue ink by Altenew. The sentiment is from the Simply Said collection and here's the sketch I've used:

While I had the stamps on my desk I thought I'd create a card for some DT inspiration over on the Uniko blog and as promised here's a little sneaky peek! 

As always thanks for stopping by today and I'll be back with the latest challenge for Less is More tomorrow so hope you'll join me again then.

Less is More #366

Hello my crafty friends, I've been hit with the dreaded flu bug this week so it's a teeny post from me to announce this fortnight's challenge over at Less is More. We've a new sponsor for the month and 2 guest designers but all the details are on the main challenge blog HERE - hope you understand!
So onto the challenge and it's colour week - hope the cue card is self explanatory and sorry just the one from me today. 

I've gone ultra simple and basic stamping using a stamp from our wonderful sponsor STAMPlorations. I bought it especially for this challenge and hoped to do something a little more exciting with it but energy and mojo are lacking. Naturally I'd like to add my card to the 'Anything Goes with Stamplorations' challenge HERE

Although I've flipped it ... I'm using a sketch from CAS Colours and Sketches so will add this card over there as well as Simon Says Stamp: Wednesday Challenge and Addicted to Stamps and More where they've both got their 'Anything Goes' weeks!

As always there's loads of fabulous designs from my fellow teamies  over on the main blog HERE and our sponsor for this challenge is STAMPlorations so do play along for a chance of a prize, which we'll announce at the start of next month. 


I hope you'll join us and have some fun! 

Thanks for calling by today!

Happy Birthday CAS Colours & Sketches

Hello friends, these days I don't seem to get chance to play along in  challenges just for fun with other DT work - can't complain BUT today I spotted that CAS Colours & Sketches is celebrating their 200th challenge.
Congratulations, Happy Birthday and HUGE well done ladies!
Some of my blog buddies are on the team so I decided to  make a little card for them ...

This one uses Neat & Tangled: Everyday Circles plus

a few additional circles from Happy Little Stampers: Mix Mash

I'd also like to link this up at Anything Goes with HLS

Short and sweet as I'm in the middle of scheduling some  other posts but I'll be back tomorrow morning with the latest challenge from AAA Cards so hope you'll join me then.

Guest Designer for CASology

Hello crafty buddies, I'm so excited today as I've been invited to be the

Whoopie! 

That's what I thought until I realised what the cue word was for the week!

So having scratched my head and tipped my stamps upside down

I came up with a card using 2 'bark' images which I hope fits in at CASology!

I started out by dry-embossing a panel of watercolour card with a

'bark' effect texture before inking over the top in various brown distress inks.

A little spritz and flick of my favourite water and perfect pearl mix before 

die-cutting the top edge with a stitched curve border die. The little puppy

(not barking here) is from the Mama Elephant Playful Pups set along

with the cute sentiment. 

Don't forget to check out the fantastic talent from the CASology DT HERE

I certainly can't wait to see how they've interpreted the Cue word.

I've loosely followed the sketch from this week's challenge at 

CAS colours & Sketches so will pop my card in there too as well

as another entry for the HLS CAS challenge - Water Colour Spritz!

As always thanks for paying me a visit today and I'll catch up with you again soon!

AAA Cards Challenge #53

Morning friends it's time for us to announce the latest challenge over at AAA Cards, which will run for the next 2 weeks! Our theme is: Anything Goes but please keep your cards Clean and Simple  in line with the challenge guidelines, which can be found on the blog HERE Here's my card and at this time of year I can't resist incorporating a few extra Christmas cards! This one is ultra CAS and I'm playing along at a few other challenges which you might also like to link to - details below!

A super quick and simple card which is great for mass production!

I've used the Signature Christmas stamp set from Clearly Besotted,

it's an oldie but certainly a goodie and one of my Go To sets for Christmas!

I'd like to link up to the following challenges:

CAS Colours & Sketches: I've gone as close to the colours as my stash allows!

CAS(E) This Sketch (I've flipped the sketch on it's head)

CASology: Pretty (I'm hoping the pretty delicate colours will wing it!)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Theme is Christmas

I hope you feel inspired to play along this time and there's more

stunning creations from my fellow teamies over on the AAA Cards Blog

Thanks as always for stopping by my blog and hope you have  a fun and crafty-filled week!

Uniko sponsors CAS Colours and Sketches

Hello there craft buddies ... hope you are well. We've had a very wet and windy day here in Cumbria with the threat of flooding in the town but thankfully it's not been as bad as the news and weather reports initially thought.
So what better way to keep warm and dry but tucked up in my  craft room and I've a card to share for the latest challenge at
CAS Colours and Sketches  where they are celebrating not only a 3rd birthday but also 150 challenges!  Well done and Congratulations!
The Uniko DT were asked if we would like to make a card  for the challenge but unfortunately I was up to my eyeballs with all sorts of things so didn't get around to it for Wednesday so here's my entry to the challenge using the following sets from Uniko: 

Background Builders: Christmas, Essentially Christmas and Classic Numbers.  I've teamed these with a stitched circle die from Simon Says Stamp to create the aperture and Count it number dies from Avery Elle. To finish a couple of doodlebug sprinkles as my holly berries.
Here's the sketch if you fancy playing along and the challenge closes at 11pm GMT on Wednesday, 18th November.

Thanks as always for calling by and have a great week.

April Showers

Hello there - first day back at work and I've survived! Well almost ... IT issues! Grrrr! 
Anyway I've a card to share that I made yesterday but my photographer  had gone AWOL so it's only just ready for posting!!! 

Card Recipe:

Clearly Besotted: April Showers - Umbrella die

and Say It In Style sentiments

Simon Says Stamp: Raindrops Stencil

Winnie & Walter: Big Bang Confetti stamps - to add a bit of detail to the brollies

Distress Inks: Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Picked Raspberry & Wild Honey

I'd like to enter this at the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS - Code word: Showers

CAS Colours & Sketches - I veered a little from the sketch

but thought I'd fancy my chances! I seem to have got out of 

the habit of entering this one so need to try harder.

Simon Says Stamp: April Showers & Flowers

this is my 3rd entry but this time without the flowers!

    

Well that's all for now and thanks for calling by.

DOLLY MIXTURE SHOWDOWN

Hello All

Bit late in the day for posting so going to be quick.

I've NOT been watching football (basically I'd rather watch paint dry) and I'm happily sat in a room with no TV! I can just about hear the shouting and jeering from the other room where hubby and daughter are glued to the box!

So enough of that ...

Here's my card for the latest CASology Challenge where the theme is Anniversary

                                    

I've used a 'dancing couple' die-cut which must be a freebie as I don't own the die but I thought it fit perfect. It's mounted on an embossed Rounded Tag die from Clearly Besotted with sentiment and hearts also Clearly Besotted 'Paired Up' set then finished with some metallic cord from my stash.




Next up is for the following challenges:
CAS Colours & Sketches
Color Throwdown
Clearly Besotted: Anything Goes
Addicted to CAS: Theme Transport
Pixies Crafty Snippet Playground

This Used:

Clearly Besotted: Going Places Stamp & Die Set, Sweet Little Sentiments, Landscape Die

MFT Die-namics: Snow Drift and Pierced Rectangle Stax

Promarkers, Gems from my stash

      

Last but not least is my entry to this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge and as Football is so 'popular' right now I couldn't resist giving the card a 'footie' twist. Another gents card for the depleted box of handy to have in cards.

Card Recipe:
Card & Papers from my stash
Sizzix: Retro Circles embossing folder
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - In the Frame set
Stars and Circles Nail heads - Josy Rose



Ok that's me done for tonight ... a quick tidy up and off to bed.

Thanks for stopping by and see you all soon.

A QUADRUPLE POST

Hello Blog Pals

Hope you've had a fun and crafty day.

My OH has been decorating today and from past experience I've realised it's best to stay out of the way so I took the opportunity to make a couple of cards this afternoon.

First up is a card I made for Mr Dazzle ... it was his birthday last week and he's my AMAZING blog photographer hence the image on the card which was sent over the pond from my fun-loving and trendy American Auntie. The colours just so happen to be in line with the current challenge at The Card Concept so I'll be hopping over there shortly with what is a 'free-style collage' creation plus Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday challenge where the theme is Father's Day or Masculine this week.

                             

Materials Used:
Sizzix Framelits - Star Dies
Clearly Besotted - Superstar & Geometric I stamp sets & 'Happy' word die
Papers: Echo Park
Sprinkles: Stampin Up & Doodlebug

                                                      


Next up is a funky floral card using the colour selection from this week's ColourQ Challenge and I'm combining it with the 'Summer' theme at TIME OUT challenge with an option of flowers.

I've used the leaf dies from Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Florals' set to make the petals with stems from MFT Die-namics 'Lily'. The sentiment is also Clearly Besotted and I've mounted the image onto a pierced rectangle from MFT Die-namics 'Rectangle Stax'. To finish there's buttons and gems from my stash.

                                                               

I think I've gone mad for colour challenges today as I've just noticed these are all colour related challenges!

So this one is for CAS Colours & Sketches and I lurve these colours together so simply had to have a do at it. I'm quite impressed with how it's turned out too. The coloured, striped background is made by colouring stripes with promarkers.


                               

I received my latest release order from Clearly Besotted yesterday and I've been waiting (quite patiently) for the 'birthday' word die to come back into stock so this is its first outing for me. The 'birthday' word was die cut in black and in the striped paper then inlaid in black. I think it looks pretty striking and would be great for a masculine card as I'm always short of them. The other sentiments are also Clearly Besotted and I've finished off with a couple of Doodlebug Sprinkles from Craft Mojo.

                                                     


Last but not least is my card to enter this week's Color Throwdown challenge and it's another Clearly Besotted heavy card. I took inspiration for my layout from the challenge photo using the dies from the Bridal Bouquet set which are stamped with versamark ink but it doesn't seem to be showing too well in the photo but I assure you it's there.  Perhaps it's the glossy-type card I've used for the roses.

The sentiment is a brand newbie just released by Clearly Besotted 'Sweet Little Sentiments' which flew off the shelves so I was very lucky to leave the checkout with my basket in tact.

That's one mammoth post and I don't think I've ever posted one with 4 cards so huge thanks for stopping by and if you've read to the end you deserve an extra special hug and thanks. It's much appreciated.