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 #346

Morning friends!
At the start of this week I never imagined the possibility of one card for this week's challenge at Less is More let alone 2! It's been one crazy, busy and stressful week and I'm not sure these are great examples for the theme but do head over to visit my fellow teamies who I'm sure will have you swooning at their gorgeous ideas!
Here's the Cue Card for the week and hopefully you'll find it simple enough ...

It's a 'his n hers' TWO-fer from me today both using the newly released Background Block Scattered dots stamp from Uniko. The first one shows it heat-embossed in white on black cardstock ... I'm hoping it gives the impression of lots of stars in space!!! 
I grabbed stash from whatever first came into my head for speed and it's the Blast Off II set from Clearly Besotted on the first one with a little artistic licence for the colours of the rocket and flame ... I obviously haven't got the blue and green colours out of my head from 2 weeks ago! 

For this one I've inked the same background block stamp in Tuxedo Black by Memento adding a die-cut butterfly by Happy Little Stampers (our sponsor) with sentiments from Hero Arts Cut and Stamp Happy set. There's wink of stella added to both of these cards but not particularly visible in the photo and a couple of gems on the 'female' version for added bling!

 

Don't forget to check out the fabulous designs from my fellow teamies over on the main blog HERE and our sponsor for this month is Happy Little Stampers so do play along for a chance of a prize, which we announce at the start of next month.




Hope you'll play along and have some fun and thanks for calling by 

AAA CAS Cards Challenge #95

Hello there friends, it's time for another challenge over at AAA CAS Cards and this post is tinged with a little sadness as I'm stepping down from the Design Team at AAA Cards following this challenge. It's been a brilliant opportunity, creating alongside such fantastic talent and I've loved every minute. I've also made some wonderful friends who I hope to meet up with in the near future and definitely keep in touch with them via social media. 
The demands of being on a Design Team are challenging and unfortunately being on several design teams, alongside work certainly eats into precious family time, which has led me to this decision. I do hope to play along in the challenges now and again and I'd like to thank everyone at AAA CAS cards for being such perfect teamies!
The theme for this one is Rainbow and it's one of my favourite themes so  here's my card followed by a little photo inspiration for you too

This was a very quick and easy card to make using rainbow coloured strips adhered at an angle to a panel of white card-stock. This was die-cut using a stitched rectangle die before adding a die-cut 'happy' sentiment and stamped 'birthday' greeting. To finish I couldn't resist a few enamel dots in rainbow colours.

As always there's plenty more super CAS creations by my fellow teamies, with links to their blogs on the AAA Cards blog HERE

Our Guest Designer for this challenge is a formidable Queen of CAS and creator of the ever-popular Less is More Challenge. It's Chrissie of Simply One of a Kind! She is a whizz at Clean and Simple designs and I hope you'll pop along and visit her blog this week.

Our sponsor for this challenge is STAMPlorations and I hope you'll feel inspired to join us and play along.

Less is More #315

Hey Friends,   we're back with week 2 of our Birthday month of challenges at Less is More
and this week it's the 'dreaded one' 

Here's mine and there's loads of fabulous designs from my fellow teamies over on the main blog HERE with links to their own blogs. Do check them out and pay them a visit if you've time - they'd love it!
First up and probably the most obvious idea when thinking of Opposites Attract is in love so here I've used a Clearly Besotted set called Scientifically Speaking AND although I've had it ages and ages this is the first time it's had any ink near it. I've also dry embossed a  rectangle into the card front using a die from WPlus9 Sunshine Layers.

Next up it's an opposites idea in the sense of things that shouldn't go together! Here in the UK we have a saying 
"Red & Green should never be seen" yet come Christmas time we can't seem to get enough of this combo so I'm getting super organised with my first Christmas card of 2017!

This one uses the Winter Foliage set from Uniko teamed with a 

Hero Arts Shape and Cut set; all images inked with Altenew. Both the Altenew and

Hero Arts products were purchased from our super duper 

sponsor and guest designer for this week ...

Tara of Craftilicious and Seven Hills Crafts

I do hope you'll pop along and pay her a visit both to view her

inspiration on the blog and perhaps pick up a little shopping!

I hope you'll play along, as there's another prize opportunity this week and have some fun along the way! Thanks for calling by and I'll be back soon!

Less is More #304

Morning friends, this is my first of two posts today so I hope you'll pop back in an hour when I'll be introducing the Rustic Wreath,  soon to be released Christmas set from Uniko!
If you can't wait that long I've got a sneaky little preview here using  this very set but there will be more a little later!
BUT first of all it's time to announce this week's challenge over at 
Less is More
and we are back round to our Recipe week! We'd like to see you use an Emboss Resist technique on your card and there's lots of brilliant examples from my fellow teamies at Less is More so I hope you'll zip across  to the main blog HERE and follow the links to their individual blogs!
First up here's mine ...

As promised a preview of the Rustic Wreath set being released tomorrow by Uniko and here I've embossed the wreath and one of the sentiments in the set with Hero Arts White EP before blending various blue toned distress inks over  the top. The melted embossing powder acts as the resist here. I've also  spritzed a flicked a little water and perfect pearls mix - because I can't help myself then added a few gems from my stash for added sparkle. The base panel is subtly dry embossed with one of the We R Memory Keepers Next Level embossing folders.
I'd like to link this one up over at Timeout Challenges where the  theme is Christmas with the optional twist of glitter and shimmer. In real life my card is shimmering from the perfect pearl spritz plus I've added some mini gems which certainly shimmer and sparkle in the light!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas on my blog ... so here's another festive card

Again using stamps by Uniko: Christmas Foliage and a sentiment from the 

Rustic Wreath set. I've heat embossed the foliage with Ranger Silver Pearl

embossing powder this time and blended Cracked Pistachio, Evergreen Bough 

and Lucky Clover over them to enhance the 'resist' stamping. To finish a 

die-cut frame using MFT Die-Namics pierced rectangle dies, pine cones from

the Uniko Christmas Foliage set and some red nail heads for some glossy detail.

Thanks as always for popping by my blog and I hope you feel inspired

to play along with our challenge this week.

Have fun!

Less is More #286 & #287

Happy Saturday LIMettes, it's time to announce another new challenge over at Less is More BUT for a change this one will run for 2 Weeks! No excuses for not playing along with us this time!
It's a mini summer break for some of the Design Team, who will be attending  the Happy Little Stampers Craft Retreat next weekend!!! The excitement has been brewing for some months now but at last we are almost there!
I'm hoping Mr Blogger will behave and post this on my blog as I'm 'hopefully' as you read this enjoying some Belgian Waffles, Chocolate, Beer etc  'fingers-crossed' in the warm and sunny environment of Bruges!
So onto the challenge for the next 2 weeks and it's Recipe week - we'd like you to use  something TACTILE on your cards but still maintaining a clean and simple design.
Here's mine featuring 2 very feminine birthday cards and don't forget to pop across  to my teamies blogs for more awesome inspiration and clever tactile makes! 

Here, I started out by blending Distress Inks in yellow, pinks and oranges onto a 

panel of cardstock, running it though an embossing folder by WeR Memory Keepers

 (Next Level Embossing) before dusting it with Perfect Pearls. This leaves a textured and 

shimmery surface. Next up I've heat embossed the Gerbera from Uniko onto some Vellum 

using WOW Brass Metallic sparkle EP which leaves a glittery texture. Then with the

same EP I've created a frame around the offset panel along with the 'Happy'

die-cut sentiment from Hero Arts. to finish some sequins from Lucy's Little Things.

  

Next up using a brand new die from Neat and Tangled (Punchinella). Ive had my eye

 on it since I saw Laura Bassen use it HERE. To begin with I blended more Distress Inks,

 this time in pinks and purples onto a piece of cards stock. Spritzed and flicked a mixture 

of water and perfect pearls over it ... (you know I can't resist that little trick) then mounted 

my die-cut panel on top. This is a glitter card-stock making it tactile with the circular cuts

 as well as the glitter. The 'Happy' circle is also from Neat and Tangled with the embossed 

'birthday' from Winnie & Walter. A little extra tactile-ness with the double die-cut 

butterfly from Clearly Besotted and sequins from Pretty Pink Post.

 That's all from me and I do hope you'll feel inspired to play along with us.

I'm looking forward to seeing where your crafty tricks and tips take you with 

this one and I'll catch up with you all again soon - post retreat!

Thanks as always for calling by today!

Less is More #285

Morning friends - do you have that 'Saturday Morning Feeling' today? Hope so as it's time to play over at Less is More.
It's THEME week and we've chosen 'Repetition'.
Here's my examples and there are loads of fun ideas by my fellow teamies over on the main Blog HERE so do check them out!


My repetition on those one is 'dots' on the patterned paper from Echo Park, 3 matching flower heads and the leaves on the stem. The stamps are from one of my favourites WPlus9 - Doodle Buds and I really need to play with this more frequently as I love it. The sentiment is from the same set, the frame is an  MFT die - Insert A Frame and to finish a few sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

Now believe it or not ... and it's a first!!! I had already made this card and

purchased the stamp set by Hero Arts before Jennifer McGuire posted her video 

using it earlier this week HERE! I'm now awash with ideas for it but as you can 

see I thought it worked pretty well for repeat stamping. To accent it the 'Smile'

word die is by Lil'Inkers and the 'Have a Great Time' from Clearly Besotted.

Last but not least and using these adorable Pandas by Mama Elephant ...

in fact I have both the Pandamonium and Incoming Mail sets and this

uses the Panda from the latter and the sentiment from the former.

Not sure who I'll sent the card to but love the sentiment!

Ok it's over to you crafty folk and I'm sure you'll come up with some

perfect winners - you always do and it's a joy to check them out on your blogs.

Thanks as always for calling by and catch up with you again soon.

AAA Cards Challenge #64

Morning friends I'm here to announce the latest challenge over at  AAA Cards and this week the theme is 'Inlaid die Cutting' Here's my card

 I started out by stamping a circle pattern using stamps from the Mish Mash set 

by Happy Little Stampers, the 'Happy' die-cut is by Hero Arts: Stamp & Cut 

Birthday and is inlaid. The 'Birthday' word is from the same HLS set and to 

finish some Doodlebug sprinkles to coordinate.

Our sponsor for this challenge is Happy Little Stampers 

This month's challenge over at Happy Little Stampers - CAS Challenge

is also 'Inlaid Dies' so I'm heading over there with this one and you

might want to do the same when you've created your cards!!!

Just another little tip - if you do head over to the HLS challenge AND you use 

some of their products be sure to link up HERE which is where I'm heading to!

Our next challenge in 2 week's time will be to celebrate the 2nd birthday

of AAA Cards and I do hope you'll play along as there's lots of prizes

to be won! More details on the main blog but please don't miss out!

What's more we'll also be introducing a new member to our Design Team!

Sandie of London Days and I'm pretty sure you'll have come across her 

blog as she's on several other design teams and comments almost everywhere!

If not do head over to her blog HERE and check out her awesome talent!

AAA Cards Challenge #60

Hello friends, are you ready for a new challenge from AAA Cards? This one is all about Easter and in case you need a little clue as to the types of things we'd like to see, our photo inspiration is  just beneath my card!

I couldn't resist being inspired by Michele Ferguson's card over at MUSE this 

week HERE and decided to create this card 'case-ing' her design and to play along there 

of course! I started out by masking the upper section of the card base with masking tape 

followed by a little inky blending using distress inks in Mustard Seed and Squeezed Lemonade. 

I've 'cracked' open a new from Clearly Besotted: Cool Chicks which I'm in love with - 

especially the mini shades stamp and faces! I've also added a few white spots to

their bellies! The 'happy' die-cut is from Hero Arts and 'Easter' from Uniko: Some Bunny!

Just to help you out more with inspiration here's our photo inspiration 

... and here's Michele's MUSE card

Our sponsor for this challenge is  with a prize of a $20 gift certificate As always my fellow teamies have created some fantastic designs  so please head over to the main AAA Cards blog for all the details. I hope you feel inspired to play along and can't wait to see your creations! Thanks as always for calling by and I'll catch up again soon.

Less is More #265

Hello there Limettes are you ready for our latest challenge at Less is More?
... but first ... if you haven't already swung by the main Less is More blog you certainly need to as we are announcing our brand new Design Team members. I'm sure you'd like to know who they are and welcome them in true LIM fashion!
All the links and details can be found HERE along with some stunning inspiration!

... Our challenge for you this week is to use or feature some wire on your card
First up is one for the CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge although try as I might that wire had a mind of it's own and wouldn't let my butterfly sit to the right of the card as per the sketch so hope I can get away with this!!!

 I've coiled some wire around a paint brush then stretched it to sit behind 

my die-cut sentiment from Hero Arts: Stamp & Cut birthday. The butterfly is from 

Clearly Besotted: Elegant Butterfly Duo and die cut from a scrap of distressed / 

watercolour spritzing! To finish a few gems from my stash.

When I made this card I realised I'd been inspired by a couple of our recent

Less is More challenges ... 'Use a Stem' and 'Add Texture'

So I came across Honey Doo Crafts and their stamps for the first time 

last weekend and here's one of the gorgeous sets I purchased: Flowers for Design.

It's teamed with a sentiment from Clearly Besotted: Say it In Style. My 'wire' is coiled 

round a pen initially then flattened against the card to create the stem and I've used

one of the We R Memory Keepers Next Level embossing folders to add some

interest to the background plus some sequins and dew drops from Pretty Pink Posh.

I'd like to link this one up at Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge where it's an Anything Goes week!


and last but not least ....

... just to show that you don't have to use 'actual' wire here's a card using the 'birds on a wire' stamp from Inkylicious with a  little bit of smooshing for the background, an off-set panel from  MFT Die-Namics: Blueprint 15, sentiment from Clearly Besotted: Say it in Style and sequins from Little Things by Lucy Abrams.

Ok that's all for me for today and I hope you feel inspired to reach for your wire and get creating. Have fun and thanks as always for calling by!

Honey I Shrunk the Kit! #5

Hello crafty pals and blog buddies!
Can you hear me squeal? You might want to grab a brew and a slice of cake ... I've got news!
I have been bursting with excitement to share this happy news for a  few weeks now and I can tell you it's been tough - not to burst!!!!
I've been invited to join the 'Honey, I shrunk the Kit!' team
If you haven't already heard of it then I'll tell you a little more! It's the 'dream child' of 3 superstar card making talents: Hazel Hodgkins: Hazel's Paper Designs Sarah Gray: Funky Fossil Designs Shona Chambers: Twine Around
Every few months one of them puts together a kit of cardmaking goodies then sends it around the world to the other members. Each of them creates 3-4 cards which are all posted on their individual blogs! Happy Days eh!
Well little me and another of my super, fun and fabulous buddies; Sandie of London Days are joining the team from today! 

So my first outing with these yummy teamies started when I received  my bundle of happy mail goodies from Sarah (Funky Fossil), our host for Honey, I shrunk the Kit! #5 and here's a little piccy of what arrived. 

Here's the contents:  Stamps: WPlus9 (Sparkle and Shine) and Avery Elle (Many Thanks) Dies: Lil’Inkers (Diamond), Hero Arts (Star Background) &  WPlus9 (Sparkle & Shine Words) 2 x A6 sheets patterned paper, mini gems, strip of silver glitter card
And here's my cards with the extra bits used from my own stash:

Here a piece of patterned paper is used as the background to my shaker and I've heat-embossed the die-cut words using WOW Metallic Silver sparkle.
Additional items: Paper Smooches - Pinked Circle die Uniko - 'It's Your Day' sentiment Little Things from Lucy - Shaker sequins


Next up a super clean and simple design as I wanted to draw the eye to the gleaming,  silver glitter, sparkling, die-cut gem. The die-cut star background is used as a stencil  on this card with some silver pigment ink to add some interest to the card base.
Additional items: Sizzix Framelits - Banner Die Papermania - blue gems  

I couldn't give up on the die-cut star background and decided to smear it with 

silver pigment ink then quickly heat emboss with clear EP to add shine and texture.

The 'you're a' sentiment and gem are coloured using my new favourite DI: Wilted Violet!

A few spritz of water to the distress inks add a bit more interest and a strip of the 

patterned paper across the centre with some more gems for added sparkle.

Additional items: WPlus9 - Conversation Bubble die Papermania - purple gems


I think I got a little carried away with the colours here!  Watercolour-wash using distress inks in Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers  and Dusty Concord. Spritzed with Perfect Pearls & water once dry. A little strip of that gorgeous silver glitter tape adhered to the edge.  Using the same distress inks I've blended the circular sentiment panel from the kit  and popped it on 3d foam. The stamped gems were coloured using Zig Clear  Brush pens and smothered with Glossy accents before attaching to the panel. Just a couple of sequins from Pretty Pink Posh from my stash for this one.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you've enjoyed seeing how I've used this

 fantastic kit. Please do a hop, skip and a jump over to Hazel, Sandie, 

Sarah and Shonas' blogs to see how they were inspired too.

 Lastly a HUGE thanks to these wonderful ladies for inviting

me to join their team. Loved the first kit and can't wait for the next!