AAA CAS Cards Challenge #85

Hello there friends, it's time for another challenge over at  AAA CAS Cards The theme for this one is 'Oscar Red Carpet' and here's my card followed by a little photo inspiration for you too ...

Yep ... it's Christmas in March but I'm not really that organised!

I decided that this Christmas tree image by Inkylicious resembled the

photo inspiration below. It's heat embossed in WOW Metallic Rich

pale gold along with the sentiment which is by Happy Little Stampers.

As always there's plenty more super CAS creations by my fellow teamies, 

with links to their blogs on the AAA Cards blog HERE

We are also joined by Hazel of Hazel's Paper Designs

a previous winner of our challenges, who is Guest Designing for this one. 

Do pop along and visit her blog and leave a friendly word and some love - 

I'm sure she'll appreciate it.

Our sponsor for this challenge is Happy Little Stampers and one lucky winner

will receive $15 gift certificate.

As always thanks for calling by my blog today and I hope 

you feel inspired and will play along with us!

Muse Challenge #180

Hi friends, I'm zipping in with a card I made today to enter in the current challenge over at Muse. I was on a roll at the end of last year, and tried to enter every week but I seem to have lost the plot or not had time to create as much since then!
 Today, as luck would have it I already had a panel of blended Distress Inks  in just the colours of Marilyn's card, sitting on my desk, so I decided to  have a little play and here's my CASE of her card.

Having inked my panel using: Wild Honey, Abandoned Coral, Carved Pumpkin

and Picked Raspberry I did my favourite little trick of spritzing with a water

and perfect pearl mix which adds a stunning shimmer to the inky panel. I'm not 

sure it's obvious on the photo however. Using the MFT Blueprints 15 I 

die-cut a 'wonky-angled' rectangle then inlaid a poppy die-cut by Memory Box 

using some white glitter card. The poppy silhouettes are by Inkylicious 

and the sentiment is by Clearly Besotted from the Sweet Little Sentiments set.

Here's Marilyn's card

Edit: I knew there was a Silhouette challenge about but could I find it when I posted this an hour ago!!! Thanks to Sandie- spotted it as soon as I visited on a comment trail!!!
So I'd also like to link this one up at Addicted To CAS - Silhouette!

I hope you like how I was inspired by the card and thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!
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!

Less is More #260

Hi there crafty friends I'm here with this week's challenge for 
Less is More
it's Recipe Week and we'd like to see you use a Silhouette on your cards,  here's what I came up - I was hoping to have another but you know how it is! Time just flies by! But there's more inspiration over on the main blog HERE so hope you'll hop across and check out my teamies' creations.
Now I've popped these together it looks like I'm having a blue moment! Change from the purple I've been addicted to for the last few posts though!

This one uses a stamp by Inkylicious called Toadstool Fairy - I think plus a sentiment from Clearly Besotted: Say it in Style. I started out by placing a circle of  masking paper onto a panel of watercolour card before inking and blending  various blue distress inks, whilst trying to keep the top left slightly in shadow.  Once I removed the mask I smeared a little ink over the 'moon' and flicked  some water onto it to create a 'starry' effect. To finish some sparkly sequins from Pretty Pink Posh - just because I can't resist a bit of fairy sparkle!

This one uses a freebie die-cut (sorry not sure where from) which I've

placed on a panel of watercoloured card, subtly painted using Tumbled Glass DI.

 Another Clearly Besotted sentiment from the In The Frame set, a few more sequins

 and sparkles plus a strip of dotty paper from Doodlebug to finish. 

I'm not entirely sure what the definition of a 'critter' is but that's the theme

this week over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge so I'll be

hopping across there with this card and hope my birdie counts!

As always I'm sure you'll WOW us with your fantastic designs and 

I'm looking forward to some mega inspiration! 

Thanks as always for stopping by and see you soon!

Less is More #253

Hi there friends and apologies for my lack of posts this week which is 

basically down to crazy Christmas time chores which are creeping

up a little too quickly for my liking along with a lack of mojo! 

It's time to announce this week's challenge over at 

Less is More

... and we are back round to our colour week! 

This time, looking for Green & Blue on your cards.

Here's what I've come up with - Christmas all the way at the minute!

Using a piece of blue textured cardstock from Papermania I've die-cut

snowflakes with the Lawn Fawn snowflakes die before mounting the card panel

on 3d foam. The sentiment is from Happy Little Stampers and I've added

subtle green with some gems from my stash to the centres of the snowflakes.

Over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge it's: 'Let it Snow' 

so I'm heading across there with this one, plus

Time Out Challenges have a word theme 'Snowflakes are Winter's Butterflies'

so I'll stop off there too!

  

 

Next up uses one of my favourite techniques which has to be inky blending

with distress inks followed by a spritz of perfect pearls and water as I've done here!

The Christmas tree image is from Inkylicious and it's heat embossed 

in Hero Arts Clear EP before inking with Twisted Citron and Blueprint Sketch

distress inks. To add a little festive bling I've used coordinating gems from my stash!

The panel is die-cut using MFT Die-Namics pierced rectangles and the sentiment 

is from Stamplorations: Christmas Flower

I'd like to enter this one at Happy Little Stampers - CAS Challenge

where it's 'favourite technique' - Has to be done!

... and what a bonus my image features lots of stars so how about a  skip across to Happy Little Stampers - Christmas Challenge if that's allowed!

... and what's more it's 'holiday' themed at Addicted to Stamps and More  so it would be rude not to pop in there too!

I hope you enjoy this challenge and find time to play along! Thanks for calling by and I'll be back very soon if not already  (depending who Mr Blogger favours this morning)  with my Addicted to CAS challenge post!

Less is More #246

Morning friends, it's time for a new challenge over at  Less is More  and it's Theme Week! Our theme is Masculine!
I can hear you groan ... me too! These are always tough to do as I automatically go for  my florals, girlie and butterfly sets which don't sit too well with the guys! But it's good to get out of our comfort zones now and again plus boost those masculine makes in the card box so hope you'll play along.

Here's my cards and first out I couldn't resist inking up this  fairly recent set, for the first time, from Clearly Besotted - Out of This World.

Using Distress inks in Ripe Persimmon & Wild Honey 

I inked a sun / planet. Then with Blueprint Sketch, Faded Jeans and Black Soot. 

I've added a few stars with a white gel pen, coloured the images with Stabilo markers

and mounted them on 3d foam, accented with wink of stella and glossy accents.

I'd like to head over to Inkspirational Challenges with this one and hope 

the glow from my spaceship and sun will pass the requirements!

It's always hard to make sympathy cards but particularly for a guy

so I thought I'd use this new set I picked up from my recent visit

to the Harrogate Showground Craft Fair. It's from Inkylicious and

I've used Dusty concord, Faded Jeans, Tumbled Glass and Black Soot

to create what I hope looks like a watery / misty background before

stamping the images and adding a few highlights here and there with

my white gel pen.

It's a colour theme over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge

this week along the Halloween tones but I'm hoping my 

eerie Halloween purple tones will work ok there!

It's a new look cue card at CASology too this week and 

cue word 'You' so I'm dropping in there too with my

Thinking of YOU card!

 ... and last be not least it's silly season!

Well that was last week's theme at CASology and these

silly Face-it stamps from The Alley Way Stamps were still

on my desk so I decided to use them. Laura Bassen did a fabulous

video this week of a shaker card using mason jars and that gave me

the inspiration to go with the jars - they are from the Clearly Besotted

Spring blooms set and I've coloured them with Distress Inks. To accentuate

those silly eyes I've added glossy accents and the sentiments are from

Uniko: All Occasion Sentiments #6 and Simply Said - Birthday

I'd like to link this one up at ColourQ - quite ashamed as I used 

to play along almost every week and haven't joined in for ages.

Ok time for you to jump to it and see what you can come up with.

I'm sure you'll WOW us like you do every week but if you need more 

inspiration there's some fab designs by my fellow teamies HERE

Thanks for visiting today and if I get chance I may have a few

extra cards over the weekend otherwise same time next week!!!

AAA Cards #48

Morning friends, it's time for another challenge over at 
AAA Cards
We've gone Autumnal for this one so looking for Clean and Simple with Autumn colours. Here's my card followed by the inspiration photo. We hope you find some crafty time to play along and can't wait to see your cards.

To begin with I blended distress inks in shades of red, orange and yellow onto pearlised 

cardstock before heat embossing the poppy floral image from Inkylicious. 

The panel is then split into 3 vertical sections before mounting on my card base,

The sentiment is from Uniko: Simply Said Birthday and is heat embossed in 

Hero Arts white EP before popping up on 3d foam. To finish a few gems to the flowers.

Before you head to your craft room please check out the  stunning creations by my fellow teamies at AAA Cards HERE
I'd also like to enter my card at Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge where the theme is 'Use a Stamp' 

Thanks as always for stopping by and I'll be back in the week with details of the latest stamp release from Uniko!

Friday bonus post

Hi there ... I made a couple of cards last night to show you and enter a few challenges so here goes ...

The first one is to enter this week's Merry Monday challenge where they'd like us to use a tree and I've used the sketch from  Freshly Made Sketches so I'll pop my card in there too.
AND ... it's Anything Goes week at  Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge so I'll head over there too!

Card Recipe:

Uniko Studio: Rustic Christmas & Simply Said - Christmas

MFT Die-Namics: Snow drifts (for masking and inking) 

and Fishtail Flags for the sentiment

Distress Ink: Faded Jeans & misted with Perfect Pearls

The 'silver embossed' DP has been in my stash since time began!

I stumbled across it while having a sort out but couldn't tell you where it's from

  

   

Next up I'm using 'newbies' (NBUS) following my little

retail therapy trip to the NEC with the LIM ladies last week!

Card Recipe:

Inkylicious: Poppy stamp (NBUS)

Card-io: Flutterby Garden (NBUS)

Uniko Studio: Simply Said - Birthday

MFT Die-namics: Pierced Rectangle stax & Fishtail Flags

Background created using Verscolor canary ink with a 'baby wipe'!

Fabulous technique by Wendy at Card-io - I love it! 

So I'll be entering this at the lovely Darnell's NBUS challenge 

and also Seize the Birthday which I haven't entered for ages ... very sorry ladies 

- it somehow slipped by me until another super talented blog buddy; 

Hannelie (Desert Diva) jogged my memory with her DT card.

I'd also like to enter a second card at Time Out Challenges

where there's an optional twist of black, white and a splash of another colour! 

Ok that's me for today but I'll be back tomorrow with the latest 

challenge at Less is More so hope to catch you then.

Thanks for calling in and peeping at my cards.