Sunday 31 May 2015

Nipping in with a MUSE!


Hi there, it's back to work tomorrow so should really be heading 
off to bed but I finally got a card made for this week's 
Muse Card Challenge
and wanted to post it before the gates shut tight!



I was taken by the delicate pink water-coloured cake on 
Joan's card and the pretty gold hearts behind the main panel so
I went with butterflies!!!! This is an NBUS set from Clearly Besotted
and I couldn't wait to have a play with it. 
Having heat-embossed the images in WOW Rich Pale Gold EP 
I've added a light wash of Picked Raspberry Distress inks, adding more 
intense colour to the butterflies. 

Here's Joan's gorgeous card


Thanks for calling in to view my card and I'll catch up with you soon.

Sarah

Uniko Studio: Farewell Amber

Morning blog friends I'm here with a farewell card
for one of the long-standing Design Team members of 
Uniko Studio

In fact I can't remember a time when she hasn't been creating
fabulous designs for Bev and Uniko Studio. 

However, in order to pursue other ventures Amber: Bella Rose Cards 
has made the decision to step down from the design team and 
we would like to wish her well for the future. 

Here's my card using the Beautiful Blooms II set along 
with a sentiment from Simply Said - Birthday.



Please pop over to the Uniko Studio blog HERE where there are links to
 more 'farewell' cards from the DT and I do hope you'll drop by 
Amber's blog HERE to wish her well too.

Thanks as always for calling by and I'll see you soon.



Sarah

Saturday 30 May 2015

Less is More #226

Morning all, hope you're ready to be challenged at Less is More!
It's a 5-Saturday month which means we have a 
'Lucky Dip' Challenge - Two or Four legs

...what's more we've a guest designer too this week
Rebecca (MellyMoo) so I do hope you'll pop across 
to her blog and check out her wonderful creations.

Here's my cards and first up I'm using the Eiffel Tower AGAIN - 
The die was still on my desk from last week and I looked 
around for something with 2 or 4 legs ... and there it was!!! 


Card Recipe:
Clearly Besotted: Je T'aime, Basic Numbers & Superstar
Artplorations: Bubble Stencil inked with Tumbled Glass DI
MFT Die-Namics: Stitched border and rectangle dies

I'd like to link this card up at the STAMPlorations - Anything Goes challenge


Edit: thanks to Julie B air suggesting I also link up at



Next up a very obvious 4 legged animal and I'd also
like to link this card up at Freshly Made Sketches and Addicted To CAS,
where Animals is the codeword this week.


Card Recipe:
Paper Smooches: Chubby Chumbs
Hero Arts: Happy stamp & die set
Clearly Besotted: Grass die
MFT Die-Namics: Stitched Square Dies & Sentiment strip
Tumbled Glass distress ink over a home-made stencil for the sky
using Mama Elephant stitched landscape die

   



And the last one is to link up at Muse Christmas Visions although I'm not sure
 if I've taken this Muse a step too far this time; turning Tracey's card upside down and 
using penguins instead of trees - will see whether it's deleted from the gallery.
Truth is I was late to the Arctic penguin party and can't miss an opportunity to use them!!!


Card Recipe:
Sheena Douglas: Falling Snow Embossing folder
Mama Elephant: Arctic Penguins
Clearly Besotted: Signature Christmas
Distress inks in Tumbled Glass & Broken China

Here's Tracey's gorgeous Christmas card


I'd also like to link up at 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - where it's Anything Goes


Ok I'm handing over to you now and looking forward to 
some super clever ideas this week as always. 
Have some crafty fun and don't forget to check out the fabulous cards 
from my LIM teamies over on the main blog here

Thanks for stopping by and catch up with you again soon.


Sarah

Thursday 28 May 2015

Flowery Challenges


Hello Friends
Well I intended to have loads of cards made this week 
but instead I've been sorting my stash and wondering how I've 
managed to accumulate so much trash over the years! 

Anyway 2 yummy challenges, with cakes, this week and I don't often get
around to entering them but couldn't resist the photo inspirations this time.

First up is for the latest Fusion Challenge and I love the 2 tier type cake in the photo
 so decided to go with a 'divide / tier' to my card!


Card Recipe:
Cheery Lynn: Daisy Trio dies
Clearly Besotted: With a Flourish & Sweet Little Sentiments
both heat embossed with WOW silver sparkle
Still on the 'metal' theme from Less is More so used a couple of brads
to hold the flowers in place plus some Doodlebug sprinkles and gems for some added sparkle.

Here's the photo inspiration and I'd also like to head over to the
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where it's 'Anything Goes'

    


I'm heading over to The Card Concept with this one ... it's another challenge I often
neglect / run out of time to enter BUT this week my blog buddie Sandie (London Days
has joined the team so had to join in to wish her well ... not that she needs it!

I was inspired by the bottle of milk and drinking straws but added
a flower head (using the cake sponge colour) instead of a cupcake.
I think my card falls into the Clean and Simple category or perhaps Clean and layered. 


Card Recipe:
Clear Besotted: Sweet Rose stamps, dies and sentiments
My Favourite Things: On the Diagonal stencil
Doodlebug sprinkles and gems to accent.


That's all for today and I'm off to catch up on some commenting
now as I've been neglecting that task these last few days too!
Thanks for calling in and see you soon.

Sarah

Tuesday 26 May 2015

More Ink & Some Grunge


Hi friends I've 2 cards to share with you today 
and first up I couldn't resist entering a second card over
at Inkspirational - what a fantastic idea to combine
Pia's wedding cards with a stunning colour scheme too.

Another reason ... I watched a tutorial by the AMAZING
Jennifer McGuire HERE yesterday! Well I don't tend to miss any
but some a more inspirational than others and some have me 
searching online to purchase her latest goodies!!!
Anyway I hope she doesn't mind me 'case-ing' her card and technique.


Card Recipe:
Impression Obsession: Heart of Hearts die (de-bossed with purple ink)
Lawn Fawn: Love word die - coated in glossy accents
Purple pearlised card base, gems and sequins from my stash to finish.



My second card is to enter the current challenge at
Time Out Challenges - theme: Grunge

Now it's taken me almost 2 weeks to pluck up the courage
to make and post this card! I'm not sure grunge is my thing 
and the DT will possibly boot me out of the gallery with this one
as I'm not sure my distressed / spritzed BG is allowed as grunge.

But I'm giving it a go ... and I've used lots of embossing too.
The flower and the gold strips above and below the floral panel


Card Recipe:
Uniko Studio: Pure Florals - Gerbera & sentiment from A Gift For You
WOW: Metallic Brass sparkle EP
Distress Ink: Barn Door and Festive Berries

Grab Our Badge!

Ok that's all from me today but I hope to be back
later in the week when I've had a little more time to craft.
See you then and thanks for calling by.


Sarah

Monday 25 May 2015

Monday Muse and Love in Purple


Happy Bank Holiday Monday ... well if you live in the UK!
Here's a couple of cards I finished off yesterday.

First up it's a sea of purple paradise for Inkspirational.
Huge Congrats to Pia (DT member) on your upcoming nuptials 
and here's my take on a wedding card for the Happy couple.


Pia is super talented and I love it when she is a GD for Clearly Besotted 
(which happens to be one of my favourite stamp companies) 
so I simply had to use some of their sets to create this card.

Clearly Besotted: Mr & Mrs Set: Flourish image and Bridal Bouquet Sentiment
Uniko Studio: Congratulations sentiment 
The images & sentiments are heat-embossed using clear EP from Hero Arts
Before inking and blending distress ink in Dusty Concord.
To add a touch of glam I've used some silver and purple gems from my stash.


Next up is my entry to this week's Muse Christmas Visions
It's not obvious in the photo but I used distress ink in Barn Door 
over my 'red' cardstock panel to add a velvety sheen. 

Card Recipe:
I love Betty's card but in the absence of a pierced oval die in my stash 
I've used a Nestabilities label set and trimmed the edges.
Clearly Besotted: Autumn Blooms Flowers with a sentiment from Pretty Poinsettia
To give the impression of snow on my foliage I've added fluffy stuff and heat-embossed
with a touch of glamour dust then gems and pearls to finish




I hope you all enjoy your day and get chance to do some crafting.
Thanks for calling in and see you soon.

Sarah

Sunday 24 May 2015

Sunbursts and Christmas


Happy Sunday all I'm back with a second post today
to enter a few challenges that will be closing the doors soon 
so here goes ...

First up is to enter the Happy Little Stampers - Sketch Challenge
I'm so glad Kylie and the team keep reminding us as I wanted to
join in as soon as I saw the sketch but kept slipping my mind.
Anyway here it is and I'm skidding in under the gate with it!


In the hope that we get some super sunny weather in the UK
this week as I'm off work I've inked this Sunburst set up from 
Clearly Besotted and although I've used the sentiments before it's
the first time I've inked up the other images.

I've gone with super bright colours and tried to follow the palette 
at Colour Q as well as the sketch from Happy Little Stampers




This is my Christmas offering for this Sunday
where they'd like us to use one or more non-evergreen trees


Card Recipe:
Clearly Besotted: Birch Trees inked then heat-embossed with Hero Arts Clear EP,
Sentiment from Pretty Poinsettia & Bird dies from Paired-up
Imagine Crafts: Snow Circle stencil, inked with Versamark before inking the BG
in Tumbled Glass and Broken China distress inks.
MFT Die-Namics: Snow Drift die

      Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog

I've loosely followed the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch but turned it on it's head
and having used a stencil I'd like to enter a second card at 


Ok that's it for today but I'll be back tomorrow with
a few more cards I'll be finishing off this evening ready to post.
Hope to catch you then and thanks for stopping by today.


Sarah

AAA Cards Challenge #40


Morning Friends it's time for a new challenge over at
AAA Cards - CAS Challenges
The theme is 'Cards for the Guys'
which I know a lot of people struggle with and 
if I'm honest I'll always steer myself towards the feminine cards
So here's a little photo prompt for you 
I've 2 'men' at home hubby and 19 year old son!
Both tend to be glued to some computer game or other
possibly not shooting aliens from space crafts but here's my card

Card Recipe:
Lawn Fawn: Monster Mash - watercoloured with Stabilo pens
and accented with white gel pen and glossy accents
Clearly Besotted: Blast Off I sentiment & Text Me stamps and dies
Starry sky inked with distress inks: Faded Jeans, Dusty Concord & Seedless Preserves
Doodlebug sprinkles for the buttons on the controller

I can't wait to see your creations as I need male card inspiration
and before you head off don't forget to check out the superb makes
from my fellow teamies at AAA Cards 

Thanks as always for calling by to view my cards
and I'll catch up with you again soon.

Sarah

Saturday 23 May 2015

Less is More #225


Hi there ... yippee it's the weekend!
Yippee 2 it's a Bank Holiday one in the UK
Yippee 3 ... I'm off work this week!!!

Let's hope I get lots of crafty time in! 
But first let's introduce this week's Recipe challenge at

Less is More
Use some Metal

So here's what I did and it should come with a warning ... 
Too much fizzy drink isn't good for you &
Take extreme care: cutting up fizzy drink cans could cause injury!

I did manage several die-cut shapes and an embossed panel from one 
'red' can of a popular fizzy drink using my Big Shot. 
Incidentally my fingers are still in one piece!


Card Recipe:
Tin Can die-cut butterfly using Clearly Besotted Butterfly standalone duo
I've coloured the non-red side with some permanent markers 
Uniko Studio: Sentiment from Simply Said birthday
(heat-embossed with WOW metallic silver sparkle EP)
Vellum die-cut leaves, silver glitter card strip with gems & silver pearls for a bit of glam


I've used the sketch from this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge
so I'll be popping my card in there too.



 My metal items here are the red hearts which I've had in my stash
for so long that there was a thick layer of dust on them!!!!
I guess they are Papermania and are secured in place with red metal brads. 


I stencilled some silver ink through a My Favourite Things 'Grid' stencil
before embossing with Hero Arts clear EP to add some texture.
The sentiment is from Stamplorations: Forever After set, heat-embossed
with the WOW metallic silver sparkle EP and for a bit of bling some gems from my stash.

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
CASology: Wedding

   Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog



Using some more of the tin can I've die-cut the Eiffel Tower
using MFT Die-Namics and heat embossed a Clearly Besotted
sentiment from the Sunburst set with WOW metallic silver sparkle EP


The sky is created using distress inks in Dusty Concord & Seedless Preserves
with the city skyline die-cut with Paper Smooches die and mounted in layers.


Ok I'm handing over to you and looking forward as always to what
ingenious creations you come up with. 

Don't forget to check out the superb cards by my other 
teamies at Less is More plus we've some exciting news this week!

Have a fun weekend and catch up with you soon.
Sarah

Friday 22 May 2015

Uniko Studio Challenge #21 Reminder


Morning crafty friends
I'm zipping in with a quick reminder as there's still 
time to enter the current challenge over at 


The theme is flowers and I've used the newly released
Flower Power #7 set to create another Wedding Acceptance card


Card Recipe:
The images from the set were randomly stamped using 
Versamark ink onto vellum before heat-embossing with
WOW Silver Sparkle EP
I've use a panel of glitter card to hold the vellum in place with 
some mini gems to accent the flowers. 

There's loads more inspiration from my fellow teamies 
on the Uniko Design team HERE so please check it out.

We also have our 2 super talented guest designers this month 
Jane, Purplejetlovescrafts and Carol, JustMeC
and I hope you'll leave them some friendly appreciative comments too.

As always thanks for calling by today and I'll back tomorrow
with the new challenge from Less is More so hope to see you then.

Sarah

Thursday 21 May 2015

Sunny Flower time

Morning all and hope you are crafting happily 
with some sunshine ... it's just peeping through the clouds where I am!
Anyway I've a card to share for the latest 
The Challenge #35
It's a photo inspiration with sunny yellow flowers
although mine are a little orange. 

I inked up a piece of watercolour card using Mowed Lawn DI
spritzed with water before die-cutting to make a BG in place of the stems.
Using some embroidery thread I've wrapped it around the green panel then 
added my Uniko Studio Beautiful Blooms II with 3d foam. 
The sentiment is also Uniko Studio from the Simply Said: Birthday set.
Flowers are coloured with Stabilo Markers and Wink of Stella for added shimmer.

Here's the photo inspiration



That's all for now but I'll be back tomorrow with a 
quick reminder of the latest Uniko Studio Challenge.
Hope to see you then and thanks for stopping by.

Sarah