AAA CAS Cards Challenge #80

Hello there friends, it's time for another challenge over at AAA CAS Cards and yet again we are being incredibly kind by offering another winter challenge theme ... perfect for dashing off a few last minute Christmas cards! As it happens my cousin is getting married  this month so mine's a wedding theme!
So we are looking for cards featuring 'Silver' and you have until  Saturday, 7th January to play along!

This one uses:

Marianne Creatables: Lord & Lady silhouette dies

WPlus9: Heart Stax dies

Uniko: Essentially Christmas 'mistletoe'

STAMPlorations: 'On your wedding day' sentiment

MFT Die-Namics: Stitched Rectangle Dies

plus sequins by Pretty Pink Posh

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 Deborah of Debs Gems, please hop along

to her blog and leave her a friendly word and some love - I'm 

sure she'll appreciate it.

Our sponsor for this challenge is Stampendous and they are

offering a $20 Gift Certificate for our lucky winner.

As always thanks for calling by and I'd like to wish you all a 

Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as we'll

be taking a little break over the Christmas period.

Catch up with you next year!

Addicted To CAS #72

Hi friends, I'm back and this time it's with details of the latest challenge at Addicted to CAS
Our super sweet and talented teamie, Doni of Lime Green Giggles (isn't that just the sweetest blog name too!) is hosting  and she's chosen the perfect Autumnal Codeword: Leaves
So please make sure it's Clean and Simple with Leaves!

Having die-cut my leaves using a Marianne Creatables die I stupidly inked them with 

distress inks afterwards! I should have inked first I think as it was pretty fiddly! 

I adhered them to my panel along with the sentiment banner from Clearly Besotted, 

popped up on 3d foam before thinking ... hmmm! bit bland!

So I went hell-for-leather with the distress inks and inked, blended, inked, blended

 ... you get the picture! all over the edges of my cardbase and I liked it much better!

  
I hope you feel inspired to join in and don't forget to head across to the ATCAS blog to see the stunning work by my teamies there ... AND what's more 
we have another wonderful sponsor for the challenge
http://www.createasmilestamps.com/
The winner will receive one stamp set worth 12.50 euro.

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back again tomorrow with details of the latest challenge at AAA Cards so hope to catch you then!

Less is More #218

Morning friends and Happy Easter weekend.

I'm here with this week's challenge for Less is More

and it's colour week ....

Predominately BLACK

(you can use a teeny bit of another colour but very minimal)

Here's my examples and first up a 'silhouette effect'

Card recipe:

Marianne Creatables: Lord & Lady Dies

That makes 2 posts in the last week using Marianne's dies - do you find

you don't use some stash for ages then can't put it down!!!

Clearly Besotted: Mr & Mrs stamps - flourish and sentiment

There are a couple of teeny silver gems to the flourish too.

Here I've added a mini touch of pink with some Papermania gems

Card Recipe: Altenew: Hennah Elements (first outing and I love this set!) Clearly Besotted: Happy Birthday set (sentiment) heat embossed in  Hero Arts White Embossing Powder.
I'd like to enter this card at Simon Says Stamp  as it's their 6th Birthday - birthday themed challenge plus  Time Out where we are asked to CASE Kim's card with our own twist.  I've not used colour on my flowers but kept to a CAS floral theme.

Ok crafty pals it's over to you. So thanks for stopping by today,  enjoy the challenge and have a fun Easter-time. Let's hope we have some glorious springlike weather too!   See you soon.

CAS(E) This Sketch #116 and CASology #139

Happy Sunday all.  I've a very quick CAS card to share with you and I'm obviously a day ahead of myself! It's for CASology and I thought the gates were shutting today. Phew it's tomorow!
Having toured the local kitchen showrooms yesterday morning  I was all 'kitchened' out so had a super lazy afternoon -  not even crafting even though this card was in my mind.
I was also following the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch although I realise my sentiment isn't quite in the right position as it seemed too big and overpowering to place immediately under the image  ... hope that's ok.

Card Recipe:

Marianne Creatables: Charleston Lady

(This is die-cut in black then inlaid in the white panel then

matted on a stitched square from MFT Square Stax.

Tonic mini flower punch has jumped out of the old stash again 

(twice in as many weeks) to add a touch of individual 'style' to the hat. 

Uniko Studio: Sentiment from 'Strike a Pose' stamp set

   
That's all for today but hopefully I'll get some bonus time this week as I'm on Easter holidays! YES!
See you soon and thanks for stopping by.

AUTUMN LUSH

Morning All and once again another week has zipped by!

Definitely moving into some Autumnal weather in the UK

which brings me on to this week's 

Less is More Challenge

Autumn Bounty

... so here's my creations which took some doing as

I'm not really 'into' Autumn / Fall / Thanksgiving cards

but I know you'll do fantastic as always ...

This one used:

Clearly Besotted: Frame Mat Die with a Framelit circle cut from the centre

Autumn Blossoms: Acorn stamps

Fresh Flowers: 'Thank You' Sentiment

Marianne Creatables: Leaf Dies

MFT Die-Namics; sentiment strips with Doodlebug DP

and to finish some twine, Wink of Stella and glossy accents

This one used:

Uniko Studio: Peace on Earth - Garland stamp teamed with

Background Builders Vines - Single leaf and vein stamps

Clearly Besotted: Sweet Little Sentiments

Mama Elephant: Index Card Dies and 

Doodlebug pearls for a bit of bling

I'm also entering this one in the Addicted to Stamps Challenge

where it's a photo inspiration week and the Timeout Challenge 

where the theme is STAMPING but I've not used the optional twist

And last but not least for this week ...

which used:

Clearly Besotted (again): Autumn Blossom stamps 

for my mini leaf panel and sentiment from the same set

Felt Leaf and gems from my stash

The white panels at the top and bottom plus a strip of Doodlebug DP

are adhered with 3d foam adhesive for added dimension.

Ok crafty people it's over to you.

Thanks for stopping by today and looking forward to seeing what 

you come up with over the week.

Enjoy the challenge and have fun!

                                                               

EARTH COLOUR SCHEME

Thanks for all the fabulous recycling ideas from last week ... just knew I could rely on you all

This week the brief at Less is More is to use Earth Colours and
yet again this proved tricky for me 

as they are not my 'go to colours' so here's what I've got:

First of all I must apologise for the photography ... hubby (my photographer) took these then shot out to work so the second one particularly is a bit iffy! Think a few stern words might be in order!!!

Not too stern though as he may refuse to do them and I'd be left to fathom out his hi-tech camera.

I've coloured this James teddy bear stamp from Lili of the Valley with my new Inktense pencils.

More practise required I think! He's mounted on 3d foam along two strips of textured cardstock.

The sentiment is from Uniko Studio and to finish I've added a couple of candy dots from Stampin' Up

The theme at Addicted to Stamps this week is

'Make Your Mark'

So I'm going to drop in there with James the Teddy Bear.

One of my blog buddies, Anita from Neet and Crafty has just joined as a DT so 

here's a little support for her in particular

Next up I've used the sketch from this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.

The patterned papers are from Doodlebug, sentiment is Clearly Besotted and leaf dies are

 from Marianne Creatables. To add a bit of interest I've adhered some pearls from my stash to the leaves.

Over to you now and once again I'm looking forward to visiting your blogs in the week 

for some stunning 'earthy' inspiration.

                                                             

CRAZY FLORAL ADDICTION 3

Last one for today and you can check my other 2 Crazy Floral Posts here and here

As soon as I saw the photo inspiration at Muse this week I wanted to join in but have been struggling for time to get down to it and I'm now really cutting it fine to enter too!

I started by spreading distress inks straight from the ink pad to a scrap of cardstock in different colours then added water splashes and droplets to allow the colours to merge slightly.  I've used a chevron / zigzag die to cut strips of the inked card and also used it to make the leaves.

Card Recipe:
Image: Layered Prima flowers from my stash with a glittered brad from Stampin Up
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted
Dies: MFT Die-Namics - Chevrons & Marianne Creatables - Leaves

Challenges:
Muse: Photo inspiration
Addicted to CAS: Texture
Addited to Stamps: Anything Goes
Pixies Snippet Playground
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Botanical


    


Ok that's it for me today and hope you all enjoy the weekend and thanks for calling in.

GENTLE SPRINGTIME

Hello

I've a card to show you that I made this afternoon in a little bonus crafty time I wasn't expecting.

Having spotted the new colour / spring themed challenge over at Uniko Studio I couldn't wait to dive in with those cool and calm colours. Since my first dabble with the sponge daubers here I'm hooked so here's what I've come up with using the sketch from Seize the Sketch

I adore the flower power ranges from Uniko which is what I've used plus some foliage from Natures Treasures. Please, please, please Beverley will you bring out some matching dies for this fabulous range as my fussy cutting is pretty naff?!?!?!?

To begin with I stamped the outline image multiple times onto white card stock using versamark ink then heat embossed with clear embossing powder, armed with my daubers I've used a few shades of blue for the flowers and some green for the back ground followed with stamped foliage. I then cut some of the flower heads from a separate piece of card stock to raise on 3d foam.

Card Recipe:

Image & Sentiment: Uniko Studio - Flower Power & Natures Treasures
Papers: Doodlebug & Papermania
Tools: Scalloped border die - Clearly Besotted and Leaf die - Marianne Creatables.
Pearls from my stash

         


Ok off to catch up on some TV so thanks for popping by.

PRODUCTIVE CRAFTY DAY FOR A CHANGE!

Happy Tuesday all

Wow can't believe how crafty, busy I've been today - AND I've even had the opportunity to crack open some of my new stash that Santa brought me so lovvvvving it!

So I've a couple of cards to enter challenges so here goes and first up is a card to share at Pixies Snippet Playground plus the new challenge over at Card Concept where the theme is 'Use Texture' and I'd say I've used another freestyle collage style

I've used texture on the background using a lattice embossing folder from Darice and a woodgrain effect behind the owl plus lots of snippety bits to make the branch (using Clearly Besotted - Paired Up dies), leaves (Marianne Creatables dies) and birthday banners (MFT die-namics sentiment strips).

Card Recipe:

Image: Cross-eyed owl - is either from my Crafty American Auntie or a blop-hop I won recently
Papers: Papermill Direct
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - Geometric Style 1

Ok back in a minute with another make...

SPARKLE CHRISTMAS FUN 2

As promised here's my second card, which this time I've combined with the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge as well as Less is More, Color Throwdown and Pixies Snippets Playground (once the gates are unlocked).

Items Used:

Papers: Clearly I Stamp (Dinosaur Digi Set) & Papermania glitter card

Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - Signature Christmas stamps heat embossed with silver WOW Ep.

Snowflake Dies: Marianne Creatables

Sizzix Dotty Embossing Folder

Some silver pearls and kraft coloured candy dots from my stash

That's all for me for today so hope you enjoy your Sunday and the Advent countdown begins!

DID SOMEONE SAY 'SPARKLE'?

Hello All, sorry I've been absent for a couple of days and had no time for crafting.

We've been celebrating No1 Teen's 18th birthday since Thursday and trying to get into some sort of organisation for Christmas shopping too. Yesterday I did get some crafting time but Mr Dazzle was AWOL so no piccys until today.

So without further Ado ... here's my first make which is for the Color Throwdown, Pixies Crafty Snippet Playground (when the gates open) and Less is More Challenge. The colour palate for the Color Throwdown challenge is my favourite Christmas colours and how I try to decorate my own house so I simply had to have a go. Then yesterday morning Jen & Chrissie at Less is More, with the help of one of my very talented blog buddies Gillian (Made with Sparkle) set the challenge to make a 'sparkling' card. Well you know me I can't resist a bit of glamour and sparkle so here it is:

During the week I was in our local M&S and saw this gorgeous silver tape for gift wrapping BUT when I got home I realised it was washi tape!!! Wow - couldn't wait to use it on a card and I'm not entirely sure whether it'll get to any presents! I've made the background of my panel using snippety strips of the tape. The snowflakes are cut using Marianne Creatable Dies with sparkling silver card from papermania then I've added sparkly green brads to the centres also from papermania and some metallic cord from my stash.

I was enjoying the sparkly effect so much that I made another card too so back in a moment with that one!


    

BLACK ON BLACK - TAKE 2

So here's my other card which started out as a Less is More Challenge card but I'm also going to drop it in at Simon Says Stamp (Anything Goes) and CASology (Black).

Having spent a heck of a time on my first one this was completed quite quickly - I like them both so decided to enter them both.

Right off for tea and catch up with Strictly - catch you all tomorrow.  Enjoy your evening.




Card Recipe:

Image: Marianne Creatables Christmas Tree Die,
Beautiful fairy light embellishments from my Crafty American Auntie
with some black metallic cord from my stash to string the lights together
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted Stamped then embossed with Gold embossing powder