Uniko - Challenge Reminder ...

... Hi! I didn't get chance to make a card when we started our new challenge at Uniko - USC#40, where the theme is SPRING WITH OPTIONAL TWIST OF EASTER. Today is a reminder that there's still plenty of time to join in. I've made a spring card - no sign of Easter. However, I have teamed it up with my all time favourite beverage - COFFEE!! Here's my card:

Stamps: Uniko - I Love Coffee, Originally Organic, Simply Said

Inks: Stampin' Up! - Wisteria Wonder, Mint Macaron, Rich Razzleberry; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Lil Inkers - Stitched Spirals
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Sahara Sand, Mint Macaron; Clear Embossing Powder; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear

I'm submitting this card to the Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop where the theme is Spring, and also to Sunday Stamps Challenge - SSC#149 colours.

I stamped the flowers and sentiment directly on the card base and then ran the card and coverplate through my Big Shot. After die cutting the pattern into the front of the card, I restamped the images using Versafine and then heat embossed them with clear powder. I added colour to the flowers using a clear Spectrum Noir brush and the inks - I do like the sparkle. I stamped the coffee mugs on white and kraft card, cut out the coffee lids and attached them to the mugs. I stamped the label fronts on white card and then randomly stamped some of the tiny images from Originally Organic using different colours. I cut out the labels and adhered them to the mugs. I attached the mugs with dimensional gel - it doesn't show up too well in the image above. On the inside I cut a mat layer of mint card and on the white panel added a greeting and some more flowers.

Do visit the Uniko blog to see more from the rest of the team. Do join in the fun - we have prizes too:

• Main Winner - chosen by the DT - £25 eGift Certificate
• Random Twist Winner - £4 in stock clear stamp set of winners choosing
• Random Uniko Stamps Winner - £4 in stock clear stamp set of winners choosing
• Top 3 - chosen by DT - 150 Loyality Reward Points

You've got plenty of time to join in with the fun - deadline for submission is midnight (BST) Friday 21st April, that's (7.00pm EDT in the States. See you soon!

Butterfly Blues ....

... Hi! It's a really dull, wet, grey Thursday here in Northville, so I've had the perfect excuse to play indoors! I've a very quick, clean and simple birthday card to share with you today:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Swallowtail; Uniko - Fontiments Birthday
Inks: Kaleidacolor - Blue Breeze; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Grey Flannel
Accessories: White Lustre Card

As soon as I saw the inspiration photo from this week's Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#235 I knew what stamp I wanted to use. This is one of my favourite butterfly stamps, but I've only used once or twice before!! I took the colours from the inspiration photo and simply inked up the image with my blue Kaleidacolor pad and stamped it. I added a simple birthday greeting and on the inside I stamped the butterfly again in grey and added another message. As this is a birthday card, I'm also submitting to this week's Seize The Birthday - STB3003 challenge.

That's all for now. Do drop by tomorrow to see my reminder card for the current Uniko challenge. See you!

TMR - Colours ....

... Hi! Still not back into my routine, but I've managed to get a card made for our new challenge at The Male Room - TMR#57. For the next couple of weeks we want to see your masculine projects using BLACK, WHITE AND ONE OTHER COLOUR. Here's my card:

Stamps: Visible Image - Scripted Streets, Destination Unknown
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Stampin' Up! - Bermuda Bay, Smoky Slate
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Black, Basic Grey; Clear Embossing Powder; Copics

I'm going to submit this card to CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#216, I used their sketch for the layout, and also to CASology - CAS#242 where the cue word is TEXT and I've used text in the background and on the paper planes.

I stamped the scripty text in aqua ink onto the base card. On the white panel I stamped a sentiment in black ink, embossed it with clear powder and added an arrow in aqua. I stamped the large paper plane on some scrap card coloured it with Copic markers and then restamped it in black and embossed it. I carefully cut it out and used dimensional pads to attach it to the card. I decided to add a couple more paper planes in pale grey flying off into the unknown. On the inside I cut a panel of white card onto which I stamped the message and another paper plane, this time in aqua.

I've just realised that I should be using ONLY black, white and another colour - I've used grey. So I'll do another tomorrow and add that one! Do visit our blog to see more from the rest of the team. You've got plenty of time to join in - deadline for submission is midnight (BST) Tuesday 11th April, that's 7.00pm EDT. Have fun!

CCT - Colours ....

.... Morning! I didn't get chance to make a card last for our colour challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown - CCT06, so I've done one this week. Our colours this week are CREAM, BURGUNDY AND LIME. I've made a really clean and simple card for our reminder post, in fact I CASE'd an old card of mine (see the original below):

Stamps: Woodware - Xmas Day
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; Tim Holtz Water Colour Card; Zig Clean Colour Brushes; Distress Markers; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear; Clear Embossing Powder; Signo White Pen

Even though this is a really CAS card, it has a lovely warm, vintage feel as I opted for a dark burgundy and very rich cream to colour the image. I stamped the image on water colour card and embossed it with clear powder. I used Distress markers for the background and numbers. On the background I put some colour around the image and then used an aqua brush to spread the ink a little. On the numbers I added some ink and then used a clear sparkle brush to move the ink. On the leaves I used a Zig Clean Colour brush in bright lime - once again I used the sparkle to move the ink. I cut the image out, edged it with a black marker and adhered it flat to the card. The inside isn't done yet. I'm submitting this to Jingle Belles - JB:17:06 where they want to see bling - it's subtle here, but it is here!

I was having such fun with this one, that I decided to make another - this time with WHITE, BRIGHT RED AND GREEN.

Stamps: Woodware - Xmas Day
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Tim Holtz Water Colour Card; Zig Clean Colour Brushes; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear; Clear Embossing Powder; Signo White Pen

This time I've gone for a really clean, fresh look - still lots of sparkle because I used the Spectrum Noir sparkle brush to move the inks on the leaves and numbers. I added the snowflakes with a white pigment pen. The inside isn't done on this one either.

Here's the one that I made in 2015 - I used Copics on this one, full details can be found here:

You've still got plenty of time to join in with our challenge. The colorus are a bit non-traditional, but I think they are just lovely. Deadline for submission is midnight BST on Friday 31st March, that's 7.00pm EDT. Have fun!

Journal spread - a la Teesha ....

... Hello from a sunny Northville. I think I've finally caught up with my lack of sleep from the Back to Back Retreat and hopefully should get back to normal soon. I don't have a card to share with you this afternoon, but I do have a finished (at least I think so) double page spread from the weekend.

Supplies:
Dylusions Square Journal
Dylusions Paints - various
Teesha Moore Collage Sheets
Pens - many and various
Pan Pastels

We had two fantastic teachers at the retreat - Dyan Reaveley and Teesha Moore. I am very familiar with Dyan, and absolutely love her and her style. I think her paints and inks are just wonderful - and the stamps too. But it was the first time I'd come across Teesha Moore. I did have a brief look at her work online, but seeing it all in real-life was amazing.

We spent some time colouring pages in our journal using Dyan's spray inks and paints, and then adding texture with ghosting and stencils and doodling. Teesha's style is to simply paint a background page in one or maybe two colours and then add lots and lots of collage and doodle like mad! I had such fun.

The double page spread above is complete - at least I think it is. I painted several solid blocks of colour on the pages and then went over them with some white paint to lighten them a bit. Teesha gave us a selection of her collage pages and I spent some happy hours cutting out and gluing in. Here are a couple of large photos of each page:

I think the figure is either a fairy or a genie, as she is going to grant my wish. Or at least provide me with the means to fulfil my wish!!  She was built up from a number of cutout images. I went round the image with some pan pastels to blend the image into the page. I also added some doodling to her face.

On this side of the page I added the word WISH from the collage sheet, and the more I worked on the page, the more I realised I was humming the song "When You Wish Upon A Star" from Pinocchio. So I decided to write down the words on the page! I also drew in some more swirls and curls, along with another tree in the Teesha style. I'm going to submit this to Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#08 where the theme is Anything Goes and they like to see all sorts of papercrafts.

I had such fun making this page. The journal that we started at the retreat is going to be used exclusively for my Dyan and Teesha style work. I'll share more, when I've finished some more pages. That's all for now.

Tea Party ....

... Hello! It's been a while since I posted. I had a fantastic weekend in Florida at the Back to Back Retreat with Dyan Reaveley and Teesha Moore, but I've been shattered since I came back. It's only today that I've even had the energy to craft! And I've got a simple and fun birthday card to share with you:

Stamps: Time for Tea - free with Simply Cards & Papercraft
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Papermania DP - Portobello Road; Copics; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear; Clear Embossing Powder

I got the idea for this card from Cupcake Inspirations - CIC#399 where the theme is Tea Party. I picked up a magazine at the weekend that had this super teapot stamp free on the front. I used some very old design papers from my stash and I think they work perfectly with a tea themed card. I simply cut down a piece of paper to cover the front of the card. I stamped the teapot twice, once on cream paper and once on red paper. I embossed both with clear powder and then cut them out. I coloured the flowers with Copics and added some sparkle with a clear Spectrum Noir brush. If you look closely at the card you can see some sparkly steam coming out of the pot! I added a greeting to the teapot. The inside hasn't been done just yet. I'm also submitting this to Seize the Birthday - where the theme is anything goes.

That's all for now - see you soon.

Uniko Revisit and Blog Hop ...

.... Morning! This is a scheduled post - I'll be in Florida at the Back to Back Retreat with Dyan Reaveley and Teesha Moore when this goes live! It's time for the Uniko Revisit Blog Hop. Bev tends to release new products every other month and, on the off-month (so to speak), we revisit an older set of stamps. This month we're revisiting Some Bunny - which is appropriate as it's not long until Easter! Here's my card:

Stamps: Uniko - Some Bunny, Background Blocks Halftone, Simply Said
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Soft Sky, Daffodil Delight; Distress - Squeezed Lemonade; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black, London Fog
Dies: Spellbinders - Nested Eggs (S4-264) #1, #2 and #4
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU DP - Garden Green, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight; Copics; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear

I had fun making this card. I used the colours from this month's House of Cards - HOC#03 challenge - I do like the clean, fresh colours. They also want us to create a scene, so I decided to have some Easter bunnies guarding their eggs!!

I started by stamping the Halftone stamp  in blue and yellow on some scrap pieces of card. Then I stamped the bunny on top and heat embossed with clear powder. I stamped the bunny again twice more using Memento ink and coloured the ears and front of the body with copic markers, then I restamped with Versafine and heat embossed. Then I carefully cut out the colour areas and adhered them to the dotty bunnies. I finished the bunnies by adding a bow tie to the blue bunny and a flower necklace to the yellow bunny. I used dies to cut out a number of Easter eggs from design papers. On the card based I used the Halftone block to stamp "grass" along the bottom of the card. I attached the bunnies to the card using dimensional gel. Next I attached the eggs being careful to bring the bunnies ears to the front as they peek around the eggs. I finished the card with a simple Easter greeting and some little flowers. On the inside I cut a mat layer of yellow design paper, added a greeting to the white panel along with another Easter bunny. I'm also submitting this card to Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#8 where it's Anything Goes.

This is a Blog Hop and you should have arrived here from Bev's blog, however in case you've arrived directly, here's the list for the Hop:

Bev

Deborah (that's me!)

Jane

Lindsey

Rahmat

Sarah G

Sarah P

If you leave comments are you go along the Blog Hop, you will be in with a chance to win the Some Bunny clear stamp set and an eGift Certificate for £10 (or a eGift Certificate to the same value if the winner already owns the stamp set). You must comment along the hop by midnight on Friday 25th March.

Before I go - here's a quick look at the Some Bunny set:

That's all for now - have a great weekend. I'll be back soon with some photos from the Back to Back retreat! See you soon.

Flower Simplicity ...

..... Morning! All that bright sunshine on Saturday inspired me to make a clean, simple and very bright card:

Stamps: CAS-ual Friday Stamps - Mon Ami
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: Tim Holtz Water Colour Card; Zig Clean Colour Brushes; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear; Clear Embossing Powder

I've combined a few challenges to make this card:

• CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#212 - I used the layout
• CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - CFC#168 - to make a one layer card
• Colour Throwdown - CTD#432 - love those colours

I folded a piece of water colour card in half to make a card 5½" x 4¼" in size. I used my MISTI to stamp the card - it allowed me to restamp the images a couple of times to ensure even coverage on the rough water colour card. I stamped the large flower first, embossed it with clear powder and then masked it before stamping the smaller flowers. I used my Zig Clean Colour brushes to colour the flowers, along with a clear Spectrum Noir to add sparkle. I finished the front with this fun sentiment. I kept the inside ultra simple by simple adding a couple of words to complete the greeting.

We all had such a fun day yesterday. It was great to see Kristan - she looks amazing with short hair. Here's one from yesterday:

That's all for today - I've got loads of housework stuff to do. See you soon.