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.

SNG - Awesomeness ....

.....  Hello and Good Morning!  It's been ages since I've posted in Sparkle and Glitter, fortunately my fab team mates have been holding the fort!!  I always have several of Rick's images printed and in a folder ready to be coloured.  I've used the colours from this week's Colour Throwdown - CTD#356 to colour this very elegant lady:

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Bal Masque; CAS-ual Friday Stamps - Mon Ami, Calm & Loving
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: Spellbinders - Labels 25 (S5-077) #5, Adorning Labels 25 (S5-210) #4; Die-namics - Fishtail Flags Layers Stax #2
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Basic Black; Kaisdercraft DP - Fiesta!; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear; Vellum; Clear Embossing Powder; Inka Gold Wax - Emerald Green, Orange; UTEE button

I've used the sketch at My Favourite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge - MFTWSC#242 for the layout.  I always have a number of Rick's images printed out.  I picked this beautiful lady, who is obviously off to a Masked Ball, so I'm also submitting this to AAA Cards - AAA#46, where the theme is mask. I coloured her with Copic markers and added sparkle to her feathers, mask, earrings and lace with my clear Wink of Stella brush and then cut her out.  I die cut an ornate orange frame which I backed with black card to really show off the die cut pattern adhered it to the card and then added my lovely lady.  I finished the front with a sentiment stamped on vellum and heat embossed with clear powder.  The final touch is this fab button which I made at a class last year using UTEE powder.  I used Inka Gold Wax to add some colour and to bring out the flowers.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of green design paper and on the white panel added a flower and simple greeting.

If you like this beautiful lady - Bal Masque - you can find her at Rick's Zibbet shop, along with over 1,200 digital images from cute and funny to dark and scary!  Have fun!

SNG - Mon Amie .....

.... Good afternoon.  It's Mother's Day here in the States and that's why this post is rather late!  I should have had it up first thing this morning, but instead I spent some time with my family.  Full story below!!  I've had a super time today and managed to get into my craft room earlier this afternoon to finish this card.  I've used one of Rick's wonderful Randi Dandi images for a card with a tropical feel:

Stamps: Rick St Dennis Digi - Mardi Gras Beads; CAS-ual Friday Stamps - Mon Ami
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: Lil Inkers - Dual Stitched Rectangles #3
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Kaisercraft DP - Say Aloha; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear

Our weather over the last few days has been distinctly tropical with high temperatures around 30°C, lots of humidity and thunderstorms.  So I had to play with the Mardi Gras Beads image, available exclusively at I Brake for Stamps.  I used the colours in the design paper to colour the image.  I coloured the image with Copic markers, cut it out with a stitched die and then added sparkle with my Wink of Stella brush.  I coloured her mask and the jewellery.  I also added lots of little gems to the necklace and earrings.  Accordingly, I'm submitting this card to this week's Left of Centre Challenge - LOC#77 where the DT would like us to use bling!  On the inside I used another piece of the tropical design paper for a mat layer and on the white panel stamped a fabulous lotus like flower and a sentiment.

I've got a bit of a confession.  This card would have been up first thing this morning, if I hadn't made a really silly mistake.  I have lots of Wink of Stella brushes including the colours.  If you look a the photo below I think you'll see my mistake:

It was really hot this morning and I woke quite early, so I went to my craft room and coloured this image.  I was so pleased how it turned out.  I reached for my clear Wink of Stella and started to add sparkle to the mask and jewellery.  I couldn't work out why the mask suddenly looked really dull - until I realised that I'd picked up the WHITE WOS brush!!!  I couldn't remove the colour and didn't have time to do another image before going out with Kathryn!

That's all for now - Kathryn is cooking dinner for us this evening - so I'm going back into my craft room to play some more!  I hope all my US friends have had a wonderful Mother's Day.