Brilliant! ....

....  Good afternoon!  I can't believe that it's taken me until 6th January to post a card to my blog (I know I had the one for 52CCT, but that was made before Christmas last year) - I had fun with this one.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Be the Star
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Lil Inkers - Stitched Stars #2, #3 and #4
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Real Red; Silver Holographic Mirri Card; Copic Markers

I made this card with a couple of challenges in mind.  The first is Less is More - LIM#205 where the team have a colour challenge to use Black, a Metallic and one other colour.  The second is Darnell's Never Before Used Schtuff - NBUS#3 challenge - the theme is Anything Goes, but we have to specific our NBUS. 

My NBUS on this card is my Lil Inker Stitched Stars dies - I love the effect of the faux stitching.  I layered some metallic silver holographic paper behind the stars - just love that shimmer.  I then layered it onto some red card and finished the front with a simple sentiment.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of red card, cut a white panel which I left blank for my own message and added a couple of the die cut stars.  I coloured them with Copic markers.

We are all still feeling somewhat jetlagged after our trip to the UK in December.  It's still a struggle to stay up much later than 9.00pm and we're all waking up silly early - 3.00am for me this morning!!!  I did try to go back to sleep, but it wasn't working.  Hopefully it won't be too long before our body clocks switch back to US time!!

We flew back to the States on New Year's Day - a thrilling way to spend the day!  The plane was absolutely packed and we were unable to sit together.  The upside of this was that I got a window seat - and I love watching take off and landing.  I decided to take the opportunity of taking a few photos - and I'm rather pleased how well they came out.  Here are a few from the trip.

Watching a British Airways plane take off in front of us - you can just see the wing of our plane in the corner of the photo.  It really was dull and grey when we left Heathrow.

This one was taken as we flew over Canada - no idea where it is, but it does look rather spectacular with all the snow and the rivers.

This one was taken on our approach to Detroit Airport.  There are so many lakes in Michigan and while there's no snow in this picture, you can see the ice around the edges of the lakes.  I suspect if I took this photo today the lakes would be totally covered in ice!!

Another on the approach to the airport.  The sun was shining really brightly and I could see the GM building and Downtown Detroit in the distance, along with the casino in Windsor, Canada.  I wasn't sure how it would come out, and I'm really pleased with it.  It does show just how much open land there is in Detroit.

This last one was taken as we arrived at our gate.  It was a really long flight - 8 hours in total - and we were all so pleased to have arrived home.  It was a beautifully bright day, but very cold and no snow!  Sadly I can't say that about today - we had snow last night.  Not as much as in many states, but enough that I had to go out and shovel this morning.  It looks fab outside at the moment - the skies is blue, the sun is shining and the snow is sparkling!  That's all for now - see you tomorrow.

52CCT - Sketch ....

..... Hello!  Do you realise that it's only 12 weeks until Christmas!!  If you've not made a start on your Christmas cards, then now is the time to get cracking.  Here at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown we can help - each week we give you a prompt, a sketch, some colours, stash idea or a theme.  This month our hostess is Jacqueline, but we're using the prompts selected by Mynnette.  This week we have a sketch for you - here's my take:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Curly Cute, Bright & Beautiful, Be the Star
Inks: SU - Lost Lagoon, Soft Sky, Pear Pizzazz; Versamark; Archival - Jet Black
Dies: SU/Sizzix - Star Framelits; Spellbinders - Squares Sm (S4-128) #5, Squares Lg (S4-126) #4 & 6
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU DP - All Is Calm; SU Card - Lost Lagoon, Pear Pizzazz; Clear Embossing Powder; Vellum; Gems

My order of Christmas goodies from Stampin' Up! came earlier this week, so this was the perfect opportunity to get them out and play.  I'm playing along with Merry Monday - MM#128 to use polka dots and/or stripes; the new design pack, All is Calm, contains these fab striped and dotty papers - perfect!!  I used my square dies to cut a couple of mat layers and the dotty top layer.  I stamped the stars on to vellum.  I inked up the star images with Versamark then the colour, stamped, embossed  with clear powder and cut out with the matching die.  I adhered the bottom layer directly to the square and used a glue dot to add the smaller star and finished with a grey gem.  I stamped the sentiment directly on the card.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of green card.  On the white panel I stamped a pale blue star and Christmas greeting.  I've also taken a detail shot of the square panel.

Check out the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown blog to see more inspiration cards from the Design Team - don't forget to leave a comment!!  You've got plenty of time to join in with the challenge - I'm really looking forward to seeing what you make!  Bye for now.

TMR - Stars ....

.... Hello - this another of my scheduled posts (so I hope it works okay)!  It's time for our new challenge at The Male Room.  For the next couple of weeks we'd like to see your masculine style projects with the theme of:

STARS

Here's my card and it's going into my stash.  I can never have enough male cards!!

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Be the Star, Endless Birthday Wishes
Inks: SU - Early Espresso, Summer Starfruit, Tempting Turquoise
Dies: SU/Sizzix - Stars Framelits; Die-namics - Fishtail Flags Layers Stax #2
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU DP - Island Indigo; SU Card - Summer Starfruit; Wink of Stella Brush - Clear

I used a couple of challenges in the making of this card - the colours are from Colour Q - cQc#253 and the layout is based on the sketch from Seize the Sketch - STS#26 (sadly, I'm too late to submit to either challenge).   I cut a panel of design paper and adhered it to the card.  Then I stamped three different stars and cut them out with the co-ordinating dies.  I added some sparkle to the stars, but you can't see it in the photo above, but in the one below (out of focus to show the shimmer) you certainly can!!  I attached the large and medium stars directly to the card and used dimensional tape for the smallest star.  I stamped a birthday greeting on the flag.  The inside is blank for my message.

For more inspiration using the STARS theme on your masculine cards - do visit our blog and check out the cards from the rest of the Design Team.  Can't wait to see what you make.  Have fun!

ASM - Anything Goes ....

.... Hello!!!  Hope you're all well.  It's time for our every popular Anything Goes challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More!  There's no specific colour or theme, you can go wild!  I've gone for a rainbow feel:

Stamps: Eureka Stamps Digi - Large Star; Lil Inkers - Shiny Happy; Stampin' Up! - Be the Star
Inks: Archival - Jet Black; Kaleidacolor - Pastel, Luau
Dies: Spellbinders - Postage Stamps (S4-348) #4 & #5
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Rainbow Handmade Paper; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella Brushes - Clear, Green

The main image is a fabulous digi image from Eureka Stamps (our sponsor this week).  I printed the image three times and cut one out with a postage stamp die.  I coloured all three with Copic markers, I added some sparkle to one of the big star images and then fussy cut them to layer.  I also cut out one of the little stars.  I layered the finished square onto a postage stamp of rainbow handmade paper.  Before attaching to the card, I added a sprinkle of little stars at the corner of the card and a simple, bold sentiment too.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of the rainbow paper and on the white panel stamped a multicoloured star and a bold sentiment.  This one has gone into my stash.

Below is a close up of the star to show the sparkle and to show the layers.  I don't often do layered cards as it really adds to the postage, but sometimes, it's just worth it for the effect!!  Hayley used this image a couple of weeks ago - it's such a versatile image and looks quite different on both cards.

Eureka Stamps, our sponsor, will give the winner of this week's challenge three digi images - they have a wonderful selection.

For more inspiration cards - check out what the rest of the team have made for our Anything Goes theme this week.

That's all for now.  Have fun, and I look forward to seeing all your creations.  Bye!