TMR - Theme .....

For my Uniko Introduction - click here.

... Hello again! I'm back (a little late because of my earlier post) with my card for our new challenge at The Male Room - TMR#85. We had some really fun non-card projects for our last challenge, and we thought we'd make it a bit easier for you this time. We have a theme - CARS - this should be a breeze for your masculine projects. I made a very simple card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Half Pint Heroes; Stampin' Up! - Sheltering Tree, Butterfly Basics, Beautiful Ride
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Moonlit Fog, Warm Cocoa, Dark Chocolate, Jelly Bean Green, Grass Green, Black Onyx
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Gina K Card - Moonlit Fog; Copic Markers; Shimmer Spritz - Frost; Clear Embossing Powder

I had lots of fun creating the scene on this card. I mixed together stamps from several different companies (something that I really like to do). I stamped the car, using the mirror image technique from Jennifer McGuire, on to white card and coloured it with Copics. I then repeated the stamping with Versafine black ink and heat embossed with clear powder, and cut out the car. I stamped a dashed line to create the road, added a tree in the background, a puff of exhaust from the car, and a simple greeting. I finished the front by adding the car which I attached with dimensional pads. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of grey card and on the white panel added the dashed line and a greeting.

I'm submitting this card to Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#194 where they want to see Men's Hobbies. I think driving counts!!

For more inspiration with our CARS theme, do visit our blog to see more from the Design Team and also from our guest designer, Pirjo. You've got until midnight (BST) on Tuesday 22nd May to play along - have fun!!

52CCT - Sketch ....

.... Hello! I hope everyone has settled back into their normal routines.  I'm still not quite back to normal - somehow I lost days last week, but I'm getting there.  I'm hosting our challenges over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - 52CCT01-16 this month.  Our aim is to give you inspiration to build your Christmas card stash, so that you have time to relax in December.  As normal, our first challenge of the month is a sketch and I had lots of fun coming up with this one.   Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Alpine Christmas, Vintage Postcards, Off Beat Backgrounds, Vintage Circles Small; Stampin' Up! - Sheltering Tree
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; SU - Soft Sky, Marina Mist, Smokey Slate
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Smokey Slate; Glitter

I used the colours from CAS - Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#155 as they seem just perfect.  I'm also submitting this card to the current Jingle Belles - JB:16:01 challenge where they would like us to use something brand new along with something old from our stash.  The new is the Vintage Postcards stamps (not brand new to me, but never used before) and the old is the rest!

I'm very pleased with this card; I wanted to challenge myself to make a one-layer, collage style card and I did it!  I used my MISTI to make sure that I got all the stamps straight, and I was able to stamp the tree a number of times to make it slightly darker then the stripes.  I finished the front by adding some sparkle to the dotty circle.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of grey card and on the white panel I stamped another tree and a Christmas greeting.

Don't forget to visit our blog and see the inspiration cards from the rest of the team.  You've got plenty of time to join in, deadline for submission is midnight (GMT) Friday 15th January (that's 7.00pm EDT).

This weekend is the Plymouth Ice Festival.  It started yesterday evening and runs through until Sunday.  Jonathan and I went last year when it was so, so cold with temperatures well below freezing. Which is just the kind of weather the organisers would like.  However, the forecast for today is rain showers this afternoon with a maximum temperature 7°C (45°F), which is not great!  We're going first thing in the morning, when it should still be cold and hopefully the sculptures won't have started melting!  That's all for now - have a great weekend!

Warm my heart ....

....  Hello!  Just made a really quick, clean and simple card for autumn:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Sheltering Tree
Inks: SU - Cajun Craze, Hello Honey
Accessories: White Lustre Card

This card is for the following challenges:

• Less is More - LIM#245 - one layer with the theme of autumn
• Colour Me Card Challenge - CMCC#93 - colours are perfect for autumn
• Time Out Challenges - TOC#41 - based on a quote about autumn

This one came together in about 5 minutes!! Using my MISTI, I stamped the tree twice to give extra depth to the colour.  Then I inked up the leaves in yellow and added touches of brown before stamping them.  I grounded the tree using the swish image (second impression) and added the swing to the tree.  I finished the front with the simple, but heartfelt, sentiment.  I've not done the inside yet!

This tree looks like a number of the trees in our neighbourhood - autumn has most definitely arrived!!  Bye for now.

Edited to add:  I finally finished the inside of the card - very simple, some design paper in yellow and another tree and sentiment:

That's it - now up to date!

ASM - Photo ....

....  Good evening everyone - it's the first day of September here in the States and summer is back in full swing in Northville, it's been a fabulous day.  It's time for our new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More! and this week we have a photo to inspire you.  Do tell us what inspires you about the photo - I think mine is obvious.  I think there's a definite autumnal/fall feeling to the image and here are my cards, I made two!

Stamps: Stitching Bear Digi - Mushroom Town (Alipeeps Art); Stampin' Up! - Sheltering Tree
Inks: SU - Early Espresso; Kaleidacolour - Cappccino Delight
Dies: Memory Box - Sleepy Hollow Oval Frame
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Early Espresso; SU DP - Early Espresso; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear; Staedtler Aquarell Pencils

I had fun with this card.  I printed the Mushroom Town three times on white card, coloured them with Copic markers and then selectively cut out the layers.  I then adhered the layers to give some depth to the image.  I die cut the tree frame from brown card and adhered it over the little town, and then carefully cut out the excess card from the bottom of the frame.  I coloured the sky with watercolour pencils.  I finished the front with a simple greeting and on the inside cut a mat layer of design paper and stamped a wonderful tree on the white panel.

I printed another image of the Mushroom Town, this time a little bigger (so much easier to colour) and diecut the finished image with an oval die.  I layered the image on another diecut oval and finished the front with a simple sentiment.

Stamps: Stitching Bear Digi - Mushroom Town (Alipeeps Art); Stampin' Up! - Sheltering Tree
Inks: SU - Early Espresso; Kaleidacolour - Cappccino Delight
Dies: Lil Inkers - Dual Stitched Ovals #3 and #4
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Early Espresso; SU DP - Early Espresso; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear

On the inside I cut a mat layer of dark brown card and stamped another lovely tree and a sentiment on the white panel - lots of space left for my message.

Our sponsor this week is Stitchy Bear's Digital Outlet and the winner of the challenge will get 3 digital images up to the value of $10 - and there's a huge selection of images.  Don't forget to visit our blog to see what the rest of the team have made this week - have fun!!