52CCT - Technique ....

... Hello!  I've been having fun in my craft room this week - love my new tower unit, it is so much easier to find my stamps and papers now.  It's time for our technique challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and Julie wants us to make "Shaped Cards" - no squares or rectangles, but you can go mad for any other shape!  Here's my card:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Wonderous Wreath
Inks: SU - Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Spellbinders - Circles Lg (S4-114) #7, Petit Scalloped Circles Lg (S4-115) #6; SU/Sizzix - Wonderful Wreath Framelits
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Grey, Poppy Parade; Sequins; Wink of Stella - Clear

The colours are from this week's Colour Q challenge - cQc#304 and I've taken inspiration from the graphic photo too - love the hose wreath!!!  I used my circle dies to cut out the circles and also to cut a circle card from one of my A2 card blanks.  I adhered the red and grey circles on the white card.  I stamped the wreath on white card.  This is a three-step wreath - I stamped the full set of leaves after stamping off once, then the next set of leaves were added using full strength colour.  I finished the wreath with some yellow berries.  I cut it out with the matching dies and adhered it flat to the card.  I cut the sentiment from red card, added some sparkle all over with a clear Wink of Stella brush and attached it to the card.  I finished the front with some sequins.  On the inside I simply stamped another wreath and added a greeting.

Do visit our blog to see what the rest of the team have made - have fun!

52CCT - Colours ....

.... Well, hello!  It's time for our colour challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown.  This week we have some really pretty pastel colours for you to play with and non-traditional ones too!  Here's my card:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Wondrous Wreath
Inks: SU - Soft Sky, Pretty in Pink; Encore - Silver; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: SU/Sizzix - Wonderful Wreath Framelits; Memory Box - Cross Stitched Frame Borders #7
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Soft Sky; Silver Mirri Card; Enamel Dots

I've gone for a very soft, subtle look and I'm really pleased how it turned out.  Mind, it's really difficult taking photos of mirri card.  I got the idea of a wreath from this week's CASE-ing Christmas Challenge - CCC#11, Anita's wreath is so pretty.  I used pale blue card to make the base and cut a couple of white panels with the largest Memory Box die - just love the border.  I stamped the wreath (3 stage stamping) on white card, using blue, silver and pink and then cut it out with the matching die.  I die cut the sentiment and bow from silver mirri card.  I adhered the sentiment and wreath falt to the card and used dimensional gel for the bow.  I added a tiny pink enamel dot to the bow.  On the inside I simply stamped the blue wreath and a Christmas greeting.

For more inspiration using our soft pastel colours check out the cards from the rest of the team - they're gorgeous!  If you've been playing along with us since the beginning of January you will already have 10 cards in your stash, or more!  This is a great way to get your cards ready without rushing.

What a difference a week makes, this time last week we had below freezing temperatures (-10°C in fact).  Today (Friday), much better we're already at 2°C (36°F) and should reach about 12°C (54°F) this afternoon.  Spring is definitely getting here!!  What are you plans for the weekend?  Whatever they are - have fun and be safe.  See you soon.

Thanksgiving Wishes ...

.... Good morning!  We had our first snow of the season on Friday night - just as the kids were off out trick or treating, and then on Saturday, while cold, the sun came out and it was lovely.  I spent the day tucked up nice and warm in the house.  Today's card was made using a few challenges:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Wondrous Wreath; My Favourite Things - Primitive Pumpkins
Inks: SU - Brocade Blue, Crushed Curry, Tangelo Twist; Memento - Peanut Brittle, Tuxedo Black
Dies: Die-namics - Primitive Pumpkins, Jumbo Fishtail Banner STAX #6; SU/Sizzix - Wondrous Wreath Framelits
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Black; Cuttlebug EF - Autumn Type

I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#160 for the layout, the colours are from Colour Throwdown # CTD#316 and the idea for the wreath is from Just Us Girls - JUGS#265.  I cut the big banner in white, embossed it with autumnal words and then lightly ran the blue ink pad over the top.  I adhered the banner and black panel directly on the card.  The first layer of leaves were made by inking the stamp with Tangelo Twist, stamping off and then immediately inking with Crushed Curry to give a slightly yellow orange colour.  I adhered the wreath using dimensional tape at the top and glue it flat at the bottom.  The pumpkins were adhered with dimensional tape.  On the inside I cut a simple mat layer of black card and on the white card stamped a greeting a some more pumpkins.

I did make a few more cards yesterday, but you'll have to wait a while as they are DT cards.  I've got to get ahead with my cards as Ben and his girlfriend are coming over to the States to spend Thanksgiving with us.  I'm so excited, it's been nearly a year since we saw Ben.  I just hope that the weather doesn't get too cold before he arrives.  That's all for now, see you soon.

Thanksgiving wreath ....

... Hello all!  I hope you're all having a good week; mine's been great so far!  This morning I've a Thanksgiving card to share with you:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Wondrous Wreath, Tags 4 You, Mingle All The Way
Inks: SU - Cajun Craze, Pear Pizzazz, Crushed Curry, Early Espresso
Dies: SU/Sizzix - Wonderful Wreath Framelits; Lil Inkers - Stitched Squares #4
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; SU Card - Pear Pizzazz; SU DP - Colour Me Autumn; SU Punch - Label Bracket; SU Candy Dots; WMS - Twine; Wink of Stella - Clear

I used the sketch from this week's Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#159 for the layout, although I turned to make a landscape card.  The colours are from Colour Throwdown - CTD#315 - they are just right for this time of year.  I used a sheet of design paper to cover the card.  I cut a square of green card and adhered it directly to the card.  I stamped the sentiment on cream card and cut it out with the matching punch.  To make the wreath I stamped first in Cajun Craze (second generation impression), next with Pear Pizzazz and finished with yellow berries.  Then I cut the wreath with the coordinating dies (it's really easy to do).  I stamped a yellow bow on cream card and punched it out.  I adhered the wreath and ribbon with dimensional tape.  Before attaching the sentiment, I looped some dark brown twine and used gel glue to adhere the tag.  I finished the front with some candy dots and some Wink of Stella on the wreath.  On the inside I cut a mat layer from the design paper and stamped another wreath on some cream card.  I finished off with the sentiment stamped in dark brown.

I know that it's definitely autumn here now, I had the water sprinkler system winterised yesterday.  This still feels strange - it's not something we have to do in the UK, but winters here are so much colder that we really do have to make sure there is no water in the pipes otherwise it would be a disaster!  Oh yes, the other really big sign of autumn, not only have the leaves changed colour, but they really feel off the trees in the wind this week!  That's all for now.

52CCT - Colours ....

.... Hello!  It's time for our new challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown; this week we have some gorgeous colours for you to use - a blue, two shades of pink, teal and green.  You only have to use three of them, but it would be great if you could try to use them all.  Here's my take:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Gorgeous Grunge, Wondrous Wreath; Stampendous - Mega Merry
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; SU - Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Copic Markers; SU DP - Rich Razzleberry

I'm submitting this to CASology - CAS#116 where the cue word is SPLATTER.  I stamped the sentiment directly on the card and then stamped on the splatter images.  I restamped the word Merry on some scrap card and coloured the letters with Copic markers, cut them out, edged them with a black marker and then adhered them directly to the card.  On the inside I made a mat from dark pink design paper and added a simple greeting.

For more inspiration using these fabulous colours, check out the cards from the rest of the team.

While I had the Stampendous set out, I decided to make another card .  This one is for Merry Monday - MM#129 to use neon colours, and the layout is based on the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS#96.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! -  Wondrous Wreath; Stampendous - Mega Merry
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versamark; Hero Arts - Neon Pink
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Copic Markers; SU Card - Night of Navy; SU DP - Night of Navy; White Embossing Powder

I stamped the word "Merry" on some white card and coloured each letter with a neon Copic marker.  I cut way some of the white card to leave the top of the letters free and then adhered the rest of the panel to the card base.  I cut a dark blue panel of card and adhered that to the base too.  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the word "Christmas" and stamped it and the snowflakes in Versamark and heat embossed with white powder.  I carried the neon through to the inside by edging the white panel with a neon green marker and stamping the sentiment in neon pink.

That's all for now.  We're off to a cider mill today - should be lots of fun and a great opportunity for more photos!!  See you soon.

Santa travels the world ....

.... Hi again!  This is another scheduled post for the holiday season.  At the beginning of December I attended a Stampin' Up! class run by Karin - we had such fun making a couple of Christmas cards which I'm sharing with you here.

The first card is a CASE of Michelle Zindorf's beautiful vintage Santa card.  I had such fun making this card and while it looks complicated, it really isn't!

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Woodgrain, World Map, Christmas Messages, Santa's List, Everything Eleanor
Inks: SU - Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, White Craft; Stazon - Jet Black
Accessories:  SU Card - Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler; SU Markers - Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand; SU Blender Pen

Inside the card I stamped a sentiment and layered it onto some red card and added a white flourish on the other side.  I like the flourish - not my idea - one of the other girls did it first and I decided it looked fab, so copied it!

My next card is also a CASE, this time of a fold design by Julie Davison - a tri-shutter fold.  I can see me using this fold again - so very pretty!

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Wonderful Wreath, More Merry Messages, Mosaic Madness
Inks: SU - Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: SU Core'dinationas Card - Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive; SU DP - Season of Style; SU Card - Whisper White; SU Framelits - Circles; SU Punches - Mosaic, Modern Label; SU Ribbon; SU Gems

The picture above shows the card open - so many places to decorate, a really good way to use design paper - which is good as I have a lot of design papers!

Well that's all for now.  See you soon.