Believe In A CAS Christmas

     This month's challenge at Christmas at Sweet Stampin' is CAS, clean and simple means lots of white space and a very simple decoration. This card was inspired by one I saw some time ago made by Karen Dunbrook, I loved it so much I decided to try it myself.

     I die cut a rectangular window in some inexpensive card for a stencil, then I cut a small circle but this time using Masking Sheet from Stix2, it's got a gentle adhesive on the back so it won't move or lift up.
     Using Distress Inks in two shades of blue I coloured the rectangle to shade from light at the top to dark at the bottom. Before removing the stencil I stamped, in black, two pine trees by Lavinia Stamps.
     After removing the stencil I stamped Father Christmas and the wording in the same black ink, I had to stamp Father Christmas a couple of times to get a good image, thank goodness for a stamp press. The word is a little distressed but I think it's alright, I may have to find another one that is a little crisper for next time.
     That's all there was to it, nice and simple, perfect for last minute makes when we get into December. If you come and join us at Christmas At Sweet Stampin' each month you won't have a December panic, as you'll be part way done already.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas - E, F, G    F is for freebie

Winter Wonderland - Blue Christmas

The 12 Month's Of Christmas - Anything Christmas/option Ice Ice Baby

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas/option Vintage

Christmas In The Sun......

.......is clearly not good for a snowman.  Our new challenge at Christmas At Sweet Stampin' is Christmas In The Sun. Half the world has a Summer Christmas and I'm ashamed to say I've never really noticed what their cards are like, this is my effort at making a sunny Christmas card.
      On a plain white card I masked the top left corner and used a stencil to add the suns rays in yellow Distress Ink.
      At the bottom I stamped a cloud, which just happens to look like a pool of melting snow. This was also in Distress Ink so I used a water brush to move the ink around a little.
      I stamped a snowman's head on black card and cut out his hat, then cut out a small carrot. These were added to the cloud, along with two googly eyes at a jaunty angle.
      It actually took longer to go through my Christmas stash to find the greeting stamp than it did to make the card, I knew I had a 'warm wishes' somewhere.
      And there you have it, a CAS, lightweight sunny Christmas card with a little humour.
      You don't have to follow our theme at Christmas At Sweet Stampin' but we would love it if you did.

I would like to enter this poor little snowman in the following challenges:

The 12 Months of Christmas - Anything Seasonal / optional - Plaid
CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Seasonal / optional - For man or Boy
The Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas
Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes

MHK Designs - Light Of The World

     The second of our new releases at MHK Designs is Light of the World and this is my second project using it.

     Again I have chosen to use the lamp, I love its simplicity, perfect for a CAS card that's to the point.
     The lamp and words were assembled in a photo package and then printed on plain white card.
     I wanted to add colour coming from the lamp, so I held the printed image on my window and used it like a lightbox, tracing round the lamp on copy paper. With the copy paper cutout in place I used a stencil from my stash and yellow ink to create the rays of light coming from the lamp.
     A very simple card but a clear message and nice and flat for posting.
     Please pop over and have a look at all the DT projects on MHK Designs blog and while you're there have a look at how easy it is to win some of these lovely new digi sets.

Light of the World

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Digi Choosday - Anything Goes   (F)

Retarte - Anything Goes   (F)

Use Your Stuff - Inspired By A Quote   (W)

MHK Designs - Rosie Elements

     This is the last of our new release sets for this month at MHK Designs, Rosy Elements.

     The flower and sentiment have been printed out on white card using a coloured overlay in my photo package, it gives them both a multi-coloured effect.
     A little light colouring of the flowers was all that was needed to complete the image panel.
    Two of the corners have been rounded out and two in to add some interest to the card, with the addition of a pearl on the in corner it still remains quite thin and easy to post.
     The pink card blank was chosen to highlight the flower colour and keep it all pastel.
     You still have the chance to win one, or all, of the new releases so please pop over to the MKH Designs blog to find out how.

Rosy Elements

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Florals

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

MHK Designs - Glory Of The Lord

      Welcome to the first of our new releases at MHK Designs, we have five new sets to bring to you through the course of Febraury.

     Following on from my MHK Designs inspiration post I've made another small collection of notlets.
     This time each flower has a colour tint to it, made using a photo package. To co-ordinate the sentiment it has also had a colour change.
     After trimming and folding the cards the corners have been rounded using a punch, then they have been coloured with a co-ordinating ink all the way around the edge.
     There is a tiny butterfly on each card that I found in a discount shop, they come in a small plastic container, sold as nail art.
     You have the chance to win a new digi stamp set from MHK Designs, just pop over to the MHK Designs blog and read all about it, you'll also see lots more inspiration from the DT.
   

Glory Of The Lord

I would like to enter these cards in the following challenges:

Simple Papercraft - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes

House Of Cards Pretty In Pink

     This months challenge at the House Of Cards has a simple photo prompt with the addition of shades of pink, just right for February.

      I must admit the pink hearts threw me a bit, not my usual choice, so it was a challenge for me to work a little outside my comfort zone.
     I started by using Distress ink to colour a heart shape on a white card blank. I put a piece of plastic mess on the card, then covered that with a heart shaped die and worked within that heart. I've had that mesh for ages but never thought to use it, it's quite a nice mosaic type effect.

      The swirly heart is die cut from a sheet of card that I marbled using the shaving foam technique some time ago. The small heart is, I must confess, covering a little ink that got outside the large heart. This paper was in a pack of mixed scraps I bought, as if I don't have enough scraps of my own!
     Both the smaller hearts are stuck flush to the card making it quite flat, a basic greeting added to finish a very simple card.
     Our challenge at House Of Cards runs all month so join us with your cards when you can, pop over and see all the DT inspiration to get you started.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Inky Chicks - Clean and Simple

PIN spirational - Photo prompt = pink, hearts, cup

Dream Valley  - All About Love

MHK Designs - February Challenge

     This months challenge at MHK Designs has two lovely photo prompts to get you started. You don't have to use an MHK Designs image but we would love it if you did.
     This lovely set is called He Is Risen, it has an Easter theme to it but as all the elements are separate you can just use the flowers as I have. I enlarged the image so it was partly off the page, leaving just enough room for a greeting taken from Birds and Branches.
     The image is coloured with watercolour pencils, then given a pink mat layer before going on a white card blank, nice and simple for a short note to a friend.

He Is Risen

Birds and Branches

 









     MHK Design challenge runs all month so please come and join us with your creations, you could win a stamp set just by playing along.

    I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Digi Choosday - Anything Goes

Digital Delights - Anything Goes

MHK Designs Monthly Inspiration

     These cards are a variation on this months MHK Designs challenge card, the same picture but with different words, the beauty of this stamp set is they are coloured images.
     I have written myself a little crib sheet so I don't forget how to do these again. My photo package sends the image to print out with the left hand side (viewed landscape) being the top of the paper, so to get the image on the righthand side of an A5 piece of card the correct way up I have to turn it around, then tell it it's a 6x4 card. It then prints it the correct way up on the right of the A5 card so I can fold it in half to make my CAS card. I printed the flowers first and then ran it through again for the sentiment.
     Sounds complicated?......it's not really, my explanation may not be that good but it does work, or should I say for my package and printer it works. I suggest you play around on copy paper to see what your set up can do.
     Making a batch of CAS cards like this is ideal for a small gift, a thoughtful way of saying thank you to someone.

Stencil In The Roses

Pretty Petunias

 

MHK Designs Challenge - Roses

     MHK Designs blog have moved their challenge date to the beginning of the month, so here is the project for January.

     I chose to make a CAS card using two of the gorgeous digi stamps from previous sets, the flower from Stencil In The Roses and the words from I've Been Framed.
     The flower image is increased in size to fit an A6 frame with a border, then I played around with my printing options to turn the image around.
     I wanted the image to come out upside down on the right of an A5 piece of card, so when it's folded in half the picture is on the front of the fold. I tried it out on a piece of copy paper first to check it was right. Then I put it back in the printer and added the words.

     Measuring an equal distance from the image to get the border right I scored the card down the middle. Once folded it needed a little trimming to tidy it up but that was it, a CAS A6 card, perfect for UK postage.
     The beauty of these images is they come already coloured, just right for a quick card or even a notelet set for a thank you gift, just change the wording or leave it off altogether.
     You have the chance to win a set of MHK Designs digi stamps just by playing along in the challenge and you don't have to use our stamps to join in, so please come and play along.

January 2017

Stencil In The Roses

I've Been Framed

     

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
Digital Delights - Anything Goes

Keep On Truckin'

      This time the challenge at The Male Room is to use Red, Blue and One Other Colour. I have chosen to make a quick CAS card using a Woodware stamp set I've had in my stash for a while.

      Using a DL card blank I stamped three lorries in a row and then coloured them with watercolour pencils,  I have used a silver gel pen on the bumper, exhaust stack and tanker but it doesn't show up very well in a photo, sorry.

      It has no real greeting on it yet as I don't know if I shall use it as a celebration card or just a hello, how are you card.

      Come and join us at The Male Room with your creation, we would love to see what you come up with for our colour challenge, just remember anything masculine.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafting When We Can - Based On A Movie  (Convoy)

Dragonfly Dreams - Anything Goes