Floral Sympathy

The current challenge at The Card Concept is to use a floral theme following one of the defined styles, and this week I know what style I am (yay!).  There's not much room for confusion with this card - clean and simple.

I've used the inspiration from Muse, provided this week by guest muse, Lisa Haines:

The three image stamps have a solid background, but I swooshed the ink pad (Memento Sweet Plum) so that it was streaky.  Kind of looks like rain in the background.  I added a few scored lines for a bit more interest and stamped the sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black.

Stamp Set: Penny Black 30-103 ...wishes

Happy Retirement

I've dug out some really old stamps for this card.  The image is part of a stamp by Annette Allen Watkins, and the sentiment is a PSX stamp, but they are my go-to stamps for retirements.  I made the potting shed wall by scoring card and swooshing it with Old Paper and Black Soot Distress Inks, and stamped the sentiment over the planks afterwards.  I'm entering it into the following challenges:

The Male Room - a retirement card

Less Is More - something made from metal - I've used a brad and some wire.

Shopping our Stash - heavy metal (anything metallic)

And CASology - Paint.  "Where's the paint?",  I hear you ask.  On the potting shed wall, waiting for a new coat.

And the picture isn't straight on the wall because, well, it's a fella's shed ;)

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2014 - February

I'm playing along with Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2014, and February's theme is making something for a loved one.  Here's Tim's tag:

I used what I had in my stash to make a similar tag.  I made the heart sometime last year by colouring some grungepaper with distress ink (probably Fired Brick), dry embossed it with a bubble embossing folder, then swiped it with a Versamark pad and clear embossed it.  For this tag, I cut the heart down to the same size as the one on the sentiment.  The sentiment is stamped with Brilliance Moonlight White, and the stars are stencilled with Worn Lipstick.

Say It With Feathers

Not quite sure what's going on with my camera today but it's not playing pretty, even with perfectly good daylight, sorry about that.

This first card is for CAS(E) This Sketch, and I just had to use my STAMPlorations Vignette Eclectic Florals set for the cute little jar.  I was tempted to use the flowers but thought I'd see what feathers would look like in the jars.  The feathers are from the Vignette Trendy Feathers set.

I've used the colour scheme from Colour Me...! although they don't look quite so subtle after all my messing editing.

After I'd made the first card, I made this one to fit (sort of!) the current STAMPlorations Sketch Challenge.  There's still time to enter that and the monthly challenge (stamps and stitches).

It's a one layer card so I'm entering it into One Layer Simplicity's challenge, Can You Repeat That?  Actually, both cards are eligible as they are both one layer and feature repeat stamping, so you get a two-fer for coming to look!

The Butterfly Collector

I'm feeling very special today.  First, Kimberly from Weinerhoneymooners has cased a Christmas tag that I did at Christmas 2012, even hunting down the stamp I used (a girl after my own heart!).  Kimberly's version was a beautiful winter village scene - pop over and have a look.

And then I saw that Darnell has done a DJKASE on one of my cards - in fact it was a twofer - two Shirleys at once.  If you've not visited Darnell before, there's a whole other layer of blogland that you're missing out on :)

Thank you so much, both of you!

So with that warm and fuzzy feeling to start my day, I made this card.

The OCD-ers among you may notice that the butterflies are not perfectly aligned.  Oh, does that make me OCD if I noticed?  How OCD does it make me if I don't care enough to fix it?

I coloured a brocade background stamp (Rubber Stampede Signature Background) with markers then spritzed it and stamped onto card, then punched out all the butterflies and stuck 'em on.  I couldn't resist using my new Winnie & Walter The Big The Bold and The Happy stamp again.  The candy dots are part of a prize from Stampin Up!

So, I'm entering it into Muse, where Marion has provided this week's inspiration:

After I made my version, I realised I'd got the colours in reverse, but Marion's in the southern hemisphere and I'm in the northern hemisphere :)

I used butterflies because of the challenge at Fusion:

Sort of followed the sketch.

I'm also entering it into Seize The Birthday, without the toppings.

And adding it to Winnie & Walter's Join In to Win:

I'm dashing off to collect my nun's wimple ready for Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music next week.  I can assure you there will be no photos to share!

A Cameo Appearance

I watched this video of Wendy Vecchi demonstrating this background technique at CHA 2014 using alcohol re-inkers and rubbing alcohol, and also this video by Shari Carroll using dye ink pads and rubbing alcohol, so I thought I'd have a go at Shari's version.  And when I saw the challenge at Uniko Studio, I knew what colours I would be using, or near enough:

The challenge is Distressed Or Vintage, with the colour inspiration thrown in.  It was a fun technique to do - I used Memento ink pads and Ranger blending solution to make four backgrounds, and it was actually my first attempt that turned out the best.  You need to use Ranger Specialty Stamping Paper which has a special coating so that the inks and solution don't saturate the paper.  Because the paper is semi-gloss, not all of the black ink transferred from the stamps, but it all adds to the distress effect, especially with the addition of credit card ink streaks.

It's a masculine card, so I'm entering it into CAS on Sunday Masculine

And I'm also entering it into Seize The Birthday (without toppings)

And Simon Says Monday Challenge, where the theme is A Cameo Appearance.  In this case, the blending solution has made a cameo appearance in the making of this card.  It hardly ever gets on stage, but thanks to this technique, I think it will get more appearances in the near future!

Happy Stripes

I managed to get my sticky little mitts on a set of The Big, The Bold and The Happy by Winnie & Walter before they sold out (again).  I love the BIG words and there's a really good selection of complementary words to make your own sentiments.  W&W have got a little blog linky going for people to share their W&W creations too.  And they've also got a lovely little blinkie :)

I've created some stripes by pressing masking tape into Distress Inks then sticking it onto the card panel, re-inking, re-sticking (different strip for each colour), so I'm entering it into Just Add Ink's challenge, Just Add Stripes

And I've used three of the colours (and a neutral) from the Just Us Girls colour challenge

It's a masculine card, so I'm also entering it into the masculine card challenge at Less is More.

STAMPlorations Sketch #6, Sneak Peak and Giveaway

Time for a new sketch at STAMPlorations.  The sketch runs from 17 to 28 February and here are the prize details:

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PRIZE

The sketch challenges are sponsored by our sister shop, All About Scrapping. The winner gets to pick 3 DIGITAL products from the shop -- any combination of printable sheets, Photoshop templates, and digital paper packs. The winner will also be invited as a Guest Designer in next month's sketch challenge.

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I've used Vignette: Ever After  - I love those silhouettes!  I spritzed some gold shimmer spray stuff onto kraft card then stitched a folded piece of lace onto the kraft card.  The lace looks a bit grubby on the photo, but trust me, it's white!  Added a couple of punched leaf sprigs, a Prima flower and a pearl.  It's hard to tell from the photo, but I did trim the circle to the edge of the kraft card.  The image is stamped with Colorbox Dune.

I'm entering this into Inkspirational, where there is a Tic-Tac-Toe challenge.  I've gone for Pearls or Bling/Ribbon or Lace/Flowers.

And I'm also entering it into Simon Says Wednesday Challenge, Get Krafty.

SNEAK PEAK AND GIVEAWAY

If you pop over to this post you'll get to see a sneak peak of the next stamp release from STAMPlorations, which you could win by leaving a comment.  Off you go!

Miss You Quilt

This week's Curtain Call challenge is Cosy Quilt, and the STAMPlorations Patchwork Frenzy Graphic Squares set fits the bill nicely as it contains five squares, six stitch and five sentiment stamps.

I've used the colour scheme from Just Us Girls (at least 3 colours plus any neutrals).  I used Memento Summer Sky, New Sprout, Rose Bud and Dandelion, with Espresso Truffle as the neutral.

I decided to cut up the sentiment "I Miss You" so that I could just use the "Miss" and "You" parts one on top of the other.  No sooner had I stamped the words than I looked down and the "I" was nowhere to be seen.  Therein followed a forensic fingertip search of the carpet, clothing frisk, re-opening all the ink pads I'd used, upturn of the bin and repeat, but no sign of "I".  Oh, well, lesson learned.  Finished the card, photographed it, made a brew, came back, looked again and found the little blighter hiding under the scissors on the desk, sneaky little thing!

Feel Better Soon

Too much bubbly and too many chocolates last night?  Then here's a card just for you.  The inspiration has come from Therese's unending supply of fabulous inspiration cards at Muse:

And I've used the luscious colour scheme from the current challenge at Waltzingmouse Fanatics and, of course, Waltzingmouse stamps.

I stamped some of the images wet in wet with Memento inks, then overstamped when the watercolour paper was dry, and finished the panel off with a bit of splattering.  Love splattering!

Stamps used: Waltzingmouse Funky Flowers, Simple Sprig, Say It Loud

Stitched Stripes and Flower Thanks

Back with my second post of the day.  (Click here for my first post.)

This card is loosely based on the current sketch for STAMPlorations, which closes tonight, so if you were planning to play along, get your skates on!  And if you incorporate stitching (real or stamped) you've got a twofer because you can enter it into the monthly challenge.

I'm entering it into Keep It Simple where the challenge is tropical.  I went for tropical colours - Bahama Blue, Summer Sky, New Sprout, Canteloupe and er, Dandelion (are there dandelions in the tropics?).

Because I've got green in there, I'm also entering it into Simply Create Too where the theme is St Patrick's Day or Use Green.

And at One Layer Simplicity the theme this month is repeat stamping.

Stamps:
STAMPlorations Patchwork Frenzy Graphic Pentagons
STAMPlorations Vignette Eclectic Florals