Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! I thought that I would celebrate with a Christmas card - after all, everything will turn to Christmas tomorrow morning!

The inspiration photo this week is all about neutral colours, dry embossing, and snowflakes. I took a look at the gallery and the entries so far are amazing! Definitely a lot of inspiration. Here is the main inspiration photo:

And here is my card:

I cut some white cardstock with the SSS Circle on a Line die, and then I dry embossed the large piece with a snowflake embossing folder. I used my silver Wink of Stella pen to colour the raised dots and also the "line" part of the die cut. I used some brown shimmer paper (Prima) at the base of the card and glued everything onto the card base. I then die cut some snowflakes using SSS dies (I love theses snowflake dies!) - I used the Eliza die to cut one white and one brown snowflake, and then I used the Kate die to cut another white one that I coloured with the silver Wink of Stella pen to match. These dies are designed so they stack nicely - which is exactly what I did. I finished off with a gem and a white embossed greeting from My Favorite Things.

I will link to Merry Monday Challenge and to Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes.

Supplies:
Dies: Simon Says Stamp - Circle on a Line; Eliza Snowflake; Kate Snowflake
Embossing Folder: Tim Holtz/Sizzix - Snowflake Pattern
Stamp: My Favorite Things - Cheerful Christmas

Case This Sketch - Snowflakes

A quick last minute entry for this week's Case This Sketch. Actually, I made the card last weekend but I didn't get around to the post until now. Here is the sketch:

And here is my take on it:

I masked the sides of the card using some washi tape and blended in a some blue distress ink (Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Salty Ocean) and then stamped some Simon Says snowflakes as well. I die cut two Simon Says snowflakes and silver heat embossed them before gluing them to the card. I finished the card with some twine, sequins and a Clearly Besotted tag and greeting.

I will link this card up to the Case This Sketch Challenge here.

Thanks for stopping by!!

TIME OUT Guest Designer - Birds of a Feather

I bought this stencil a while back on a whim because - well - it had birds. I've been waiting for the right occasion to break it out and this TIME OUT challenge seemed to fit the bill. The theme is:

"Birds of a Feather Flock Together"

TIME OUT is such a great challenge - I really like that each challenge lasts a fortnight. We know how busy life can get, and two weeks gives enough time to play along. Check out TIME OUT here:

For the first card, I inked the birds through the stencil using some bright colours of Distress Inks. I then die cut the curve using the Pretty Pink Posh die. I felt that the background looked too stark so I used the stencil to trace the birds onto some Post-It tape and fussy cut them to make some bird masks. I then masked the birds and stamped the French Text background stamp onto the background. I gave the birds a little shimmer with some Wink of Stella and then mounted the panel on a Slate card. It was finished off with a white heat embossed Hero Arts sentiment. As a side note, I think this is my most used sentiment stamp - it is so generic that the card can be used for so many different occasions - perfect for cards that I like to keep on hand in case something comes up and I don't have time to make a card specifically for it.

For the second card, I broke out my new metallic Distress Stains and I created the background panel using them and a large flat brush. You can't see it in the photo but it is super shimmery in real life. I then used some embossing paste through the stencil to create the birds - when the paste was still wet, I applied some Rock Candy Glitter to the birds. I used the same die as the first card but I cut the panel at an angle. I did the same thing with a layer of vellum, and I mounted them on a card base made from DCWV Shimmer paper. I finished off by white heat embossing the greeting. This card is so shimmery that when you rotate it in the light, the birds disappear - it is quite cool but unfortunately, it can't be captured with the camera (or at least not by this photographer!).

Supplies:

Stencil: Dina Wakley - Birds In Flight

Stamps: Impression Obsession - French Text; Hero Arts - Good Friends ; Clearly Besotted - Say It In Style

Die: Pretty Pink Posh

I will link this card to the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Jill

Stamplorations - Wishing You Well

The last few weeks at work have been quite busy - long days and weekends included so I am taking a few days off for some staycation R&R. Today, I completely spoiled myself by going for a facial and massage - followed by some quality time in my craft room :)

I bought some stamps from Stamplorations a little while ago but most of them have been in their packaging since they arrived. Today seemed like the perfect day to break that trend - this is what came out...

I inked the background using my new favourite Memory Box stencil and a few colours of Distress Inks. I stamped the butterflies on some black cardstock and white heat embossed. I then fussy cut them and glued them to the background. The greeting is from another Stamplorations set - I tried to shape it to match the stencil lines

I will link this card to a few few challenges:

• Stamplorations October challenge featuring embossing.
• Less is More Challenge to use newsprint
• Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes

Supplies: 

Stamps: Stamplorations - Vignette: Tree Sihouettes; Stamplorations - Vignette: Artful Flutters

Stencil: Memory Box - Wave

Distress Ink

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Merry Christmas

It has been another long week at work and I have been struggling with a horrible cold so I really haven't had much time to spend in my craft room but I did manage to get this one in this morning. It combines two of my current love affairs - Clearly Besotted and SSS grey cardstock (in this case I used Smoke but I love them all).

For this card, I used the new Clearly Besotted Ornamental Style    stamps and dies. I started with my Smoke cardstock die cut into a rounded-corner panel and white heat-embossed the greeting across the top. I then die cut the three ornaments where I wanted them positioned on the panel. I also die cut the ornaments in three sheets of patterned paper and inlaid them into the panel. I then die cut the ornaments onto some vellum and stamped them using the coordinating stamps with Versamark. I heat embossed using Ranger Snowflake Tinsel embossing powder and I glued them over the patterned paper ornaments. I used the small snowflakes in the stamp set on the bottom part of the panel (trying to follow the diagonal line of the greeting) - these were just stamped in Versamark for a tone-on-tone effect. The card base is also Smoke cardstock - and I added some striped paper (from the same 6x6 pad) overlaid with some vellum. I again tried to line up the stripes to the diagonal in the greeting. The panel was mounted with foam tape.

I will link this card to the current Clearly Besotted challenge (Christmas theme) and also to Addicted to Stamps and More Holiday themed challenge.

Supplies:
Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Ornamental Style
Dies: Clearly Besotted - Ornamental Style; Simon Says - Frames
Patterned Paper: MME - Lime Twist (6x6)
Embossing Powder: Ranger - Snowflake Tinsel
Ink: Versamark

Thanks for stopping by!!!!
Jill

TIME OUT Guest Designer

Time Out is a great challenge blog that I have had a lot of fun playing. I was incredibly honoured (and nervous) when they asked me to be a guest designer this week. You can link to TIME OUT by clicking on the badge below.

 This week, the theme is "Inspired By Words", and the quote is:

"Birds of a feather flock together."

I confess that I am a little bit of a bird watcher, and that I have a huge stash of bird stamps, dies, and stencils. I started sorting though everything looking for inspiration, when my latest order from Simon Says arrived in the post. The parcel contained all kinds of Holiday stuff so I got a little bit distracted. One of the things that I had ordered was the Holly Berries stamp that Clearly Besotted designed for Stamptember. I was looking at the branches when I thought "they would look great with some birds on the branches" - and the idea was born:

I stamped the branch three times in Versamark and heat embossed using Snowflake Tinsel embossing powders (I love glitter on holiday cards!) I then die-cut the birds using the Penny Black "In a Row" from some SSS Schoolhouse Red cardstock - it is actually a die cut of birds on a wire but I cut them apart to get the individual birds. I glued them on the branched and then covered them in Christmas Red Stickles (more glitter!).I added a couple of strips of matching cardstock to the sides of the panel, and then wrapped some twine around it. The tag was stamped using a combination of Clearly Besotted stamps, and then die-cut using the matching die. The panel was then mounted on a SSS Smoke card that had stamped with the Penny Black Christmas Story background stamp in Versamark for a tone on tone effect. The Snowflake Tinsel did not show up very well in the picture so I tried to take another angle to try to capture it.. not sure that worked either though...

I have to say that when I first pictured this card, it was a lot more CAS in my mind but I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

I will link to a couple of challenges - Clearly Besotted (I am in love with their products!) is hosting a holiday themed challenge, and Simon Says Stamp is celebrating Stamptember themed cards.

Supplies:
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp/Clearly Besotted - Holly Berries; Clearly Besotted - Journal It; Penny Black - Christmas Story
Dies: Clearly Besotted - Journal It; Penny Black - In A Row
Cardstock: Simon Says Stamp
Ink: Versamark, Simon Says Stamp

Thanks so much for stopping by!!!!
Jill

Merry Monday Guest Designer

Today, I am guest designing on the Merry Monday challenge blog. This is the first time I have been a guest designer, and I have to admit that I was pretty nervous about the whole thing. The Merry Monday blog is a great challenge blog that motivates you to get a head start on holiday cards. The challenges are great and the design team is amazing! Here is the link:

The theme this week on Merry Monday is to create a Christmas card using non-traditional colours. Yay! I love using non-Christmas colours on my holiday cards - many of my friends and relatives have received cards coloured with Picked Raspberry and Peacock Feathers

Here is the card:

I took my inspiration from the tree in the picture. I stamped my tree in Versamark and then heat embossed it using Sticky Stuff embossing powder. This allowed me to cover the image in Gunmetal Blue glitter. I decided that the tree needed a frame so I die cut the frame using a SSS die and did the same thing using some pink glitter paper. I inlaid the pink frame around the tree. I decorated the tree using some gems (teal, lime, pink and clear), and I decorated a wood veneer with Picked Raspberry paint and Rock Candy glitter to use as a greeting. I mounted the front on some non-Christmas patterned paper. Unfortunately, it was a little bit cloudy when I was taking the picture so the sparkle doesn't show up in the picture but (trust me), this card is very sparkly in real life.


Supplies:
Stamp: Penny Black - Tannenbaum
Dies: Simon Says Stamp - Frames
Glitter: Glitter Ritz - Gunmetal Blue
Patterned Paper: Studio Calico
Wood Veneer: Prima


Thanks so much for stopping by!
Jill

You Color My World

One of my favourite techniques lately is to use a stencil to outline an image and then fill in with watercolour. I was going through my stencil stash looking for my next project when I came across this older Studio Calico stencil recently liberated from one of my SC Scrapbook kits. I thought that it would look good in rainbow colours. 

I temporarily adhered the stencil to a piece of watercolour paper and outlined the shapes using Inktense pencils. I then removed the stencil and filled in the shapes using some water. I took my inspiration for the next step from Christine Drogt's guest spot on Virgnia's View - she cut a stencils image out and popped it up with foam tape. I did the same with my watercoloured stencil image. I stamped the greeting and coloured in the "Color" with a black Wink of Stella pen - you can't really see the shimmer in the picture but it is there in real life.

I'm not usually very good at linking to multiple challenges but this card was inspired by so many places. I will link to Virginia's View Challenge which features Clean and Simple. I will also link to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge to watercolour, and I will link to Addicted to CAS which focuses on stencils (my second entry).

Supplies:
Stencil: Studio Calico
Stamp: Reverse Confetti - Dream In Color
Colour Medium: Inktense Watercolour pencils

Thanks so much for stopping by!!!!

Runway Inspired - Cynthia Rowley

I love the elegant combination of gold, black and white but it's not one that I use often - in fact, I can't recall ever using it so that is why I was so intrigued by the Runway Inspired Challenge this week.

I really like the way the black frames the gold, and the linear floral style of the gold - that is what I wanted to CASE. This is what I came up with:

It took me a while to figure out how to do the gold and black. My first attempt was using gold embossing paste but I found that the gold colour was too bright. I finally used my Versamark through the stencil and applied gold embossing powder - I liked that colour much more. I used my black Copic marker to colour over the embossing powder and make the black highlights. I stamped the greeting in the same gold embossing powder on vellum that I wrapped around the panel with some gold floss. The panel was then mounted (with foam tape) onto a A2 black card.

In case you're wondering why I did the "belated" greeting, it's because I forgot my sister-in-law's Birthday is tomorrow and it will take about a week for the card to get to Denmark from here.

In addition to linking this card to Runway Inspired Challenge, I will also link to Addicted to CAS which is featuring stencils this week.

Supplies:

Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Say It In Style

Stencil: Hero Arts - Leaf & Flourish

Embossing Powder: Stampendous - gold

Twine: DMC

Other: Copic - black

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Merry and (Really) Bright

The challenge at Merry Monday this week is to use neon colours in Christmas cards - love it!!! I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to break out my Dylusions sprays again - I just love the really vibrant colours in that line (not quite neon but close enough I think). 

Here is the first card:

I stamped the row of bulbs from the Dylusions Christmas Borders set a few times across a piece of white cardstock that I had die cut into a wonky rectangle shape. I then painted the bulbs with several colours of Dylusions sprays, added some Wink of Stella and a coating of Glossy Accents for shine. I then stamped some diagonal stripes on a piece of white cardstock with some HA neon purple ink. The purple was looking a little bit bland next to the shiny bulbs so I added some Glossy Accents to the stripes as well. I mounted them on a black A2 card and white heat embossed the "Merry and Bright" greeting.




Here is the second card:

The second card was done using the same materials as the first card but this time I used my new Memory Box Triangle Tree stamp. I again coloured the tree with Dylusions, then Wink of Stella, and some Glossy Accents to finish off.

I will link my cards up to Merry Monday Challenge.


Supplies:
Stamps: Dylusions - Christmas Borders; Hero Arts - Calico Borders; Memory Box - Triangle Tree; Simon Says Stamp - Christmas
Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Dylusions Sprays - various colours; Hero Arts - Neon Purple
Other: Wink of Stella; Glossy Accents

Sympathy Card

On the weekend, I was looking for inspiration on challenge blogs, and I saw that the current challenge on The Card Concept was a colour challenge using black, white, and orange. Orange! My favourite colour! When I think of orange, I usually think of tiger lilies and sunsets... this time sunsets came to mind, and this card:

This card has been in my head for as long as I have owned the stamp (years!) but I have never gotten around to actually making it. I think that I have a hesitation around making sympathy cards - but I hate having to make them when I actually need them. My practical side one out, and I put ink to paper - three shades of Distress Inks to be precise. I used some torn paper as a mask, and then stamped the birds in black Versafine. I did add some Wink of Stella to the orange sunset (I don't think it shows up in the photo). I added a greeting, mounted the panel on some black cardstock and popped the whole thing up on a white card base. 

I will link this card to this week's Card Concept Challenge as a clean and simple card.


Supplies:
Stamps: Studio Calico/Hero Arts - Birds on a Wire; My Favorite Things - Clearly Sentimental About Sympathy
Distress Inks: Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

80th Birthday

I have some pretty strong opinions about when numbers should be put on Birthday cards:

• When the recipient is under 10
• When it is a special Birthday and that person has a party to celebrate the occasion.

It is my uncle Eric's 80th Birthday this coming weekend and we have been invited to a luncheon to celebrate with him - so that means that I need to create a Birthday card with the number 80 featured. Hmmm.... 

I wasn't sure what to do for the card - nothing too feminine, nothing too girly... I took a browse through the challenge blogs looking for inspiration and I noticed that Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge was transportation - perfect. This is what I came up with:

I kept the background neutral, using SSS Smoke and Fog cardstock and stamping the HA background stamp in Fog ink for a tone-on-tone effect. I used the SSS Circle-On-A-Line die to create the division. I then stamped the background again in black on white cardstock. I coloured and fussy-cut the balloons and popped them up. I added a die-cut (Lawn Fawn) number also coloured to match. I layered about 5 die-cuts to create some dimension. I added the SSS Happy Birthday die-cut from Smoke cardstock. Finishing touch was adding some Glossy Accents to the balloons and the 80.

I wasn't sure about this card as it was coming along but I am very happy with the final result - perfect for my 80 year old uncle!

I will link to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Jill

TIME OUT with Stamping

The challenge this week at TIME OUT is all about stamping - with an optional twist of apples. It's funny because when I first saw that the challenge was about stamping, I thought "but I always stamp" - and then I thought about it, and I realized that my cardmaking has been taken over by die-cuts (love them!), watercolouring (so much fun!), and stencils (so versatile!). Stamping really has taken a backseat to other techniques in my cards lately so what an appropriately timed challenge!
 Here is my card:

So the main stamping was the apple on a few different pieces of patterned paper. I then fussy-cut them and pieced them back together to make the apple which I mounted on foam tape. The background panel was not the original panel. I wanted to stay true to the stamping theme so my original background panel featured stamped chicken wire. It didn't look right so I played around with it and some Distress Inks but I still didn't like it.... and then I remembered that I had a reverse chicken wire stencil...so the apple was ripped off the background panel... and here is the (slightly less stamped) result. The card was finished off with a sentiment stamped on a Studio Calico wood banner, some twine and a Little Yellow Bicycle pin. 

I will link up to the TIME OUT challenge here.

Supplies:
Stamps: Cocoa Daisy - apple; Hero Arts/Studio Calico - sentiment
Stencil: Crafter's Workshop
Die: My Favorite Things - Blueprint 13
Other: Studio Calico - wood veneer; Little Yellow Bicycle - pin;Glossy Accents

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Jill

Merry Monday and Happy World Cardmaking Day!

It has been a while since my last post - and a full week since I have spent any time in my craft room. Work has been very busy and also very exhausting which has just limited my creative time and energy. Today, however, I decided to give myself a break from work, and make some cards in celebration of World Cardmaking Day. The first one on my agenda was one inspired by the Merry Monday challenge - to use stripes and dots:

Here is how this card came about. I knew what I wanted to do but I wasn't sure what patterned paper I was going to use. I spent a good amount of time combing through all my Christmas 6x6 pads looking for some dots and stripes (there may have been some daydreaming whilst doing so) before eventually settling on some paper from the non-Christmas MME Lime Twist pad. I stamped and fussy-cut the two images and put them together. The background is stenciled embossing paste covered with Rock Candy Distress Glitter (it is a Christmas card after all!). I added some striped ribbon, stamped a greeting, and went a little bit crazy with the sequins for the finishing touches (do sequins count as dots?!).

I will link this card to the Merry Monday Challenge which is dedicated to helping us getting a quick start on our holiday cards (how excellent is that?). I submitted two cards to the challenge last week, and was thrilled to have received an honourable mention for my stocking card.

Supplies:
Stencil: Simon Says Stamp - Peppermint Stripe
Stamps: Tim Holtz - Gift Sketch; My Favorite Things - Cheerful Christmas
Paper: MME - Lime Twist
Ink: Hero Arts - Soft Granite
Sequins: Pretty Pink Post - Sparkling Clear 4mm and 6mm

Thanks for stopping by!!!!