Winter Bird

Here's a card I made for the 200th CAS Challenge at Splitcoaststampers - to be inspired by this fabric:

It was a quick card  - I masked with post-it-notes and then sponged with gray ink along the top of the card.

Often I will mask a circle and sponge inside for the sun or moon on a card like this but this time I simply cut a  circle with a Nestie for the sun.  I used Memory Box dies for the bird and branches.  The berries are the leftover holes from using a button punch.  I was aiming for the look of a milky sun on a misty winter's morning with frost covered branches and red berries.  Though I'm not aware of cardinals existing here in Northern Ireland, I know they're a winter bird in many parts of North America.

Supplies include:

Memory Box Grove Branch die

Memory Box Nestled Bird die

Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles Small

Stampin Up Basic Gray ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Stampendouds (sentiment)

Stampin Up Daffodil Delight, Real Red card stock

Cream Linen card stock

Tie the Knot

Here's a card I made for CASual Friday's challenge - CFC81 Knotty or Nice.

I went for a wedding card in a color combo which I hope is elegant - gold, black and cream!

The knotty element is two champagne glasses cut using Die-namics from cream linen 

card stock sponged with Antique Linen ink -  they're tied and knotted together using gold cord.

The heart is cut using flocked dp which adds a lot of texture and elegance IRL.  

The sentiment is computer generated using my new favourite font, Lavanderia - it's 

popped up on the heart on a banner cut with My Favorite Things Fishtail Flags STAX Die-namics.

Supplies include:

My Favorite Things Fishtail Flags STAX Die-namics

MFT Let's Toast Die-namics

Spellbinders Nestabilities Hearts, Circles Small

Gold Cord

Brushed gold card stock

Brushed gold brads

DCWV dp

Cream Linen cardstock
Ranger Distress Antique Linen ink

CAS Ornament

Here's a card made for the Featured Stamper Challenge at Splitcoaststampers today - it's Diana, aka mayodino – I enjoyed her entire gallery, but especially the sponged designs, so I chose this ornament card to CASE.  
I'm also entering this in the fun challenge, Addicted to CAS  #2 - Code Word Bauble!
I sponged a Spellbinders Nestie circle, added some die-cut snowflakes and spritzed white acrylic paint on it with a toothbrush.  If you're going to try this, I suggest thinning down the paint with a few drops of water, otherwise the paint will be too thick to "spritz" properly.  Also do a test run on a piece of scrap paper just to get the feel of what it takes to get a nice even "spritz"!

 The top of the ornament was made with shiny silver card stock, the upper edge cut with an oval Nestie and the bottom cut with a scalloped oval Nestie with some added score lines.  
I used black wire for the loop at the top (twisted the wire around a paintbrush handle in order to achieve a more perfect circle shape) and “hung” the ornament with twine.  

The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, A Cocoa Kind of Christmas - I love the font Korin used in this set!

Supplies include:

Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles, Ovals, Scalloped Ovals

M-bossibilities So Trendy embossing folder

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps A Cocoa Kind of Christmas

My Favorite Things Fishtail Flags STAX Die-namics

Cheery Lynn Designs snowflake die

SU Cool Caribbean ink

Ranger Distress Broken China ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Twine

Wire

White Acrylic Paint

Toothbrush

Shiny Silver card stock

Smooth White card stock

CAS Roses

Just having some fun with Papertrey Ink's The Sweet Life stamp and die set.  The stamp set involves three step stamping, so you need shades which provide some contrast.

 I originally wanted to go for yellow roses but didn't have several shades of yellow, though I plan to try yellow and orange.  The dies are fabulous - the card stock just pops out effortlessly!

This is my favourite type of card to make, a bright pop of color against a crisp white background.  

Working with such bright inks certainly brightens up a cold winter day!
I've also posted this for today's Free For All Challenge, Springtime in December at Splitcoaststampers.

Supplies include:

Papertrey Ink The Sweet Life stamps, dies

Papertrey Ink Signature Greetings

Stampin Up Lavender Lace, Orchid Opulence, Pink Passion, Certainly Celery, Lucky Limeade ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Smooth White card stock

Creative Experessions Lattice embossing folder

Country Retro

 

Here's a card I made using the sketch challenge over at Splitcoaststampers given to us by Korin. With all those panels it was a perfect chance to mix dp's which I love to do - here it's a mix of some favorite October Afternoon papers.  I used Papertrey Ink's Bloom Builder 3 die for the red flowers.  The edges of the card base have been sponged with distress ink - if I could have just one ink pad other than Memento Tuxedo Black, it would Ranger Distress Antique Linen, because I love the way it makes paper/card look like it's been in Grandma's attic for a long time!

The sentiment is from Verve's Circular Sayings.  I hope this card will encourage a friend who's been going through a really bad time.

Supplies include:

Papertrey Ink Bloom Builder 3 Die

Verve Circular Sayings

October Afternoon dp

Stampin Up Real Red card stock

Buttons

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Ranger Distress Antique Linen

Twine

Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles Large, Small

Sewing Machine

Country Wildflowers

Here's a card I made recently for a Ways to Use It Challenge which Cathy (cathymac) gave us at Splitcoaststampers - using the bleach technique - and I managed to get through the whole process without ruining any clothes!

I've used SNSS's Wilflower set on Stampin Up's Cherry Cobbler card stock - as you can see the bleach causes the stamped area to fade to a creamy pink. I find this technique works well with solid stamps like silhouettes rather than stamps with finer lines. Another hint while using this technique is to use your bleach sparingly - I put some on a piece of folded paper towel on a flat plate, just enough to thoroughly moisten it but not enough to make it dripping wet.

My last suggestion would be to try it out on piece of extra card stock first - the result is always different depending on the color and make of the cardstock. For example some hardly showed at all, and with others the result seemed muddy, but there were plenty that ended up pretty and pleasing!

I added the main image oval to an embossed panel of kraft....the color combo said "country" to me so I added a gingham ribbon bow as a finishing touch!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Wildflower

Spellbinders Nestabilities Ovals

Stampin Up Cherry Cobbler card stock

Papermania Kraft

Ribbon

Pearls

Twine

Bleach

Button

Sizzix/Stampin Up Square Lattice embossing folder

CAS Noel

 

I made a card for the Less is More challenge this week, which is a Color Challenge Red and Green .
Chrissie and Jen gave us some beautiful inspiration with their samples.
 Couldn't resist that color combo against a crisp creamy white background!

  I was delighted to see that the sponsor this month is My Mum's Craft Shop - I love the selection and personal service that Kitty provides and they stock a great selection of MFT Die-namics - need I say more?!

I used By the Letters Die-namics to cut letters from burgundy RED cardstock and a Cheery Lynn Designs holly die for the GREEN holly.  The bg is embossed and I added some large matching brads for berries! 

Supplies include:

My Favorite Things By the Letters Die-namics

My Favorite Things Fishtail Flags Die-namics

Cheery Lynn Designs holly die

M-bossibilities Elitel embossing folder

Stampin Up Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade cardstock

Brads