Distressed Squares

Hello!

I have been catching up with lots of work over the weekend and not had the chance to get anything made until this evening....I can't believe it is Monday tomorrow :( 

I wanted to get an entry in to this week's CASology challenge where the cue card is Distress and my design was inspired by the geometric challenge at Inkspirational.  Here is what I came up with:

 

I used a Memory Box die to create the apertures and popped the panel up over the distress ink card base - Blueprint Sketch, Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers, Tumbled Glass and Cracked Pistachio.  A strip of black glitter card and a sentiment white embossed on black add some contrast.  The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Stamps - have you heard the sad news that the store is closing?  Head over to pick up a set before Claire closes up at the end of March.  I am a huge fan of WMS and Claire's designs.

I will also link up at Simon's Wednesday Challenge where Anything Goes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sarah x

Another Card with Texture

Hello!

Thank goodness we are approaching the end of the week....I am feeling ready for the weekend!  However, that means I need to get my second card for this week's LIM challenge to add texture posted before the Friday deadline.

Earlier in the week I used texture paste and this time I used an embossing folder to add texture.  I don't have many but like the way it gives the white card panel a bit of a lift.  I combined it with my new MFT gerbera dies (love!) and the foliage is a Memory Box die (I think).  The sentiment is from Altenew and I added a strip of black glitter card down the side which adds a bit more texture.

I shall link up at Less Is More for a second time and at Simon's Wednesday Challenge where Anything Goes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sarah x

A Bit More Bling

Hello!

Just a quick post from me tonight with a card featuring sequins and glamour :)

I didn't really know where I was going with this one but had a piece of cardstock with some smooshed ink on it and decided to use my new runway inspired stamps from Tim Holtz.  I love these images! I added a touch of pencil colouring to enhance the image and a scattering of green and blue sequins along with a sparkly sentiment from WPlus9.  I like how it turned out....its a bit artsy :)

I will link up for a second time at AAA Cards current sequin themed challenge and at Simon's Wednesday Challenge where anything goes.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x

Adding Texture

Hello!

I made a card at the weekend to play along with the current challenge at Less Is More where we are adding texture to our designs.  I decided to use texture paste through a stencil:

 

 

 

The honeycomb stencil is combined with a lovely round bee from Reverse Confetti which I coloured with pencils.  I cut a second set of wings out and covered them with glitter which adds a bit of extra texture along with a sprinkling of sequins.

As the card has sequins on it I will also link up at AAA cards where they are looking for sequins.

Thanks for stopping by :)

Sarah x

A Few More Cards

Hello!

I just have a quick post today with a few more cards that I have made for current challenges starting with Time Out which has a great inspiration photo.

 

I was inspired by the skylines, text and black and white colour scheme.  The skyline die is from MFT and the sentiment from Altenew.  I masked a circle and added distress inks to add a bit of colour.  Here is the photo:

 

 

 

 
I have also made a second card for CASology as I found this cute egg shaped cutie from Create A Smile in the depths of my stash and had to link him up!

 

This is a mash up of lots of craft supplies - the patterned paper is MFT, the grass is a Lawn Fawn die, the hello is from Mama Elephant and Chickie is from Paper Smooches.  It is nice when products all play nicely together :)

 

That's all from me for one day.  I hope to see you again soon!

 

Sarah x

A Card for CASology

Hello!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend :)  I had great plans to get lots of crafting done but the day seems to have got away from me somehow and I haven't been as productive as I intended!  However I did want to play along with CASology and managed to make this card inspired by the cue card - Egg:

I don't really send Easter cards so do not have many egg related stamps and was scratching my head a bit about what to do for this week's card.  However, I remember that I had got this stamp from Clarity ages ago and have yet to ink it up.  I love the way she is running :)  I coloured my chicken with pencils and used a Tim Holtz stencil to ground the image, adding a bit at the top to soften the white space.  The sentiment is from Reverse Confetti.

I just need to find someone who likes chickens to send it to!

I will also link up at Addicted to Stamps where the theme this week is Anything Goes.

I hope to be more productive tomorrow so may have something more to share then :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x

Uniko February Challenge

Hello!

We have a fabulous colour challenge for you this month at Uniko:

I love these gorgeous colours and used them to create this card:

I used two layers of the Beautiful Blooms II to create the flowers and fussy cut them out.  The sentiment is from an older Uniko set which I think must have been retired.  I stencilled through a Tim Holtz stencil in tumbled glass to bring in the aqua colour and popped up a die cut frame for some added dimension.

A really simple card but those lovely blooms and soft colours do all of the work!

I hope you can play along with us this month.  The challenge is open until 11 March so you have plenty of time to play along and you can use any stamps/products on your design although we do love to see you crafting with your Uniko goodies too!

Head over to Uniko to see the fabulous inspiration that the DT have to share.  We are also joined by AJ from AJ's Creative Energy as GD for this challenge so be sure to check out her blog too :) 

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x

Poppies

Hello!

Here I am back with my third one layer card of the week - it is becoming a habit :)  When I was looking for stamps to play along with this week's Less Is More challenge I came across this poppy stamp from Clarity which I haven't used for ages.  I didn't want to leave it feeling neglected.....

 

I inked round a circle mask to create the sun and coloured the poppies in with coloured pencils.  The sentiment is from Mama Elephant.  Simple!

I will also link up for a second time at Addicted to CAS where the code word is Bloom.

I hope you like it :)

Sarah x

Simple Stems

Hello!

Over half way through the week and I have just found time to play along with this week's Less Is More challenge to create a one layer card featuring stems.  There are already lots of fabulous creations in the gallery.

Here is what I came up with:

 

I used a favourite Hero Arts poppy stamp and coloured it with a combination of Zig watercolours and pencils.  I created some splatters and finished with a sentiment from Hero Arts.

 

I will also link up at Hero Arts current floral challenge!

 

Its just a short post from me today.  I hope you stop by again soon :)

 

Sarah x

 

Wild Hibiscus

Hello!

I am in love with the Wild Hibiscus set from Altenew :)  I have been playing with it for the last few days and love the sketchy, loose feel of the flowers and images.

 

I masked and stamped the florals around the corner on the first card and watercoloured with very pale colours to create a soft, washed out feel.  I will link this card up at Time Out's current word inspiration challenge - Love is the flower you've got to let grow. 

 

 

I masked a line across the card and stamped the florals along it.  This time I used more vibrant colours (Picked Raspberry, Cracked Pistachio, Ripe Persimmon etc) to watercolour the images.  I used a black marker pen to add definition and a sentiment from another Altenew set.  I will ink this one up at Simon's Wednesday Challenge to create a one layer design and at Addicted to CAS where the code word is Bloom.

 

I hope you like my floral cards!

 

Sarah x

Uniko Release Day!!

Hello!

The day when you can get your hands on the fab new February release from Uniko is finally here :)  I have had lots of fun making cards with the sweet stamp sets that Bev has designed for this month.  There is something for everyone from layered florals through to friendship and cute designs plus the sentiments that work for every occasion :)

I have two final cards to share with you as part of today's release blog hop....

 

First up I stamped the lovely teacup in three colours and added the gorgeous floral detail.  I was going for a country kitchen look with a strip of woodgrain paper and the cups 'hanging' from the 3 brads.  I added a bit of shading with coloured pencils to add a bit of dimension to the cups.

 

 

I have combined the simply said sentiments and Beautiful Blooms III on this card.  I stamped the sentiments through a circle aperture and inked softly around the edges.  The florals are stamped with Altenew's purple inks.

 

Do stop by the Uniko blog to see what other members of the DT have got to share with you today.  Bev has worked so hard over the past 4 years to develop and grow Uniko (alongside her sweet family) and is celebrating with giveaways and prizes!

 

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the February release - see you again soon :)

 

Sarah x

 

 

Uniko February Release - Some Bunny

Hello!

Here we are back again introducing the final set from Uniko's fabulous February release which goes live tomorrow!  Today it is the cute Some Bunny set which works for lots of occasions from new baby to kids cards, valentines and birthdays. 

The clean lines of the bunny make it really versatile and here I share cards where I have paper pieced and watercoloured our little friend :)

I have paper pieced some bunny with lawn fawn paper and coloured in his feet and ears with promarkers.  A strip of black card helps the sentiment to pop. 

I have watercoloured the bunny with zig watercolour markers on this card and combined him with die cut elements to create a little scene:

Check out the rest of the inspiration from the DT over at the Uniko blog.  The super talented and lovely Amy Gray is joining us today :)

Here is the Some Bunny set:

 

I hope you stop by tomorrow for the release day blog hop where I will have a few more creations to share with you and there will be more chances to win release/Uniko birthday goodies!

Sarah x

Valentine

Hello!

I recently got some new stamps from Concord and 9th thanks to my fab blog buddy, Hazel from Hazel's Paper Designs.  They have some really cool designs (and for those of you in the UK, you can get them at Seven Hills Crafts).

I stamped the gorgeous tree trunk and watercoloured with distress inks.  I die cut a heart and combined it with a word die from Simon Says Stamp.  A bit of pencil shading around the outside adds some depth.  I really like how this valentine worked out as it isn't too pretty and will work for my hubby!

 

There are lots of love and valentine inspired challenges on the go at the moment so I shall link my card up at Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Have a Heart, AAA Cards - Love Me Like You Do, Time Out - Love is the Flower You've Got to Let Grow and Inkspirational where I was inspired by the woodgrain, the heart and love theme.  I will also join in at CASology where the theme is Valentines too :)  That is me loved up enough for one year!

We have another Uniko set to share with you tomorrow.....its all go :)

Sarah x

Uniko Studio February Release - Simply Said

Hello!

Today we are focusing on an essential stamp set that Bev has put together for the Uniko February release which goes live on 11 February.  Simply Said is a fab collection of sentiments in a plain font which can be used for a range of occasions and styles. 

As February is the month of romance I have made two valentine style cards featuring the sentiments.  Uniko is sponsoring CASology this week and this first card is for this week's challenge:

I have stamped words from the sentiment set in soft grey ink through a heart aperture and added a touch of ink around the edges to give definition to the shape.  The red always is from a previous Uniko set - All Occasion Sentiments #5.  I will also link up at this week's Simon's Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Have a Heart and at AAA Cards which has another romantic theme - Love Me Like You Do.

I stamped the sentiments in a similar format to create a panel on this second card.  The little heart is from the forthcoming Some Bunny set and the red heart from I Love Tea.  The sentiment in red is also from All Occasion Sentiments #5.

I have used these sentiments on other cards over the past few days and think they will be a go to set!  Here they are:

 

The rest of the DT have other fab creations to share with you featuring these sentiments over at the Uniko blog where you will also find details of the giveaways that Bev has generously provided for the release and Uniko's 4th birthday.  Drop by tomorrow for some more Uniko goodness!

 

Sarah x

Less Is More

Hello!

I am back today with my third post :)  After a slow blogging start to the year I think that my creativity has slowly started to kick back in.  Even though we are in the middle of the Uniko release, I had to take some time out to play along with this week's Less Is More Challenge to celebrate their 5th birthday.  LIM is one of my favourite challenges and I am always in awe of the inspiration that Chrissie, Sarah, Anita and Anne come up with every week.....Happy Birthday and thank you!!

The theme this week is white on white with metallics or neutrals.  Here is what I came up with:

I got this butterfly die from a craft show in Manchester at the weekend where I met up with the lovely Sarah P from Sazzle Dazzle.  She has been such an amazing and supportive blog friend - it was great to be able to natter away in person :)

I cut the die twice - once in white and then in gold mirri.  I slightly offset them when sticking them down to provide a hint of contrast and bling.  The gold embossed sentiment is from WPlus9.

Thank you for stopping by.  I am back tomorrow with our next set from Uniko!

Sarah x

Uniko February Release

Hello Again!

Today we are sharing creations made with Uniko's fab new February release - in particular I Love Tea which is the perfect complement to the coffee set that Bev released before Christmas.  I love the open tea cup design which offers lots of options combined with the sweet sentiments. 

I made two very different cards to showcase the set today - one soft and vintage and the other using much brighter colours:

 

On this card I masked the cup stamp to stack them and coloured with my zig watercolour pens.  I added a bit if wink of stella to sparkle them up too.  They are nice and vibrant!  A bit of pencil shading at the bottom grounds the tea cups.  The sentiment from the set is just so lovely....

This second card uses some soft, vintage looking papers to create a more traditional china tea cup!  I paper pieced the cup, inked round the edges of the panel and matted with some coordinating paper. 

Two different looks with the same stamps!

Here is the set:

The beautiful floral motif fits in to the tea cup too!

The release goes live on 11 February and I will be back tomorrow with more cards to share from another of the sets.  There are giveaways throughout the pre release build up and a blog hop and giveaway on release day too!  Head over to Uniko to see more details and the inspiration that the rest of the talented DT have to share with you :)  We are joined by the super talented Uniko alumni Taheerah Atchia today too!

See you again soon,

Sarah x

Honey I Shrunk the Kit

Hello!

Every few months a few blog friends put together a mini kit and share the creations that they have made with it. 

The idea, originated by the lovely Hazel from Hazel's Paper Designs, was to put together a small A6 size kit which wouldn't be too costly to post and she, Shona from Twine Around and I have been sharing our mini kits for a year.  It has been a lot of fun and this year we been joined by 2 more blog pals....the amazing Sarah Platt from Sazzle Dazzle and Sandie from London Days.  They are both amongst my fave cardmakers so I am really excited to see what they come up with :)

I put the kit together this time with the theme 'You Are A Gem' and it was full of sparkly themed items!  I managed to make 4 cards and here they are:

 

I watercoloured the Hero Arts starry background die and combined it with the sentiment (from WPlus9) and some glitter tape. 

 

 

I added some blue watercolour to the card base to set off the sparkly diamond die (Lil Inkers).  A strip of patterned paper and glitter tape along the edge.  The die cut shine is from WPlus9.

 

I watercoloured lots of gem stamps from WPlus9, cut them out and created a pile of gems combined with the punny sentiment.

 

 

Before watercolouring it I inked through the Hero Arts die cut to create a starry panel and added some splatters and ink along the edges.  A few die cut stars frame the sentiment from WPlus9.

 

Here is the kit that we have used this month:

 

 

 

 

I hope you check out the fab designs by Hazel, Shona, Sandie and Sarah.

 

Thanks for sticking with me through all of these photos!

 

See you again soon,

 

Sarah x

 

 

Uniko February Release - Beautiful Blooms III

Hello!

Spring is just around the corner (honest) and what better way to welcome it than with a beautiful layered floral stamp set from Uniko?  This is the first of the sets that we are going to be sharing with you over the next few days leading up to the release going live on 11 February!

I do love florals but don't use them very often as I always think that other people's cards look so much better :)  However, I love the way that this easy layering set can give you real depth and the flowers are an easy enough shape to cut out masks for as I have done with this first card:

I used the fab Altenew inks on this card as the tones work perfectly together for layered florals.  I masked the flowers to create the cluster in the corner and the sentiment is from a REALLY useful set, Uniko's Simply Said range of sentiments which are part of this release.

I will also link my card up to Time Out's current challenge where the word inspiration is:  Love is the Flower you've got to let Grow.  Obviously I have used flowers on my design and as a mother's love is one of the main ways that we all grow, the sentiment seems to fit well too.

I did more masking on this card:

I combined the lovely layered flowers with leaf stamps from a previous Uniko release - Natures Treasures II.  The Celebrate sentiment is from All Occasion Sentiments #6.  A strip of black patterned paper helps the florals to pop.

Here is the Beautiful Blooms III set:

 

 

Head over to the Uniko blog to check out what the lovely DT have made.  There are also prizes and giveaways to celebrate the February release and Uniko's 4th birthday!  I will be back tomorrow with another set to introduce :)

 

Sarah x

CASology Guest Designer

Hello!

I am so excited to be able to play along with CASology this week as the GD after my recent win.  The cue card this week is Glitter so it was time to get my sparkle on :)

 

I stamped and silver embossed sequins from My Favourite Things in different sizes and added white, pink and blue glitter.  The die cut sentiment is from WPlus9 and I cut it twice from white and silver glitter card.

It is a very glittery creation for me but using the white and silver with only a few touches of pink and blue kept it looking CAS - what do you think?

The fab DT team have lots more inspiration to share with you and I hope you have fun with this week's glittery cue card!

I will also link up at the Anything Goes challenge over at Simon's Wednesday Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x