One Layer Cards

Hello!

My blogaversary post with giveaway is here - you have until 10pm (GMT) on 22 March to leave a comment.

I am just stopping by with a few one layer cards that I made to play along with some of my fave challenges.  When I saw that this week's one layer challenge at Less Is More is Animals I knew that I wanted to break out my new Mama Elephant stamps:

 

These bears are just adorable.  I watercoloured them with distress inks and masked a moon with a post it.  I think the softness of the watercolours suit the images but I definitely need more practice :)  I will also link up at Simon's Monday Challenge which has an animal theme.

 

 

I also made a 'papa bear' version with darker distress inks.

 

 

I also made a card for AAA cards challenge which is Bare Naked CAS - seemed like too good an opportunity to miss :)  I made the most CAS card that I could.....using my Altenew stamps.  I masked a slop and sponged it with grey.  I watercoloured the rock with Pumice Stone distress ink and then masked it to sponge some Tumbled Glass around it. 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you like my one layer cards!  Thanks for stopping by :)

 

Sarah x 

 

 

First Year Blogaversary!

Hello!

Today is my first bloggy birthday :)  I really wasn't sure whether I would be able to keep a blog going last year when I started or whether anyone would even visit but I have developed quite a blogging addiction habit and post here 3 to 4 times a week!  I wouldn't have kept going if it hadn't been for all of the lovely visitors and comments that make me smile so thank you very much whether it is your first visit or you call by on a regular basis - I really appreciate your support.  There are so many inspirational blogs that I am truly grateful for anyone that comes by to see one of my cards :)

In celebration of a year of blogging and over 240 blog posts I have put together a little package of stamping goodies to give away:

Please leave a comment on this post between now and 10pm (GMT) next Sunday, 22 March for a chance to win.  I am happy to ship anywhere in the world.  If you want to start following my blog while you are here that would be great but isn't a requirement for the giveaway.

I guess I should also share a couple of cards whilst you are here! 

First up is a thank you card for all of my lovely visitors using a sunburst stencil from Clarity Stamps, sentiment from Simon Says Stamp and bird from Penny Black.  The wood veneer hearts have a generous dollop of glossy accents:

 

I will link this card up at Happy Little Stampers where the challenge is sponging and at Simon's Wednesday Challenge which is Things that Fly.

 

 Next up is a card that I have made for the current challenge at Inkspirational - She Art.  What a cool theme!  This is what I came up with:

 

 

 

 

 

I stamped and masked this figure from Clarity Stamps (I think she is called Rosie) before using their swirl stencil to brush over Squeezed Lemonade, Worn Lipstick and Mustard Seed distress inks, rotating the stencil with each colour.  I sprayed some gold and white sprays over the background as well.  I watercoloured the woman in the same distress inks and created a sentiment using words from Winnie and Walter and a SSS die cut 'you'.  I will also link up at Craft Stamper's Take It Make It Challenge which is Anything Goes:

 

 

 

 

Phew that was a bit of an epic post - well done for sticking with me :)

 

Thanks again for your visit.  I hope you stop by again soon!

 

Sarah x

Bold Florals

Hello!

I have made a few cards with my Hero Art flower stamps recently - hoping that Spring is on the way :)

I heat embossed the lovely flowers from Flower Garden in coloured embossing powders.  The colours were really vibrant so I covered the panel with vellum and hand stitched it at the top with purple thread.  I added a die cut sentiment from Avery Elle in purple cardstock. 

I will link up at Virginia's View where the challenge is embossing and at Hero Arts current challenge which is Nature:

 

Secondly I have made a card with the fabulous HA daisy stamps:

I stamped the flower in Picked Raspberry Distress Ink and added a vellum panel with a sentiment from HA's You're So Kind set embossed in black.  The colours really pop but it is still quite a CAS design.

I will link up at A Blog Named Hero's Bright and Bold Challenge:

You can get any of the Hero Arts sets that I have used here over at A2Z Scrapbooking and, even better, you can get a 15% discount by using the code SARAH15 at checkout!

Thanks for stopping by :)

Sarah x

More Stencils

Hello!

I have been playing with my stencils today having been inspired by the Artplorations blog hop that Shery and the DT held this week.  I have used the gorgeous leaf print stencil again - this time on kraft:

I sponged through the stencil first in Hero Arts White Pigment Ink and then moved it slightly before sponging over again in Hero Arts Field Green.  I love the effect on kraft.  I heat embossed the Hashtag Authentic sentiment in green on kraft card and added some green twine behind it.

I will link up at the Stamplorations flash linky stencil party and also at Addicted to CAS where the code word is Green.  I am also joining in the March challenge at Happy Little Stampers to use sponging.

I also had another play with my gelli plate to create this card:

The stencil is a lovely leafy swirl from Clarity Stamps.  The warm colours and pattern looked African to me so I added an African tribesman silhouette stamp.  The sentiment is from the Hashtag Authentic set by Stamplorations which is white embossed on to black.  This isn't my usual style but I like the rich colours, pattern and depth of the gelli print.

I will link up at Stamplorations March challenge to use stamps and stencils.

Thanks for stopping by :)

Sarah x

Hummingbird

Hello!

Not long to the weekend - thankfully.  I hope your week has gone well.  I haven't had much time to craft this week but wanted to play along with a few challenges and made this very simple card:

I heat embossed this beautiful hummingbird stamp from Uniko Studio in a green/gold powder and combined it with a bud from Altenew's Magnolia set.  The panel is die cut using Lawn Fawn's stitched squares and framed with some dull gold cardstock.  I gold embossed a sentiment inside saying 'Especially For You'.

I will link up at CASology where the cue card is Tropical as I always associate hummingbirds with tropical places.  I will also play along at Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Things that Fly and at Virginia's View Embossing Challenge.

I hope you like it :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Sarah x

Time Out Challenge Reminder

Hello!

We are already at the half way point of our first year anniversary challenge at Time Out :)  It is a photo inspiration featuring a selection of colourful frames so this is what I made:

I found some old chipboard shapes in my stash and triple embossed each of them with colourful embossing powders before arranging them on top of a panel of white card which I had run through a woodgrain pattern embossing folder.  The sentiment is from Mama Elephant.

It is a very literal interpretation of the photo but you can use any element which appeals for your design.

Remember there are fab prizes from Stamplorations and Uniko Studios up for grabs with this challenge - check them out over at Time Out along with the great inspiration from the Design Team including our lovely GD, Mandi from Faith, Hope and Crafts.

Given all of the embossing that I have included in this card I will also link up at Virginia's View Challenge which is embossing.

I hope you are inspired to take Time Out to play along with us on our first birthday :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Sarah x

Gelli Fun!

Hello!

I blame Shery and the fabulous DT at Stamplorations for forcing me to get out my gelli plate and play with my stencils!!  They have been having a 3 day bloghop to celebrate the new Artplorations stencils and it has been packed with inspiration.

Shery made some fab gelli plate cards and I wanted to have a go too.  I made quite a few backgrounds (I love that they are so quick) and these are two of the finished cards:

 

I used the gorgeous Leaf Print stencil from Stamplorations and their cool Hashtag Authentic bold sentiment stamps.  I simply cut in to my gelli plate panel and popped it up to reveal the sentiment.  I love the graphic feel of the stencil and the grungy look from the gelli print.  The only downside of the gelli is that I never quite know how I achieved the different looks from each print :)

 

Here is a second print combined with a Label Love sentiment from Altenew and some PTI Scribble die cuts.

 

I will join up my first card at the Stamplorations March Challenge to use Stamps and Stencils and at Craft Stamper's Take It Make It Challenge which is Anything Goes.

 

 

I hope you like them :)

 

Sarah x