Sunday 29 June 2014

Sunday Crafting

Hello!

I hope you have been enjoying your weekend :)  I didn't get much time to craft but did squeeze in a few cards for current challenges.

First up is my card for this week's CASology with the cue card - Wood.

 
I gold embossed a circular woodgrain stamp from Hero Arts.  I stacked the die cut circle up with 4 or 5 layers to make it a bit more chunky.  The lovely bird die cut is from Penny Black and sentiment is from Hero Arts.  I used a gold krylon pen round the edge of the white card.  I love a black and gold colour combo and think it works well for a sympathy card.  I will also link up with Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge which is Anything Goes.
 
I have also made a card for The Card Concept's current challenge with a baby theme.  I used this sweet panda stamp from There She Goes which, unfortunately, is no longer available:
 
 
I die cut the heart and popped it up over some patterned paper.  The sentiment is from one of my all time favourite sets by Papertrey Ink.  A few enamel dots to finish.  Simple!
 
I hope you like these cards.  I'll be back soon once I have had the chance to make something else to share :)
 
Happy crafting!
 
Sarah x
 

Friday 27 June 2014

Time Out

Hello!

Made it to the weekend, just :)

I can't believe that my card was picked out at the Time Out Challenge!


Thank you so much - it has made my day. 

I have a couple of cards to share today that I have made for the current Time Out Challenge to case this beautiful card by the fabulous Donna Mikasa:


I love the way that Donna uses vibrant colours with a splash of gold.  Here is my take:

 
I loved the gradient of colours on Donna's card and used Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Picked Raspberry Distress Inks to create it.  The die cut is from Memory Box and I stacked several up to give the panel more dimension.  The gold elements of Donna's design are mirrored in the gold embossed sentiment (Altenew's Label Love) combined with some gold thread.  It is quite a CAS design.
 
In addition to Time Out Challenges I will link this up with CAS on Sunday's challenge which has a birthday theme.
 
Obviously I had lots of leftover pieces from the die cut and made this second card with them:
 
 
It took me ages to glue all of the little circles in to the die cut!  The die cut sentiment is from Avery Elle (I think).  I inked a piece of background cardstock in the same colours to create a mat.  I will link this card up with Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

That's it from me....I hope you like these cards :)

Are you planning a crafty weekend?!

See you again soon, Sarah x

Wednesday 25 June 2014

Wednesday already!

Hello!

I can't believe it is Wednesday already...the week is definitely getting away from me.  Anyway, I have found time to make cards to play along with a few of my favourite challenges:


This card features lovely floral stamps and a sentiment from Clearly Besotted Stamps.  I have coloured the image using distress inks and water.  Some splatter and a few sequins to finish.  I will link this up with Less Is More's Challenge to feature watercolour on our card along with Clearly Besotted's Anything Goes Challenge (just!).  I can also link up with Keep It Simple's Challenge to use splatters.

My next card was inspired by the code word at Addicted to CAS - Sun:

 
I have used circle stamps from Uniko Studio and a sentiment from Mama Elephant.  I popped up the stitched tag for added interest.  I really like this very CAS look :)  I will also link up with Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge where Anything Goes. 
 
I best dash as the link ups close on a few of these within the hour!!
 
I hope you like the cards - thanks for your kind comments :)
 
Sarah x




Saturday 21 June 2014

Float My Boat

Hello! 

I hope you have had a sunshiney Saturday :)  Just a few simple cards from me today:


 
Here is a card that I have made to play along with The Card Concept's nautical theme using (new to me) Lawn Fawn stamps and dies.  I have put some wink of stella on the sails and used the negative edges of a scallop border punch for my waves.
 
I made my next card playing around with these lovely border sentiment stamps from Simon Says Stamp.  I coloured and glittered some wood veneer stars as embellishments.  This was a super quick card to create :)
 
 
My final card today is playing with my new Uniko Studio butterfly stamps which are gorgeous.  I gold embossed them and used my current favourite stencil from Simon Says Stamp.  The middle panel looked a bit stark so I added some gold splatters.  The sentiment is from Mama Elephant.  I love black and gold as a colour combo....I do come back to it time and again.  Because my card features splatters I will join up at Keep It Simple's current challenge to use splatters :) and at Simon's Wednesday Challenge which is to make cards for friends.
 
 
Three cards in one post?  I will have to go and have a lie down :)
 
Hopefully I will have something more to share tomorrow if I can sneak back for more playtime in my craft room - should be easy with the world cup distracting my boys!
 
Thanks for your visit - stop by again soon :)
 
Sarah x
 
 

Friday 20 June 2014

One Layer Cards

Hello!

I hope you have had a good week....it feels like it has been a long one!  I am looking forward to a lazy weekend :)

I ran out of time to play along with Less is More this week but did make a few one layer cards with my new floral stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps.  I do like them and they are easy to mask and layer up to create some dimension on a one layer card.  Here is what I came up with:

 
I combined the florals with a sentiment from Hero Arts Messages with Flourish.  On my next card I masked a strip and stamped a sentiment from Avery Elle.  I love the fonts of these sentiments :)
 
 
Although I missed Less is More, I did really want to play along with CASology's challenge this week where the cue card is Celebrate.  This is their 100th challenge - woot!  The CASology challenges are so fun and I always love the creations from the super talented design team :)
 
That's it from me tonight...hopefully I will have more to share over the weekend.  Thanks for your visit and kind comments :)
 
Sarah x
 

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Hello Sunshine

Hello!

Just a few cards that I have made using stencils - they are pretty bright....do you have your sunglasses on?!

 
Here I have just inked through a journaling card to create a bold greeting.  I have used picked raspberry, mustard seed, spiced marmalade, scattered straw and squeezed lemonade distress inks.  Love this summer colour combo!  It was inspired by Jocelyn Olson's card in this week's Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.
 

 
I have used my new (to me) Uniko Studio Flower Power stamps on this card.  The background is stencilled using a Simon Says Stamp stencil - this will get lots of use!  The sentiment is from Altenew's Label Love. 
 
As the Uniko stamps are new I will join up with Darnell's fab Never Before Used Schtuff Challenge:
 
Never-Before-Used-Schtuff (Stamps, Dies, EFs, etc.)
 
along with Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge to use stencils and Time Out Challenge with a summer theme and optional twist of flowers.
 
I hope you are having a good week - see you again soon!
 
Sarah x

Monday 16 June 2014

Happily Ever After

Hello!

A quick post from me with another anniversary card:



I made this card with the lovely heart shaped hot air balloons from Clearly Besotted Stamps and one of the fab sentiments from Winnie and Walter.  I used some cloud shaped dies to stencil the background.  A few sequins and some glitter tape to finish.

I will link this up with a few challenges including CASology which has a cue card of anniversary, Simon Says Stamp Wednesday's challenge to use stencils and Addicted to CAS which has a transport theme.

There is also an Anything Goes theme over at the Clearly Besotted blog too so I can join up there!

I hope you like it!  Thanks for stopping by :)

Sarah x

Sunday 15 June 2014

Bokeh Stamping

Hello!

There is a new challenge over at A Blog Named Hero to use bokeh stamping:


I had lots of fun creating these cards using the circle stamps from Hero Arts!  All I did was stamp first and second generation circles of various sizes to give the look of the beautiful blur that you get when photographing lights.  I used lovely soft colours to accentuate the bokeh effect - and that was the perfect excuse to use my new Hero Arts ink daubers too.  They were great to use on stamps.


 
Have you also noticed the great flair buttons that I have used on both cards?  They are from Finding Nana and are just great!
 
Go and check out what the DT have created - their designs are wonderful!
 
I hope you find time to play along with the challenge.  Remember that there is the chance to win a prize from our fab sponsor:
 

 
Thanks for stopping by!
 
 
 
 

A Tag At Last!

Hello! 

I hope your weekend is going well!  World Cup Fever has taken over in our house so I am taking refuge in my craft room :) 

I have been wanting to play along with Virginia's latest challenge over at Virginia's View.  I was a bit stumped as I am not one for making tags and there is the added requirement to use something recycled.....

After much messing about, this is what I came up with:



 
I swooshed each of the tags through distress stains diluted with water and love the backgrounds this created.  Each of the tags features Hero Arts stamps - I spritzed the ferns with water to get a softer look.  The recycled item on the first two is text from an old dictionary that I had saved for die cutting.  There is nothing recycled on the last one, I was just having so much fun making tags!!  I really enjoyed getting inky - thanks Virginia!
 
We are off to visit my father in law for Father's Day - best wishes to all of the wonderful Dads out there :)
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 
Sarah x

Saturday 14 June 2014

Wedded Bliss

Hello!

I am glad to have got to another weekend.....I just have a quick card to share which I made for friends of my mother's who are celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary!!  That is pretty amazing - what a lovely milestone to celebrate.  My card is fairly clean and simple:

 
I die cut lots of numbers with Memory Box dies and adhered them to the card based in a design that I saw Jennifer Mcguire use.  I coloured and glittered the main numbers and covered them with glossy accents to create a focal point.  I gold embossed the sentiment from Waltzingmouse Stamps on to a vellum banner and finished with a few gold hearts and glittered dots. 
 
I was pleased with the finished effect.  My Mum couldn't find a 65th wedding anniversary card in the shops and didn't want anything too fussy so I hope this fits the bill!
 
I will also link up with CASology's current challenge with the cue card - Anniversary.  Quite handy really :)
 
Thanks for your visit and kind comments.
 
Hope to see you again soon!
 
Sarah x

Thursday 12 June 2014

NBUS!

Hello!

Flying in with a quick post to share some cards that have been inspired by the fabulous Darnell's challenge to break out that unloved stash:


I love visiting Darnell's happy Playhouse - she has an army of followers and is always generous with kind words and encouragement.  I am learning lots of new words as well from her unique written style :)

I am afflicted by the common crafter's condition of impulse buying and often buy supplies inspired by amazing cards that I see in blogland.  However, once the products arrive I have no idea what to do with them!!

I recently got some great stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps and here are the two cards that I have made:

 
I have combined this lovely stamp set with a sentiment from Mama Elephant.  It is a very straightforward design with the roses popped up along the leafy vine which I have stamped twice.  The punched border in pink card adds a bit of interest.

 
I love the modern look of these leaves from Waltzingmouse and think they lend themselves to a more masculine card which I have paired with a sentiment from Hero Arts.  The leaf is stamped in shades of green which match the colours of my bedroom so I can play along with this week's Less Is More challenge too :)
 
I hope that you like these cards and are inspired to break out your new/unused goodies to play along with Darnell's NBUS challenge!
 
See you again at the weekend :)
 
Sarah x

Monday 9 June 2014

Hearts and Flowers

Hello!

Just a quick post today with a card for the current challenge at Uniko Studio which has a gorgeous colour combo and the theme of Thinking of You:


Here is my card:

 
I combined sentiments from All Occasion Sentiments #3 and #5 and gold embossed them.  I cut a heart stencil from acetate and stamped round the edges in the lovely florals from Background Builders Vines.  I don't often make one layer cards but like the look that the heart gives.
 
I am looking forward to the next release of Uniko's stamps which is on 11 June this week - check out the sneak peaks that Bev is sharing on the blog.
 
I will also join up with the Time Out Challenge which has a summer theme with a twist of flowers.
 
Thanks for your visit :)
 
Sarah x

Sunday 8 June 2014

Rain or Shine

Hello!

I hope you have been enjoying your weekend!  It has been a typical English summer weekend here - sunshine and showers :)  My two cards are both influenced by the weather (and some lovely papers from Studio Calico).

 
I used a lovely balloon set from Clearly Besotted Stamps white embossed on to patterned paper and to kraft.  The hills are die cut circles and the sentiment is white embossed on vellum.  I will play along with the Time Out Challenge which has a summer theme.
 
Whilst I had these papers out I made a second card:
 
 
I used the lovely Avery Elle Weather It set on this card which I will link up with CASology's current challenge where the Cue Card is Shine. 
 
Thanks for stopping by :)
 
Sarah x
 

Saturday 7 June 2014

Over at A Blog Named Hero

Hello!

Things have been a bit quiet on the blog lately - partly with our recent trip away combined with a busy week at work.  However, I am over at ABNH today sharing some cards for Father's Day.

This month we have been lucky enough to play with some lovely products from:


and


I love the quirky embellishments and washi tape from Finding Nana which are really worth checking out and Faber Castell don't really need any introduction but I have to say that gelatos are my new favourite craft product :)

 
 
These are two of the cards I have made - cute and cool :)  Go and check out the others at A Blog Named Hero.
 
I will also link up with the Father's Day Challenge at Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge!
 
Talking of challenges - there is still time to play along with the challenge to make anything but a card at A Blog Named Hero which comes with the chance to win $25 from our fab sponsors, Simon Says Stamp :)
 

 
 
 
 


Thanks for your visit and support!

Bye for now,