Masculine birthday card with die cuts

My Dad's birthday is tomorrow, so I made this simple masculine card for him.  It uses the "Feathers" craft dies and the "Happy Birthday" die from Simon Says, as well as the "Birthday Trio" die from PaperTrey Ink.

NO STAMPING!  Shock horror!! ;)

 Thanks for visiting - have a great day :)

Addicted to CAS - Codeword: Texture

Welcome to another ATCAS challenge - the codeword is Texture! 

Many thanks to our sponsor for this challenge:

Please visit our challenge blog: http://scribblesdesignschallenge.blogspot.com/

Store: http://buyscribblesdesigns.blogspot.com/

Make sure you come over to Addicted to CAS to see what the rest of the design team have made, and link up your own creation!

Thanks for visiting :)

Fusion #11

 Welcome to another FUSION challenge.  I went with the photo inspiration, but not the sketch this time:

Make sure you visit the FUSION blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has created using the photo, the sketch, or both.  What inspiration will you use this time?

Thanks for visiting :)

Happy birthday, Sandie!

One of my teammates from Addicted to CAS, Sandie, of the blog London Days, is celebrating a birthday today - and there's a linky party over at Korttikarkuri - Runaway Cards!

I've used one of my favourite patterned papers of all time from Cristina Re - one that I love so much, I always have to make it take centre stage.  I always keep all offcuts as well, so I can always come up with a quick CAS creation. 

Have a lovely birthday, Sandie!! :)

Watercolouring with Altenew

I recently won 2 stamp sets from the brand new company, Altenew (thanks to Jocelyn Olsen and Altenew's launch blog hop).   Tasnim Ahmed and Jennifer Rzasa, the owners of Altenew, have some absolutely stunning stamp sets, so make sure you check them out HERE.

I used their Magnolias for Her set, along with Hero Arts Many Birthday Messages to make this card, using Distress Inks and watercolouring. Tasnim Ahmed used a version of this technique for a card in yesterday's Online Card Class. 

Thanks for visiting :)

CASEing Wida

Playing along with this week's CASE Study challenge, CASEing a card by the fabulous Wida.

PS I'll  also be submitting this card to Moxie Fab's "Hip on Handwriting" Challenge.

Thanks for visiting :)

Addicted to CAS - Codeword: Off the Edge

Time for another ATCAS  challenge - this week's codeword is "Off the Edge" - I got out my Lawn Fawn "Blue Skies" stamps and dies, plus a Hero Arts sentiment and my Faber Castell watercolour pencils, and got creating :) 

Many thanks to our sponsor:

Make sure you drop in to Addicted to CAS to see what the rest of the design team has created, and to link up your own creation!! 

Thanks for visiting :)

Watercolouring over a stamped image

I feel like an artist today, after trying a technique shown in the Online Card Class today by Sanketi.  She stamps her image in Walnut stain distress inks, then watercolours over the top, and the lines of the stamp just blend beautifully into the water. 

I used the Delicate Blossoms clear stamp set from Hero Arts.

PS I'll be submitting this card to Moxie Fab's "Hip on Handwriting" Challenge.


Thanks for visiting :)

Playing with masking fluid

I bought a bottle of masking fluid YEARS ago (like, 15 years ago!).  I bought it when I was doing a bit of calligraphy stuff, but never used it!   And then I watched one of the videos from the Online Card Class today, with Jennifer McGuire using masking fluid, and I knew I had to dig out my bottle and start creating!

I'm still debating with myself whether to add some stickles to the centre of the flowers - what do you think?

 Thanks for visiting :)

Fusion #10

It's Fusion time again - I went with the photo inspiration this time:

I used Hero Arts Soft Yellow shadow ink and Stampin' Up Daffodil Delight ink, along with Hero Hues Black and Hero Arts Wet Cement Shadow ink for the centre of the small flowers, and some Sakura Gelly Roll glitter pen in the centre of the flowers.  The Sentiment stamp is from Stamp-It Australia, and the flowers and leaves are from Wplus9.

Come on over to Fusion card challenge and join in!  You can use the photo like I did, or the sketch, or do a fusion of both! 

PS I'll be submitting this card to Moxie Fab's "Hip on Handwriting" Challenge. 

Thanks for visiting.  :)

Paper Crafter's Library!!!

I am SO SO SO excited - I'm the featured artist/designer over on the Paper Crafter's Library today!!  Please go and check out my post, but here's a sneaky peek :)

Thanks for visiting :)

Online Card Class - watercolouring!

Another Online Card Class began this week, but I'm swamped with prac marking and assignment marking this week, so I haven't had a chance to make anything until tonight (and I'm feeling guilty because I should be working).  I'm not entirely sure I like this card, but I thought I'd share it anyway.

I'll be submitting this card to Virginia's View Stitching challenge.  

Thanks for visiting :)

A technique for A Blog Named Hero

I have a post over at A Blog Named Hero today - using a cool Distress Ink and stencil technique, along with some Mama Elephant stamps.  Here's a sneak peek:

Baby shower!

A lovely friend of mine, Tristy, and her partner, Luke, had a baby shower yesterday for the upcoming arrival of their first bub.
Seeing as I know Tristy from bookclub, some of the bookclub ladies and I went in together to buy a gift - and the most appropriate thing for a bookclub to buy for a baby is of course, books!!  We got a Dr Seuss collection, a collection of picture books (which includes "We're going on a bear hunt", a favourite in our family) and a baby blanket.
My card fit with the theme:

I don't remember the name or brand of this stamp - I borrowed it to stamp some images at the Craft Retreat I attended in March.  It belongs to Lyndal Higgins, so I will have to ask her for the name.
** UPDATE: Lyndal got back to me VERY quickly!! It is Clear Art Stamps, "Story of Me".  Thanks, Lyndal! 
I coloured it with Copics, and fussy cut it out.  I put it over some DSP from Stampin' Up, and a punched border.  The sentiment, "so precious", is from Hero Arts, and is one of my favourite sentiments to use for baby cards :)

I'll be submitting this card to Simon Says Stamp's "Anything Goes" challenge

Thanks for visiting :)

Playing with some watercolours

I recently bought a set of watercolour paints, so yesterday I pulled them out and had a play.  I went through my stash and dug out some paintbrushes (those things have been breeding, I had no idea how many I had!) and a mug of water and a pad of Canson watercolour paper I bought a few weeks ago and just did some experimenting. I cut out a panel of watercolour paper using a "stitched mat" die from Lil' Inkers - (For the second card, I had to extend the die by cutting half, repositioning carefully and cutting the other edge to make a panel the right size.)

And then I did version 2.  More intense colour (especially the blue background) and a different layout.  Which do you prefer?

 I'll be submitting this card to Keep it Simple - Watercolor

and to  Virginia's View Challenge #3 - Stitching.

and to Simon Says Stamp's "Anything Goes" challenge

 Thanks for visiting.  

A Blog Named Hero - Inspired By!

Our latest challenge at A Blog Named Hero is up and running - we are taking our inspiration from a Hero Arts artist.  I chose Kelly Rasmussen, who stamped a crisp rainbow background from a small stamp.

My background is much less crisp than hers, because I used Faber Castell Gelatos mixed with water as my "ink" (these were a gift - some from Lyndal Higgins and some from Joy Taylor - thanks so very much, lovely ladies!) This meant that the star stamp sometimes took up more pigment, sometimes less, sometimes got splotches of pigmented water bubbles in it, and sometimes got blobs of more intense gelato pigment.  I'm usually a bit fussy about getting nice, crisp images from stamps, but I quite like the loose quality I got from the gelatos.  

We're playing with Mama Elephant stamps this month - this little giraffe is from their Nursery Deco set - so incredibly cute!!

STOP PRESS!!! 

Mama Elephant is offering a prize for each of our challenges this month - 2 stamp sets!!!
  
There's also a prize from our AMAZING sponsor, Simon Says Stamp

Make sure you visit A Blog Named Hero to check out the rest of the creations by our design team. I can't wait to see what you make!  

Have a great day :)

Supplies:

InLinkz.com