Merry & Bright

Stamps: Be Merry (Clearly Besotted)

Ink: Aquamarine (AE); Versamark (Tsukineko)

Dies: Ampersand (MFT); Finished Frames (AE)

Other: silver embossing powder; patterned paper (AE); Pale Turquoise card (Papermill Direct)

Can you tell I have made an effort with the photo today?  Trying to channel my inner Debbie Hughes!  Hmmnnn, think it needs a bit more work...

Love the new 'quiet' release from Clearly Besotted.  It meant that there were actually a few items still in stock when I finally got round to deciding what I wanted.  I managed to elongate the AE frame so that its aspect ration fits a UK card size, & have kept the 'outside' piece to use as a template for this in the future.

Have just seen this week’s CAS(E) this Sketch. Talk about serendipity!

Sparkling Christmas

Dies: Large Geometric Rose (Clearly Besotted); Nesting Squares (QuicKutz)

Font: Trocchi, Cafe & Brewery

Other: Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provocraft); Wink of Stella

Michelle is having a break from CAS-ual Fridays; this is the last challenge until next year.  So I thought I'd do a Christmas card for the tic tac toe challenge.

I've chosen the dots-white-sequins line. But aaarggh, the picture doesn't show the sparkle!  The star is the centre cut out from the geometric rose die, stacked 3x for depth & covered with sparkly wink of stella.  Promise!

Plenty of white, which I hope compensates for the single solitary sequin.  Dots are by way of an embossing folder.

Am liking the sentiment - you may see more from that.

PS Have just realised that this card was subliminally inspired by this photo over at Festive Friday:

And another - Simon Says... Emboss It for this week's Wednesday Challenge.

Smile...

Stamps: Lovely Layers (PTI); Abstract Art (MFT); Scripty Sayings (PS); Geometrics 2 (CB)

Ink: Tangelo (Memento); Soft Pool, Lime Green (HA)

Dies: Stitched Mat Squares (Lil' Inkers)

This card has been persistently cocking a snook at me for a number of days now.  Twice I have walked away, my scrap bin overflowing, but today I became its master!

 

Top tip for masking - use tracing paper, then you can see exactly where you are placing your mask, to make sure the stamped image has an even border all round.

Linking to:

Less is More: Week 170 ~ 3 colours

Muse 64 / CFC131

Stamps: Geometric Style 2 (Clearly Besotted); It's Your Day (HA)

Ink: Tangelo, Dandelion (Memento); Tumbled Glass (Ranger Distress)

Dies: Lovely Layers (PTI); Borders 1 (PS)

Mojo has been a bit of a no-show this week.  This was inspired by Marion Vagg at Muse, & fits the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge too.

I discovered there is definitely an order to doing inlaid die-cuts.  Start at the back!

As usual, dithered over the sentiment.  Got as far as mounting on sticky pads before I made up my mind.  Still not convinced...  Who said CAS cards are easy?

Linking to:
Muse: Challenge #64
CAS-ual Fridays: CFC131 ~Three Thirds

Glossy thanks tag

Stamps: Geometric Style II (Clearly Besotted)

Ink: Soft Pool (HA)

Dies: Headline Alpha (PTI); Rounded Tag (CB)

Other: Diamond Stickles (Ranger); Anita's 3D Gloss; Aqua Twine (Divine Twine)

Lovin' these alpha dies!  Glittered & glossed as previous post (but without the errors this time!).  Used the PTI packaging for the acetate tag.

 

Ultimately this will go on a teacher's gift, but I haven't made it yet, so the empty bottle is just a stunt double.

Linking to:
Papertrey Ink: March 2014 Blog Hop Challenge (not until 25th)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Simon Says Glitter It

Just a note to say hi

Stamps: Scripty Sayings (PS); Lots of Dots (SSS)

Ink: Angel Pink, Rose Bud, Bamboo Leaves, Pear Tart (Memento)

Other: Grosgrain plate (MFT); Tag-along die (Clearly Besotted)

I needed to send a note to someone I haven't seen for ages, & despite all the hours I spend making cards, had nothing in my stash that seemed appropriate.

 

I did briefly consider buying a miniature envelope die (don't you find you get carried away with dies & forget that you have hands & scissors?) but having successfully cut one freehand, I'm glad I didn't bother.  Although it doesn't show in the photo, the dark pink strip has been embossed to look like grosgrain & that, combined with the cut-out were a direct case from Ardyth's card here.

 

I added the confetti because things just looked a little too stark without it.

Linking to:
Less is More: Week 156 ~ Sketch

Mama Elephant challenge



Stamps: Confetti (ME); It's Your Day (HA)

Ink: Rose Bud (Memento)

Other: Tag-a-Long die (Clearly Besotted); Diamond Stickles

Loving the Confetti stamp set that popped through the door on Xmas Eve, such an easy one to use for CAS. Here I have belatedly jumped aboard the 'on the slant' trend. When I was at work , we had a slightly different name for things that weren't quite straight, but it isn't complimentary so I shan't use it here!

Linking to:
Mama Elephant: January Picture Challenge

Woven winter wishes

Stamp: Elzybells

Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko)

Other:Tag-a-long die (Clearly Besotted); Tiny Heart die(SSS); white ep; white gel pen

Cracking on with my Christmas cards this week.  (Liking the alliteration there?).  Simple strips woven together, nice & easy I thought.  Hmmnn.  Took a lot more thinking about than I anticipated.  In the end I made 2 template banners - one with 4 vertical hearts at measured intervals, one with 4 horizontal hearts - & used those to make sure my hearts were in the right place.  Only THEN was it simple!

The woven part is adhered to the card base with differing thicknesses of sticky pads, to accentuate the texture.

Linking to:
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Use something sold in SSS store (Tiny Hearts die)
CAS(E) This Sketch: Challenge #46

CAS(E)ing myself

Stamps: Folk Art Flurries (WPus9); Gingham & Co. (WM)

Ink: Danube, RoseBud, Tangelo (Memento); Turquoise (VersaMagic)

Die: Tag-a-Long (Clearly Besotted)

Font: Sevillana, Aharoni 

I am determined to finish all my Christmas cards before December strikes this year, so I can actually enjoy doing it, not feel rushed & wondering why I put myself through it.  Sound familiar??

This is a new take on a card from January.  I ws inspired by this week's CAS(E) this sketch:

& my new dies from Clearly Besotted.  The long banner is fabricated from 5 separate die cuts all bodged carefully crafted together.

Linking to:

CAS(E) This Sketch: CAS(E) This Sketch #45
Clearly Besotted: Challenge #4 ~ Stamp your own background