Girlie birthday

Stamps: Big Deal Alphabet (SU); Flower Friends (SSS)

Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko)

Other: Aurora e.p. (Cosmic Shimmer); square punch

NOT what I intended to do with my day when I woke up this morning, but it's dull & wet here so I needed to brighten things up a little.  Small disaster almost caused by over inquisitive (wet) cat at a crucial stage of embossing, but that's why there are 2 sides to a piece of card, right?

 

Inspired by this photo from Pinterest, which I initially took to be tins of paint, but is actually cake mix!

 

Linking to:
Simon Says Stamp: Anything goes

Birthday fishes

Stamps: Tremendous Treats Valentine (PTI)

Ink:Pear Tart, Bahama Blue, Tangelo, Morocco (Versamark); Versamark (Tsukineko)

Font: Migraine Sans

Other: Spots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); White ep (WOW); aqua promarker; Diamond Stickles; tracing paper

Today's offering was inspired by this Make It Monday video.  I had hoped to enter, but on closer inspection you must use flowers.  Fish don't count.

EDIT: have seen other crazy wild rule breakers have entered non-flower cards, so am giving it a go.

Linking to:

CASology: Week 49 ~ Fish
Make It Monday: MIM 121 ~ Coloured Vellum

GRRR8 birthday

Stamps: Circus Animals (My Cute Stamps)

Ink: Espresso Truffle (Memento)

Fonts: QumpellkaNo12, Zag Regular, Narkism

Other: circle punches; orange promarker

Anyone else remember the old Frosties ad?  Another circle inspired card for CASology.  I have these stamps scanned in on my computer, so I arranged the font around the tiger before deleting him & printing out.  There are also a series of parallel scored lines running behind the tiger & the grey matting, but my photography skills were insufficient to capture them!

 

Linking to:

CASology: Week 33 ~ Circle
Addicted to CAS: Challenge#7 ~ Masculine

 

Retro sketch #45

Stamp: Woodgrain (MSS)

Ink: Summer Sky (Memento)

Paper: Stella & Rose (MME)

Other: Star dies (MFT); circle punches

I sometimes find card making a bit like trying to remember a dream.  There's a vague wisp of an idea in your head which you can't quite see.  The harder you think about it, the further away it gets.  You know that what you have done doesn't match the idea, but you don't know what to do to put it right.  Ever had that feeling?

 

Well, this is one of those cards.  It's intended for this week's retro sketch challenge:

but somehow, it's not quite right.  As I 've spent a couple of days looking at it from every angle, & fiddling with it when I walk past, I'm not devoting any more time to it, but if you've any suggestions on improvements, I'd love to hear them.














Linking to:
Retro sketches #45

 

More red & green

Stamps: Bitty Banners (WM)

Ink: Bamboo Leaves, Rhubarb Stalk (Memento)

Paper: Jolly Holidays (SU)

Other: 1.375" circle punch

This is one of the cards I demonstrated for my class last week.  I made a triangle template on the computer, printed it out on to an old cereal packet & used it to fold the petals of the flower on each of 6 circles (cut from my carefully hoarded stash of SU paper).  These were then stuck down to form the flower.   Using the banner stamps, I created a wreath of swags for the flower to sit on. A simple punched gold star in the middle to cover up any folding deficiencies  adds a bit of glitz to finish it off.  It might look even better on a larger card base, with a bit more white space around it.

 

Linking to:

Less Is More: Week 96 ~ Red & Green

SPLAT!

Fonts: Split Splat Splodge; Prime Minister of Canada

A timely challenge from CAS-ual Fridays for a male card, inspired by this week's CAS(E) This Sketch.  No ink, no stamps.  I arranged my digital splats, printed out 3 copies & got busy with my circle punches.

 

 

 

Linking to:

CAS-ual Fridays: CFC77 ~ Masculine

CAS(E) This Sketch: Challenge #4

Merry & bright

Die: Quilt Cuts 2 (WPlus9)

Other: glossy photo paper; snowflake punch

Just 'cos I haven't been postin', doesn't mean I haven't been lookin' (& investin'...).  Yes I have taken a break from the tyranny of the paintbrush to use my lovely new dies that came in the post last week from WPlus9.  They are fab; lovely geometric quilt cut designs, just right for an obsessive such as myself!

 

This card was inspired by the Runway Challenge this week, & also CAS(E) This Sketch:

 

 

 

I didn't have any red stripey paper, so I drew some lines in Silhouette Studio & printed them out on glossy photo paper.  I also did the sentiment, using CAC Pinafore, Book Antiqua & Century Gothic fonts.

I placed the die on the paper to ensure that the stripes would run in the direction I wanted, then arranged them as shown on the kraft strip.  The red & white bands are also on glossy paper.

The kraft was embossed using the scoreboard at 0.5 inch intervals.

Having put it all together, it looked a little bottom heavy (don't we all?), so I added the snowflakes to balance things out.

 

Linking to:

Runway Inspired Challenge: ric#22 ~ Tommy Hilfiger

CAS(E) this Sketch: Challenge # 1

 



live simply, love much

Stamps: Polka Dots II, Little Bitty Bird (PTI)

Ink: Lady Bug (Memento); Aegean Blue (VersaMagic)

Other: Modern Lanscape die (Memory Box); tiny heart punch

I've been dithering over this die for a while now, but seeing Donna's FAB winning entry on CASology this week just pushed me over the edge.  This is a blatant case of her card, but I love it so much, I don't care!

 

The sentiment just jumped out at me & begged to be paired with the simple landscape.

Next day edit: I have just realised that this could also have been inspired by my blog header, qualifying for CAS-ual Fridays this week.  The aqua & white colour scheme, the simple tree-line is the same modern style as my main header font & the sentiment placed similarly to my 'housework' note.  This must have been subliminal!  Am tempted to add in some red to my header now...
 

 

Linking to:

Less is More: Week 87 ~ Love & Marriage.
CAS-ual Fridays: CFC72 ~ Toot Your Own Horn

Tuesday Trigger card

Stamps: Studio G Alphabet

Ink: Bamboo Leaves (Memento)

Paper: Jolly Holiday (SU)

Other: By the Numbers dies (MFT); various hole punches; MS scoreboard

This week's Tuesday Trigger is:

 

Now that September is nearly over, I feel justified in making a few more Xmas cards.  I think the inspiration is clear to see - I've just turned a couple of the numbers into baubles.

 

Linking to:

Tuesday Trigger: Soup to Nuts

 



Folded squares

Stamps: Little Bitty Bird (PTI)

Ink: Tangelo, Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Long ago & far away, before Pinterest (yes, there was such a time) I saw this idea as artwork.  I thought "I could do that".  And then did nothing.  I have had a flick around likely sites today, but have failed to come up with the original piece.  If you know where to find it, please let me know.

 

CASology are using WHITE as the challenge word this week, & that's what triggered my memory.  Prior to today, I have scoffed at the idea of square punches.  I have pooh-poohed them soundly.  Because any fool can cut a square, right?  Wrong.  At least, this fool can cut one, but apparently not 12 identical ones. Even when I cut a strip & then only had to chop it up at the right intervals. Perhaps the picture I should be showing you is of my table, covered in over-large confetti comprised of squares-that-didn't fit & squares-that-can't-be-folded-exactly-in-half. I think a square punch may well be on my Christmas list.

 

 

 

Anyway, the card is a 5" square, & I used a 1/2" border all round to position my folded squares correctly.  I learned the hard way to stamp first, fold & stick later.

 

I just hope it's white enough.

 

Linking to:

CASology: Week 11 ~ White

CAS-ual Fridays: CFC70 B&W plus one

Gingerbread man Christmas card

Stamps: Elzybells

Ink: Versamark

Other: heart punch; sizzix tag die; WOW embossing powder; Unoi-ball Signo broad gel pen; MFT button die; circle punches; button twine

I stumbled across another challenge during my meanderings around blog-land - The Craft's Meow. 

 

Normally I avoid sketch challenges like the plague, much too difficult, but this is the second in 2 days.  Maybe it's not my mojo that came back yesterday; maybe I'm fostering someone else's for a while.  In which case, whoever has mine, please keep it topped up with wine & crisps.

 

Linking to:

The Craft's Meow: September Sketch

Pink & brown punch owl

Stamps: Little Bitty Bird (PTI); Stripes (HA)

Ink: Chocolate Brownie (Elzybells); Angel Pink (Memento)

Other: circle punches, heart punch, crop-a-dile

I made the owl using this tutorial here as a guide, but used the heart punch for the toes & the beak, & a CuttleBug bracket for the head / ears shape.  Inspired (too late...) by last week's LIM tearing challenge, I created a rough tree, then added a sponged pink branch for the owl to sit on.

Still sifting thro' post holiday ironing, & the shopping is due to be delivered any minute, so had better go & look busy... Nearly Wednesday.  I can hold on till then!

Linking to:
Less is More: Week 83 ~ Pink & Brown

Lino cut fish

Tools used: 2 inch, 1.125 inch circle punches; Martha Stewart circle cutter; Crop-a-Dile

Hello folks, I'm back.  It's a bit chaotic here at the moment: children off school, hubby off work, builders & plumbers everywhere... Not conducive to a stint of nice relaxing crafting at all!

 

Anyway, whilst out & about this week, I came upon a print of some lino cut fish, which led to the above.  It works for CAS-ology & CAS-ual Fridays this week.

 

Don't know when I'll manage to snatch 5 minutes again, but I will be back, I promise.

 

Linking to:

CAS-ology: Week 7 ~ Green

CAS-ual Fridays: CFC66 ~ Splish Splash

Paint charts & punches

Papers: paint charts

Other: tiny apple punch

Would be a good teacher thank you card, or just a birthday card.  No sentiment, didn't think it was needed.

A circle of circles

Stamp: Tagxedo (see below)

Font: migrainesans

Other: 2", 1.75" circle punches

The 'stamp' was created using Tagxedo (Tagxedo.com) to fill a circle shape with 'Circle Things' font.  The colour scheme was 'Quiet Morning'.  I saved off the image created & then sized it in another program to fit my 1.75" circle punch.

The white card is matted on to the green with sticky pads to give dimension.

Linking to:

Less is More: LIM79~ Blue & Green

More strips behind a die cut...

Dies: PTI chevron, Spellbinders scalloped circle

Font: Cleanvertising

Other: 1.375 inch circle punch, corner chomper

I'm on a roll now; random strips behind die cuts is the way to go!  The font is printed on the card base, & the top layer is popped up with sticky pads.  Matching ribbon was a lucky find in the depths of my stash.

Linking to:

The Play Date Cafe: PDCC142 ~ cobalt, golden rod, peony

Be Merry

In the same vein as Smile Monster, a Christmas card.  You can never make too many too soon!

Stamps: Little Bitty Bird, Polka Dot Basics II (PTI); Get Merry (Hero Arts)

Ink: Rhubarb Stalk (Memento), Versamark (Tsukineko)

Card: scraps from my stash

Other: 1.5, 1.75 inch circle punches; Corner Chomper, blender pen

I tried it with a red circle in the middle to start with, but the robin was completely lost, so I had a re-think.

This won't be the last you see of this layout...

EDIT: decided the robin looked a bit too stark in the middle, so went back to my trusty Teeny Trees for some foliage.

Much better!

Smile Monster

Stamps: Little Monster (Woodware); Smile (Elzybells)

Ink: Lilac Posies (Memento)
Other: 1.5 & 1.75" circle punches; corner chomper; wide clear tape

Card: from my stash, unknown

This is my entry for Cas-ual Fridays 2 circle challenge.  I just hope its clean & simple enough.

Strips of card are 0.5 inch wide, trimmed with my corner chomper.  Gloss on the monster is clear tape applied before punching out.  I punched a hole in the strips so the circle sits flush with the card front. The front of the card base has been shortened so that the strips make the card edge.

A monster, googly eyes & a cheery colour combo - what's not to smile about?

Linking to:

CAS-ual Fridays: CFC59 ~ 2 circles

Sailing boat card

Paper: Ocean dots (Pink Petticoat Fairy Lights)

Card base: 9.9mm square, hammered white (Paper Mill Direct)

Tools: scallop punch, hole punch, Crop-a-dile, 1.5" circle punch,Quickutz nested square dies

The boat was easy to make - half a circle & 2 simple cut triangles.  For the portholes, punched the small holes with the Crop-a-dile & then with a standard office hole punch.  The wave is the punched out waste from my scallop punch that was just in the right place at the right time!

All matted on to silver mirror board & framed using a square die.  The scalloped square was cut with my Silhouette SD.

Linking to:

Less is More:  Week 68 Baby or Child

CAS-ual Fridays:  CFC53 Punches or Dies

Another day, another challenge...

CAS-ual Fridays are challenging us to use punches or dies this week.

I did start off by die-cutting the celebrate aperture with the Spellbinders pennants, but it was too big for the card, so I cut it by hand instead.  The rings are punched with a 1.125 & 1.375 inch punches. Always cut the smaller hole first.

It looked a bit too naked, so I added the faux stitching, but not much.

Linking to:

CAS-ual Fridays: CFC 53, Punches or Dies