CASology 4 ~ Bird (take 2)

Stamps: Teeny Trees (WM); Circles (Artemio); Boxes, Bags & Tags, Rustic Branches (PTI)

Ink: Rhubarb Stalk, Pear Tart, Bamboo Leaves (Memento)

This arrangement looked too crowded on a 4" card base, so I made the base bigger.  Instant more white space, more CAS.

The circle is popped up on sticky pads to give a bit of dimension.

Linking to:

CASology Week 4 ~ Bird

CASology 4 ~ Bird

I made this Christmas card about 2 years ago, long before I started blogging, but it fits the bill for this week's CASology challenge.  The bird & pear were cut on the Silhouette & then matted on 3 different layers.  The pear is actually from a dingbat font - DB Fruitbowl.

Linking to:

CASology Week 4 ~ Bird

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

Less Is More 78 - Sketch

Papers: paint charts

Font: Trocchi

Other: 0.5 inch hole punch

No stamps or ink in sight today.  Inspiration for this came from Valerie's card here.

I simply cut strips of random (yes, random) widths from a neutral palette paint chart, & 2 from a pastel chart, arranged them (randomly) on a strip of paper & trimmed to size.  Punched 2 rows of holes & overlaid the holes on the strips.  Sentiment printed on the computer in the accent colour, et voila!

Linking to:

Less is More: LIM 78, Sketch Challenge

Dino birthday card

Stamps: Tremendous Treats Valentine, Polka Dot Basics II, Little Bitty Bird (PTI)

Ink: Pear Tart, Tuxedo Black (Memento); Versamark (Tsukineko)

Paper: from my stash

No time for small talk today.  Recovering from a minor disaster involving cat poo & wicker!  Don't ask...

Linking to:
CAS-ual Fridays ~ CFC63, aqua, lime & navy

Graphic design inspired birthday

Whilst browsing today, I found this:

which inspired me to create  this:


Stamps: Big Deal Alphabet (SU); Fancy Phrases (WM); Tremendous Treats Valentine, Simple Alphabet (PTI)
Other: WOW white embossing powder, MFT dies

I know what you're thinking... WHITE embossing on BLACK, with HER track record?  That, my friends, is why the fine nib on the black promarker was invented!  Yes, she tried her best, but the fairy was no match for me today.

 

Linking to:

CAS-ual Fridays ~ CFC62 Back to Black

CASology 3 ~ Fruit

Hey, guess what.  I'm today's guest designer on CASology!  It's my prize for winning in Week 1.  I've had to keep this secret for a whole week!  Keeping secrets (along with random) does not come easily, as anyone who knows me will tell you. 

Stamps: Take Note (PTI); Teeny Trees, Gingham & Co (Waltzing Mouse)

Ink: Tangelo, Rhubarb Stalk, Pear Tart (Memento); Kelly Green (Ink It Up); Versamark (Tsukineko)

Font: Migraine sans

Other: 1.75 inch circle punch, Silhouette, clear embossing powder

The cue word today is FRUIT - can you tell?

I began with the slices, stamping a circle using the reverse of the outline circle stamp, a tip from Virginia Lu's stretch your stamps series.  To do the outline & segments (Teeny Trees AGAIN), I put Versamark on the stamps first, before the coloured ink, so that the embossing powder would stick - I've found that Memento on it's own dries too fast for that.  The clear embossing makes the fruit look nice & juicy.  The orange is stamped on the same patterned paper as the 'rind'.  To get the pink grapefruit, I stamped off the Rhubarb Stalk first & then applied the detail with the original colour.  Originally, I tried with a lemon slice in the middle, but I couldn't get it to look right.

The quadrant & rind were cut with my Silhouette.  The placement of the font was a happy accident.  The paper didn't go through the printer properly - the words were supposed to be central.  I like it much better this way.  Clearly my printer has now decided to take design decisions.  Soon, it will be blogging for me as well!

Let's go fly a kite...

Stamps: Polka Dot Basics II, Little Bitty Bird (PTI); Teeny Trees (WM); Good Neighbours SU)

Ink: LadyBug (Memento); Versamark (Tsukineko)

This is my entry for this week's Less is More sewing challenge.  Unfortunately, there's too much more & not enough less.  It's been brewing in my head for too long I think, & I haven't had the chance to get it on paper before it got too big!

Linking to:

Less is Moore ~ Week 77, Sewing

Bling!

Font: Qumpellka No12

CAS-ual Fridays want us back to black this week.  This isn't my first design, but it's the only one that has survived to be photographed.  Used a chevron die-cut as a template to stick the gems on, sentiment printed out & rounded off with the Corner Chomper.  I have as many gems on the floor as on the card - they were pinging all over the place.  For those of you who remember Father Ted, it was just like cutting Father Jack's toenails!

Linking to:

CAS-ual Fridays ~ CFC62 Back to Black

Monster Birthday

Stamps: Little Monster (Woodware)

Ink: Bamboo Leaves, Morocco (Memento)

Paper: Hopscotch Boy (K & Co)

Other: By the Number Dies, Stars (MFT)

A bit of a departure from my normal style today.  There is a birthday approaching in our house, & the birthday-boy-to-be has been more than a little scathing in the past about some of my CAS efforts.  "It's BORING mum, they won't like that...".

It didn't come easily.  I messed about for ages with placement of pieces & stamps.  The gold stars were a last minute addition because 'it just didn't look right'.

Finally having finished my masterpiece, I lifted it from the table to find it opens on the left, not the right!  Whoops.  Oh well, I'm sure he won't mind; at least it will be different...

OLW97 ~ Line Up

Stamps: Nordic Winter (Waltzing Mouse)

Ink: Rhubarb Stalk, Pear Tart (Memento)

I think there might be one stripe too many on this card, either that or it's all too high up.  Generally pleased with though, & it's not too arduous to make in quantity for the festive season.

I've had this set a while now, but I think this is the first time it has seen ink!  Good job  my husband doesn't read this blog...

The fair isle stripe stamp is over 6" long & I had real trouble lining it up to be straight on the block.  All tips gratefully received.  Luckily the portion I used is quite short, so it's not too wonky. 

Update:
Thanks for all the tips, combining them has given me the answer.  Place the thin strip stamp side down on the work top next to wider long stamp.  Push the wide stamp hard against the narrow stamp to make it straight.  Place the gridded block on top of BOTH to check the lines are straight, then peel the wider stamp off.  Gave a much better result!

Linking to:

One Layer Wednesday ~ OLW97, Line Up

CASology 2 ~ Happy

Stamps: Simple Alphabet (PTI)

Ink: Memento various

You might think this is just a re-hash of my chevron card, but this time I have abandoned the computer & actually stamped it all myself!  I know.  A miracle.  Nothing else to say really.

CASology cue word this week is happy.  And I am.  'Cos I can stamp. Yay!  (But I still can't take decent photos - boo!).

UPDATE:
No I didn't stamp the letters individually! I trimmed them right back with my scissors & placed them in a line on the block.  Checked the stamping then faffed about with tweezers until they were straight.  Stamping individual letters...  Honestly - what are you guys like?
Linking to:
CASology 2 ~ Happy

Christmas in July

My mojo seems to be taking an unscheduled holiday somewhere, so here are some cards I made for the children to give to their friends last Christmas.

Stamps: Tiny Treasures (Pink Petticoat); Little Pieces (SU); Christmas Tags (Elzybells)

Ink: Chocolate Brownie (Elzybells); White (Studio G)

Paper: PinkPetticoat

The card bases (7cm x 7cm) were made from manilla files - the only kraft card I could get in bulk at the time without a second mortgage.  The digi images were cut out with my Silhouette & then coloured with Promarkers.

I made about 40 of these & regretted the complexity after the first 5!  Were my little darlings grateful?  Were they heck.  They wanted the Scooby-Doo ones from Tescos.  They'll be getting them this year...

Triangles & strips

Stamps: Bitty Banners (Waltzing Mouse); Lovely Layers (PTI)

Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko)

Dies: Lovely Layers (PTI); Buttons (MFT)

Paper: from my stash

Font: Courier New

This card is inspired by:

Tuesday Trigger

Play Date Cafe

and also fits the bill to use strips of colour / pattern at CAS-ual Fridays.  SCORE!

As soon as I saw the Tuesday Trigger, I thought of weaving, but couldn't manage that with triangles, so had to settle for the 1 vertical strip.  Also had to steel myself regarding the random element of the colours... still doesn't come easily!

I tried really hard to stamp the sentiment, truly, but after the 3rd smudge turned to my trusty friend the printer.

I hadn't realised till seeing the photo just now that the strips form a giant piece of notched ribbon!

Linking to:

Moxie Fab World ~ Tuesday Trigger

The Play Date Cafe ~ PDCC140

Cas-ual Fridays ~ CFC61, Let's Strip

CASology - Sun

Stamps: Teeny Trees (Waltzing Mouse)

Ink: Chocolate Brownie (Elzybells); Tangello (Memento)

Other: watercolour pencils, scraps from stash

I've been all round the houses & back again with this card.  It's too easy to get sucked in with too much detail.  I've had stripes, waves, clouds, birds, beach umbrellas & more.  The trouble is, I don't (yet) have any yellow ink, which is a bummer when doing a beach scene...

The deckchair is 2 stalks from Teeny Trees (is there anything you can't use that set for?), the sand is watercolour pencil with a swipe of watery Tangelo ink.  The rest is scraps generated from previous iterations of this card!

Thanks for the challenge ladies - it certainly was.

Linking to:

CASology #1 ~ Sun

Chevron birthday card

Font: Migraine Sans; Sunshine Poppy

This is another entry for CAS-ual Fridays' Text Me challenge.  I'm not sure if it's legitimate as it was created entirely on the computer.  I would have tried to stamp it, but none of my sentiments are the right size.

Linking to:
CAS-ual Fridays ~ CFC60, Text Me

Gold wedding cake

Stamps: Little Bitty Bird , Polk Dot Basics II, Text Style (PTI)

Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko)
Other: gold mirriboard, white & gold embossing powders

Card base: 5" square ivory linen (Paper Mill Direct)

It's gold at Less Is More this week, & text on CAS-ual Fridays.  I was severely lacking in inspiration, so I went hunting on Pinterest again & found this:

I've never embossed on gold before, & I thought maybe the metallic finish would dull or bubble under the heat, but was pleasantly surprised.

That little fairy was back for the top layer.  No matter HOW many times I swiped with my embossing buddy, I always got a few extra bits!  You can't tell in real life though, as the top layer is only 1 inch wide.

Linking to:

Less is More ~ Week 75, Gold

CAS-ual Fridays ~ CFC60, Text Me

Winter Wishes (what IS nude?)



Stamps: Teeny Trees, Bitty Banners (Waltzing Mouse); Season Sparkle (My Cute Stamps)

Ink: Angel Pink (Memento); Versamark (Tsukineko)

Font: Sevillana; Narkism

Other: Silver & Gold detail embossing powder

OK, this week at The Play Date Cafe, it's gold, silver & nude. 

Not sure about nude.  I guess nude is subjective - dependent on the colour of your skin.  My skin is pasty white in the winter, with bits of pale brown in the summer.  My skin is never the pale pink I have used in the card above.  Except once in Cancun when I overdid it & got sunburn.  When that peeled, then I got the colour above.  So, I present my card to you: a fusion of silver, gold & peeled sunburn!

The Christmas baubles are embossed, the sentiment & frame are digital.  In case you are wondering, yes, the 2 slivers of mirriboard at the bottom ARE covering up a mistake.  It started as a tiny flaw in the paper, that nobody but me would have noticed, but I manage to upgrade it quite spectacularly so that it caught your eye straight away.  Hence the silver & gold strips.  Yes, it IS silver, even though it looks white.

Linking to:

The Play Date Cafe~ PDCC139

OLW95 ~ Stars & Stripes

Stamps: Star Prints (PTI)

Ink: Tangelo, Rhubarb Stalk, Angel Pink (Memento)

Other: MS circle cutter, sponge daubers, Post-It notes, Corner Chomper

This week on OLW, we have to use at least one star & one stripe.

The circle is 2.75", cut with a Martha Stewart cutter.  I stamped & cut out a star on scrap paper to use as the mask inside the circle (placed deliberately off-centre).  The stripes were sponged on, using Post-It notes to mask, but clearly I needed to use new ones at the end for the long pink stripe - you can see where the ink was beginning to bleed through.  Ho hum; a lesson learned for next time.

Linking to:

One Layer Wednesday ~ OLW95, Stars & Stripes
Moxie Fab World: Tuesday Trigger

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!

Butterfly trail



Stamps: Teeny Trees (Waltzing Mouse); Polka Dot Basics II (PTI); Alphabet (Papermania)

Ink: Rhubarb Stalk, Tangelo (Memento)

This card is for The Play Date Cafe colour challenge: Cotton Candy, Ruby, Citrus & Dusk.

The butterfly is done using the teeny trees  set, with the stalk for the antennae.  The pale pink colour was achieved by stamping off the Rhubarb Stalk.  I then used a polka dots stamp to kiss the darker colour back on.  I really like the soft blurry effect at the edge of the dots.  The heart trail & the 'BIRTHDAY' were both created digitally, & printed prior to stamping.

On reflection, I'm not entirely convinced by the placement of the BIRTHDAY, perhaps this would look better as a 'hello' card instead.  I also think the butterfly should be further over to the left, but hen the point of the heart would catch on the 'h'...  BUT I love being able to make a butterfly out of a tree set. 

Teeny Trees is my current Desert Island Stamp Set.  What's yours?

Linking to:

The Play Date Cafe ~ PDCC 138