Reminder The Flower Challenge #25 Add Sparkle

Its time for another card to remind you that The Flower Challenge has only 10 days left for this challenge which is all about 'Sparkle'. Sparkle can be adding sparkly things to the card front, sparkling up the sentiment, background sparkle or sparkle on the coloured image.

I could not resist using the big background stamp from The Ton again. I so love these big flowers especially as it gives me a chance to look at shadows and highlights in a large version. Also the Zigs combined with the Nuvo brush make colouring so very easy to experiment with.

Here I have added the faintest bit of the dark pink on the end of the petal and on the tip then use the palest pink to pull the colour out a bit then the Nuvo glimmer brush to spread the colour, wiping off extra colour onto a paper towel.

Check out that sparkle on both the petals and the sentiment. The sentiment I die cut in pink funfoam and the silver adhesive glitter paper (ahhhh I am getting low, what to use on everything but don't want to run out). I just love this adhesive glitter paper, the way the thread flows on it and the ease of cutting and adhering when using it.

This sentiment I cut out of the flower first so I now have a very pretty pink sentiment to use somewhere else and I have inset the funfoam so it lines up perfectly.

Stamped and white embossed the small sentiment on black card stock and added with a piece of foam adhesive to lift it slightly.

Another large card to send to someone just to let them know they are 'fabulous'

Okay now that you have seen my card its time to go check out the rest of the Design Teams beautiful inspirational cards and see if we have inspired you to add to our Challenge.

Challenges:

Seize the Birthday : Anything Goes

As You Like It Challenge : Clean And Simple or Fussy and Fancy - any why

I think I would describe myself as Clean and Simple

and this card is a typical example. One layer, watercolour,

die cut sentiment, sparkle thats me.

The Creative Crafters : #9 Anything Goes

Autumn Colours Thank You Card

I really enjoyed making this card. I have used the floral wreath from Purple Onion stamps made by Stacey Yacula but if you have seen the wreath you will be aware that I have added to it.

I was so inspired by Tracey's card, isn't it amazing but I don't have much in the way of Autumn as we don't tend to celebrate Autumn or Fall in the same way here in Australia so I improvised.  I loved the idea of the wreath, the clean white background and the Autumn colours so thats the way I went.

I stamped the floral wreath on my cardbase and again on another piece of Copic cardstock. I coloured both in the same colours then I sat and fussy cut out on of the wreaths, yes all those wee little leaves and thin thin branches. So the original is single strand of leaves and one flower bunch. So I have added an extra strand of leaves all the way around, along with the bottom collection of flowers.

I felt it needed more and so stamped and die cut leaves and flowers from the Autumn set of Hero Art Kit and after colouring them all decided to only use 4 of the flowers, the two orange ones and the little pink ones.

Then I fiddled around for ages trying to get the right look, this was the end result that I added a gold mirror card die cut 'Thank You' to.

I have to admit I ended up working on three ideas at the same time, the other two will get shared another time. One became too many layers as I delved into the Hero Art kit and though I love it I had sidetracked a bit too much and the other though coloured I am undecided about. Another day of inspiration from the Muse Card Challenge.I love it.

Muse Card Challenge #286

A couple of other challenges that are Autumn related and I thought this card would work for:

CAS on Friday Challenge #143 Thank You Card

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #167 Autumn Colours

Penny Black and More October Challenge Autumn Splendour

UPDATE AT HOME

We have The Flower Challenge reminder posting soon (1am here) and I don't know when I will get to post again. I do have cards made and on my computer, it will just depend on how things are going in Canberra.

I am back to spending the bulk of my time there with mum having now become fully bed ridden and sleeping 98 percent of the time. She is fading away and I curse this thing we call Alzehimers. 

Dad has also declined and now spends each day yelling and cursing everyone and hitting out at staff. He still knows us but he talks of a life he has never lived and we think is from one of the many books he has read. He tells us different tales each day and the latest is a battle from 1858. 

When he's not doing that he is ringing me demanding to know why he has to take the tablets, why am I here, often forgetting we only spoke 5 minutes ago. So different from what has happened to mum but still as heartbreaking.

Thanks and Because

Yes it's the same old me today. Only an hour left till the linky closes so I need to get moving. I made a couple of cards, then played some more with blending Distress Inks and BoBunny Glitter paste. Its so hard to stop once you get going with this stuff.

Todays inspiration at the Muse Card Challenge is:

Anita's card is so pretty and I love the colour blend, the leaf stencil, the embossing paste, the white trim around the leaf panel and the slight lift with funfoam.

Though I loved the colour blend I decided to add red and orange into my colour mix as I wanted a bit brighter. I have a few leaf stencils but decided to go with the one below twice, once with just Distress Inks and one with the addition of the glitter paste that dries clear and full of sparkle.

For this one I used a darker yellow, orange, red and a bit of olive green. When I was finished blending and felt happy with the colour mix I added a layer of glitter paste all over. Once I was happy with the coverage I peeled th stencil away and washed it straight away.  Check out the sparkle. I used heavy cardstock when using embossing pastes as it can warp the card a bit.

I cut my panel down so it left a nice white border around it on the card then added a piece of yellow funfoam to the panel so it would sit up a bit. 

I die cut the 'because' sentiment three times, two layers in white as I like that behind the black.

 I then realised it was going to have trouble adhering to the glitter paste so decided to add a vellum strip, tried stamping the sentiment with stain ink because I didnt want to get out my heat embossing stuff. Of course it didnt work and the second time I tried the piece had moved, yep.....it was a mess and I had already glued the' because' in place. It wasn't coming off for anything or anyone so I cut around it and you have to pretend its one of those double die cuts, the word and the word shape ok :)

Then I needed to stamp on a white piece of card, trim and add below the diecut and I only needed to do that twice cause I smeared the first one (and yes I should have just got that heat embossing out in the first place).

This card is a simpler version as I only used the Disress Inks without the glitter paste. Same steps with size and yellow funfoam behind and the diecut word except this one is gold mirror card.

I stamped direct onto the panel and that worked well and I finished off with this wonderful wooden leaf I received with an orderI placed recently. Have you ever notice how generous small businesses are when sending out orders, I find that they will charge a postage and if its less they refund and they always include something extra and a note thanking me for buying their products and I think thats so kind.

Challenges:

Muse Card Challenge #285

Thank you for such wonderful inspiration Anita.

I will go with the glitter paste version.

The Paper Players Challenge #413

I just saw this challenge and thought how perfect

for my second card - Thanks

613 Avenue Challenge #214 Optional Twist - Use something wooden

Not often I get to go with the Twist

Thanks Card

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #167 Autumn Colours

Because card.....

Penny Black and More October : Autumn 

Thanks Card

Stamping Sensations : October : Shades of Autumn 

Because card

Thanks for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.

Happy Birthday & A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Two cards today, this one is from Elysha's birthday. She loves glitter and fairies and I thought that she would like this little sweetie even though she doesn't have wings. It was fine because it was Cinderella with one of her mice friends Elysha informs me.

Coloured softly with copics it took a bit of juggling to get the oval cut out just where needed with the die I used to cut the wonderful glitter frame, especially as I didn't want to cut her head off or the little mouse and the white piece of cardstock was a scrape.

I love the glitter paper I used (I have mentioned it before) as it has a material like backing on it which means its thicker than general glitter paper and holds it shape really well.

I had added to a bright orange wave texture cardstock and finished off with the 'Happy birthday' die cut.

This next card I stamped the pear tree then coloured with copics. The stamp set is from CAS-ual Friday Stamps and just so easy and pretty to colour.

I kept the colouring nice and simple, going darker on my tree box and bow as I made a mistake first up and had to fix it.

Challenges :

Alphabet Challenge Blog : N is for Nature

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Crafting With Friends Challenge 74 Anything Goes

Happy Birthday Card

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 550 Anything Goes

Happy Birthday

Seize the Birthday - without the Topping

Happy Birthday - 3rd entry I think

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Getting Ready for Christmas

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

HLS October Christmas Challenge Anything Goes

Christmas Card without the Twist

(unless you count a stamped bow

which is ribbon!!)

Thanks so much for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.

The Flower Challenge #25 Add Sparkle

It appears that this month coming is our 2 year anniversary and I anticipated a month too early.

But hey, why not celebrate twice so to all of you who commented before I thank you for your congrats previously.  I do love celebrating so why not twice I say. 

Now the good news is with this celebration,  the winning card picked by the Design Team, will get a Gift Voucher from Top Flight Stamps and a Guest Spot at The Flower Challenge and then a Random Pick winner will receive a stencil and some stamps so without further ado........

How easy is this challenge especially for those of us who do so love sparkle. It shines out of us, from our clothing with little sparkle patches here and there, our unintentional sparkle added to our hair and cheeks and of course our loyal cats and dogs who often end up sneezing sparkle here and there.

I stamped and gold embossed this amazing background stamp from The Ton so theres my first sparkle. This time I have stamped onto watercolour cardstock so I can use water but instead of water

I used my Nuvo Aqua Glimmer Glitter Gloss and its like a watercolour brush but contains all this wonderful glimmer shimmer when you shake your brush well and squeeze gently a bit of this glimmer comes out and it works beautifully with the Zig Clear colour Brushes The biggest thing to remember with zigs is what watercolour paper you use. For flow like I have achieved I used Strathmore Watercolor I use the smooth side. I also use Canson successfully and Multimedia paper (I cant share that link till I get home again as I was unable to find through search now)

Check out the shimmer here. Its amazing IRL. I barely add the darkest blue from the Zig set then use the Nuvo brush to pull and blend. Wiping off any paint on a piece of paper towel and continuing to blend out till I am happy with the colour.

The same with some yellow, mustard and brown colour for the middle ring and a couple of greens for the background. Add a few sparkly gems that look like raindrops and the 'Be you tiful' sentiment in gold mirror card.

Nows its time for you to go to The Flower Challenge and see whats happening over there and all the stunning creations from our Design Team. Then you need to go to your craft room and start playing with everything that shimmers, add your flowers and your ready to go.

Thank you so much for coming to visit and I hope I see you again soon.

Challenges:

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #550 Anything Goes

Crafting With An Attitude: Challenge #44 Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #312

Hugs Big Daisy

Alright I tried, but I just cant stay away from painting on vellum, especially with these amazing background stamps from The Ton this one being a daisy but to me could also be a Gerbera and of course its from my magical garden where all flowers are multi coloured.

I have used a bright pink and bright orange and a little bit of bright yellow from my Zigs and lightened and blended with the palest pink (flesh pink I think it is).

No water used during the making of this....... lol. Okay so Zigs and no water and the vellum stays beautiful. Silver embossed the flower. Yellows and browns in the centre and some mixed greens for the outside edges.

So simple, so easy..... go on tryout. Easy to attached to the card base 5 1/2 x 6" big card but I hate trimming off the colouring. Remember to use that anti static brush or pillow before you stamp so you don't end up with stray silver embossing. I finished off with my 'hugs' die cut in black for a bit of shadow and silver mirror card for the top.

Now to see if there's a challenge or two:

A Bit More Time To Craft Challenge #77 Anything Goes

Sweet Stampers Challenge #24 Bright Colours

Crating From The Heart Challenge #222 Anything Goes

Simon says Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes