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Wednesday 31 August 2016

Birthday Hugs and Kisses



Now I know I should start this with the card I have done but I just have to share with everyone. Therese who has the blog Lost In Paper has CASEd ME. I couldn't believe it when I booted up the computer this morning and in the emails was a link to the post. 

Therese is the most talented card maker who works with a number of design teams some being Altenew & Scrapbook Boutique and  has inspired me from the days when I first went looking at cards. 
Therese is an Aussie like me but lives way, way up the coast, too far for a Sunday drive. She has been an inspiration for my card making and also a wonderful friend sharing ideas and suggestions when asked. 
 I was going to put the card here but I want you to go to her blog and check out the card she has made  and the card she CASEd and there's a video as well. Then you can check out all her other videos.

But I want you to check out this post first then go, OK.

No stamping on this card at all and you can be forgiven for thinking mmmm another
pink and orange card. Honest I used these colours because they are from a Colour
Challenge, the layout is for a sketch Challenge and all those die cuts go with a few more challenges.




I can also enter this with Darnell for the  NBUS challenge and she would be so so proud of me I have used not one, not two but three NBUS. The main panel here was cut three times, in white, pink and orange. I now have two main panels left in the bright colours and I can already see what I will use them for. This die cut panel is from Papertrey and was part of wonderful haul I got recently. It was interesting as it cut beautifully in the pink and orange which I cut from a weave look card stock.

The white panel I had to cut from thinner card to get it to cut properly and I had to use my new metal shimmer before I could get a clean cut. Even then I added to pieces of card to the sandwich to push this die to cut properly. A shame as I do like it but hate having to work that hard at getting a good cut.

I then removed all the little pieces and put them into little piles. Decided to use one of those double sided sticky sheets cut to size, brilliant way to do it (but be careful not to let the sticky piece touch anything else before you attach, even the non stick mat decided it liked it and held on with an amazing grip) So the next piece cut to size removed one cover on the sticky piece so I could lay out the white layer then pain stakingly add all those little pink and orange pieces. Yes it all looks the same but the X were slightly shorter on oneness and it varied then even those little squares, some were rectangles so it was like putting a puzzle together. Of course then there was that one missing piece that was hunted for everywhere then I ended up cutting a piece to fit in.

Finished off with a black layer for it all to sit on, a stitched rectangle cut then trimmed at end to look like a banner and finally the birthday die cut and XOXO added. All layered onto a rectangular card. Finished, looks nice and next time would be so much easier as I have learnt as I went.


Challenges:

You should go check this challenge out, its such a fun challenge and a great way to see what others are doing and how much NBUS is coming out of hiding. This is my second card for this challenge. One more to go.


See I said I was going to get more into Sketch Challenges.



and Colour Challenges and how beautiful is this one. All those wonderful
patterns on the duna cover.




Yay I can go with the topping with my wee little tag on this card.

I cant believe that I had a couple more challenges  I could enter this in without having to look but I have meet the maximum number so will have to......make another card. Usually I have one maybe two challenges in mind and I have to hunt for more. This time its the opposite.

Thank you so much for coming to have a look and I hope you come again soon.


Tuesday 30 August 2016

Sending Sunshine

I watercoloured this stamped background during Kathy's30 Day Colouring Challenge and its been sitting there waiting to be used. I White embossed this background stamp that is from MFT on watercolour paper then I used some Zigs going quite heavy in colour in some spots and more like a wash in other areas. This is probably one of my most popular background stamps as it looks fantastic for water colour and Copics or silver/gold/black embossed on coloured cardstock. I have a previous post where I embossed in Gold on Black and used for a wedding card and it looks wonderful.




In this instance I cut the piece in half so I can use for two card front. Before mounting onto the orange background I die cut the 'Sending Sunshine' word die from the panel and also out of Gold Mirror cardstock.

You Cant see it here but the flowers have a wonderful shimmer from the use of Wink of Stella added to them. I wanted you to feel that the panel is all about Sunlight, bright, sunshine.

After I attached the watercoloured panel to the orange card stock I then placed the gold die cut in the negative die cut. I had kept all the little bits to put them back into place. 

Once this was done I offset the original 'Sending Sunshine' sentiment so you could see the gold/ golden/sunshine trapped inside. A couple of gems and all finished. I did take the photos in the hope you could see the offset design but its easier to see IRL.


Lets see if I can find any challenges???


A perfect card for the HLS Die Cuts Challenge, and 613 Avenue Create who have an anything goes challenge on at the moment.











A brand new challenge for me and looks very interesting. 
If your looking for challenges it might be worth going to have a look.





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







Sunday 28 August 2016

NBUS Flower with a Pop of Colour

If you read my last post you know I did a black and white with a pop of colour butterfly. After I finished colouring the butterfly last night I still wanted to try the same idea with flowers but rather than go with some of my ornate flower stamps I wanted an easy one. 

The butterfly I coloured comes with this outline flower that also has a fantastic inset stamp thats all busy with wee little designs, but that will need to be used another time. 

This time I decided to just use the outline stamp and admit this stamp has been sadly neglected. It is not new but had never been inked up. That of course will be
fixed now as its beautiful to colour.

I am totally in love with the grey copic colouring and the depth I feel I achieved here.
I was going to go pop of colour green again but decided on yellow instead. 



I started out with Y02, Y06, Y08 and Y17 but wasn't happy with the depth, something was missing. So I added another colour into the mix and left out Y02. I added YR14 which gives that brilliant orange burst on tips and coming from the centre. I added a wee bit of brown to the centre for depth and to separate from inner petals then a bit of white gel pen for light in centre of both coloured and grey flowers for highlight. 
Finished off with Wink of Stella on the coloured flower only and then added a few enamel dots within that pop of colour to finish it off. I am planning to give this to a friend for her birthday and have stamped inside. I hope you like it.

As its a Hero Art stamp I will also enter this into A blog Named Hero Challenge with my Pop of Colour. So even though I am only just getting an entry in I have managed two so happy with that.

Would also like to enter this in HLS August CAS Challenge which is masking as there was plenty of that and I think its CAS enough.  
Of course I want to enter this at Darnell's NBUS Challenge #7. This is a brilliant challenge that Darnell runs at different times and the main rule is to use your NBUS (Never Before Used Stuff) and I think its brilliant. How many people out there have stamps, dies, papers they have purchased then not used. Some of us (myself here) are willing to admit we have a trailer load or two of schtuff that meets this criteria so its perfect. This stamp meets the criteria of never used before. So thats one.

 Love entering Seize the Birthday as they take anything birthday and then add twists, but you can do either twist or just birthday. This card is without the twist, which is tags.

Thank you so much for coming along








My Favourite Butterfly

 I've been sick laryngitis then became a cold with lots of coughing and feeling yuk. I've missed so many of my favourite challenges but last night I was feeling good so did some copic colouring. I really wanted to go in a few different Challenges that we going with the one splash of colour idea and thoughts had been bubbling. I was going to use some different flowers  but lacked the energy so 

I got out my favourite Hero Art butterfly, stamped and cut out a few masks and did this
really easy layering.

I was so pleased with this last night. I did the greys in C-1, C-3 and C-5, I wanted the green to really stand out so went YG01, YG03 and YG25. I finished it off with some light grey shadow and went to bed happy.


Then I just had to play some more. I decided to add those lovely little white dots that Kelly and Kathy use so well. It just didnt work for me. I just had to do it all, then sit there looking t it and hating it and thinking of trashing it. Start again but I was not feeling so crash hot this morning so just removed what I could by fingernail then went over with the colours again and left it as that. I'm not happy with my end look but finished the card off and will use it and at some time will do it again just so I feel happy. I added a few green dots after trying out a number of different ideas, placed very strategically to cover random Copic drops. Liked it as it was and just couldn't decide on a sentiment and decided to leave as is for now and add sentiment when using. Could use for any occasion.

I am going to add this to A Blog Named Hero as this month is about to close and they are doing 'A Pop of Color' and you need to use their products so the butterfly fits right in.
Also there is a wonderful challenge at Scrapbook Boutique that is also closing soon and their mood board was perfect for this card. Finally CAS-ual Fridays CFC155 which is black and white with a Pop of Colour. I am hoping I am within bounds by using greys, if not I will remove from the challenge. Actually I just realised that  this green is the green closest to Peridot so I should also enter the Simon Says 'Work It Wednesday'  which is also closing soon.

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






Monday 22 August 2016

Happy Birthday Masking and Watercolouring

Welcome back everyone. This time its two cards and I think I have caught up as much as I can before I babysit the grandkids tomorrow then go back to mum and dads for a few days.  Went straight from migraines into a cold that has decided to stay and make me feel blahhh. I will have to mask and glove up when I go to mum and dads but as all my siblings and my daughter chose to leave the country at the same time, its just me. Mind you after they go to bed at night theres plenty of relaxing and blog checking just no crafting.

I will survive, I will not go into withdrawal, I will.....lol.

First card I am using the floral stamp from Inspired by Stamping and its called
Plumeria. Its one of my favourite stamps at the moment, looks so pretty and easy to watercolour.



I have masked and stamped the original four flowers and added at the bottom and on the side to give me a really lovely bouquet. The main colour used is pink Zigs and a wee bit of yellow.


The photos are not doing justice to the colouring as they are wonderful IRL. I then die cut
with the postage stamp die from MFT. Because I sued quite a bit of water to get the colours to sit as I wanted the piece of watercolour paper warped a bit.



I attached the panel to a piece of foam which helped to straighten it a bit but will need to put a couple of heavy books on the finished card just to help. I finished the card off but mounting the panel on a 
 5 x 5 white card, added shimmer to the flowers with Wink of Stella. attached a Silver mirror card die cut and a few little pink sparkles.




This card I have used a new die that just arrived from 'Lil Inkers' 'Thanks so Much stitched square.
I cut this from a piece of card that I had coloured with copics in the colours on the rainbow. Chose the yellow/ orange/pink/red end.


See this wonderful card it has a pre-embossed pattern very gently pressed into it.
It is flowers, leaves and butterflies and the centre of the card is cut out. Guess what?????? Perfect fit for my die cut sentiment.
Sooooo I attached a piece of acetate on the inside of the card then was able to attach the die cut sentiment perfectly into the space.



I decided I wanted to attach a little flower but added that to the inside of the card. This is one flower from a beautiful little stitched set from Happly Little Stampers Doodle Flowers so beautiful and easy to colour and cut out. This one is watercoloured with Zigs.

Thats it the card is finished and I love it.


Challenges : 

Thanks so Much Card - Copics



Wonderful card for inspiration and I had so many ideas cracking round in my
head and ended up going with the 'Thanks So Much' card, square card, die cutting
mix of colours. And I reckon the flower looks like a burst of flame from a candle
 in the background.


Happy birthday Card, love this flower not only because its so easy to watercolour but also cause it makes me think of the frangipani tree in our front garden.




Happy birthday card, has the Happy Birthday die
 cut as well as the flowers.



The Happy Birthday Card with the pink flowers.




Thanks So Much Blended die Cut panel


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













Happy Birthday Masking and Watercolouring

Welcome back everyone. This time its two cards and I think I have caught up as much as I can before I babysit the grandkids tomorrow then go back to mum and dads for a few days.  Went straight from migraines into a cold that has decided to stay and make me feel blahhh. I will have to mask and glove up when I go to mum and dads but as all my siblings and my daughter chose to leave the country at the same time, its just me. Mind you after they go to bed at night theres plenty of relaxing and blog checking just no crafting.

I will survive, I will not go into withdrawal, I will.....lol.

First card I am using the floral stamp from Inspired by Stamping and its called
Plumeria. Its one of my favourite stamps at the moment, looks so pretty and easy to watercolour.



I have masked and stamped the original four flowers and added at the bottom and on the side to give me a really lovely bouquet. The main colour used is pink Zigs and a wee bit of yellow.


The photos are not doing justice to the colouring as they are wonderful IRL. I then die cut
with the postage stamp die from MFT. Because I sued quite a bit of water to get the colours to sit as I wanted the piece of watercolour paper warped a bit.



I attached the panel to a piece of foam which helped to straighten it a bit but will need to put a couple of heavy books on the finished card just to help. I finished the card off but mounting the panel on a 
 5 x 5 white card, added shimmer to the flowers with Wink of Stella. attached a Silver mirror card die cut and a few little pink sparkles.




This card I have used a new die that just arrived from 'Lil Inkers' 'Thanks so Much stitched square.
I cut this from a piece of card that I had coloured with copics in the colours on the rainbow. Chose the yellow/ orange/pink/red end.


See this wonderful card it has a pre-embossed pattern very gently pressed into it.
It is flowers, leaves and butterflies and the centre of the card is cut out. Guess what?????? Perfect fit for my die cut sentiment.
Sooooo I attached a piece of acetate on the inside of the card then was able to attach the die cut sentiment perfectly into the space.



I decided I wanted to attach a little flower but added that to the inside of the card. This is one flower from a beautiful little stitched set from Happly Little Stampers Doodle Flowers so beautiful and easy to colour and cut out. This one is watercoloured with Zigs.

Thats it the card is finished and I love it.


Challenges : 

Thanks so Much Card - Copics



Wonderful card for inspiration and I had so many ideas cracking round in my
head and ended up going with the 'Thanks So Much' card, square card, die cutting
mix of colours.


Happy birthday Card, love this flower not only because its so easy to watercolour but also cause it makes me think of the frangipani tree in our front garden.




Happy birthday card, has the Happy Birthday die
 cut as well as the flowers.



The Happy Birthday Card with the pink flowers.




Thanks So Much Blended die Cut panel


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