In the long run

It’s my turn to set the challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week — as Monday is a bank holiday here in the UK that means it’s a long weekend so I thought we could be inspired by the idea of “long” things. Have a look at the blog to see what my teamies were inspired to make. 

Giraffes have the longest necks in the animal kingdom and this stamp always makes me smile so I decided to go that way. I think I’ve had the stamp set since about 2008. 

I wouldn’t normally list my Scor-It in the supplies list (I use it pretty much every time I make a card to score the fold) but I used it to make the decorative framing for the inked strip so I thought it should at least make it onto the cast list! It adds a little something extra to a one layer card, I think, but keeps it flat and embellishment-free!

Stamps:
Safari Set I (Tanda stamps, no longer with us)
Sentiment from Polar Bears (MFT)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door)

Other:
Scor-It
Corner Chomper

Come join us!

Cake and candles

I’m combining challenges again today! Shabneez has chosen our theme at Daring Cardmakers and as she has lots of family birthdays to celebrate in August, she’d like to see birthday card ideas featuring candles and/or cake.

Let’s Squash It’s challenge of a shaped card combined with any embossing folder is ongoing so I decided to play again there — the cabinet card shape I made last week was looking very lonely in the challenge gallery until the lovely Robyn joined me on Wednesday but I'm sure Jo and Gail would love to see a few more shaped cards!

I kept the shape really simple this time, using the largest die from a really old Spellbinder set, but it still looks a bit different than your regular straight edges. Wafer thin dies tend not to want to go through two layers of base weight cardstock — I ran the folded base through the machine once which cut the top layer and made a good indentation in the bottom one. You can then flatten it out and use the indentation to reseat the die and place your top plate so it lines up along the fold of the card to make sure you don’t cut more than you intended. I then die cut a full front out of black cardstock, embossed it, dry brushed with metallic acrylic paint and stuck to the card base. 

The cake is stamped, coloured with Copics and fussy cut then stuck on with gel glue with a glittery gold frame to spotlight it. The sentiment is cut with a small rectangle, modified make it longer.

I realised when dry brushing the card front that there is even a cake with candles (top left) in the embossing so it’s double cake all round!

Stamps:
The Cafe (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)
Sentiment from Essential Messages (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board
Black
Gold glitter

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)

Other:
Birthday embossing folder (Cuttlebug)
Copic markers
Labels 8 dies (Spellbinder)
Fine frames die, circle (Altenew)
Stitched rectangles A6 size (Paper Rose)
Espresso metallic paint (DecoArt)

Cool citrus

Kathy is setting our challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week — it's hot again here in the UK so she'd like to see ways to keep your cool. Check out the blog for ideas from the team!

I'm partial to a citron pressé when on holiday somewhere hot so I decided to go that way —there's something cool and refreshing about sharp citrus flavours mixed with gently fizzy water and a spoonful of sugar. A couple of ice cubes and a sprig of mint make it more sophisticated if you’re that way inclined!

This pretty layering stamp set from The Greetery was on my wish list and hubby bought it for me as a gift now there’s a UK stockist (Seven Hills, if anyone needs to know!). He bought the coordinating dies too (which I confess I probably wouldn’t have done) so I played with both here. The dies definitely made the flower cluster easier!

The shaped card was inspired by the current challenge at Let's Squash It who want us to combine our embossing folders with a card that isn’t square or rectangular. I haven’t used this cabinet card die for ages and thought it might make an attractive frame for an arrangement of lemons. I chose a basketweave folder to be reminiscent of picnic baskets or perhaps shady sun hats! I ran a gold paint pen around the inside of the frame for a bit of definition. Because it’s a steel rule die it’s really easy to cut through a couple of layers — just fold the base then position the fold fractionally inside the left hand cutting edge so it stays intact and you’ll have a perfectly shaped card base.

The Die Cut Divas have a shaped card challenge too so I’m linking up there as well!

Stamps:
Lemon Blossom (plus coordinating dies) (The Greetery)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress by Ranger (Mowed Lawn, Picked Raspberry)
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide by Ranger (Twisted Citron)
Versacraft by Tsukineko (Lemon Yellow)
Jenni Bowlin by Ranger (Lemon Drop)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Sunshine Yellow)
Memento Luxe by Tsukineko (Rose Bud)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)

Other:
Basketweave folder (Spellbinder)
Tag Trio dies (Spellbinder)
Cabinet Card and Mini Cabinet Card dies (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Gold paint pen

Come join the fun!

 

 Die Cut Divas

August's elements

Nat has chosen the mood board for our "elemental" challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week — as ever, just chose at least three elements to feature on your card.

I chose the woodgrain, yellow flower and striped ring. I cut an extra flower head and layered it behind the main die cut, slightly offset, and curved the petals on the front one for a bit more dimension. 

Retro Rubber has an “anything goes” theme for the current challenge so I’m linking up there too. My woodgrain stamp has been well loved since being added to my stash around 2008!

Stamps:
Woodgrain backgrounder (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)
Sentiment from Big Day Today (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board
Buff

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Antique Linen, Vintage Photo)
Momento Luxe by Tsukineko (Espresso Truffle)

Other:
Wildflower Stems dies (Time Holtz/Sizzix)
Stitched rectangle dies (Paper Rose)
Circles Nestabilities
Gold paint pen
Copic markers

Here’s the inspiration picture for August

Link in the chain - July

It's reveal day at Card Chain Challenge — mine has travelled the short distance to Kath this time.

From the options on offer I only managed the theme of birds but it only takes one to play! I did manage to make my birds summery though as a nod to the season.

Hopefully these gulls are not gearing up to swipe the chips or Cornish pasty of the holiday-makers who are undoubtedly sitting just out of the frame. I considered giving them some soft colour with chalks but in the end decided I liked the crisp contrast of the white gulls and frame with the colourful waves and beach.

The waves are a lovely layering stamp set, you can change the look quite drastically with different ink choices. I coloured the beach area with a couple of watercolour paints, dotted a little white pen for breaking foam and stamped the greeting with sandy colours for that stick-written look!

Stamps:
Layering Waves (Hero Arts)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Versacraft (Pale Aqua)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Sandal, Stream)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Salty Ocean)

Other:
Beachfront Seagulls dies (Memory Box)
Watercolour paints by Winsor and Newton
Stitched rectangles A6 size (Paper Rose)
White paint pen by Posca

Thanks for stopping by — there are still a couple of days to sign up for August's chain if you fancy it, details are here.

Stencil it

Nat is setting our challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week and she'd like to see us using stencils. All the details here.

I decided to try out some Oxide ink on a black background. I'm not sure the colour survives particularly well if you apply them with brushes — it may be better if you stamp — but I quite liked the effect, I think this would be a good masculine card.

Supplies:
Bristol board and smooth black cardstock
Alphabet Sprinkle stencil (That Special Touch)
Tim Holtz Distress Oxides by Ranger (Cracked Pistachio, Evergreen Bough)
Happy Stamp n Cut and Essential Messages stamp set (Hero Arts)
Stitched rectangle dies A6 size (Paper Rose)
Bright white embossing powder by Wow!
Versamark by Tsukineko

Thanks for stopping by!

Black, white and...

Shabneez is setting our challenge over at Daring Cardmakers this week and she’d like to see cards that are black and white with just one other colour.

Perhaps because there are lots of “Christmas in July” things happening in blogland, the first thing that popped in to my head for “black and white” was penguins. They’ve made the sartorial choice to colour coordinate their hats and scarves with their beaks and feet!

A fairly wide black mat and some Enamel Accents dots help to up the quota of black and I have another card to add to the Christmas stash. 

I’m also playing along with the lovely folk at the Lost Coast Challenge blog who have a Christmas in July event going on.

Stamps:
Bundled Penguins (Stampendous)
Sentiment from a magazine freebie set

Paper:
Bristol board
Black

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Stitched rectangles A6 size (Paper Rose)
Enamel Accents by Ranger 

Clean and simple in the snow!

Enfys is setting our challenge over at Daring Cardmakers this week and she’d like to see clean and simple designs, lots of unpatterned, untextured white space. 

When I saw that the challenge this month at Let’s Squash It is “keep it CAS” I couldn’t resist combining. As I decided to cool off a little by imagining snow, I’m entering Jo’s Christmas Kickstart challenge too where snowfolk are the order of the day. 

I did start off with a (homemade) embossing diffuser to emboss the snowflakes directly onto the card base but things didn’t quite work out as intended so I ended up with a die cut circle that I embossed and stuck on. The little dancing snowman is stuck on with gel glue and his banner has the tiniest sliver of cardstock for an upright. I drew a silver gel pen circle round the embossed area, rounded a corner and called it done.

Stamps:
Dancing snowman (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)
Sentiment from a magazine freebie set

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Ice Crystals embossing folder (Cuttlebug)
Corner Chomper
Circle Nestabilites

Link in the chain - June (and May!)

It's reveal day at Card Chain Challenge — mine is still en route to Lou I think, mail to Australia is being very slow at the moment, apparently! 

From the options on offer I chose the themes of fluffy and friendship. This little guy was the fluffiest thing I could think of in my stash! 

It’s my usual one layer card for CCC, just stamps, ink and some Enamel Accents for a finishing touch. I used my trusty piece of acetate that has various sized circles die cut from it to add the backdrop for the chick. 

Stamps:
Farm Chicks (Crafty Secrets, no longer with us)
Sentiment from Layering Octopus (Hero Arts)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)
Hero Arts Shadow ink (Soft Granite)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean)

Other:
Copic markers
Enamel Accents

I realised I forgot to blog last month’s so I’ll do that now. It went to the lovely Jo and from the options on offer I chose the theme of desert and the colour scheme of pineapple, peach, terracotta. I sort of regretted that choice after I’d mentally committed to it since I didn’t really have ink colours that matched and ended up doing lots of blending with various inks to get somewhere close! My memory has probably failed on exactly what went in there but never mind, I’m sure nobody really cares!

Stamps:
Way Out West and Back in the Saddle (both Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Sandal, Mountain Rose, Rust)
Jenni Bowlin dye ink by Ranger (Lemon Drop)

Thanks for stopping by!

Midsummer

Jenny is setting our challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week and as we've just celebrated midsummer's day, she'd like to see cards inspired by midsummer and all that nature has to offer at this time of year.

I decided to do a flower print. We have some beautiful deep magenta geraniums in our front garden so I picked a sprig from there — it's such a striking colour that walkers have been known to stop and ask if they can take a bit of a plant for their own garden!

This is one of those techniques where you never quite know what you'll get. You just sandwich the plant between two pieces of paper and run it through your die cutter to squish it. Strong colours and soft leaves/flowers tend to work best although don’t expect to get on paper what you see “in the flesh” — the deep magenta flowers gave a delicate purple print. Once you’ve squished, just leave it alone for a while to dry and then brush off the fragments of plant.

I needed a sympathy card recently and I told myself I really should have one or two in my stash as you often don't feel like making one when you need one. I thought this print looked as though it would be perfect with a sympathy sentiment so that's what I did and I now have a card for the box, ready if I need it. Of course you get two prints from one plant, I'll use the other one for something else. 

Supplies:
Watercolour paper
Flower sprig
Stitched rectangle dies (Paper Rose)
Sentiment from Big Day Today (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)
Fineline marker (dark brown)

Thanks for stopping by!