STAMPlorations for Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

I'm excited and slightly high on caffeine - today I have the pleasure of joining STAMPlorations in the launch of the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop 2018. If you have played along with this blog hop before you know this is a massive event for all lovers of crafting and coffee, and if you haven't - hop over to have a look, I can guarantee you will be glad you did. You can find more coffeelicious inspiration from my fellow STAMPlorations designers on the STAMPlorations blog. There are plenty of prizes to win and a generous discount code for the STAMPloratons store too. As if that wasn't enough, you will also find the latest gorgeous STAMPlorations free digi which I have used for my second card!

For my first card I used the big coffee mug from Anywhere There's Coffee and embellished it with a bell from Jingle Bells, coloured with Copics and fussy cut. I used a panel from my box of leftovers, bits and bobs which I have at some point in the past created by smooshing neutral colours of Distress Oxides onto watercolour paper. I stamped part of the From Across the Miles Typografia Christmas sentiment in black Versamark and used a brush to cover the sentiment in copper Perfect Pearls for a subtle shine and added some Ranger Distress Stickels to the bell.

For my second card, I used the new STAMPlorations free digi. I used to think there was no way of watercolouring digis as that made the printer ink spread and become messy. But that was before I discovered clear gesso. Now I can print digis, cover the paper in a thin coat of clear gesso and watercolour to my heart's content. Works really well on colouring book pages too! I coloured the image with Gansai Tambi watercolours, stamped the sentiment in Black and then brushed Perfect Pears over the sentiment and over the whole image to give it a warm coppery sheen. I also added Perfect Pearls to the coffee mug to make it shimmer but it's a bit difficult to capture in the pictures.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Anywhere There's Coffee, Jingle Bells, From Across the Miles Typografia Christmas, STAMPlorations free digi

Dies: STAMPlorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies 

Card: Daler Rowney watercolour card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, 

Ink and colouring: Distress Oxides, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Gansai Tambi watercolours, 

Other: Ranger Ice Stickles, Copper Perfect Pearls, clear Gesso

Today is the last chance to use my code STAMPGIRLKAROLA to get 20% off products in the NEW RELEASE and 5x7 STAMP CLUB categories and to get a free metal die with your order from the STAMPlorations store. Offer is only good until November 30th, after which the offer code will still be valid for the discount but you will not be eligible for the free die.

Bliss Under Starry Skies

Just a super quick post today as I've been busy setting up my new laptop. Yes, after 9 years my trusty old Macbook Pro, which I bought when I first moved to the UK, now gets to retire. I decided that as I'm getting older, I no longer can lug around such a big and heavy brick. So it's basically health and safety to get a new computer, right? To be fair, the old brick has served me well and after 9 years of use, it's actually brilliant value for money. But the new one definitely has its benefits, like that it's about a third of the weight and all sleek and slim.

But on to more interesting things - today's card was inspired by the Starry Skies theme over at Daring Cardmakers. First I inked up the ARTplorations Oh My Stars! stencil with blue Distress Oxides and created a monoprint onto watercolour card to create the sky. After the ink had dried I inked Mustard Seed Distress Oxide through the stencil, and while the ink was still wet, added sparkly clear embossing powder to give the stars a pretty sparkle.

I smooshed green and brown Distress Oxides to create the ground, and die cut with Stitched Snow Hills. I stamped the cute critters from Woodland Friends, coloured with Copics and fussy cut. I drew a branch for the owl to sit on, and last I heat embossed a sentiment from Noteworthy 3 on a piece of dark blue card. 

I'm also linking up the card over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where Anything Goes this week.

Card: Daler Rowney 300 gsm watercolour paper, Neenah Solar white card, scrap of dark blue card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Woodland Friends, Noteworthy 3
Dies: CUTplorations Stitched Snow Hills, Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies
Stencil: ARTplorations Oh My Stars! 
Ink: Tsukinko Versamark, Memento, Distress Oxides
Other: White and shimmer clear embossing powder 

Don't forget there is still a few days left to use my code STAMPGIRLKAROLA to get 20% off products in the NEW RELEASE and 5x7 STAMP CLUB categories and to get a free metal die with your order from theSTAMPlorations store.

Snowflake Trio

Pushing on with the Christmas cards! I started with the idea for this design and created the blue card first, but then I thought a really neutral colour scheme could work well. And then I remembered the gorgeous hand-made paper I was gifted quite a while back and which I think is way too nice to actually use. But I did use the corner of a sheet to die cut the beautiful Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes. It looks quite beige in the pictures, but it's actually quite light in colour. I just love the slightly patchy, natural look of the paper and it feels absolutely gorgeous, almost velvety.

I'm linking up this card over at CAS on Friday where the theme is Washi tape and Time Out where the theme is Black, White and one more colour

I'm linking up this card over at AAA Cards where the theme is Mostly White and Make My Monday where the theme is Nontraditional Christmas Colours.

Card: White 200 gsm card, handmade tan paper, light blue shimmer paper, scrip of black card

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Toboggan Together

Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes, Mini Snowflakes, Scripty Merry Christmas Border

Ink: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Tim Holtz Salty Ocean 

Other: Adhesive gems from my stash, Stampin' Up Washi Tape

Snowflake Flurry

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. You know what is the mother of getting your mojo on for creating Christmas cards? Making your list of people you are going to send cards to, counting the cards you have already made and realising you still need to triple your card stash. Nothing like CAS designs to the rescue - I think I created at least six cards today 

Today's card was inspired by the colours over at House of Cards. I'm also linking up over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is Let It Snow, Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Baby It's Cold Outside and Sparkles Christmas Challenge where the theme is Embossing.

I created the background using Distress Inks, splattered with water and added heat embossed snowflakes. The sentiment is a mix of a STAMPlorations stamp in black on vellum and a STAMplorations die, cut from silver and gold mirri card. 

Card: 200 gsm white card, vellum, gold and silver mirri card
Stamps: Stampin' Up Endless Wishes, STAMPlorations Noteworthy 2
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Iced Spruce, Walnut Stain, Antique Linen, Tsukineko Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black
Other: Gold, silver and white embossing powder, CUTplorations Holidays Word die

Don't forget there is still a few days left to use my code STAMPGIRLKAROLA to get 20% off products in the NEW RELEASE and 5x7 STAMP CLUB categories and to get a free metal die with your order from the STAMPlorations store.

One Layer Christmas Card

It's been a bit of a crazy year. I guess it always feels like that, so I'm not sure if this year has indeed been any crazier than any other, objectively measured. But indulge me. 

To make a long story short, a crazy year leaves less time for crafting. It also seems to suck the mojo out of me, so even at times when I sat down in the craft room, I didn't manage to produce anything presentable. Today however, I got super inspired by a gorgeous card by the talented Shery of STAMPlorations fame. And luckily for me, over here in craft world, we have this wonderful thing of CASEing someone, rather than saying we just nicked their idea... So thank you Shery for the inspiration, I hope you don't mind! I was also inspired by the inspiration image over at Time Out Challenges and the Big Bold sentiment theme over at Just Add Ink. I'm also linking up over at Stamping Sensations where the theme is (appropriately) Get ready for Christmas and Happy Little Stampers Christmas challenge where the twist is CAS.

Card: white 200 gsm card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Merry Little Christmas Typografia Christmas, Layered Holly, Mixed Media Grunge
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Iced Spruce, Fired Brick, Forest Moss

Note that there is currently a 40% off sale in the STAMPlorations store which applies to previously released products. If you want to order from the NEW RELEASE and 5x7 STAMP CLUB categories, use my code above. As all NEW RELEASE products are already 10% off in the store (no code needed), using the code above you will actually get an extra 20% off on top of the standard discount, AND a free thin metal die to add (free die only if you order by November 30th)!  

Snowy Penguins

Usually by this time of year I have all my Christmas cards more or less sorted. Not this year. Not even close! I suspect this will be a year when some of the old, store-bought, cards up in the loft may need to supplement the handmade ones (oh the horror!). Oh well, if you get a hand-made card from me this year, you are in the top tier of my favourite people. I'm confident in writing that on the blog as I suspect of all the recipients of my Christmas cards, only my Mum reads this blog.

Today's card was inspired by the colours over at Color Throwdown and the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches. I'm also linking up over at Crimbo Crackers where Anything Goes. 

Card and patterned paper: white 200 gsm card, scrap of aqua Stampin' Up card, Lawn Fawn Let's Bokeh in the Snow, Hobbycraft 190 gsm white card

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Snow Cool and matching dies

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Other: Papermania Silver embossing powder, Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside border dies

Autumn Woodland Friends

Just realised we are hours away from the deadline for the current Sunday Stamps colour challenge, so had to hop on to publish this post so I could link up. I'm also linking up over at International Art and Soul where the theme is Wild Animals, Crafting by Design where the theme is Autumn Colours and Fab n' Funky where the theme is Animal.

The patterned paper is actually not "real" crafting stash but came with an order of (for me) very expensive cosmetics I placed a while ago. As soon as I saw the paper I knew it had to pair up with the super cute Woodland Friends from STAMPlorations. Talk about recycling!

Card: Light grey card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, scrap of beige card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Woodland Friends

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Other: STAMPlorations Stitched Tags Nesting Dies

Note that there is currently a 40% off sale in the STAMPlorations store which applies to previously released products. If you want to order from the NEW RELEASE and 5x7 STAMP CLUB categories, use my code above. As all NEW RELEASE products are already 10% off in the store (no code needed), using the code above you will actually get an extra 20% off on top of the standard discount, AND a free thin metal die to add (free die only if you order by November 30th)! 

November STAMPlorations challenges - Mid-Month Reminder

Halfway through the month already? Can you hear Christmas approaching? Have you already played along with our November challenges over at STAMPlorations? I can't help you with the first two dilemmas, but if your answer to the last question is no, fear not. You can find freshly added inspiration today for various November challenges on the STAMPlorations blog. My tag is for the November TAGplorations challenge, where the theme is about being thankful and with an optional twist of polka dots. I'm very thankful for coffee every morning and I thought it would probably be fun to drink it out of a pink polka-dot mug!

The background is created using Distress Oxide smooching. I stamped the coffee mug and pot and coloured using Copics, except for the coffee cup which I paper pieced. Last I heat embossed the sentiment using copper embossing powder. 

Card: 300 gsm watercolour card, Neenah Solar White card, Lawn Fawn Let's Polka, Mon Amie patterned paper
Stamps: STAMPlorations What's Brewing, Coffeeology
Dies: CUTplorations Manila Tags Nesting Dies
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine, Distress Oxides, Copics
Other: Papermania Copper embossing powder

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes. Note that if you order from the NEW RELEASE and 5x7 STAMP CLUB categories before the end of November you will also receive a free thin metal die with your order.

25 Days of Christmas Tags - STAMPlorations

I'm super excited to be part of the 8th 25 Days of Christmas Tags event. This event is organised annually by the wonderful Tracey McNeely of In My Creative Opinion. 

This event has become one of the eagerly awaited pre-Christmas crafting events as you can see from the quality and quantity of sponsors. Designers from each sponsor team share Christmas tags from November 1st to 26th and hopefully you will be inspired by one (or some, or many!) of these to create and link up your own tags. 

As you can probably guess, today is when the STAMPlorations team get to showcase our tags. You can find the tags of my fellow team members, along with the previous posts of this event and the linky on Tracy's blog.

For my tag I used one of my favourite winter themed stamp sets, STAMPlorations Winter Chill. I can't resist those cute penguins. I die cut a tag using CUTplorations Stitched Tags Nesting Dies from watercolour card and inked the aurora in the sky using Distress Oxides. After letting the ink dry, and thoroughly dabbing with my embossing buddy, I heat embossed the grungy snowflakes in glitter emossing powder in the sky.  I used CUTplorations Stitched Snow Hills on a shimmery white card to create the undulating snowy hills. I stamped the penguins, igloo and snowman and coloured them with Copics before fussy cutting and arranging into the wintery scene. Last, I heat embossed the sentiment in white powder onto black card and added some ribbon from my stash.

Card: 300 gsm watercolour paper, Neenah Solar white card, scrap of black card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Winter Chill

Dies: CUTplorations Stitched Tags Nesting Dies, Stitched Snow Hills

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Versafine, Distress Oxides, Copics, Signo white gel pen

Other: White and glitter heat embossing powder

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.

Copper Christmas Floral

Just a quick post today to show a Christmas card I created, inspired by a number of challenges. I was inspired by the Winter Flowers and Foliage theme over at Daring Cardmakers, Christmas Florals and/or Greenery over at CAS Watercolour, flowers over at Jingle Belles, the colours over at Inspire Create and the sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch.

I stamped the (now discontinued) STAMPlorations Peace Love Joy Christmas floral, heat embossed it in copper and watercoloured the florals in Distress Ink (Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany and Pine Needles). I then stamped the sentiment from STAMPlorations Holiday Sketches: Christmas candles and heat embossed in copper. Last, I splattered some inks and copper Gansai Tambi watercolour on the card. 

Card: Kraft card from my stash

Stamps: STAMPlorations Peace Love Joy, Holiday Sketches: Christmas candles 

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holz Distress Ink Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany and Pine Needles, Gansai Tambi watercolour copper

Other: Papermania Copper embossing powder

Note that there is currently a 40% off sale in the STAMPlorations store which applies to previously released products. If you want to order from the NEW RELEASE and 5x7 STAMP CLUB categories, use my code above. As all NEW RELEASE products are already 10% off in the store (no code needed), using the code above you will actually get an extra 20% off on top of the standard discount, AND a free thin metal die to add (free die only if you order by November 30th)! Also, don't miss the STAMPlorations Thanksgiving blog hop!

Twofer Wreath

I always mean to play along with the Twofer challenge when I see it pop up on my blog feed, and then the next thing I know I see the winner's post. I have no idea where the days go right now, it seems like the last two months have been going past in extra fast forward. There are so many things going on, both at work and with family and I can't keep up. One of the things which unfortunately always suffer is crafty time. Today I decided to ignore all the dust around the house and spend a few hours in art therapy, a healthy mind is more important right now than a clean house.

So today I finally managed to play along with this month's Twofer challenge where the theme is wreath. I created a Christmas card and new home one. I love the little Lawn Fawn wreath die, but don't use it enough. My Christmas card was also inspired by the colour challenge over at Lawn Fawnatics. I recently ordered the Really Rainbow paper, but haven't had a chance to use it yet so it was a great reason to break out the paper. I'm a really bad paper hoarder so I tried to use various bits and bobs from my patterned paper drawer (I have a full drawer of just Lawn Fawn patterned paper which only seems to grow).

For my first card I used a light grey card base and Really Rainbow Christmas patterned paper. I die cut the wreath out of the paper as well and used a scrap of polka dot pink paper for the bow and the berries on the wreath. I also stamped the Christmas presents from Toboggan Together and coloured them to go with the colours on the patterned paper. 

For my second card I created a scene with a door with a wreath and a dog sitting outside as I thought it would be a nice little scene for a happy new home card. I die cut the door from Knock on Wood paper using the Stitched Rectangle dies and die cut a bigger rectangle from yellow paper from the same set for the background. I coloured the pooch with Copics and stamped the banner from Bannerific onto Knit Picky patterned paper. The sentiment is a combination of a few different sentiments as I realised I don't have any stamp set with a "happy new home" sentiment. I'm also linking this card up over at Shopping Our Stash where the theme is "It's raining cats and dogs"

Card and patterend paper: White 200gsm card, Neenah Solar white, light grey card, Lawn Fawn Knit Picky, Knock on Wood, Really Rainbow Christmas and scraps of Perfectly Plaid Fall, Perfectly Plaid Christmas and Let's Polka Mon Amie
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Bannerific, Critters at the Dog Park and Toboggan Together and matching dies
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black and Copics
Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle Dies, Stitched Circle dies, Mini Wreath

Floral Thanks

Sometimes the smallest thing mak you feel like an adult again. I started the day by cleaning my bathroom as there was a bit of dust settling on the surfaces. Oh, don't look at me like that, I've been busy lazying it up on the sofa doing nothing! Anyhow, it didn't take me long, but it felt so good to have it done. We were out all day and when I came back home and went to wash my hands I had already forgotten I had done a deep clean and it just made me so happy stepping into the clean bathroom. I felt so good - as long as I didn't look into any other room in the house...

A quick post today to show a card I made a while ago but haven't had time to post.  The background is a stencil monoprint using the ARTplorations Ethnic Organic One stencil and Disterss inks. I love the look of this technique. I stamped some of the pretty flowers from STAMPlorations Big Dreamer, coloured them with Copics and fussy cut them. I die cut the sentiment from purple and turquoise card and before assembling, I added scraps of purple and turquoise card behind the panel. To add a finishing touch I added some purple stickles to the sentiment

I'm linking up my card over at Inspire.Create.Challenges where the theme is thankful, Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is Create your own background and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge whre the theme is Thanks/Thanksgiving.

Card: White 200 gsm card, 300 gsm watercolour card, scraps of purple and turquoise card, Neenah solar white 
Stamps: STAMPlorations Big Dreamer
Dies: CUTplorations Thanks word die
Ink and colouring: Distress Ink Twisted Citron, Peacock Feathers, Wilted Violet, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Other: Distress Stickles

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.

November STAMPlorations TAG Challenge - Thanksgiving

It's time for the STAMPlorations November TAGplorations challenge. This month the theme is All About Thanksgiving. I chose to not use the optional theme which is polka dots, but maybe you will come up with creative ways of working in polka dots in your creation?

For my tag, I inked up the background with Distress Inks, splattered with water and inked the edges in Vintage Photo. I stamped the trees and the sentiment in Versafine and finally inked Chipped Sapphire through the Some Birds stencil.

Card: White 200 gsm card

Ink: Distress Ink Squeezed Lemon, Mustard Seed, Abandoned Coral, Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch, Chipped Sapphire, Vintage Photo

Stamps: STAMPlorations Tree Silhouettes, Words of Gratitude 

Dies: CUTplorations Luggage Tags Nesting Dies

Stencil: ARTplorations Some Birds

Other: Ribbon from my stash

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.

November STAMPlorations CAS Challenge - Rainbow

Hi you, I'm very happy to see you here today. Thanks for visiting and thanks for supporting the STAMPlorations CAS challenge. I know I don't say it enough, but you are amazing! Now that I got that off my chest, how about focusing on the STAMPlorations November CAS challenge. This month the optional colour twist is my all time favourite colour - rainbow. There is nothing that makes me happier than getting all those beautiful inks out and creating a card in the full spectrum of colours.

Today's card is a quick and easy Christmas card idea. Start by picking out your favourite Christmas trees (mine are from STAMPlorations Sketchy Yule Trees). Ink up half of your stamp with one colour and the other half with another colour. For the benefit of your ink pads, ink up the lighter colour first. Then stamp the tree, and make sure to cover it with a mask before stamping the tree next to it. Once all trees are stamped and the ink has dried, die cut the sentiment. Make sure you keep track of all the small pieces like the parts inside the letters. Then it's just a bit of a puzzle. I attached the sentiment using 3D foam pads which I cut into tiny pieces, and then I made sure to add all of the tiny pieces inside the letters. I attached a piece of black card to the back of the front panel to give the sentiment a bit of definition.  

I hope you are inspired to link up your CAS cards (with an optional twist of rainbow) over at the November CAS challenge. You can use any products you want, although if you have STAMPlorations products we would love to see what you create with them. Don't forget to link up to the challenge in your post and add the badge to be eligible for the prizes!

Card: White 200 gsm card, scrap of black card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Sketchy Yule Trees

Dies: STAMPlorations Merry Christmas Phrase Die

Ink: Distress Oxides

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.