Baked With Love

It's been a while since I had time for relaxing fun in the craft room. Recently I spent time trying to clear out unused stuff as I had to downsize my storage to make room for a bigger vivarium for my not-so-little-anymore snake baby. But I decided to interrupt all the cleaning and clearing out to take time to just craft for fun.

When I saw the inspiration photos over at Just Add Ink and The Card Concept, I immediately knew which stamp set to reach for. I was also inspired by the "Up to One Third" theme over at AAA Cards, and I used quite a lot of masking to create the rows of cupcakes too. Last but not least I'm also linking up over at Lawn Fawnatics where the theme is "Lots of Love" and City Crafter Challenge Blog where the theme is "Cupcake(s)".

 

 

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Baked With Love

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

(L)owl Is In The Air

I was requested to make a wedding card for a couple who likes owls. I bought the Stampin' Up owl punch ages ago, but have hardly ever used it so I thought this was the perfect time to get it out and use it one last time before selling it on eBay. I wanted to dress up the cute little critters in their wedding finest, so I selected a bright red bow and pearl buttons for Mr Owl and a lace dress with rhinestones for Mrs Owl.

I created the background by watercolouring through ARTplorations Hearts All Over Mini stencil using Gansai Tambi pearlescent watercolour for a subtle sheen. I also splattered a bit of the pearlescent red to give the background a bit more interest. I die cut the sentiment from bright red and pearlescent grey card using CUTplorations Congrats Word die and finally die cut the whole card panel using CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies. 

I wish Mr and Mrs Owl all the best in their future life together!

I'm linking up with the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - Have a Heart
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - V is for Valentine 
Inkspirational - Photo challenge
My Time To Craft - All You Need Is Love
Addicted to Stamps and More - Photo Inspiration 
Always Fun Challenges - Wedding or Anniversary

Dies and Punches: Stampin' Up Owl Punch, CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies, Congrats Word
Stencil: ARTplorations Hearts All Over Mini
Colouring: Gansai Tambi Pearlescent watercolour

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at theSTAMPlorations 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.

January STAMPlorations challenges - Mid-Month Reminder

Have you played along with the STAMPlorations January challenges yet? If not this is our official announcement that the month is halfway through and we would love to see your projects if you haven't played along yet.

I created another card for the January CAS challenge where the optional colour twist is burgundy. I guess my background panel is somewhere between red and burgundy, but I think it's close enough. Well, it's the closest I had to burgundy or at least the closest I could find when I was crafting!

I used the adorable little cactus from Succulently, coloured with Copics and fussy cut. I die cut the background panel from burgundy(ish) card using the Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting dies and the sentiment using Hello Word die. I cut the bottom layer of the sentiment in navy card and the top using what looks like patterned paper but, in fact, is wrapping paper from a roll of TP of all things. Talk about recycling!

Stamps: STAMPlorations Succulently

Dies: CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting dies, Hello Word die

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at theSTAMPlorations 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.

It's A Girl Thing Stamp Set Release

I'm here today to show you two cards I made using newly released STAMPlorations stamp sets It's A Girl Thing: Kindness and It's A Girl Thing: Sunshine. We are celebrating the release of these super fun stamp sets with a mini release over on the STAMPlorations blog. Of course, it wouldn't be a stamp release without prizes to be won! By commenting on my blog post, the main release blog post and the posts from our other designers (you can find the links in the main post) you are in the draw to win one of three $15 coupon codes. You have until January 31st to comment for a chance to win.

For my first project, I masked a rectangle using a piece of scrap paper and stamped an array of the fun doodle-y flowers around the mask, adding some leaves for good measure. I then coloured the flowers using Copics and added my favourite sentiment from the set. 

For my second card, I cut the front panel using Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies. I stamped the flowers randomly and coloured with Copics. I then stamped several sentiments in Versamark ink onto black card and heat embossed them in white.

I love these stamps, they are so versatile, and I haven't even had a chance yet to explore those gorgeous border doodle stamps.

Don't forget to check out the  main release blog post on the STAMPlorations blog, and check in with the other designers on the hop and leave some comments along the way for a chance to win!

 

Fairy Tale Deer

I've been creating and crafting quite a bit this new year but I have mostly spent my creative time on my bullet journal and on knitting so I haven't had time to create too many cards. Today when I saw the first ever challenge over at CAS Stencil Challenge I thought this would be perfect chance to play with one of my NBUS stencils from the latest release of Sanna Lippert stencils in the ARTplorations range. I'm also linking up over at CASology where the theme is Fresh, and I interpreted this to be fresh spring colours (a girl can dream of spring, right?). Last, but not least I'm using my new stencil as an excuse to link up over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Something New.

I was utterly enchanted by Sanna's Fairy Tale Forest stencil and could not think of a better image to combine it with than my current favourite stamp, the super-cute deer from STAMPlorations Woodland Friends. To keep everything CAS, I only inked through a corner of the stencil using foam applicators and green, blue and pink Distress ink. Before inking, I stamped the deer, masked it and coloured it with watercolours. Last, I stamped a sentiment from the same stamp set and added a few tiny little adhesive rhinestones.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Woodland Friends
Stencil: STAMPlorations Fairy Tale Forest 
Ink: Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Picked Raspberry, Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawn, Gansai Tambi watercolours

If you feel like doing some New Year's crafty shopping, hop over to the STAMPlorations store where the New Year Storewide sale (exluding New Release products) is continuing until January 15th!

January STAMPlorations CAS Challenge - Burgundy

It's time for the STAMPlorations January CAS challenge. Nothing like getting off to a crafty start in the new year! For our first CAS challenge this year our optional colour twist is Burgundy. I hope you are inspired to play along. Thank you to everyone who linked up to our December challenge, the gallery was full of gorgeous projects. Don't forget to check in on the STAMPlorations blog on January 10th when we reveal the winners. 

Inspired by the burgundy colour theme I decided to create a thank you card as I always need them this time of year. I used the super cute flowers from Bloom Doodles to stamp along the edge of my watercolour card front. I used Distress Inks to watercolour the flowers. I die cut the main sentiment using Thanks word die from scraps of burgundy and purple card and stamped the second part of the sentiment using a stamp from For the Birds. I then added small squares of burgundy and purple card to two diagonal corners of the card before attaching it to the card base to add interest.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Doodles, For the Birds

Dies:  CUTplorations Thanks word die

Ink: Distress ink and Tsukineko Memento Onyx Black

If you are looking to do some New Year's crafty shopping,

 you can use the discount code NY2019 for 25% 

off stamps, stencils and dies. 

For more details see the STAMPlorations store.

January STAMPlorations TAG challenge - Winter

Happy New Year! I hope 2019 will be a very crafty year for you. Last year was full of things which kept me from my craft room. I hope 2019 will bring me more time to continue to develop my crafting skills and to simply enjoy creativity. 

On the first day of the year, we also launch of first STAMPlorations challenge of the year - January TAGplorations challenge. The theme is Winter, and there is an optional twist of using texture paste, which I didn't take this time. I wanted to create a wintery scene using the adorable fuzzies from Woodland Friends. I hope you are inspired by this wintery scene and share your creations with us!

I die cut my tag using Stitched Tags Nesting Dies and used the Oh My Stars Mini stencil with Distress Inks to create a monoprint to create the night sky. I then inked in yellow inks through the stencil to create the stars. I used a white gel pen to create the snowfall. I die cut the snowy landscape using Stitched Tags Nesting Dies and Stitched Winter Landscape. I stamped the cute critters from Woodland Friends, coloured with Copics and fussy cut. 

Stamps: STAMPlorations Woodland Friends,
Dies: Stitched Snow Hills, Stitched Tags Nesting Dies, Stitched Winter Landscape,
Stencils: Oh My Stars Mini stencil