Friday 15 March 2019

March STAMPlorations challenges - Mid-Month Reminder


This year just keeps speeding through. Can you believe we are halfway through March already! It's great to move into warmer weather though, isn't it? Have you had time to play along with our STAMPlorations March challenges yet? If not, don't worry as you still have a few more week's to play along. If you played along earlier, maybe you are inspired again and would like to share another project with us? If your mojo is lost, check in the March challenge reminder post over on the STAMPlorations blog where the design team are sharing our latest projects for inspiration!

The theme for our March TAGplorations challenge is All About Spring with an optional twist of birds. I created bird tags using Distress Oxide smooshed backgrounds I found in my UFO box. I used the Stitched Tags Nesting Dies to cut the tags, stamped one of the birds from the For the Birds stamp set using Versafine black ink and die cut the Thanks sentiment using Thanks word die from matching pieces of leftover card. The second part of the sentiment is also from the For the Birds stamp set.


The optional colour twist for the March CAS challenge is Coral Pink. I thought a coral pink scooter would be really cool so I stamped the scooter from Born To Roam and watercoloured it with Abandoned Coral and Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I added a sentiment from the same stamp set. Last, I stencilled Vintage Photo Distress Ink through the Retro Circles stencil for added interest.



Stamps: STAMPlorations For the BirdsBorn To Roam
Dies: CUTplorations Stitched Tags Nesting DiesThanks word die
Stencil: ARTplorations Retro Circles
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Ink, Distress Oxides

Don't forget the Spring Clean March Sale in the STAMPlorations Store, where most stamps and dies are 30% off until the end of March. 



Thursday 7 March 2019

March STAMPlorations CAS Challenge - Coral Pink


Welcome to the STAMPlorations March CAS Challenge. Spring is in the air and our optional colour twist this month is a nice spring colour - coral pink. Spring inspires me to use lots of florals. There is nothing like that spring green shooting from the dark soil to make it feel like we are going towards warmer times. 


I used the lovely Blossom Sprays #3 stamp for my card. I stamped the image in Versamark Onyx Black and coloured with Gansai Tambi watercolours and pearl watercolours. They give such a lovely subtle shimmer. I added a very light splattering of coral pink to the background, before cutting the watercolour card panel using Crazy Double Running Stitch Nesting Rectangle dies. Last, I used the same watercolours I used for the flowers to create a banner for the sentiment and added a hashtag from Sparkly.

I hope you are inspired to play along with us over on STAMPlorations blog!

Stamps: STAMPlorations Blossom Sprays #3, Sparkly

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.



Tuesday 5 March 2019

March STAMPlorations TAG challenge - Spring


Welcome to the STAMPlorations March TAGplorations challenge. Our theme is spring, with an optional twist of birds. Is it getting spring-y where you are? I love March as spring starts to show just a little bit with nature turning green and early spring flowers shyly make their way above ground. Thank you for playing along with our February Love challenge, you certainly made it hard to pick our favourites! 



I started by stamping Hummingbird - Large onto watercolour paper and coloured him with Gansai Tambi watercolour and pearl watercolours. For the background, I watercoloured through the Honeycomb Delight Mini stencil and then went a bit overboard with splattering lots of watercolour onto the remaining tag for interest. The sentiments are from Bold Sentiments: Hashtag Authentic and Noteworthy 2.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Hummingbird - Large, Bold Sentiments: Hashtag Authentic, Noteworthy 2
Stencil: ARTplorations Honeycomb Delight Mini
Dies: CUTplorations Luggage Tags Nesting Dies

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.

Saturday 2 March 2019

Rainbows, Rainbows, Rainbows


Long time no see! How are you? Has spring caught up with you yet? The daffodils are already in bloom in the garden and the conservatory is nice and warm in the afternoon. And it's getting lighter in the mornings which is great, it's just that little bit easier to head off to work when it isn't completely pitch dark.  

I believe, from the bottom of my heart, that you can never have too many unicorns or rainbows in your life. So I thought I would send a few countless rainbows your way today.

Today's card is inspired by several challenges. Firstly, I cannot resist a good rainbow so I had to play along with the current Fusion challenge. I'm also linking up with Lawn Fawnatics where the theme is "What's the weather" and Just Us Girls where the theme is Birthday. 


Stamps: Lawn Fawn Winter Unicorn and matching die
Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles, Rainbow, Puffy Cloud Border die, Simple Puffy Clouds, Simple Puffy Cloud Frames, Happy Birthday Line Border
Ink and Colouring: Distress Paints, Copics, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, gold and silver Sharpie
Paper: Lawn Fawn Let's Polka, Let's Polka in the Dark, Really Rainbow, silver glitter card