STAMPlorations Inspiration

Happy Tuesday! How are you? I am already thinking of spring, although we still have some more grey, cold and dark days ahead. But it's comforting to know we are already going towards lighter days ahead, and I keep imagining it's already lighter in the mornings and evenings. I know there isn't really a big difference yet, but it does change a little bit every day. That's why I was inspired by flowers and spring colours today for this week's STAMPlorations Inspiration post. As always, don't forget that by commenting on the post you are entering in a monthly draw for a $15 prize code for the STAMPlorations Store.

My card today is a emboss resist card - I started by stamping the beautiful florals from Bloom Doodles and heat embossed in white. I then used Distress Oxides to watercolour the card to bring out the florals, letting the colours bleed outside the embossed flowers. Last, I die cut the panel using Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies and added a sentiment in black using Hugs Word die.

Stamps: STAMPlorations  Bloom Doodles

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

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz 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 code cannot be combined with other discount codes. And if you use my code you also get to pick a freebie to the value of $7 (for details see the badge below).

Note that as a STAMPlorations affiliate, I get a small commission on any orders you place in the STAMPlorations store using the links in my blog post or my coupon code STAMPGIRLKAROLA. This is at no added cost to you. Thank you for your support to keep my craft addiction going :) 

STAMPlorations Inspiration

, , J

And so we are at the end of August. The summer has been lovely this year, I have to admit I think I have appreciated my home, my garden and the beautiful walks around our village in a completely different way this year because of all the time I have spent at home. Actually, last weekend was the first time I was away overnight from home ever since March! I have to admit, I really don't mind at all. I will have a staycation next week and I'm looking forward to that too. 

Today I'm sharing my last August STAMPlorations Inspiration post, where I have been inspired by the beautiful ARTplorations stencils and Bloom Doodles stamp set. My card today started with inking Distress Ink through Sanna's stunning Abstract Oats stencil. I stamped the flowers from Bloom Doodles, coloured them with Copics and fussy cut them. I arranged the flowers on the card and added a sentiment using the Just Everyday Greetings Clear Stickers. As always, by commenting on the STAMPlorations Inspiration post, you will enter the monthly draw for a $15 gift code to the new STAMPlorations store. 

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Doodles

Stencil: ARTplorations Abstract Oats

Ink and colouring: Distress Inks, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Other: STAMPlorations Just Everyday Greetings Clear Stickers 

Don't forget to check out the August offers in the STAMPlorations store as you can get 25% off CUTplorations dies with code CUT25 and 20% off slimline stencils with code SLIMLINE20. For for more offers, visit the STAMPlorations Store Coupons page. For normal priced products, use my code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout for 20% off.

STAMPlorations Inspiration

The week has flown by, and it's Tuesday again. And that, of course, means a new STAMPlorations Inspiration post. I'm continuing with my theme pairing a stencil background with the Bloom Doodles stamp set. This time I was inspired by the beautiful bright late summer flowers in my garden. I feel so grateful for all my beautiful potted plants, I have received some as gifts this summer, and the ones I got from the garden centre have flourished and all the colours make so happy every time I see them. 

I started my card by inking red and brown Distress Inks through the ARTplorations Brick Wall stencil and splattered some brown ink for added interest. Then I stamped flowers and leaves from the beautiful Bloom Doodles stamp set, coloured them with Faber Castell watercolour pencils and blended with water and a fine brush. I fussy cut the flowers and leaves and die cut a sentiment from black card using Everyday Sentiments Dies. Last, I arranged everything onto the brick background. I really like the colours of the watercolour pencils, it's really fun to mix lots of colours and then blend to see what the final result looks like.

Don't forget that by commenting on the Inspiration post you are in the draw to win a $15 gift code to the STAMPlorations store.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Doodles 

Stencils: ARTplorations Brick Wall 

Dies: CUTplorations Everyday Sentiments Dies

Ink and colouring: Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Faber Castell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils, Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black

Don't forget to check out the August offers in the STAMPlorations store as you can get 25% off CUTplorations dies with code CUT25 and 20% off slimline stencils with code SLIMLINE20. For for more offers, visit the STAMPlorations Store Coupons page. For normal priced products, use my code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout for 20% off.

STAMPlorations Inspiration

Happy August, crafty friends! Nature has started to change from the bright summer colours to mature neutrals. The fields around our house are stunning, turning from green to yellow. We are lucky to have so many different walks around the fields here, and we get to admire them as we walk past. This year it's been a such a privilege to be able to just head out for long walks. It seems strange, but I've now been working from home for almost five months and I'm so lucky that we live where we do. 

It's also time for the first STAMPlorations Inspiration post for August. This month I will be creating with stencils and the gorgeous Bloom Doodles stamps. Don't forget that if you comment on the Inspiration post you are in the drawing to win a $15 gift code.

Today's card was inspired by the beautiful fields around our house. I started by inking browns, reds and yellows through Sanna's gorgeous ARTplorations Barley stencil. Then I stamped flowers and leaves from Bloom Doodles which I coloured with matching Copics and fussy cut. I attached one of the Just Everyday Greetings Clear Stickers to brown card to create a super easy sentiment and attached everything to the card base. 

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Doodles

Stencil: ARTplorations Barley

Stickers: CRAFTplorations Just Everyday Greetings Clear Stickers 

Ink and colouring: Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Copics, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

Don't forget to check out the August offers in the STAMPlorations store as you can get 25% off CUTplorations dies with code CUT25 and 20% off slimline stencils with code SLIMLINE20. For for more offers, visit the STAMPlorations Store Coupons page. For normal priced products, use my code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout for 20% off.

World Watercolour Month Linky Party with STAMPlorations

Today I'm excited to be part of the World Watercolor Month Linky Party over on the STAMPlorations blog. You can win great prizes by commenting on the post over there as well as my post here. There is also a linky party so you can join in on the fun!! Hop over to the STAMPlorations World Watercolour Month post for more details. Now for the details about my projects, I hope they will inspire you to create something for the Linky Party!

We have been enjoying a nice few weeks of summer in the UK (I hope you have too, wherever you are) but we had a rainy day so it felt like the perfect time to spend some quality time with my favourite stamps and my Tim Holtz Distress markers creating some colourful cards to brighten up the grey day.

For my first card, I used the Bloom Doodles stamp set. I arranged the flowers onto the card front and picked them up with a big clear block so they would stay in the correct layout. I then colored them with Tim Holtz Distress markers (but any markers with water-based ink will work), spritzed the stamps liberally and stamped on watercolor card. I spritzed some additional water on the stamped image to get the look I wanted. Next, I die cut the panel using Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies. Last, I splattered some inks on the panel and added a bold sentiment using Happy Birthday.

I used the same faux watercolour technique for my second card. I used the Feathery stamp set with Distress Markers. I took all the beautiful feather stamps from this set and arranged them on the card. I picked them up with a big clear block and coloured the stamps with Distress Markers. I spritzed the stamps with water, stamped, dried and die cut using Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies. The sentiment was created by die cutting black card using the Thanks word die, and a small stamp from For the Birds. Last, I added some Ice Stickles to the "thanks".

For my third card, I used the gorgeous Blossom Sprays #3 stamp. This stamp combined with the faux watercolour technique makes a stunning card really quickly and easily. Pick your favourite colours for the flowers and add greens for the foliage. Spritz water and stamp, spritzing extra water to the stamped image if you want a more blended look. I added a simple die cut sentiment using the Celebrate word die.

All of these stamps are really versatile and would work for a lot of different occasions. You could even create the cards but not add any sentiments, and once you know what you need the cards for you could quickly add one of the Clear Stickers to the card and that way you will always have cards with the perfect sentiment!

I'm linking up the first card over at Inkspirational where the theme is 3 or 5 of something. 

I'm linking up the second card over at {Pin}spirational as I was inspired by the multi-coloured ice creams to create my multi-coloured feathers.

I'm linking up the third card over at CAS Watercolour where the theme is Bouquet of Flowers and Less Is More where the theme is Celebrations.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Doodles, Happy Birthday, Feathery, For the Birds, Blossom Sprays #3

Dies: CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies, Thanks word die,Celebrate word die

Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Markers

All of the stamps I have used in this post are currently a delicious 40% off in the big STAMPlorations Summer Clearance with the code HEYSUMMER. These are some of my all-time favourite stamp sets which I use over and over and over, and you can get them for a bargain until the end of the month.

CLICK HERE to see all 300+ qualifying products.

Code may be used once per customer/shipping address.

Code expires 7/31.

May STAMPlorations challenges - Mid-Month Reminder

Welcome to the STAMPlorations May Challenge Reminder. May is my favourite month of the year, but this year it has just disappeared on me. I can't believe it's already half gone. But I'm trying to be optimistic about it, that means there is still half of it left to experience and of course the long weekend coming up at the end of May which happens to fall on my birthday. Let's keep our fingers crossed for some gorgeous bank holiday weather!

My reminder card for the STAMPlorations May CAS challenge was created using Bloom Doodles, one of my favourite ever flower stamp sets. I stamped and masked the three large flowers and coloured them with Copics. I then die cut the sentiment using Happy Word die in lilac and black card and heat embossed the word Birthday from the hilarious Llama Tell You stamp set. Last, I fussy cut the front panel of the card along the outline of the flowers and added a piece of lilac patterned paper to the back panel.

For the May TAGplorations challenge, I created a tag using a Mixed Media background I have created sometime in the past using Distress Oxides and then stamped in Vintage Photo Distress ink using Mixed Media Grunge. Sometimes it's nice to just look through the box of various unwanted crafty things and find something you get inspired to use for a project. I die cut flowers from various colours of leftover cardstock using Trendy Spring Blooms dies and assembled a big bouquet of flowers on my tag, adding some leaf die cuts too. The sentiment consists of blue glitter card die cut using Hugs Word die and a white heat-embossed sentiment from Funny Kinda Love. 

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Doodles, Llama Tell You, Mixed Media Grunge
Dies: CUTplorations Happy Word die, Trendy Spring Blooms, Hugs Word die
Ink and Colouring: Tsukineko Versamark and Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, Distress Oxides, Distress Ink Vintage Photo

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 (but note that it combines with promotions such as the below Typografia and Things With Wings sale!!). The following two promotions are ongoing in the STAMPlorations store at the moment

CLICK HERE to see all Typografia stamps!

CLICK HERE to see all qualifying products. 

April STAMPlorations TAG challenge - Recycling

Happy April! Are you experiencing the proverbial April showers? Hopefully you have April flowers rather than showers, I don't see why April flowers couldn't be followed by May flowers! If you are still missing the spring flowers, here is a tag filled to the brim with flowers for you, and for the April STAMPlorations TAG challenge. Our theme this month is recycling.

I started by covering a tag I created using Stitched Tags Nesting Dies in recycled tissue paper. I have started ordering my loo roll from a company who do plastic free, recycled toilet paper and they donate a part of their profits to build toilets. The paper comes wrapped in brightly coloured tissue paper which is perfect for crafting - I used two different striped patterns to cover my tag. I then stamped my flowers using Bloom Doodles onto white paper which had some unsuccessful previous stamped images on the other side of the paper. I try to use the other side of the paper/card if this happens. Waste not, want not and all that. If you colour your images in darker colours with Copics, the stamped outline won't show through from the other side. I die cut the sentiment from a scrap of dark blue card from my UFO pile using Thanks Word Die. Last, I added some ribbon which I rescued from a chocolate box. Do you hold on to all ribbon you find as well, accumulating loads of it but never getting around to using it? If you do, the April STAMPlorations TAG challenge is a great opportunity to use up some of that ribbon. Or any other recycled bits and bobs! 

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Doodles
Dies: CUTplorations Thanks Word Die, Stitched 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.

February STAMPlorations CAS Challenge - Cerulean Blue

Happy February! We got through the first month of the year and already the days are getting just that little bit longer. As usual, a new month means a new CAS challenge over on the STAMPlorations blog. This month our optional colour twist is Cerulean Blue. 

You know the old saying "You never know what you have until you clean your craft room"? Well, I have been in major clearing out mood. Not quite sure why (and no, I haven't watched the Marie Kodo Netflix series...). Anyhow, I listed a big bunch of old crafty stuff on eBay. And I discovered a few envelopes of the narrow and long persuasion. I felt like I wanted to create some long and narrow cards to fit the envelopes and then send the cards off and that would get rid of those weirdly shaped envelopes. What a cunning plan, right?

I used my current favourite flower stamp set, STAMPlorations Bloom Doodles, to create a row of flowers which I coloured with Gansai Tambi watercolours. I stamped one of the flowers on the envelope too. I then die cut the sentiment using CUTplorations Fabulous Word Die directly from the front panel, careful to keep track of all the small pieces of the die cut. I then attached the die cut using 3D foam pads. So you can just about make out the sentiment, it's very subtle. I really love the look. I hope this has inspired you to play along with us over at STAMPlorations CAS challenge. And if you played along in our January challenge, don't forget to check in on the 10th when we reveal all the winners for all our January challenges and blog hops!

I'm linking up my card over at CAS Mix Up where the theme is dimensional die cuts (I promise my sentiment is attached with 3D foam pads, I just didn't quite manage to capture the dimension in my photo). My "your choice" is watercolour and masking.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Doodles,  Bold Sentiments: Hashtag Authentic

Dies: CUTplorations Fabulous Word Die

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black, Gansai Tambi watercolours

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.

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.