How have you all been? Long time no craft! And even now I should be cleaning, not crafting... but we did go through this the other day didn't we, and concluded that a happy crafter is more important than a clean house. Right? I did try to do some watercolouring after work one day this week, but that was a catastrophic waste of time. I cannot draw or paint, I knew this but somehow I thought that would magically have changed. Luckily there is always the option of stamping! So after a bit of a disastrous attempt this morning to make a card which ended up in the bin, I thought I really need to do something fool-proof to get back a bit of confidence in my crafting abilities. And luckily I have a whole stash of NBUS I recently ordered from the marvellous STAMPlorations.
I didn't use to be a caffeine addict, but after starting in my new job I am living off large vanilla lattes. And I have to admit I now have to start my weekends with a large coffee as well. I am fully planning to wean me off the nasty stuff, but maybe a bit later... once I'm a bit more settled in my new job methinks. My card was inspired by the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches. I'm also linking up over at Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge where the theme is Inspired by a song. My song is One More Cup of Coffee by Bob Dylan. On top of that, I'm linking up with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where Anything Goes, Crafty Creations where the theme is "Something to Eat or Drink" and Tuesday Throwdown where the theme is "Create Your Own Background".
Card: 300 gsm textured card, coloured 240 gsm chocolate card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Coffee Happy and Literary Caffeine-ations
Ink: Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip and Real Red
I loved the Retro Sketch this week so much that I made another card for it after the one I submitted yesterday. This is actually the first card I was making for the sketch but discarded it as failed. I initially tried to make a 6x6 in card, but it just didn't work. Unwilling to give up my cute moose I had so lovingly coloured with Copics, I decided to give it a second try a a 4x4 in card. So I resized the DSP panels a bit and rounded the edges. All of a sudden it looked much better. I also stamped the speech bubble onto the beige card, as I had first made it white and it just didn't work.
Lesson of the day. If at first you don't succeed, just try, try, try again. I'm also entering this card at Clear it Out Challenge where the theme is Orange and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and The Pink Elephant Challenge where Anything Goes.
Card: Coloured 240 gsm kraft card beige, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Creatures in the Arctic, Stampin' Up Just Sayin'
Ink: Tsukineko Memeneto Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango
Colouring: Copics E24, E34, E39
Paper: Stampin' Up Sweater Weather DSP
Other: Lawn Fawn Creatures in the Arctic dies
Almost all of my cardmaking efforts lately have focused on preparing for Christmas, so I thought I would take a break from the Christmas cards and see what challenges are out there. It turns out pretty much every single colour challenge at the moment features orange in one form or another, and that's a problem for me as I'm not a big fan. I think in general I don't work very well with fall colours and that's why I have rather focused on the Christmas stuff with lots of reds, greens, gold and glitter. But I just adored the inspiration photo over at ColourQ, so I put together this card using a stamp set that came as a free gift with Papercrafting & Cardmaking magazine a while ago. I used the sketch from My Favourite Things for inspiration. I'm also entering the Crafty Creations challenge where this week the challenge is to use orange. Last but not least I'm linking up at the Pink Elephant Challenge where anything goes this week.
Card: Craft UK kraft card, coloured 240 gsm kraft card Chocolate Brown, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card
Stamps: Oscar the owl & pals(free with an old issue of Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine)
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip, Stampin' Up markers in Chocolate Chip, Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive
Paper: Stampin' Up Summer Smooches
Other: Xcut scalloped circles die, Stampin' Up Sycamore Street Designer Buttons, baker's twine from my stash
The elusive creature we call the male card... We build Pinterest boards for it, have courses and challenges to help us make one. And yet every time it's so hard to get going every single time. Thankfully I sorted out my only UK Father's day card a while ago (Finnish Father's day isn't until November). But I am still faced with the dilemma of male cards as I've promised to make a few cards for my Sis' friends when they graduate Medical School in little over a month's time. There are two male cards on that list, and I thought now is the time to tackle at least one of them. Off I went to the Interwebs to find some inspiration. I was inspired by this card I found on Pinterest, as well as the wonderful DT creations on Stampin' Royalty and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge as both blogs are running male themed challenges this week.
I have to admit it, I went for every single male card cliché out there. Gorgeous Grunge stamp set, neutral colours, banners... But if it works, it works. I wasn't sure whether it would really work or not, but I think it turned out to be a decent card after all despite it's apparent simplicity. The photo doesn't quite do it justice as it doesn't show the dark grey and chocolate chip brown quite as vibrant as they are in real life.
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate, Crumb Cake, Basic Gray and Chocolate Chip
Paper: Stampin' Up Tea For Two DSP
Stamps: Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge and Hardwood, Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler
Inks: Stampin' Up Sahara Sand, Smoky Slate and Early Espresso, Tim Holtz Distress embossing ink
Other: Tim Holtz alterations inside out alphabet die, Papermania Seafoam White Embossing powder
