STAMPlorations March CAS Challenge - Reminder

We are well into spring now, don't you agree? Midway through March already! We are getting well into my favourite part of the year. I love seeing nature spring to life, starting with the daffodils and asparagus in the garden and everything else following. But it also means the gardening work needs to ramp up again to keep everything under control, as our garden is a bit more like a jungle than a garden at the moment.

But from gardening to crafting, which is why we are all here today, right? There is loads of crafty inspiration over on the STAMPlorations blog as we are sharing our mid-month additional inspiration for all three STAMPlorations challenges. I created a CAS card, inspired by the optional colour twist which this month is light blue. I inked dar and light blue Distress Ink through the Two Feathers stencil covering the whole card front. Then I simply heat embossed some a sentiment from Feathery in white on black card and added them to the card. Quick, easy, clean and simple.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Feathery

Stencil: ARTplorations  Two Feathers

Ink: Tsukineko Versafine, Tim Holtz Distress Ink

If you feel like doing a bit of shopping, you may want to check out the STAMPlorations Springtime Sale in the STAMPlorations store!

Products in the SPRINGTIME section are

20% off instantly until March 31

No code needed! Simply add qualifying products to your cart and the discount is automatically applied.

STAMPlorations Birthday - New Stencils

Hi, I'm back again to continue celebrating six years of STAMPlorations as we are halfway through our birthday week full of new product launches. Today over on the STAMPlorations blog we are showcasing five new fabulous stencils from Sanna Lippert and I have created some projects with two of them. There are lots of great prizes up for grabs and many ways to win. You can comment on the blog posts and the designer's blogs, you can link up to the Wishlist Linky Party or share your birthday- or celebration themed creations in the Birthday Linky Party. 

For my first card I used Sanna's new stencil Peacock Feathers. First, I blended Wilted Violet and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks through the stencil. I stamped one of the feathers from Feathery, coloured it with Copics and fussy cut and added a sentiment from Just Everyday Greetings Clear Stickers which I simply attached to a sliver of purple card. These sentiment stickers are so fantastic!!

For my second card I left my CAS comfort zone a bit and went for a more romantic vibe. I started by attaching a sticker from Botanical Backgrounds Clear Stickers to a kraft card base. Then I inked Worn Lipstick Distress Ink through the Retro Hearts stencil on the diagonal. I also inked Vintage Photo distress ink around the edges of the card to give it a bit of an aged look. Then I stamped the In Bloom: Radiant Roses, coloured with Copics and fussy cut. The sentiment is a sticker from  Just Everyday Greetings Clear Stickers attached on a small scrap of vellum. 

I also created a tag using a mixed media background which was a bit of an experiment. The background was a piece of card I had created by blending Distress Inks and I die cut the card using Stitched Tags Nesting Dies. Then I used a white Signo pen to trace the outline of the Peacock Feathers stencil and added a bit of white watercolour to the feathers. I used a failed attempt at Gelli plate printing to die cut the bird using the Perched Bird die. Then I inked the edges of the tag, the bird and the sentiment strip through the Evolution stencil in Vintage Photo Distress Ink I also inked Vintage Photo around the outline of the bird of the tag. Finally, I attached a sticker from Just Everyday Greetings Clear Stickers to the sentiment strip to complete the tag.

Stencils: ARTplorations Peacock Feathers, Retro Hearts, Evolution

Stamps: STAMPlorations Feathery, In Bloom: Radiant Roses

Stickers: STAMPlorations Just Everyday Greetings Clear Stickers, Botanical Backgrounds Clear Stickers

Dies: CUTplorations Stitched Tags Nesting Dies, Perched Bird 

PS: Check out the STAMPlorations store's CURRENT PROMOTIONS page for some awesome deals: October fall sale, new CUTplorations dies pre-order sale, coffee-themed sale, freebies with orders, and more!

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.

Let The Heavy Stuff Go

I've had been deeply contemplating the following question today: How many feather stamp sets does a girl need? After much deliberation, I have come to the following answer: "One more feather stamp set you need" (said in the voice of Yoda). Currently, this is my favourite one (it's STAMPlorations Feathery). Tomorrow, how knows?

I was inspired by the beautiful inspiration image over at Inspired by All the Small Things. I probably need not say more. I'm also linking up over at CAS on Friday where the theme is Embossing and at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where Anything Goes this week. I heat embossed the feathers in gunmetal embossing powder and watercoloured the feathers using Distress Inks. Last, I stamped and heat embossed one of the sentiments from Noteworthy 2 and fussy cut part of the sentiment banner. Note to self, I need to get a lighter weight black card, the one I have is super heavy and really tricky to fussy-cut, and thanks to the magic of eBay I hope I will have some early next week.

Card: 300 gsm Daler&Rowney watercolor paper, silver grey card base, scrap of black card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Feathery, Noteworthy 2

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Inks 

Other: Gunmetal embossing powder (no brand) and Wow Opaque Bright White Super Fine embossing powde

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

Feather Overload

I was going to clear out my crafting desk today. Instead, I have made a few cards and a much more horrible mess! Oh well, priorities, eh? Next, I'm heading into the kitchen to make buns which I'll fill with whipped cream and jam. We make them back home for Shrove Tuesday, but I didn't feel like waiting for another week so why not!

Anyhow, what about today's card? I was inspired by the inspiration image and sketch over at Fusion Card Challenge and the colours over at Color Throwdown to create this feathery card. I first tried to create the feathers using Vellum to get that stained glass look, but every time I tried to stamp on the vellum, the ink just wouldn't dry and made an absolutely horrible mess on the beautifully colourful vellum. So I went for plan b using card and Distress Oxides instead. I'm also linking up over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where Anything Goes.

Card: White 300 gsm card, Hobbycraft 190 gsm white card, scrap of black card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Feathery 
Ink and stamping: Tsukineko Versafine, Distress Oxides, Distress Ink Hickory Smoke
Other: Papermania Seafoam white embossing powder, Dylusions Shattered stencil

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.

Feathery Birthday

How are you doing this beautiful Sunday morning? I can see a strange light phenomenon up in the sky, it's like a yellow light, not sure how to describe it - it... shines? Haven't seen that for ages. My neighbour kindly dragged me out for a run earlier, despite my kicking and screaming. Now that it's over I'm thankful she did it, although at the moment I wasn't a happy bunny, and still feel a bit hoarse from all the screaming... Happy I've got that unpleasantness out of the way and filled up on a cup gallon of coffee I'm starting to feel a bit better.  Ready to clean the house spend the rest of the day in the craft room.

I absolutely love feather stamps, so of course, I had to have the new Feathery set from STAMPlorations. I took it out for a test run today, trying some Copic blending with different colours. It looks easy when you see others do it on YouTube videos, but it's actually not that easy in real life, I'll tell you!

I was inspired by the colours over at Just Add Ink and the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches. I'm also linking up with the Tag It theme at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and Layer It Up at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Card: 200 gsm white shimmer card, kraft card, scraps of yellow and turquoise card, Hobbycraft 190 gsm white card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Feathery and matching dies, Balloons and Banners

Ink and Colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Ink Vintage Photo, Copics

Other: STAMPlorations Manila Tags Nesting Dies, Happy Word die