Retro Flower

I'm supposed to be at the summer house out of reach of wifi. Unfortunately I caught a tummy bug and am stuck at my Mum's until I'm better. Hopefully tomorrow we can head up to the summer house to enjoy peace, quiet and lack of all connectivity with the outside world. At least I have my Mum to take care of me when I'm sick, Mums have that magical healing power!

So I thought I would post this card as I'm stuck in bed and very bored. The background is made by inking through a stencil and the Flower is stamped using several Stampin' Up flower stamps and matching punches. Last, I die cut two hellos and stacked them. I added a few candy dots for a finishing touch.

I would like to link up with the following challenges:
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
Clear It Out - Anything Goes
Loves Rubberstamp Challenges - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

Card: Stampin' Up Very Vanilla, Calypso Coral, Old Olive
Stamps: Stampin' Up Mixed Bunch, Flower Shop, Petite Petals
Ink: Stampin' Up Calypso Coral, Soft Suede
Paper: Stampin' Up Designer Series Paper Pack Brights
Other: Hello You Dies, Blossom Punch, Pansy Punch, Petite Petals Punch, Brights Candy Dots, Happy Patterns Decorative Masks

 

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Sympathy card

I made this sympathy card a while ago, but I thought it's appropriate to publish now as it's quite wintery - those intricate flowers almost look like snowflake, don't they?

I don't usually stock sympathy cards, they just seem too depressing. But then all of a sudden you need one right then and there... This card is very quick and simple to create, just some kraft cardstock with white, heat embossed florals from Stampin' Up Mixed Bunch. I printed the sentiment onto vellum, and matted everything onto black cardstock. With a different colour choice for the sentiment and matting cardstock, this could almost be a Christmas card or wintery birthday card as well.

I'm entering the card in the following challenges:
CCEE Stampers - Sympathy card
ABC Challenge - A is for Anything Goes
Card and Scrap - Use a stamp
LadyBug Crafts - Say it with flowers
Clear it Out - Anything Goes
Top Tip Tuesday - Keep it Simple

Card: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm white card, coloured 240 gsm kraft card black, kraft card
Stamps: Stampin' Up Mixed bunch
Inks: Tsukineko Versamark
Other: Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder

Enjoy the kraft journey

Yesterday's card was a total pain in the you-know-what to put together. Whatever I did just didn't look right, and I had to try so many different layouts and versions before I felt I was even remotely content with it. Certainly not one of my proudest moments. Today's card couldn't have been any more different, it hardly took any time to put together. I didn't have to change a thing and basically just glued all the bits and pieces in place. That's how a good card is made. For some reason I'm currently stuck with this one card layout with a central focus panel, it just works.

I was so inspired by the absolutely gorgeous inspiration picture over at Addicted to Stamps and More. My card is not so much an interpretation as just a direct copy of the picture. Even before I had scrolled down to look at the DT's creations I knew there had to be a vellum flower on my card. I was also inspired by two craft themed challenges, Witch Kraft over at Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge (although this time it's all kraft and no witch), and K is for kraft over at the Snarky Sisters (this time without any snark, but hey - a girl only has so much snark to give). So I knew the background should be kraft. I was thinking a swirly pattern, but then I looked at the inspiration photo again and realised the only background that would be acceptable is woodgrain. Great excuse to dig out my lovely hardwood background stamp. 

I also love my white embossing powder (and need to get more of it soon), so I wanted to keep the card very simple with nothing but white embossing and kraft. There is just something special about white embossing on vellum. It's almost like magic, it's light and airy and cloud-like. The woodgrain on the smaller background panel is simply stamped with VersaMark, I like the subtle effect as the kraft on it's own was too plain, but I didn't want anything in the background to distract from the focal flower.

Finally I just needed to pick a sentiment, and although I was first tempted by something in a swirly font to complement the flower, I changed my mind and used something that would go with the harshness of the woodgrain. And it's a great sentiment, would go for many different occasions. To finish I stamped and heat embossed some flowers inside the card and on the envelope to make a matching set. I absolutely love how the card turned out, this is one I'm genuinely proud of, and it was so much fun to make too! Once again I'm so grateful to the wonderful challenge blogs and inspirational DTs who provide ideas week after week.

Card: Craft UK kraft card and envelope, Ribbed 300 gsm rustic kraft card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm cream card, Dovecraft 110 gsm premium vellum
Stamps: Stampin' Up Hardwood, Mixed Bunch, Flower Shop, Petite Petals, Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous The Journey
Ink: Tsukineko VersaMark
Other: Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder, Stampin' Up Basic Pearls, Blossom, Pansy and Petite Petal punch

Floral Celebration

Looks like my lil' old mojo came back for a short visit this morning, and I finally managed to finish my card for this week's Fusion challenge, which I have been attempting for days, only producing things that went right into the bin. But this morning I managed to put this card together. Not my best one, but good enough for public scrutiny. I'm also entering this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where anything goes this week.

I adore the Penny Black Life's Messages stamp set I used for the sentiment. It is one of those stamps that I just had to have when I saw it, and it did involve quite an intricate hunt over the interwebs before I managed to secure it. I love to use it for scrapbooking (see here) and I have used it on some faux chalkboard cards (see here). It's just so versatile. The little star in the sketch immediately became a flower in my mind, and I even managed to use up the green leaves I had coloured in when I was testing some markers the other day. It's always great to get rid of things in your stash, isn't it!

Cardstock: Cream linen textured card from my stash, Hobbycraft 160 gsm cream card
Paper: Stampin' Up Patterns Stack Brights and Polka dot parade DSP
Stamps: Penny Black Life's Messages, Stampin' Up Flower Shop, Petite Petals and Mixed Bunch
Inks: Stampin' Up Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie and Regal Rose
Other: Lace from my stash, Stampin' Up Basic Pearls, matching punches for the flower stamps

M is for metallic

I had a browse through my stash the other day. All those extra bits and pieces you don't want to throw away just in case, but which you have no use for. I had so much more stuff stashed away than I could remember... So I decided to pick something from the stash and make a card or two. I picked two metallic panels I had made quite a while ago using an Inkadinkadoo stamp and heat embossing. I then browsed some of my favourite challenges to find some inspiration what to do with them. 

Stash part one - left over card parts waiting to be used

Stash part two - left over cardstock slivers sorted into whites, DSP and colour card

Stash part three - more or less finished card panels waiting for inspiration

By coincidence the theme of both the Shopping our Stash challenge and Addicted to Stamps challenge is Inspired by a song. For the golden panel, the obvious choice was We are Golden by Mika. A song about friendship. Inspired by the song, and this weeks Retro sketch the card came together. I am also entering the gold card into this week's Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge "Die Crazy" as the circles and the letters are die cut, and as a bonus the flowers are cut using a punch.

The silver card was inspired by this week's Freshly Made sketch and the great colour combo in Color Throwdown. I am also entering it into Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge which is themed M, and in my card M is for metallic, Melon Mambo and Mixed Bunch (the name of the stamp set I used for the flower).

To create both metallic panels I stamped the Inkadinkadoo background stamp in Tim Holtz distress embossing ink and heat embossed using Papermania silver and gold embossing powders. For the gold card, I used a DSP from the Kaisercraft Christmas collection pad which came with issue 117 of Simply Cards&papercraft magazine. I die cut the circles from leftover bits of black and gold paper in my stash. The flowers are from Stampin' Up Petite Petals and heat embossed using gold embossing powder and punched using a matching punch. The letters for "Friend" are cut from the same scrap gold paper using Tim Holtz alterations inside out alphabet die. As final details I added some gold sequins from my stash I have never used before although having them for years and used a gold Sharpie to colour a few clear adhesive gems to add to the sequins and flowers. I matted the DSP onto leftover black cardstock and adhered everything onto a square kraft card.

For the silver card, I stamped one of the flowers from the Mixed bunch set in clear embossing ink and heat embossed using silver embossing powder, and punched with a matching punch. I cut a strip from Stampin' Up summer smooches DSP in lucky limeade and another from white cardstock. I used a sentiment from the Papermania Urban Stamps 12 days of Christmas Word banner stamp set and inked around the edges with a foam applicator. I attached everything onto Stampin' Up Melon Mambo DSP and matted onto black paper before attaching to a square white card. To finish, I added a pink adhesive gem to the flower.

It always feels extra good to create cards with leftover bits and pieces, and to see how something that originally wasn't going to amount to anything actually turn into a beautiful card. I'm extra pleased with the gold card as I'm really bad with using metallics and using gold is very difficult for me.

Card: Craft UK craft card, Leonardo Stationery 350 gsm Smooth White Card, Stampin' Up cardstock in Melon Mambo, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, unidentified leftover black and gold card from my stash
DSP: Stampin' Up Patterns stack - Brights collection and Summer Smooches, Kaisercraft 6" Paper Pad Christmas Collections
Stamps: Inkadinkadoo background stamp, Stampin' Up Petite Petals and Mixed Bunch, Papermania Urban stamps 12 days of Christmas - Word Banner
Inks: Tim Holtz distress embossing ink, Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi
Other: Stampin' Up Petite Petals and Blossom punch, Papermania embossing powders Tinsel Silver and Enchanted Gold, Papermania adhesive gems Capsule Red Hot, Stampin' Up clear adhesive gems, Tim Holtz Alterations Inside Out Alphabet die, golden sequins from my stash, gold Sharpie

Blossom thank you

I was going to craft my way through the Easter break. Somehow I have managed to find next to no time for crafting. Time just flies when you are having fun, eh?

This morning I finally sat down for my Sunday morning crafting session (Monday has to play the part of Sunday this time as yesterday morning was too busy for crafting). I have been planning to participate in the current CAS(E) this sketch but not had time to do it yet. It's a double challenge with a sketch and a fashion photograph for added inspiration. The good thing is that I have had this challenge in the back of my mind for a while, so when I sat down to craft I had a good view in my mind of what I wanted to do with it. I decided to combine it with this weeks Color Throwdown, as the grey on the trousers of the model made it connect really well with the colour challenge. And I knew exactly which grey cardstock I wanted to use, I have a slightly shimmery grey cardstock that was a perfect fit with the grey in the picture. I decided to go for a very literal interpretation of the sketch as it fit right in with what I had in mind, and the colours from the challenge fit in perfectly with the inspiration picture from CAS(E) this sketch.

So here we go, my thank you card. I embossed the grey cardstock, and heat embossed the flowers in white embossing powder onto Melon Mambo cardstock before punching them with matching punches. The leaves are made using the same punches. I added a bit of bling to the flowers, inspired by the glossy textures on the fashion image. Finally, I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment and used the Picket Fence marker to draw the stitching in freehand around the sentiment for some extra definition.

Cardstock: Leonardo Stationery 350 gsm Smooth White Card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, Stampin' Up Melon Mambo and Pistachio Pudding cardstock (I don't have Gumball Green) and silvery grey cardstock I ordered off Ebay which doesn't have any indication of make on it
Stamps: Stampin' Up Mixed Bunch, Petite Petals, Vintage Verses
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Embossing ink, Tim Holtz Distress marker Picket Fence
Other: Embossing powder Papermania Seafoam white, Stampin Up punches Blossom and Petite Petals, Stampin' Up embossing folder Vintage Wallpaper, Papermania adhesive stones Capsule Red Hot

Thank you cards with Mixed Bunch

Browsing through some old card photos I realised I never blogged about these wee little ones. In fact, I found quite a lot of cards I didn't even remember making! So I will try to get around to blogging about them at some point. This whole card thing is getting out of hand, I love making them but I hardly send any cards. So I have dozens and dozens... I keep thinking I should try to sell them, not so much to make money but mostly just to cover my expenses and most of all, just get rid of them!

These little colourful monochrome cards were created because my Mum needed a bunch of thank you cards (hence Kiitos - thank you in Finnish). I didn't want to make anything too complicated as I needed to make ten of them. I thought something bright and colourful is always appreciated. Stamping and punching the flowers was a quick job, as was stamping and fussy cutting the Chalk talk tags (this was back in the day before I had bought the dies). The most time consuming part was stamping the sentence using alphabet stamps as I don't have a Finnish thank you stamp. I bling-ed it up with a bit of ice stickles around the edges of the sentiments as well as in the middle of the flowers and finished off with a small adhesive gem.

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry and Tempting Turquoise, Hobbycraft white 160 gsm cardstock
Inks: Stampin' Up Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry and Tempting Turquoise
Stamps: Stampin' Up Chalk Talk and Mixed Bunch, Hobbycraft Clear Stamps Typewriter Alphabet
Other: Stampin' Up Blossom Punch, Rangers Ice Stickles glitter glue, Stampin' Up adhesive gems

Colourful birthday card using Mixed Bunch

It was my Grandma's Birthday recently. I wanted to make her a bright card with lots of colours. I used a colour combo from the very colourful DSP consisting of Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry and Pool Party. I stamped the flowers using the Mixed Bunch stamp and punched them using the Blossom Punch. I stamped a few extra flowers and cut out the centres. I stamped the "Happy Birthday Grandma" sentiment using Rich Razzleberry and the Hobbycraft typewriter alphabet (yes, it's the only stamp alphabet I have so I will use it again and again and again...). I attached the flowers onto Daffodil Delight cardstock and matted everything onto Tangerine Tango cardstock.

Inks: Stampin' Up Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango and Pool Party cardstock, Hobbycraft white 160 gsm cardstock, Kraft card
Stamps: Stampin' Up Mixed Bunch, Hobbycraft clear typewriter alphabet
Punches: Stampin' Up Blossom Punch
Crafting paper: Stampin' Up Designer Series Paper International Bazaar
Other: Papermania adhesive gems from the Capsule Heather series