Twofer Leaves

Last month when I played along with the Twofer challenge I got it wrong and didn't follow all the rules so let's try again. The idea is to use the same stamp or dies to make two cards. This time I used the Lawn Fawn Leaf dies for two different cards. For my coffee card I used the dies to die cut some card I had inked up by smooshing Distress Oxides. For my other card I used the dies to create a stencil which I inked Distress Oxides through. Hopefully this is in line with the rules!

This card was also inspired by the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches and I'm also linking up over at Just Add Ink where the theme is Just add K (in my case kraft card)

My second card was inspired by the image over at Just Us Girls. As I added some adhesive gems from my stash, I'm also linking it up over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where the theme is Bling It On.

Card: White 250 gsm card, watercolour card, Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid and Perfectly Plaid fall, scrap of kraft card

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Love You a Latte, Sending Hedgehugs and matching dies

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

Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Leaves
Other: Burlap twine from my stash, adhesive gems from my stash

Fall Forest Alpaca

Today's card is inspired by the mood board over at Lawn Fawnatics, the colours over at Color Throwdown and the sketch over at AAA Cards.  I'm also linking up over at Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge where the theme is Stamp It On.

I rummaged through my pile of scrap pieces of Lawn Fawn patterned paper for die cutting the fall forest scene. It always feels great to be using up those leftover pieces which you can't quite bring yourself to throw away just in case you could use them for a future project. I coloured the alpaca with Copics and paper pieced his little scarf. 

Card: white 250 gsm white card

Patterned paper: Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Chill, Knock on Wood, Knit Picky, Let's Polka in the Dark, Perfectly Plaid Fall

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Winter Alpaca and matching dies, Thank you Tags

Ink and Colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Circle, Stitched Tree borders, Simple Puffy Clouds

Autumn Leaves

The colours of the leaves are stunning outside, so I can't stop creating inked leaves and using all leaf dies I can find in the craft room. I've been so much into die cutting lately, much more than stamping to be honest. Today I made a bit of a mess with Distress Inks and STAMPlorations dies with a very strong CAS flair. It's just so much fun getting that ink everywhere and then splattering with water and some more ink. 

Today's card was inspired by the blue background and beautiful fall leaves in the inspiration image over at Fusion Card Challenges. I was also inspired by the ink blending themes over at AAA Cards and Daring Cardmakers.

Card: Neenah Solar white card

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Broken China, Blueprint Sketch, Faded Jeans, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Festive Berries, Barn Door, Aged Mahogany, Vintage Photo

Stamps: STAMPlorations Trendy Feathers 1 (retired)

Dies: STAMPlorations Trendy Leaves 2 coordinating 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.

Love You a Latte, Foxy

How many adulting points to I get for defrosting the freezer and descaling the kettle? I'd say at least enough to not do anything but eat cake and craft for the rest of the weekend!

I can't believe I almost missed out on the current Lawn Fawnatics challenge where the theme is Create a Scene. And what better than a fall scene with a little bit of coffee for the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop as well! Last, but not least I'm also linking up with Daring Cardmakers, where the theme is 4 Of Something (4 trees and 4 leaves). 

Card: 250 gsm white card, Neenah Solar White card, scrap of dark brown card
Patterned Paper: Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Fall, Let's Polka, Let's Polka in the Dark, Watercolour Wishes
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Party Animal and matching dies, Holiday Party Animal, Love You A Latte
Ink and Colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Tree Border Dies, Scalloped Rectangle Stackables, Stitched Rectangle Stackables, Grassy Border, Stitched Hillside Border, Spring Showers, Stitched Leaves

An Apple a Day

It's sods law that I managed to strain my back today. First day of two weeks of holiday! I was sorting out our loft, getting rid of all the empty cardboard boxes up there (why we felt it was a good idea to save all the cardboard boxes from our move is beyond me...) and after I finished, my upper back started to feel like someone was jabbing a knife into it, just next to my shoulder blade. So now I'm sitting comfortably in the conservatory, all drugged up with painkillers, unable to do pretty much anything besides read or type. Hoping this will be sorted with a few paracetamol and a good nights sleep as I have plenty of stuff planned for the next few weeks, mostly involving sorting out the loft, garage, garden, you get my drift... I need my body to fully co-operate with me. I'm too young to have this happen to me (is what I keep telling myself).

Luckily I'm still able to type up posts, if not creating new cards. Today's card was created before my close encounter with the empty cardboard boxes. It's inspired by the image over at 4 Crafty Chicks, who are also having a Guest DT call. I'm also linking up with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where the theme is Stamp It, Paper Sweeties Challenge where the inspiration image also had fall produce on it, with Use Your Stuff where the theme is Fall Is In the Air and Color Inspiration where anything hand coloured goes.

For my card, I stamped the beautiful apples from STAMPlorations Be Thankful in Versafine Onyx Black and watercoloured with Distress Inks. I die cut the sentiment twice from red and yellow card and overlapped them slightly and die cut the panel using one of the Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle nesting dies. Last, I inked Vintage Photo through the ARTplorations Weathered Wood stencil and added the front panel to the card.

Card: Daler&Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine watercolour card, 250 gsm white card, scraps of red and yellow card
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Vintage Photo, Ground Espresso, Walnut Stain, Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Festive Berries
Stamps: STAMPlorations Be Thankful
Dies: CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting dies, Thanks word die
Stencil: ARTplorations Weathered Wood

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. 

More Brusho Autumn Leaves

Today has been a good day, although also a sad day as it's the last day of annual leave I have before Christmas. But I think I have spent the day quite well, starting by visiting a small Polish artisan bakery which I didn't know existed but is actually located really close to where I usually shop. They make a really nice brioche and a rather tasty sourdough, no yeast, rye bread. Not to mention the doughnuts... Then I went to the Hotel Chocolat factory shop which is located just a few minutes from the bakery. I have been intentionally keeping away from the place, and after going there today I realised I should have continued to do so. Lots of chocolate for up to 70% off. Dangerous, dangerous place! So when I came home, I headed off for a run for quite an obvious reason. 

I also received my Rhodia notebook today, so I started my bullet journal/diary. I can't wait to show you a few pages soon. Although based on my attempts at writing in a nice handwriting, I still have a long way to go. Hence, I thought sticking to stamped and die cut sentiments is probably the thing for me, and I'll go back to practice my handwriting. Like we had to do when we were kids at school... that shows I haven't come very far from when I was 7 years old. Sigh.

And finally she gets to today's card, you sigh with relief. I had some of my Brusho card left over from my previous card here and I was inspired by the autumn inspiration images over at Lawnscaping and Daring Cardmakers. And the image from Daring Cardmakers highlighted a very important lack of horse stamps in my collection. How has this happened? I'm happy to hear any recommendations of cute/beautiful horse stamps that you have. Last but not least I was inspired by the sketch over at Retro Sketches - this week you can pick any of your old favourites from the archives and I picked #221. 

I started by a very light sprinkle of orange and light brown Brushos on the background card and spritzed with a mini mister. Then I die cut leaves from a piece of card I had coloured with Brushos a few days ago. Didn't want the rest of that lovely card go to waste, I love those warm autumn colours. I also die cut a banner and sentiment from Perfectly Plaid and stamped the matching sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed in white onto the die cut. I really love that sprinkled look from the Brushos. 

Card: 300 gsm hammered white card, 300 gsm Daler&Rowney watercolour card

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Big Scripty Words and matching dies

Ink and colouring: Versamark, Brushos

Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Leaves, Everyday Sentiment Banner

Other: Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Fall, Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder

Watercolour Leaves

I'm a lucky duck and still have one more week of annual leave to look forward to! I can't believe I've been lazy and doing nothing (except crafting, cooking and baking) for a week already and am only halfway through my leave! I am planning a whole lot more of doing nothing, reading books, and of course crafting as well. 

I'm super excited to about today's card as it's for the first ever CAS Watercolour challenge. Yes, CAS and watercolour!! Could there be a more inspirational challenge? The theme for the first challenge is Autumn. And in addition to the regular challenge, there is also a DT call, which I'm entering, although I suspect the quality of the applications will be sky high, so not holding my breath. Having said that, I have to admit I'm quite happy with my card. Very CAS, using only a few products. I love this type of cards.

I started by playing with my Brushos to create a panel with autumn colours (yellows, oranges, reds and browns). I then die cut leaves and the sentiment using Lawn Fawn dies and stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in white onto the die cut. Last, I very lightly sprinkled some yellow and orange Brushos onto white card and spritzed lightly to create the background before adding the die cuts. I just love the way the Brushos blend and create that distinctively Brusho-y sprinkled look. I'm also linking up my card over at Just Us Girls where the theme is Leaves and CAS on Sunday where the theme is heat embossing (the sentiment is heat embossed in white).

Card: 300 gsm white card, 300 gsm Daler & Rowney watercolour paper

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Big Scripty Words stamps and matching dies

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Brushos

Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Leaves dies, Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder

Autumn Alpaca

The small things in life that make me so happy - picking an apple off the tree and eating it. Even better, transforming the apples into apple crumble, and having it with vanilla ice cream and home made salted caramel sauce (in case you feel tempted, I used this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker. The thing is, when you make salted caramel, I think you have to keep tasting it every step of the way. Just to make sure. I wouldn't want to serve my Culinary Consultant sub-par caramel sauce. The downside is I only have half of the caramel sauce left after all that tasting... But it did turn out very delicious!

Today's card is inspired by several autumn themed challenges. As I love love love love looooove (I think you are getting the idea here) the Lawn Fawn alpaca stamp, and I thought he would be adorable with a little cap to go with that lovely scarf he is wearing. And I thought he would enjoy an outing in the autumnal woods. 

The layout of the card was inspired by the sketch over at Fusion card challenges and the autumn coloured inspiration pic. I'm also linking up over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is Autumn is in the Air, Time Out challenges where the theme is Autumn... the year's last, loveliest smile, Stamping Sensations where the theme is Colours of Autumn, Cupcake Inspirations where the theme is Forest Friends and Lawnscaping where the theme is to make the sentiment your focal point.

To create the background and the hills I started by dabbing some Distress Paints in Barn Door, Festive Berries, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed onto my craft mat. Then I spritzed it with plenty of water, and dabbed pieces of card in the mix of colours. Gradually, I added more water to get a lighter colour and to use up all the colours on my craft mat. I used the brighter coloured cards to die cut the rolling hills and the lighter for the background which I cut with the Lawn Fawn Stitched Journaling card die. I stamped the trees, the alpaca and the mushrooms in Memento ink and coloured them with Copics. Last, I die cut the sentiment in kraft card and inked it with Vintage Photo distress ink. I stamped the leaf (the only(!) leaf stamp I seem to own) from a Hero Arts set in Versamark and heat embossed in white. I stamped the leaf and mushrooms in Versamark onto kraft card and adhered the front panel using foam tape.

Card: kraft card, 160 gsm Hobbycraft white card
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Winter Alpaca and matching die, Joy to the Woods and matching dies, Critters in the Arctic and matching dies, Critters in the Forest, Hero Arts Layered Flowers
Inks and Colouring: Tim Holtz Distress Paints Barn Door, Festive Berries, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Distress ink Vintage Photo, Copics, Tsukineko Versamark and Memento Tuxedo Black
Other: Lawn Fawn Forest Border, Stitched Journaling Card, Stitched Hillside Borders, Scripty Hugs dies, Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder

One layer forest critters

I am convinced that my newly minted theory about creativity and exercise holds true. They are inversely correlated. I have been more or less living in my craft room this week (apart from the dreary interruptions of work) and lots of cards have been born. At the same time, my trousers are feeling very tight... 

Today's card is inspired by several wonderful challenges. First of all it's inspired by the One Layer theme over at Lawnscaping, I do love the stamping and masking technique, and I had a really great time creating this little scene. I was also inspired by the Forest Friends theme over at The Card Concept.  Additionally, I'm linking up at Make My Monday where the theme is nature, Inspiration Emporium where the theme is Happy (Happy Fall! in addition to working with these critters and watercolours which also makes me happy), Fan-Tastic Tuesday where the theme is Colour me Autumn and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where the theme is No Pattered Paper. And who would need any when you can create your own scene!

Although the stamping, masking and colouring of the card are quite intricate and took quite a while, it was very simple to make. I always start out by stamping the scene onto a scrap piece of paper to make sure I get the order of stamping right, what is supposed to be behind what. At the same time I stamp and fussy cut all the masks I need. Then I stamped the scene in Antique Linen Distress ink, and used distress markers for watercolouring and creating that no-line look. I only realised at the end that I hadn't even thought about putting in a sentiment, so I just stamped it in the corner in Ground Espresso distress ink, as I thought a black sentiment would be too harsh.

Card: Daler&Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine Watercolour paper
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters in the Forest, Joy to the Woods, Violet's ABCs, Happy Everything
Ink: Tim Holtz distress inks
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies 

Fall in the forest

I think there is no denying that we are properly into autumn now. Leaves are turning into those golden autumnal colours, plums and figs are done and the pears are getting perfectly ripe. It's getting chilly in the mornings, I have added an extra shirt on top of my PJs at night and evenings are getting dark by the time I make it home. I know I should be embracing it all, but I just miss the light. Days seem so short now. And it will only get worse. But it's less than 100 days to Christmas, and then it will start getting lighter again! And I know this autumn will bring with it some changes, which is always exciting.

There are so many autumn themed challenges out there right now. And only the other day my order of the super cute Critters In the Forest arrived, so inspired by the sketch over at Viva La Verve I made this little autumn watercolour scene. I so love to watercolour with my Tim Holtz Distress markers, and the colours are so perfect for an autumn card. I made a banner using a Stampin' Up DSP with autumn leaves. 

I would like to link up with the following challenges:
Addicted to CAS - Leaves 
Make My Monday - Nature
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Use a Stamp and blog hop 
Our Creative Corner - Shades of Autumn
One Crazy Stamper - Christmas/Halloween/Fall
Let's Craft and Create -Dies or Punches
Crafting Musketeers - Autumnal Colours
Animal Friends Challenge - Forest Animals
That's Crafty - Lovely Leaves
Viva la Verve Sketches

Card: 300 gsm white linen card, Daler & Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine Watercolour paper
DSP: Stampin' Up Colour Me Autumn
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters In the Forest
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress markers
Other: Lawn Fawn Scripty Hello dies, Stitched Journaling Card die

Be Grateful

I don't know if this applies to most crafters out there or just me, but most of my cards turn out a bit disappointing. It's just because I often have such a clear idea in my mind of what they are supposed to look like, and then they never do. But you have to learn to live with your limitations and not kick yourself too much about it. And then, from time to time, you do get a very surprising card that actually turns out much better than you expected. Maybe it's because I had very low expectations for this card, as I'm not a big fan of autumn colours. Or maybe because I don't usually like the fall themed cards with leaves. Or maybe because there is a lot of brown in this card, which I usually find a bit stuffy. But I have to admit I think it turned out rather nice. It's the distress inks, I love playing with them, and there is always some magic happening when they blend. That Tim Holtz is truly a genius, what more can I say. 

The basis of today's card is the colour challenge over at My Favourite Things, and I was very skeptical when I started as these colours just don't do it for me. But I thought I would go with them anyways, if for no other reason than learning new things and creating something I wouldn't have otherwise. Over at RetroSketches they are running a "pick your favourite" challenge, and I poured over the great sketches, having a really hard time deciding but ended up with sketch #49 from February last year. I was also inspired by this month's theme over at STAMPlorations which is Stamping & Embossing. I used emboss resist for my card. I'm also entering the card in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is fall, Craft Hoarders Anonymous where the theme is Happy Fall Y'all and Shopping Our Stash where the theme is fall colours. My stash items were using leaves from stamp sets I already had, instead of buying new ones. Also, I think this is the first time I have ever used my Forest Moss Distress ink despite having it for ages. Thinking about it, I also have had that pad of Core'dinations card stock for at least a year, and although I have used up my favourite colours from it ages ago, it's great to find some use for the other colours as well.

For the background I stamped small leaves from the Lawn Fawn Critters from the Past set in Versamark and heat embossed using clear powder. I used Tim Holtz Distress inks Fired Brick, Forest Moss, Spiced Marmelade and Walnut Stain to ink the background. I love how the embossed images appear when you layer the ink onto the paper. I used Tim Holtz Distress Core'dinations cardstock for the green panel, and lightly distressed it with sandpaper and inked the edges in Walnut stain. I stamped the large leaves from the Hero Arts Layered Flowers set again in Versamark and heat embossed using clear powder and applied inks before fussy cutting them. Last, I stamped a part of a stamp from Penny Black Life's Messages in white ink onto the brown cardstock and added tow red adhesive gems.

Card: Craft UK kraft card, coloured 240 gsm kraft card in Chocolate Brown, Tim Holtz Distress Core'dinations Forest Moss, Hobbycraft 160 gsm cream card
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters from the Past, Penny Black Life's Messages, Hero Arts Layered Flowers
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Disterss inks Fired Brick, Forest Moss, Spiced Marmelade, Walnut Stain, Stampin' Up Whisper White craft ink
Other: Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder clear, Papermania Adhesive Gems Capsule Red Hot