Silver Stag

I have spent the whole day trying to sort out the mess that is my digital photo library. Nothing like a new computer to find the motivation to try and sort things out and only move relevant bits and bobs over to the new computer. But boy oh boy is it hard work!! My new year's resolution for next year will be to do a monthly photo cleanout instead of having to go through thousands of photos. If you have any good tips on how you manage your photos, please share!!

About today's card - it's quite quick and easy, perfect for December crafting really. It's inspired by the colours over at Color Throwdown and the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches. I'm also linking up over at Make My Monday where the theme is Non-Traditional Christmas Colours and Christmas Crafts All Year Round where Anything Goes.

Card: White 200 gsm, Stampin' Up patterned paper from my stash

Stamps: STAMPlorations Yuletide Deer, Mixed Media Grunge

Dies: CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies 

Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Disterss Ink Smoky Slate

Other: Papermania Silver embossing powder, small adhesive rhinestones from my stash

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.

January STAMPlorations CAS Challenge - Anything Goes With Silver or Grey

I'm so excited that I can continue to be part of the STAMPlorations CAS challenge in 2017. I am always looking forward to the first Thursday of the month to show you what I have been inspired to create and more importantly to be inspired by the work of the rest of the DT and by all the wonderful creations you submit to each challenge. I'm also excited to remind you that you can get 20% off your STAMPlorations order by using my discount code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout (more info at the end of the post).

This year the CAS challenge continues very much along the same lines as last year - each month there will be a main challenge post on the first Thursday of the month, and an additional inspiration post two weeks later. The challenge will run until the end of the month. 

Each month there will be an optional colour twist, and this month it's silver or grey. You don't have to use STAMPlorations products but if you have any we would love to see you use them. However, the main thing is that you create something Clean and Simple, link back to the challenge so others can play along and that you remember to display the below challenge graphic. You can submit up to 3 creations for each challenge. And then the most important thing, prizes! The DT favourite will be rewarded by a $10 gift certificate to the STAMPlorations store, and the runners up will receive a $5 gift card. 

For my first CAS card of the year, I used the gorgeous wedding couple from Becca's Funny Kinda Love stamp set. I usually find it really hard to create wedding cards, but I absolutely love this image. Which is actually strange, as I never like any stamps with images of people. You can check it - just scroll back though my blog, and you will hardly find any cards with images of people. Flowers yes, cute creatures yes, but no people. However, this image is so gorgeous that I couldn't resist it. I stamped the image in Versamark and heat embossed in a sparkly silver before colouring with Gansai Tambi watercolours. Last, I die cut the sentiment using the Celebrate Word Die from sparkly silver card and stamped, heat embossed and watercoloured the heart. Unfortunately the photo doesn't show it very well, but I coloured the space around the couple with a glittery colour to give it a very subtle glow. You will have to trust me when I say it's quite enchanting.

I'm linking up with the following challenges:

AAA Cards - Silver

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Start Afresh (new stamps!)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New (new stamps!)

Card: 300 gsm Daler&Rowney watercolour card, sparkly silver card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Funny Kinda Love

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark and Gansai Tambi watercolours

Dies: CUTplorations Celebrate Word Die

Other: Papermania Silver Tinsel embossing powder

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. If you have any questions or problems, just let me know!

First ever STAMPlorations CAS challenge - Anything goes with Silver

Finally it's here, the day I get to introduce you to the STAMPlorations CAS challenge. I have been waiting for this ever since I was told I had been chosen to be on the Design Team along with these four incredibly talented ladies. I'm so excited to get to showcase stamps and stencils from a company that I absolutely love, and had been buying stamps from way before I started my design team assignment. 

So let me tell you a little bit about the challenge. CAS stands for Clean and Simple. So basically lots of white space (which doesn't necessarily have to be white), usually one main image, none or very few layers and minimal embellishments. What is CAS and what isn't is very much in the eye of the beholder, but basically think less is more and you will get there! 

The STAMPlorations CAS challenge runs for a month at a time. A new challenge is revealed on the first Thursday of the month, running until the last day of the month. You don't have to use STAMPlorations products to take part, but if you have them we would be absolutely thrilled to see them. The challenge is always Anything Goes, and there is an optional colour twist. This month our optional colour twist is Silver. You can link up to 3 cards per challenge. 

And then to the best part - the prizes. Every month, the design team will vote for our favourites, who will receive a badge to proudly display on their blog. Every month a randomly drawn winner will also receive a $10 gift voucher to the STAMPlorations shop, and even better, if the winner is using STAMPlorations products, they will receive a $15 gift card. So come play with us, it doesn't matter if you are an experienced CAS-er or new to it, we would love to see what you create. On the STAMPlorations blog you can find more inspiration from the rest of the DT. 

I created two cards to inspire you for our January challenge. As January is grey and dreary here in the Northern hemisphere, I wanted to use bright colours. I chose to use the gorgeous Celebrate Artsy stamp set and bright Tim Holtz Distress Inks. I love this stamp set as it's perfect to create those quick and easy but impressive looking cards in no-time, it's an absolute craft room staple and I use it lots and lots. For my first card I stamped the brush stroke stamp in five colours, misting with my spritzer a little bit to let the colours lightly blend. I then dried the watercolour panel and used an anti-static bag to prepare the panel for heat embossing, stamping the sentiment from Fond Expressions 2, a great set with many versatile sentiments that work for pretty much any occasion. I stamped the sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed in silver powder. Last, I added just one adhesive gem and matted the card front onto black card to make the colours really pop.

For my second card, I decided to experiment a little, and spritzed the watercolour paper until it was wet before using the same stamp in the same colours as for my first card. This time the colours blended much more, creating a much more artsy feel. After the panel had dried, I stamped a sentiment in black, adding another stamp from the Celebrate Artsy in Versamark and heat embossed in silver to create the highlight under the sentiment. I finished off with three adhesive gems above the sentiment. 

Don't forget to come back and see our mid month inspiration in two week's time, with more inspiration, and most importantly don't forget to link up your wonderful creations over on the CAS challenge blog!

I am linking up with the following challenges:
Try Stampin' On Tuesday - sketch (see below) plus something sparkly
House of Cards - Embossing (sentiment is heat embossed)
The ABC challenge - Y is for Your Choice 
One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Card: 300 gsm watercolour paper, 240 gsm coloured craft card in black
Stamps: STAMPlorations Celebrate Artsy and Fond Expressions 2
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Mustard Seed, Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Salty Ocean and Mowed Lawn, Tsukineko Versamark and Memento Tuxedo Black
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies, Papermania Silver tinsel embossing powder, mini clear adhesive gems from my stash. 

Disclaimer: I have received some STAMPlorations products for free in exchange for creating cards for the challenge. All opinions however are completely my own. As you can see by browsing my blog, I have been using STAMPlorations products (which I bought myself) way before my time on the DT and I wouldn't recommend them unless I absolutely loved them myself.

Stampin' Royalty Guest DT - Keep It Simple

I can't believe this is already my last post as a Guest Goddess over at Stampin' Royalty. I've had a great time creating with the talented ladies of the DT and feel sad it's already time to say goodbye. The good news is of course that I can pop by and play along whenever I want to, so it's not goodbye, it's just "See ya later"!

This week the challenge is to Keep It Simple. As I have finished my summer holidays, I'm already starting to look forward to Christmas as it will be the next time I will get a bit more time off work (yes, I am very dedicated and hard working...). And I thought it might be a good idea to use my old stash of Christmas crafting goodies to remind me that I don't really need to buy any new Christmas stamps this year, but should instead try to use the stash I have got (ok, fat chance I actually won't buy anything, but still...). 

I stamped the Seasonally Scattered "Merry" sentiment using Soft Sky, and then added some Marina Mist and Pacific Point using markers before stamping onto Whisper White card. I then heat embossed the Christmas sentiment from Endless wishes in silver. I also heat embossed silver snowflakes onto Marina Mist card for the back panel. I thought this was all that was needed for a quick and easy clean card. This would be a great design to mass produce as it's quite quick and easy to make, and it would be easy to make different colour variations of it. 

I would like to link up with the following challenges:
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Clean and Simple
Crafty Calendar Challenge - Christmas in July 
My Time to Craft - Christmas in July
Sweet Stampin' - No Designer Paper
Happy Little Stampers - CAS
Card: Stampin' Up Whisper White, Marina Mist
Stamps: Stampin' Up Seasonally Scattered, Endless Wishes
Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Sky, Stampin' Write markers Marina Mist, Pacific Point, Tsukineko Versamark
Other: Silver embossing powder

Stitched Snowflakes

How I have waited for my Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflake dies. I ordered them several weeks ago but they were out of stock. I finally got them last night and have been giving them a serious test drive. And let me tell you, I absolutely love them. Love, love, love. They are perfect for quick and easy cards that still got plenty of that uuumph factor. Particularly if you use glittery metallic cardstock.

This card was inspired by the colours over at Color Throwdown. I used the fun sketch over at My Favourite Things for the layout. I'm also entering over at Clear it Out challenge, where the theme is Circles (I used a circle die) and stash item is something glittery or sparkly (silver glitter paper) and Inkspire-me where the theme is Frosty Christmas. I'm also playing along with Just Us Girls where the theme is Sparkle and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Christmas/Holidays.

Card: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm white card, Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip, Dovecraft 110 gsm premium vellum

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters in the Arctic

Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Hobbycraft silver ink

Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes die, Gold embossing powder from my stash, Stampin' Up Basic Rhinestones, Circle die from my stash

I thank my lucky stars...

It' been a few days since my last post. It's that time of year again, when it's dark and cold and miserable. I needed a few days off everything, including crafting. But today I felt like I wanted to create something again, so I continued to play with the galaxy technique I tried out here.

This card was inspired by several challenges. I love the colour combo over at Colour Throwdown, and I thought it would be perfect for the galaxy technique. I was also inspired by this week's CAS(E) This Sketch. I'm also joining in with the Snarky Sisters, where the theme this time is T is  for Thanks (for nothing). Last but not least I will also join Stampin' Royalty where the theme is Silver. 

Card: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm white card, Daley & Rowney Aquafine watercolour paper, Hobbycraft Three shades of blue 160 gsm card, Coloured 240 gsm kraft card purple grape, Stampin' Up silver glimmer paper
Paints: Tim Holtz Distress Paint Black Soot, Broken China, Seedless Preserves and Picket Fence
Other: Xcut star die

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