Pink feathers

This card is for my Mum who will have a rough few days coming up due to some health issues. I would appreciate any good thought being sent her way, I'll sure be sending out as much of that as I possibly can.

I'm really diggin' the Four Feathers stamp set. I love inking it up in various colours. I also love the current Retro Sketch. And I thought it made a great combo with the colours from the new The Challenge. I'm really getting into this whole clean and simple thing. 

Card: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card
Stamps: Stampin' Up Four Feathers and Just Sayin' 
Ink: Stampin' Up Blushing Bride, Smoky Slate and Strawberry Slush

Four Feathers in Sweet Sorbet

After much deliberation, I decided to get the Stampin' Up Four Feathers stamp and die set. It's one of those sets which I wasn't too excited about when I first saw it, but I have seen so many great cards with the set so in the end I realised how incredibly versatile it is. I also finally treated myself to the Lawn Fawn Stitched Journal card die, which I adore. I thought they made quite a great card together with a paper from the Sweet Sorbet set. I know the colours don't go with the season at all, but I need them to remind me that spring will eventually come after all this cold and darkness.

I am submitting the card to Addicted to Stamps and Crafts Galore Encore Challenge where Anything goes. I'm also linking up at Clean and Simple on Sunday where the theme is ribbon and twine and Clear it Out where the challenge is to use three of a thing (three feathers). 

Card: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm card
Stamps: Stampin' Up Four Feathers and matching dies, Lawn Fawn Critters from the Past
Ink: Stampin' Up Calypso Coral, Pistachio Pudding, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky and Summer Starfruit
Paper: Stampin' Up Sweet Sorbet 
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Journal card die, twine from my stash

Happy 100th CAS(E) This Sketch

There's a celebration going on over at CAS(E) This Sketch. It's their 100th sketch, and I had no idea what to do with the sketch. Then I thought of my unused stash of Washi tape and thought it just might work. Then a tag, a bit more Washi, some heat embossing and a few gems for a splash of colour. 

Card: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm white card, silver grey card from my stock

Stamps: Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler

Ink: Tsukineko Versamark 

Other: Washi tape from my stash, Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder, Papermania adhesive gems, Stampin' Up Scalloped Tag Topper

Retro rubber challenge and fusion

 

You will have to excuse me for publishing my Saturday blog post a few hours early to make a challenge deadline.

There is a new challenge blog on the block. It's called Retro Rubber Challenge and I happened upon it on one of the blogs I follow. I love the idea, it's all about using those old stamps you have. The first ever Retro Rubber challenge is to use your oldest stamp. I think one thing I can say is that I hardly use my oldest stamps as I used to buy quite cheap clear stamps. After some research into the subject, I started buying better quality stamps so I hardly use the old ones as they don't stamp nearly as well. But it's nice to go back to those old stamps from time to time, as they deserve some love too.

The stamp I have used for the background of this card is one of the first stamps I ever bought, I can't exactly remember which one was the first but this, along with a butterfly stamp was most certainly among the first ones.

The other inspiration for my card was the Fusion challenge, and the patterns on the cake reminded me of the patterns on my background stamp. I thought I would go monochromatic, inspired by the challenge pic. I used the sketch from the current Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.

Card: Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, Dovecraft 110 gsm premium vellum
Stamps: Hobbycraft A6 Swirl Background Clear stamp, Stampin' Up Flower Shop and Petite Petals, Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Peacock Feathers distress ink
Other: Stampin' Up Pansy and Petite Petals punch, Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder, Ranger Extra fine clear embossing powder, Papermania adhesive gems

 

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Poinsettia card

The inspiration for today's card is the first inspiration sketch for November from Viva La Verve. It also comes with a colour combo, so all the inspiration you need to create a card. With a colour combo of green, red and kraft, of course it had to be a Christmas card. I think I'm starting to build up quite a good stash of Christmas cards by now! I was also inspired by The Card Concept where the theme is Krafty Christmas, and I think the style would be Freestyle Collage.

I used a selection of papers from Dovecraft Back to Basics Christmas collection and matted onto beige cardstock. The poinsettia is a digi from Fred She Said (I have also used it here). I coloured the poinsettia leaves with Old Olive Blendabilities and Copics, and added a rhinestone in the centre. I stamped the sentiment inside the card.

Card: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm white card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, Coloured 240 gsm kraft card beige
Stamp: Digi Fred She Said FSS-Poinsettia & Pine Boughs, Dovecraft Tis tthe Season S'Jingle
Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red
Colouring: Stampin' Up Blendabilities Old Olive, Copics R24, R46
Paper: Dovecraft Back to Basics Christmas 
Other: Papermania Adhesive gems capsule sunshine

Birthday flowers

Between working, sleeping, gym, food blog and card blog, I don't seem to be able to keep up all five. Work and sleep are the two I can't give up, the first one for purely financial reasons, and the second one to maintain my sanity. I haven't been to the gym in ages, so both my blogs were doing great. Now I'm trying to get back to the gym, and the card blog has been suffering. I'll try to keep balancing it all and today there was some time for a bit of crafting. Tomorrow it's back to the gym again. 

Today's card was inspired by this week's Freshly Made Sketch and Colour Throwdown. I'm also entering the card at Addicted to Stamps where Anything goes and Crafty Creations Challenge where the recipe of the week is at least 3 layers, 2 DSPs and one image. I used the Stampin' Up Bloom With Hope hostess set and coloured it with Copics. 

Card: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm white card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, Stampin' Up Island Indigo card

Stamp: Stampin' Up Bloom with Hope

Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

Colouring: Copics E39, Y19, YR04

Paper: Stampin' Up Birds of a Feather, Sycamore Street

Other: Tim Holtz Idea-ology paper twine, Stampin' Up Sycamore Street designer buttons, Stampin' Up Basic pearls 

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Colour Challenge

It's time for another challenge over at the Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge. If you haven't started with your Christmas cards, now is a great time. There's plenty of inspiration from the DT if you need some help in getting your brain into Christmas card mood. 

This time we are challenging you with a colour challenge. You can choose between using
a) Red, green, white
b) Blue, white, silver
c) Red, gold, cream
d) Blue, brown, cream
e) Monochromatic
d) Pink, green, kraft, white

As usual, there are great prices to be won, so get your Christmas card linked up over at the Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge. The sponsors this week are Fitztown and Art by Miran. Have a look over at their sites for great digis for all your Christmas Crafting.

As you can see, I went for the colour choice of Pink, green, kraft and white. The image is from Fitztown, it's called Winter 3 and I coloured it with Copics. I also used some leftover papers from a set called Gingerbread lane that came with a crafting magazine last year. 

Card: Craft UK kraft card, Coloured craft card 240 gsm Beige and Pink Raspberry, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white and Three Shades of Green card
Paper: Jennifer Ellory Gingerbread Lane DSP 
Stamps: Digi Fitztown Winter 3, Papermania 12 Days of Christmas Word Banners
Ink: Stampin' Up Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo
Colouring: C1, E34, E39, R20, R43, RV29, YG11, YG13, YG17, 
Other: Tim Holtz Alterations Vintage lace die, Tim Holtz distress stickles Worn Lipstick