Fiery Birthday Mandala

Do you remember when you first started making cards and thought it would be such a great way to save money? Never having to buy any cards at Clintons ever again for a full two or three pounds? Before you realised that when you divide the thousands of pounds you have spent on craft stash by the number of cards you have made, you get a figure somewhere in the neighbourhood of £60 (purely fictional example, don't ask me where those numbers come from...)? Don't worry, we have all been there! This is a safe space where we can all admit we have a problem. And encourage each other to never get better!!

But sometimes it's great when you find exactly what you need in your stash to create just the card you need, not having to buy anything new and able to create just the card you imagined. It almost brings back that warm and fuzzy dream of saving money by making your own cards! 

I needed a birthday card for a colleague and I didn't have anything I deemed suitable in my stash (it's the same feeling as having a cupboard full of clothes but nothing to wear...). Quick and easy enough for a weeknight craft session. I think it turned out quite nice. I hope my colleague will like it too. I even made an envelope to match. The stamping is done using the faux watercolour technique. I coloured the Simon Says Stamp Elizabeth Background stamp with Distress Markers, spritzed with water and stamped. I added some splatters to the card, and used a sentiment die from Lawn Fawn.

I'm linking up with 
CAS on Friday - use die cut words
Fusion card challenge - I was inspired by the red and yellow colours and the wrought iron  handrail on the house, which I think looks a bit like the black die-cut letters
Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - Stamp It
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - Stamp It
Crafting Happiness - Birthday
Inkspirational - Crop (I took this to mean cropped off the edge of the card)

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Elizabeth Background Hey Love
Dies: Lawn Fawn Happy Birthday Line Border die
Colouring: Tim Holtz Distress markers Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilized Amber, Ripe Persimmon, Festive Berries

STAMPlorations Inspiration

Today is a special post for me, as I can reveal that I am now officially part of the STAMPlorations Inspiration team. I'm so excited to join the incredibly talented designers who have inspired me to start creating with STAMPlorations products many years ago and still blow my mind with every one of their gorgeous creations. I feel slightly out of place among them, but I'm so happy I get to share the projects I enjoy making using all the STAMPlorations products I have come to love so much over the years. On top of everything, all the ladies on the Inspiration team are super nice too!

For my first Inspiration project, I have used the Bloomtangled 2 Cover Plate Die. I find it so relaxing to assemble cards using the cover plate dies. I started by die cutting the cover plate in black to form the frame for the flowers. Then I die cut it a second time from watercolour paper and watercoloured that version using Distress Oxides. I then assembled them, piece by piece into the black frame. I find the process almost meditative. Just me, a cup of coffee, a good podcast and a pair of tweezers.

As always, you can win a gift certificate over on the STAMPlorations blog. If you comment on the Inspiration team blog posts, you are entering in a draw to win a $10 gift certificate.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Llama Tell You 

Dies: CUTplorations Bloomtangled 2 Cover Plate Die, Happy Word die

Colouring: Distress Oxides

Currently, there are several great promotions in the STAMPlorations store, including a great offer if you want to pre-order the new dies which will be available in October. You can find all the promotions summarised on the Promotions Page. You can also find great discounts on dies and stamps.

Birthday Mandala

I've enjoyed a week off work and am now approaching the Sunday night when I know I have to go back to work... I'm trying to spend some time in the craft room to take the edge off the anxiety. And nothing beats going back to work blues like a rainbow.

I used the gorgeous mandala stamp called Elizabeth Background Hey Love (there is a really great Pinterest board with some really gorgeous cards made with this stamp which make me swoon). I heat embossed the mandala in white and sponged Distress Ink on the card before die cutting it with the STAMPlorations Crazy Double Running Stitch die. I added a Lawn Fawn sentiment which I heat embossed in white on a strip of black card.

I'm also super excited to say that soon I'll be back to a more regular blogging schedule, more about that in a few days. 

I'm linking up with the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - S is for... (sponging ink in my case)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Daring Cardmakers - Resist

Crafty Gals Corner - Emboss it!

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Elizabeth Background Hey Love, Lawn Fawn Holiday Party Animal
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Ink
Dies: CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting dies

Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #447

It's time for another Cupcake Inspirations Challenge, and STAMPlorations is the sponsor this time, so I'm excited to be one of the STAMPlorations designers guesting over at CIC. The theme is Food and Drink, my favourite! I could not resist inking up the delicious ice cream cone from STAMPlorations Sweet Cravings using Distress Markers. I stamped a sentiment from the same set in black and added Washi tape.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Sweet Cravings

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Markers

Card kit using Clear Stickers

Today I'm over on the STAMPlorations blog, showing a card kit I made. This kit consists of four cards made using ARTplorations stencils and Distress Inks, with matching envelopes. However, I didn't add any sentiments to the cards, instead, I included card strips which the card kit recipient can use to add a custom sentiment. This is super easy using the new STAMPlorations Clear Stickers. For my kit, I used the Just Everyday Greetings, but you could use another set of stickers if you prefer. I like this set as it has a great all-round selection of sentiments. And during August you will get 30% off the Clear Stickers (see the end of the post for details).

I used the Abstract Oats stencil and Distress Inks in Mustard Seed, Wild Honey and Vintage Photo. I added some ink splatters onto the card for added texture.

Next, I inked the card using Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch and Chipped Sapphire to ink the card and splattered it with water. Then I inked Black Soot through the Bloom Silhouettes stencil. 

I inked Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Worn Lipstick and Wilted Violet ink through the Lupinus stencil. 

For my last card, I inked Cracked Pistachio, Twisted Citron, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon and Blueprint Sketch through the Peacock Feathers stencil.

All of the cards have a strip of card which I haven't attached to the card. It has a strip of double-sided tape on the back. Any of the sentiment stickers can be added to the strips, the excess trimmed with scissors and then the strip can be adhered to the card. As the images on the cards would work with any of the sentiments, this will allow the recipient of the card kit to use the most appropriate sentiments based on their needs.

I also created a storage box for the cards and envelopes. I used some ombre orange card and stencilled the Abstract Oats on the top of the box.

I hope this inspired you to create something fun using the STAMPlorations Clear Stickers!

Stencils: ARTplorations Abstract Oats, Bloom Silhouettes, Lupinus, Peacock Feathers

Stickers: STAMPlorations Just Everyday Greetings Clear Stickers

Ink: Tim Holz Distress Ink

Clear Stickers are 30% off with code CLEAR30 Coloring Books are 25% off with code COLOR25 Clear Stamps* are 25% off with code STAMP25 *Excludes newly released stamps. Codes may be used multiple times per customer throughout promotion period. All 3 codes may be used together in one order. BYOCS/Stamp club subscribers: use your personal coupon code with the codes for 50% to 70% off on qualifying items + your free shipping code on your order of at least $30.

Put at least $25 worth of products in your cart then use code SHIPFREE25 on checkout.

*Free shipping offer to US addresses only. Code will take $5 off shipping to Canada and other countries. Code can be combined with current promotion codes. Free shipping code limited to 3 uses per customer/shipping address. Ends Saturday, August 31, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Colourful Swallowtail

The current challenge over at CAS Watercolour is Colourful Butterflies. My absolute favourite butterfly stamp is this old Swallowtail stamp from Stampin' Up which I feel I can use over and over and over, and constantly find new ways of using it. This time I decided to use the faux watercolour technique. 

I coloured the stamp with Tim Holtz Distress markers and spritzed it with water before stamping onto watercolour paper. The first time, I didn't quite manage to place the stamp as I wanted it, so I used that first attempt for my tag, die cutting it with Stitched Tags Nesting Dies. I heat embossed a sentiment in white using STAMPlorations Trendy Butterflies 2 to the tag. 

My second attempt at stamping the swallowtail turned out better as I was patient enough to ensure even pressure all across the stamp and really pressing it into the paper before removing it. I added a sentiment using STAMPlorations Happy Birthday and splattered some ink onto the white space for added interest.

I'm also linking up the card over at Cardz4Galz where the theme is Wings, Seize the Birthday where the theme is Butterflies and Stamping Sensations where the theme is Things with Wings.

Stamps: Stampin' Up Swallowtail, STAMPlorations Trendy Butterflies 2, Happy Birthday

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine, Tim Holtz Distress Markers

Dies: CUTplorations Stitched Tags Nesting Dies

Colouring With Stamps

Happy Monday! Hope this will turn out to be a good week for you. I suffer from an issue that is surely troubling many of you - my day job keeps getting in the way of crafting... Anyhow, I'm blogging over on the STAMPlorations blog today showcasing a few cards I made using the "colouring with stamps" technique which Shery, the creative and talented owner of STAMPlorations has perfected to an art form. I thought I would try my hand at it, and hopefully, you will be inspired to try it too. It works best on images which don't have too many tiny and delicate details, although I love the look when the colour splotches extend a bit beyond the stamped image. If you like stamping, you will love this technique as you get to stamp a lot! If you don't have any suitable "splotchy" stamps, you can use the reverse of some small round-ish stamps, that works well too.

For my first card, I stamped the Radiant Roses in black and used stamps from Art Marks to colour in the roses using Distress Oxides. I also stamped some ink spots in the bottom part of the card, before adding the sentiment from Bold Sentiments: Hashtag Authentic.

For my second card, I stamped the French Marigold Large, and this time I used Distress Inks to colour the flower. I added a sentiment from Noteworthy 3 and splattered some green ink on the card front for added interest.

For my third card, I decided to go with pastel colours. I stamped the Classic Calla Lilies along the long side of the card, before again using the splotch stamps from Art Marks to colour the florals with Distress Inks. The sentiment is from Noteworthy 3.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Radiant Roses, Art Marks, Bold Sentiments: Hashtag Authentic, French Marigold Large, Noteworthy 3, Classic Calla Lilies
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Oxides and Inks

There are some fantastic offers in the STAMPlorations store in August. Don't forget to check them out if you are looking to extend your crafty stash.
Clear Stickers are 30% off with code CLEAR30 Coloring Books are 25% off with code COLOR25 Clear Stamps* are 25% off with code STAMP25
*Excludes newly released stamps. Codes may be used multiple times per customer throughout promotion period. All 3 codes may be used together in one order. BYOCS/Stamp club subscribers: use your personal coupon code with the codes for 50% to 70% off on qualifying items + your free shipping code on your order of at least $30.