CC&S 162 Sketch: Unusually Orange!

It's my last week as hostess at CAS Colours and Sketches for a while but I've really enjoyed myself this month. To finish I thought I would really challenge myself and dig out an old paper pad in a colour that I don't go for very much - orange! I've also added, unusually for me, a touch of bling! I have a few colleagues at work that I make cards for that do like their bling so I will probably give it to one of them that has a birthday soon.

Instead of adding a sentiment, as in the sketch, I have used a piece of embossed paper that has the main sentiment in a similar position. The rosette was made using a specialist die. Other than that I have used a few papers and the all-important bling (actually I think I quite like the text paper)!

Supplies Used:
Die: Paper Rosette 656931 (Sizzlits Decorative Strip Tim Holtz)
Paper Pad: Sunshine Capsule Collection (Papermania)
Embossing Folder: Happy Birthday (Papermania)
Snippets: Pearlised paper, Button, Sequins, Adhesive gems

Thank you for sharing all your creations with us this month! I hope you'll join us again this week. Next week I believe Jane takes the reigns as your hostess for March.

Have fun!
Stef x

CC&S 161 Colours: Text Me Purple

I had to work the first couple of days in half term but now I'm off for the rest of the week, yay! And it's back to my favourite cool colours for this week's colour palette choice at CAS Colours and Sketches. 

With my interest in mixed media slowly building, the starting point for my inspiration (alongside the three colours) was a challenge new to me organised by Craft Stamper magazine. Their February technique challenge is 'Text Me' i.e. to use text or script background stamps, or text paper in our projects. These can be any language, any style, old book pages, bits torn from magazines, scrapbooking papers, etc.

I stamped the script stamp with two colours of Distress ink, spritzing the stamp with water before stamping. The Rennie Mackintosh inspired 'Glasgow Rose' stamp was free with an old copy of Craft Stamper Magazine (July 2014). This was stamped with Versamark and embossed with silver EP. I coloured parts of the image with the same colours of Distress ink using a paintbrush. I then stamped and embossed the image again on an old book page. I cut just a few sections of the image out and paper-pieced them over the original image. Both layers have been matted onto a piece of metallic silver paper and the sentiment is computer-generated, again in silver.

I hope you feel inspired to make a card using these colours and joining us at CC&S this week and I would like to enter my card into the Craft Stamper challenge.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Glasgow Rose (Chocolate Baroque/Craft Stamper July 2014), Script Background SB1 (IndigoBlu)
Inkpads: Dusty Concord & Shaded Lilac (TH Distress Inks)
Sentiment Font: Allegro
Snippets: White cardstock, Silver EP, Metalllic silver paper, Old book page

You have until Wednesday 24th February to link your card at CC&S. Don't forget to check out the fabulous inspiration from the rest of the DT!

Stef x

CC&S 160 Sketch: Mothering Sunday Roses

This week I have made cards for my Mum and my MIL ready for Mothering Sunday which we celebrate here in the UK on 6th March this year. However I was almost stumped by my own sketch at CAS Colours and Sketches. Having said to the rest of the DT that the circles in the sketch were slightly different sizes, I thought that they and other crafters might think that that was a non-alterable element in the sketch.

I tried clustering two different sizes of the rose stamp together but I couldn't get them to look right because I think they are too different in size (for this card anyway). I then played around with adding smaller leaves instead of more flowers and decided that looked much better. Other than that the card came together quite simply. The sentiment is one I had saved on my PC, I loved it as soon as I saw it and I think it has several sources on the internet.

I would also like to play at a couple of challenges:
Addicted to Clean and Simple #81: Code Word 'Bloom'

Time Out 'Inspired By Words' Challenge #49: 'Love is the flower you've got to let grow' from a John Lennon song 'Mind Games'. I thought this phrase tied in a beautifully with the sentiment behind any card for Mothering Sunday.

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Flower Power #6 (Uniko Studio)

Inkpads: Hyacinth, Heliotrope, Smoke Blue, Atlantic, Bamboo (VersaColor)

Sentiment: Found on the internet

Snippets: White linen cardstock

I hope you like the sketch and you'll want to play along. You have until Wednesday 17th Feb to link up your design.

Thanks for visiting!

Stef x

CC&S 159 Colours: To Brighten A Wintry Day

It's my turn to act as hostess for the month at CAS Colours and Sketches. In my first challenge I have chosen some bright colours to cheer up the gloomy, wintry days we have been having in the UK. Hopefully they'll also suit those on the other side of the world where I guess it's the middle of summer!

I've stayed with a Valentine theme so now I have a choice of which card to give my OH! I'm not usually a reds and oranges kinda gal, but I thought that these three colours worked rather well together. I had so much fun with the inlaid die technique a couple of weeks ago that I thought I would try it with a different die. It was trickier as the outline is a lot narrower, more complex and it's easy to stretch it when adhering it to the card but once I'd worked out a way of doing that successfully, it was very easy! The card was finished with a white embossed sentiment and a stray white heart.

Supplies Used:
Die: Heart Ribbon (Memory Box)
Sentiment: Always and Forever (Uniko Studio)
Snippets: Kraft, Orange, Pale Pink & Bright Pink cardstock, White EP

I hope you feel inspired to join us in our challenge this week. Please pop by the rest of the DT blogs to see what these colours led them to create.

Thanks for visiting!
Stef x