CC&S #143 Sketch: Snowflake Circles

If I ever make this card again, I'll know what to do differently! It was such a faffy card to make and when I first saw Lizy's sketch for this week at CAS Colours and Sketches, I hadn't envisaged making such a complicated card!

I began by sticking a square of snowflake patterned paper to the front of my card blank and printing the sentiment onto it. I chose my snowflake dies and punches but unfortunately had to choose slightly larger circle dies than I would have liked to allow the flakes some movement! The snowflakes are double-sided and I was going to stick the paper layers together before cutting and then realised that if I wanted to attach thread through the middle that I would have to cut them separately and then try and stick them together! Silly me also chose metallic thread which slipped all over the place when trying to sandwich the various layers together!

I need a piece of card on the inside to cover the thread and because the circles were bigger I decided to place it so that it forms a shadow to the outer circle. The whole card did take me much longer than expected but I quite like the finished design so maybe I might make something similar another day!

Supplies Used:
Dies: Snow Flakes (Die'sire), Standard Circles Large (Spellbinders Nestabilities)
Punch: Large snowflake (XCut)
Sentiment Font: Allegro
Snippets: Snowflake patterned paper, Metallic papers and thread, Pale blue cardstock

I would also like to enter my card into this week's challenge #165 at CASology where their cue word is 'Circles'. I hope Lizy's seemingly straight forward sketch doesn't lead you astray too far? Can't wait to see what you come up with. It's my turn to host again next month and I'm just finalising my colour choices and sketch designs.

Looking forward to sharing them with you and seeing your entries this week.
Stef x

CAS Colours and Sketches #111

This week we have a sketch for you at CAS Colours and Sketches. It's strange how sometimes the simplest of things can go wrong. I decided what I wanted to do with the sketch but then had loads of problems with the making, mounting and photographing of the finished card. I got ink all over the 'white space' of the card from my messy hands right where I didn't want it so had to remount it and then I had to take about 15 photos before I got one I was happy with! Still, I am happy enough with the finished card and will re-learn the lesson about inky fingers!!

I have stuck very closely to Patricia's sketch and have used Uniko Studio's Background Builders: Vines to stamp the floral borders using the solid rose overstamped with the petals. I went to the 'Stitching, Sewing & Hobbycrafts' show at Event City in Manchester last Saturday. I had decided to replace some of my really old ink pads and bought some Memento ink pads for the first time which I thought I would try out. The stems are stamped with 'Gray Flannel', the solid roses with 'Angel Pink' and the petals with the aptly named 'Rose Bud'. The birthday greeting is stamped with 'Tuxedo Black'.

I would also like to wish the 'Less is More' challenge blog a very happy fourth birthday this week and enter my card into their challenge which is to use the colours pink and grey.

I really loved working with this sketch and look forward to seeing your interpretations.
Stef x

NNBUS Versus RONBUS!

Lots of you will have come across Darnell's quirky blog! She coined the phrase NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) and set up a challenge to encourage us all to use our NBUS to avoid it being forgotten about and left at the back of a drawer somewhere! Some people have interpreted this to mean any stash they haven't used before, even newly acquired items. So I set myself a challenge this afternoon to make two cards, the first using some NNBUS (brand New NBUS) and secondly to use what I'm going to call RONBUS (Really Old NBUS)!

 

Bev' original card used for inspiration

My first card uses some of my sale goodies from Uniko Studio. It uses the Background Builders: Chevrons and the Flower Power 2 stamp sets. I was looking at Bev's Pinterest board for some ideas as her products are relatively new to me and have CASed one of her cards, so I hope she doesn't mind!

I have chosen the turquoise and lime colours (along with black and white) to fit in with the ShowCASe your style challenge #6: Colour challenge. The inks are Versacolor Turquoise and Split Pea. To make the leaves I have coloured a piece of hammered cardstock with Split Pea ink and punched with a Martha Stewart leaf punch. 

This CAS challenge is new to me and this card is definitely where my style is at the moment. I will also enter it into Darnell's challenge and see whether she thinks my NNBUS card is better than my RONBUS one!

My second card uses stuff that I have had for years and personally I don't like it as much as the first card. It reminds me of cards I would have made a few years back and I guess that's why!

The die is an XCut Lacé die and I thought I would use it given its appropriateness to the time of year. The fabric brad is from a set called Riverbank Revels by Trimcraft. I think I bought both these items in a sale quite some years ago! The sentiment stamp is a freebie from a craft mag that I have had for ages. CASology have linked in with Darnell's challenge this week and have NBUS as their cue card so I would like to enter this into their challenge #129 (I think you can only enter once otherwise I would have entered both cards) and also into Darnell's (where I know you can enter more than once).
Edit: I can't see how to enter two cards from the same post on my blog into the same link more than once on a challenge blog.

I have also colour-themed it to fit in with another new challenge to me Colour Me where the colours are Pacific Point and Real Red (along with neutrals).

That's all from me today. I will be back later in the week with my CAS Colours and Sketches card. A new year and I have entered three new to me challenges. Can't be bad!


Take care
Stef x

New Year News!

Just before Christmas the lovely ladies at CAS Colours and Sketches invited me to join their design team. My first ever DT - I'm so excited, not least because now I have a good excuse to find time to craft every week!! So my first card for them is based on this week's sketch challenge #106...

I needed to make a card for my friend Karen whose birthday falls this week so this is for her. The flower is stamped and die cut from the gorgeous Beautiful Blooms set from Uniko Studio. The sentiment is computer-generated and die cut using a Spellbinders die. The flourish stamp is from Inkadinkado and has been stamped directly onto the card blank. The grosgrain ribbon (which I think I won at some point) is from Stampin' Up and I love this way of pleating the ribbon to make an embellishment.

Santa seemed to have run out of crafty goodies by the time he got to rural Lancashire this year but the good news is that he has given me a few pennies to buy some bits in the post-Christmas sales which means that I have been able to order a few more things than I otherwise might have done!! I look forward to having a play with them when they arrive and sharing my experiments with you.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I look forward to visiting and commenting on lots of your entries in the weeks and months to come. Bye for now!

Stef x

CAS Colours and Sketches Sketch Challenge 102

A very quick post from me tonight as I still have oodles of stuff to do for our school Christmas Market on Thursday evening and the church Christmas Fair on Saturday afternoon (and all in between going to work!) This card is for CAS Colours and Sketches Sketch Challenge 102 and the last of my entries for their DT call.

The stamp is an old favourite of mine, Flowerhead, from Little Claire. I love offsetting the image and just using bits of it. I don't care much for red but love red and aqua together. The colours haven't come out quite as they were in my head, but I am tired so will forgive myself! I wanted the blues to be a bit greener but struggled as I don't have the right colour Promarkers. The colours I have used are: Arctic Blue, Sky Blue, Azure, Antique Pink, Ruby & Poppy Red.

Red, however, is one of my Mum's favourite colours so have made this card for her birthday next week. It was nice to have a rest from making Christmas cards!

Thanks for visiting!

Stef

Winter Birthday Card

Supplies:
Papers: Dovecraft ‘Winter Wonderland’
Snowflake Stamp: Free with Papercraft Inspirations 67 Dec 09
Inks: Ink it Up ‘Clear’ and Whispers ‘Azure Seas’ and 'Whisper Blue’
Embossing Powders: Funstamps ‘Stardust’
Craft Box Bits and Bobs

It is my Mum`s birthday next week and for this card I have taken inspiration from Episode 3 of the new DoCrafts Creativity TV Club. This is the first time I have tried resist stamping and am quite pleased with the outcome except that I wished the image had been a little sharper. I also used the sketch from Clare Curd’s demo card but have altered it to fit a 13.5cm square card blank. As the inspiration came from Clare I thought I would also enter it into her weekly craft challenge - I hope you approve of my efforts Clare and thank you so much for all your wonderful inspiration!