Winter scene

Kimberly has created this cute inspiration card for the current Muse Christmas Visions challenge.

I used a few elements of her design in my card including the snow, the trees and the figure substituting a deer for the little girl.  To complete my card  I mounted the panel using foam tape to provide some dimension.

Materials used:-

A stamp set called "Woodland Cottage" from the Papercraft Inspirations magazine Issue 143 (Oct 2015)
Inks - Versafine Onyx black and Distress inks broken china and peeled paint
Watercolours - Kuretake Gansai Tambi

I am also entering this card into the Happy Little Stampers July Christmas challenge.

Thank you for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Why not pop over and look at what the other participants have created for this challenge?

Simply Watercolor

This week I have been having great fun taking part in an online class on water colouring run by Kristina Werner entitled Simply Watercolor.  Each day various techniques are demonstrated which you can then try out.  This class is different from other craft classes I have done in that no stamps are used.  Below are some of my attempts - I will keep practising as I do like the effect created with the watercolours.  I have done a number of these online card classes and really enjoyed them.

Sweet baby

The code word on the current challenge at Addicted to CAS is "baby" and we are being asked to make a clean and simple card.

Here is my very clean and simple baby card.  Unfortunately the background looks pink when in reality it is white - the light wasn't very good when I took the photo.  I stamped the image and coloured it in with distress inks before mounting it onto some pearl card to match the sentiment.

Materials used:-

Die cut sentiment - Tattered Lace

Stamp - from stash

Distress inks - tattered rose and picked raspberry

Card - Centura pear in pink

Thank you for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Margaret

Muse Xmas Trees

Lindsey is the designer on the current Muse Christmas Visions challenge and she has created this lovely card.  I really liked the overall design and the sentiments she used on her card.

I tried to replicate Lindsey's design on my card using a Stampin' Up stamp and punch set for the trees.  I used distress inks for the sky spritzing this with Perfect Pearls to produce a sheen.

Materials used:-

Stamps - Stampin' Up "Festival of Trees" set with matching punch

Dies - Lawn Fawn stitched snowflakes, large stitched rectangle and stitched hillside borders

Inks - Colorbox alpine for the trees

Distress inks - broken china and faded jeans 

Sentiments - "Festive Fun" set from a magazine 

Thank you for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Why don't you join in the Christmas Muse challenge and get some of your Christmas cards made early?

Birthday butterfly

This week's challenge on Less is More is to use an item from your "bits" box to make a card.  Like most crafters I  hate to throw anything away so I have plenty of scraps.  Luckily I had sorted these out last week so could quickly find what I thought would make a good card.  Here is my card - I added the sentiment and the pearls but everything else was from my "bits" box.  This must be one of the quickest cards I have ever made! 

The only difficulty is remembering what you used so here are the materials I think I used:-

Die - Sizzix butterflies framelits (unsure how this was coloured)
Sentiment - Stampin' Up "Sassy Salutations" embossed with pearl silver embossing powder
Background - yupo paper inked with distress inks but I can't remember what I used for the silver shimmer
Frame - Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Rectangles

The background was inspired by one of Loll Thomson's videos on how to create a faux mother of pearl effect.

Thank you for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Now pop over to Less is More and see how the other participants changed their scraps into beautiful cards.

Night sky

Cornelia has produced this lovely card (below) as the inspiration on the Muse Christmas Visions blog for the current challenge.  She explained that she used a bag from a Chicago shop for the skyscape on her card

I was inspired by Santa and his reindeer flying across the moon but decided to set this in a rural setting as I don't have any suitable city dies.  This is the first time I have used the Tim Holtz trees die and I was pleased with how easily it cut the card.  I used a mask for the moon and then coloured the sky with distress inks, spritzing the ink with perfect pearls to produce a starry effect.  Finally I mounted the panel on silver mirri card and cut out the sentiment from the same card.

Materials used:-

Sissix Thinlets Tim Holtz tree die (661604)
Sissix Thinlets Tim Holtz holiday words script
Moon mask - Clarity stamps
Santa stamp - Hobby Art "from our home to yours" set
Distress inks - broken china and faded jeans


Thank you very much for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Margaret

Muse Joy

Pam A has created this beautiful card (above) to inspire us at the current challenge at Muse Christmas Visions.  I loved Pam's design with the dove in the circle and the die cut sentiment and tried to create something similar in my card.  I used Brushos for my background and die cut the dove and the sentiment. Finally I mounted the panel onto some blue card.  The end result was a clean and simple card to add to my stash of Christmas cards.

Materials used:-

Brushos - various shades of blue

Watercolour card

Dove die - Apple Blossom from Craft Stash Ltd (possibly from a magazine)

Lawn Fawn dies - Scripty Joy, Large Stitched Rectangles Stackables and Large Stitched Circles  Stackables

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Margaret

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Muse Christmas Visions 101

Time Out where the challenge is Holidays

Happy Little Stampers June Christmas Challenge - anything goes with an optional twist of joy

                               

 

Christmas Visions 100

This is the 100th challenge on Muse Christmas Visions and there are lots of goodies to win!  Chriss is the Muse for this challenge and here is the card she has created.



This is my take on her card - I was inspired by the Christmas flowers and the gold embossing.  I did try one card with a wash but I decided I preferred the clean and simple look!  I embossed the flowers and then coloured them with watercolour paint.  I mounted the panel on foam to create some dimension.

Materials used:-

Poinsettia stamp from a magazine
Sentiment - Stamps Away
Watercolour paint - Gansai Tambai
Embossing powder - gold pearl from My Colour Studio
Sequins - muted metallic by Little Things

Well done to Ardyth and her team for setting up this challenge blog - it is a great challenge to take part in with the bonus of getting your Christmas cards done early!

Celebrate

The CAS Mix Up Card Challenge this month is to use a rubber
band technique - this involves putting rubber bands around an acrylic block and then either stamping with Versamark or ink to produce interesting patterns.  It's always fun to try out a new technique.  For this card I used Versamark ink and then inked up the card with distress inks.  I die cut the sentiment and then clear embossed it. Finally I mounted the banner on linen card using foam tape and added some sequins for interest.

Techniques used - rubber band technique, die cutting and embossing.



Materials used:-
Distress inks - picked raspberry and abandoned coral
Word die - Penny Black Creative Dies
Lawn Fawn stitched party banners
Sequins - Doodlebug design cupcake

Thanks for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Margaret

Let it snow

Another challenge from Muse Christmas Visions - this week's Muse is Cornelia and here is her inspiration card.  I was inspired by the fun element in her card and also the white background.

 

 

Here is my take on Cornelia's card - I used my Misti to position the stamps and added some Wink of Stella for the snow.  Unfortunately this does not show up very well in my photo. 

 

 

Materials used:-

Stamps - Winter Wonderland free set from a magazine

Sentiment - Uniko Studio Stunning Snowflakes set

Ink - Colorbox pigment cat's eyes and Versafine onyx black

Wink of Stella in silver for the snow effect

 

Thanks for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  I would encourage you to take part in the Muse Christmas Visions challenge as it is a great way to get your Christmas cards made painlessly!

 

 

 

 



So sorry

The current challenge on Less is More is to CASE (copy and share everything) the lovely inspiration card by Aileen (below).

I like having an inspiration card and find it gets me thinking about stamps I have which I may be able to use to CASE the card.  I remembered I had a lovely flower stamp from Technique Tuesdays which I felt would work.  I stamped the flower in distress ink and then painted it with various colours of distress ink.  I gave the background a light wash with antique linen distress ink to tone down the white card.  Finally I used a stitched die to cut out the image before mounting it on a watercolour card. 

Materials used:-
Watercolour card
Stamps - Technique Tuesday Agapanthus set
Distress inks - chipped sapphire, faded jeans, stormy sky, bundled sage, forest moss and antique linen
Archival ink - cobalt
Die - Lawn Fawn stitched rectangle stackable

Thanks very much for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Now pop over to the Less is More blog to see how the other participants have been inspired by Aileen's card.  Margaret

Joyful deer

The current inspiration card for Muse Christmas Visions has been designed by Chriss (shown above). I really liked how the pink background set off the gold embossing. I also liked the deer and the sentiment Chriss used.  I tried to use these elements in my card.  I made the panel first before mounting it on foam tape on a linen card.

I am also going to enter this card into the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge which is embossing.

Materials used:-

Stamps - "Woodland Christmas" which was a freebie from Creative Stamping issue 27
Embossing powder - Gold Pearl by My Colour Studio
Distress inks - picked raspberry and abandoned coral
Dies (all from Lawn Fawn) - "Scripty Joy", "Stitched hillside border" and "large stitched rectangle stackables"
Gold card for the sentiment

Thanks for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Margaret

stencils

The current challenge on Less is More is the dreaded One Layer Card and you must use stencils.  I have lots of stencils but must admit that I don't use them often.  Here is the card I made using a stencil for the woodgrain background and another stencil for the tools.  This is a useful masculine birthday card to add to my stock.

Materials used:-
Stencils - Tim Holtz woodgrain and Creative Expression tools
Sentiment - Lili of the Valley block sentiments
Distress inks - black soot and tea dye
Versafine black onyx

Thanks for visiting my blog - now pop over to the LIM site to get lots of inspiration for using stencils.

I am also going to enter this card into the AAA card challenge which is to use to use one third of the card.

 

Holly card

I was delighted to find a new Christmas card challenge blog as I like to make Christmas cards during the year so avoiding any last minute stress.  The added bonus of the CAS Christmas card challenge is that cards must be clean and simple - a favourite design of mine.  The current theme is holly.

 

I found a simple holly wreath stamp among my stash and decided to keep my card very simple, mounting the stamp on a couple of scalloped circles and adding some foam tape for dimension. 

 

 

 

Materials used:-

Stamps - Jolly Holly Days free set from Simply Homemade magazine issue 48

Inks - colorbox

Dies - 2 sizes

 

Thanks for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Now pop over to the CAS Christmas Card blog and see what the other participants have created. Margaret



Peace on earth

This is the inspiration card on Muse Christmas Visions created by Lindsey.  I really liked the background of Lindsey's card and also the overall design of the snow and sky.  I tried to recreate this in my card.  I used brushos and watercolour paper for the background and die cut the deer.  I think the sky looks like the Northern Lights!

 

 

Materials used:-
Brushos - purple and turquoise
Sentiment - Tim Holtz "Simple Sayings"
Ink - Memento sweet plum
Dies - Cottage Cutz "deer set" and Lawn Fawn "large stitched square stackables"

Thanks for visiting my blog - now pop over to Muse Christmas Visions and see how the muse card has inspired other participants.  Margaret

Dry embossing

The current challenge at Less is More is dry embossing.  I found this piece of white embossed card in my stash which gave me the inspiration for this very clean and simple card.

Materials used:-
Die - Penny Black "celebrations" set
Embossing folder - Spellbinders M-Bossabilities
Silver mirri card

Thanks for visiting my blog - now hop over to Less is More and see what the other participants have created.

ATC challenge

There are not many ATC challenges in blogland so I was delighted to find the Happy Little Stampers one. The February challenge is Hearts. I made this simple ATC using a Tim Holtz die as the main focus.

 

 

Materials used:

 

Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Heart die

Inks - DI worn lipstick and Colorbox Cat's eyes warm red

Background stamp - Crafty Individuals

Sentiment - Debbi Moore designs Flutterby

 

Thank you for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Margaret

Mackintosh Thanks

This month's CAS challenge at Happy Little Stampers is Friendship so I decided to use some of my Mackintosh stamps for the card as I love the Rennie Mackintosh style. I clear embossed the image before colouring it with watercolours - this makes it easier to paint as the embossing stops the paint from spreading. I liked the sheen created by the pearl colours although this does not show up very well in my photo.  I mounted the panel on black card and then fixed this to a linen card.

 

 

Materials used:-

Main stamp - from the "Decorative Roses" which was free with the Creative Stamping magazine (May issue 30)

Sentiment stamp - Chocolate Baroque "Mackintosh Sentiments"

Watercolours - Gansai Tambi watercolours and pearl colours

Versafine black onyx ink

 

Thanks for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  Margaret

Celebrate

The current challenge at Less is More is to make a clean and simple card using purples.  I have a good friend who loves the colour purple and butterflies so this will be her birthday card.  Luckily she doesn't look at my blog so the card will be a surprise.

I made the strip using the Faux Mother of Pearl technique featured by Loll on her blog - this involves using cling film to apply paint and then inking over the top.  I tried lots of paints and inks as I didn't have the one she mentioned.  Some worked better than others but I liked the sheen which was produced by the silver aquatint under the distress inks. 

Materials used:-

 

Spectrum Noir Aquatint in silver

Purple distress inks

Versacolor grape for the sentiment

Butterfly die - Sizzix butterflies framelits

Sentiment - Uniko Fontiments Birthday set

Pearls - Stampin Up (white) and Craftina (purple)

 

Thanks for visiting my blog - I really appreciate your comments.  There are lots of super cards over on the Less is More blog.