Chevron thanks

I'm entering this card into the current challenge at Addicted to CAS where the code word is CHEVRON. I thought the banner tied in with the chevron design. I inked through the mask to create an ombré effect and die cut the word twice, offsetting the layers.

Materials used:-
Mask - Creative Expressions
Distress inks - salty ocean, mermaid lagoon, tumbled glass and broken china
Dies - Lawn Fawn stitched party banners and Lil'inker designs thanks

Thanks for visiting - I really enjoy reading your comments.  Margaret

Just a note!

I was inspired to make this card by the cue word MUSIC on CASology this week.  I tried to keep my card clean and simple with lots of white space.  I cut a mask using a Spellbinders die and then inked this with one of the new distress inks to create the look of old parchment paper.

I am also entering this card into Addicted to Stamps challenge #144 - CAS

Materials used:-
Violin stamp - Clarity stamps
Music stamp - crafty Individuals
Sentiment - Chocolate Baroque Mackintosh Sentiments
Distress ink - fossilised Amber
Archival ink - Wendy Vecchi potting soil
Inkylicious ink duster

Thanks for visiting my blog! Margaret

Birthday wishes

I have been planning to join in the "words" challenge on One Layer Simplicity blog for some time but seem to have left it to the last minute!  I decided to use the Uniko Studio's Fontiments birthday set as I really like all the different sizes and fonts in this set.  I die cut a mask using a Tim Holtz masking sheet and then brushed some distress ink through the mask.  I then used my Fiskars stamp press to position the words.

I'm also going to enter this card in the current Uniko Studio blog challenge which is Anything Goes.

Materials:-
Uniko Studio Fontiments birthday set
Inks - broken china distress ink and archival cornflower blue
Nestabilities die
Inkylicious duster brush

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Tropical

The cue card on CASology this week is TROPICAL which set me dreaming of a tropical island basking under a bright blue sky. A nice dream as we are still waiting for spring to arrive here in the far north of Scotland!  I drew the little island with a distress marker as I felt the picture needed something else.

Materials used:-
Palm leaf stamp - Clarity stamps
Sentiment - Woodware tiny phrases
Circle mask - Stamps Away
Distress inks - tumbled glass, broken China, antique linen and mustard seed
Inkylicious duster
Colorbox ink - Apple green

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

You're too kind

The current challenge at AAA cards is to use the colour orange - this is a welcome relief from pink! To make my card I masked off part of the card with post it notes and then inked through the Gothic mask. I saw this effect on Birgit's blog and thought it was a good way of using masks while keeping the design CAS. After stamping the flowers I felt they were a little bland so I watercoloured them with distress inks.

I am also entering this card into Addicted to CAS where the code word is MASK

Materials used:-
Tim Holtz Gothic mask
Stamp - Stampendous Agapanthus cluster
Sentiment - Stampin' Up Too Kind set
Distress inks - dried marigold, spiced marmalade and rusty hinge
Black archival ink and Colorbox chalk ink Pumpkin spice
Stampin' up card - very vanilla

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

On your special day

It's One Layer Week at Less is More this week and the theme is Love.  To create a small area for inking I used a die with a deckled edge to make a mask. I embossed the heart and then inked over this with distress ink. This card is certainly clean and simple with lots of white space!

Materials used:-
Distress ink - Victorian Velvet
Heart stamp - free stamp from Craft Stamper
Sentiment - Woodware tiny phrases
White embossing powder
Nestabilities die

Thanks for visiting my blog - now pop over to LIM to see how everyone interpreted the theme of love.

HAPPY

This week's designer on Muse #104 is Michelle Ferguson who has produced a stunning card to inspire us. I tried to recreate some of her elements in my card by using shades of brown, wooden embellishments and a patterned background.

Materials used:-
Distress inks - vintage photo, tea dye and frayed burlap
Mask - Creative Expressions
Die - Die-namics pierced rectangles
Wooden letters and leaf from stash
Sentiment - Uniko Studio birthday fontiments set

Thanks for visiting my blog!

LIM Starry, starry night

This week's challenge on Less is More is to make a one layer card with the focus being "starry, starry night". Chrissie and her team want to see some stars! This caused me some problems as I have very few star stamps. However, after many attempts, this is what I came up with.

I made my own mask from masking tissue based on a design by Stamps Away. This is the first time I have used this and I was pleased with the result. I used blending brushes to ink the background and spritzed this with perfect pearls. I then stamped the nativity scene and finally added an embossed star - one star is all that was needed!

Materials used:-
Nativity stamp - Clarity stamps; star - Crafty Individuals
Sentiment - Uniko Studio "Peace on Earth"
Distress inks - dusty concord, broken china, salty ocean
Brilliance Pearlescent Crimson ink; black archival ink
Perfect pearls
Silver embossing powder
Chocolate Baroque masking tissue

Spread sunshine

This week's theme at Less is More is "Little Creatures" - they can be cute, cuddly or creepy! This was quite a challenge for me as I don't have any Hallowe'en stamps so that ruled out "creepy"! Then I remembered this bee stamp and after that the card came together very quickly. I hope you like it.

Materials used:-
Bee stamp - cArt-us
Sentiment - Hero arts "Anytime Messages"
Mask - Crafter's Workshop "Balzer Designs"
Inks - DI wild honey and black archival (clear embossed)

Thank you for visiting my blog - now hop over to LIM and see the amazing variety of little creatures created by the other participants! Margaret

Autumn leaves

The challenge for week 192 on Less is More is a colour challenge entitled Autumn's Bounty. I made this card using a lovely Clarity stamp set. I cannot claim to have been inspired by the changing leaves on the trees as there are very few trees in Shetland and the leaves never get the chance to change colour as they get blown off by the autumn gales!

I am also entering this card into the One Layer Simplicity Challenge #10 where the theme is Turning to Fall.

Materials used:-
Clarity stamps - Autumn Maple leaves set
Stamps away mask
Inkylicious ink duster
Various distress inks
Archival ink - potting soil

Many thanks for popping by - Margaret

Congratulations!

This week's challenge on Less is More is to make a one layer card on the theme of beverages. I decided to use a wine glass stamp as I do enjoy the odd glass of wine! I made the heart mask then stamped the glasses with archival ink and then brushed distress ink through the mask. Finally I added some music and highlighted the glasses with Wink of Stella. I had difficulty getting this to show up in the photo.

I am also going to enter this card into a special challenge on Time Out entitled "Double the Joy" to celebrate the birth of Bev's beautiful twin boys.

Materials used:-
Stamps - Creative Stamping Magazine "The Celebration Collection"
Music - Crafty Individuals
Distress ink - tumbled glass
Archival ink - cornflower blue
Wink of Stella - clear

Thank you for visiting my blog - I really appreciate it! Margaret

Santa and sleigh

I've made an early start with my Christmas cards this year! This one qualifies for the NBUS challenge as the stamps have been sitting in my stash for some time. I used an ink duster to apply distress inks to the sky and then spritzed this with perfect pearls for a frosty look. I tried to keep the card clean and simple but felt it need a little sparkle as it was a snowy scene!

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:-
AAA cards #19 Moon sketch
NBUS #2 - Christmas
Merry Monday #125 Transportation

Materials used:-
Hobby Art stamps "From our home to yours "
Sentiment - Stampin Up "Season of Joy" set
Distress inks - broken china and tumbled glass
Perfect pearls
Diamond sparkles "Angel Whispers" by Hunkydory
Clarity masks - moon and hills
Ink duster - Inkylicious


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

Square Christmas Card

I'm still busy making Christmas cards and keep finding more challenge blogs to enter! For this one layer card I made a mask from copy paper which I inked through using an ink duster brush to create a subtle effect. Then I spritzed some Perfect Pearls over the square before stamping the sentiment 3 times. I deliberated about adding any gems but I felt the card needed a little bling!

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges :-
Merry Monday Christmas Challenge #124 gifts/presents
One Layer Simplicity Challenge #9 Hip to be Square

Materials used:-
Distress inks - tumbled glass and broken china
Inkylicious ink duster
Archival ink - aquamarine and cornflower blue
Stamp from Penny Black set "Giving and Receiving"

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

By the Sea Watercolour

I was delighted by this week's challenge on Less is More which was to create a card inspired by the song "I do like to be beside the seaside!"  I have always lived beside the sea and certainly miss it when I'm away. This theme also gave me a chance to do some more water colouring which is Game 8 at AAA cards. I used Hobby Art stamps to create a scene which I then watercoloured with distress markers. The design is a CASE of a design I saw on the Jenny Mayes' blog. I used a Clarity Mask for the clouds, brushing the distress ink on with an Inkylicious ink duster which created a subtle effect.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:-
Less is More week 187 - theme "I do like to be beside the seaside!"
AAA cards - Game #8 Watercolours

Materials used:-
Hobby Art stamps - Coastal Wildlife set, Harbour set (seagulls) and By the Sea set (sentiment)
Distress markers and inks - various
Clarity clouds mask
Inkylicious ink duster
Watercolour card

Thank you for visiting my blog - I really appreciate it.

Geometric thanks

The code word for challenge #45 on Addicted to CAS is GEOMETRIC which provided the inspiration for this card. This is the first time I have used this mask making this an NBUS (never-before-used-schtuff)! Although I am not sure if this card qualifies as CAS, I am pleased with the end result.

Materials used:-
Mask - Creative Expressions
Ruler stamp - Kanban
Letters die - Memory Box Parker Upper Alphabet Set
Distress inks - broken china, spiced marmalade and evergreen bough
Coredinations card
Doodlebug sprinkles - swimming pool

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

Spread sunshine

The code word on Addicted to CAS this week is "sun" so I searched my stock to find a suitable stamp. The one I have used was a free one from Craft Stamper magazine. The background is done using a Tim Holtz technique which you can see on his blog. I like the water coloured effect it produces. I machine stitched around the background to link this to the stitching on the circle.

Materials used:-
Tim Holtz mask - Harlequin
Distress inks - mustard seed, spiced marmalade and picked raspberry
Sun stamp - Craft Stamper
Sentiment - Hero Arts "Anytime messages"
Dies - Lawn Fawn for the circle and Die-amicus for the banner

Thank you for visiting my blog!