Time Out #47 Mid Challenge Reminder, AEIHeartU #32, Just Us Girls #325

Hello … bonjour!  We’re mid way through our fabulous Birthday themed challenge at Time Out … with the optional Technique Twist of using sponging.  After last week’s dimensional, multi layered confection, this time I went with a (mostly) flat little number (still no twisting!) …

This card was inspired by two videos I saw over the last few weeks … this one from Jennifer McGuire and this one from May Park.  I combined the two ideas for my version, using cool, frosty looking brrrrrrr-wintery colours.   The die cut happy is from Avery Elle, cut once in silver foil and three times in aqua, stacked with the letter loops left in place on the bottom layer, and adhered to the card front.  I drew a pencil line frame around the card as a guide and did some random surround stamping with Avery Elle stamps, using four chilly ink colours plus silver to go with the sentiment.  A little Stickles was added to the flower centres, a tiny SSS sentiment was white embossed on black, trimmed out and nestled in under the happy on foam tape … and I erased the pencil line frame.  Kind of prettily frosty … or frostily pretty!

We’d love for you to play along with us at Time Out … with any style of birthday card … and if you use sponging on your project, you’ll be in with a random chance of winning a £15 evoucher to spend at Uniko!  Also, and as usual, our overall winner, as chosen by the DT, will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge!  It could be you!  There’s a heap of inspiration on display over at the Time Out blog, from our talented (and returning from July!) Guest Designer, Rema from Paper Panache … and from our wonderful Design Team.  Hope you’ll be able to make it to the gallery!

I’m playing along at …

AEIHeartU – Winter … I went with those cool, frosty colours!

Just Us Girls – Metallics … my silver sentiment and stars!

Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

         

Seize The Birthday 22/10 – Surprise Party Guest, AEIHeartU #29, SSS Wednesday 21/10, Muse #137

Hello again!  If you’re looking for my reminder for the latest Time Out challenge, it’s here … otherwise, welcome to my second Surprise Party Guest spot at Seize The Birthday!  Thanks once again to Nancy and the DT for the invitation and for your lovely warm welcome! Our theme this time around is Pocket Cards …

I know, you’re asking yourself … where’s the pocket … where’s the all important sentiment?  Ha, it’s cunningly camoflaged … look … it’s secret is out of the bag!

Never done a pocket card before … I did see Dawn McVey’s Make It Monday video on them over at Papertrey last month (definitely worth seeing!) and wanted to have a play … but the tub of life-stuff-to-do-in-the-time-available was already overflowing, and I didn’t get to it.  Enter this new theme for Seize the Birthday!  Here, my pocket is kind of basket-like with the chevron patterned DP … so I added a similar embossed patterned texture in the background to mimic it.  The insert is made up of Avery Elle blooms and leaves, stamped and/or die cut, arranged and adhered one over the other in a floral spray, and attached on foam dots just at the top of WPlus9 tag.  Adhering the arrangement just at the top allows it to cascade over the pocket basket when it’s slotted into place.  The sentiment on the tag is from Avery Elle … there’s a Happy Birthday one from Papertrey on the inside … and I added a twirl of black twine to the top of the tag to finish off.

If you’ve played along at Seize The Birthday before, you’ll know that the theme … or ‘Topping’ … is optional.  So for this challenge, you don’t have to make a Pocket Card … you can make any birthday card and join in with us … but we’d love to see you use the Topping if you get the chance!  Looking forward to seeing where your creativity takes you!

I’m linking up with the the fun at …

AEIHeartU – Think Pink (with a smidge of added green!)

SSS Wednesday – Wrap It Up (my twirl of twine!)

ETA – Thanks to a suggestion from the lovely Ardyth, I’m also linking this up at Muse, where the talented Anita B has given us a beautiful inspiration card … it’s below!

I’m not around in blogland (or emailonia) all that much at the moment … (it’s that tub-of-life-stuff getting in the way!) … and there’s even a bit of bouchon (traffic jam!) in my Feedly list … so I really appreciate you coming over to visit and leaving me your sweet comments … it’s always a joy to read them!  Anita 🙂

         

         

         

Muse #128, AEI♥U #27, Simply Create Too #92

Hello!  I got some crafting time this afternoon … yay!  So, I made a card … actually I made a few … yep, really … and not in marginal moments!  You’ll get to see the others over time … for now, though, here’s today’s little number …

         

I cut the Avery Elle ‘hello’ into a panel of woodgrain embossed card and used it as a guide to show me where to mask and sponge my ombré Distress Inking on the the base card, then where to adhere the little letter fillers once the inking was done.  The ‘gorgeous’ (also Avery Elle) was heat embossed onto vellum in Platinum EP,  the vellum was cut into a banner, wrapped over the edge of the card and attached to the woodgrain panel.  I popped the panel up on foam tape onto the base card and while wondering what else was needed to add that certain je ne sais quoi to this card, this delicate dragonfly flew in the open window (having flown from Clearly Besotted in the UK) and landed right in the top corner.  Voilà … I wondered no more!  Funny how that happens sometimes!!

My card was inspired by …

Muse – The delightful and uber talented Michele is our inspiration this week … her crisp, fresh, gorgeous card is below.

AEI♥U – Embossing … the woodgrain panel and the ‘gorgeous’

Simply Create Too – Anything Goes

Do hope you’ve had some time to get crafty this weekend!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

         

         

Time Out DT #35, AEI♥U #26, Virginia’s View #16, Happy Little Stampers CAS – July, Seize The Birthday 2/7

We have a lovely theme for our new challenge this fortnight at Time Out … ‘Nature’ with the optional twist of animals … so many possibilities!  Here’s my non twist card …

I stamped the Uniko butterfly and Avery Elle sentiment onto a white card panel in Versamark and heat embossed both with Ranger Liquid Platinum EP.  The butterfly was watercoloured with Distress Inks (Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed and had shimmer added with Wink of Stella (because what well dressed butterfly goes anywhere without a hint of sparkle?).  After masking the butterfly, I spritzed the ink that was left on my craft mat with a little water, picked up each colour with a paint brush and delicately splattered the panel.  Strips of raspberry cardstock were adhered to each side of my card base and I popped the panel up over them on fun foam (a la Jennifer McGuire!).  Want to get a closer look at that subtle sparkle?

Feel like giving your creative muscles a work out?  We’d love to have you join us!  How about letting your imagination roam … and seeing where ‘Nature’ takes you?  This fortnight, we’re sponsored by CAS-ual Fridays … if you use the optional twist of animals on your card, you’ll be in with a random chance of winning a $25 gift card … and as usual, our overall winner (as chosen by the DT) will be invited to be a Guest Designer for a future challenge.  All the details are over on the Time Out blog, along with heaps of inspiration from our lovely and talented Guest Designer, Barb Ghig from Barb’s Studio Creations and our amazing DT!  Look forward to seeing you in the gallery!

My butterfly is fluttering off to …

AEI♥U – Sparkle

Virginia’s View – Stamping

Happy Little Stampers CAS – Stamping

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes (No Toppings)

I’m delighted to welcome a few more new friends and followers today … non bloggers Karen G (with a Stamp TV Gallery I’m on the hunt for … I’ll do a link when I find it, Karen!) and Kerstin M, … and blogger Nicole from The Paper Baker, who has a fun blog with heaps of detailed tutorials and reviews … I’m sure she’d love a visit … and so would you!  Whether you’re blogging or non blogging, ladies … you’re all very welcome, I’m honoured … thank you for joining me 🙂

Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

       

       

Time Out DT #33 Mid Challenge Reminder, AEI♥U #25, Addicted To CAS #65, My Favorite Things #233, SSS Work It Wednesday – May, SSS Wednesday 17/6

I’m here with a happy little reminder that there’s still almost a week to go before the doors close on our current challenge at Time Out … we’re ‘Inspired By Words’ at the moment … with ‘happy is the bride that the sun shines on’.  This time, I picked out the word ‘happy’ …

… well, what could be happier than a fluttery butterfly over a rainbow of colour?  The rainbow here is stamped with Avery Elle‘s Brushed … I did a whole card panel and trimmed it down … so I still have lots still to play with.  The butterfly (from Papertrey, courtesy of my sweet friend Chriss) has a bottom layer of vellum and top layer of Wink of Stella coated white, and is adorned with rainbow gems.  I attached the rainbow strip flat to the card base, added Wink of Stella over the top and stamped the Avery Elle sentiment … and the butterfly gently settled herself into the remaining space.  She’s rather proud of her ensemble and thought you’d like to see it in a little more detail …

How would you like to play along with us … we’d love it if you would!  You can use any or all of the words to inspire your design … and there are heaps of ideas over at the Time Out blog if you need a bit of a kick start … from our talented GD, Sue from Sue’s Card Craft and from our fabulous DT!  Look forward to seeing you in the gallery!

I’m playing along with …

AEI♥U – Rainbow

Addicted to CAS – Butterfly

My Favorite Things – Sketch (below)

SSS Work It Wednesday – Rainbow

SSS Wednesday – Favourite Technique/Product (a few here … CAS, rainbows, shimmer!)

Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

         

         

Happy Birthday, Kim! Avery Elle #22, CASology #138, SSS Wednesday – 18/3, SSS Work It Wednesday – February

This card is for a wonderful friend … she’s sweet, generous, mega-creative, has me falling about at her great one liners, and is downright delightful!  I had the amazing good fortune of meeting and spending a week with her IRL at the Lake House … and what a joy that was!  So to my fellow BABE, Kim … Happy, Happy Birthday, my lovely friend … have an outstanding day … may your year be filled with love, laughter and abundant blessings!  Your card is winging it’s way to you across the pond as we speak!

Unless you’re new to the blogosphere, I’m pretty certain you’ll know Kim already … she’s ultra talented, is on numerous Design Teams and is a terrific commenter … and if you don’t know her, you’ll really want to!  So do pop over to see her, enjoy a gentle meander around all that deliciousness and leave some birthday love while you’re there!

For Kim‘s card, I stamped and die cut the Avery Elle blossom and leaves, used Promarkers to add some shading and dimension and added a touch of black Stickles to the centre.  The leaves were adhered flat to a white card panel and the bloom was popped up on foam tape.  I stamped the Papertrey (hugs) and Clearly Besotted (birthday) sentiment, coated it with Wink of Stella and added a black blingy cluster.  The card base was stamped with Papertrey stripes on two sides and I popped the finished panel up on foam tape, nestling it cosily next to the stripes .

As well as scooting across oceans and continents, Kim‘s card is also heading for …

AEI♥U  – Stripes

CASology – Blossom

SSS Wednesday – Spring Pinterest (my take on those sunny yellow daffodils)

SSS Work It Wednesday – Spring

This week’s been a bit over full and I’ve had a few Feedly-less days (hahaha … what’s new!) … so I’m looking forward to roving through blogland during the weekend to see what everyone’s been up to over the last few days … see you there!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                  

Time Out #18 Reminder (Home Sweet Home), AEI♥U #18 (Holiday), Virginia’s View #9 (All Things Metallic), Make The Day Special – November (Colour Inspiration), Moxie Fab World – November (Tree-mendous Trees), Loll’s Twelve Tags of Christmas

I’m popping in with a quick reminder … there’s still a week to go in the latest Time Out challenge!  We (the Design Team) have plenty of mid challenge inspiration for you over at the Time Out blog, so why not have a meander over there and see how the Home Sweet Home photograph sparks your creativity?  Here’s the wonderful inspiration photo …

and here’s my latest take on it …

This is a little different from the norm for me … it’s either a very slim card or a very long tag (it’s the latter … there’s twine on it)!   I saw the planted pine cones and the tall, slender candle sticks in the picture … and thought graphic Christmas trees!  A snow bank was sponged at the bottom of the kraft scrapling, it was embossed in white and was dabbed over with Espresso ink to emphasise the texture.  I used an SSS stencil for the snow, again white embossed.  A tall triangle (from Avery Elle‘s Bright Days) was stamped three times onto spare card and double embossed, two in silver (Hero Arts) and one in platinum (Ranger).  They were trimmed out, covered with Versamark, embossed again and popped up onto the snow bank with foam dots.  I finished with a Papertrey sentiment, a red gem atop each of the trees and a little twine.

I’m joining in with …

AEI♥U – Holidays

Virginia’s View – All Things Metallic

Make The Day Special – Colour Inspiration (Option 3) – Avery Elle from the store!

Moxie Fab World – Treemendous Trees

ETA:  Loll’s Twelve Tags of Christmas – Thanks, Loll, for the prompt … wasn’t sure it was mixed media enough!

Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                       

         

AEI♥U #11 (One Word), Moxie Fab World 3/7 (Wonderful Words), SSS Wednesday 16/7 (Spots and Dots), SSS Work It Wednesday #6 (Anything Goes), Inkspirational #61 (Splash)

It’s been so much fun having some dedicated time to play this afternoon … I only made three cards, but had a blast just creating with paper and ink!  Here’s the last of my cards for the weekend …

A little while ago, I was doing some watercolouring with Distress Inks and had some ink left on my mat afterwards … so inspired by Shirley (be proud, my friend!) I found some watercolour card, smooched it into the splodginess and set it aside to dry.  This is a piece of it.  I die cut two Avery Elle hello’s … one out of the panel and one in navy card.  I fixed the cut panel to the base card, fitted the navy hello into it and adhered the watercolour one over the top, slightly offset.  Two strips of navy were added top and bottom of the panel, Wink of Stella was applied to them and to the hello’s, and I scattered a little bling about.  Voila!

I’m playing along here …

AEI♥U – One Word (the die is Avery Elle)

Moxie Fab World – Wonderful Words Challenge (word dies)

SSS Wednesday – Spots and Dots (rather unruly, but spots and dots nevertheless!)

SSS Work It Wednesday – Anything Goes (first entry)

ETA:  Inkspirational – Splash (thanks to Sandie and Carol for pointing me in the right direction … my first time playing here!)

Would love to have some more time available to experiment create this coming week, but I’m pretty certain that’s not going to happen … there’s another busy one ahead.  However, I will be pottering around blogland when I can, so I’ll look forward to seeing you there … and being inspired!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

Addicted to CAS #39 (Texture), Annabelle Stamps #May (Sketch), Colour Q #244 (Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango), AEI♥U #8 (Fathers Day/Masculine), SSSW 28/5 (Anything Goes)

A card came together tonight that was inspired by a few challenges … and as a couple are closing very shortly, I’m posting it quickly!

I stamped and white embossed the Annabelle Stamps lined border a few times onto textured card, trimmed it to an angled panel and watercoloured the spaces using a smooshed ink and water mix.  Once it was dry, the panel was popped up on the textured card base on foam dots and I stamped and embossed the Avery Elle sentiment.  IRL there’s loads of texture here (imagine running your fingers over all those embossed lines!) … it just wasn’t catchable with the camera.

I’m playing along with these challenges …

Addicted to CAS – Texture (where my lovely and well known friend, Darnell is GD)

Annabelle Stamps – Sketch

Colour Q – Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango

AEI♥U – Fathers’ Day/Masculine

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

Need to link up swiftly before doors close!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

         

Clearly Besotted #10 (Spring), AEI♥U #5 (Turquoise, Pistachio, Aqua), CASology #92 (Garden), SSS Work It Wednesday #3 (Spring), SSS Wednesday 23/4 (Keep It Clean & Simple)

Here’s a spring-like, flower garden card …

I’m squeezing in (just) at Clearly Besotted‘s Spring themed challenge … and combining that with Avery Elle’s AEI♥U‘s colour week (Turquoise, Pistachio, Aqua), CASology‘s Garden Cue Card and Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday‘s Spring theme.

ETA:  Almost forgot, Simon Says Stamp Wednesday has a Keep it Clean & Simple week … I’m linking up there too!

The Avery Elle sentiment was stamped first … and the Clearly Besotted pistachio stems grew out of some of the letters.  I added the CB dandelion heads in aqua, and with the next size down dandelion image, overstamped them in turquoise, before liberally applying Wink of Stella to the flower heads (for dew!).  A few gems (concentrated dew!) finished it off.  I thought about matting it over a dark colour … and thought about adding a border each side … but I think doing so would’ve taken away from the soft dreamy look of these stems blowing gently in the breeze!

Off to link before the door clunks shut!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂