Time Out DT #54, A Blog Named Hero – April, CASology #192, One Layer Simplicity #26, Seven Hills Crafts – April, Uniko #30

Hello … bonjour!  We have a Home Sweet Home inspiration photo for you at today’s new Time Out challenge … it’s an amazing vibrantly coloured armoir (below) … I went less vibrant and rather more CAS …

I picked out the floral images and the predominant turquoise and yellow colours as the focus for my one layer card.  The base was masked round the edges and in the middle and I stamped the Hero Arts Spring Hello by Lia blooms/leaves randomly around the space, using generational stamping to achieve the different aqua hues.  The masks were removed, I scored a frame on the inside and outside edges of the stamping (to add definition), added a sentiment from Papertrey and coloured in the loops of the letters.  Not sure if it would’ve been better if the loops were in aqua … or without the colouring at all … but by the time I realised, it was done!  The flowers were coated with Wink of Stella … the larger ones were adorned with bling centres and the tiny yellow ones with Glossy Accents.  There’s lots of shimmer and prettiness IRL … some of that’s visible here …

How will this armoire inspire you?  Why not let your creative imagination run wild and see what it comes up with … we’d love to see your card in the gallery!   We’re sponsored this time round by Happy Little Stampers … so not only will the winner have a chance to join us as a Guest Designer for a future challenge, they’ll also receive a $15 GC from HLS!  All the details are over at the Time Out blog, along with heaps of ideas from our wonderful DT and from our super talented Guest Designers, Kylie, dynamic owner of Happy Little Stampers and Elisabeth from Aufspapiergebracht (a blog you really, really want to visit … take supplies, you’ll be there a while!).

I’m playing along at …

A Blog Named Hero – Clean & Simple

CASology – Sprout

One Layer Simplicity – As You Wish

Seven Hills Crafts – Colour Palette … the middle one, see below

Uniko – Spring/Easter

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

         

        

 

Time Out DT #50, One Layer Simplicity #24, Addicted to Stamps & More #181, STAMPlorations CAS – February, SSS Wednesday 17 February

Hello … bonjour!  We have a fabulous Home Sweet Home inspiration picture to inspire you to play along with us at Time Out this fortnight (further down) … here’s my take on it …

and here’s our cool Home Sweet Home picture …

I was inspired by the mostly monochrome colour palette.  My card was masked and randomly stamped with Uniko butterflies … and then I masked the butterflies and sponged over some Distress Ink.  One butterfly fluttered into the spotlight and was promptly watercoloured using colours taken from those on the globe sitting on the table to the left in the picture.  I spritzed over some shimmer spray and stamped the Winnie & Walter sentiments to finish off.  Here’s a closer look at the sparkle … it was hard to capture as you can tell from the lack of sharp focus … but at least you can see all those yummy glimmery bits!

Will our inspiration photo tempt you to play along with us?  We’d love it if it did!  There are lots of gorgeous ideas over at the Time Out blog … from our awesomely talented Guest Designer, Cornelia from Stempel Spass and from our own wonderful Design Team … so why not pop over and be inspired?  Do hope you’ll have chance to make it to the gallery!  BTW, if by some remote chance you haven’t met Cornelia before, pack a picnic, head on over to her blog and be prepared to be blown away by her amazing talent!

I’m playing along at (badges are at the end) …

One Layer Simplicity – Friends

Addicted to Stamps & More – Anything Goes

Stamplorations CAS – Anything CAS Goes … without the option

SSS Wednesday – Shake It Up … I shook up the shimmer spritz!

I’m finishing today with a few words for my wonderful followers.  Whenever I get a new follower, it has always been my practice to contact them … firstly to say thank you for following and secondly to find out if they have a blog or gallery that I could visit and do a shout out for (and spread the love).  However, some months ago, life got even more crazy than it already was … and that meant I wasn’t able to send the emails I usually would.  Fast forward to today … and there are lots and lots of lovely new followers who haven’t heard from me.  So, lovely followers … if you’ve signed up to follow and haven’t heard from me … and have a blog or gallery I can visit and/or give a shout out to … would you let me know your details by using the ‘Contact Me’ tab at the top of the page?  Please don’t feel obliged to do it … if you’d rather not, that’s absolutely fine!  Either way, whichever type of follower you are … active or silent … and however you follow … I appreciate every one of you … thank you for being there!

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

          

         

 

 

Time Out DT #44, Little Tangles #62, One Layer Simplicity #22, Simplicity Thanksgiving Crusade 2015, SSS Work It Wednesday – November, SSS Monday 9/11

Hello!  This next fortnight at Time Out, we have a fabulous ‘CASE … With Your Own Twist’ challenge for you … our designer to CASE is the wonderfully talented and delightful Karen Dunbrook from Snippets … her gorgeous card is a little further down.  Here’s my take …

and here’s Karen‘s amazing inspiration …

You can see where my focus was … stencilled panel, splatters and a sentiment with different fonts … my twist was making a one layer card and the graduated colour combo.  I masked off a panel on my card base, die cut a few Poppystamps‘ Lorelei Leaf sprigs out of post it tape, arranged the leaves on the panel and sponged/blended four colours of Distress Ink over it.  A little water was splattered over the panel and once it was dry, I stamped the Neat & Tangled sentiment (made up of two stamps), coloured the little heart with Distress Ink and added a coat of Glossy Accents to it.

Where does your creative imagination take you when you see Karen‘s lovely card?  If you’d like a few ideas, there are plenty on offer over at the Time Out blog, from our talented Guest Designer, Jen from I Create and from our own wonderful DT!  Hope to see you in the gallery!

As well as being inspired by Karen‘s card, I was also inspired by …

Little Tangles – Thankful

One Layer Simplicity – A Multitude of Gratitude

Simplicity Thanksgiving Crusade – Giving Thanks/Gratitude

SSS Work It Wednesday – Thank You

SSS Monday – Something Beginning With N … mine is nature

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

         

         

One Layer Simplicity #19, AAA Cards #46, Happy Little Stampers – August, Uniko #24, SSS Monday 17/8

Hello!  Hope you had a happy Saturday … mine included the chance to play a little, and as a result, I have a little one layer card to share with you this morning …

I masked off a section of the base card and randomly stamped and white heat embossed the Uniko butterflies.  Distress Inks were sponged and blended over the butterflies and I washed over each one with a healthy coating of Wink of Stella.  The sentiment is from Papertrey …  stamped in grey rather than black to create a softer look for those delicate butterflies.  Want to take a look at the shimmery WoS?

These challenges provided my inspiration …

One Layer Simplicity – Strip Down

AAA Cards – Maskerade

Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge – Masking

Uniko – Summer (without the colour twist)

SSS Monday – Citrus with a Twist

I made another card too … will be back with that one a little later on.  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

         

Time Out DT #31, Less Is More #223, One Layer Simplicity #16, SSS Work It Wednesday – April

It’s time for another wonderful new challenge at Time Out … this fortnight our theme is Grunge … with an optional twist of embossing!  Not only is it time for a new challenge, but one of our lovely teamies is celebrating her birthday today … owner of the fabulous Uniko Studio … the very talented Beverley!  Happy Birthday, Bev … may your day be a special one and your coming year be full of joy!  This card is on it’s way to you …

If you’re a regular visitor here, you’ll know that ‘Grunge’ is not my usual place to be … clean, crisp, structured is more my style!  Sometimes, though, it’s a good thing to stretch those creative muscles … and that’s what I’ve done here.  This is a one layer card, stamped with Shirley‘s lovely unstructured Rose Buds from STAMPlorations … in grey rather than black, to emphasise the sketched look.  I did some watercolour sloshing on the roses with Distress Inks, allowing the different colours to blend with one another and bleed a little over the lines.  The roses were masked and I delicately splattered the card using the remaining pools of colour.  The sentiment is from Avery Elle … to my eyes the scripty font fits the sense of unstructured-ness!

So, there you have it, a CAS-loving-neat-freak’s take on ‘Grunge’!  Feel like giving your creative muscles a work out?  We’d love to have you join us!  How about letting your imagination roam … and even if, like me, your usual style isn’t grunge, why not give it a go … sloshing and splattering is very liberating!  This fortnight, we’re sponsored by STAMPlorations … our overall winner (as chosen by the DT) will receive a US$10 gift card and be invited to be a Guest Designer for a future challenge … and in addition, there’s a random draw for another US$10 gift card for those who chose to twist and feature embossing on their cards.   All the details are over on the Time Out blog, along with heaps of inspiration from our talented Guest Designer, Ksenija from Sweet Kobylkin, and our amazing DT!  Look forward to seeing you in the gallery!

I’m playing along with …

Less Is More – One Layer – Water (all that watery sloshing and splattering!)

One Layer Simplicity – Blossom

SSS Work It Wednesday – Yellow (those roses!)

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

                     

Time Out #16 Reminder (Designer to CASE), One Layer Simplicity #10 (Turning to Fall), Virginia’s View #8 (CAS), AAA Cards #24 (Autumn Colours), SSS Monday 13/10 (O Is For … )

We’re mid-way through the CASE With Your Own Twist challenge at Time Out and I’m popping in to remind you (just in case you haven’t played yet!) that there’s still plenty of time to join us.  Our CASE designer is the awesomely talented Heather Telford (yes, she of Penny Black DT fame!) … have another look at this gorgeous card she’s given us to play with …

I strayed a smidge further from the inspiration this week, in comparison with last, creating something a little more graphic and one layer as my twist … but still using the autumnal shades and sentiment that Heather had …

I used a Waltzing Mouse Stamps leaf and acorn image to create a two coloured ombré grid pattern on the bottom two thirds of my card, doing a bit of ink blending on the diagonals.  A Papertrey Ink Background Basics stripe was added along the top edge and I stamped the Woodware thank you to finish.  Simple?  Hmmm … well, yes … if you don’t count practising the grid pattern on printer paper beforehand that is!

So, if you haven’t already, why not allow yourself to be inspired by Heather … and make a card with a special twist that makes it all your own.  We’ll be delighted to have you play along!  If you’d like some more inspiration, our Guest Designer, the wonderfully gifted Carol (Just Me:C), and the rest of the Design Team over at Time Out have plenty for you … just pop along!

I’m linking up with …

One Layer Simplicity – Turning To Fall

Virginia’s View – Clean and Simple

AAA Cards – Autumn Colours

SSS Monday – O Is For … (ombré in my case)

I’m not certain how much I’ll be around over the next week or so … there’ll be a scheduled post for the new and fun Inspired By Words Time Out challenge next week, and I may even get round for some happy and inspiring blog wandering in between times.  Other than that it’ll probably be a bit quiet around here … got a bit on for a while!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

         

         

One Layer Simplicity #9 (Hip To Be Square), NBUS #2, Moxie Fab World Fabulous Friday 12/9 (Getting Fancy), Winnie & Walter Join In To Win – September, SSS Monday 22/9 (Stencils/Stamps)

My card tonight is one I made a little while ago … I took photo’s of a whole load of cards I made and sent out to sweet friends, some of which have already been shared here … others, I thought, I’d show later.  Well, later’s arrived!  My crafting-in-marginal-moments phase is still going on at the moment, so whilst there’s a scheduled Time Out DT post due, the only other card in (very slow!) progress isn’t finished yet.  Here’s today’s little checkered number (which one of you will recognise!) …

The background was built up using a TAWS stamp … it has with two rows of five small squares, so I inked it up in sets of colours and stamped it repeatedly across the card to create a rainbow/ombré checkerboard.  The Winnie & Walter sentiment was stamped and heat embossed, and I added a little subtle bling.  Voila!

Popping along to  …

One Layer Simplicity (Hip to Be Square) – the fabulous Ardyth is the host this month … love the theme and planned out quite a few ideas in my head … unfortunately, that’s where they stayed!  Squeezing in here during the closing moments!

Darnell’s NBUS Challenge – you all know about this already!  The checkerboard stamp is my NBUS and this is my third and final entry … which is p’raps as well seeing as Mr Linky will be on door duty tomorrow!

Moxie Fab World Fabulous Friday (Getting Fancy) – have a look at the amazing inspiration photo below … I thought all my colours and the shiny black sentiment were a pretty good match to all those cool bottles of nail polish!

Winnie & Walter Join In To Win – love using these W&W big sentiments!

SSS Monday (Stencils and/or Stamps) – I went with stamps … after all it is Stamptember!

I have a couple of hello’s to say to two new followers tonight … non-blogging card maker Karen … and Rachel, who has just posted her first lovely card over at inkyfingersareme … and is in the process of setting up a craft room.  You can check out the ‘before’ photo’s on Rachels blog … and then pop back for the ‘afters’ when it’s done … I know she’ll appreciate the visit!  You’re both very welcome, ladies … and thank you 🙂

Back tomorrow with the new Time Out Challenge … and hope to get my on-the-way card done before the weekend … see you then!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

                   

 

AAA Cards #6 (Sketch/Colours), NBUS #1 (Friendship), One Layer Simplicity #6 (I’ve Been Framed), Stamplorations June (Stamps and Borders), SSS Work It Wednesday #5 (SSS Exclusives)

A very quick post tonight … it’s very late (actually it’s already the morning it’s so late!) and I should be slumbering soundly!  However, I was out all day today … much, much longer than expected and so couldn’t get this done earlier … and if I leave this post till tomorrow, it’ll miss the deadline on AAA Cards, a new challenge, where my sweet and ultra talented friend, Hannelie is on the Design Team, and I really wanted to play along …

         

These NBUS wee birds from Technique Tuesday were stamped and black embossed, I coloured them with Promarkers and added Wink of Stella for sparkle and Glossy Accents for dimension.  The sentiment was also black embossed, I doodled a frame round it with a Glaze pen and finished with a doodled Glaze pen border along the top.

I’m playing along with these challenges …

AAA Cards – Sketch and Colours (see below – I turned the sketch upside down)

NBUS -Friendship (a second entry for this fun challenge, hosted by my lovely friend, the delectable Darnell … who is celebrating 500 followers this month … have you joined in yet?)

One Layer Simplicity – I’ve Been Framed (include a border or frame)

Stamplorations – Stamps and Borders (sorry, Shery, no Stamplorations stamps yet!)

SSS Work It Wednesday – SSS Exclusives (included in the sentiment)

I’ll be back to do some visiting in the morning (still catching up from Feedly’s blip earlier in the week) … look forward to seeing you then!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

         

One Layer Simplicity #4 (Road Trip), The Card Concept #8 (Use An Umbrella), SSS Wednesday 23/4 (Keep It Clean & Simple)

Most unexpectedly, Monsieur Mojo made another appearance tonight … look …

I’m squeezing in almost at the last minute at One Layer Simplicity, where the always awesome Ardyth is the host and we’re taking a road trip … either destination based or journey-based.  I went with both … really!  The Alley Way Stamps had a fabulous inspiration picture for their Be Inspired challenge in March … I didn’t get to play along and can’t say where the photo was taken, but it reminded me of oriental lanterns …

… so I used this picture as the inspiration for my destination … Hong Kong.  Now, I know you’re wondering about the journey bit … ’cause you’ve already guessed I didn’t travel by umbrella.  However … I’m thinking you’ve heard of Mary Poppins … practically perfect in every way?  Her preferred mode of transport was the umbrella … and if she happened to being going on a trip, she’d go by brolly!  Stretching the point just a smidge, perhaps?  Mmmm, thought so.  The link for the next challenge isn’t tenuous at all … at The Card Concept, we’ve to use an umbrella … I used five (they’re moustaches, actually, but I’ll come to that later) for this Clean and Simple card.  Finally, I’m joining in with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday‘s theme this week, Keep It Clean & Simple.

I don’t have any brolly images, but as I was seeking inspiration this evening, Monsieur Mojo directed me to a stamp set I won a few months ago … TAWS’ Moustache Mania.  Seems one of the moustaches (with a few doodly additions) would make a perfect brolly!  So I chose a few jolly colours, stamped them across the card, doodled in the ribs, handles and finials, and added some Wink of Stella (to give the sheen of tropical rain!).  The PTI ‘Smile’ was stamped in the same colours as the brollies, and I added the byline and stripes (also PTI) in grey.  It was finished off with a scattering of bling (for raindrops).  Why that sentiment?  Well first, I’d be smiling if I was exploring the world (even if it was raining) … and second, have you ever watched a little child playing in the rain?  ‘Nuff said then!

I’m delighted to say hello to some more following friends this week … non blogging card makers Isla, Marylou and Bahb … and Margaret from Island Scraps.  Margaret’s new to our lovely blogging world although there’s already deliciousness on her blog to wander through … have a visit and you’ll see what I mean!  You’re all very welcome ladies, and thank you 🙂

I’m off for a very quick meander round the blogosphere before bed (it’s a bit late … actually, it’s already Thursday!).  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

PTI Make It Monday #154 (Adding Texture on a OLC), Moxie Fab World 12/2 (Happy For Hexagons), One Layer Simplicity #3 (Just Add Water)

Using angular shapes in an ordered way has me feeling happy … and pampers to my neat freak tendencies.  However, I also have a bit of a maverick streak, so using such shapes in an unstrucured way also has me feeling happy (if a little untidy) … and that’s what I did with this card …

I’m joining in at Papertrey’s Make It Monday, where Erin has done a great video giving tips on adding texture to one layer cards without adding bulk.  I’m also playing at One Layer Simplicity, where Karen’s the host and has challenged us to just add water, and my inspiration for the images came from Moxie Fab World‘s Hexagons: Happy for Hexagons Challenge.

I did the background first, using diluted distress ink and a water brush to add splatter to the card base.  I then stamped the Papertrey Sketched Shapes hexagons in unruly lines, aiming to create a sense of movement, almost as though they were in danger of toppling over.  The solid parts of the darkest hexagons were treated with Wink of Stella and covered with Glossy Accents, and the Papertrey sentiment was stamped and clear heat embossed.  Yes, I know … the photo doesn’t show all the glisten and shine … if you click on it, there’s more!

I’m off to wander in an inspiration-seeking-manner through the blogosphere.  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂