Twofer Card Challenge #35 – Balloons

Hello … bonjour … and welcome back! Thanks so much for all your lovely comments and notes following my last post (eek … a month ago!), especially as I’ve hardly been around in blogland to make visits or leave comments as I usually would. I appreciate each of you … and am looking forward to being about a little more often from now on. Today, I’m here to tell you about our new challenge at Twofer … it’s such a happy one as our prompt is …

It always puts me in mind of a quote from Winnie The Pooh (well, A A Milne) … nobody can be uncheered with a balloon … how true … just try it!

I chose to make one conventional (birthday) card and one unconventional (Christmas) card this month … using a balloon stamp from Simon Says Stamp’s Big Birthday Wishes set. Here’s a closer look at them individually …

The balloons here are being held onto by a cool penguin from Ellen Hutson … and he’s balancing precariously on the birthday sentiment, which is made up of two different SSS sets. The penguin was lightly coloured with pencils … though his bright balloons, all shined up with glossy accents, are the star of this show. I added an embossed frame with a die from The Greetery … and kept it all deliciously CAS.

The balloons were turned upside down for my unconventional design …

… and became baubles hanging from a star strewn pine garland. The pine sprig is from Stampendous and was stamped multiple times in three different greens to give depth to the garland. The balloon baubles were stamped in red, I added the lettering using a Lawn Fawn alphabet set and topped it all off with a good dose of Glossy Accents to add shine. The supplementary sentiment is from WPlus9. I finished off with a scattering of gold stars … funny how they landed in just the right places to adorn the hanging strings isn’t it?

How about joining us with some stamped, die cut or stencilled balloons of your own … we’d love to see you (and them) in our gallery!  All the details about how to play along, including rules and FAQs are over at the Twofer blog … together with plenty of fabulous inspiration from the DT.  We’re delighted to have Greta from GG Creations sharing her talents with us as our Guest Designer this month … welcome, Greta! Do go and enjoy an inspiring wander around Greta’s blog … there’s so much loveliness on display … and you can always say hello while you’re there.

My balloon toting penguin is heading to …

Addicted To Stamps And More – Birthdays

Krafty Chicks – Stamp Act

Papercraft Challenges – Heat or Dry Embossing

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes … No Hearts Option

… and my balloon baubles are joining in at …

Happy Little Stampers Christmas – Anything Goes … No Berries Option

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

Twofer Card Challenge #33 – Stars

Hello … bonjour! We’ve just started our last challenge of the year at Twofer … and we have a fun twist that you can use, if you’d like to (see below). In addition, for this month only, in the spirit of joy and giving, our beloved leader, the lovely Darnell, is offering prizes! Check out the Twofer blog for more details. This time round, we inviting you to get twinkling with …

Now … what’s the twist?  Usually at Twofer, your two different designs need to be for two different occasions.  However, because so many of us are working hard to get our Christmas cards made, for this month only, you have the option of foregoing the two different occasions element of our challenge.  So, you may enter two Christmas cards, just as long as your two designs are distinctly different … or you can carry on as usual with two different occasions … it’s up to you!

I chose not to twist and used a Simon Says Stamp die as my common element … there are three sizes of stars that act as flower heads on the twiggy sprigs on my birthday card … and two of the same sizes that appear around the manger on my Christmas card. Here’s a closer look at each one …

I used a Simon border die (retired) across the bottom third of a card panel to ground the stamped twigs (from Concord & 9th). The stars were cut from pearlised card for a little subtle shine (it’s more noticeable on the first photo) … and were adhered flat over the sprigs. I attached the panel to the card base and added a white-embossed-on-black stamped sentiment, plus a die cut and stacked black-over-white word from Simon to finish. Clean and layered I think.

My next card is almost one layer, clean and simple …

On this centred design, the larger star shines it’s light onto the love-filled manger while the smaller ones adorn the garland under the sentiment. The stamped images are all from Taylored Expressions except for the wreath, which is from Newton’s Nook. I did a little pencil colouring on the wreath, added sparkle and shine to the heart and doodled the dots of light with a stylus and gold ink pad. There’s much more shimmer than there appears to be on this photo … look …

How would you like to join us with your two distinctly different takes on stars … we’d love to see what you create in our gallery!  All the details about how to play, including rules/FAQs are over at the Twofer blog … together with heaps of fantastic inspiration from the DT and from our fabulous Guest Designers, Pia from Pia’s Paper and Pearls and Liz from Crafty Sunflower … welcome ladies!  Do go over and have a visit with Pia and Liz … you’re sure to enjoy all the wonderful design inspiration on display at both their blogs … and you can always say hello while you’re there too!

My twiggy, starry flowered sprigs are heading to …

Day Of The Month Club – Use Your Head Day (making flowers from stars used my head!)

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes (no 1, 2, 3 option)

Time Out – Festivals (with the glimmer option)

… and my Christmas manger is joining in at …

Clean and Simple on Friday – Christmas

NBUS – Anything Goes (the TE images are new)

Retro Rubber – Anything Goes (the wreath is much older than a year)

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

Twofer Card Challenge #30 – Sun/Moon

Hello … bonjour!  We have a squeaky clean new challenge for you at Twofer that’s just started … this month we’re asking you to be creative with …

I chose to use a happy, fun, sun image on my cards … one from Simon Says Stamp …

My first card features a central, big bold sentiment where the sun takes the place of the dot above the i … a simple way to say a happy hello.  On the birthday card, my design takes up diagonally opposite corners, with the sun shining down onto an oversized corner rainbow.  How about a look at each one individually …

I created the shimmery sunshine goodness in the background by ombré sponging Distress Inks directly onto the card base … and spraying it liberally with shimmer spritz.  The front white panel was cut with a Winnie & Walter (sadly NLIB) bold sentiment … and I stamped the sun (and his chatty looking face) over the dot on the i.  The panel was popped up on craft foam onto the base, the centre of the sun was popped up again over that … and the supplementary sunshine sentiment (from Avery Elle) was slotted snuggly into the word aperture.  I finished off with a coat of Glossy Accents on the centre of the sun.

I don’t have a rainbow die, so cut this one using a curved Simon Says Stamp die and lots of coloured card scraps … added them to a breezy embossed background panel (thanks, Judith!) … and adhered the panel flat to the card base.  The white embossed sentiment is from MFT.  I ombré stamped and trimmed out the sunshine … and popped him up in the swirly sky.  He found himself dazzled by all the colours in the rainbow, so needed his shiny (Glossy Accented) shades … they suit don’t they!

How about joining us with a favourite sun/moon image of your own?  Just use the same stamps, dies and/or stencils for your two distinctly different designs, for two different occasions … we’d love to see you (and them) in our gallery!  Details about how to play, including the rules and FAQs, are over at the Twofer blog … along with heaps of celestial inspiration from the DT!  We’re delighted to have two super talented Guest Designers joining us this month … Mac from The Sweetest of Peas … and Linda from Scrappin, Stampin & Singin … welcome ladies!  Do go over and have a visit with both these super talented crafters … you’ll be so inspired … and you can always say hello while you’re there!

My sunny hi is joining in at …

Inkspirational – Face

Just Us Girls – Die Cut A Window (mine’s shaped like a hi!)

Krafty Chicks – Stamp Act

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Use Your Favourite Tool (Misti/Cuttlebug)

Watercooler Wednesday – Anything Goes With A Feminine Twist

… and my sunny rainbow scene is heading to …

Bastel-traum – Anything Goes

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes (No Tic Tac Toe Topping)

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Happy Birthday (Congratulations to the team on their 10th!)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Use Your Favourite Tool (Misti/Cuttlebug)

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

           

     

           

Twofer Challenge #28 – Circles/Bubbles

Hello … bonjour!  It’s the 10th of the month … and that means it’s time for a brand new challenge at Twofer … this time around, we’re inviting you to play with …

My common images here are a couple of circle stamps from Simon Says Stamp‘s Lots of Dots set.  On my hello card, they were joined by a whole load of other sized circles from the same set … stamped randomly to create a lower third border that’s kind of bubbly.  The second card (heureux anniversaire … happy birthday in French) features the circles stamped in a geometric pattern on a central panel.  How about a closer look at each one …

I drew faint pencil lines to act as a general guide for my individually stamped overlapping line art circles … and erased them once the stamping was done.  The secondary sentiment (WPlus9) was white heat embossed onto a slender strip of black card that was adhered flat over the bubbly background.  I cut the hello (SSS) from a left over piece of watercolour paper that had been rainbow coloured for a different project, stacked it up on another four die cuts and adhered it over the black strip.  Crisp and CAS with a pop of colour!

My second card features just two of the circles …

… stamped one inside the other to create a cool pattern.  They were watercoloured with CP inks using a subtle, masculine colour palette.  I added a couple of twine tied Simply Graphic leafy sprigs (adhered just where they intersected to allow them to drift free), stamped the sentiment which translates as Happy Birthday (also Simply Graphic) and popped the panel up onto an Oyster Grey card base.

How about joining us with your two distinctly different takes on circles/bubbles … we’d love to see what you create in our gallery!  Details of how to play along, including rules and FAQs are over at the Twofer blog … along with plenty of delicious inspiration from the DT and from our fabulous Guest Designers, Jenny from My Paper Epiphany and Linda from Lin’s Craft Corner.  Do go and check out Jenny’s and Linda’s twofers … they’re brilliant!   You can enjoy a wander around their blogs while you’re there … and maybe say hello too … they’ll be delighted to hear from you!

My first card is saying hello at …

Day Of The Month Club – Repeat Day

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks – Stamp Act

… the second is heading to …

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes (no Summer topping)

Simon Says Stamp Monday – It’s A Man Thing

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Masculine

… and my twofer is also joining in at …

Vesela Hiška (Happy House) – Dvojni Izziv (A Double Challenge) … a fun idea adopting the same principles as Twofer (two different designs, two different occasions, using the same stamp, die or stencil) … thank you ladies!

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

     

    

          

Twofer Card Challenge #27 – Flowers

Hello … bonjour!  It’s the 10th of the month … and that means we have a lovely new challenge for you at Twofer!  This month we’re inviting you to enjoy a little arranging with …

I chose a fresh, stylised bloom from Papertrey (Daydreamer) as my common image … it appears solo on the lower right side of my CAS birthday card … and on my just for you card, the garden includes the same flower, blossoming among plenty of others growing up across the whole card front.  Here’s a closer look at each one …

    

Here, the Uniko stripes were stamped off the edge of the card … and the simple sentiment (also from Uniko) was white heat embossed onto a black strip, which was popped up along the base of the stripes.  I stamped the flower head, stem and leaf clusters onto some pre-prepared die cuts (received from Barb G … thanks, my friend!) … and mounted them on foam dots against the stripes.

My garden of blooms is a little less CAS …

The grass, stems and leaves were stamped directly onto the card base … with the flower heads stamped onto more pre-prepared die cuts.  The flowers were adhered onto foam tape over the stems … and I added the Hero Arts sentiment to finish off.

There were a few more die cuts left over when my Twofers were finished … so I made a third card to share with you.  Some of the flowers are different and the colours are rather more bold … but the design is the same as the garden one above …

How would you like to join us with your two distinctly different takes on flowers … we’d love to see what you create in our gallery!  All the details about how to play along, including rules and FAQs are over at the Twofer blog … together with heaps of brilliant inspiration from the DT and from our Guest Designer, Cindy from Stamps, Paper and Ink.  If you don’t know Cindy’s work, do go over and enjoy a gentle meander through her blog … you’ll be so glad you did!  Even if you’ve already been introduced, why not pop along anyway and see her splendid Twofers … and you can always say hello while you’re there!

My single bloom is heading to …

Addicted To CAS – Flower

CAS On Friday – Use Your Favourite Flower Stamp

NBUS – Anything Goes (as long as it’s NBUS) … those stripes, recently won

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes … no topping

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Use Dies and/or Punches

… and the garden is going to be growing in the galleries at …

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks – Stamp Act

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Use Dies and/or Punches

Watercooler Wednesday – Anything Goes With A Feminine Twist

I hope and pray that you are continuing to stay safe and well out there … and that you’re finding wonderful, creative ways to occupy those hands, hearts and minds!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

           

           

     

Some Spring Flowers

Hello … bonjour!  First today, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who left such lovely comments following my final Time Out Design Team cards/post … they were soooo appreciated … you warmed my heart and had me smiling all over my face … merci mille fois 🙂 .  In answer to a question that came up a few times … yes, I’ll definitely still be making cards … and will still be around in blogland … just not at Time Out (except as a player that is!).  So, onto a couple of cards (which is why you’re here!) … they both feature sunny spring flowers … and will be going into the galleries of various fun challenges that are going on at the moment.  Here’s the first …

… a simple stamp-layered, colourful, one layer card using an older image from Concord & 9th (Flourish) … and a sentiment from Simon.  This clean, whimsical, bright card is heading to …

Addicted To Stamps And More – Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks – All Occasions … where the lovely Bobby is GD this month

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes … no Food/Drink option

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Flower Power

The Card Concept – Hello Spring Inspiration (below) … style is CAS/One Layer

     

            

My second card is more layered … though it is still clean …

All the images and the sentiment here are from Papertrey (One Big Happy and Birthday Cheer).  The Happy Birthday was heat embossed in platinum onto a panel of white card … and popped up onto the base.  The stamped and die cut flowers and leaves were then arranged above and below the edges of the panel, some flat to the base, others popped up on different layers of foam tape.  This card is going to be playing along at …

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

Ink To Paper Project Reach Out – Flower Cards

Just Us Girls – Photo Inspiration (below)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Flower Power

 

           

I hope and pray that you’re all continuing to stay safe and well out there … keep crafting and keep smiling!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!   Anita 🙂

Some Penguins And A Frog

Hello … bonjour … and bon dimanche!  I have a couple of designs to share today that are a bit of fun … and might even bring you a smile 🙂 .  After all, smiles are always good for us … maybe even more so than usual given what’s going on in the world.  Here ‘s the first …

This was made for someone with a Saint Patrick’s Day birthday … hence the colour palette.  The penguins are from The Cats Pajamas and were coloured with Zigs and a waterbrush.  As you can see, one of them stands out from the crowd with his dapper jewelled bow tie, black beak and yellow/orange feathers (as opposed to the yellow/orange beaks and black feathers of his compatriots).  They’re all standing on a stamped banner from Papertrey that was over stamped with a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp.  This is such a fun set that can be used for masculine and feminine cards, depending on what colour palette is used … whoever said penguins had to be black in card making world?  Here are a couple of other masculine ones I made using the same design …

    

… and I’m thinking pink or coral feathers would be good for some feminine ones … and p’raps a necklace or maybe a bow on the hats … what d’you think?

These Saint Patrick’s Day birthday penguins are heading to (badges below) …

Addicted To Stamps And More – Anything Goes

CAS Watercolour – Luck Of The Irish

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes … no flower option

Seize The Birthday – Touch of Green

Watercooler Wednesday – Anything Goes With A Masculine Twist

My second design is QACAS (Darnell-ese for Quick And Clean And Simple) …

The crimped frame die cut aperture is from The Greetery … a Penny Black Stickeroo frog leapt into the open space from inside the card (you can imagine my surprise) … and once he’d settled down a little, I nestled the birthday sentiment from Papertrey right by the celebratory balloon.  Here’s what he looks like when the card is upright …

… energetic chap isn’t he?

He’s bouncing over to (badges below) …

Addicted To Stamps And More – Anything Goes

CAS On Friday – Birthday

Penny Black Saturday – Anything Goes … maybe with the Think Spring option … he is springing!

Seize The Birthday – Touch of Green

I hope and pray that you’re all staying safe and well out there … keep smiling 🙂 .  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!   Anita 🙂

   

         

    

A Flower Cluster … Or Two!

Hello … bonjour … hope your week is starting well!  Today I have a couple of cards to share, the first of which is going to be joining in some current challenges (see below).  The second, which is similar, is a bonus … and was fun to make look slightly different, even though the basic design and main supplies were the same.  Here’s the first …

The leaves and flowers were die cut from coloured cardstock … I sponged over Distress Ink to give them depth … and used a white gel pen to add definition and highlights.  They’re arranged on various levels of foam dots on a die cut striped pp panel, which had been adhered flat to the card base.  The sentiment is from Simon … all the die cuts are from Concord & 9th.

Here’s my bonus card …

I dropped the design from the upper third to the lower third of the card … used the same floral and leafy die cuts, this time in yellow with black detailing (also sponged with Distress Ink) … and cut a banner from the same striped pp.  The sentiment, from Simon, was stamped onto a foam mounted banner that was trimmed to mimic the pp strip.  Voilà … similar … though just a little  different … I like them both equally … d’you have a favourite?

I’m joining in the fun at …

Color Throwdown – Lavender, Green, Grey

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

Seize The Birthday – Show Me Your White Space

The Flower Challenge – Add Leaves

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Occasions

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

             

      

Twofer Card Challenge #18 – Garden

Hello … bonjour!   We’ve just planted our new challenge over at Twofer this morning … this month we’re inviting you to join us in the …

… here’s what grew in mine …

… a sweep of garden flowers to celebrate a birthday … and a bed full of blooms to say hello, both featuring a large image from Pinkfresh Studio’s Fleur 1 (now retired, though a similar style set is here).  Here’s a closer look at each one …

… first, a one layer card with the large image stamped slightly off the card in the bottom left corner.  I added some additional individual flowers and leaves (also Pinkfresh Studio) … and some doodling … to fill in gaps and create the sweep of garden plants down the folded edge and across the bottom of the card.  It was all loosely watercoloured with Zigs and a water brush.  The sentiment, from Winnie & Walter and Clearly Besotted, runs along the imaginary line at the top one third of the card and was stamped in Delicata Silver (to match the garden stamping).

My twofer is another conventional use of the image …

… this time stamped in Versafine black into the middle of a die cut, scalloped, pierced panel (from Winnie & Walter) … and grounded in the earth along the bottom on a simple, scripty sentiment from Technique Tuesday.  I coloured the image with Catherine Pooler and Distress Inks, added some little black gems to the larger flower centres and popped the panel up on craft foam onto the card base.

Voilà … my two distinctly different designs … for two distinctly different occasions … using the same stamp!

How might you interpret our ‘Garden’ prompt?  We’d love to see you in our gallery with your two distinctly different takes on it!  All the details you need, including rules and FAQs, are over at the Twofer blog … along with heaps of gorgeous ideas from the DT to help spark your imagination.  This month, we also have bitter-sweet news of some changes in the Team … as we bid a fond farewell to the inspirational Loll, who is stepping down as a Designer (though, we’re pleased to say, is staying on as Administrator) … and a happy hello and warm welcome to the very talented Cat from Cat Luvs Paper, who has joined us.  Our Guest Designers are our winners from May’s challenge … Kathy from My Asperations and Robyn from Waterlily Cards by Robyn … welcome ladies!  Do go and enjoy a visit with Kathy and Robyn … you’ll find lots of loveliness to explore … and you can always say hello while you’re there!

My sweep of garden flowers is heading to …

AAA Birthday – For The Girls

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes, No Wings Option

Less Is More – Celebrations

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes, No Sunshine Topping

The Flower Challenge – Pretty Pastels

… and my blooming flower bed is joining in at …

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes, No Wings Option

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

The Flower Challenge – Pretty Pastels

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

                 

               

Twofer Card Challenge #16 – Things With Wheels

Hello … bonjour!  We’re rolling out our May challenge at Twofer today … with a prompt that should get those imaginative cogs turning!  This month we’re playing with …

… here’s the spin my imagination took …

A missing you card for a sweet friend and a colourful happy birthday card, both featuring an image from The Cat’s Pajamas.  Here’s a closer look at each one …

A simple, one layer card with Long Eared Bunny driving away into the distance, having been visiting with a friend.  The road is from Essentials By Ellen, and LEB and his well loaded car are coloured with alcohol markers.  I doodled some puffs of exhaust smoke and added the Simon sentiment … and couldn’t leave him without a little shimmer (Spectrum Noir) on the chrome and shine (Glossy Accents) on those new tyres.  If you look closely, you’ll see a little moistness in his eyes … after all, he’s missing his far away friend already!

My twofer makes unconventional use of this image … I turned the wheels into an abstract, vibrant pattern …

It took rather a while to come up with this design and by the time I had, time was of the essence in getting it finished (deadline looming!).  So I threw caution to the wind, called on my creative guardian angel, pulled out my Memento Dew Drop ink pads and an acrylic block … and started inking and stamping onto a white card panel.  The points on the pads meant I could ink up just the wheel and wing part of the image precisely, doing away with the need to do any masking.  After a quick practice on some copy paper, I just eyeballed it … ink, stamp once, ink, invert the image, match up the wheel, stamp again … repeat in the next colour.  The little blocks created where the wings overlapped one another were filled in with the matching ink.  Isn’t it wonderful when winging it actually works first time … phew!  The main hugs sentiment (Papertrey) was cut into the wheel pattern and into black craft foam, I popped the panel up on craft foam on the card base, glued the two hugs together and added them back into their space.  The additional sentiment is from Simon, white heat embossed on black, trimmed to a strip and popped up on foam tape.  I finished off with a scattering of silver stars and irridescent sequins to add a little birthday magic.

How about rolling along with us with some wheels of your own … we’d love to see your cards in our gallery!  You can find out everything you need to know in the rules and FAQs over at the Twofer blog.  There’s a whole heap of wonderful inspiration to enjoy there too … from our talented Guest Designers, Hilary from Fiddling About and Cornelia from Stempel Spass … and from our fabulous DT.  Do go over for a visit with both Hilary and Cornelia … as well as their Twofer cards, you’ll find a whole load of fabulous cards and inspiration … you won’t want to miss it!

Long Eared Bunny is going to be stopping off at …

Inkspirational – Adventure

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – For A Special Lady

The Paper Players – Life Is Better With Friends

… and hugs are going over to …

AAA Birthday – Anything Goes

Seize The Birthday – No Toppings

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Add Something Metallic (the stars)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – For A Special Lady

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Occasions

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