Twofer Card Challenge #37 – Leaves

Hello … bonjour! It’s the 10th of the month … welcome to our new Twofer challenge for April! In this part of the world, spring has sprung and green shoots are appearing all over the place … which means that inspiration is everywhere for our prompt this month … we’re inviting you to play with …

My common images here are Eucalyptus die cuts from Simply Graphic … how about a more detailed look at each card?

My design here features a background of leaves cut from various previously created inky backgrounds, made using borrowed Brusho’s and Lindy’s Magicals (so there’s a little sparkle), adhered flat to the card base. A popped up centre frame draws the eye to the equally popped up Altenew hello and the WPlus9 secondary embossed words.

My second card is decidedly CAS …

I die cut the eucalyptus leaves from a few different card stocks and tied them together with a little natural twine. The die cut border is from SSS and was stacked three times to give it dimension, before being adhered to the card base. I hung the leafy cluster on the border and finished with a simply stamped sentiment from Mama Elephant.

How would you like to join us with your two distinctly different takes on leaves … bet you have a few stamps, dies and/or stencils in your stash that are calling out to be played with … and we’d be delighted to see you (and your designs) in our gallery!  All the details about how to play along, including rules and FAQs are over at the Twofer blog … along with inspiration galore from the DT and from our fabulous Guest Designers, Alison from Cranberry and Eggplant and Natalie from natshobbycorner at Instagram … welcome ladies!  Do go over and have a visit with Alison and Natalie … you’re sure to be inspired … and you can always say hello while you’re there!

My fresh eucalyptus hello card is heading to …

Happy Little Stampers Die Cuts – Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes

Inkspirational – Grow … all those leaves growing over the background!

and my CAS eucalyptus cluster is joining in at …

Clean and Simple on Friday – Happy Mail

NBUS – Anything Goes (first outing for these eucalyptus dies)

Time Out – Photo Inspiration (see below) … those soft blues/greens and white fencing

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 🙂

A New Challenge At Time Out – #147 – Inspired By Words

Hello … bonjour … long time no see!  This year has been a busy one outside of blogland and as a result I’ve not been here a great deal, though I have (mostly) stayed in touch with what you’ve all been creating while I haven’t been!  This last couple of weeks, however, have been especially full … and that’s meant there’s been almost no opportunity to visit everyone, outside of my DT commitments.  So, to those of you who haven’t seen or heard from me recently … thank you for your patience and understanding … normal service will be resumed shortly!

I’m here today because our new challenge at Time Out has just started … and this fortnight, we’re Inspired By Words … Dream Big, Be Grateful, Give Love, Laugh Lots.   Here’s where I went with those words …

On a white pierced, scalloped card panel cut with a Winnie & Walter die, I stamped these lovely words and delicate single floral stem from Uniko’s You Are, Yes You stamp set.  The stem was curved to create the sense of a smile … and the flower head balances the offset ‘loved’ in the sentiment.  I coloured the bloom with Zigs, covered it with lots of shimmer and added some sparkling gems to finish off.  The scalloped panel was added to a matching mat and then popped up onto the card base on craft foam.  You can see more of the shimmer here (even though it’s a little out of focus!) …

        

Where will our words take your creativity?  You can use any or all of them to inspire your card … we’d love it if you played along with us.  We’re sponsored this time around by Uniko (thanks, Bev!) who are offering our winner, as voted for by the DT, an in-stock stamp set of their choice.  As usual, our winner will also be invited to be our Guest Designer for a future challenge.  The details are over at Time Out, along with heaps of lovely inspiration from our fabulous DT, which I know you won’t want to miss!

My card will be going into the gallery at …

CAS on Friday – Big Sentiment or Word

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes Optional Botanical

The Flower Challenge – Clean and Simple

The Paper Players – Clean and Simple – Say It Loud

Thanks so much for coming by (especially when I haven’t been doing), your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

       

       

Exciting News, Time Out #13 (Inspired By Words), Winnie & Walter Share The Love (Rainbow Colours/OLC) & Join In To Win, AAA Cards #18 (Watercolours), SSS Monday 1/9 (Boldly Go Into STAMPtember), SSS Wednesday 3/9 (STAMPtember Stamp It)

I have some exciting news!  The Design Team at Time Out is getting some new members … and here’s my exciting news … I’m one of them!  Many of you know and play along at Time Out already … they’re such wonderfully varied and creative challenges, and there’s a super talented group of crafters on the Design Team who provide brilliant inspiration for each one.  I’m so thrilled and delighted to be joining them as a debutante in the Design Team World! Thanks so much to Sandie and Nonni (co-owners) for the lovely invitation … and the fabulous opportunity!  My first challenge as a DT member is on 11 September … hope you’ll have time to be inspired and play along!  There’s an announcement over at Time Out about who the other new DT members are … I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so I’m not saying anything about it here … pop over and check it out … you’ll be bowled over!  When you come back, I’ll show you my card (yes, there is one!),  it’s here …

On a watercolour card base, I stamped and heat embossed the Winnie & Walter Love Note heart in white, and rainbow watercoloured it.  The ‘margin’ boxes were coloured using the shade from the row below, I covered everything with a couple of coats of Wink of Stella and added Glossy Accents to the boxes.  A little surgery was done on the SSS sentiment and the loops on the scripty happy were given the same treatment as the heart, with WOS and GA.  Here’s a close up of all the shimmer and shine …

My card’s queuing up to join in at …

Time Out – If Music Be The Food Of Love, Play On (my last one as a ‘player’!)

Winnie & Walter – Share The Love #1 Rainbow Colours, #4 One Layer Card, Join In To Win

AAA Cards – Watercolour

SSS Monday – Boldly Go Into STAMPtember

SSS Wednesday – STAMPtember Stamp It

My laptop is having surgery at the moment so I’m limited to shared computer time … and as a result, my visits around blogland have been curtailed enormously just a smidge.  Will be round as soon as I get chance … don’t want to miss out on all that inspiration!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                       

         

Time Out – Designer to CASE, Stamplorations – August (Stamps and Die Cuts), The Mixed Media Card Challenge #2 (Summer), SSS Wednesday 13/8 (Summer), SSS Work It Wednesday #7 (Blue)

I’m full of excitement this morning … well, I’ve been full of excitement about this for a while now, since the lovely Sandie asked me if I’d like to be CASE Designer for the latest Time Out challenge, which starts today.  What an honour … you can imagine it took less than a nano second to say yes … and then just a little longer (!) to come up with my card …

On a white watercolour panel, I stamped The Alley Way Stamps border twice in Versamark and embossed it in white.  I smooshed three different Distress Ink blues on my craft mat and watercoloured the pattern, blending the colours down the card.  The tiny green-ish middle diamonds were done last … using a little Squeezed Lemonade DI added to what was left of the blues on my mat.  I die cut the Mama Elephant hello’s to match the background colours and adhered them slightly offset against one another across the panel.  The panel was popped up on foam tape on the card base and a sprinkle of Annabelle Stamps bling finished it off.

Thanks so much to Sandie and Nonni for inviting me to contribute a CASE card, it’s been such fun!  Have a meander over to Time Out … you’ll find inspiration galore from the fabulous Design Team and from super talented Guest Designer, Shona.  I do hope you’ll have chance to play along … there’s loads of time as Mr Linky doesn’t close the door for almost a fortnight … and I’d love to see your take on my card!

It just so happens that I can pop along and play with …

Stamplorations – Stamps and Die Cuts (sorry, still no Stamplorations goodies!)

Mixed Media Card Challenge – Summer (my first time … no burlap option, but these colours so reminded me of tropical waters, gently lapping sandy shores!)

SSS Wednesday – Summer (keep thinking tropical shores!)

SSS Work It Wednesday – Blue (all those lovely DI colours!)

Looking forward to seeing you in the Time Out gallery!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

         

Time Out #11 (Celebrations), Addicted to CAS #44 (Gold), Winnie & Walter – August (Join In To Win) Mama Elephant and Me – August (Watercolouring and Birthdays), SSS Wednesday 7/8 (Make It Sparkle)

I have a card to share tonight … but before that, I’d like to say a huge thank you for all your wonderfully supportive comments and emails following our lightning strike … reading them warmed my heart and had me smiling all over my face!  Things are getting back to normal, although as August is a holiday month in France, some things are taking a bit longer than they would otherwise!  We’re being patient!  So, back to my card, made on Sunday during my ‘breathing time’ …

On a watercolour card panel, I stamped Winnie & Walter’s Big Bang Confetti stars in Versamark and white embossed them.  I did a Distress ink colour wash over the top of the stars and sponged over it all with a Perfect Pearl solution (the PP technique came from the awesome Jennifer McGuire … it gives an lovely soft shimmer).  The Mama Elephant sentiment (very recent NBUS) was embossed in gold, as were two strips of card which were adhered under each side of the panel, before the panel was mounted on the card base on foam tape.

The challenge stars (hahaha!) aligned beautifully for this card, I’m playing along with  …

Time Out – Celebrations (Despite my valiant efforts, it’s without the butterfly option)

Addicted to CAS – Gold (On occasion, it bothers me when making cards that I may be subconsciously influenced by something I’ve seen elsewhere.  Having just checked out the ATCAS blog again to do this post, I’ve found that’s happened here … GD Lyndal made a fabulous ombré blue watercolour card with stars and a Mama Elephant gold sentiment card … mine’s an inadvertent CASE … thanks Lyndal!)

Mama Elephant & Me – Watercolour and Birthdays (Colour wash and sentiment)

Winnie & Walter – Join In To Win (Delighted to be playing here, it’s been a while!)

SSS Wednesday – Make It Sparkle (Those yummy Perfect Pearls!)

Off for an inspiring meander around blogland!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

         

Time Out #10, CASology #106 (Rainbow), Less Is More #182 (Anything Goes), SSS Wednesday 23/6 (Emboss It), SSS Monday 28/7 (J Is For …)

I’m missing having some quiet time to craft at the moment, so last night I gave myself a stay-up-crafty-night (or rather morning!) and made this …

The inspiration for this card came from a Simon Says Stamp stencil that isn’t even in my hot little hands yet, but not to let that stop me, I made my own stencil and used it to sponge the rainbow of colours across the card base.  The AE sentiment was snuggled in against the colour blocks and I covered everything with a coat of Wink of Stella, before putting the stencil back in place, tapping Versamark over the colours and clear heat embossing.  They’re so shimmery and shiny IRL they look rather jewel-like … here’s a closer look …

I’m playing along here …

Time Out – Home Sweet Home (banner colours, arrow stripes, different depth bands on teepee)

CASology – Rainbow (of colours rather than a rainbow!)

Less Is More – Anything Goes (Happy, Happy Birthday Chrissie … hope it was wonderful!)

SSS Wednesday – Emboss It (shine over the colours)

SSS Monday – J Is For … (jewel like colours!)

My lunchtime break is nearly over so I’m heading back to the stonework … need to link before I go as a couple of these challenges will be closing their doors shortly.  Back later for an inspiring meander around!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                  

                  

Time Out #9 (Fun In The Sun), Hero Arts #Summer (One Layer Card), SSS Wednesday 9/7 (Let’s Be Clear) STAMPlorations #July (Stamps and Glitter)

The weather here so far this summer hasn’t been what it usually is … we’ve had a lot more cloudy, cooler days and thunder storms … and yesterday it rained … ALL day.  So I made my own sunshine …

The sun and rays are from Avery Elle, stamped in Hero Arts and Memento inks … with the lighter yellow covered with Stickles.  I stamped the HA sentiment, coated the ‘dazzling’ in Wink of Stella and added a scattering of sequins and gems.  Here’s a close up of all the shimmer … mmm, isn’t that better …. much warmer!

I’m playing along with …

Time Out – Fun In The Sun

Hero Arts – One Layer Card

SSS Wednesday – Let’s Be Clear (Stickles, Wink of Stella, gems)

ETA:  Thanks to my friend Maria, who suggested it, I’m also linking up with STAMPlorations – Stamps and Glitter

Hope your week is starting out splendidly sunshiny!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

         

Happy Birthday, Ardyth! Less Is More #173 (Die Cuts), Time Out #6 (Home Sweet Home), SSS Wednesday 28/5 (Anything Goes)

Today is the birthday of one of my lovely blogging buddies … everyone in blogland knows her, her stunning style, her wonderful contribution to our community through numerous design teams, her always encouraging, supportive and insightful comments … and on top of all that, she’s a thoroughly delightful soul!  So … please sing along where ever you are in the world, you never know how far many voices will travel … Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Ardyth, Happy Birthday to you!   Hope you heard that, my friend … I sang it loud!  Wishing you a day full of happiness and a wonderful, creative and joy filled year ahead!

I’m sure my inspiration for this card came partly from seeing Ardyth’s wonderful cards at Maskerade … bright colours, graphic shapes, lots of white space!  It also came from Time Out, where there’s a fantastic ‘Home Sweet Home’ photo (below).   I focussed on the square shapes of the seats and for my colours, I picked out the seat to the left of the picture with the rug draped across it.  I’m also joining in at Less is More, where we’re using die cuts this week.

ETA  The team at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday are having an Anything Goes week, so I’m linking up there too!

Using a panel of card the same as the base, I die cut the letters from Mama Elephant, set them aside and sliced up the negative space … horizontally to split the word and vertically to separate the letters.  The negative pieces (bottom half) were coloured with Promarkers and were adhered to a piece of light card, trimmed to size.  I coloured the letters, coated them with Wink of Stella and slotted them into their negative spaces.  The rest of the sentiment was stamped and white embossed across all the colours and the resulting panel was popped up on foam tape on the card base.  Voila … my attempt at an Ardythesque card!

I may be back later with a little something else, depending on whether the idea translates well from brain to paper!  Thanks so much for coming by … your visits and lovely comments truly are a joy!  Anita 🙂

                  

     

Time Out #3 (Happy Birthday), Cure For The Monday Blues #14 (Neutral’s Nook), A Blog Named Hero #42 (Layer Cake), Hero Arts Spring Sketch Challenge, Make The Day Special #1 (Anything Goes)

Finally, I tied Monsieur Mojo down for a short while so he could help me with this …

… and I’m hoping he’ll be less flighty in future!  I was also inspired by a number of challenges that just happened to slot together well.  At Time Out, it’s theme week and we’re using Happy Birthday with an optional twist of masculine.  Taheerah’s Cure For The Monday Blues inspiration picture is, as usual, stunning (check it out at the bottom) … I was struck by the striped mug, the triangle patterned napkin (?) and the doughnuts … and I also picked out the black frames.  We’re using layers or dimension at A Blog Named Hero‘s Layer Cake and my layout comes from Hero Arts’ Spring Sketch … I used Sketch 3.  Finally, I’m joining in with the first challenge at Make The Day Special, where Anything Goes, using at least one product from the store.

I stamped Hero Art’s Zig Zag background in black onto white card, sliced off a 3cm strip to use as the border panel and added a thin black border to the right side of it.  The strip was popped up on foam dots onto a white panel and the Avery Elle sentiment (Handwritten Notes, from MTDS) was stamped in black.  I added the wooden star embellishment to the side of the sentiment … it’s about the same colour as those yummy looking doughnuts … and popped a pewter-ish coloured brad (legs cut off) into the middle of it.  The white panel was mounted onto a slightly larger black panel and the whole thing was adhered to the base card.

I’m delighted to say a warm hello (albeit rather late as I’ve not been posting) to a few new friends and followers …non blogging card makers Sally and Denise, and bloggers, Deborah from Deborah’s Gems, Brenda from Friends Craftin With Friends and Christine from Poppaea Cards.  If you haven’t explored these fun, fabulous and inspiring blogs already, do pop over for a meander … and take a drink along … you may be a while!  You may also want to check out  Waltzingmouse Fanatics … Deborah is co-owner of this new-ish fortnightly challenge dedicated to Waltzingmouse Stamps (I know, you guessed that from the name, didn’t you?).  You’re all very welcome, ladies, and thank you 🙂

You may recall I’m Guest Designing with the awesome team at Addicted to CAS this month … so here’s a little reminder if you’re thinking of playing along with the latest challenge.  The Code Word is Far Away (so many possibilities), there’s lots of amazing inspiration from the DT and in the gallery … and more importantly, there are still days to go before Mr Linky closes the door!

Assuming Monsieur Mojo decides to be less capricious over the coming days, I should be back later in the week with a little something … it’s been waaaayyy too long … and I’ve missed you!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂