Twofer Card Challenge #39 – Sunshine

Hello … bonjour! Welcome to our fun new challenge at Twofer, where we’re inviting you to brighten your already bright day with our prompt for June …

I chose to make both my cards conventional this month … one for a birthday, the other to give someone a smile (encouragement/friendship). My common image is a fun sun from Simon Says Stamp’s Happy & Smile stamp set. Here’s a closer look at each one …

This used to be one of my favourite designs … a strip of colour along the lower third line of my card, with an image and sentiment over it … though it’s been a while since I used it. The fresh stripes of sponged blue put me in mind of a summer sky or ocean … and with the sun (in his cool, shiny shades) taking the place of the ‘a’ in the stacked, die cut ‘hooray’ (from Neat and Tangled), I’m thinking beach party! That’s a birthday beach party by the way … thanks to the white heat embossed secondary sentiment from Simon Says Stamp. Want to see how shiny those cool shades really are …

My second card has me smiling every time I look at it …

The window design lent itself to an unconventionally sized slimline card … it’s 21 x 7.5 cm (roughly 8 x 3 inches) … half an A4 sheet folded across the long edge. I cut the windows individually using a die from Concord & 9th, marked the card base where the openings were and stamped the happy sun gradually rising through the morning. Each sun was masked so that the sky behind them could be sponged with distress inks … and when that was done, I added a good dose of sparkle to them (see below for a little more detail). The Avery Elle sentiment was stamped onto the window panel before I popped it up on craft foam onto the card base.

How about lighting up our gallery with some sunshine of your own … we’d love to see you and your two distinctly different designs there! Details of how to play along, including rules and FAQs are over at the Twofer blog … together with loads of delicious inspiration from the DT.  We’re delighted to have two wonderful Guest Designers joining us this month … Veana and Daphne … welcome ladies!  Do go and enjoy a visit with these talented artists … and let yourself be inspired. You can always say hello while you’re there too!

My birthday card is heading to …

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

Less is More – Favourite Technique … I love to use stacked die cuts

NBUS – Anything Goes … first trip out for that fabulous scripty hooray

… and those sun filled windows are joining in at …

Papercraft Challenges – Anything Goes

Retro Rubber – Summer Breeze … the sun image is at least four years old

Uniko – Anything Goes … with the die cuts option

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 🙂

           

     

           

A New Challenge At Time Out – #156 – Home Sweet Home Inspiration

Hello … bonjour!  Welcome to our new challenge at Time Out … this fortnight, we have a bold, vibrant Home Sweet Home image to inspire you (it’s a little further down).   Here’s where I went with it …

and here …

… and here’s the bright, fun inspiration picture …

Don’t think I really need to tell you what drew my attention!  I translated the yellow table and aqua-blue walls into flowers and added the leaves to mimic those in the vase.  On the first card, the blooms are from Altenew‘s Watercolour Wonders … the sentiment’s from Avery Elle … and the scalloped, stitched panel was cut with a Winnie & Walter die (NLIB).  I added iridescent seed beads to the flower centres and popped the panel up on craft foam.   The second card features the same flowers and leaves from Altenew … a sentiment from Simon … a Crimped Frame die cut panel from The Greetery … and black glitter in the flower centres.

     

What draws your eye in our Home Sweet Home photo … those bold colours, the framed pictures, the stack of books … or something else?  Wherever your creative imagination takes you, we’d love to see your card in our gallery!  This fortnight, we’re sponsored by Altenew, who are offering the winner (as voted for by the DT) a $20 GC … and as usual, our winner will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge.  All the details are over at Time Out, along with plenty of fabulous ideas from the DT and from our super talented Guest Designer, Maria F from Riesling Mama, to inspire you!

I’m playing along at …

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Occasions

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

     

A New Challenge At Time Out – #135 – Inspired By Words

Hello … bonjour!  Our new challenge at Time Out has just started … and we have an ‘Inspired By Words’ theme for you to join in with for the next two weeks … it’s a quote from Teddy Roosevelt … keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.  Here’s where I went with it …

        

My focus was on both the ‘ground‘ and the ‘stars‘ part of the quote … the latter you’ll see a little better further down.  Don’t know that I’ve made a shaped card before … and it was fun to try it for a change.  I cut two single circles with a Hero Arts Infinity die, scored the back one close to the top to create a hinge, adhered the two together above the crease … and trimmed a sliver of card off the bottom so it would stand upright.  The resulting circular card was masked so that I could blend distress inks over it to create the grassy ground and dusky sky, while still retaining the white border.  Once the blending was done, I sprayed Shimmer Spritz over it all to create the sense of glimmery stars.  The single white bloom die is from Poppy Stamps (retired) and the embossed circular frame is from Memory Box (Stitched Maple Circle Frame) … they were both adhered flat to the background.  I white heat embossed the Avery Elle sentiment and finished off with a sprinkling of clear dewdrops.  Here’s a closer look at the starry sparkle …

       

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 Poppy Stamps and are delighted to have the lovely Jeanne from their Design Team joining us with a card on her own blog, A Kept Life.  Our overall winner, as voted for by our DT, will receive a $20 GD from Poppy Stamps and as usual, will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge.  All the details are over at Time Out, along with heaps of lovely inspiration from our fabulous DT, and from our super talented Guest Designer, Michele, from I Card Everyone.  Do go and enjoy an inspiring and delicious visit with both Jeanne and Michele … you’ll find heaps of fantastic ideas and brilliant cards to explore … and you can always say hello while you’re there!

I’m playing along at …

Addicted to Stamps And More – Photo Inspiration (below) … top left!

The Flower Challenge – Embossing (Heat or Dry) … there are both!

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Occasions

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

             

A New Challenge At Time Out – #129 – Retro

Hello … bonjour … and a Happy Saint Valentine’s Day to you!  It was a delight to see you all the other day after my playtime (and thanks so much for all your warm and encouraging words 🙂 ) … and it’s lovely to be back so soon!  At Time Out this fortnight, we have a theme for you … it’s a style one … Retro … with an optional twist of making your card one layer.  Here’s what I did …

Retro really isn’t a style I’ve explored very much, so I resorted to Pinterest for ideas … and loved the 1960s colours and icons that were there … this design is a blend of lots of them.  These little retro telephones are from Avery Elle (thanks, Darnell!) … stamped into a grid pattern, courtesy of Misti … coated with Spectrum Noir Sparkle … and Rainbow Drop’d in the centre of each dial.  The simple scripty sentiment is from Hero Arts.  Here’s a close up of the shimmer and shine … and those delicious pastel-y colours …

         

How will you interpret Retro … and will you use our optional one layer twist?  There are so many ways to ignite your creative imagination with this theme … if, like me, you’re not sure which way to go, why not check out Pinterest as I did.  We’d love to see what you create in our gallery.  This fortnight, we’re sponsored by Funky Fossil Designs (thanks, Sarah!) … our winner, as voted for by the DT, will receive three stencils of their choice from the store … and as usual, will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge.  Details are over at the Time Out blog … along with heaps of inspiration from our brilliant DT … and from our talented Guest Designer, Esther from Shoregirl’s Creations.  Why not pop over for a visit with Esther … there are gorgeous projects to explore and enjoy … and you can always say hello while you’re there!

My little telephones are going to be ringing their bells at …

Happy Little Stampers CAS – Friends

Papercraft Challenges – Something New (those sweet telephones)

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

       

A New Challenge At Time Out – #128 – Home Sweet Home Inspiration

Hello … bonjour!  Over at Time Out today we’re starting a fresh new challenge … this fortnight we have a Home Sweet Home picture to inspire you (it’s a little further down) … here’s where I went with it …

… and here’s our sweet, heart filled inspiration …

Even though the sign here highlights Saint Valentine’s Day, I was inspired to use all the hearts strung around the cake and those arranged on the square plate for another loving occasion … a wedding anniversary.  The Avery Elle sentiment was stamped direct onto the base card and I cut the Poppy Stamps heart cluster into it.  The white die cuts were coloured with alcohol markers, I lined the inside of the card and adhered the coloured pieces back into their places.  The inner hearts were treated to plenty of Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle and a coating of Glossy Accents.   I finished off with a few Jewel Drops and a couple of strips of DP to mimic those striped hearts on the plate.  To my eyes, the stripes add a touch of graphic fun … and balance all those hearts … just the right blend of girlie and manly for an anniversary!

What is it that gets your imagination going in our photo … the hearts, those cool background envelopes, the sweet treats … or something else? Whichever way you’re  inspired, we’d love to see what you create in our gallery!  Our winner, as chosen by the DT, will receive a $25 GC from our fabulous sponsor, STAMPlorations (thanks, Shery!) … and as usual, will be invited to be our Guest Designer in a future challenge.  All the details are over at the Time Out blog … along with a heap of gorgeous cards from our fabulous DT and from our super talented Guest Designer, the lovely Coni from Which Craft?  Do go and have a meander through all the delicious cards over at Coni’s … there’s a veritable cornucopia of delights to enjoy!

            

I’m playing along at …

AAA Cards – Up To One Third … without masking option

Addicted To Stamps And More – Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Love Is In The Air

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

The Cat’s Pajamas – Love

Uniko – Anything Goes … with love option

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

         

                 

Twofer Card Challenge #9 – Leaves

Hello … bonjour!  Welcome to another Twofer Card Challenge … this month, we have a prompt that’s perfectly appropriate for this time of year, whether you’re looking forward to the richness of autumn or the freshness of spring where you are in the world.  It’s …

Here’s how mine tumbled …

My common stamp here is a small leafy sprig from Concord & 9th‘s Wildflower stamp set … here’s a closer look at each card …

Some judicious masking and lots of different colours of greens, rusts, yellows and browns stamped into a leafy autumn wreath … the small sprig was joined by a bigger leaf image from the same Concord & 9th set.  I gold heat embossed the Avery Elle sentiment, trimmed it out, edged it with more gold heat embossing … and popped the panel up on foam tape across the outline stamping.  There’s no added bling as this is for a man’s birthday … though it could easily be dressed up with some shimmer and shine for a girl!

My Twofer …

Here the leafy sprig was turned into mistletoe for a Christmas card.   I die cut the peek a boo window (MFT) first, then did some selective stamping of the image to create a nice full bunch of mistletoe.  The leaves were coloured with Zigs, I made berries with dots of black fine liner and some Nuvo Jewel Drops … and added a shadow with a light grey-green alcohol marker.  The Uniko sentiment was stamped in Delicata Gold and I added a tiny gold thread bow to finish off.  How about a closer look at those berries …

In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that this is the third version of this design.  The first had red berries … hmmm … it was jolly enough but didn’t look right.  I could have claimed artistic licence and left it like that, but has anyone ever seen mistletoe with red berries??  So, the second version got white berries … Nuvo drops first, black fine liner dots second.  Did you know (I didn’t) that black liner on a slick surface can smudge horribly, even days later?  I know now … and nasty smudges aren’t a Good Thing when the photographs have yet to be taken!  Onto attempt three … black pen dots first, Nuvo drops over the top.  The drops magnified the tiny dots rather a lot and to my eyes the berries now look a little frogs’ spawn-y.  However, my creative energy was all but gone by this time, so you’re seeing the best version I could muster!

Where will our ‘Leaves’ prompt take you this month?  We’d love to see what you make in our gallery!  All the details are over at the Twofer blog … along with lots of lovely inspiration from our fabulous DT … it’s just a click away!  We’re delighted to have two Guest Designers with us this time round, winners of our July challenge … Linda fromScrappin’ Stampin’ and Singin’ and Susan from Cat’s Ink.Corporated.  Do go and have a visit with Linda and Susan … apart from their delicious Twofer cards, you’ll find a whole heap of wonderful projects to meander through and enjoy!

My autumn birthday wreath is joining in the fun at …

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Stamp It On

Simon Says Stamp Stamptember – Concord & 9th

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Stamp On It

The Birthday Project – Clean and Simple

The Cat’s Pyjamas – Fall

… and my Christmas card will be celebrating at …

Addicted To Stamps And More – Holiday

MFT Sketch – See Below

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Stamp It On

Simon Says Stamp Stamptember – Concord & 9th

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Stamp On It

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

                    

         

       

Twofer Card Challenge #1

Hello … bonjour!  I’m delighted, excited and thrilled to be here today … extending to you a very warm welcome to the launch of the brand new, spick and span, unique Twofer Card Challenge, conceived by the lovely Darnell!  You may already have seen the announcement post a few weeks ago, though for those who haven’t … the idea of the challenge is to make two different cards … for two different occasions … using the same stamps and/or dies … based on a word prompt.  This month’s prompt is …

… and here’s where I went with my Twofer …

Both my cards are CAS in style … the main image on them is the feather (from Waltzing Mouse Stamps, sadly no longer operating) … and that’s where the similarity ends!   Here’s a closer look at each one, showing how they’re different …

For this first one, I used a wonky stitched panel (MFT), masked and stamped the images so they snuggle together, added a heart to the centre of each one and stamped the sentiment (from Avery Elle).  To finish off, I added some Spectrum Noir sparkle to the hearts, coated them with Glossy Accents … and popped the panel up on craft foam on the card base.  Not too girlie, not too manly … fine for an anniversary card!  Shimmer and shine anyone?

My Twofer …

Here, I made the feather images into ornaments for a Christmas card.  They and their strings were heat embossed in silver, with the centres and little hangers heat embossed in blue.  The sentiment (SSS) was die cut from silver foil paper and adhered flat to the card base … and I added a strip of silver sparkle washi and one of heat embossed blue to the edge.

Voilà … two distinctly different cards for two distinctly different occasions with the same stamp!

So … how would you like to play along with us in our inaugural challenge … we’d love it if you did!  Why not let your imagination go to work with ‘Feathers’ … stretch those creative muscles … and make two distinctly different cards … for two distinctly different occasions … with the same stamps/dies?   All the information you need, including timescales, guidelines, rules and FAQs … along with a whole heap of glorious inspiration from the fantastic DT … is over at the Twofer blog … it’s just a click away!  Can’t wait to see you in our gallery!

My anniversary card is heading to …

Addicted to Stamps & More – Clean & Simple

CAS-ual Fridays – All That Glitters … just check out those hearts!

Just Us Girls – Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Occasions

and my Christmas ornaments are joining in at …

Addicted to Stamps & More – Clean & Simple

Happy Little Stampers Christmas – Anything Goes with the optional CAS Twist

Just Us Girls – Anything Goes

SSS Monday – Winter Blues

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

         

                              

Guest Designing at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – November 2017 – Week 3

        

Hello … bonjour!  I’m so grateful for your visits and sweet words about my Snow White cards last week … merci mille fois … and am thrilled to be here for the third time with the DT at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday as their Guest Designer for November!         

Our new challenge this week is ‘Furry Friends‘ … and we’re showcasing products from Newton’s Nook.  You don’t need to use Newton’s Nook goodies to join in … but we’d love to see them if you have some!  As always, if you play along, you’re in with a chance of winning a $50 gift voucher to spend at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp store … yum … fill that basket!

I realised while coming up with ideas for this challenge … I make very few cards with critters on them … birds, yes, critters, no.  So it was a wonderful change … and heaps of fun … to come up with a couple of cuties … with a touch of whimsy about them.  Here’s the first, a happy, pensive little bear with some good advice … I hand cut a mask and lightly sponged the background with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink, fading it out to nothing at the top.  The bear and bucket of fish are from MFT’s Polar Bear Pals and were a gift from the lovely Cat (thanks, my friend!) … they’re coloured with Promarkers and trimmed out.  The fish had Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle added over the top (cause wet fish shine, even when they’re just a thought!) … and the bear was dotted with Blender pen to give him a fun furry look.  I stamped the sentiment onto the snow bank (it’s from Newton’s Nook Happy Little Thoughts, cut apart to make it long), doodled the thought bubbles and filled them with Glossy Accents, then popped up the images up on foam dots in their rightful places.  How about a closer look at that fluffy fur …

Now for a little mouse, not even stirring … mesmerised by the arrival of the Christmas star …      Here, I did all the stamping first … the sentiment is made up with Lawn Fawn’s Milo’s ABC’s … and the mouse and star are from Avery Elle’s Storybook (thanks to my sweet, happy dancing friend, Bev … merci mon amie!).   I used a torn mask to create the snowy landscape, and hand cut masks for the mouse and star … sponged Distress Inks onto the remaining space to create the sky (Tumbled Glass, Antique Linen, Seedless Preserves, Chipped Sapphire) … and spritzed it with a swoosh of Shimmer Spray.  Once it was dry, the images were coloured with Promarkers and covered with Glossy Accents … and the camouflaged word (SSS Christmas Blessings) was cut into the stamped sentiment and pieced back in on craft foam.  This detail shot shows off the shimmer and shine … and the sentiment … a little better … Twas The Night Before Christmas!

If you haven’t already been over there, do pay a visit to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday blog to check out all the gorgeous cards from the Design Team … you’re sure to be inspired!  I know it’s an especially busy time of year … but I hope you’ll have time to join us this week … furry friends are such fun to play with!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!    Anita 🙂

A Little Monochrome … And Some Watercolouring

Hello … bonjour!  Hope your weekend has been a great one … and that you’ve had chance to spend some of it creating.  I had a bit of time to play … and have four cards to share … first up, something rather crisp and clean …

A panel stamped with Papertrey‘s Doodlie-Do flowers and leaves and coloured with Promarkers … all in various grey tones.  The sentiment is also from Papertrey, the happy was embossed, the birthday was die cut twice and stacked.  I might add some bling or shine to the panel … it seems a little naked as is!

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

Papertrey Make It Monday – Monochrome Colour Pop

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes

SSS Monday – Happy Birthday … congratulations to the SSSM team on seven fabulous years!

The Flower Challenge – Focus on Background Stamping

Next, something with a little more colour …

This is a panel from my Lake House stash (thanks to Ardyth I think) … masked/stamped with the Mondo Peony from Essentials By Ellen.  I watercoloured it with my Zigs, stamped a sentiment from Avery Elle, did a little Black Soot DI splattering, scattered on some Lucy’s Little Jewels and adhered it flat to a card base.

This is heading to (all the badges are at the bottom) …

Essentials By Ellen Mix It Up Challenge – Avery Elle

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Bloom Optional Twist

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes

SSS Monday – Happy Birthday

ETA:  Thanks to a prompt from my lovely friend Barb, I’m also linking the above card up at

Addicted to CAS – One Layer

Here’s something else flowery and watercolour-y …

Concord & 9th blooms, white heat embossed and watercoloured with Zigs, in soft summery shades, with a sentiment from Recollections (a gift from the lovely Barb when we met last year during her visit to France).

This is going over to (all the badges are at the bottom) …

Carte Maniak –  Embossage Blanc et Aquarelles/White Embossing with Watercolours

Fusion – Inspiration (below) … I used the soft colours of the markers

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Bloom Optional Twist

Where Creativity Meets C9 – Anything Goes (celebrating two awesome years of Concord & 9th)

Finally this evening, you’ve probably seen the Simply Graphic die delights that Maria has been showcasing … if not, go, right now … I’ll wait till you get back … they’re here, here and here.  Told ya … now, wasn’t that worth the detour?  So, I happened to mention in a comment that I share Maria’s love of this stylish company … and how the SG page in my wish book includes practically the whole line … and she promptly sent me a whole selection of delicious cuts.  Merci mille fois, encore, Maria!  This is the second card I’ve made with them (you’ll notice it has some similarities to one of those you’ve just seen over at Maria’s place) … not posted the first yet …

A panel of smooshed-with-Zigs watercolour paper, trimmed to size, acting as a bright backdrop for those swoonable SG abstract flowers.  The sentiment is from Winnie & Walter (I used a white gel pen for the ‘i’ as it fell perfectly over the stem) … and the frame is another of the goodies from my SG envelope (slightly reduced in size).

This little pretty is joining in the fun at (all the badges are at the bottom)  …

Addicted to Stamps & More – Clean & Simple

CAS on Friday – Birthday

Muse – Anita’s Inspiration … below, I reversed the bloom/background

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes

SSS Monday – Happy Birthday

That’s it from me for the weekend … might be back in a couple of days … if not, I’ll see you on Thursday for a new and fun challenge at Time Out!  Anita 🙂

                   

                   

                   

            

NB:  Where Creativity Meets C9 … badge shows in draft, but no matter what I do, it doesn’t show up in the post!  If you can shed any light, I’d be grateful!  Anita:)

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