A Spring Flower And A Butterfly

Hello … bonjour … and bon dimanche!  We’ve had spring sunshine for a few weeks now … and temperatures that have been gently rising … and they’ve brought flowers and butterflies out in abundance.  So, here I am with a couple of spring cards that might bring a little warm sunshine to your day …

This one was made in less than 10 minutes as I used some goodies received from sweet friends … thanks so much, ladies!  Rosemary sent me the background panel  (sorry, maker unknown) … and Judith provided the stacked framed daisy (Pink Fresh Studio).  The flower frame was inked, spritzed, dried and adhered to the panel … I stamped the Pink Fresh Studio sentiment … and attached the panel to a card base.  Voilà … spring prettiness!

This little lovely is heading to (badges below) …

Bastel-traum – Frühling/Spring (new to me)

Papercraft Challenges – Pastel Colours

Pink Fresh Studio – Frame It

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Occasions

The second card took a little more time …

The Uniko butterfly (my favourite) was stamped onto a mixed media panel and coloured with Zigs and a waterbrush.  To create a sense of movement, I added splatters in the same colours as the butterfly … and a sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays.  The panel was popped up on craft foam onto a matching mixed media card base that had been edged with washi tape.  I love that the butterfly looks almost stained glass like!

He’s fluttering off to …

Addicted To Stamps And More – Make Your Mark

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

Uniko – Stripes and Spots

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Occasions

I hope and continue to pray that you’re all staying 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 🙂

         

         

A New Challenge At Time Out – #154 – We Challenge You To Be … Affectionate!

Hello … bonjour!  Our fun new challenge has just started at Time Out … and this fortnight We Challenge You To Be … Affectionate!  Here’s my CAS take on it …

I recently saw a card with a halo of ink blended around a die cut image (sorry, don’t recall where) … and thought that doing the same thing with a heart would make it seem as though it was glowing with affection!  My heart is from Winnie & Walter (NLIB) … die cut from a piece of masking paper the same size as the card front.  I used the negative part first to cover the card and stencilled the pattern (Tin Roof from CAS-ual Fridays) into the space twice, offsetting it the second time.  Once it was dry, I covered the stencilling with the positive heart mask, removed the negative mask and blended over the same colour inks to create the warm halo.  I stamped the sweet sentiment from Ellen Hutson (Hello) and Winnie & Walter (Sweetie) … and added shimmery White Blizzard Nuvo Drops around the sentiment and on the stencilled dots.  How about a closer look at the sparkle …

      

How will you interpret ‘affectionate’?  We’d love to see what you create in our gallery!  This time round, we’re sponsored by CAS-ual Fridays (thanks, Michele!) … our winner, as voted for by the DT, will receive a $25 GC … and will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge.  Details are over at Time Out … where you’ll find heaps of inspiring ideas from our  fabulous DT … and from our talented Guest Designer, Mugdha from Craftomania.  Why not pop over for a visit with Mugdha … you’ll find plenty of lovely inspiration … and you can always say hello while you’re there!

My card is heading to …

AAA Cards – One Layer … No Polar Animal Optional Twist

Less Is More – Off Centre One Layer Card

Perfectly CAS – One Layer

Simon Says Stamp Monday – All Loved Up

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

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

          

    

A New Challenge At Time Out – #145 – Breast Cancer Awareness

Hello … bonjour!  Our new challenge has just started at Time Out … and this fortnight we have a special theme for you to play with.  It’s Breast Cancer Awareness … with the option of making a one layer card using pink.  Here’s where I went with it …

… a one layer card, with ombré shades of pink blended over a CAS-ual Fridays stencil (Tin Roof).  The centres of the flowers are dotted with ombré Nuvo drops (they get darker as they go down the card) … and the sentiment is from CAS-ual Fridays (Truth Is … now sadly retired).  Voila … quick and clean and simple (QACAS in Darnell-ese).  Like a closer look at the ombré?

        

How will you interpret our special theme … and will you use our optional one layer twist using pink?  We’d love to see what you create in our gallery.  This time around, we’re sponsored by CAS-ual Fridays (thanks, Michele) … who are offering a US$25 GC to a randomly drawn player who uses the optional twist.  As usual, our overall winner will be chosen by the DT … and will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge.  Details are over at the Time Out blog … along with loads of fabulous inspiration from our brilliant DT … and from our talented Guest Designer, Sidan.  Why not pop over for a visit with Sidan … you’ll so enjoy wandering through her fabulous creations!

I’m playing along at …

Papercraft Challenges – No Design Paper

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

Uniko – Anything Goes … No Autumn Option

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 – #138 – We Challenge You To Be … Funny!

Hello … bonjour!   Out new challenge has just started at Time Out and it’s an especially fun one … this fortnight We Challenge You To Be … Funny!  Here’s my cute take …

This sweet little chap is from CAS-ual Friday’s Somebunny … and he’s drifting off … going up, up and away on his plump, shimmery, shiny balloon.  He’s coloured with Copics … and his balloon is covered with Spectrum Noir Sparkle and a layer of Glossy Accents.  The fun, punny sentiment is from the same set … and the pierced, scalloped panel was cut with a Winnie & Walter die before being adhered flat to the card base.  Here’s a closer look at that ‘beautiful balloon’ …

How will you interpret ‘funny’?  We’d love to see what you create in our gallery!  This time round, we’re sponsored by Cas-ual Fridays (thanks, Michele!) … our winner, as voted for by the DT, will receive a $25 GC to the store … and will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge.  All the details are over at the Time Out blog … where you’ll find heaps of inspiring ideas from our fabulous DT … and from our talented Guest Designer, Milla from Mustesormi.  Why not pop over for a visit with Milla … you’ll find such loveliness over there, just waiting to be explored and enjoyed!

I’m playing along at …

Addicted To Stamps And More – Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers CAS – Funny

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Transport It

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Vacation/Travel

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

            

        

A New Challenge At Time Out – #127 – Inspired By Words

Hello … bonjour!  Our fabulous new challenge has just started at Time Out this morning … this time we’re Inspired By Words … you are only as strong as the tables you dance on, the drinks you mix and the friends you roll with.  Here’s where I went with it …         

My focus was on the friends you roll with part of our Inspired By Words phrase.  I stamped and heat embossed those delicate, dreamy flowers (now retired Truth Is from CAS-ual Fridays) in silver onto the card base, after masking off a small section of the stems to leave space for the sentiment.  The flowers were watercoloured with Zigs and I added tiny splatters in the same colours onto the background.  The main sentiment is from CAS-ual Fridays (Mon Ami) and the secondary one is from Simon Says Stamp (Tiny Words).  I created a frame for my blossoms by die cutting a rectangle (Hero Arts) into a card panel that matches the base … and popped the frame up on foam tape over my finished image.  The shine on the embossing is rather delicious  … this might give you a better idea of what it’s like in real life …

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 joined us in the gallery.  We’re sponsored by CAS-ual Fridays (thanks, Michele!) .. our winner will win a $25GC … 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, along with our talented Guest Designer, Claire from String Bows.  Do go and have a fun visit with Claire … you’ll find so much clean and simple loveliness to explore … and you can always say hello while you’re there!

My blooms are going to be drifting off to …

Addicted To Stamps And More – Clean And Simple

Clean And Simple On Friday – Flowers

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – No Optional Texture

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Clean And Simple

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

          

                    

 

A New Challenge At Time Out – #119 – Breast Cancer Awareness/Friendship

Hello … bonjour!  We have a special challenge for you at Time Out this fortnight … our theme this time round is Breast Cancer Awareness and/or Friendship … with the optional twist of making a one layer card.  Here’s where I went with it …

I chose not to twist this time round.  My scribbly blooms and leaves are from CAS-ual Fridays Peaceful Garden and are stamped directly onto the card base.  I added some doodlie dots with a black pen to add to the whimsical nature of the images.  The sentiment is also from CAS-ual Fridays (Mon Ami) and is white heat embossed onto a black strip.  The strip was adhered flat to the base … and I was done.  Except … I wondered what it would look like if the monochrome was reversed … so made this to find out …White heat embossing onto a black panel … with a black on white sentiment strip.  I’m finding it hard to choose which I prefer … it changes from moment to moment … how about you?

How will you interpret our Breast Cancer Awareness and/or Friendship theme … and will you use our optional twist?  We’d love to see what you create in our gallery.  This fortnight, we’re sponsored by CAS-ual Fridays.  You may know that owner Michele is a breast cancer survivor and a huge champion of Breast Cancer Awareness, not only financially through her company but also through the Calling All Sistahs Blog, Encouragement Squad and Challenge, here.  Do go and check it out if you’re not aware of it … so worth it … and not to be too dramatic about it, it may just save your life.

Our  challenge winner, as voted for by the DT, will receive a $25 GC for the CAS-ual Fridays store … 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 plenty of fabulous inspiration from our splendid DT … and from our talented and returning Guest Designer, Marieke.  There’s so much to enjoy at Marieke’s blog … go have a meander, you’ll love it!

         

I’m playing along at …

Addicted to Stamps And More – Anything Goes

Calling All Sistahs – Black and White

Happy Little Stampers CAS – Wild (flowers)

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Monochrome

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

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

         

 

                

A New Challenge At Time Out – #112 – We Challenge You To Be: Warm!

Hello … bonjour!  Our wonderful new challenge starts this morning at Time Out … this fortnight … We Challenge You To Be … Warm!   Here’s where I went with the theme …

         

I went with warm colours on a mixed media card panel.  My sentiment, from Simply Graphic (‘a friend gives life colour’), was done first … by stamping the main part in Versafine (masking off the one word), then multi stamping ‘couleur’ afterwards with my MISTI, to create an ombré effect.  The CAS-ual Fridays blooms were also stamped in Versafine, Zig watercoloured to match the sentiment, and were coated with Wink of Stella for some shimmer.  I finished with Nuvo Jewel Drops in co-ordinating colours … and popped the panel up on craft foam onto the base.

Where will our challenge take your creative imagination … to warm colours, as mine did … to a warm image … to a cosy scene … or somewhere else?  Wherever it takes you, we’d love to see what you create!  This time round, we’re sponsored by CAS-ual Fridays (thanks, Michele!) … our  winner, as voted for by the DT will receive a $25 GC from the store … 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 plenty of fabulous inspiration from our wonderful DT … and from our talented Guest Designer, Marieke.  You’ll find such delicious inspiration over at Marieke’s blog … why not pop over … enjoy … and say hello while you’re there!

I’m playing along at …

Addicted to Stamps & More – Make Your Mark

Calling All Sistahs – Floral Inspiration (below) … I was inspired by the photo

Less Is More – Friendship

SSS Wednesday – Bright and Cheerful

The Flower Challenge – Use A Previous Challenge … I chose #14 – CAS – November 2017

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

         

              

Twofer Card Challenge #3 – Blossoms

Hello … bonjour!  Our fabulous third Twofer Card Challenge starts today … well, right this moment actually!  You all pushed the boundaries again with your cards last month, thank you … we had a gallery full of hearts in all their various (and sometimes most unexpected) guises … what inventive players you are!  So, March has arrived … and in less than two weeks, we’ll be into spring here in the northern hemisphere … how about a word prompt that fits nicely into the season …

Here’s where I went with it …

My common stamp here is from CAS-ual Fridays‘ Mon Ami set … to my eyes, it looks like a lotus blossom … how could I not use it?  How about a closer look at each card …

Here, I used the stamp more or less as it was intended … though with a little artistic licence … bet this is the first time you’ve seen lotus blossom on long stems (taken from a Concord & 9th set) … unless they’re stylised tulips that is!  One layer, heaps of crisp white space, some no line ombré watercolouring, a birthday sentiment from MFT nestled into the curve of one of the blossoms, and a sprinkling of sequins … a joy to my CAS loving heart!

My Twofer …

A little busier … and a smidge outside my comfort zone!  Coloured card stock (eek!), a white heat embossed pattern against the minty green (recognise the lotus?), some perfect pearl painting inside the petals, a black heat embossed thank you sentiment (from Concord & 9th) and a scattering of gems.  The pattern was straightforward to create … I marked the centre of the panel, made sure the central dot of one of the blossoms was over it, and worked outwards from there, stamping and heat embossing as I went.  I used an acrylic block rather than MISTI … it was easier to look through it to line up the overlapping central dots and ensure the petal edges were touching.  Seems to me there’s something a little groovy and/or 60s retro about it … may try something similar again!

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

So … what will your creative imagination do with ‘Blossoms’ this month?  We’d love to see your two distinctly different cards … for two distinctly different occasions … using the same stamps or dies … in our gallery!  All the information you need, including timescales, guidelines, rules and FAQs,  along with heaps of fantastic inspiration from the wonderful DT … is over at the Twofer blog … it’s just a click away!  We’re delighted too that we have a Guest Designer with us this time round … welcome to Verna from VA’s Creative Clutter, who was the winner of our inaugural Twofer Card Challenge!  Do go and have a visit with Verna … apart from her brilliant Twofer there, you’ll find loads of delicious cards to meander through and be inspired by!

My birthday card is going to be celebrating at …

AAA Cards – Ombré

Clean And Simple On Friday – Celebration With Sequins

SSS National Craft Month -Any Creative Project

SSS Wednesday – Girl Power

The Flower Challenge – Anything Goes

… and my funky thank you card is heading to …

The Card Concept – Photo Below (Inspired by the minty greens – Clean & Graphic/Mixed Media)

SSS National Craft Month -Any Creative Project

SSS Wednesday – Girl Power

Watercooler Wednesday – Feminine Anything Goes

ETA:  SSS Work It Wednesday – Green

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

                   

               

           

A New Challenge At Time Out – #93 – Breast Cancer Awareness/Friendship – Some No-Line Watercolouring

Hello … bonjour!  We have a very special challenge for you at Time Out this fortnight … our theme is one that has probably either touched us all personally, or has touched family and friends.  This time round, we’re asking you to join us for a Breast Cancer Awareness and/or Friendship challenge … with a pink twist.  Here’s my take on it …

A watercolour card panel, stamped with CAS-ual Fridays‘ blooms (Mon Ami) in Spun Sugar Distress Ink, and no-line watercoloured (my first time!) with Zigs and a water brush.  The stems are from Concord & 9th (the centre vein of a leaf) and the sentiment is from the same Mon Ami CAS-ual Fridays set as the flowers.  The panel was cut with a Winnie & Walter die and popped up on a grey card base on craft foam.  A sprinkling of Nuvo Jewel Drops in Grey Mist (my first bottle!) finished it off.

Will you play along with us?  We’d love to see you in our gallery!  We’re sponsored this fortnight by CAS-ual Fridays (thanks, Michele!), who are offering a $25 GC to the overall winner (as voted for by the DT) …. plus a special prize for a randomly drawn player who uses the pink twist.  All the details are over at the Time Out blog … along with plenty of delicious inspiration from our fabulous DT … and from our talented Guest Designer, Yulia from Scrap Horse.  Do pay Yulia’s lovely blog a visit and say hello … and check out the whole heap of CAS inspiration on show!

I’m playing along at

Addicted to Stamps & More – Anything Goes

Darnell’s NBUS – Anything Goes … NBUS: CAS-ual Fridays Mon Ami Stamp Set

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes … No Spritz Option

SSS Wednesday – Anything Goes

SSS Work It Wednesday – Favourite Stamps (this one has been on my wish list for ages!)

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

                   

         

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Time Out DT #86, SSS Work It Wednesday – June, The Flower Challenge #9, Virginia’s Summer Blog Party

Hello … bonjour!   We’re starting a fabulous new challenge at Time Out this morning … this time round our theme is Celebrations … with the optional twist of making a one layer card. Here’s where I went with it …

I went with the one layer twist and was inspired by my lovely friend, Lindsey at Occasional Crafting, who makes gorgeous cards using outline stamps and coloured ink.  Actually she makes gorgeous cards using anything … if you haven’t visited Lindsey, you need to, really, your creative brain will thank you for it!   I stamped my blooms (CAS-ual Fridays Pretty Posies, thanks to owner, Michele) using a colour palette I’d saved on Pinterest (I like the unexpected touch of blue), masking as I went to create the corner cluster.  Both parts of the sentiment are from Papertrey and just because the card looked as though it needed them, I scattered some co-ordinating sequins across the white space.  They looked a touch heavy in comparison with the light airiness of the outline stamping, so I lightened them up by adding dots of white Enamel Accents to the centres.   Voilà!

Where will our theme take you?  Will you go with our one layer twist for your celebration card … or do you prefer a layer or two … it’s up to you.  Whichever way you choose, we’d love to see what you create in our gallery.  We’re sponsored this fortnight by CAS-ual Fridays (thanks, Michele!), who are offering a $20 GC to a randomly drawn twister … a great reason to give one layer a go!  As usual, our overall winner, as voted for by the DT, will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge.  All the details are over at the Time Out blog … along with heaps of delicious inspiration from our fabulous DT … and from our amazingly talented Guest Designer, TaeEun.  You’ll have seen TaeEun’s beautiful work all over blogland … if you haven’t been over to her blog Rainbow in November before, do pay her a visit, you’ll love it … and will come away full of ideas!

I’m joining in at …

SSS Work It Wednesday – Summer Icons (flowers in full bloom!)

The Flower Challenge – Anything Goes

Virginia’s Summer Blog Party – Summer Creations (yep, she’s back!)

Hope you’ve been having a wonderfully crafty week … mine’s been filled with non-card and non-blogland stuff, and I’m looking forward to meandering around during the weekend and seeing what everyone’s been up to!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

         

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