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 – #146 – We Challenge You To Be … Encouraging!

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

This dainty, floral wreath and that sweet sentiment are from Newton’s Nook (Happy Little Thoughts).  They were stamped on a Concord & 9th stitched die cut circle, the wreath was coloured with Distress Inks in soft autumn colours … and a few of those tiny blossoms were shimmered with Wink of Stella and topped with Glossy Accents.  The circle was mounted onto a die cut black circle (Hero Arts) and was popped up on craft foam onto a base card that I scored Laurie Willison style.  How about a look at those little details …

          

How will you interpret ‘encouraging’?  We’d love to see what you create in our gallery!  This time round, we’re sponsored by Newton’s Nook (thanks, Jen and Jeff!) … 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, Shawna from The Grand Stampede.  Why not pop over for a visit with Shawna … you’ll find tons of fantastic inspiration … and you can always say hello while you’re there!

My autumn coloured wreath is heading to …

Addicted To Stamps And More – Make Your Mark

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes, Optional Botanical

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Fall/Autumn

The Flower Challenge – CAS

Uniko – Anything Goes, Option Autumn

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

       

                 

A New Challenge At Time Out – #141 – Relaxation!

Hello … bonjour!  Our new, deliciously chilled out challenge has just started at Time Out … this fortnight we have a theme for you to play with … it’s Relaxation … with the option of making a one layer card!  Here’s where I went with it …

        

… to me, relaxation includes doing just what you love, especially on your birthday … and when doing that, I’m rather partial to scrumptious, frosty, birthday ice cream … yum … sigh!  My card is an uber CAS, almost one layer one … with the main sentiment from Newton’s Nook and the supplementary one from Simon Says Stamp, both clear heat embossed over black stamping.  The ice cream cone is a Penny Black Stickeroo … adhered to card stock, trimmed out, popped up on craft foam … with the ice cream scoops covered with Spectrum Noir Shimmer Pen and topped off with a double layer of Glossy Accents.  How about a closer look at those scoops …

Voila … relaxation on a card!

         

How will you interpret our theme … and will you use our optional one layer twist?  What’s your idea of Relaxation … being at the beach, walking in the woods, reading a great book, sharing a meal with friends, crafting … or something completely different?  Wherever your imagination takes you, we’d love to see what you create in our gallery.  This time around, we’re sponsored by Newton’s Nook … 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, Marieke.  Why not pop over for a visit with Marieke … I’m certain you’ll enjoy wandering through her beautifully coloured, wonderfully detailed, amazing scenes!

My ice cream cone is going over to …

AAA Cards – One Image … with the option of positivity

CASology – Shimmer

Less Is More – Small Images

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Bright and Cheerful

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

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 🙂