Twofer Card Challenge #32 – Silhouettes

Hello … bonjour! It’s the 10th of the month … welcome to our new Twofer challenge for October, where we’re inviting you to play with …

My common images here are silhouette blooms from Catherine Pooler’s Wild Garden … how about a closer look at each design?

A one layer card with a background of texture-y looking squares in ombré autumn colours. The squares are from Clearly Besotted and were inked, spritzed and double stamped … first horizontally and then vertically … one overlapping another. I stamped the wild flowers over the them, added a sentiment from Simon and adhered a few gems to finish off.

My second card has a much more summery feel …

My design here is centred, with the wild flowers and leaves stamped and white heat embossed onto a crimped frame panel from The Greetery. I blended Distress Inks over the panel, using four blue hues in ombré order, added plenty of Shimmer Spray and did a little white splattering over the top. The sentiment is from Altenew, also white heat embossed. I dry embossed another (larger) crimped frame onto the card base and popped up the finished panel over it.

How would you like to join us with your two distinctly different takes on silhouettes … we’d be delighted 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 … along with inspiration galore from the DT and from our fabulous Guest Designers, Carol from Just Me: C and Shawna from The Grand Stampede … welcome ladies!  Do go over and have a visit with Carol and Shawna … you’re sure to be inspired by their wonderful work … and you can always say while you’re there too!

My autumn silhouettes are heading to …

Bastel-traum – Fall

CAS on Friday – Autumn

Simon Says Stamp – Happy World Card Making Day

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Make It Sparkle

Sunday Stamps – Colour Palette (below)

… and my summery blue hues are joining in at …

Just Us Girls – Ombré

Simon Says Stamp – Happy World Card Making Day

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Dry Embossing

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Make It Sparkle

Watercooler Wednesday – Anything Goes with a Feminine Twist

You might notice that the alignment on this post isn’t what it usually is … and links to the company products used aren’t there. That’s because wordpress has changed (as blogger has) and I’m learning how to use the new editor. It isn’t very user friendly (to put it mildly!) so it’ll take a while for me to become familiar with all it’s idiosycracies … I appreciate you bearing with me!

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 Card Challenge #28 Reminder – Circles/Bubbles

Hello … bonjour!  I’m popping by with some more inspiration to tempt you to play along with us at Twofer this month … there’s a whole week left for you to join in with …       

Here, I made use of Papertrey‘s Dot Spot stamp set (one of my first card making acquisitions … and still a favourite) … and chose the largest circle as my common image.  On the hello card, it became a warm, golden sun, set into a central circle frame, with the sentiment flowing along the bottom edge.  On the happy birthday card, it was joined by the other circles in the set in a geometric pattern cascading from top left to bottom right, with the sentiment set into the delicious white space that was left.  Here’s a closer look at each one …   I used three CP inks to create the ombré sun on the base card … and added a little sparkle with a coordinating gem in the middle.  The frame was cut with Hero Arts Infinity Dies (rectangle and circle) … and the sentiment (PTI … a gift from the lovely Bev … thanks my friend!) was stamped across both the frame and the base card to emphasise the scripty flow of the font.  I popped the frame up on craft foam over the sunny stamping … et voilà … done!

There’s a slightly crisper, cooler feel to my second card …

… though the colour palette is still a soft, feminine one.  I tested the inks and the pattern out on typing paper before stamping directly onto this one layer card.  The top right space was the perfect spot for a high impact, large sentiment (Simon Says Stamp) … which was overlapped slightly onto the circle stamping.  I added shimmer to the centre of each circle … and topped it with Glossy Accents … to create a lovely subtle sparkle (that you can just about see if you enlarge the photo).

I wondered if this design could also be made rather masculine … so did a little experimenting and came up with this …

A couple of colour changes … and some metallic silver Nuvo Drops … looks more rugged to me … what d’you think?

So … have you played along with us at Twofer this month?  If you haven’t, why not give it a go … and if you have, do feel free to play again.  We’d love to see your two distinctly different takes on Circles/Bubbles.  All the details, rules and FAQs are over at the Twofer blog … along with inspiration galore, both from the wonderful DT and from our talented Guest Designers, Jenny from My Paper Epiphany and Linda from Lin’s Craft Corner.  Hope to see you in our gallery!

My sunshine-y hello is heading to …

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

Inkspirational – Yellow Paint Photo (below)

Just Us Girls – Frame It

NBUS – Anything Goes … the hello sentiment is new to me

Uniko – Anything Goes … with the Bright and Happy option

… the birthday greetings are going to …

Day of the Month Card Club – Repeat Day

Papercraft Challenges – Geometric

… and the thinking of you card is joining in at …

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Something Metallic

My twofer is also playing with …

Vesela Hiška (Happy House) – Dvojni Izziv (A Double Challenge) … where the Design Team is running a Twofer style challenge this month … ‘two different designs, two different occasions, using the same stamp, die or stencil’.  Do feel free to link up your twofer there too!

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 🙂

     

    

          

Turnabouts Times Two

Hello … bonjour!  Calling in today with a couple of cards made with different Concord & 9th Turnabouts … they’re going to be joining in at some of the fun challenges going on across blogland at the moment.   One’s masculine, one’s feminine … and then there are two extra ones at the end.  Here’s the first …

A one layer graphic card … simply stamped with Concord & 9th‘s Semicircle Turnabout … with a platinum heat embossed sentiment from Winnie & Walter (sadly NLIB).  One semicircle on each line had Glossy Accents layered over the top to add shine and dimension … tricky to photograph though you can probably make out those on the first two rows.  Cool and masculine I think!

This is heading to …

MFT Birthday Project – Circles

MFT Color – White, Sno Cone, Blue Raspberry, Orange Zest (my closest colours)

NBUS – Anything Goes (as long as it’s NBUS) … Missed Darnell‘s return last month so am happy to join in now with this Semicircle Turnabout (first use, though it’s been living here for a while!).

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

The Male Room – Sentiment in Focus

 

         

The next card is softer and feminine … maybe it’s the colours …

Here I used Concord & 9th‘s Bitty Burst … and added a stacked, shimmered, Glossy Accented, die cut sentiment from Simon … with a white heat embossed supplementary label popped up underneath the ‘smile’.  The panel was trimmed and adhered to a 10.5cm (roughly 4.25 inches) square card … which, most unusually for me isn’t white … I’m expanding my horizons!!

This little pretty is playing along at …

Krafty Chicks – Anything Goes

MFT Birthday Project – Circles

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

The Paper Players – Make You Smile

     

    

The change in colour palette and sentiment style gives this Bitty Burst Turnabout a different look.  Here are those extra cards I mentioned earlier … a variation on a theme, though just as much fun with that all that scattered confetti … and deliciously easy to make for quick hello’s.

    

I hope and pray that you are continuing to stay safe and well out there … and that you’re finding fun, happy, joyful things to do to occupy those hands, hearts and minds.  Keep smiling!  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 🙂

Twofer Card Challenge #26 – Rain/Umbrella

Hello … bonjour!  It’s the 10th of the month … and that means we have a fun and fabulous new challenge for you at Twofer!  This month we’re inviting you to join us with your takes on …

I went with rain … though there is an umbrella on one of my cards …My common image is a stencil from MFT (Mini Staggered Raindrops), a sweet gift from Barb G … thanks, my friend!  It’s used conventionally with these cute critters on the I’m Here For You card and unconventionally on the vibrant, graphic Hugs card.    Here’s a closer look at each one …

My design here is based on a central panel with a wide border all around it.  I coloured the die cut critters and brolly (Lawn Fawn, from my Lake House stash) with coloured pencils and set them aside.  Their background was created using hand cut masks and blended Distress Inks … and was finished with the stencilled raindrops.  The critters were adhered into place … with both of them holding tightly onto that brolly.  You’ll notice that this is no ordinary umbrella … it’s one that when opened, shines bright, warm sunshine on those under it.  So not only are these cuties being sheltered from the rain … they’re also basking in the gentle, comforting glow around them.  The sentiment from Simon provided just the words I was looking for.  I trimmed the finished panel, matted it onto grey card and adhered it to a top folding base card.

My unconventional design uses a panel that fills the central third of my card …

I masked a single line of raindrops on the stencil and went to work with a host of Distress Ink colours, sponging one line at a time and shifting the stencil over to fill in the gaps between the rain drops that you see on my first card.  As each line was completed, the stencil was cleaned off, moved down a quarter of an inch … and I started again with the next colour.  When the panel was finished, it was trimmed and popped up on craft foam over some washi edging, on a side folding landscape card.  The black sentiment (Papertrey … also a gift from Barb G 🙂 ) was triple stacked onto white and adhered over the rainbow panel.

How would you like to join us with some rain/umbrella cards of your own … we’d love to see you (and them) in our gallery!  Whether you choose rain or umbrella or both of them for your two distinctly different cards, please remember to use the same common image(s) for each of your designs.  All the details about how to play along, including rules and FAQs are over at the Twofer blog … together with heaps of delicious and fun inspiration from the DT.  We’re joined this month by two talented Guest Designers … TK from Time 4 Kards and Rosi from Let’s Take Time … welcome ladies!  If you haven’t met these talented card artists yet, do go over and enjoy a wander through their blogs … you’ll have a splendid time finding inspiration in bucket loads!  Even if you are familiar with their work, why not pop along anyway … you can always say hello while you’re there!

My sunny critters are joining in at …

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

Inkspirational – Spring … that spring shower!

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Spring Mood Board … also spring shower!

The Cat’s Pajamas – Share Hope

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Occasions

… and my rainbow hugs are heading to …

Addicted To Stamps And More – Clean And Simple

Ink to Paper Project Reach Out – Sending Hugs And Rainbow Cheer

Perfectly CAS – Die Cuts

Simon Says Stamp Monday – Add Texture … that yummy pierced, stacked die cut

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Occasions

I’m hoping and praying that you’re all continuing to stay safe and well out there … keep crafting and keep positive.  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 🙂

   

         

    

Time Out Challenge #157 – A Reminder!

Hello … bonjour!  I’m popping in to remind you that we’re still celebrating our 6th birthday at Time Out … and to let you know there’s still almost a week to join us in our latest challenge.  Our theme this fortnight is (unsurprisingly!) Birthday … and there’s an optional twist of die cutting or fussy cutting.  I chose not to twist …

     

The floral bouquet is from WPlus9, stamped in Versafine Onyx Black onto a panel of mixed media card.  I coloured it with Zigs and a water brush, doodled some highlights on flower centres and tiny buds with a white gel pen … and added a sentiment from Simon.  The finished panel was edged top and bottom with slender strips of black … and was popped up on craft foam onto a matching base card.

        

How about making a birthday card and celebrating with us?  If you use our optional twist of die cutting or fussy cutting, you’ll be in with a random chance of winning a US$40 GC prize from our fabulous sponsor, STAMPlorations (thanks, Shery!).  Our overall winner will be chosen by the DT … and will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge.  All the details are over at Time Out … along with heaps of delicious inspiration from our wonderful DT … and from our talented Guest Designer, Christine at Experiments In Craft.  Do go over for a visit with Christine … you won’t want to miss a gentle meander through her inspiring blog!

I’m playing along with …

AAA Birthday – Flowers

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes … with the Flower option

The Flower Challenge – Anything Goes

The Paper Players – Clean And Simple Spring Flowers

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

       

      

A New Challenge At Time Out – #157 – Birthday!

Hello … bonjour … and welcome to a celebration!  Today is Time Out‘s 6th birthday!  We’re thrilled that you’ve been taking time out of your schedule to create with us for six years … and hope you will continue to share your creativity and talent by playing along with us for at least another six … and more!  Our theme this fortnight will come as no surprise … it’s Birthday … with the optional twist of die cutting or fussy cutting.  I chose not to twist …

This is one large image from Birch Press (courtesy of a random win at Tracey‘s 25 Tags Event … thanks, my friend!) … and includes the lovely leaf clusters and the offset frames.  Doesn’t it flow beautifully across the whole card front?  I heat embossed it and the sentiments (from Simon) in silver, watercoloured the leaves with Zig Clean Colour Markers and a water brush … and added some delicate splattering in the same colours as the leaves (after masking the space inside the frames).  You might just about be able to see the shimmer of clear sparkle on all the leaves … I added that as my finishing touch.

     

What kind of birthday card will you make for us … and will you use our optional die cutting or fussy cutting twist?  We’d love to see what you create in our gallery.  We’re sponsored for this special challenge by STAMPlorations (thanks, Shery), who are offering a US$40 GC (yes, you read that right!) to a randomly drawn player who uses the optional twist.  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 Time Out … along with inspiration galore from our brilliant DT … and from our talented Guest Designer, Christine at Experiments In Craft.  Why not pop over for a visit with Christine … you can enjoy a wander through all the loveliness on offer at her blog … and say hello while you’re there!

I’m playing along with …

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes … no flower option

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Occasions

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