A Trio Of Cards!

Hello … bonjour!  Surprise … a non DT post … my first since January!  Each week I believe there’ll be a little spare time to just play with paper, ink and challenges … then it gets to Sunday night and there’s not.  Pretty much where we’ve all been at one time or another, I guess!  Today, though, at last, I have a trio of cards to share, inspired by a plenty of different challenges.  Here’s the first …

         

My primary inspiration here came from my lovely friend Chriss‘s card for Muse Christmas Visions, 100th challenge party (many congratulations, ladies!) …I picked up on the colours, the gold and the layout … and stamped my festive spray using images from Concord & 9th‘s Flourish.  This isn’t an outline stamp, so I did some of the layering in gold, to mimic Chriss’s embossing.  For the main flower, I also used a water brush to blend the gold and white to create cream … and added some white gel pen highlights to the berries.  The sentiment is from WPlus9 (inspired by SSS Monday).

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

Muse Christmas Visions – As above

Addicted to Stamps and More – Holiday

SSS Monday – Inspired by a Song … Joy To The World

SSS Wednesday – Use More Than One Stamp … Two sets, lots of stamps

Watercooler Wednesday – All About Christmas

The next card is a bright, sunny little number …

This lovely MFT sunflower was gifted to me by my sweet friend Bev (thanks, Bev!) … it puts me in mind of the  fields of them that will be in bloom around us by the summer.  I did some ink layering (with MISTI) to get the graduated colour on the petals and leaves, die cut everything and adhered the flower and leaves onto my linen card base.  The Papertrey sentiment (thanks, Judith!) was stacked three times and adhered over the sunflower … and I scattered some Lucy’s Little Gems around it.

This bright bloom is heading to (badges below)…

Just Us Girls – Inspiration Picture (below)

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

SSS Monday – Inspired by a Song … Sunflower by Glen Campbell

SSS Work it Wednesday – Sunshine and Summer Time

The Cat’s Pajama’s – Die Cutting

This last card may just have a familiar feel about it …

Yep, the same main image as the first card … though doesn’t it look different here in these summery shades (or at least it does to my eyes!).   My colour palette came from a home decor piece I saw on Pinterest … I wanted something rather bold … and a bit different from my usual choices.  The Concord & 9th Flourish images are simply stamp layered direct onto the card base … and I added a sentiment from Beautiful Branches, also from Concord & 9th.  Voilà … it didn’t seem to need anything else!

I’m joining in with (badges below) …

Where Creativity Meets C9 – Floral

Less Is More – One Layer Card – Thinking of You

SSS Monday – Inspired by a Song … Wildflowers by Tom Petty

SSS Wednesday – Use More Than One Stamp … Two sets here

Hope your weekend has been a wonderful one … have a happy week!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita:)

         

                   

          

         

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Guest Designing at Inkspirational!

Hello … bonjour!  I’m thrilled and honoured to be Guest Designing with the fabulous and talented DT at Inkspirational today … thank you, Marina and all the team for the invitation!  For the next fortnight, there’s a cool, stylish photo inspiration to get your creative juices going (it’s below) … here’s my take on it …

          

… and here’s the inspiration …

My eye was taken with the blue, grey, black colour palette, by the glow around that cascade of rain and by the tall/long images (man in black, what I took to be flag poles each side of him, and window apertures in the background building).  I cut an MFT peek a boo window out of a white card panel, adhered a slip of printed vellum (thanks, Darnell!) behind it and foam mounted the panel onto a grey card base.  The tall stylised leaves are from Simply Graphic (thanks, Maria!) … coloured with alcohol markers and sponged over with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink, attached just where the stems meet the vellum.  I white heat embossed a WPlus9 sentiment onto a strip of black card stock and popped it up on foam tape across the stems and window … and finished off with a few enamel accent dots.  I was hoping that the light shining on the rain-like print on the vellum would mimic that glowing rain cascade … and it did, sort of … don’t you just love it when a design comes together!  Here’s a detail shot …

What voyage of discovery will your imagination take with this inspiration?  Wherever it takes you, we’d love to see what you create.  All the details are over at the Inkspirational blog, along with a whole heap of delicious ideas from the Design Team … hope to see you in the gallery!

I’m playing along at …

Addicted to Stamps & More – Anything Goes

Mod Squad – Simply Clean

AAA Cards – A Favourite Technique (Die Cutting)

A big thanks, once again, to Marina and the Inkspirational DT for their invitation and warm welcome … it’s been so much fun!  Thanks so much to you too for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

         

A Birthday Bouquet … and an Exciting Reminder!

Hello … bonjour!  Happy New Year … Bonne Année 2018!  In just a week’s time, a deliciously pristine, shiny new challenge starts … I’m pretty certain you’ll have heard about it as the first announcement was made before Christmas … it’s the lovely Darnell‘s Twofer Card Challenge!  That’s exciting enough, really … though for me it’s beyond that … I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be part of the Twofer Design Team.  Goodness … so thrilled!  Do check out the Twofer blog for all the details of this unique challenge … it’s going to be so much fun … and so inspiring … wait till you see all the talent on the DT (if you haven’t already) … and come back in a week to find out what all the excitement is about!  So, I do have a card to share today (which is why you’re here) … a fresh, pretty little number made with some NBUS … A bouquet of blooms from WPlus9, stamped and white heat embossed onto a panel of Canson Mixed Media cardstock.  I coloured it with Zigs and a water brush, stamped the sentiment (SSS), added a little sprinkle of Lucy’s gems and popped the panel up on craft foam onto a base of the same card (I like my panels to match!).

I’m playing along at …

CAS Watercolour – Birthday

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes … no sequin option

SSS Monday – Something New … WPlus9 Botanical Bunch

SSS Work It Wednesday – New To You … WPlus9 Botanical Bunch

I’ll be back tomorrow with Time Out‘s first challenge of the year … and in a week for Twofer‘s debut … do hope you’ll have chance to join us for both!    Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

       

         

Joyeux Noël!

Hello … bonjour!  I’m popping in this morning to wish you a Très Joyeux Noël … a Very Happy Christmas … may the miracle of Our Lord’s birth bring you great joy and every blessing on this truly special day … and always!  I haven’t had chance to post all of the Christmas cards I made this year, so am taking a moment to share a few of them here.  Most years, I make lots of one single design … this time, for a change, I made small batches of different designs.  The first of today’s quintet …

A simple, die cut 3D Christmas scene using the Concord & 9th Holy Night dies … against a blue foil background.  Isn’t that reflection amazing … and I didn’t even see it till after the picture was taken … a happy accident!  This was the only one like this … there were other cards made with glitter card and pearl card backgrounds, but there’s no mirror quality to them, so no reflection.  The Silent Night, Holy Night sentiment (from the same C9 bundle) is on the back.  I’m sending this card to …

CAS-ual Fridays – White Christmas

SSS – National Christmas Card Day

Where Creativity Meets C9 – Anything Goes

                   

Next, another mostly die cut Madonna and Child …

The die is from Tutti Designs … a gift from the lovely Michele (thank you so much, my friend!), cut from pearl card and adhered over a Distress Ink sponged background, spritzed with Shimmer Spray.  The sentiment is from Concord & 9th’s Holy Night.  I’m joining in at …

Clean & Simple on Friday – Christmas

SSS – National Christmas Card Day

Uniko – Christmas

                   

Third up, Bethlehem …

A Taylored Expressions border die (Lake House stash!) adhered over a Distress Ink sponged and splattered sky, with a white heat embossed sentiment from WPlus9.  The glow from the town silhouette is so much more glow-y IRL … couldn’t capture it on camera!  This one’s going to …

Happy Little Stampers Christmas – Anything Goes (No option)

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

SSS – National Christmas Card Day

                   

Next on stage … a snow covered village on Christmas Eve …

Don’t know where the village landscape die is from … it was from my Lake House stash.  It’s adhered over a Distress Ink sponged and shimmer sprayed background … and stamped with a Concord & 9th sentiment.  I’m playing along at …

Happy Little Stampers Christmas – Anything Goes

SSS – National Christmas Card Day

Uniko – Christmas

                   

Finally for now, a simple, rustic creche …

Don’t use a lot of kraft at all … though I do love the look of white embossing on it.  This lovely image seemed a perfect way to combine the two … it’s part of a Hero Arts full nativity scene (Greatest Gift) that I very carefully trimmed out so that I could use just the creche.  The sentiment is from Concord & 9th.  I love the simplicity!  This is heading to …

A Blog Named Hero – Winter Holiday

Inkspirational – Gift … the Greatest One of all

SSS – National Christmas Card Day

                   

I’m planning on coming back over the next couple of days with a few more of this year’s Christmas card designs … hope to see you then!  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 1

        

Hello … bonjour!  What an exciting day for me today … I’m honoured, thrilled and so delighted to share with you … I’ve been invited to be November’s Guest Designer at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge … squeal!  Huge thanks to Lols and the team for the invitation … and for the wonderfully warm welcome!

         

As always, there are brilliant challenges coming up for you during the month … and if you play along, you could win a $50 gift voucher to spend at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp store.  This week, our theme is ‘Christmas Tag‘ and we’re showcasing Simon Says Stamp goodies with our creations.  You don’t need to use Simon products to play along … but we’d love to see them if you have some!  We’re also joining my sweet friend, the lovely Tracey McNeely for the first day of her annual 25 Days of Christmas Tags event … Simon Says Stamp is today’s sponsor.

I came up with two tags using the largest die from WPlus9’s Timeless Tags 2 … here’s the first …

This one is cut from watercolour card, masked, stamped and gold heat embossed with a trio of trees/leaves from SSS One With Nature, and watercoloured with Zig Real Brush Markers and a Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle pen.  The sentiment is part of the SSS Joyeux Noël die, covered with shimmer and coated with a layer of Glossy Accents.  I finished off with a sparkly reinforcer cut from washi and some bakers twine for the tie.  You can’t see much of the shimmer and shine from here so how about a close up …

In contrast to the rich, traditional colours of this first tag, my second one is crisp and positively frosty …

Here I cut a base and a sparkly polka dot vellum overlay for my tag.  The base was blended with Distress Inks in Tumbled Glass, Cracked Pistachio and Mermaid Lagoon … with a concentration of colour in the centre (to go under the snowflake) and a spritz of Shimmer Spray.  I cut the SSS Maryanne Snowflake twice … once in silver foil card and once in white glitter card … layered them up to make a single flake and added a shiny droplet to the centre.  The finished snowflake was adhered to the vellum just in the middle, leaving the ‘arms’ free to be all dimensional.  I die cut the sentiment in silver foil card (again, SSS Joyeux Noël) and fixed it in place underneath the snowflake.  The two tag layers were attached together with multiple strands of silver filament and I threaded a few seed beads onto each end to finish off.  How about a little more detail so you can see all that sparkle and dimension …

If you haven’t already been, do go over to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday to check out all the delicious tags created by the Design Team … you really won’t want to miss them!  I do hope you’re inspired to play along with us this week … just think of all those beautifully wrapped Christmas packages tied up with string … with your gorgeous tags attached to them!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!    Anita 🙂

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A Shower of Love … Over Scribbled Blooms

Hello … bonjour!  A mid week post that isn’t for Time Out (though some of my talented team mates have cards to show you today, so why not pop over!) … yep, it’s unusual.  I wanted to play along with the delightful and lovely Darnell‘s GD spot at Just Us Girls (among others), and Mr Linky will be closing his doors today.  So, here’s my card …

A stitched rectangle (thanks to Claire who sent me a yummy heap), sponged with a delicate meadow of gently splattered soft green, and stamped with a little cloud, heart drops and a sentiment from WPlus9 (I think now retired).  Just look at the way those little drops fell on the meadow … right into the form of a Winnie & Walter love die!  The hearts and die were coated with lashings of Spectrum Noir sparkle and a layer of Glossy Accents … here’s a closer shot so you can see it better …

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

Addicted to Stamps & More – Clean and Simple

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes

Just Us Girls – Shower

Winnie & Walter Colour Combo – See Below

While I’m here, here’s another CAS little pretty …

A white card panel, stamped with a row of WPlus9 leaves and stems, flower heads (masked off where it was needed) made with Circle Scribbles from Papertrey, and a sweet sentiment from Avery Elle.  A scattering of clear drops act as dew, as does Glossy Accents in the centre of each bloom.  The panel is popped up on craft foam on the card base.

This is heading over to …

Addicted to Stamps & More – Clean and Simple

Happy Little Stampers CAS – Flower

Less Is More – Tropical Fruit Colours

Uniko – Flowers

Hope you’ve been having a happy week … and have had chance to get crafty!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

    

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Spritz, Splatters, Dots and Stripes!

Hello … bonjour … bon dimanche!  Today, I have a few cards to share, inspired by plenty of different challenges (badges at the bottom), so I’ll keep the chat short and sweet!  First in the line up, a delicate little libellule (dragonfly … isn’t it pretty in French!) …

A base card, masked, sponged with Distress Inks, spritzed with Shimmer Spray and white heat embossed with a WPlus9 sentiment.  A white panel splattered with Distress Inks, split and popped up over it, with the lower part stamped with a secondary sentiment (from the same WPlus9 set). A Clearly Besotted libellule, cut in vellum (shimmered) and white, hovers over the ‘water’ as the sun glints on the scattering of rainstones.  Here’s a detail shot …

She’s flying off to …

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes … No Bloom Option

SSS Wednesday – Splatter It

SSS Work It Wednesday – Add Some Sparkle

Next on stage, a bright, summery, almost one layer little pretty …

The flower is from a lovely fresh set from WPlus9, it’s stamped direct onto the card base, and has had white highlights and glossy accents added to dress it up for a party (it is a birthday card after all!).  It’s grounded on a strip of white highlighted striped washi, under which sits a WPlus9 sentiment, and has been very delicately splattered with Distress Ink.  This is appearing at …

Happy Little Stampers CAS – Flower

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes … No Tie One On Option

SSS Wednesday – Splatter It

Uniko – Flower

Third in the spotlight, a ray of sunshine …

You may be thinking this looks familiar … and you’d be right.  When this card was made, it was ultra clean and embellishment free … this second one (started at the same time) has put on it’s party outfit … now it glows!  The extra’s include an ombre sponged sentiment, all shimmered up, lots of splattery party confetti, and jewels in the form of Lucy’s Little Things (thanks, Judith!).  This is partying at …

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes … No Tie One On Option

SSS Wednesday – Splatter It

Finally, after all that sunshine, a cool, fresh, calm card to finish …

A white panel, stamped with a Papertrey Ombre Builders background in grey, two Concord & 9th leaves, die cut from a piece of smooshed-with-greens watercolour card, and adhered flat, and a sentiment from SSS.  The panel was popped up on craft foam on the base.  This is joining in at …

Curtain Call – Inspiration below

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes … No Bloom Option

Muse – Anything Goes

That’s it from me for now … hope your weekend has been a happy one.  Thanks so much for spending some time with me … your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

           

             

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