Distressed Field Flowers

When I saw the challenge at Friday Mashup, I couldn't wait to have a go.  Luckily, it's a 4-day weekend for me, so I have lots of stamping time!  The challenge is to used lined paper or make a distressed project or mash it up and do both.  I've mashed it up and came up with this:

The layout was inspired by last week's sketch challenge at Paper Players.  I used a retired DSP called Notebook and I'm ashamed to admit this was the first time I've used it! I stamped the flower from Field Flowers onto the DSP then overstamped with various images from French Foliage in Crumb Cake ink.   After distressing the edges, I sponged Crumb Cake ink around the edges to vintage it up a bit.

The left hand side of the card base was stamped using French Foliage images and crumb cake ink and all edged were sponged.  The banner was done in the same manner as the main image.  The old spiral punch created an office-y edge as did the paperclip from the Clips Assortment.

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Field Flowers; French Foliage; Memorable Moments
Cardstock:  Crumb Cake; Perfect Plum; Basic Black; Notebook DSP
Ink:  Crumb Cake; Perfect Plum; Old Olive
Accessories:  Lacy Brocade EF; Spiral Punch; sponge; Clips Assortment

Edited to Add:  This card was chosen for a Glamette award at Friday Mashup!

Cheers
Karren

Get Well Soon, Quin

My 6-year old niece Quin broke her arm on Thursday, so of course I had to make her a card.  This card is uses the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches and the color challenge at Color Throwdown.

I had just received an order from SU which contained Delightful Dozen and as this is my favorite image in the set (love that font!), it was quite fortuitous that I had to made a Get Well card so soon.  Not so fortuitous for my wee niece though who now has several weeks of wearing a cast :(

I used one of the heart framelits to cut the heart then the scalloped heart from Hearts a Flutter framelits for the Chocolate Chip heart.  I deliberately set the sentiment off-center so the rolled rose and leaves would fit on the heart.

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Delightful Dozen
Cardstock:  Whisper White; Primrose Petals; Raspberry Ripple; Chocolate Chip; 2012-14 In Color DSP
Ink:  Chocolate Chip
Accessories:  Delicate Designs EF; Lacy Brocade EF; Little Leaves Sizzlet; Hearts a Flutter Framelits; Hearts Framelits; 1 1/4" circle punch; Basic Pearls

Cheers
Karren

Bunny Baskets

So it appears as if I haven't quite finished with the bunny images!  I made a couple of little baskets for my boys using this tutorial from Beth Rush.

I'm also using these baskets for the challenge this week at Just Add Ink, which is to Just Add Bunnies.

I started out with 6" x 6" pieces of Wild Wasabi and Pacific Point cardstock to make these little baskets.  I deliberately kept them plain because, well, they're for boys and they probably won't appreciate them anyway, let alone if I gussied them up any!

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Everybunny; Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock:  Wild Wasabi; Pacific Point; Watercolor
Ink:  Black Stazon; Pool Party; Pacific Point; Sahara Sand; Wild Wasabi
Accessories:  Large Tag Punch; silver brads; Simply Scored

Edited to Add:  These little baskets received an Honorable Mention at Just Add Ink this week!

Cheers
Karren

CCMC245 Sketch Challenge

Well, I'm sad to say this is my last card as a member of the Thursday Challenge Team at Create with Connie & Mary.  I've had great fun and it was made easy knowing the challenges would always be high quality.  Thanks Connie and Mary for the opportunity!

So my last challenge is a sketch challenge.

For my card, I've used lots of goodies from the Spring Catalog to create a birthday card for my mother.  I have to say that this is my most favorite card I've ever made and it's fitting it's for my mother as she is the one who got me into stamping in the first place!  I always feel I have to do something a little bit special when I make cards for her and my dad.  I hope she'll like this card, cos I sure do!

I colored the flower trim by first smooching them in the inkpad, then painting the uncolored bits with ink and an aquapainter.  I deliberately left a few unpainted spots to add to the shabbiness of the card.  The base is Whisper White and on top of that is a piece of Pool Party Core'dinations cardstock run through the Honeycomb EF and lightly sanded.  The scalloped piece is also Core'dinations cardstock but left unsanded.  The love ticket comes from the Artisan Embellishment Kit and the new Designer Brads finish off the card.

Thanks so much for joining me on my journey with Create with Connie & Mary.  I'll now go back to playing along with the challenges as often as I can.  Head on over there and check out the other fantastic cards from the Challenge Team.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Cardstock:  Whisper White; Pool Party Core'dinations; Primrose Petals Co-ordinations; Old Olive; 2012-14 In Color DSP
Ink:  Primrose Petals
Accessories:  Basic Pearls; Honeycomb EF; Delicate Designs EF; Large Scallops Edgelits; Big Designer Brads; Little Leaves Sizzlet; Itty Bitty Circle Punch; Artisan Embellishment Kit; Paper Doily; Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon; Flower Trim

Cheers
Karren

Bunny Baby

As you can tell from my blog post title, I'm still on the bunny cards!  As a concession though, this time the card is not an Easter card, but a baby card.  I'm using it for the challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch which is a pocket card.  My "pocket" is the eggshell that the baby bunny is sitting in.  Cunning ploy, no?

I used a technique that has been floating around the internet lately.  I don't know what it's called and I don't really know how to use it but I white-embossed my image, then colored it in using Whisper White ink.  After that dried, I colored the image using a blender pen and inkpads.

I tossed up whether to white emboss the sentiment or stamp it in Chocolate Chip and I was too scared to ruin the card by embossing it, so Chocolate Chip it is.

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Everybunny; Sweet Essentials
Cardstock:  Crumb Cake
Ink:  Versamark; Whisper White; Baja Breeze; Pink Pirouette; Chocolate Chip; Riding Hood Red
Accessories:  White EP; Blender Pen

Cheers
Karren

Another Bunny Card!

I really think I'm going to have to start sending Easter cards as this is about the third one I've made this year!  I just can't keep away from Everybunny - such a cute, cute set and I don't normally do cute.

Anyway, this card covers the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches, the color challenge at Still AddINKtive and the inspiration photo at Stampin' Royalty.  I used the color part of the challenge at Still AddINKtive but I do hope to try my hand at my first round card using this sketch at some stage.

I stamped the girl bunny onto Shimmery White paper and colored her in using blender pen and inkpads.  If you look closely, you can see the Rich Razzleberry eggs and the scalloped hem on her dress.  Apologies to all Rich Razzleberry fans, but it would have to be my most disliked color - my eye twitches when I see it LOL.  The sentiment is from the Easter Blossoms set which retired a while ago.  I used the Elegant Bouquet folder on the Whisper White panel to break up the expanse of white.  The flower trim (love that stuff!) was dyed using Pretty in Pink re-inker and water in a mister.

Here are the challenge graphics:

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted):

Stamps:  Everybunny; Easter Blossoms
Cardstock:  Old Olive; Whisper White
Ink:  Pretty in Pink; Rich Razzleberry; Basic Black; Old Olive
Accessories:  Going Grey marker; Soft Suede marker; flower trim; oval nesties; Elegant Bouquet EF

Cheers
Karren

Edited to Add:  This card was a Top Pick at Still AddINKtive this week!  Thanks guys!

CCMC244 Color Challenge

Hi all.  Today is color challenge time at Create with Connie & Mary.  The colors we have for your viewing pleasure today are:

And my card using these colors:

You just have to take my word for it that there is some Marina Mist on this card!  I sponged Marina Mist down the bottom and Not Quite Navy on the top of the panel, after masking the moon with a circle punch-out.  When I finished with the blues, I carefully sponged in some Daffodil Delight for the moon.  Then I stamped the image from Serene Silhouettes using Black Stazon.  The sentiment comes from the Bring on the Cake set.

Head on over to see what the rest of the Challenge Team have done with these colors.

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Serene Silhouettes; Bring on the Cake
Cardstock:  Whisper White
Ink:  Marina Mist; Not Quite Navy; Daffodil Delight
Accessories:  Sponges

Cheers
Karren

Bunny Balloon

I've had fun making cards over the weekend, this was the third one I made in one day - which is unusual for me!  This card is for the challenge at SUO Challenges, which is to make an Easter or Spring card and the sketch challenge at Sketch Frenzy Friday.

Even though I don't send Easter cards, I just love this Everybunny set.  I stamped the balloon image onto watercolor paper twice and colored in with blender pen and ink.  I then punched out one image using the 2 1/2" circle punch and cut out the balloon only from the second image, which was then adhered to the main image.

The flowers are left over from a dye-ing session I had earlier today where I dyed some flower trim using water and Lucky Limeade reinker in a spritzer bottle.

I think this card would have looked so much better with the Clouds Embossing Folder but alas, I don't have it (yet!).

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Everybunny
Cardstock:  Very Vanilla; Watercolor; Festival of Prints DSP; Lucky Limeade
Ink:  Lucky Limeade; Daffodil Delight; Island Indigo; Soft Suede; Going Gray; Black Stazon
Accessories:  Flower Trim

Cheers
Karren

Edited to Add:  This card was a top pick at SUO Challenges this week.  Thanks guys!

Chalkboard Banners

Hi, this is my second post today. This card covers three challenges:  the Friday Mashup which is to use the chalkboard technique or two or more stamp sets; Dynamic Duos which is So Saffron and Basic Black and the Still AddINKtive Spot that Set Challenge, which is either Hearts A Flutter or Secret Garden.  So after that introduction, here's my card:

I white-embossed two banners from Hearts A Flutter and the banner from Affection Collection as well as the Love and always words from Affection Collection.  I drew a border using a white pencil then sponged Whisper White ink onto the black cardstock.  I layered this using dimensionals onto a plain So Saffron card base.  Two white bakers twine bows topped with rhinestones finished off the card.

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Hearts A Flutter; Affection Collection
Cardstock:  So Saffron; Basic Black
Ink:  Whisper White
Accessories:  white pencil; white bakers twine; basic rhinestones; white EP

Cheers
Karren

Edited to Add:  This card was a Glamette card at Friday Mashup this week.  Thanks guys!

CAS Clockworks

I saw the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch when it was posted and while I was at work an idea popped into my head and until I got it out of my head and onto paper, I knew I wasn't going to be able to make anything else!

Anyway, while my card doesn't stick faithfully to the sketch, it's definitely inspired by the sketch.

I stamped the background image in Pool Party stamped off, then stamped the clock and hands images full strength.  I couldn't decide whether to put the sentiment above or below the ribbon, and it eventually ended up above as you can see.  The brad and ribbon finish off this very CAS card.

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Clockworks
Cardstock:  Whisper White
Ink:  Pool Party
Accessories:  Pool Party SAB ribbon; In Color Brad

Cheers
Karren

Hope is...

I've combined the "Just Add Green" challenge at Just Add Ink with the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches and come up with a card for a friend who is going through a particularly rough patch at the moment.

This card uses a really old set called Hope Is.  I've used Lucky Limeade for my green and Basic Black for all my layers.  For my flowers, I used the gorgeous flower trim and spritzed them with some Lucky Limeade reinker and water.  I love how they've come out!

The only thing not SUO in this card is the embossing folder, which I got in a pack of 6 from a local cheapo store.

Here's the sketch for this week:

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Stamps:  Hope Is
Cardstock:  Whisper White; Basic Black; Lucky Limeade
Ink:  Basic Black;
Accessories:  Lucky Limeade reinker; Flower Trim; Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon; 2011-13 In Color DSP; In Color Brad; Craft Creations EF.

Cheers
Karren

CCMC243 Sketch Challenge

Hi and welcome to another sketch challenge at Create with Connie & Mary.  This week we have a cool square sketch.  I love square cards!  I think it comes from being a bean-counter - I love the symmetry!

Here's the sketch:

And here's what I did with it:

Funny story about this card.  I'm not the most patient of people and after I covered my leaf with Crystal Effects, I made myself walk away for a couple of hours.  When I came back I stuck my finger in the leaf to see if it was dry yet.  Well, you guessed it - a lovely fingerprint worthy of CSI analysis!  Hence the button, which I hope doesn't look too out of place.

There's lots of distressing and sponging going on with this card.  I used a favorite set French Foliage and  the soon-to-be-retired SAB set Feeling Sentimental for the sentiment.

Thanks for dropping by.  The rest of the challenge team have come up with some fantastic creations using this sketch, so why don't you give it a go as well?

Products used:

Stamps:  French Foliage; Feeling Sentimental
Cardstock:  Soft Suede; Very Vanilla; Crumb Cake; First Edition DSP
Ink:  Soft Suede; Cherry Cobbler; Crumb Cake
Accessories:  Sponges; Distressing Tool; Crystal Effects; Naturals Button; Linen Thread

Cheers
Karren

Bunny Walk

I took some time after dinner tonight to make another card - this time for CAS(E) This Sketch and the cue card challenge at CASology.

I've had this retired set for some time and tonight is the first time I've used it.  There are some really cute images in this set and I decided to use the bunny image to meet the cue card at CASology which is, wait for it, bunny.

I die-cut the Modern Landscape die and embossed the sentiment on the Island Indigo layer.  I stamped and colored my bunny then cut him out and popped him up on Dimensionals. Some Pool Party SAB ribbon and the card is done.  A fun little card.

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated):

Stamps:  Picnic Parade
Cardstock:  Whisper White; Island Indigo
Ink:  Whisper White; Brilliance Black;
Accessories:  Copic Markers; White EP; Memory Box Modern Landscape Die; Pool Party SAB Ribbon.

Cheers
Karren

Quin's 6th Birthday Card

Today's card is for the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches (BTW lovin' the new look!) and the color challenge at Just Add Ink.

I needed a birthday card for my niece who is having her 6th birthday party tomorrow.  Now the idea in my head didn't translate too well and I'm not even sure this is what a 6 year old would like to see on their card, but I have no time to make another one.

I wanted to keep the card clean so I went for a white-on-white look.  I used the clouds and the die-cut name instead of the horizontal panel as per the sketch.  Unfortunately in my haste to make the card more girly, I got a tad carried away with the Dazzling Details.  It looks good on the Bashful Blue balloon, not so good on the Raspberry Ripple balloon and downright ugly on the little flower.  Most likely before I give Quin the card, I'll replace the little flower with a glitter-less version LOL.

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Up, Up and Away
Cardtock:  Whisper White; Raspberry Ripple
Ink:  Raspberry Ripple; Bashful Blue; Early Espresso
Accessories:  Dazzling Details; Serif Big Shot Die; Itty Bitty Punches; Basic Pearl

Cheers
Karren

CCMC242 Color Challenge

Hi and welcome to another color challenge with Create With Connie & Mary.  The colors this week are all from the 2012-14 In Color range and I have to admit I had a challenge working with them together.  My first two attempts will never see the light of day, but I'm reasonably happy with this final attempt.

I ended up going back to my old stand-by of a white background.  From there I stamped the Hello, Doily stamp and embossed in white EP.  I sponged Primrose Petals in the middle and Raspberry Ripple towards the edges.  A Designer Builder Brad with some Summer Starfuit DSP and a matching sentiment finish the card.

In case you're interested, I created a negative mask of the Hello, Doily image to keep my sponging where I wanted it to go.  That gave the nice crisp edge to the sponging.

Here's a graphic of the challenge colors.  Check out the awesome creations from the rest of the challenge team and have a go yourself.

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Hello, Doily; Made for You
Cardstock:   Raspberry Ripple; Whisper White; Print Poetry DSP
Ink:  Primrose Petals; Raspberry Ripple; Summer Starfruit; Versamark
Accessories:  White EP; Designer Builder Brads; Sponges

Cheers
Karren

Hello Eleanor

Hi, here's a card for the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches and the challenge at The Friday Mashup which was to make a baby card or make a card using Pool Party, Real Red, So Saffron and a neutral.

As you can see, I didn't make a baby card, but I did use the colors and made this card:

It took a while to come up with this card.  I went into my craft room and tried to make a card, but it wasn't coming together so I gave up and took the dog for a walk.  When I came back I tried again and this is the result.

I used Everything Eleanor and Oh, Hello.  I've taken to my Oh, Hello stamp with a craft knife and cut off the Oh part because I can't see where I would ever use Oh, Hello together and it's easier than just inking up the Hello part.

I think my flowers are a little bit too high.  I was aiming for the "sweet spot" but I think a centimetre down the page would have made a big difference.  Oh well, Mono Multi sticks too good to be trying to move those flowers now LOL.

Thanks for looking.  Best wishes to Tui on her exciting nursing adventure!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Everything Eleanor, Oh Hello
Cardstock:  Whisper White; Subtles DSP; Real Red
Ink:  Real Red; Pool Party
Accessories:  Dotted Scallop Border Punch; Pool Party Seam Binding; Basic Pearls

Cheers
Karren