Geometric Patterns

Welcome!  Today's card is my last card as April Guest Designer at Just Us Girls Challenge.  I've had a great time this month and really enjoyed playing along with the four different challenges.  I absolutely loved the inspiration photo this week.  Check it out:

So much to choose from!  I narrowed my choices to the geometric patterns on the walls and the vased and the color of the flowers to come up with my card.  And I filmed my card as I was making it - check out the video below.

I stamped three background stamps onto scraps of white cardstock using Versafine Onyx Black ink and then die-cut them with the pierced square frame die.  After stamping the flower onto X-Press It cardstock, I colored it with Copics and added some light pencil touches at the end.  The sentiment was white-embossed onto black cardstock and die-cut with a slanted sentiment strips die.

Then I spent forever trying to decide whether to have the frames straight, or at an angle.  I had to cut that out of the video because this card took me 58 minutes from start to finish!  If you want to see the process, you can head over to YouTube or watch below.

I'd like to thank the JUGS team for inviting me to join them this month.  Please head on over and check out the fabulous cards made by the DT and have a go yourself!  I can't wait to see the gallery!

I'm linking this card to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge, as well as Tic Tac Toe (Floral, Free, Thanks) and 4 Crafty Chicks CAS challenge.

Products used:

Stamps:  From All of Us (Clearly Besotted), Geometric Greenery, Houndstooth, Marbled (MFT), Tribal Stripes (Hero Arts)

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark, Black Licorice Hybrid (MFT)

Cardstock:  White, Black, X-Press It

Dies:  From All of Us (CB), Pierced Square Frames, Slanted Sentiment Strips (MFT)

Accessories:  Copics, Prismacolors

Cheers

Karren

Edited to Add:  This card got a shout out at 4 Crafty Chicks and Tic Tac Toe

Pink Flowers

HI all and welcome to my blog!  It's Fusion time and here is our challenge for the next week and a bit:

I decided to create a fusion and came up with this card using the Many Thanks set by SSS.

I stamped the flowers with various pink inks plus a black centre then cut them with my Scan n Cut.  The card base is very simple, starting with a white top-folding card then two stitched rectangles that were offset before cutting.  After arranging the panels and the flowers, I added a simple "hello" sentiment - in keeping with the phone in the inspiration pic.  Some sparkling clear confetti and my card is done.

Thanks for visiting!  The DT have some gorgeous inspiration for you, so please head on over and check them out.

Products used:

Stamps:  Many Thanks (SSS)
Ink:  Black Licorice Hybrid (MFT), Pink Diamond, Pinkalicious, Rubellite, Bamboo, Parrot (Altenew)
Cardstock:  White, Black
Dies:  Thanks & Hello (MFT)
Accessories:  Sparkling Clear Confetti (PPP)

Cheers
Karren

Under My Umbrella

Hi!  I'm here with a card for the latest challenge at Freshly Made Sketches - hosted by the lovely Amy O'Neill.

As happens frequently, as soon as I saw the sketch I envisaged part of the card - in this case using vellum for the wide horizontal panel.  Once that was in my head, it wasn't budging, so I came up with this card:

This image is from a NBUS set by MFT and I colored up this adorable little girl and the clouds before cutting them out with my Scan n Cut.  I set them aside and took a panel of Bristol Smooth cardstock and some distress inks.  Using my Sunrise Radiating Rays stencil, I sponged on distress inks in an ombre fashion.  Before removing the stencil, I sprayed on some Glitter Dust which gives the rays a lovely shimmer in real life.

The sentiment was stamped in Archival ink onto a piece of thin vellum and both panels were adhered to a white card base.  I attached the vellum by folding it onto the inside and adhering it under the fold.  I added the clouds directly to the vellum and the little girl is popped up on foam tape.  Below is a shot where you can just see the shimmer on the rays.

Thanks so much for visiting.  The DT have made some amazing cards so I hope you have time to check them out!

Products used:

Stamps:  Rain or Shine (MFT)
Ink:  Black Licorice Hybrid, Ranger Archival Black Soot, Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Squeezed Lemonade Distress Inks

Cardstock:  White, X-Press It, Bristol Smooth, Vellum Paper

Accessories:  Glitter Dust, Copics, Sunrise Radiating Rays (MFT)

Cheers

Karren

Remember - Video Blog Hop

***UPDATE***I collated all comments from the YouTube video and this blog post and used random.org to pick a winner. The winner is Julie-Anne Hoffman who commented on this video. Thanks to everyone for their likes and comments - much appreciated!


Hi!  I'm thrilled to be joining in with a group of wonderful card-makers from Australia and New Zealand for the ANZAC Day Friendship Remembrance Video Hop.  This is the brain-child of Therese Calvird and I was thrilled when she asked if I'd be interested in joining.  If you're not sure what ANZAC Day is head on over to Wikipedia for an explanation.

Now, I haven't made a video in nearly a year because I was using my son's Mac to edit the videos and he got sick of me always borrowing his Mac, so I stopped making videos 😭😭  But I'm back and I hope you'll like my card - plus there's a prize as well.  Details at the end of the video and this blog post.

So my original thought when I was contemplating what card to make was to stick with the poppy theme and create a friendship card, but then when I was visiting my mum a few weeks ago, she showed me this new CTMH set and it was just perfect for my card, so my mum very kindly lent it to me.

I started by creating the alcohol ink panel onto Yupo paper using various purple inks.  Once I was finished, I set that aside to dry and worked on the card base.  I stamped the two poppy images in Grout Gray ink across the bottom of the card base, triple stamping because I think my ink pad is getting a bit dry!  The sentiment was stamped in Black Soot Archival Ink.  Originally, I had planned to stamp the soldier directly onto the alcohol ink panel, but it just didn't show up enough, so I stamped him onto white and used my Scan n Cut to cut him out.  He is popped up on foam tape (and conveniently covers up the failed stamped image!)

And that's my card!  You can watch the video here, or over on YouTube. 

Now onto the prize.  Leave a comment either on YouTube or in the comments below.  You don't have to subscribe to either, but it would be appreciated 😉 I'll randomly draw one name to win either a brand new copy of the ANZAC Day stamp set by CTMH or Mama Elephant's Playful Pups stamp and die set (which I inadvertently bought twice!).  I'll ship by airmail post to anywhere in the world.

Thanks so much for visiting!  I appreciate your time.  To start at the beginning of the hop, head on over to Alicia's video, or if you want to go to the next blog on the list, which is the amazing Therese herself,  head here.

Here's a full list of video hop participants in order:

Video Hop List
Alicia – Youtube Video here
Ali F – Youtube Video here
Ali H – Youtube Video here
Dianne – Youtube Video here
Eloise – Youtube Video here
Helen – Youtube Video here
Jo – Youtube Video here
Karren – Youtube Video here
Therese – Youtube Video here

Products used:

Stamps:  ANZAC Day (CTMH)
Inks:  Black Soot Archival Ink, Grout Gray (MFT), Alcohol Inks (Purple Twilight, Cool Peri, Amethyst, Wild Plum, Silver Mixative)
Cardstock:  White, Yupo

Cheers
Karren

Cheers Big Ears

Hi!  I'm here with a card for the current challenge at Addicted to CAS.  I've been wanting to play along with their challenges for an age, but I keep running out of time.  So this weekend, I made sure to make some time to play along with their Bubbles challenge.

Bobby's adorable DT card reminded me I had some wood-mounted Penny Black stamps in my stash, so I went hunting to find one in particular and made this card:

This stamp is quite large so I went with a very simple card as the image is so big.  To not distract from the image but also to add a sentiment, I used the Camouflaged Die-Cut technique, backing the "cheers" die-cut with a stack of black die-cuts to make it pop.

Becuase of the sketchy look to the image, I decided to color it with watercolors - definitely not my strong suit!  The image was stamped with London Fog ink for more of a softer outline.  I die-cut the main panel with a stitched die and adhered it to a black card base.  Finally, I added some sparkling clear confetti to mimic bubbles (out of a closed champagne bottle???)  and painted the foil top with a clear sparkle pen.

Thanks so much for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps:  Lovely Bubbly (Penny Black)

Ink:  Memento London Fog

Cardstock:  Bristol Smooth, Black

Dies:  Cheers, Stitched Rectangle Stax (MFT)

Accessories:  Zig markers, Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Pen, PPP Sparkling Clear Confetti

Cheers

Karren

Purple Mother's Day Posy

Hi and welcome!  It's time for another fun challenge from the team at Just Us Girls and this week we have a color challenge:

I decided to make a Mother's Day card with a purple card base - it's not often I have a non-white card base😄

I stamped some flowers in purple shades and added in one pink flower for interest.  I arranged the flowers with the help of some Press n Seal and set the bouquet to one side while I worked on the rest of the card.  Onto a Boysenberry card base I added a white stitched rectangle frame which was popped up on foam tape.  I then added the bouquet and a white-embossed Mother's Day sentiment.  It was at this point I thought the card base looked too bland so I grabbed my new favorite accessory - Distress Resist Spray and, using a piece of scrap paper to protect the frame, flowers and sentiment, I spritzed the spray over the purple.

I was much happier after doing this, although it was rather hair-raising at the time because it could have completely botched an already finished card 😄  Some black Nuvo drops and I called it done!

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you can carve out some time to make a prominently purple card and add it to the gallery!  In the meantime, head on over and check out the gorgeous cards made by the DT.

I'm linking this card up to the current Altenew challenge as well as Work It Wednesday who are looking for cards honoring mums.

Products used:

Stamps:  Painted Flowers (Altenew), KIS:  Mother's Day (PTI)

Ink:  Versamark, Minty Mint, Sweet Leaf, Soft Lilac, Lavender Fields, Deep Iris, Pink Diamond Pinkalicious (Altenew)

Cardstock:  White, Black, Boysenberry (MFT)

Dies:  Pierced Rectangle Stax, Slanted Sentiment Strips (MFT), Painted Flowers (Altenew)

Cheers

Karren

Alcohol Ink Birthday

Hi and welcome!  It's time for another fabulous sketch from the team at Freshly Made Sketches and this week our hostess is Narelle Farrugia.  And here is Narelle's wonderful sketch.

For my card, I went with a masculine birthday card.

I took a leftover piece of alchol-inked Yupo (left over from this card) and die-cut it with a stitched circle die.  I then die-cut a black circle using the same die.  Onto the black circle I spritzed some Distress Resist Spray then sprinked on some Pewter Perfect Pearl powder.  In the photo it just looks splotchy, but in real life, it has texture and shimmer.

I finished the card with a slanted sentiment strip cut in both black and white and a simple "happy birthday" message.

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you'll check out the rest of the design team's cards - they're fabulous as always!

I'm linking this up to Shopping Our Stash who are looking for masculine cards.

Products used:

Stamps:  KIS:  Happy Birthday (PTI)

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Alcohol Inks

Cardstock:  White, Black, Yupo

Dies:  Inside/Out Stitched Circles, Slanted Sentiment Strips, Stitched Rectangle Stax (MFT)

Accessories:  Distress Resist Spray, Pewter Perfect Pearls, Clear EP

Cheers

Karren

Shaker Hello

Welcome!  Today's card was made on the weekend, using the current MFT Sketch and Color challenges.  And to add a bit of fun, I threw in a shaker for the Just Add Ink challenge 😄

It's hard to see in the photo, but I clear-embossed the Roses All Over stamp onto both the card base and a panel of white cardstock.  On the base, I then blended some distress inks in colors to match the challenge pinks.  On the white panel, I die-cut a circle opening and then put together my shaker, using pinks and yellows as well as clear and marshmallow sequins.

For the top panel, I die-cut two slanted sentiment strips from each of the yellow challenge colors and a pink circle from Cotton Candy.  The 'hello' was die-cut from black and adhered to the pink circle.  And that's it!

Thanks for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps:  Roses All Over (MFT)
Ink:  Versamark, Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry Distress Inks
Cardstock:  White, Black, Cotton Candy, Lemon Chiffon, Lemon Drop
Dies:  Inside/Out Stitched Circles, Thanks & Hello (MFT)
Accessoreis:  Clear EP, Sequins

Cheers
Karren

Edited to Add:  This card got a shout out at Just Add Ink.
http://just-add-ink.blogspot.co.nz/2018/04/just-add-ink-404winners.html

Sympathy Flowers

Hi everyone and thanks for dropping by!  I'm here with my second guest designer card for Just Us Girls Challenge and this week the challenge is right up my alley - check it out:

Yes, black and white stripes, so trendy at the moment! 

For my card, I decided to go with a sympathy card - primarily because that was the sentiment that fit in the space best 😄


I stamped the image onto X-Press It cardstock and colored it with Copics and Prismacolor pencils.  I added some flicks of pencil onto the petal to mimic the veins in the petals but instantly regretted it.  So be it!  I then did some fiddly partial die-cutting with both the image die and a scalloped border die.

Black and white striped paper was added to the bottom of the white card base and the colored image was added on top with foam tape.  I finished with a white-embossed sentiment on a strip of black cardstock.

Thanks so much for visiting!  Be sure to check out what the JUGS design team have done with the challenge and I hope you have time to give this a go yourself.

Products used:

Stamps:  Beautiful Friend, Sweet Little Sentiments (Clearly Besotted)
Ink:  Black Licorice Hybrid, Versamark
Cardstock:  White, X-Press It, Black, B&W Stripes (MFT)
Dies:  Stitched Scallop Basic Edges (MFT), Beautiful Friend (CB)
Accessories:  Copics, Prismacolors, White EP

Cheers
Karren

Welcome Baby

Hi and welcome!  I'm here with a card for the latest Fusion Challenge.

I flipped the sketch to a landscape layout and went with the baby theme and the colors from the photo - even down to the teal color in the lampshade.

For the horizontal strip in the sketch, I used some acetate, cutting a panel out of the card base and replacing it with acetate.  On top of that I adhered a gray polka-dot pierced heart.  The "welcome" was stamped onto the heart and I used an alphabet die for the word "baby".

Finally I added some aqua glitter drops.  All in all, an easy card!

Thanks for visiting.  Head on over and see the gorgeous cards made by the rest of the design team.

Products used:

Stamps:  Pineapple Paradise (SugarPea Designs)

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock:  White, Black, Acetate, Travel Dots & Stripes (Echo Park)

Dies:  Pierced Heart Stax (MFT), Inline Alpha (Altenew)

Accessories:  Nuvu Glitter Drops

Cheers

Karren

Pucker Up

HI and welcome to my blog!  I'm here with a card for the latest challenge at Freshly Made Sketches and this week I have the pleasure of being sketch hostess.

I never have a card in mind when I come up with the sketch, but when I saw this completed sketch, I immediately thought slider card 😃  I ended up going in a different direction, but I really hope someone else sees a slider card in the sketch and creates one!

I saw this stamp set in my NBUS box and when I saw the inspiration photo over at SugarPea Designs, I knew what I wanted to make.  I stamped and colored the images with Copics then cut them with my Scan n Cut.  I added a strip of Peach Bellini cardstock to a white card base, then white-embossed the sentiment onto a strip of Berrylicious cardstock.  I adhered the embossed strip to the right hand side of the peach strip (forgetting that the sketch doesn't have the strip going right to the edge!)

I arranged the images onto the card popping up the front lemon and lemon squeezer with foam tape.  I finished by adding some crystal glaze to the ice cubes and heart.

Thanks for visiting!  The design team have done wonderful things with this sketch, so I hope you'll check them out and give my sketch a try.

As mentioned above, I was inspired by the colors in SugarPea Design's latest challenge and I'm also entering this into Addicted to Stamps and More's Make Your Mark challenge.

Products used:

Stamps:  Pucker Up (SugarPea Designs)

Ink:  Black Licorice Hybrid, Versamark

Cardstock:  White, Peach Bellini, Berrylicious (MFT)

Accessories:  Copics, Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Pen, White EP, Nuvo Crystal Glaze

Cheers

Karren

Edited to Add:  This card got a shout out at SugarPea Designs.

Bold Smile

Hi all!  I'm thrilled to have been invited to be Guest Designer at Just Us Girls for the month of April.  Our first challenge of the month is Bold and there are so many ways you can go with this.

I chose to go with a bold geometric design, bold colors and a bold, black sentiment.

The triangles were cut with the new Triangle Stax die in various (rainbow) colors from MFT Stamps.  The "smile" is stacked three layers high for added dimension.  I didn't add any other embellishments as I thought this was busy enough 😄

Thanks so much for visiting!  Head on over to the blog and check out the cards made by the design team - you'll be so glad you did!  I hope you have time to play along with us.

Products used:

Cardstock:  White, Black, Poppy, Orange Zest, Daffodil, Limelight, Blueberry, Purple Rain (MFT)

Dies:  Triangle Stax, Smile (MFT)

Cheers

Karren