Whisking

Hi and welcome!  Today's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches was designed by Narelle Farrugia.  I went a touch rogue but did sort of include all the elements of the sketch - just in different shapes!

As soon as I saw the Spellbinders baking series by Tina Smith, I wanted it.  You know me and anything miniature...  This is the first card I've made with it.  I stuck to a fairly limited colour scheme and assembled the die-cut elements.  The background is the embossing folder which I lightly inked with white ink.

I arranged the die-cut elements to match the sketch as closely as I could (the mixer and beaters are the top two circles, the cord is the foliage (albeit on the wrong side); the mixing bowl is the third circle; the measuring cups are the bottom circle and the cookies are the foliage at the bottom) 😄

Thanks so much for visiting.  Please check out how the rest of the DT stuck more closely to the sketch than me!

I'm playing along with Addicted to Stamps and More's Birthday challenge

Products used:

Stamps: Sugared Expressions (Spellbinders)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Unicorn White (Hero Arts), Hazelnut (Altenew)

Cardstock: White, In The Buff, Eiffel Tower (MFT), Bellini (Spellbinders), Guava (Lawn Fawn), silver mirror foil

Dies: Magic Mixer, Measure Mates (Spellbinders)

Accessories: Confection Companions Embossing Folder (Spellbinders), Corner Chomper

Cheers

Karren

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Birthday Circles

Hi, I'm here with my card for this week's colour challenge over at Card Challenges. I'm also playing along with the current Inskpirational challenge, where I was inspired by the repeating circles in the top right image and pastel colours in the bottom right image.  

The challenge colours threw me for a bit until I re-read the blog post and decided to pastel-ise the colours a bit more.  So I found softer tones of the challenge colours and then used a MFT circle stencil to stencil them onto the left hand side of a white panel.  I deliberately softened the ink-blending as I got near the top of each circle to add to the feel.  Once I'd finished with the circles I stamped some mini splatters onto each circle, using the stencil for the smaller circles to keep the splatter inside the ink-blending.  

I then stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set and mounted it onto a mat in a cardstock colour that most closely matched the pink ink.  Because I like the look of the black against the soft colours, I added some black enamel dots and a black enamel heart.

Thanks so much for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps: Mini Messages & More (MFT)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Saltwater Taffy, Broken China, Shaded Lilac, Evergreen Bough Distress Inks

Cardstock: White, Dahlia (Spellbinders)

Dies: A2 Stitched Rectangle Stax 1 & 2 (MFT)

Accessories: Basic Shapes: Circles stencil (MFT), Enamel Dots

Cheers

Karren

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Flower Barrel

Hi and welcome!  Today's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches was designed by Michele Ferguson.  I was originally going to create an arch as in the sketch but then found this NBUS die set from Spellbinders and thought the barrel would be a great substitute.

I went with a dark background and embossed it with a brick embossing folder before adhering the panel to a card base.  I then added a kraft coloured pierced frame.  All the die-cut elements for the focal point were die-cut with white cardstock and ink-blended with Altenew inks or Distress Inks.  The foliage was already ink-blended and I have no idea what inks I used!

After arranging the flowers and foliage, I found a pre-foiled sentiment and decided that this card would make a suitable sympathy card.

As an afterthought - I was just previewing this post before publishing and I looked at the card with the sympathy sentiment and immediately thought "body in a barrel" along the lines of my favourite TV serial killer Dexter, so maybe I need to replace the sentiment with something a little more appropriate 😱😁

Thanks for visiting.  The DT have created some gorgeous cards so please check them out.

Products used:

Ink: Orange Sorbet, Apricot Frost, Canyon Clay, Pastel Sunrise, Mocha, various green inks (Altenew), Scorched Timber, Gathered Twigs Distress Inks

Cardstock: White, Black, Dark Chocolate (Altenew), Paper Bag (Lawn Fawn)

Dies: Rustic Garden, Hexi-Gem Sentiments (Spellbinders), Chocolate Flowers (Altenew), Lovely Layers: Mini Fall Florals (Honey Bee Stamps), Pierced Rectangle Frames (MFT)

Accessories:  Gold hot foil, Rustic Brick Wall EF (Honey Bee Stamps), shimmer spray

Cheers

Karren

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High Top Birthday

Hi and welcome!  Today's card uses the sketch over at Card Challenges as well as the Green/Gold colour combo at Color Hues, the green die challenge at Just Us Girls and the stencils or dies challenge at Just Add Ink, where I used dies but not stencils.

Seeing the new Spellbinders club dies reminded me I had this die set from many years ago, so out it came and I had fun making some green, slightly grubby high-tops.  I die-cut the elements, added some ink-blending to dirty them up and put them together.  I used gold for the eyelets and the stars and then I also added some white thread for the laces.

I embossed a black panel with the Quilted embossing folder and adhered that to a white card base.  I then added a thin strip of gold foil and the sentiment.  Finally I propped up the shoes with foam tape.

Thanks for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps: Be Original, Birdie Brown Greetings Galore (MFT)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Morning Frost, Reindeer Moss (Altenew)

Cardstock: White, Black, Reindeer Moss (Altenew) Matte Gold Foil

Dies: All-Star High Top (MFT)

Accessories: White twine, Quilted Embossing Folder (Tim Holtz)

Cheers

Karren

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Edited to Add:  This card got a shout-out at Just Us Girls

Coffee

Hi and welcome!  I'm this week's sketch hostess over at Freshly Made Sketches and I decided to add a tag to the sketch.  I love the look of tags, but don't often think to use them so this was my chance.  However, the card I had in mind when I designed the sketch ain't nuttin' like the finished product!

I was playing around with vellum and alcohol inks and did a whole sheet in browns, grays, black and touches of mixative, finishing off with some gold foil I placed down onto the tacky ink.  Once it was dry, I adhered it to a sheet of double-sided adhesive paper and then die-cut a card-based size with a stitched edge die.  That set me on the path to making a coffee-themed card. I adhered that onto a white card base and then added a strip of kraft.  I took a smaller strip of kraft and embossed it with the Burlap embossing folder, edging it with black before adding that to the larger kraft strip.

For the tag, I stamped the sentiment, leaving enough room for the die-cut coffee cup and then added the tag topper and some linen thread.

Thanks so much for visiting.  Please check out the FMS blog and see how the DT have interpreted my sketch - they'll be fabulous for sure!

Products used:

Stamps: Teach, Sleep, Repeat (MFT)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, various alcohol and alcohol pearl inks, alcohol mixatives (Time Holtz)

Cardstock: White, Black, Ivory (Gina K), Desert Storm (Neenah), Vellum paper

Dies:  Blueprints 25, Stitched Traditional Tag Stax, Die Cuts & Scraps (MFT), Tag Sale 5 (PTI)

Accessories:  Linen thread, Burlap EF (Honey Bee Stamps)

Cheers

Karren

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Colourful Leaves

Hi all!  I'm playing along with this week's colour challenge over at Card Challenges.  I'm trying hard to play along every week to get me back into the swing of challenges and making cards just for the fun of it and not for any DT deadlines.  This week's colours threw me for a bit but when I decided to go for some unrealistic leaves and came up with this card.

I chose the closest match to the challenge colours from cardstock and die-cut multiple leaves using the Leafy Greenery set.  I then arranged them across the top of a white card base and topped it with a previously embossed strip of black cardstock.  I actually got a little glue on the top so to cover that up, I added another strip - this time some yellow. Shhh - I won't tell if you don't 😉

I thought a big, bold sentiment would work with this layout so used the Because die backed with another black die-cut and a yellow one very slightly offset.  I stamped the sentiment because *this world* (rolls eyes) and added some blue pearls to finish.

Thanks so much for visiting.

Products used:

Stamps: Because You (MFT)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock: White, Black, Beeswax, Carrot, Fern, Cosmic Sky (Spellbinders)

Dies: Leafy Greenery, Because (MFT)

Accessories: Window Slats EF (Altenew), Pacific Northwest Pearls (Honey Bee Stamps)

Cheers

Karren

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Tag Wishes

Hi, I’m here with my card for the new challenge at Tic Tac Toe Challenge. I chose to work with the first column - Circles/Layering/Neutral Colours.

This card was simple to put together. A cover plate, neutral colours and a double tag.

I finished with an enamel heart and some baker’s twine.

Thanks for visiting.

Products used:

Stamps: Mini Messages & More (MFT)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock: Fog, Slate (SSS), Black, White

Dies: Happy Circles Panel Die (Waffle Flower), Tiny Tags (SSS)

Accessories: Enamel Heart (Altenew), Baker's Twine

Cheers

Karren

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Toadstool Notes

Hi, I'm here with my not-very-clean card for the latest challenge at Freshly Made Sketches where our hostess is Cecile Ribon.  This card started out when I found a roll of collage tissue paper in my stash.  I decided to have a play and make a panel with scrunched up tissue paper, adhered to cardstock and then spritzed and ink-blended to vintage it up a little.  I then got caught up in the moment and it turned into my FMS card.  Apologies to the team for the vintage-y, distressed appearance. 

I found the toadstools already ink-blended and assembled so then I created the clipboard, which is just so cute and fun!  I made the clip of the clipboard by spritzing a piece of Desert Storm cardstock with Antiqued Bronze distress spray stain and letting it dry.  It gave it a nice, aged metallic look without using foil cardstock.

The vellum was torn on three sides to match the sketch and I added a sentiment which was stamped with black onto white then I clear heat-embossed over the whole thing to give it a true Dymo tape look.

Thanks for visiting.  The DT have created some wonderful (cleaner) cards so I hope you'll check them out.

Products used:

Stamps:  Faded Type, Mini Muse (Tim Holtz), Winter Herbarium (The Greetery), Best Sentiments (Altenew)

Ink: Obsidian (Altenew), Hickory Smoke, Gathered Twigs, Old Paper Distress Oxide, Walnut Stain Distress Ink, Versamark

Cardstock: Neenah Desert Storm, White, Paper Bag (Lawn Fawn), Vellum, Tissue Wrap (Tim Holtz), Off the Grid patterned paper (MFT)

Dies: Vault Noteworthy (Tim Holtz), Botanicals toadstood Garden (The Greetery)

Accessories: Salvaged Patina Distress Oxide Spray, Scorched Timber, Antiqued Bronze Distress Spray Stain, Clear Embossing Powder.

Cheers

Karren

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Up In The Air

A quick post tonight as I managed to sneak in a little bit of time to make a card for the MFT Card Challenges sketch which closes in a few hours.  I'm also joining in with Seize the Birthday Anything Goes (as I wouldn't call this card CAS).  I did take a few liberties with the sketch but you can sort of see it!

I haven't done any Copic colouring for quite some time so I'm quite rusty.  Nevertheless, I quickly coloured up these images and die-cut them.  Onto a white panel I used a couple of stencils and some distress ink to create a background.  I then matted that panel onto a Wild Cherry panel and then onto a white card base.

I added the coloured images with foam tape and finished with some yellow enamel dots.

Thanks so much for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps:  Up In The Air (MFT)

Ink: Amalgam (Gina K.), Rustic Wilderness, Tumbled Glass Distress Inks

Cardstock:  White, Wild Cherry (MFT), X-Press It

Dies: Up In The Air, A2 Rectangle Stax 1 & 2 (MFT)

Accessories:  Copics, Grassy Edges stencil, Micro Cloud Edges stencil (MFT), yellow enamel dots

Cheers

Karren

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Grateful Heart

Hi! My Simon Says Stamp February card kit arrived on Friday and I couldn't wait to have a play with it.  This was my first month subscribing to the kit, but I fell in love with the Artful Palette stencils and dies and had to have it.

I also happened to get around to watching Tim Holtz' latest live and he showcased the kit and the patterned papers.  I took one of his ideas and covered some strips of the patterned paper with packing tape to give a tile look.

I'm normally a CAS card-maker but my roots are in the collage-type of cardmaking from the late 90s, early 00's so it was fun to revisit.  I also dug out some really old embellishments for this card.

I started with a panel of TH kraft cardstock which I embossed with an Altenew clocks/gears embossing folder.  Once that was finished, I ink-blended round the edges with Walnut Stain distress ink and then went over various parts with a Stamperia stencil and the same ink.  I then added a bit of Black Soot to the edges before splattering on some Black Soot Distress Spray Stain and some Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine.  I then set it aside to dry.

After adding packing tape to some strips of cardstock, I chose my stencil and die-cut various pieces.  For the sentiment, I stamped on some Pencil Eraser cardstock with Walnut Stain DOX ink before die-cutting and then adding some Walnut Stain distress ink around the edges.  All the die-cuts apart from the sentiment are adhered straight to the embossed panel.  The sentiment is popped up on foam squares from the kit.

The big round embellishment started out silver so I added some alcohol ink to it to colour it up, more in line with the rest of the card.  The butterflies were die-cut from a scrap of leftover Antiqued Bronze Distress Spray Stain sprayed cardstock and I added some tiny vintage pearls to the centre before popping up their wings.

Thanks for visiting!  This took me all afternoon but it was so much fun just getting messy and playing.

Products used:

Stamps:  Be Your Beautiful Self (SSS)

Ink: Walnut Stain Distress Oxide, Walnut Stain, Black Soot Distress Ink

Cardstock: Kraft (Tim Holtz), Pencil Eraser (Lawn Fawn), Curated Palette Collection (Tim Holtz)

Dies: Artful Palette (SSS)

Accessories: Traces of Yesterday Embossing Folder (Altenew), Daily News stencil (Stamperia), Teakwood alcohol ink, Rose Gold Mixative, Black Soot Distress Stain Spray, Antiqued Bronze Distress Spray Stain, Gold Color Shine (Heidi Swapp), expoxy rose, large grommett, Warm Pearl Stickers (Honey Bee Stamps)

Cheers

Karren

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Butterfly Love

Hi and welcome to the latest sketch from the team at Freshly Made Sketches where our hostess this week is Jen Brum.  I used the sketch to make a soft butterfly card.

The background text is a BetterPress plate inked up with soft brown ink.  I then die-cut the postage edge frame and adhered it to a white card base.

The butterflies were hot foiled, stenciled and die-cut and I chose three for the sketch (one more than the sketch but I like odd numbers). 

I finished with a sentiment chosen to cover as much of the horizontal panel as possible.

Thanks so much for visiting.  I hope you'll check out the rest of the DT's cards - they're gorgeous!

Products used:

Stamps: On The Line: Succulents (Honey Bee Stamps)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Warm Linen (Altenew), Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey, Dried Marigod, Fossilized Amber, Black Soot Distress Inks

Cardstock: White, Black, Alabaster (Spellbinders)

Dies: Small Butterflies hot foil and die (Pink Fresh Studio), Post Edge Expression Press Plate (Spellbinders), Postal Frames (The Greetery)

Accessories: Satin Pewter hot foil

Cheers

Karren

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Heart of Gold

Hi!  I found a little bit of time on Sunday to make a card for the latest challenge at MFT Card Challenges, where they have some lovely Spring colours.  As we're nearing the end of summer here in New Zealand, I didn't go with a Spring theme but used the colours for some emboss-resist with my favourite background stamp - Roses All Over.

When I opened up my stamp packet, I already had these three strips embossed onto white, so I just had to do some ink-blending.  I couldn't find an ink colour to match the first colour in the challenge so went with the next three colours and used my closest cardstock approximation for the strip under the sentiment.

I also white heat-embossed the Romantic Script background stamp onto my white card base for some subtle texture.

Finally I finished with some enamel dots and a couple of enamel hearts.

Thanks for visiting.

Products used:

Stamps: Roses All Over, Romantic Script, Essential Sentiments (MFT

Ink: Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black, Wisteria, Aloe Vera, Pool (Altenew)

Cardstock: White, Something Blue (MFT)

Dies: Vertical Stitched Strips (MFT), 

Accessories: White EP, corner rounder, enamel dots and hearts (Altenew)

Cheers

Karren

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Mouse Love

Hi all and welcome!  It's time for another sketch from the team at Freshly Made Sketches and this week our hostess is Verena Shapiro.

I wasn't going to buy these dies even though they are so goddamned cute, because I thought they would have limited use and my craft room is already too full!  But then I caved and they arrived last week.  I made this card straightaway, keeping the mice in black, white and grey and just adding a pop of colour with the chocolate box.

The kraft cardstock is embossed with the Subtle embossing folder to add a bit of interest, but I deliberately wanted to keep everything neutral apart from the chocolates, so no scene in the background.  The oval was the perfect size for the sketch and provides some grounding for the mice.

I finished with a simple sentiment.

Thanks for visiting! I hope you'll check out the fabulous cards made by the rest of the design team.

Products used:

Stamps: #Hashtags (Tim Holtz)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Aged Mahogany Distress Ink

Cardstock: White, Black, Fog (SSS), Dove (C&9), Neutral Kraft Stock (Tim Holtz)

Dies: Classic Mouse Duo, Classic Mouse Love (Spellbinders), Oval Shadows (MFT)

Accessories: Subtle EF (SU)

Cheers

Karren

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Flowering Column

Hi and welcome! Another card made during my long weekend! This time for the Altenew Inspiration Challenge.  I had to pull out my new-favourite flower dies again and make this card.

After die-cutting everything from white, I did some ink-blending in the challenge colours before arranging in a vertical arrangement.  Onto a white card base, I added a panel of Morning Frost cardstock backed by a thin strip of rose gold matte foil (to bring in another element from the photo).

I adhered all the elements down and then stamped the greeting, finally finishing with some enamel dots.

Thanks for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps: Craft Your Life: Bewitching Rose (Altenew)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Apricot Frost, Coastal Haze, Misty Harbor, Morning Frost, Evening Gray (Altenew)

Cardstock:  White, Morning Frost (Altenew), Rose Gold Matte Foil

Dies:  Craft A Flower: Garden Cosmos (Altenew)

Accessories: Tea Party Enamel Dots (Altenew)

Cheers

Karren

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