Gilded Leaves

 Hi and welcome!  Today's card was made especially for a few challenges and is the first card I've made that wasn't for a DT commitment for quite some weeks!

I was inspired by the sketch at Just Add Ink, the photo at Inspired By, the colours from Color Hues and the Elegant theme at Time Out Challenges.  (As an aside green and gold were my high school colours so not my favourite combination 😄)

I started with a white card base and then added the white embossed square die-cuts as well as the strip of white which was dry embossed with the Subtle embossing folder.  

For the leaves, I die-cut them from two different shades of green and then added Gilded Foundry Wax to the ends before heat-setting.  I arranged those on the card base and then added a stacked black hot-foiled sentiment.  

It was at this point I thought it looked a bit stark, so added two thin slivers of gold foil on either side of the vertical panel.  Finally, I finished with some green enamel dots and a heart.

Thanks for visiting!

Products used:

Cardstock:  White, Gold Foil, Prickly Pear, Jellybean Green (MFT)

Dies:  Leaf Mix (Altenew), Wonderful Sentiments (Pink Fresh), Embossed Squares (Kat Scrappiness)

Accessories:  Black hot foil, Subtle Embossing Folder (SU), Gilded Foundry Wax (Tim Holtz), Enamel Dots (Altenew and WPlus9)

Cheers

Karren

Edited to Add:  This card got a shout-out at Color Hues.

Hello Friend

Hi!  Today's card was made using the inspiration photo from Inspired By All The Little Things and I'm also playing along with the Make Your Own Background challenge at Simon Says Stamp.  I was also inspired by the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch - flipping the sketch to a landscape orientation.

I created my own woodgrain background by scoring some white cardstock, then rubbing various distress inks over the panel.  Once it was dry, I die-cut it with a stitched die and adhered it to a white card base.

I glued some fun foam behind some gold foil cardstock and some Sno Cone cardstock then die-cut the sentiments.  The flowers were stamped with Altenew inks and die-cut.  The bottom flower was adhered directly to the woodgrain and the top flower was popped up on foam tape.

Thanks for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps:  Painted Flowers (Altenew)

Ink:  Pink Diamond, Pinkalicious, Bamboo, Parror (Altenew), Antique Linen, Old Paper, Pumice Stone Distress Inks

Cardstock:  White, Gold Foil, Sno Cone (MFT)

Dies:  Thanks & Hello, Friend, Blueprints 25 (MFT), Painted Flowers (Altenew)

Accessories:  Craft Foam

Cheers

Karren

Red, Red Roses

Welcome!  I'm back with another card for the reminder post at The Flower Challenge, who are celebrating their 1st Anniversary!  This month I am one of the Guest Designers (and in very good company, I might add!)

For my favorite flower, I again chose the rose and this time pulled out a very, very old PSX botanical stamp called Hybrid Rose.

I stamped it onto X-Press It cardstock and colored it with Copic markers.  Once I'd finished coloring, I lightly shaded around the image with a pale blue Copic.  As it is quite a formal image, I added a bit of levity to the card by using a higgledy-piggledy sentiment.  The dark gray frame was cut with the Park Avenue die and I fussy-cut around one of the roses so it overhangs the frame slightly.

The sentiment was popped up on foam tape, but the rest of the card is pretty flat, so easy for mailing.

I'm linking this up to Seize the Birthday, who have an Anything Goes challenge as well as Inspired By All The Little Things, where the deep red flowers, green foliage and dark gray (navy?) dress all look so beautiful together.

Products used:

Stamps:  K-1636 (PSX), Label Sentiments (MFT)

Ink:  Intense Black, Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock:  Whtie, X-Press It, Slate (SSS)

Dies:  Park Avenue (Mama Elephant), Label Sentiments (MFT)

Accessories:  Copics

Cheers

Karren

Best Wishes

Hi and welcome to my blog!  Today's card is for the new challenge at Inspired By All The Little Things, where I'm the hostess this week.  Here's the photo I chose as inspiration:

I really liked the white-on-white text and the pretty flowers in diagonal corners so that's the direction I took with my card.

I was inspired by Therese Calvird who used these alpha dies with craft foam on a card, so went in the same direction.  After die-cutting in craft foam and white cardstock, I adhered the two together and set it aside while I worked on my card base.  I wanted to play along with the White-on-White Focal Point Altenew challenge, so I chose inks matching the challenge colors and starting stamping and masking with Vintage Roses stamp set.  I wanted to add some leaves but didn't want to add green, so I used a gray ink and I really like how it turned out.  

Once I'd finished stamping I die-cut the panel with a pierced frame die but didn't discard the outer edge, instead popping it onto the card base in an inlaid die-cut.  Then I realised I wanted some camouflaged die-cutting over the flowers, so I positioned my letters and then re-cut the letters that needed it from the card base.  I adhered the die-cut letters on top of the already-cut letters and you'd never know there are two layers of cardstock on some of them!

Finally, I finished the card with some clear sequins.  

Thanks so much for visiting.  The design team have some marvellous cards and be sure to check out my special guest, Jen Wills, who creates the most fabulous CAS cards.

Products used:

Stamps:  Vintage Roses (Altenew)
Ink:  Rose Quarts, Puffy Heart, Purple Wine, Cosmic Berry, Silver Stone (Altenew)
Cardstock:  White
Dies:  Inline Alpha Die (Altenew), Blueprints 21 (MFT)
Accessories:  Fun Foam, Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Pen, Clear Sequins

Cheers
Karren

Enjoy the Ride

Hi and welcome!  It's my turn to host the challenge at Inspired By All The Little Things and this month I've chosen a light and bright Spring-y image (see below).  I stayed pretty true to the inspiration photo in my card, focussing on the bicycle, flowers and pale blue and white color scheme.

I stamped, colored and die-cut the bicycle, basket and flowers from the Simon Says Stamp set and adhered it to a white panel, keeping the front wheel over the edge of the panel.  Some pale blue striped paper was adhered to the right hand side of a white top-folding card and I used foam tape to pop up the bicycle panel.  The sentiment was stamped under the bicycle to "ground" it.  I finished the card with some Nuvo Crystal Drops.

Thanks for visiting!  The design team have some wonderful cards to inspire you and check out the fabulous card made by my super-talented guest designer, Michele K Henderson of Crimson Owl Creations

Products used:

Stamps:  Beautiful Ride (SSS)

Ink:  Intense Black, Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock:  White, X-Press It, Thick n Thin (MFT)

Dies:  Beautiful Ride (SSS)

Accessories:  Copics, Nuvo Crystal Drops

Cheers

Karren

Cupcake Bird

Hi and welcome!  It's my turn to host over at Inspired By All The Little Things and I have chosen a photo that lends itself to Easter cards, critter cards, food cards or just go with the colors!

For my guest, I have invited Lisa Lara, who makes the most adorable cards and is one of the best Copic colorists I know.  Be sure to check out her card and prepare to be wow'd (and smile!)

For my card, I wanted to stick with the cupcake and bird theme, so after a bit of masking, I came up with this card.

I love this stamp set from MFT and I used the bird from Somebunny to add a bit of fun to it.  I won't go into any great detail because I filmed the making of this card so you can watch it below or over on YouTube

 

Thanks for visiting.  Be sure to head on over the the IBATLT blog to check out Lisa's card and the fabulous cards made by the design team.

Edited to Add:  While looking at this post in preview mode before scheduling it, it struck me that the bird looks like he could very well be sitting in a huge pile of bird poop!  Rest assured that wasn't my intention, but is actually quite funny when I look at it now 😄

Products used:

Stamps:  Somebunny, Sweet Birthday Wishes, Because You (MFT),
Ink:  Black Licorice Hybrid
Cardstock:  White, X-Press It, Dark Chocolate (SSS)
Dies:  Because You, Blueprints 20 (MFT)
Accessories:  Copics, Fun Foam, Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Pen

Cheers
Karren

Ranunculus

Welcome to a very special celebration at Inspired by all the Little Things.  We are celebrating our 50th challenge and look at the gorgeous photo Leigh has chosen:

As part of the celebration, each of the challenge team as well as the weekly design team have invited a guest, so you have a wonderful feast of gorgeous inspiration over on the challenge blog.  My guest is the amazingly-talented TaeEun, who has created the most gorgeous card.

For my card, I was inspired primarily by the flowers and the little lights in the background.

I stamped the floral image onto a white top-folding card base then colored it with Copics.  I then sprayed it with some gold shimmer spritz and once it was dry, I die-cut the Big Hello die from the colored image.

I die-cut the same die 5 times from black cardstock and stacked it behind the top layer to create a camouflaged die-cut.

Finally, I finished the card with some Copper Penny Nuvo Drops.

Thanks for visiting.  Please take the time to check out all the fabulous inspiration from our design team and our wonderful guests.

Products used:

Stamps:  Beautiful Bouquets:  Ranunculus (WP9)

Ink:  Black Licorice Hybrid

Cardstock:  White, Black

Dies:  Big Hello (MFT)

Accessories:  Copics, Heidi Swapp Gold Spray, Copper Penny Nuvo Drops

Cheers

Karren

Rainbow Score

It's my turn to host over at Inspired By All The Little Things and this month, I chose a rainbow-themed inspiration photo.

Isn't this fabulous?  As for choosing my guest, well, that was easy.  Someone who loves rainbows and music?  None other than the fabulous Michelle Lupton.  And I really urge you to head on over to her blog and check out the card she made for the challenge - it is stunning!

For my card, I wanted to keep with the rainbow and music theme, so dug around my dies until I found this one from Memory Box:

I die-cut it out of the card base then again from a panel of Bristol Smooth that I'd inked up in rainbow colors.  I then used the Inlaid Die-cutting technique and popped the colored die back into the negative space on the card base.  In keeping with the music theme, I created my own sentiment using an alphabet stamp set.

Thanks for visiting.  The design team have some gorgeous cards for you to check out and I hope you'll be inspired by either the colors or the image or something else that sparks your creativity.  I'd love to see you in the gallery.

Cheers

Karren

Hello Lovely

Hi and welcome!  This week is my turn to host over at Inspired By All the Little Things and here is the inspiration photo I've chosen:

There is so much to be inspired by in this photo, and I knew the perfect guest to make a card based on these elements - the one-and-only Michele Ferguson of I Card Everyone.  Michele is one of the friendliest people in this wonderful little community of ours and I'm glad to know her.

For my card, I was inspired by the black and white pattern as well as the bright flowers and the silver elements.

I used some flowers and foliage stamped from a SugarPea Designs set and the sentiment from a NBUS set from Concord & 9th.  I stenciled black ink onto a card panel and then arranged the arrangement of flowers in the bottom left corner.  The sentiment was both stamped in black and embossed in silver and I also added some silver-embossed splatters across the panel.

I have a video showing how I made this card if you're interested.  Click here to head over to YouTube or watch below.

Thanks for visiting.  Michele and the design team have some gorgeous cards so please check them out.

Glittery Love

Welcome to my blog and to the latest challenge at Inspired By All The Little Things, where this week, I am the hostess.  My guest is the super-talented Hannelie Bester, whom I'm sure you all know already!

For my card, I focused on the black, red and white color scheme as well as the glittery hearts to come up with this card:

I did some inlaid die-cutting with the black heart and the red glittery "love" and adhered them to a white card base.  I then stamped the rest of the sentiment in black and added some stamped hearts around the image.

Really simple, right?  Thanks for visiting.  Head on over to the Inspired By blog and check out what the DT have come up with and also pay a visit to Hannelie's blog - you'll be so glad you did!

Products used:

Stamps:  Love Stamp & Cut (Hero Arts), Caring Hearts (SPD)

Ink:  Black Soot Archival, Lipstick Red (SSS)

Cardstock:  White, Black, Red Glitter Paper

Dies:  Love Stamp & Cut (Hero Arts), Pierced Heart Stax (MFT)

Cheers

Karren

Truck Tidings

It's my turn to host over at Inspired By All The Little Things and I've chosen a classic Christmas inspiration pic and a wonderfully talented guest to join me - Anita Madden.

There is so much to be inspired by in this photo - the plaid, the tree, the colors, the truck...  As you will see, I went pretty literal with my card!

The truck and tree were stamped and colored with Copics before being die-cut with the matching dies.  Onto a white card base, I adhered a black panel, then some plaid paper.  I stamped the sentiment under where the front wheel would go and then adhered the truck and tree.  On the tree's baubles I added some Stickles to give them a glittery, raised look.

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you'll have time to play along and check out Anita's gorgeous card, as well as the design team's wonderful cards.

Products used:

Stamps:  Truck Tidings (Stampendous), MMH Oct 16 (Hero Arts)

Ink:  Black Licorice Hybrid, Black Soot Archival

Cardstock:  White, X-Press It, Black, Perfectly Plaid (Lawn Fawn)

Dies:  Truck Tidings

Accessories:  Copics, Stickles

Cheers

Karren

Merry Skis

Hi and welcome!  It's my turn to host the challenge at Inspired By All The Little Things this week and I've chosen a wintry/Christmassy photo to hopefully inspire you.

I decided to focus on the skis in the photo and pulled out my PTI set Two Feet Deep to come up with a CAS card.

My mojo appears to have deserted me of late and this is the result :)  I stamped the skis and position them onto a panel I'd sponged with Broken China ink.

Mounted onto foam tape was a white panel die-cut with a hill die, onto which I'd stamped the word "Christmas".  The "merry" was cut from some silver glitter paper and has a lovely sparkle.

Thanks for visiting.  I hope the inspiration pic inspires you and for added inspiration, check out the DT samples, as well as my special guest, Rosemary Dennis!

Products used:

Stamps:  Two Feet Deep (PTI), Merry Stamp & Die (Hero Arts)

Ink:  Classic Kraft, Dark Chocolate (PTI), Broken China Distress Ink

Cardstock:  White, Silver Glitter

Dies:  Stitched Hills & Slopes (SSS), Two Feet Deep (PTI), Blueprints 20 (MFT)

Cheers

Karren