Christmas Foliage

Welcome to my little corner of the internet.  Today's card came about because I got an order of Power Poppy stamps and wanted to do some coloring.

I used Cindy Lawrence's coloring of this gorgeous image as my guide and once I was finished coloring I decided on a layout, using the 200th sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch.  I was also inspired by the photo at Card Concept and cut my banners from gingham paper to match the chair in the photo.  The colors and foliage also inspired me from the photo and I'm calling this card Clean & Graphic.  The winter colors and warm feel to the Curtain Call inspiration were also reflected in my card and finally, I'm linking up to Addicted to Stamp & More's Holiday theme and the Christmas theme at AAA Cards.

Thanks for visiting.

Products used:

Stamps;  Simple Joys (Power Poppy)
Ink:  Black Licorice Hybrid, Versamark
Cardstock:  White,X-Press It, Schoolhouse Red
Dies:  Pierced Circle Stax, Pierced Fishtail Flag Stax (MFT)
Accessories:  Copics, white EP

Edited to Add:  This card got a shout out at CAS(E) This Sketch, Curtain Call and The Card Concept.

I Positively Adore You

Welcome to my blog!  Today we have another sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches and this week our hostess is the super-talented Amy O'Neill.  Check out her sketch:

Such a great sketch!  I decided to take a break from Christmas cards and make a birthday card for DH, whose birthday is on Christmas Eve.   I used NBUS from MFT Stamps, having taken advantage of their recent 30% off sale to buy a few things on my wishlist.

I white-embossed several images plus the sentiment on a black panel then die-cut it with a stitched square die.  The flasks were cut from white cardstock and colored with Copics and the  "tube" connecting them was cut from gray cardstock.  The card base was also die-cut with a stitched die.

All in all a simple card but I'm sure DH will enjoy it.  

Thanks for visiting!  The DT have some gorgeous creations using Amy's sketch so take a minute to check them out.

Products used:

Stamps:  Undeniable Chemistry (MFT)
Ink:  Versamark
Cardstock:  White, Black, Slate (SSS)
Dies:  Undeniable Chemistry (MFT), Stitched Mats Rectangles, Stitched Mats Squares (Lil Inkers)
Accessories:  Copics, White EP, Wink of Stella

Cheers
Karren

Bucket of Tulips

Hi and welcome to the third challenge at The Flower Challenge.  This month we are challenging you to use an older stamp to create your floral card.

For me, my older stamps are from the early 2000's when I first discovered stamping.  I don't get rid of my stamps so I went to my floral wood-mounted stamps and came up with an old and beautiful PSX stamp.

I stamped the image onto a panel of X-Press It cardstock and colored it with my Copics.  I then trimmed the sides so I could have strips of lime cardstock.  The sentiment was stamped and cut out as it is actually a speech bubble so I cut the speech part off.

Thanks for dropping by!  The rest of the design team have some floral beauties using their older stamps so please check them out.  And have a go yourself - the challenge is open until the 20th this month to allow the DT a break over Christmas.

Products used:

Stamps:  K1695 Tulips (PSX), So to Speak (Clearly Besotted)

Ink:  Black Licorice Hybrid, Black Soot Archival

Cardstock:  White, X-Press it: Limelight (MFT)

Accessories:  Copics

Cheers

Karren

Wreath for Christmas

Hi and welcome to another fabulous challenge at Just Add Ink.  This week we have a sketch designed by Narelle and it's a keeper, for sure 😃

In my vain attempt to get my Christmas cards made in time to post, I've used the sketch to add to the pile.

This is more NBUS and was stamped using various inks to add interest.  What is hard to see in the photo, is that I stamped the single berry several times in silver Delicata ink which gives a lovely shimmer the camera didn't pick up.  I stamped the sentiment across the wreath then the rest of the sentiment was stamped onto a strip of Green Apple cardstock that I run through a Blueprints die and also lightly sponged the edges of.  I did the same with the red layer underneath.  

Thanks for visiting!  The rest of the Design Team have created some gorgeous cards with the sketch so be sure to check them out.

Products used:

Stamps:  Layered Wreath (Clearly Besotted)
Ink: Black Licorice Hybrid (MFT), Green Leaf, Willow, Beanstalk Green, Dark Chocolate, Lipstick Red (SSS), Silver Delicata
Cardstock: White, Green Apple, Lipstick Red
Dies:  Pierced Rectangle Stax, Blueprints 21 (MFT)

Cheers
Karren

White and Gold

Hi and welcome to our last Fusion challenge of the year!  And do we have an elegant photo inspiration and fun sketch for you!



I played along with the photo this time, focusing on the white and gold elements to come up with this card using a NBUS stamp set by Simon Says Stamp.

I'm not too sure how successful it was to layer up vellum but I don't think seeing the bottom layers distracts too much from the overall card.  I gold-embossed each of the images in the stamp set twice, so I've got lots of leftovers and then positioned them how I wanted to to look.  Then I had to find a sentiment to fit in the gap, and luckily another NBUS set came to the rescue 😃  The wee circle embossed images take the place of sequins to keep the card clean and flat.

Thanks for visiting.  Check out the rest of the design team's cards as they're fabulous as always and I hope you have time to play along with us.

Products used:

Stamps:  Winter Flowers (SSS), Glistening Paperwhites (Power Poppy)

Ink:  Versamark

Cardstock:  White, Vellum

Dies;  Winter Flowers

Accessories:  Antique Gold EP (SSS)

Cheers

Karren

Snowglobe

It's time for another fabulous sketch from the team at Freshly Made Sketches and this week our hostess is the talented Narelle.  And here is her sketch:

As soon as I saw the sketch, I saw a snowglobe and as luck would have it, I have a snowglobe set and dies from the recent Hero Arts October Monthly Card Kit 😄  Originally I was going to make a shaker card, but really, I'm just too lazy, so settled for a layered up card with an opening in the front.  

I die-cut the globe part from a white panel and then sponged Distress Inks onto the card base where that opening would be.  The kit comes with hill dies so I cut two of these and also lightly sponged with Broken China ink.  The images were stamped and, in the case of the single tree, fussy cut.  The snowglobe base was stamped onto some white woodgrain paper that I sponged with Gathered Twigs ink.  The "snow" is from Two Feet Deep set by PTI.

Thanks for visiting!  The FMS DT have come up with some wonderful cards using the sketch, so check them out.

I'm linking this card up to The Male Room, who are looking for 'scapes this challenge and Merry Monday, who are looking for masculine Christmas cards.

Products used:

Stamps:  Hero Arts October 16 Monthly Kit, Two Feet Deep (PTI)

Ink:  Black Soot Archival, Gathered Twigs, Broken China, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Dusty Concord Distress Inks, Unicorn White (Hero Arts)

Cardstock:  White, Woodgrain (SSS)

Dies:  Hero Arts October 16 Monthly Kit

Accessories:  Wink of Stella

Cheers

Karren

Elf Christmas

Welcome!  I took a bit of time in between making cards for upcoming DT commitments to make a card for the current sketch and color challenges at MFT Stamps.  I'm also playing along with the Circles theme at AAA Cards and the To Die For theme at Simon Says Stamp.

This elf was one I colored up last year following along with a video made by Sandy Allnock, so this card didn't take too long to put together.  Forgive the deep shading on the elf's face - this was me practicing with BV shadows.  

I die-cut from the card base a stitched circle and on the cut-out part I stamped with the Candy Stripes Background in Maliblue and Hollyhock inks by SSS.  I then adhered the cut-out back into the card base.  The elf is standing on a strip of Maliblue on which I embossed the sentiment from Winter Wonderland (surgically altered).  As there is no Hollyhock paper, I smeared Hollyhock ink onto a piece of white and when it was dry, I adhered that under the blue.

Thanks for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps:  Santa's Elves, Winter Wonderland, Candy Stripes Background (MFT)

Ink:  Black Licorice Hybrid, Versamark, Maliblue and Hollyhock (SSS)

Cardstock:  White, X-Press It, Audrey Blue (SSS)

Dies:  Inside/Out Stitched Circles, Santa's Elves (MFT)

Accessories:  Copics, White EP

Cheers

Karren