The silence of growing

I’d been itching to get going with my new crafty individuals stamps (CI- 423 build a spring flower garden) and have a go at the ‘mini masterpieces’ challenge and yet it has taken me quite a while to get to the point where I have something I like. I think I just got a bit over excited and tried to use everything at once! When I had calmed down my colour palette, and accepted that I didn’t need to use all the stamps in the set at once, things seemed to go a little better!

I loved the mini book created by Helen for the challenge, and wanted to have a go at one myself.

 I inked a rainbow effect with distress inks on blank card first, and then used some of the butterflies pressed in to wet sponge and stamped to create the fake bleach effect. I also spritzed some areas with water. I stamped and over-stamped in various shades of ink.

I selected my favourite areas of inking and stamping and cut them out using a 1”square punch, securing them with washi tape to create a concertina book.

A bit of doodling, some wink of stella, a little sentiment (I saw it in an RHS gift shop on a plaque and have borrowed it, it says ‘how lovely is the silence of growing things’) all finished off with a little ribbon and the book was created!

 Just to show you how very 'mini' this book really is, here is a photo of it in the palm of my hand!

I would like to enter this in to the following challenges;

Crafty individuals - Mini Masterpieces

Craft Stamper - Anything goes

Stamping sensations - Anything with stamps and ribbons

The Craft Barn - Butterflies

Penny Black and More - Anything with a stamp

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Flora and Fauna

Double CAS

Well a quick share this evening of a couple of very different Cas makes. The first is for the uniko challenge. I've only recently stumbled across their blog but it's full of lovely things, so do have a look.

This card is based on their photo inspiration.

 I used versa colour inks for the background, stamped over the top in clear ink and embossed with white powder. The stamps are an unknown brand bought online but I thought they seemed just right for this challenge. The sentiment, stamped on to parchment, is from craft work cards.

 The second make is my first Christmas make of the year! The theme at less is more is 'colours of your kitchen' I've built up quite a collection of red, white and blue crockery and such like to match some very kitsch Cath kidston strawberry print fabric I made in to kitchen curtains. Of course since moving to Devon we have inherited harlequin coloured tiles so now everything clashes terribly and is quite a mish-mash! Rather than make a mish-mash card, I thought I'd stick with the red, white and blue which incidentally is the theme at Simon says stamp!  The atcas challenge is fly and there is an anything goes challenge at ABC Christmas. The fifth and final challenge is like to enter with this is the crafty individuals mini masterpieces.

Stamp- crafty individuals
Ink- distress ink, sketched blueprint
Embossing powder- wow
Ribbon- crafty ribbons
Sentiment- magazine freebie

W is for...

Earlier than normal I am sharing my Craft Barn dictionary entry with you for this fortnight. The letter is W and there are no twists. There were loads of words that appealed to me but having just been given this Joanna Sheen wisteria die by my lovely Mum, it had to be that (well, it would be rude not to, right?!)

So this week, W is for... Wisteria

I wanted to create a scene for it to frame as that seems to be what wisteria does best, so I used the hobby art Tuscany stamp set (also a gift from my lovely Mum) to make this little scene. Since 'create a scene' is the title of Little Claire's challenge this month, I'd like to enter in there too.

I'm posting earlier than normal as I wanted to be in time for a second entry in to Simon Says Stamps Tic Tac Toe challenge. I picked the diagonal line 'stamp, stencil, spray.'

I started by stencilling an imagination crafts leaf stencil around to top and edges of the page to give a background to the  the wisteria.

I inked with a variety of distress inks and stamped over the top, masking the sunflowers in the corner. 

Once I had cut the wisteria, I spritzed it with smooch spritz in green to give more variety to the leaves.

You can see this a little clearer here. 

Finally I coloured the stamped scene with promarkers and spritzed with a little ground espresso distress ink along the bottom.
As well as the previously mentioned challenges, I would like to enter this in to SSS Wednesday - Anything goes, craft stamper- anything goes and Penny Black at allsorts anything with stamping challenges.

Tic, Tac, Dog!

The winner for the most random challenge has to go to the craft barn this week who presented us with the challenge of 'a dog under the sea !' Apparently we're all to blame ionabunny ;)

Well, not one to be deterred, after all it's not a challenge if it isn't challenging eh? I sat down and had a go. I have a couple of dog stamps, one wearing Christmas hats and another with a graduation hat. Not wanting to make it any more random than it already is I concluded I would have to draw my own. Eek!

I was also lured in by the fabulous tic tac toe grid at Simon Monday and thought I would combine the two.

Enough talk, here's the card;

I picked the left vertical tic tac toe line of sequins, blue, spray but realised I had inadvertantly done the top line too - sequins, gold, stamps. Unfortunately I don't think this doubles the chances of winning!!!

Since it's anything goes week at Simon Wednesday I thought I'd throw my hat in to the ring there too. Thanks for stopping by!

Stencil - Less is More

I have to admit, I'm not often a fan of stencils for LIM cards . I prefer to use them when I'm going for an all out ink - fest with sprays and splatters and the rest.(That said I've just taken a proper look through the gallery at less is more and visited a few of you and I might need to eat my words!!!) I had to think carefully about how I was going to do this one but while I was using the wisteria die for something else, this idea popped in to my head.

I used the stitched square die negative as the first stencil to give the lilacy-blue background and then used a crafty individuals trellis stencil over the top. I used the positive from the stitched square die to create a window style frame attaching that and the wisteria die cuts with 3D foam mount pads for a bit of depth.

Ingredients;
Wisteria die - Joanna Sheen
Stitched square die - Lawn Fawn
Stencil - Crafty individuals
Inks - Distress inks in faded lilac and sketched blueprint
Stickles - Icicle

I'd also like to link this up to SSS Work it Wednesday challenge - use a wafer thin die or stencil as mine has used both!

Special Delivery for Penny Black Saturday Challenge!

Well, over at Penny Black Saturday Challenge they've been having a birthday bonanza in celebration of eight years of challenges! Wow!
I wanted to make a card especially for this occasion and picked one of my classic pb stamps, Hedgie Delivery. I stamped a few extra envelopes, cut them out and added to the trail left behind. I hope my postie isn't as careless with my birthday mail!!!

Other details;
Cloud and tiny flower dies - lawn fawn hello baby set
Celecbrate disk - Craftwork cards sentiment cut with sizzix scalloped circle die
Floral paper - basic grey
Stitched square die - lawn fawn
Dragonfly paper from the stash
Liquid pearls in blue and petal pink.
Stickles - Icicle

I'd like to enter this card in to
PBSC - Birthdays
Penny Black and More - Flower power
Stamping sensations - Feature a creature

Some Bunny

It is always hard making a card for a fellow card maker - especially when it's your Mum! I wanted to use the bunnies (although they are from the 'hello baby' set) as Mum has two bunnies of her own and I knew she would like them. I also think it looks like a mum and daughter bunny!!!

I mixed in a craftwork cards birthday greeting with those already available in the lawn fawn set. I also used a couple of different papers from my stash cutting the green one with a sizzix scalloped circle die placed partially over it.
The bunnies are painted with watercolours and the inks are versa colour.

I'd like to enter this in to the following challenges;

Simon Monday - Use patterned papers
Allsorts - Photo inspiration (it was the colour scheme and little flowers that I used)
Stamping sensations - feature a creature