Who's ready to play Tic Tac Toe??

If you've ever been scared about entering a challenge I personally think Tic Tac Toe Challenges are a great starting point as you get to choose a line and when you have 3 parameters to work with it makes it really easy to get the creative juices flowing. This week's fab board was chosen by Betty and its got some lovely choices, my only dilemma as I had lots of ideas looking at it, was which one to do!

In the end I chose the first column: foliage, layers and butterfly and working with the Fluttering Butterflies set from Pinkfresh Studio which I've blogged a few other cards using this set HERE and HERE.

I received this set and a lot of the products I'm using today from a Virtual Create and Connect event but the products are widely available now. I'm also going to play along with Inkspirational Challenges as they have a challenge to use products from 2 companies; now this is a great challenge and most of my cards have more than one product on my card. I've used mostly Pinkfresh Studio here but have the fantastic sentiment from The Ton Stamps.

And I'll also play along with both Simon Says Stamp challenges, Wednesday's would like some sparkle and Monday's would like some layers.

I've backed up all die cuts with at least one layer to help stabilize them and the frame has 3 extra layers behind it.

This is a 5 layer stencil set and these are the colours of PFS inks I used:

• Stencil 1: Lemon Whip, Marigold
• Stencil 2: Sunkissed, Mango Sorbet
• Stencil 3: Marigold
• Stencil 4: Waterfall, Turquoise
• Stencil 5: Waterfall, Turquoise, Fruit Punch

Other Supplies used (all PFS unless stated otherwise):
Stamps: Fluttering Butterflies, Easy Expressions Birthday (The Ton)

Ink: as above, Acorn (Versafine), Versamark

Other: Gilded EP (BM), Octagons coverplate die, Notched corner frame die, Rose gold glitter card, Gems: Clear with gold dust, 2mm foam squares (SP) 
Challenge: TTTC#252, Inkspirational #320, SSSM, SSSW

Thanks for fluttering by and hope you can find time to join in with us at TTTC, its easy just choose a line and create. As always you have 2 weeks to submit a card and if you are chosen as the winner you are invited to be the Guest Designer on a future challenge.

✿Karen✿

The final reveal of the last card from my Pinkfresh Holiday cards

And I finally found the quick and easy with the make and take by Laura Bassen aka Laura Fadora. This could definitely be mass produced and re-created using any snowflake dies you have in your stash.

When I was watching the speed video of Laura making this card I was shocked she die cut out the snowflakes, then coloured them up with her blending brush. I thought I would damage it's little arms/dendrites but no it was surprisingly really easy and quick.

Supply List (all PFS unless stated otherwise):
Stamps: Christmas Sentiments
Ink: Fresh Pear, Aquamarine, Seaside, Versafine Clair Nocturne
Dies: Christmas Sentiments, Snowflakes coverplate, Large Snowflakes
Paper: Neenah White #80 for blending etc, #110 for card base 
Other: Gold metallic pearls, various stamping foam from my stash, blending brushes (TE), Bearly Art glue

Well I still need a few more cards so I think I will whip up a few more of these in different colour combos, so  you may see the next efforts. I must admit I was sad when I finished my last class this was such a great virtual event and I have already blogged about whether I thought it was worth the cost HERE

But I have signed up for the next one in February and can't wait.

#pfcreateandconnect
✿ Karen ✿

Another Berry Branch class

Sharing today the second class taught by Laura Bassen at the recent #pfcreateandconnect Holiday class.

I wasn't that enamored with the colours used in the class but went with the flow

The Berry Branch stamp was stamped with the Misty Coast ink for a no-line colouring look. The leaves are stenciled with lighter blue inks: Sky Blue and Seaside. We used just the Misty Coast ink for the berries with the 4th stencil just darkening the base colour.

My first attempt I used my normal sized blending brush for the base coast and then a smaller shade brush from Waffle Flower for the contrast but was disappointed there didn't seem to be any contrast. They were just dark grey berries so I swiped a layer of Hero Art's glitter paste through stencil 3 and love how it turned out.

The background uses Kaleidoscope stencil again but this time using stencil 1 and 3. Class one we used stencil 1 and 2. I love how that stencil set can give so many looks. If it is released in the future I would definitely be buying it!

I also used the newly released Champagne Glitter drops OMG I love them all & highly recommend grabbing them if you can; Champagne is my favourite of them all. Even though it's a pale gold it almost looks silver here.

I die-cut multiple layers of the largest art deco frame inner rather than use stamping foam and I tried a few embossing folders but settled on SU! 3D Timeworn Type. I blended excess ink from my Seaside brush to make a piece of matching card stock to white emboss the sentiment on.

Now below is how Laura's card looks (apart from the fact I have used the glitter gems, I actually believe this was what was supposed to be in our swag as our kits were delayed getting sent to us whilst they were waiting for some "new" embellishment but they never arrived in time and we got the metallic gold pearls instead. 

This time I used the smallest brush (shader brush) for my base coat of Misty Coast and then used my bigger blending brush to do the contrast and it worked just like Laura's card.

Supply List (all PFS unless stated otherwise):

Stamps: Berry Branch

Ink: Misty Coast, Sky Blue, Seaside, Versamark, Versafine Clair Nocturne Black

Dies: Berry Branch, Art Deco frame

Stencils: Berry Branch, Kaleidoscope

Paper: Neenah White #80 for blending etc, #110 for card base

Other: Champagne glitter drops, Alabaster White (BM),  various stamping foam from my stash, blending brushes (TE), shader brush (WF), Timeworn Type 3D EF (SU!), Bearly Art glue, Easy See highlighter tape.

Well I still am not a huge fan of the blue and gray but I actually like my modified card a lot. I think the embossed frame adds "something"

✿ Karen ✿

Another dreamy colour combo

I think it's because it's so gloomy, grey and wet in New Zealand at the moment that I am loving all the soft "dreamy" colour combos on some of the challenge sites at the mo.

Even if you don't have time to join in, check out all the fab cards from the design team and those that rose to the challenge for CAS Colours & Sketches.

I really wanted to have a go with my new background Stained Glass hot foil plate and it's matching stencil that I have just acquired and I thought these 3 colours would look great on a "stained window" and they did.

 I added a reverse foiled sentiment from the fancy script hot foil plates and also watercoloured up the Cherry Blossom using re-inkers.

 

I added the wee excess strip inside the card to finish it off:

Supply List:
Stamps: Forever Blossoms (SU!)

Ink: Blushing Bride (SU!), So Saffron (SU!), Soft Sea Foam (SU!), Versamark

Paper: Neenah Solar white crest #110, So Saffron (SU!), Soft Sea Foam (SU!), Watercolour (RNG)
Hot foil plates/dies: Fancy Script (PF), Stained Glass (PF), solid hot foil die (PF)

Dies: Master Layouts 2 (GK), Cherry Blossoms (SU!)
Other: Stained Glass stencils (PF), blending brushes, round no. 2 water brush, clear embossing powder, clear Wink of Stella, foam squares, matte gold gimmer foil

Challenges: CAS Colours & Sketches #479

EEK just realised I probably didn't make it CAS - focused too much on the great colour combo and I probably only needed the hello but I love my card so happy the challenge got me KReating it!

✿ Karen ✿