AAA Card Challenge 277: Trick or Treat time

It's time for an anything CAS goes challenge at AAA Cards with the optional twist of Halloween. I love playing along with the twist to get me started.

I can see Halloween is just around the corner as lots of Halloween challenges to play along with at the moment. So I'm also going to play along with Addicted to CAS's Halloween challenge;  Inkspirational Challenge's SEASONAL challenge and  Simon Say Stamp Monday Challenge which is Spooky and/or add some purple.

My card is pretty easy to recreate; I've masked off a strip to do my ink blending directly to a Neenah White A2 Base card then added a delightful wee fox dressed up trick and treating. I've die cut out 2 extra foxes to pop up my Copic coloured one for a tad of dimension.

Supply List:

Distress inks (RNG): Squeezed Lemonade, Dried Marigold, Wilted Violet
Stamps: Frightfully Sweet (MFT), Good Greetings (SU!)

Other: Frost Sheer Shimmer Craft spray (imaginecrafts), Masking magic (GKD), blending brushes (TE), Copic markers, Black glaze pen (Sakura), white gelli roll pen (Sakura), Versafine Clair Nocturne inkpad
Challenges: AAA #277, ATC#270, Inkspirational#327, SSS Monday Challenge

Copics Used (darkest > lightest):

Fox: E19 YR27/24 E51/50 R30/20

Cloak: V09/06/04/00

Pumpkin: YR68/15/21

Thanks for popping in and I hope you can find time to join in with us at AAA Cards this week, as always you have 2 weeks to play along.

I also wish everyone a Happy Halloween how ever you celebrate it, I know my grandkiddies are looking forward to dressing up and getting lollies on Thursday night.

EDITED 14/11/24: Very happy to see my card was the CAS Perfectionist at Addicted to CAS

✿Karen✿

AAA Colourful's latest colourboard

I'm liking the Halloween vibes of the latest colour board at AAA Colourful so I thought I'd play with my favourite moon stamp and do some ink blending to make a wee scene. It also gives me the chance to play along with Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge to go spooky and/or add some purple and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to go Halloween/spooky.

I masked my moon after stamping with the 3 inks (I stamped off the Paper Bag ink once as it was too deep a brown stamped directly), masked and then added the following Distress oxides; Dusty Concord, Wilted Violet, Villainous Potion and Black Soot. I also added some white pigment ink directly around the mask. I used my darkest green oxide I own to go behind my die-cut to ground my trick and  treaters. I now wish I had added some Black Soot to it too for the colour challenge to tone down the green .

Supply List:

Stamps: To the Moon (ALT)

Paper: Basic Black (SU!), Pumpkin Pie (SU!), Mango Melody (SU!), Grape Soda (C9), Buttercup (C9), Distress Heavy (RNG), black glitter (CTMH)

Ink: Buttercream (ALT), Warm Sunshine (ALT), Paper Bag (ALT), Unicorn white pigment (HA)
Distress Oxides (RNG): Dusty Concord, Wilted Violet, Villainous Potion, Black Soot, Rustic Wilderness

Dies: Halloween silhouettes (Sizzix), Mini Alphabet (SU!)

Other: Masking Magic (GKD), foam blending domes, white Gelli Roll pen, black gel pen, white paint (SP), Frost shimmer spray (imaginecrafts)

Challenges: AAAC#9, SSS Monday challenge, SSS Wednesday challenge

 

✿Karen✿

AAA Card Challenge 272: Sketch Challenge

It's time for another new challenge at AAA Cards and this week we have a sketch to play along with. Personally I found it a bit challenging but I've learnt with sketches is "you just do it" and they work, don't overthink it.

I tried drawing some hand drawn hearts with my Distress Watercolour pencils but didn't really like how they looked as my trio of shapes that and then thought maybe I can do the same and hand draw some wonky rectangles but again wasn't floating my boat. All of my practice runs were on scraps of Distress Watercolor paper (RNG).

At this stage I started thinking about Autumn colours and leaf outline dies but didn't have any that were right or small enough in my stash, when I spied a set of wee snowflake dies (Scribbly Snowflakes - Sizzix) and thought yes they are perfect! So then it was easy and viola ...

I've die cut the snowflakes out of Pixie Dust card stock (LF). My rectangles I 've actually painted directly through a Swatch stencil (Woodware) using some Ranger Distress Mica stains I bought last Christmas and never used. Colours used were Wonderland, Frozen Fog, Frosty Mint. The wee sentiment comes from Yeti or Not (LF). It's hard to see how sparkly this in real life but I love it and I'm sure the lucky recipient will too. I also love it that I have another Christmas card made too!

I look forward to seeing how you were inspired by the sketch as so many possibilities - it's fun just to play and see what magic you can create too when you play. Do check out the fab cards from the rest of the Design Team to inspire you.

I'm also going to enter my card at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge to add a sentiment and they are featuring Lawn Fawn this week. You don't have to use Lawn Fawn - any sentiment will do - but mine is a Lawn Fawn sentiment, I'll also enter in their Monday challenge which is all about sparkle and shine.

Thanks for popping in.

✿Karen✿

I'm going to the Beach with TTTC

We have a fun challenge board at Tic Tac Toe Challenges this week, so many possibilities but I chose to go with  the bottom line of Beach, Dies and Blue.

I've used the fab die Flip Flop Builder (HB) to create my flip flops which we call jandals in New Zealand. Some patterned paper and viola all done and its so fun and cheerful, just what I need to dream about as its the middle of Winter down under.

I'm also going to play along with Simon Says Stamps Monday challenge wanting a little bit of sparkle or shine.

Supply List:

Stamps: Flippin' Fabulous (HB)

Ink: Sand Dune (Versafine)

Paper: Wheat (C9), Sand, Surf & Sky DSP (MFT), Essential Glitter cardstock : Color Sampler (PFS), Neenah Solar White

Dies: Flip Flop Builder (HB), Master Layout 2 (GKD), Stitched Hillside borders (LF)

Other: 2mm foam squares (SP)
Challenges: TTTC #254, SSSM

✿Karen✿

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✿

Inspired by Tracy's snippet 74

For the latest challenge at AAA Colourful, their colour board has blue clouds with a tiny red heart balloon floating in it. Now quite a few of the DT and the entrants have already done the blue clouds plus red heart and I to be honest was thinking about an under the ocean themed card with a wee mermaid with a red tail; until I saw Tracy Evan's latest snippet HERE and I went wow this is perfect; I'll have a go with what in my stash.

I thought the colours of Distress Oxide she used were bang on and I have to be honest I haven't used Salty Ocean for ever but I thought it was the "right shade" of blue. So thanks Tracy and sorry mine doesn't look as good as yours but I'm loving the red and blue duo (and of course white) and I have to laugh Simon Says Stamps Monday challenge this week is Add Some Red/White and/or Blue and they are featuring AAAL and Create, the latter is not required to enter just the colours but all my stamps bar one are AAAL and Create stamps from when Tracy was one of their designers. She has now gone on to launch her own line of stamps.

Unlike Tracy I have just applied my ink using a rounded dome applicator and then spritzed with water I added some small text as it was too clean IMO. The stamped images have been fussy cut out.

Supply List:

Stamps: Periwinkle #987 (AALL), Art Notes #906 (AALL), Scripted Thoughts #595 (AALL), Containers #401 (AALL), Small Sentiment Bloom (WF)

Ink: Salty Ocean distress oxide (RNG), Candied Apple distress oxide (RNG), Morning Mist (Versafine), Versamark

Dies: Wonky Stitched Rectangle (MFT)

Other: Alabaster EP (BM), white splatter paint (SP), foam squares (SP), clear quartz solid sequin (GKD)

Challenges:  AAAC#5, SSSM

EDITED 1/8/24: Happy to report my card made the top 4 at AAA Colourful.

Masculine Card for AAA Card Challenge 267

It's time for another CAS Challenge at AAA Cards and this week the optional twist is masculine. Personally I like to play along with the twist as it gives me some direction for my card to get started but OMG masculine and CAS, now that is a challenge but the Design Team has some great ideas for masculine done CAS. Someone bet me to the plane so I decided it was finally time for one of my Simon Says Stamp kits from JULY 2015 to finally see ink!! The kit was called Sail Away. It's funny or meant to be BOTH the SSS Challenges are wanting masculine cards so will enter my card into their challenges too.

I have in my stash from about the same time a porthole die from MFT Stamps which I thought would be a great starting point. I found in my scrap bin some ink smooshing by the look of it with Lindy's Magicals or Nuvo Shimmer sprays as it definitely has a shimmer as well as the "splash" which I used as my background. The wee yacht has been stamped and Copic coloured up, fussy cut out on the stamped line and the edges darkened with a Memento dual tip marker.

Supply List:

Stamps: Sailing (SSS)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black inkpad and marker pen
Paper: Light brown woodgrain (LF)

Other: Oceanview porthole die (MFT), Copics, blue shimmer powder, 1mm foam squares
Challenges: AAA#267, SSS Monday (masculine) and SSS Wednesday (masculine)

I hope you can join in with us as it's great to have some masculine cards in your stash but anything CAS goes as well. Do check out the great inspiration from the DT to get you started.

Thanks for popping in.

✿Karen✿

Time to return to my craft room

Gosh I didn't realise how much time a new kitten takes up but I'm really happy to report that Cinder is settling in really well after a few weeks of some TLC and I decided it was time to start crafting again. It might have been easiest to catch up on a class but decided I was going to have a go at combining a few challenges as I really enjoy my challenge blogs and so today's effort was trying to work out how I could create a card that could cover a few to ease me back in. 

In the end as I played with the cat too long I've had to snap my card late at night with artificial light but tomorrow rain is predicted and we always have the grandkids on Friday so this will be as good as it gets!

I wanted to play along with The Color Throwdown's colour combo of yellow, green and aqua. These colours played nicely with the moodboard at AAA Colourful and I chose to play along with the latest Lawn Fawnatics' latest challenge which is a Bingo board (I'm doing the vertical line under I: bright, critter, lawn cuts, stamp and cute). It also plays nicely with BOTH the Simon Says Stamp challenges; Monday's wants Up in the Air and Wednesday's Anything Goes

Lawn Fawn Supply List:

Stamps: Fly High, Wheely Great Day, Winter Birds
Dies: Just Stitching Double Circles

Other: Prisma glitter

Other Supplies:

Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne, Memento Tuxedo Black, Salvaged Patina oxide (RNG), Cracked Pistachio oxide (RNG)
Paper: Neenah Solar White, Xpress IT Blending

Other: Copics, clear EP, white Gelli Roll pen no 8., Sweet Stack Circle dies (WF), Additional A2 Rectangle dies (WF), mini cloud edges stencil (MFT), blending brushes (TE)
Challenges: CTD #790, AAAC #3; LF#171; SSSM; SSSW #116

Well I thought I would share what is keeping me from crafting and I'm sure you would agree that Cinder is a very good excuse.

Thanks for popping in and hopefully will be back to blogging more regularly/normally going forth.

EDITED 30/4/24: My card caught the eye of Wanda at The Color Throwdown

EDITED 1/6/24: and a Top 4 at AAA Colourful

✿Karen✿

"Bamboo" wishes you a Happy Birthday

A couple of my favourite challenge sites would like Spring flowers; at Seize the Birthday they are the optional twist and they are also wanted at Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge.

 Bamboo's  really big gerbera would be my perfect birthday flower I would like to receive. Bamboo is a really old stamp set that I picked up early 2010's when I was first introduced to Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, and the stamp set is also a Crafter's Companion product and amazingly I see it is still available in some stores.

I've stamped her up on Neenah Solar white 80lb card stock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and Copic coloured her up. I stamped a generic Happy Birthday sentiment from To the Wise One (HB).

I've used a wee sentiment from the Bamboo set and another butterfly to stamp inside my card.

Copics used (darkest >> lightest):
Greys: W9/7/6; W3/1/00

Pinks: RV13/21/10

Yellows: Y19/15/11

Browns: E37/33

Greens: YG09/05

Thanks for popping in.

✿Karen✿

Rainy Days

Addicted to CAS latest challenge is "Rain"; Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is "Whatever the Weather" and Simply Clean and Simple's April challenge "Weather" is the optional theme.

I thought I would play with a stamp set that I bought last year and hadn't played with but in the end I only used the sentiment as I liked how clean and simple it was and IMO the sentiment and the ink blended rain was all I needed.

Supply List:

Stamps: Rainy Days (ME), My Monthly Hero Feb. 2017 (HA)

Ink: Distress Oxides - as above, Versafine Nocturne Clair, Versamark
Paper: Neenah Solar White #80lb and #100lb

Dies: Just Stitched Double Rectangles (LF), A2 Layers (WF)

Other: White and Clear EP, blending brushes (TE)

Challenges: ATC #255, SSS Monday, SCAS April 2024

EDITED 18/4/25: My wee card was chosen as the Addicted to CAS's winner for this challenge, which was a lovely surprise to see when I'm catching up on my blog reading in my PJs on Sunday morning!

✿Karen✿

Just one more Green card

I've found a new challenge blog called Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge. It looks a fun challenge site and it's always good to start on the Christmas cards early, the only twist is you need to add a hot drink to the card. Surprisingly even though I can't start my day without a coffee or two I don't own many coffee stamps (or tea or hot chocolate). But of course there are one or two in different sets. So this month's challenge is to link up a newly created Christmas/Holiday themed card with at least one Green element! Your card can be Coffee, Tea or Hot Cocoa! Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge and Simon Says Wednesday Challenge both would like A Bit O' Green too!

Supply List:

Stamps: Xmas Selfies (MFT), Holiday Helpers (LF - wee hot chocolate cup), Hand Lettered Holiday Background (SSS)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne, Granny Apple Green (SU!)

Paper: Granny Apple Green (SU!), Xpress IT blending, Neenah Solar White #110

Other: Gelli roll 10 pen (Sakura), Quickie glue pen (Sakura), Prisma glitter (LF), Copics, Selfie square die (MFT), 1mm foam square (SP), Memento Tuxedo black pen

EDITED 1/4/24: My card got a honourable mention at CCCC

✿Karen✿