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✿

Going green (again)

Looking at my fav challenges sites, there's quite a few wanting "green" still so thought I'd try the luck of the Irish again and play with a free stamp set I earned from Simon Says Stamp 1 or 2 years ago (End of the Rainbow). It has a cool big sentiment complete with a shamrock and a lucky horseshoe but no Leprechaun just a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, which was cute but I green rainbow wasn't doing it for me, so I thought I'd try and colour up a wee gnome "leprechaun-style" complete with gold beard from my Little Gnome Agenda set (ME).

Lots of firsts here I'm not really sure how you are supposed to use Distress embossing glaze but I bought it as I love lime green awhile ago. I used it on the card like embossing powder i.e. stamping sentiment with my Versamark, coating with the Twisted Citron embossing glaze and then melting with a heat gun, it's definitely a pretty lime green. I added a few metallic gold pearls to add a tad more gold to the card.

Challenges I'm entering:

Just us Girls: Green, Lime Green and one other colour - hope gold is a colour

Inspired By: I've been inspired by the green shamrock plus a touch of gold

Colorful Options monthly challenge - this is a new site I have just discovered but it looks like it will be a colourful and fun one - this month the colour is green. 

I'll re-enter at Simply Clean & Simple as they have the option for March of Green as well. And it seems silly to not add to SSS Wednesday Challenge as they just want/need a sentiment.

This was totally different than my last green card which you can check out the wee frog and green clouds HERE. Well it looks like we all need to play with our greens a bit more which is perfectly fine with me. Do check out all the fab cards on all the sites, it certainly makes me happy.

EDITED 13/3/24: My wee card got a shout out at Just Us Girls "where they loved my fabulous CAS design."

✿Karen✿

Overboard on green

I've been inspired by a few challenges for this card, Time Out Challenges latest photo inspiration is a GREEN frog as their challenge started on Leap Day (29 February), Simply CAS monthly challenge has the option of Green, Tic Tac Toe wants your "favourite colour" and mine is Lime Green (the line I choose also had "free" and CAS") so the stars seemed to be aligning and Lawn Fawnatics want Spring Cards. I always think of the colour Green when I think of Spring, new leaves and fresh lush grass; hopefully green frogs and green clouds are Spring-like - well my frog can do "springing too" and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge has an Anything Goes.

As it's clean and simple I tried to keep it to minimal layers so used the double stitched circle die to add some interest to my card  panel. I then made a mask out of a 4.25" x 4.25" square of masking paper and die cut out a circle from the middle of the square that was slightly smaller than the stitched circles.

I placed this mask panel over the stitching and added a post it note top and bottom to protect the top and bottom of my panel. From the die cut circle middle I drew a "hill" free-hand which I cut out. I placed this bit back inside the circle mask and keeping with the GREEN theme did a very, very light blend of Twisted Citron to make my clouds. I placed the top of the circle back in and removed the bottom bit blended with Salvaged Patina to make my pond then splattered with a small paint brush some smooshed Blueprint Sketch ink. I felt it was too white at the end which is why I used my Master Layouts #1 to add a hint of a green mat.

Supply List:

Stamps: Toadally Awesome (LF), Hive Five (LF - wee trail)

Ink: Jet Black (LF), Versafine Clair Nocturne, Twisted Citron (RNG), Salvaged Patina (RNG), Blueprint Sketch (RNG - splatters)

Paper: Cilantro (LF), Xpress IT blending, Neenah Solar White

Dies: Toadally Awesome (LF), Just Stitching Double Circles (LF), Everyday Sentiment Banners (LF), Sweet Circle stack (WF), Master Layout 1 (GKD)

Other: Copics, mini cloud edges stencil (MFT), Masking Magic (GKD), blending brushes (TE), 1mm foam squares (SP), white Gelli roll pen 10 (Sakura), clear embossing powder

Challenges: TOC#258, TTTC#242, SCS Cards March 2024, Lawn Fawnatics #167 , SSS Wednesday #114

Well that was a lot of fun I'd better go sort out the craftastrophe as surprisingly for such a simple card it actually used a "lot of stuff"

✿Karen✿

AAA Cards Challenge 258: Along the side sketch

It's time for another fun fortnightly challenge at AAA Cards and I have to be honest I struggled with this one a bit but when I see the other DT inspirational ideas it was like "why didn't I think of that". I personally like Challenges that make me think outside the box as I feel that helps me grow as a paperKRafter. Simply Clean and Simple's February Challenge is also a CAS card with the twist of "pink" so my card fits that description nicely too.

There's lots of room for anything goes, just remember to keep it Clean and Simple with some empty space as indicated on the sketch. Here's what I came up with and I've turned the sketch around.

It's pretty self-explanatory but was laughing, I made a whole mask of the hippo when I really only needed one foot/hoof. So I stamped the on point ballerina, made a mask, covered her up then stamped the floor. Removed my mask and Copic coloured it all up. As it was a one layer at this stage I thought I would be inspired by the fab cards one of the DT Sue Symens creates and she often uses a coloured card base, which I like as it breaks the white up a bit. It's appropriate the pink card I have chosen is called Ballet Slippers ;)

Supply List:

Stamps: Hippest Hippos (SU!), SY On Solid Ground (MFT)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: Neenah White #80, Ballet Slipper (LF)

Other: Masking paper (GKD), Signo White gel pen, Quickie glue pen (Sakura), Prima glitter (LF)

Challenge: AAA#258, Simply Clean and Simple

Copics Used (darkest > lightest):

Dark pink: R36/RV13/RV21

Light pink:: RV21/RV10

"Wood" floor: E44/E42/E41/E40

Hippo: W4/W2/W0; W0/W00; R20; B000

Well I'm happy that I rose to the sketch challenge and I hope you can join in. Definitely check in with the AAA Cards DT to see how they arose to the challenge - I can assure you they are "always on point".

✿ Karen ✿

Keeping it CAS for Winter

I am absolutely delighted to be CAS on Friday Guest Designer for their Winter Challenge.

Unlike the Northern Hemisphere it's gloriously sunny and "too hot" for me at the moment as I have been camping at the beach and away from home and my craft room. So my card became a very clean and VERY simple card so I could join in with the fun. 

It's obviously Winter for the majority as Simply Clean and Simple's January Challenge optional twist is Winter cards as well.

This is actually a really easy card which you could mass produce too. I have layered up 2 die-cuts under the glittery one to give it a bit of dimension as well

Supply List:

Stamps: none

Ink: none

Paper: Ballet Slipper (C9), Purple Posy (SU!), Glacier glitter (PFS)

Dies: Let it Snow (Tonic Studios), Arch Snow Globe (ME - tree), A2 Layering (WF)

Other: White Pearl Hero Paste (HA), Snow Flurries BG stencil (LF)

Challenge: CAS on Friday #275 , Simply Clean and Simple

EDITED: 2/2/2024 My card was chosen as the winner at Simply Clean and Simple for January.

✿Karen✿

Autumn Blessings

I think I'll need to tuck this card away for another six months as we're heading into Spring in New Zealand but I had a lot of fun spraying shimmer/mystical sprays onto Fabriano Bristol smooth cardstock so  I could die cut out some Artsy Leaves for ALL the "Autumn challenges", unfortunately the shimmer and shine doesn't really show that well in the photos.

I also got to upcycle a cardboard box from my recycling bin using the corrugated cardboard as my mat under the leaves. I've swiped a bit of gold Hero Wax onto the ridges too. The sentiment has been  stamped with Versafine Clair Acorn ink and then clear heat embossed. 

Supplies used:

Taylored Expressions : Happy Harvest (sentiment)

Sizzix : Artsy Leaves dies

Hero Arts : Gold wax, 2-tone Royal Purple + Gold metallic spray

Lavinia : Golden Temple & Pinkella Mystical sprays

Dylusions : Tangerine Dream shimmer spray

Challenges: CAS on Friday #268 ; Simply Clean and Simple : October Challenge; The Paper Players PP662, The Card Concept #200 (Autumn Chill)

I have been inspired by the purple book above to include the colour purple in one of my sprays. I don't think I've ever seen a purple leaf before but it looks and works great as one of the contrast colours.

Well it's funny everyone is wanting Autumn but I had a ball playing and getting inky with my leaves and I saw the corrugated board on another blog with white leaves and at the time thought what a good idea (and cheap). Do check out all the inspiration on the challenge sites there's some fab cards to see.

Have a great day and thanks for popping in.

✿ Karen ✿