AAA Card Challenge 276: another sketch to challenge us!

This sketch is a challenge all right. I love the idea of a moon and some bats but someone on the DT bet me to it so I've been a rebel and used a "round" flower die-cut which I wanted to add 3 stamped lady bugs too but they were a tad big so 2 leaves and a bee trinket = done and a happy cheery card to send to a friend.

I'm probably pushing the boundaries of clean and simple the AAA way but I'm on a mission to get all my DT challenges done until the end of October as I'm having surgery mid-September and I'm not sure how long my recovery will be. I've been a bit down waiting for it all  to happen and haven't actually felt like crafting but here we are 2 days before my operation "going" for it! 

Supply List:

Stamps: Friendly Hello (SU!)

Ink: Versafine Clair Summertime

Paper: Mango Melody (SU!), Soft Suede (SU!), Granny Apple Green (SU!), Neenah Solar white #110

Dies: Sunny Sunflowers (LF), Zesty Lemon (LF - leaves)

Other: Bumblebee trinkets (SU!)

Challenges: AAA #276

Well I hope you can find time to join in and be challenged, do check out the rest of the inspiration from the DT, you'll be amazed what they created with the sketch, so many cool ideas!

Thanks for popping in.

✿Karen✿

Easy thank you card for the latest Tic Tac Toe Challenge

It's time for another fun challenge board at Tic Tac Toe and this week's board has been created by Felicitia. I had so many ideas looking at the board, it is a fun one but at the time of creating my card  I was  having surgery in 2 days time, so  I went with embossing, thank you and free as I seem to be needing thank you cards lately. I'll also enter my card in Simon Say Stamp latest challenge to add some texture.

I wanted to play with the new to me Spotlight on Nature stamp set and dies from SU!. I bought this bundle as the dies are really cool circle dies and I had nothing like that in my stash. I die cut out the 2nd to largest circle from watercolor paper and then stamped with Versafine Desert Sand ink which is a water proof ink. I did some very simple watercolouring with my ZIG real color brushes (Bright Flamingo, Sage Green and Leaf Green) and a Wink of Stella clear glitter brush on the flowers and a water painter for the leaves.

Otherwise I think it's all pretty self explanatory.

Supply List:

Stamps and Dies: Spotlight on Nature (SU!)
Versafine Ink: Desert Sand and Acorn
Paper: Petal Pink (SU!), Soft Suede (SU!), Watercolor (Fabriano Artistico - cold pressed), coral (?name in my SSS kit papers)
Other: ZIG real color brush markers, Wink of Stella Clear, water painter brush, Exposed Brick 3D embossing folder (SU!), linen thread (SU! - original one), Master Layouts 2 (GKD - tag die), 2mm foam squares (SP), distress tool (SU!)
Challenge: TTTC #258, SSS Wednesday

Well I hope you can find time to play along with us, as always you have 2 weeks to have a go - just choose a line (vertical, diagonal or horizontal) and have a play.
✿Karen✿

AAA Card Challenge 275: and I try a new technique to me

Hi everybody it's time for a new challenge at AAA Cards and this week it's anything CAS goes with the optional twist to use Autumn colours. I'll also play along with CAS on Friday's challenge to add leaves to a card.

I bought the Soft Seedlings (SU!) stamp set awhile ago as it's one of their Distinktive stamps but trying to make the leaves multi-coloured with a blending brush wasn't really happening for me and then I saw Lisa Freeman create a card with this set doing the baby wipe technique which you can watch HERE if you want to know how to do it. I've never done the technique before so thought I'd give it a go, basically you add drops of re-inker to a baby wipe and then stamp and smoosh your stamp.

I've used the following inks Sweet Potato Pie (TE), Citron (PFS), Guava (TE), Mulled Wine (TE).

My original plan was to have one leaf cascading from the top LH corner with the sentiment flowing from it but thought my first "stamp" wasn't that fab so ended up going across the top with the maple leaf and added one little floating seed which was the best stamped image, so maybe I needed more ink or more smooshing into my homemade ink pad to mix the colours. I've splattered with some Rose Gold Gansai Tambai paint and stamped the sentiment in the Mulled Wine ink. It's all been stamped directly onto an A2 card base and I think it's a really lovely card to send to a friend, so much better than my ink blended leaves I was trying to do. So a fun and easy technique to try your hand at.

Well I hope you can join in with the fun at AAA Cards with an Anything CAS goes card or play along with the Autumn colours twist, even though it's definitely Spring in New Zealand now it was still fun to play with the colours.

Thanks for popping in.

✿Karen✿

Just Add Ink 720: Just Add Rainbows

The latest challenge at Just Add Ink is to just add a rainbow/s. Now this is a cool and fun challenge. I've gone back to an old rainbow die which I have blogged about HERE and even though I thought I used bright card stock last time I've gone even brighter this time and I really love the brighter version.

As I had the old card still in my stash I've put the 2 cards side by side in this photo.

I've also added a wee Moody Unicorn to make a 5th birthday card for a special wee girl who loves rainbows and unicorns.

Supply List:

Stamps: Rainbow of Happiness (SU!), Moody Unicorn (GSD)

Ink: Fig (C9), Polished Pink (SU!), Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: Fig (C9), Polished Pink (SU!), Parakeet Party (SU!), Tahitian Tide (SU!), Rainbow Glimmer (SU!), Xpress IT blending

Dies: Brilliant Rainbows (SU!), Slim Strips - 1/2" (PFS), Elements (Crafter's Companion)

Other: 2mm foam squares (SP), Copics, Prisma glitter (LF) 
Challenges: JAI #720

Well I hope you can make time to create some rainbows; as always the Design Team at Just Add Ink have knocked it out of the park, so make sure you do check out the inspiration.

Thanks for popping in.
✿Karen✿

Just Add Ink 704: Colour Challenge

I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining the very talented Design Team at Just Add Ink. As some of you might have read recently they celebrated their 700th challenge and I reflected on being there at the start of their challenge journey and so gosh what an absolute thrill in a good but also slightly scary way to be joining them "officially" as part of the DT.

One of the reasons I have enjoyed JAI over the years so much is the range and complexity of different challenges they post and for my starter DT card, it is no exception with a colour combo palate I found challenging. I was thinking to myself I maybe out of my depth here, if I'm honest.

I actually own all 4 colours from SU! and their reinkers so that was a good starting point but looking at the palate which certainly looks a pretty combo it wasn't reminding me of anything.

I then had decided on birthday balloons when I realised that was one of the parameters for last week, so it was back to the drawing board.....

As it's Autumn down under I thought of leaves and I still think this is an idea to play with. So play time  with a set called Delightful Leaves (PFS).

1. stamp and stencil below

2. stencil on top of some watercolouring with reinkers

Both were OK but I wasn't going ohh I love this when I had a light bulb moment and thought I would recreate a card I had made recently which you can see HERE but this time I would make my own Ink Drop Papers. I've used the reinkers, diluting with water and shimmers sprays to make a wash on watercolour paper and even if I say so myself I love it and I had a great time blending the colours. I was drying with my Heat Tool between colours, I was worried a couple of times I might make "mud" but I quickly dabbed at anything that looked dirty forming.

I then created 3/4" paper strips from my homemade DSP and also backed them up with a scrap of card stock also cut a tiny bit smaller than 3/4".

I've used my newest and latest embossing folder I have just bought Exposed Brick 3D (SU!) as my background. Added a brushed gold leaf which was already cut from the Lovely Layers: Spring Greenery (HB), I have popped some 1mm foam squares under the top bits to support them and then popped up a die cut out Hello using Gorgeous Grape (SU!) card stock with a vellum shadow. I have die cut the word out 3 times and glued together to make something a tad more sturdy with a hint of dimension. This die and shadow comes from SSS and looks like it was part of STAMPtember and so wouldn't be available to buy now but any sentiment or appropriate die cut would also work.

I'm really happy how this turned out and the shimmer sprays mixed with the reinkers means my homemade DSP is actually quite shimmery and really pretty IRL. If you're new to my blog thanks for popping in and I normally abbreviate the stamping companies I use a lot and you can find a key at the very bottom of the blog page if you can't guess it.

I am very pleased to get the first DT card done so now I can sit back and enjoy seeing what everyone created with this colour combo.

✿Karen✿

Old School Masculine Card for Tic Tac Toe Challenge 248

Hi everyone I'm very excited to share the good news that I have joined Team X at Tic Tac Toe Challenges. I'm really looking forward to getting to know the TTTC faithful and this week we have a fun board to play along with chosen by Felicita. 

I just had to choose the bottom line (die cut, drink, masculine sentiment) as I bought a stamp set because my partner actually does drinks Whiskey BUT I've never used it for him after many years of hoarding it, so this seemed a really good reason to ink it up.

I've managed to pick up a head cold from my grandson and I meant to make a card using this set last week and it would have looked a lot different than today's efforts. So the head cold turned out to be fortuitous as it delayed me making the card and I got to watch Kristina Werner making a piece of white card stock look like weatherboards this morning whilst I was lying in bed watching YouTube videos on my tablet. So I thought I'd give it a go and would make my own DSP (instead of using a brown one in my stash). You can click on her highlighted name to see her blog post and links to the video.

Basically you score the card. Kristina used the old kind of rounded embossing tools we all used to have and yes I have several in my stash but I have no idea where I have stored them so I just used a bone folder and my Scor-pal and scored at 1/4" marks. I used  Distress heavy card stock for this step. You then swipe ink over them semi-randomly, I didn't go as dark as Kristina as I knew Whiskey is a golden brown/amber colour.

I then went a bit rogue and did my own thing as I thought it might look quite cool with an a bit of woodgrain embossing folder on it as well.

At this stage I decided it needed darkening and I had originally wanted to add Scorched Timber to the mix so decided I might as well be brave and add it now on the raised embossed areas lightly.

I've then trimmed my A2 panel down to 4" x 5-1/4" and used an old school distressing tool to distress the edges but I do think they might have made a come back.

I've never coloured up whiskey before but it looks pretty close compared to my partner's bottle.

Copics used (darkest >lightest):

Whiskey: YR27/24/23/21

Decanter and glass: C5, B34/32, 0

Decanter stopper: C7/5/3

Ice cubes: BG11/000/0000

And the final card all by itself:

Supply List:
Stamps: Whiskey Business (SU!)

Distress inks (RNG): Scattered Straw, Tea Dye, Shabby Shutters, Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Scorched Timber

Ink: Crunchy Leaf (LF), Mango Melody (SU!), Acorn (Versafine Clair)
Paper: Distress Heavy (RNG), Natural white (Neenah 1101b)

Dies: Fancy Circles (PFS), Stitched Sentiment strips (MFT)

Other: Copic markers, 1mm and 2mm foam squares (SP), Scor-pal, Woodgrain embossing folder (SU!), distress tool (SU!)

Challenges: TTTC #248

If you're new to my blog I have a list of abbreviations for my favourite companies at the very bottom of the blog.

Well thanks for popping in, I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone KReates, do check out the fab designs from the rest of Team X as inspiration for more masculine themed cards.

✿Karen✿

AAA Card Challenge 263: For the Bride

Hi everyone it's time for a new challenge at AAA Cards and anything CAS goes but with an optional twist ; wedding or anniversary. Even though I don't have a wedding coming up it's good to be prepared and I knew I had a lovely stamp just right. The bride stamp comes from a long retired stamp set from Stampin' Up! called Wondrous Moments.

I've stamped off the edge with Smoky Slate ink (SU!) , which I always think is the closest ink I own to silver that is not silver. I've trimmed off 1/4" of 2 sides to make the image pop a bit more and then 3 tiny gems in a row to complete the card. How easy is that!! Only 3 supplies needed (excluding basic tools, glue and paper).

Well I hope you can join in with us this week but as always do check out the inspiration on the blog at AAA Cards Challenge.

✿Karen✿

Masculine Birthday Card

Doesn't the 3 words in the title make you grimace. It's my SIL birthday soon and he's a keen golfer so I thought I would play along with a few challenges to help get me started.  CAS Colours & Sketches has provided me with a sketch which was my starting point. CAS on Friday just wants boy/male and I'm getting ready to go away for a crafty weekend and I really wanted to acknowledge Time Out Challenges for celebrating their 10th anniversary/birthday, what a worthy achievement and definitely deserving a shout out!

The SIL is a keen golfer so I grabbed the SU! set I bought especially for him but went CAS this time, the last time I used it was 2 years ago and you can see that card HERE - it had a fun fold.

I've Copic coloured up the golf ball on the tee and made a background panel using an Argyle stencil and then matted up on a strip of Gray Granite card.

Supply List:

Stamps: Clubhouse (SU!)

Ink: Jet Black (LF), Poppy (C9), Sahara Sand (SU!), Gray Granite (SU!)

Paper: Sahara Sand (SU!), Gray Granite (SU!), Xpress IT blending, Neenah White #80

Other: Copics, Argyle stencil (PFS), foam squares
Challenges: CAS C&S #531, CAS on Friday #277, TOC #257

Well it certainly speed up the creativity block when you mention masculine adding some parameters from a challenge. Thanks for popping in.

✿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 ✿

Blast off

AAA cards latest challenge is really cool and I had quite a few ideas for it, sometimes too many ideas can not be a good thing but in the end I've tried to emulate the colours and make my own planet (maybe Earth) with a small round watercolor shape stamp and some distress inks plus a wee rocket too which I've Copic coloured and then fussy cut out. 

I also hand stamped the sentiment which made me laugh as I was concentrating hard as it's been such a long time since I've hand stamped a sentiment directly to card and not use my MISTI.

Supply List:
Stamps: Stellar Birthday (SU!), Watercolor Shapes (SU!)

Ink: Cracked Pistachio (RNG), Salty Ocean (RNG), Wilted Violet (RNG), Memento Tuxedo Black, Granite (HA), Charcoal (HA)

Paper: Neenah White #110, Xpress IT blending

Other: Nuvo Crystal Glaze, white Gelli Roll 10 pen, 1mm foam squares (SP), Copic markers

Challenge: AAA#249

Copics used: C3, C5, BG11, Y15, YR16, R29, R35, R59

I've tried to use this colour combo for the rocket which I learnt at Jenn Shurkus's Copic 101 class. I thought the hint of yellow with the red would be perfect for my rocket.

Well another great challenge from the team at AAA and I must be totally confused with what day of the week it is whilst prepping and getting ready for my 2 virtual events I have coming up as I am a week late for this one and it closes in a few days time but do check out all the other great ideas/cards if you have time. I'm going to be brave and put my hand up for their DT call too as it has been such a long time since I've been on a DT and I really enjoy AAA challenges so wish me luck!!!

EDITED 8/10: My wee rocket card was chosen in the top 3

✿ Karen ✿

Technique Tuesday #3

I actually had a really loved "mixed media" weekend as I ended up KReating 3 things and all 3 had different mediums other than ink on them!

Today is the day Hero Arts share on their Facebook page new inspiration for the week at Monday noon kiwi time (8pm EST Sunday), it's a great way to enjoy my lunch.

Our challenge after last week was to use a paper towel on our project either but using it to apply texture or even incorporating it into our project.

I wanted to choose a different colour combo than my 2 previous cards so decided let's go blue this week. I received as part of my Stamp-a-long bundle from Hero Arts an Ocean Blue + Gold  two-tone metallic spray. That name made me think of the sea so I started off stamping a vortex of fishes in Twilight ink onto Distress White Watercolour paper (smooth side). The vortex was too big for my card in all honesty so stamped to one side then I thought ohh I can add my glitter paste that I wanted to press my paper towel in too for the challenge through a stencil. I used a Fish Net stencil from Waffle Flower. I have to admit once done I was thinking ohh maybe that wasn't nice putting a net around them but was hoping I'd find a sentiment that I could use to "free the fishes". I then set aside to dry.

When it was dry I grabbed my two-tone spray and was thinking wonder what I can use with it when I remembered this mystery "nail-polish bottle" of Turquoise Silk Liquid ink (iridescent) I received in My Monthly Hero kit in May 2017. The nail polish applicator always confused me but I just used it to paint the colour on at the top of my now dry stenciling and misted downwards over the fish net with my Mista bottle. I then sprayed in my splat box the left hand side with the two-tone spray and let dry.

It was very blue at this stage so decided I needed a Jenn Shurkus mermaid to brighten it up plus I have been really wanting to play with my new mermaid set from MFT stamps.

I then added one of the sentiments from the Vortex of Fishes stamp set which says "meet me by the sea for that's where i shall be" in silver pigment ink randomly alone the left hand side. One of the coolest technique Jessica Frost Ballas shared in the Mixed Media Stamp-a-Long was stamping into White Glimmer Metallic ink, stamping off once on scrap and I added some "bubbles" from a very, very old SU! set called Timeless Textures which I have never used but never retired as it's a bit like the Mixed Textures set I received in my box from Hero Arts so many versatile stamps in the set for adding texture.

I love how the "bubbles" look on the LHS.

I stamped and embossed a  sentiment in fine silver detail from another MFT set on Dragonfruit card stock. My wee mermaid is E00/02, RV02/04/06/09 and BG10/32/13 (lightest >> darkest).

Supply List:

Hero Arts: Glitter Hero Paste, Ocean Blue + Gold two-tone metallic spray, White glimmer metallic ink,

Turquoise Silk Liquid ink (iridescent) 

Stamps: Vortex of Fishes (PF), Mermaid for Each Other (MFT), Oceans of Fun (MFT), Timeless Textures (SU!)

Ink: Versafine Clair Twilight, Silver pigment (Encore)

Paper: Neenah Solar White #110, Distress White Watercolor (RNG), Dragonfruit (C9), Xpress IT blending

Other: Fish Net stencil (WF), Copic markers, Distress Collage Medium Matte (RNG), Distress Rock Candy (RNG), detail silver embossing powder
 

Well I had no real idea where that card came from but it all started off with Technique Tuesday and my Ocean Blue and Gold spray and I love it! Thanks for popping in.
✿ Karen ✿

Sketch for a teen

This is the current challenge at AAA cards and surprisingly quite hard for me as I don't really make cards for teens anymore. Now we are grandparents in time I guess I will start buying some useful sets for older children but the grand kiddies are 1 and 3 so I'm safe for quite awhile.

So looking at what I own a neon rainbow done CAS was as good as I could get for the moment. I love the card and this set which will not retire from my stash.

Supply List:
Stamps: Rainbow of Happiness (SU!)

Ink (all SU!): Polished Pink, Lemon Lime Twist and Tahitian Tide

Paper: Neenah Solar White #110

Challenge: AAA #247

This was a great challenge as it really made me think about how I would make a card for a teen. Do check out the cool inspiration at AAA cards from the DT and the other participants. 

I may have to keep thinking about this challenge some more now I've gone to "enter it" I'm now thinking I need to incorporate in the 2 blocks plus maybe a silhouette. Anyhow I love my rainbow card it's much brighter than normal and my 3 year old granddaughter had fun making a pink and orange one; which are her favourite colours. You have to love a MISTI for stamping with her even if there is more ink on the door than on the stamp.

✿ Karen ✿

Craft Roulette #173 and #174

Not sure what happened last weekend but I didn't share my submission for episode 173 maybe as we had friends staying so all a bit of a rush job. This week I've ended up with a very busy card as I decided I wanted fairy wings and because I wanted a circle "die-cut" because of the roulette spin, it is all a bit busy but I'm still pretty happy how it looks. It is magical. It's a foggy  cold day in Hamilton today so not the best picture  but determined not to forget this week. 

Looking at the parameters wings and Wizard of Oz I decided fairies with paper dresses made from some old gingham DSP from SU! (?Balmy Blue). Googling what are Wizard of Oz colours it seemed Dorothy had a blue gingham dress and then there were regions and colours; blue (Munchkins), yellow (Winkies), red (Quadlings), green (Emerald City) and purple (Gillikins), It's actually quite fascinating as it's all at the back of my memory somewhere plus of course the yellow brick road.

Supply List:
Stamps (all LF): Fairy Friends, Gleeful Gardens (snail), All the Clouds (clouds)

Inks: Buttercup (C9), Harbor (C9), Parsley (C9), Poppy (C9), Memento Tuxedo black

Paper: Neenah White and Xpress IT blending card stock

Other: Circle die (HB), Geotiles embossing folder (SP), Signo white gel pen, Prisma glitter (LF), grass stencil (LF), Copic markers, Everyday sentiment banners (LF)

Last week's episode I created a card not really me but both Pete and myself ended up saying that is was rather cool as quite tranquil.

Supply List:

Stamps: Oceanfront (SU!), sentiment ?came from a Pinkfresh Studio set

Inks (all PFS): Mint, Sky Blue, Warm Buff, Metropolis

Paper: Countryside Inn 12 x 12" DSP (SU!), Not Quite Navy (SU!), light brown woodgrain (LF)

Other: Stitched rectangle die (LF), shadow box card theater add-on (LF), painted texture embossing folder (SU!)

✿ Karen ✿

Craft Roulette #170

Only one parameter was challenging IMO. What the hell does "collection" mean on a card, it's interesting seeing what everyone comes up with to cover this parameter but it seemed most people were doing multiples of something on the card, so my teddy bear having a cup of tea at a table with a red gingham tablecloth maybe wasn't hitting the brief (I have a wee collection of miniature teddy bears, some of them cost me 100s of dollars years ago). Collecting miniature teddies was definitely cheaper than collecting stamps and took up less space!

So back to the thinking board and thought I'd use some red gingham paper to make a "table cloth" but don't own any and could have made one but found a Lemon Lime Twist gingham piece from when it was an in-colour ??2017. I love lime green so as soon as I found it that was my "picnic blanket" of choice.

One of my old SU! sets that I won't let go is Free as a Bird which fitted a collection of birds, wishing someone a Happy Birthday their way. Picnic colours (lime green gingham, blue, red, brown, lime green). I have added 3 Honey Bee black gems to the larger flowers. I have Copic coloured up the images and fussy cut out (I actually cut before I coloured in case it wasn't really possible). The stitching is Lawn Fawn's Just Double Stitched Rectangle die, I have used an A2 layer die to work out and cut out the picnic blanket layer so it fits inside the stitching nicely.

You have about 24 hours if you want to join in on the FUNN at Craft Roulette.

✿ Karen ✿