AAA Card Challenge 274: The most challenging sketch ever!

I'm really looking forward to seeing how everyone handles the latest sketch at AAA Cards as OMG this one had me totally stumped as all I can see is a mass of blobs and not very pretty at all IMO.

I've taken quite a few liberties with interpreting the sketch and have used a leaf stencil with some pretty and spring-like colours as in the Southern Hemisphere it is now "Spring" but when I had created my leaf cluster I thought to myself that looks like it would make a lovely Sympathy card. I've also flipped the sketch on it's side.

I'm also going to play along with The Paper Players as they have a CAS and Back to Nature challenge happening.

Supply List:

Stamps: Sentiment Staples (TE), Falling for You stencil and clear stamp combo (TE)

Ink (all TE): Sweet Basil, Mint Julep, Pink Champagne, Confetti Cake

Paper: Neenah Solar White
Other: Inside-Out Stitched rectangle die (LF), Blue Gold Gansi Tambi paint

Challenges: AAA#274, PP707

Well I'm pleasantly surprised how much I like my card and I feel like my blobs AKA leaves look rather pretty in their Spring-colours.
✿Karen✿

AAA Card Challenge 273: Sympathy card for a "pet"

I'm at that certain age when unfortunately I need Sympathy cards in my stash but also I do like to send a wee card when someone's beloved pet has passed on. For the latest challenge at AAA Cards this week it's an "Anything Goes CAS" with the optional twist of Get Well or Sympathy.

I have one set in my stash which is fabulous for making Sympathy cards for pets called Rainbow Bridge (CTMH) and have shared a card before which you can see HERE  I've gone really minimal and CAS with this card and stamped the fab heart of pawprints using Acorn (Versafine) on Crumb Cake card (SU!) and then die cut it out with some square dies and matted up. As Versafine inks stay wet longer I've learnt my lesson (the hard way) and often clear emboss if I use it, as I have here. I also like it when it's glossy, to me it makes it a bit more special.

I hope you can find time to play along this week and will you choose to go anything goes, or make a get well card or make a sympathy card. Just remember to make it CAS.

Thanks for popping by,

✿Karen✿

Rainbow Bridge Card

My sisters are both crazy animal lovers, one loving dogs but in reality all animals and is actually an animal communicator, appearing on TV and writing books. You can read more about Faye HERE.

My other sister must have some of her special abilities as every stray cat in New Lynn seems to end up at her place, unfortunately one of her dearly loved cats had to be put down this week and she seemed really upset about it, more so than usual. So I thought I would make her a card to hopefully brighten her day. I'm sure I haven't done Bruno justice as he was a magnificent looking golden brown and black cat.

My Copic colours used (darkest > lightest):

Rainbow; starting at the top stripe: RV13/RV21, YR16/Y17, Y17/Y15, YG05/YG21, BG13/BG11

Cat: W8, E59/57/33/53
Cloud: BG000

I've used a Close to My Heart stamp set Rainbow Bridge (D1862) and I must be getting old as I didn't buy the matching dies but I'm actually happy that my clouds, cat and halo look actually pretty good cut out by hand. The stamp set has really cool sentiments and inside reads "no matter how long we get to love them, it's never long enough" and a wee paw print.

Well I hope it brightens my sister's day when she receives her card.

✿Karen✿

I'm the Guest Designer at AAA cards

So excited to announce I am the guest designer for AAA Card's latest challenge. It is a no layer Sympathy Card and obviously CAS.

I knew the stamp set I wanted to use when I was asked and it's an oldie but a goodie from Stampin' Up! called Love & Sympathy. Personally I think the simple flower and the beautiful font on the sentiment is all you need to say I am sorry for your loss and I am thinking of you at this time.

The set also comes with a lovely sentiment for inside the card.

Those whom we have

LOVED

never really leave us.

They live on forever in our 

HEARTS

and cast their

RADIANT LIGHT

on our every shadow.

- Sylvana Rossetti.

I have lightly spritzed the stamp with water and then used my Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry watercolour pencils to colour in image, then lightly spritzed again and stamped on my card base (I used Tim Holtz's watercolour paper on the smooth side). I had also lightly spritzed the watercolour paper.

I stamped the sentiment when everything was dry with Rich Razzleberry ink and then coated with clear embossing powder and heat set it.

It would be great if you could join in with me too for the current challenge to make it not so scary.

✿ Karen ✿

CAS Condolence Cards

I blogged the other day as I had a fab play day with all my shimmer powders playing along with AAA Cards challenge to make a 1/9th card using a butterfly.

Now my first play/attempt for the above challenge was with Nuvo Shimmer "Lilac Waterfall" which was so pretty I thought it was the perfect background to make a CAS Condolence card and this is the theme at CAS on Fridays this week.

The sentiment strip was one sitting in a box on my desk as the Easy Expression Sentiments from The Ton give you multiple sentiments (this is obviously the sympathy set). The butterfly comes from an old stamp set I have had for yonks called Up the Happy (Essentials by Ellen - Ellen Hutson)

I also had some more left over bits to made a second much brighter card and toned the butterfly down with some vellum paper but I really like the shadings on the lilac card and think it is perfect for a sympathy card. The DT at CAS on Friday agreed with me and chose my card as a "favourite".

Thanks for fluttering by.

✿ Karen ✿

Easy watercolouring

It's a colour challenge at Just Add Ink this week and after my struggle with my butterflies yesterday I wanted something easy with a bit of WOW.

I am always surprised how much I like cards that are created with colours from a challenge, I think it maybe because they are not colours I would pick but they work and you may find a combo you actually really like. 

This weeks colours were all colours I like but when you stamp with Blushing Bride it's a dirty pink but when you "watercolour" with it I think it's a prettier pink. So I used the re-inkers to colour up one of my favourite stamps Mondo Hydrangea (Essentials by Ellen). 

I have heat embossed it with white embossing powder (Alabaster Brutus Monroe) on Ranger watercolour paper (as its a white paper unlike most watercolours which are off-white to cream). 

I used a no. 2 round watercolour brush by Black Velvet to wet every flower and then used a very small amount of re-inker to colour in, then repeated on a flower not touching the one I just coloured so there was no bleeding. I was pleased I managed to get some colour variation with the Mint Macaroon as only a single colour. I love this paint brush and hopefully one day can afford the no. 4.

I have used a sponge dauber with white Craft ink (Hero Arts Unicorn) on the retired SU! embossing folder Pretty Prints. The saying comes from The Ton's Easy Expressions: Sympathy - I just adore these easy expressions stamps (I have sympathy, thanks and birthday sets). They are 2-step stamping, so you can have different colours easily and when you use the matching dies you get about 6-10 lovely sentiment strips.
 

Supply List:

Stamps and dies: Mondo Hydrangea, Easy Expressions Sympathy
Ink: Blushing Bride, Rich Razzleberry, Mint Macaroon, white craft, Versamark
Paper: Blushing Bride, Rich Razzleberry, Mint Macaroon, watercolor
Other: White embossing powder, Iridescent Rhinestone jewels (SU!), dimensionals, Pretty Prints EF, water colour brush, sponge dauber

EDITED 19/5/22: My card was an "honourable mention".
✿ Karen ✿

Autumn Inspiration

Just Add Ink's Current Challenge is no. 600 and to celebrate this milestone they have  a gorgeous autumn picture to use as our inspiration!

I loved the shades but deviated a bit as I was inspired by a leaf in a card I had made at Stamp Camp taught to me by Alicia Yap, you can see Alicia's card HERE on her FB page. I was originally going to use Cajun Craze, Coastal Cabana and Soft Suede looking at the picture but ended up using Mint Macaroon, Pumpkin Pie and Soft Suede.

The die cut has been cut out of a piece of Very Vanilla which has had 2 inks; Mint Macaroon and Soft Suede ink added with a blending brush. The die cut leaf tips were then rolled in my Versamark pad and then copper embossed. This technique was used on the card I made at Stamp Camp. I probably haven't die cut enough of the Soft Suede blend but it certainly makes for a more realistic colour.

 I also inked up  The Ton Stamps' Easy Expressions Sympathy stamp set and matching dies. So it's a 2 step stamping set and I've copper embossed the larger fancy script words and used Soft Suede for the normal type and then it die cuts out 5 different sayings:

• You are in my thoughts
• Our thoughts are with you
• Sending condolences
• With heartfelt sympathy
• So very sorry

So I now have 4 other strips to use on other cards, what an awesome idea!

Close up of the card so you can see the copper.

Supply List (Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Gorgeous Leaves
Ink: Mint Macaroon, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede

Paper: Very Vanilla (I have used the thick version for the base), Mint Macaroon
Dies: Intricate Leaves
Other: Copper embossing powder, dimensionals, copper thread, Tasteful Texture 3D embossing folder

Non-SU! supplies:
Easy Expressions Sympathy stamp set and matching dies (The Ton), Sparkling Crystals mix (Studio Katia)

Well Autumn has arrived in NZ so this was a great challenge and congrats Just Add Ink on your 600th Challenge and for all the inspiration 600 challenges have given us all, that is an awesome feat!

EDITED 28/4: My card was an "honourable mention."
✿ Karen ✿

My Twilight card is unveiled & happy green day all

Hi all the WOW paperKRafters (Debbie, Sally & Vanita) held a twilight stamp-a-stack (SAS) with pizzas yesterday. Everyone got to take home 12 cards (4 designs; 3 of each design & hopefully a full tummy).

Above is my design for the SAS - I was the 3 sympathy cards which were all the same apart from the option of using the border embossing folder in different directions & embossing & debossing with it, and then the number of corners you could round went from 0 > 2 > 4 - the option of 2 opposing was the most popular on the day & with my fellow team-mates who chose that option as "their sample" from me to them.

Recipe:
Stamp set: Love and Sympathy
Ink: Sahara Sand, Wisteria Wonder
Paper: Naturals White, Wisteria Wonder
Other: Needlepoint Border embossing folder, corner rounder punch, Wisteria Wonder baker's twine, basic pearl, glue dot.

Thanks to all that attended & made it a really fun afternoon of crafting, especially the naughty table & you know who you are ;)

Well it's St Paddy's day today & I just think this video clip is gorgeous, teddy bears, green & jigging - makes me clap my hands with joy. Hope you had a fun day.



I'll be back tomorrow with the other samples from the SAS so do check back if you can.

Swallowtail & Summer Starfruit

I just love our new Swallowtail butterfly stamp - it's a biggie but it sure makes fabulous cards fast - just a quick post showing my swap with my team for the new seasonal catalogue.

I've used 2 of our new in-colours Summer Starfruit & Midnight Muse as I felt they gave a subdued card to match the sympathy sentiment I chose to use. I'll be posting some more vibrant pictures later on the week.

My original plan was to mat them up on the Midnight Muse & use the Summer Starfruit as the main card piece but I didn't have enough Summer Starfruit & looking at the 2 options now I think plan B was actually the better choice. I coloured in the image using sponge daubers & remember the saying "you can add, but you can't take away". So start off light & build up the colour.

Card Recipe:
Stamp sets: Swallowtail, Loving Thoughts
Ink: Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Early Espresso
Paper: Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Naturals White
Other: Sponge dauber

Quick Sympathy cards

Just a quickie post as I meant to post before leaving for SENZ but ran out of time but good to be home - baking goodies was much more important than blogging before I left for the weekend (sorry). I thought I'd share a couple of "quick" sympathy cards as unfortunately you often need these in a hurry.

Both these cards use the stamp sets Just Believe & the word comes from Loving Thoughts which is available in our Autumn-Winter mini which expires July 31st. I sure hope it carries over as it is a lovely set but just in case I'd order it before the end of the month to guarantee you get it. You can click on the stamp set to see the other words in the set.

The first card is pretty self-explanatory I think. The 2nd card I created at our last team training with my upline Jacque Pedersen & we have white embossed the butterflies with the image. Love it!!

Corrosive Challenge 14

Well my lovely SBS sister Janet is upto the 14th Corrosive Challenge - if you haven't entered before you should as she always has a little something for the winner (who I might add is randomly drawn).

This weeks challenge is to make a sympathy card with flowers - easy & dare I say it handy to have.

I've made a card using the poor man's versions for some of my lovely team mates who as yet don't own 5th Avenue Floral. This is a take/case on this card using Embrace Life. I think it's worked out rather well.

Stamp set: Embrace Life, Sincere Salutations
Paper: Kraft, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Urban Oasis DSP
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Basic Gray
Other: Large oval punch, gray taffeta ribbon, dimensionals

To view the other great entries click HERE