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 Colourful Dreamy Moodboard

It's time for another challenge with AAA Colourful and I am so delighted to be joining them as a Guest Designer this month. I love colour and was very excited when this new challenge blog started up and here we are at month four, doesn't time fly! 

This month's moodboard is so dreamy and it really reminded me of Craft Consortium's Ink Drop Papers which are perfect for those of us that would like the look of alcohol ink backgrounds.

I'm sure I not the only person who has watched a Jennifer McGuire video and went and bought what she was working with and I must admit this is how I own some CC Ink Drop papers and also some coverplate dies from Honey Bees (Delicate Daisy A2 Top and Base plates) after watching her create her usual magic. I have blogged about my first plays HERE and HERE. When Jane invited me to be the Guest Designer this month I went this will be easy that moodboard looks just like my DSP so I'll just tweak the card design using this time Vivid Ink Drops DSP (CC) and use a different "leaf" and the coverplate dies Jennifer "made me buy" for the background.

I'm really happy with my card but feel that my 3/4" paper strips maybe too green and the yellow seems to have disappeared in the strips. This is a no stamping card as the sentiment is a ready-made foiled sentiment from Pinkfresh Studio. The lovely leave die is Whirl Leaves (SSS)

Well I hope I have provided some inspiration for the moodboard or to just to use up some DSP in your stash as this truly is a really effective card and quite quick to put together which is always appreciated if you need a card in a hurry, this design would also work so well for Sympathy cards. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Design team came up for the challenge so hope you can join in, you have plenty of time to play along.

I'm also feeling like my colours are quite representative of the colours at The Paper Players at the moment so will join in with their latest challenge. Also Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is to add a die cut and when you add a SSS die cut to your card it would be foolish not to enter as who doesn't want to win a $25 gift card to their store (it will pay for my postage back to NZ).

Thanks so much for popping in.

✿Karen✿

Reverse Blackout Technique

Gosh I'm seeing a lot of cards made with this technique or the blackout technique in my Instagram feed lately and I thought it would be fun to have a go at it for the latest challenge at The Paper Players (Green, Pink, Yellow, Black &White). I watched a video from Sandie McIver which explains the process really easily.

In a nutshell you need a 3D embossing folder, you spritz the A2 panel of white card with a light mist of water and run through your die-cutting machine in the embossing folder.

Now this is where the fun/magic happens. When dry working on the debossed side colour in your image with colour, you don't have to be too clean and can colour outside the lines as anything above gets blackened afterwards. I found for the folder I was using I needed my smallest blending tools (1/4") to get into all the recessed areas. When happy swipe over your black ink pad (I had to reink mine as it wasn't black enough). Try to go up and down so you don't get ink in the debossed areas. My folder may have had too much detail as it was really hard to not get black ink in all the areas. I would have liked it to be blacker but I didn't want to add more black ink to the coloured images but it really does pop in real life.

Here's a quick collage of the process. It's funny it looks like I am working on the raised areas but I am definitely shading in the debossed areas.

Supply List:

Stamps: Easy Expressions: Birthday (The Ton)

Ink: Sunflower (PFS), Sparkling Rose (PFS), Bubblegum (PFS), Grassy Knoll (PFS), Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper: Neenah white, random pink glitter paper scrap

Other: Dogwood Blooms 3D embossing folder (HB), small blending brushes (PFS and WF), Twilight Ombre glitter drops (PFS), black dimensionals (SU!)

Challenge: PP#680

Well that was a lot of fun and I'll definitely repeat the technique especially if I find a bigger flower embossing folder to try it on.

Well my original idea when I saw the colours was to make a pretty spring bunch of flowers but I'm pretty happy with my more dramatic card. It's always fun to try out different and new ideas.

✿Karen✿

Rainy Days

The title and mood board at The Paper Players fits our weather really well, we've dropped 10oC in a week and its grey and gloomy, guess Summer is over and we're heading straight for Autumn (and Winter) for real in New Zealand. Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge is to add a sentiment to a card so it's always good to throw your name in the hat, just in case you're lucky ;)

I thought I'd play with an old stamp set that hadn't seen ink in awhile Look for Rainbows (Avery Elle) as it has a cute bunny hiding under an umbrella. I thought it would be cute to make it a rainbow umbrella with grey clouds and using one of the sentiments in the set I "you make me HAPPY when skies are grey"

I used Copics to colour up the images, I ended up debossing a hot foil plate as I didn't have a cloud embossing folder and I feel it's added a bit of background interest. The wee grey circled scallop frame was sitting in with the dies obviously not used last time but I felt it worked perfectly, so it was all falling into place.

Supply List:
Stamps: Look for Rainbows (AE)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Morning Mist (Versafine Clair), Lost Shadow distress oxide

Paper: Cobblestone (C9), Starry Skies DSP (LF), Xpress IT blending, white from my stash

Dies: Inside-out stitched rectangle (LF), Scallop Circles (PPP), Cloud Background hot foil plate (LF)

Other: Copics, debossing kit (Sizzix), blending brushes (TE), Gelli roll no 8 pen, 1mm square foam (SP), mini cloud edge stencil (MFT)
Challenges: PP#679, SSS Wednesday

I'm really happy with my wee ray of sunshine amongst the grey clouds, so do check out the other fab creations at The Paper Players and hopefully you'll have time to join in with one or both of the challenges.

Thanks for popping in.

EDITED 9/3/24: My wee card was chosen by Ann in the DT to be a Cut Above "Karen's bunny-in-boots with the rainbow-hued umbrella stole her heart." Many thanks Ann !!

✿Karen✿

The Gnomies are Sharing some Love

This hopefully is the last love/Valentine's card for this year from me and it was pretty quick and simple apart from letting the Crystal Glaze dry. I wanted to play along with CAS on Friday's Valentine Challenge (CAS and Valentine), The Paper Player's Love theme and Tic Toe Toe's challenge board (today I'm using the diagonal: enamel dots, die cut, dry or heat embossing). I'm also going to play along with Simon Say's Stamp's Wednesday Challenge (Anything Goes).

I've had this wee set in my stash for a while and haven't used the gnomies before, I do love the size of them small but not too small. 

Looking on the MFT site I saw a fab colour combo from Rachael Alvarado and really liked how bright her pink was and that she had added green to the blue-green combo. I think I may need to practice some more to even slightly emulate her but they are fun and vibrant colours. I'm laughing today I can see what I thought was a face she's coloured as a beard!! I also discovered that if you have a few bubbles in your glaze don't add more to it, it may make it worse. I only used the Crystal Glaze as in the end I thought the RVs were too bright but liked her BG combo and will definitely do that one again. I added clear embossing powder to my stamped sentiment so it's nice and shiny and black. I added Rock Candy glitter to the cap stripes and Prisma Glitter to the pom pom. I also die cut out 2 more gnome shapes and glued them all together to give him a bit more dimension but otherwise a one-layer card.

Copic Colours used (darkest > lightest):

Bright pink: RV66/55/52/00

Teal blue: BG18/23/11 G00

Pom pom: C2/0

Skin: E13/21 RV10

Supply List:

Stamps: Love to my Gnomies (MFT)

Ink: Jet Black (LF), Versafine Clair Nocturne, Salvaged Patina distress oxide (RNG)

Paper: Xpress IT blending, Neenah Solar White #110

Other: Copics, Fine sparkle adhesive backed gems (SU!), Crystal Glaze (Nuvo), Prisma glitter (LF), Rock Candy distress glitter (RNG), clear embossing powder, blending brush

Challenges: CAS on Friday #276, PP#675,  TTTC #240, SSS Wednesday Challenge #113

Well this was a really quick Valentine/love card to come together, so another one for my Galentine's cards which I'd better get in the mail today so they could arrive by the 14th. Have a fab day and thanks for popping in.

✿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 ✿

Another pink card

I may need intervention, I 've never made so many pink cards as I have lately but I wanted to share the pink fairy wings from my Copic 101 class with Jenn Shurkus plus one of Stampin' Up! new refresh colours Bubble Bath, which I think works so well with my pink fairy :) I don't like to share colouring combos when I take a paid class but I don't think Jenn will mind me sharing the wing colour which is RV0000 and RV10. I am enjoying Jenn's approach to colouring images for cards, it is fun, easy and whimsical and I have never ever seen pink wings before, so innovative too.

I also wanted to play along with The Paper Players current challenge to have just one image i.e. my fairy and be CAS. The fairy image comes from my workbook for my class and was commissioned by Jenn for the class and all are drawn by Angie Blom. 

Supply List:

Dies: The Magic Is In You Phrase (PFS), Folk Edge rectangle (PFS), Heart Garden border (LF)

Paper: Neenah Solar White, What's Sewing On DSP (LF), Bubble Bath (SU!), Pearlescent Vellum (LF)

Other:  Prisma glitter (LF), white gelli roll pen (Sakura), Nuvo glitter gloss pen, Snowflake Pops of Color (SBC), Copic markers, foam squares (SP)
Challenge: PP641

My photo doesn't do justice to how cute this is or how fabulous the pearlescent vellum is from Lawn Fawn but I love it and my pink card! There's 2 more days to play along with the challenge if you have some free time or just check out all the inspiration.

✿ Karen ✿

Festive Reindeer Wee Gal

These tiny wee pure innocence girls from My Favorite Things I think are just adorable and they are fun and easy to colour up with my Copics. I just recently scored from Krafters Cart in Auckland MFT's PI Reindeer Games, I think this stamp is an old one as only a few stores around the world still stock it and even fewer have it's matching die. I was keen to try it out ASAP to see what my fussy cutting was like for it and even if I say so myself it is fine and I won't attempt to get the matching die unless MFT re-releases it "from the vault".

A couple of my favourite challenge sites had just the right challenge to use my stamp; The Paper Players had a sketch and Time Out Challenges wanted "festive" so hopefully I have filled the brief for both.

Supply List:
Stamps: PI Reindeer Games (MFT)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Xpress-IT blending, Neenah Solar White, Garden Green (SU!), Sweetest Christmas DSP (SU!)
Other: Copic Markers, foam squares
Challenges: Paper Players 604, Time Out 221

Yah another Christmas card made, I know who is getting this card already!

✿ Karen ✿

Black and White with a Pop of Colour

Is the challenge from The Paper Players this week and CAS On Friday wants us to use enamel dots so I thought these challenges work perfectly together.


This card came together really easily and I love the pop of pink with the black and white. I masked off an area and then ink blended with my Spun Sugar, Kitsch Flamingo and Worn Lipstick distress oxide inks. I was trying to make an Ombre look but they're all quite strong pinks.

I have die cut out a 2nd sketched bouquet to add just a tad of dimension.

Supply List:

Stamps: Sketchbook Bouquet  and matching die (TE), Free as a Bird (SU! - sentiment)

Inks: Versafine Clair Nocturne, Versamark

Distress Oxides: Spun Sugar, Kitsch Flamingo, Worn Lipstick

Paper: Lavinia Multifarious Smooth and Supreme white, scrap of black
Other: Farm Fresh Holiday gem stickers (Honey Bee), black gingham ribbon (SU!), Alabaster White EP (Brutus Monroe), masking tape (CTMH), mini stamping dimensional to pop under the end of the sentiment, blending brushes (TE)
Challenges: CAS on Friday #237 - enamel dots, PP604

Thanks for popping in and I hope your day is going rosily!

EDITED: My card made the CUT ABOVE at the Paper Players.

✿ Karen ✿

Kids Kard Challenge

I have to say being a Karen and trying to be a KReative person because of my name I like a challenge that changes words to start with the LETTER K!

 So I was very excited to see the challenges at The Paper Players and Addicted to CAS are all about Kids and CAS. Congratulation to The Paper Players on their 600th Challenge too!

The hardest thing is choosing what image to use. I picked up my first Colorado Craft Company stamp and matching die whilst up in Auckland for the weekend. I have been meaning to buy a stamp from CCC for ages as their stamps are just adorable, but they normally are centered around mice. So I saw this wee cutie and  it had a cat so I was sold. 

I really enjoyed doing the  "calico-coloured" cat recently so  thought I would do something similar but it ended up being a tabby cat. I regret deciding I wanted to do no-line colouring so ended up going over the image with my Polychromo Burnt Sienna pencil to give it a bit of definition.

Now as this card is for kids it definitely had to have sparkle and jewels and I tried to cover up one of my raindrops I decided I didn't want but Hero Arts glitter paste is too sticky so next time leave alone or mask off my stencil!! The raindrops are created by mixing my HA glitter paste and some ink I smooshed from my Tumbled Glass distress oxide pad,  Hopefully the rest is obvious.

And showing off my Wink of Stella on the watering can.

Supply List:
Stamps: Mini Watering Can by Anita Jeram (CCC), Look for Rainbows (Avery Elle)
Ink: Memento Desert Sand, Versafine Onyx Black, Tumbles Glass distress oxide
Paper: Xpress-IT blending card, Neenah Solar white

Dies: Mini Watering Can by Anita Jeram (CCC), Master Layouts 2 (GK) - banner die
Other: Raindrops stencil (SSS), Ocean Breeze jewels (PF), Glitter Hero Paste (HA), clear Wink of Stella, Burnt Sienna Polychromo, mini stampin' dimensionals
Challenges: The Paper Players #600, Addicted to CAS #224

Copics Used:
Cat:E11/40/41/42/43; R30; YR20/21

Watering Can: BG10/11/13; Y35/38; RV66
Puddles: BG0000; B00/02

✿ Karen ✿

Monster in the box

Hi everyone a couple of Challenge sites have one layer cards as their challenge this week so it was time for the "cute" factor! 

 I just love the monsters in Monster Fun by Gerda Steiner Designs and the set also has some really fun sayings too. 

I normally Copic colour on X-press IT blending card stock and love it but knew in the USA they use Neenah Solar White so that is what I chose to colour on as I was only allowed one layer.

Supply List:
Stamps: Monster Fun (GSD)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne

Paper: Neenah Solar White 110 lb

Other: Clear embossing powder

Copics: BG0000/000/01/10/11/13; BV00; E53/55/57; R20; RV21/23/25; Y02/06/08; YR23

Challenges: Less is More, The Paper Players

I think I'm going to add some Crystal Glaze to my present box spots and some Wink of Stella to my bow but it's a very grey day today so my photo is probably as good as I am going to get for today. It is a good day for crafting though :)

Edited 26/6/22:  a close up now I've jazzed it up with Crystal Glaze (Nuvo) and my clear Wink of Stella.

EDITED again: My card was chosen by the DT at The Paper Players for I made the CUT ABOVE.

✿ Karen ✿

Hey Birthday Chick is shaking!

This week Just Add Ink's challenge is to use a sketch and the sketch layout is one I actually do quite often when making cards. I'm also going to enter at The Paper Players as their challenge is to use a bird or a bee on a card.

 I decided to make a shaker card when I found some cut up squares of quite thick acetate when I was trying to tidy up a "bits and bobs drawer", I think looking at the thickness of them it might have been the original acetate I bought from Stamp Zone before I discovered SU! in the mid 2000s but they still do the job and a quick spritz with some isopropanol made it nice and shiny again.

I used to love making shaker cards awhile ago, so much so I bought a Fuse so I could make my own plastic pouches but I made this shaker card the traditional way with acetate and foam tape. I have learnt a cool tip lately which I didn't know about originally which is to use your embossing buddy to "chalk up" the inner edge of the foam tape to take away the stickiness, so your sequins don't stick to the foam.

Supply List (Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Hey Birthday Chick (and matching dies), Whiskey Business (saying) 
Ink: Memento Black, Versamark, Pumpkin Pie, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight
Paper: So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black

Other: thin foam strips, Wink of Stella, embossing buddy (retired), dimensionals

Non-SU! supplies:

Alabaster White embossing powder (Brutus Monroe), Scallop Circle dies (Pretty Pink Posh), various sequins, acetate, red tape, X-Press It blending card stock
Copics: Y11, Y35, Y38, YR12, YR16, R32, R35, R46, W0, W1, W3, W5

Well I really like my card and its fun to shake but the front panel is too clean (which is unlike me to say as I really like CAS and white space) and if I have enough energy I'm going to have a go either using an embossing folder or a stencil on a second try.

Updated version created the day after:
I've used SU! All  Wired Up Background stamp on the So Saffron mat with So Saffron ink, I've covered the balloon in Nuvo Crystal Glaze and it so shiny in real life. I've also made the shaker panel a "mat" and I feel the Pumpkin Pie makes it all pop better. I've also tried some different Copic combos on my colouring:

Bird body:  YR24, YR27 and E19
Balloon: Y11, Y35, Y38, YR12 and YR16 - this colour combo is one of Kit and Clowder's weekly colour combo called Amber. Alyce Keeton gives us a new combo to try every week. These are a great resource and FREE to all not just those of us who are taking our monthly colouring classes. you can see more combos HERE.

For interest here's some old blog posts from me doing the "JAI sketch" in 2020 (click HERE) and in 2016 (click HERE and HERE), the final  one is one of my favourite cards of all time my Christmas elf card in 2016 (click HERE). Well I know there will be more posts but these are 4 that I instantly thought of when I saw the sketch layout. So hope you can join in this week too but if you can't make sure you have a go at the sketch it's a goodie one to use.

Happy stamping
✿ Karen ✿