AAA Card Challenge 281: sending Paper Hugs to kick off 2025

Welcome to 2025 and a big hello from me I hope everyone had a fabulous festive time catching up with family and friends. It's great to be back blogging and AAA Cards is starting of the new year with it's first challenge of anything goes as long as it's CAS. Let me remind you how AAA Cards see CAS as it is a lot stricter than other clean and simple challenge blogs.

The optional twist for this challenge was "flies in the air" so many possibilities and the Design Team have explored lots of them so do check them out.

I've chosen to work with a new set for me from MFT stamps called Paper Planes as I can see a paper plane above.

It was a simple card and very pink as Valentine's Day is coming next month so I might as well get started on my Galentine cards ;)

I masked of the card, ink blended and then stamped in a darker colour cute images from the set. My card is inspired by a card on the MFT site by Carly Tee Miner.

Supply List (I thought I'd do it differently this year and list supplies by company):
MFT stamps: Paper Planes (stamps and dies)
Pinkfresh Studios: Sparkling Rose and Bubble Gum ink; 1" blending brush
Copic Markers: RV00/02/04 W2/4/10

Sakura: white Gelli roll pen #8

As always you have 2 weeks to play along so hope you can join in with us.
Thanks for popping in.

✿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✿

AAA Cards Challenge 257: Stinking Sweet

The latest challenge at AAA Cards is "anything CAS goes" but the optional twist is Love is in the Air. My partner and I don't really do Valentine per se but we both like chocolate. I normally stir my young great nieces and send them Valentine's cards from secret admirers, one day they maybe old enough to work out it's me but for the moment I enjoy giving them a thrill.

I just love the pop of the 2 red hearts and tried to emulate that in my card design. Of course it's fortuitous that the Lawn Fawnatics latest challenge is lots of hearts ;) How perfect is that!!

I'm also going to play along with the challenge at Tic Toe Toe who have also moved to a bi-weekly challenge and have chosen the first line down on the LHS (heart, red and die cut).

Supply List:

Stamps: Scent with Love add-on (LF)

Ink: Ballet Slipper (PFS), Sparkling Rose (PFS), Poppy (C9), Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne

Paper: Xpress IT blending, Neenah White

Dies: Square Peek-a-boo Window (MFT)

Other: Falling Hearts stencil (LF), blending brushes (TE), Copic markers, white Gelli roll pen

Challenges: AAA#257, TTTC239, LF#165

Copic Markers used:

I hope you can join us this week, you do have 2 weeks for the challenge and it's anything CAS goes with maybe the twist being added.

EDITED: 3/2/2024 my card was chosen at Tic Tac Toe as a Designer's Pick

✿Karen✿

Porcu-pine for You

This was the name of the FREE Create with Us class Jenn Shurkus and Chari Moss hosted last weekend using their 2024 Valentine Critter the porcupine, their porcupines are so cute and there's also mushrooms (which makes my heart squeal) but I also love the heart garden stencil that was part of this release. If you missed the live event the colouring guide and links to the video can be found on the Lawn Fawn blog or clicking above where I have highlighted the class. I've seen lots of cute other critters used instead of the porcupine too online.

I've pretty well followed the Class instructions apart from using my own inks as I don't own any coloured Lawn Fawn ink. I used Catherine Pooler's do-si-do (instead of Bubblegum), Cummerbund (instead of Merman). Pinkfresh Studio's Key Lime (instead of Freshly Cut Grass). Concord & 9th's Sprout (instead of Celery Stick). I'm probably a tad light with my blending on "Quill You Be Mine" and a tad dark on "Prickle my Fancy" but they seriously are such cute cards and I will enjoy giving my wee great nieces a thrill again for Valentine's but they should be able to work out this year I am their secret admirer;)

So Dam Cute

This is the name of Jenn Shurkus's new virtual class. Some simple colouring and I really liked the Kraft cardstock with the stenciled background (I used my Flirty Flamingo from SU! on Strathmore Bristol Smooth). I have pretty much followed along otherwise what Jenn did in the class though I probably added a darker shadow to my beaver.

Supply List:

Stamps and matching dies: Wood You Be Mine (LF), So Dam Much (LF)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Early Espresso (SU!), Xpress IT blending
Paper: Kraft (SU!), Strathmore Bristol Smooth, Neenah White #110

Dies: Heart Garland Backdrop: Portrait (LF)
Other: Foam strips (SU!), Birch tree stencils (LF), blending brushes (TE), Quickie glue pen (sakura), Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU!), Copics, Nuvo crystal glaze

✿ Karen ✿

Happy V-day

Well it's Valentine's day down under so I thought I'd share the wee card I whipped up for my Pete today. I've been playing with my Pigment Sprinkles from Stampin' Up! lately. The papers in the Peaceful Poppies DSP remind me of watercolours so I was trying to recreate the watercoloured look.

I must admit I was wearing a pair of white trousers so was getting a bit worried that maybe this was a silly idea as they certainly pack a lot of colour in a few sprinkles. I used Gorgeous Grape, Mango Melody & Melon Mambo for my flower & Granny Apple Green & Bermuda Bay for my leaves. I coloured the Rhinestones with a RV66 Copic marker as it's supposed to be close to Rich Razzleberry.

There's not a lot of stamping on the card apart from the word love, its all the magic of watercolour, dies & fab designer series paper.

Recipe (all products Stampin' Up! apart from the Copic marker)
Stamp set: Balloon Builders
Ink: Memento Black, Poppy Parade, Pigment Sprinkles, RV66 (Copic)
Paper: Whisper White, watercolour, Peaceful Poppies DSP
Dies: Poppy Moments
Other: Dimensionals, Rhinestones, old SU! heart punch with 3 hearts on it (long time retired)

Just a quick explanation how I created the watercolour wash for the flower & leaves.

• I always do a quick clean water wash on my watercolour paper first with either a watercolour brush or a big paintbrush.
• Add a few Pigment Sprinkles to a laminated A4 piece of white paper or a craft mat or the back of a big perspex block.
• Add a few drops of water to the pigment sprinkles - you can then mix on the sheet or I personally like to add to the wet watercolour paper & see what magic happens.

I'd like to enter my card into the Challenge at AAA cards (clean & simple), the challenge was up to 1/3rd with the option of a heart twist, so perfect for Valentine's day.

Well I hope everyone has a very nice day & feels loved & maybe just a wee bit of chocolate passes your lips;)

Happy KRaftin'

✿ Karen ✿

Birds go Crazy for Love

Happy Valentine's day all, Pete & myself take a low key approach to V-day but any excuse to make a card & share chocolate is always a good day.

 I have to say those crazy birds from Tim Holtz are perfect for sharing a wee bit of love with. My card's final dimensions are 4" x 7" (so I used a piece of Smoky Slate 8" x 7" & folded at 4"). The DSP is 1/4" smaller on all sides.

I followed California Girl Richele Christensen colouring techniques as I think her Bird Crazy birds are the best on the internet.

So I stamped my wee bird on watercolour paper & then die cut her out. "She" was wetted with water, then coloured in with distress ink smeared on my craft mat & watercolour paint brushes.

 I covered the bird all over with Tattered Rose, then used Aged Mahogany to colour the lower body & her wing.

At the top I used Scattered Straw & Wild Honey.

I also used Vintage Photo to add a bit of shadowing & to colour around the edges of the cut-out.

The eyes were coloured in with Tumbled Glass, the wee beak & feet were Fossilized Amber.

I then spritzed the top with Wild Honey & the base of the bird with Aged Mahogany.

I popped up the wing & the eyes on dimesionsals & added Crystal Effects to the eyes to make all glossy.

The heart I stamped in Hero Arts Soft Granite (as it's a waterproof ink), then coloured all over with Tattered Rose again, the bow was a combo of Worn Lipstick & Aged Mahogany. When the heart was dry I covered all over with my clear Wink of Stella pen to give it a wee bit of sparkle.

Recipe:
Stamp sets: Bird Crazy & Crazy Things (Stampers Anonymous), Good Greetings (Stampin' Up!)
Ranger Inks: Archival Jet Black, Tattered Rose, Worn Lipstick, Aged Mahogany, Tumbled Glass, Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Fossilized Amber
Other inks: Soft Granite (Hero Arts), Smoky Slate (SU!)
Paper: Watercolour (Ranger), retired DSP from SU!, Soft Sky (SU!), Smoky Slate (SU!)
Others: Dimensionals, Crystal Effects, Spritzer, clear embossing powder, clear Wink of Stella pen, round 2 & round 4 brushes, Bird Crazy matching framelits, sponge, craft mat.

Well we're off to see Deadpool at the movies which should be a nice end to V-day.

✿ Karen ✿

The last of the love for awhile (me thinks)

Just a quick post as I promised my work morning tea & I have blueberries muffins to bake. Though looking at the time now they may have to wait until tomorrow night!

I run out of broadband (again) & it's impossible to post or view blogs without it in case any of you have missed me. I'm allowed to change my plan on March 5 so after this date I'll be able to change my allowance plus it'll be cheaper.

These are the last of the projects we made at my Valentine's classes last week:

Peek-a-boo treat holder using A Happy Heart & Lots of Dots jumbo wheel

& inside the yummy chocolate heart from The Chocolate Boutique in Parnell


Another Chocolate Treat (this time done in red)


and last but not least a masculine Valentine's card that I cased directly from my upline's card class I attended a week earlier


Stamp set: A Happy Heart; Polka Dot Punches, Sanded (though I used Distressed in my class)
Paper: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White
Ink: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip
Other: Chocolate Chip 1" double-stitched ribbon, crimper, crop-a-dile, jumbo eyelets, designer label punch, sponge daubers, a tiny weeny bit of Dazzling diamonds glitter (remember it's for a man), whisper white envelope

This is a very clever card - it's actually 2 cards in one! This is the inside of the top wee card:


And this is the inside of the larger bottom card:


So I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend, mine's been great: Top Gear the live show Friday night, helping out at the Hamilton extravaganza (exhausting but have some new ideas), Slum Dog Millionaire at the movies Saturday night (DO GO AND SEE IT). Today demo training & visiting my family. Plus I did get some red roses that were actually chocolates - mmm & best of all Pete fixed my broken driver's door. So me very happy.