Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge #93 - Use an Ornament on your Christmas card.

Hello Again!! Firstly, I just want to say what a fabulous job you made of your cards with last weeks challenge colours.  It was really tough choosing the winners.

Here is the inspiration image for this weeks Merry Monday challenge.

Create a card with an Ornament/s. Have fun.

 

This weeks challenge definitively tested my metal. I kinda lost my Mojo :-(
The only concrete thought I had was..... I wanted one large decorated ornament. I ended up making three cards. The first two just weren't what I wanted my ornament card to feel like! What ever that means.


This was the last card I made.
I used lots of Lil' Inker Stitched dies for the base and bow (love them), and Spellbinders snowflake and standard dies for the ornament. The old gold mirror board, and the pearlised gold paper, hark back to the cards I made 8 years ago. There's a glitter board layer too.The 'Joy' is Papertrey Ink. The card is finished with a piece of pearl chain for the 'drop' from the bow and a few rhinestones etc.

Here are the first cards.

May your Mojo always be in your favour!! LOL

Happy creating!.

The Card Concept - Challenge #2 Texture

Hi there! Well, what a wonderful response we had to our first challenge. The cards went across the styles from CAS to Shabby. Congratulations to the winners, and to everyone else, what amazing cards you shared with us.

Tracey and Lesley have set up a Card Concept Facebook page to run in tandem with the CC blog. You can, like, share and comment to your hearts content!! Find it here.

We are following the first challenge using Colour, with a second Challenge to use Texture . Have a look at the inspiration image for the Card Concept Challenge this week.

I was very struck with the texture of the roof, and the strong contrast between the greenery and the bright terracotta house.

When I thought of Texture and the image, stitching, and this lovely woven paper that I have had for years sprang to mind. The idea for the stitching came from a Stampin Up stamp that I am yearning after named 'Off the Grid'. I thought random crosshatching might have a similar feel to it. All threads are tucked inside. I really like how it looks. 

Another wee bit of texture was added to the flower by stamping it twice and cutting the top layer slightly smaller than the bottom layer. The flowers were then dry embossed with a wee dot folder.

There is also texture in the grey base card.

That's all touchable or physical texture, the visual texture comes from the different printed or stamped patterns. You can use just one, or both on your card.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Rose 'Life is Sweet' stamps and dies. 'Me' is a Hero Arts Alphabet set.
Dies: Memory Box PARKER LOWER ALPHABET SET Craft DIE 98363, Spellbinders Circles, PTI Rose.
Card: Kaisercraft grey and black, Kaisercraft frame, Leaves from an unknown paper.
Embellishments: Ampersand Prima

Have fun creating texture on your card this week.
Hugs Karen

Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge #92 - Use red, vanilla, kraft and chocolate with ribbon on your Christmas card.

Hi Merry Mondayers! What a wonderful array of snowmen cards you all came up with in the last challenge. Congratulations to the winners.

This week our image has a slightly vintage feel to it, but of course you could go completely modern.

You will be very inspired by the gorgeous cards the Design Team has for you this week.  You will see new additions too. :-) Join the Merry Monday Challenge. 

 For my card I have gone with Papertrey Ink Bells and Boughs stamp and die set. It is so versatile! I got the idea for white vellum foliage from Melissa Phillip's card Here. Such a beautiful card. Well actually, all her cards are beautiful!! :-) The Rustic white card stock, and the die cut and stamped sentiments are Papertrey ink too. I do love these colours. I treated the bells with a Wink of Stella!! The most easy to use, fabulous, one step shimmer.

That's it from me, have a great week.

Runway Inspired Challenge #51 - L'Wren Scott

I have wanted to play along with the Runway Inspired Challenge for several weeks now. I loved the colours of the last challenge and how the players used them. This challenge has bright and bold complimentary colours.

I was very attracted to the black curve through the suit so wanted to include it in the card. I also loved the colours in the umbrella so tried to create that sort of texture. I was taught a technique about 8 years ago but the name of it escapes me . The minute I post it will come to me LOL. The technique uses a cotton ball soaked with dye inks and meths. These are then 'pounced' on shiny card. The meths makes the ink spread in the most divine way. Anyway, the sentiment is cut from this.
An Update: 'Polished Stone' is the Technique. Thanks Karren
The triangles, which were inspired by the shape of the neckline, introduce the orange and break up the hard edges.

I enjoyed using these bright colours, and as they were on the desk they were used to try out a wonderful technique I had seen on Joni's Blog. She distresses heat embossed images with grey ink to give the most divine effect. See here and the last card on this post. I wanted to try it with dry embossing using a wonderful PTI impression plate.

The result was amazing. I distressed with the Tim Holtz Blender then skimmed the bumps by direct inking. The result looks like fabric to me. I tried Joni's grey first.

I tried a card using the the same technique. I think it would have looked better with the diagonal background.

That's it from me. Must post.

Happy creating everyone.

colourQ challenge #223...

I everyone, I hope your New Year has started well.  I have had a little time over the holidays to 'follow' the blogs of a few lovely ladies. Do take a look (if you have't already) at Kay Miller's blog My Joyful Moments, and Joni Andaya's blog Papell With Love, you'll be blown away by their talent.

I have started work, and while I love what I do, it is so difficult to have your work and your papercraft goodies in the same room!! It's a very large room but non-the-less.......................

I had decided I would try to make a card for the ColourQ challenge when I first saw the gorgeous image.
I just love the colours especially the pretty print on the purse. See for yourself.

This card sat made, without a sentiment, for days. In the end I thought repeating the circle shape suited the design best. Am I the only one who makes twenty sentiments when trying to find the right shape for the card??
I have seen several cards over the weeks with scallops at the bottom of a vertical panel. I love the look and decided making three layers would still keep the white space.
The flower was made by smooshing Hero Arts Neon orange (laid down first) and Neon pink Ink into a Black and White daisy print paper.
I didn't have cardstock or ink in the Summer Starfruit colour so had to use a similar colour.

Stamps: Avery Elle Petals and Stems, WPlus9 Ring, Clearly Besotted Make a Wish

Dies: PTI Scallop, Quickutz Bloom,  Flower punches

Inks: Hero arts Neon, Versafine Black, Colorbox 

Paper: Kaisercraft cardstock, Neenah white

Must fly and post this.
Thank for dropping in.

All New Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge #91 - Use a Snowman on your Christmas card.

Well! You all found your way to the new blog and we had wonderful turn out for the last challenge. While I will miss going to Always Playing With Paper and having Lesley's gorgeous cards before and after the Merry Monday  Challenge, it is nice to have a dedicated blog. 

This week we have snowmen on our cards again. Yey!! Such delightful wee characters. I adore the stitched ones on the inspiration photo.

 I coloured my snowman with markers in taupes (love!) and green, with tich of orange on his nose, and a tad of maroon on his buttons. My card is very simple (for me). I desperately wanted to ADD!! BUT......................it just didn't seem to need it, or probably more to the point, I didn't know what else to add. You be the judge :-)

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Sentiment (Let it Snow Set), Digital Snowman KD
Die: Lil' Inker Stitched rectangle, Memory Box Frosted Christmas tree
Ink: Versafine Black, Markers
Card: Neenah white and Cascard dark green, Prima Delight for the Christmas trees
Embellishments: Pearls and White Glitter

That's it from me.
See you in a weeks time.
Take care.
Karen D

THE CARD CONCEPT Challenge #1 - Colours

Here we go!! My post for Challenge #1 from The Card Concept. This is so exciting. :-) The cards from my fellow team mates are sooo gorgeous, click on the link above to go to the Blog.
Take a look at the inspiration photo and the challenge colours, so inspiring..........................

 I am representing the Freestyle Collage style along with Cindy Lovell and our guest designer Teresa Kline.

Once again here is a description of Freestyle Collage from the Card Concept's blog

Definition of Freestyle Collage:

• unrelated elements in a collection
• can be done in any style
• use of embellishments
• use of texture
• eye-catching and pleasing

   When I saw the inspiration photo I knew I would have a building on the card because I have Papertrey Ink's 'City Scene' Stamp and Die Collection. It has pieces for London, Paris and New York and includes the New York taxi cab which I know is supposed to be a bold yellow. I do hope I am forgiven for making it vanilla so it fits the challenge colours. 

   Prima's wood veneer 'LOVE' also influenced my choices. The card became a wee story of love being sent to, or from, New York. 

   I love the colour pink in all it's guises. I have used mainly warm pink on the card but I included the two touches of a comparatively cool pink for a nice contrast.

Stamps: PTI City Scene Stamps and Dies, Hero Arts Darling Sentiments
Paper: Neenah White, Prima Divine, Kaisercraft Christmas Cracker
Dies: Lil' Inker Stitched Circle, SSS heart
Embellishments : Prima 'LOVE', enamel dots coloured with Stazon, Washi Tape
Ink: Versamagic

Until next time.............

All New Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge #90 - Use Ribbon or Twine on your card.

Have you discovered the new Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge changes yet? Lesley has given it a little bit of a face-lift, and it's own blog. Click here for Challenge #90.

The 4 week  'Animal' card challenge finished with 99 wonderful entries. Congratulations to our four winners and the Honorable Mentions.

I have to admit to being a tad Christmased out but this weeks gorgeous inspiration image soon fired me up again.

When I first saw the inspiration photo, the card that came to mind had a Gift Card holder, with rounded corners and a big red bow. I had just purchased a new DSP pad and it fitted perfectly with the imagined card .  I have used a rolled Voucher rather than a Gift Card in the card holder so that it's background paper can be seen.

Stamps: Kaisercraft Christmas Carol, SSS Christmas 3 x 4

Paper:  Kaisercraft Christmas Cracker (3 patterns), Kaiser craft red

Dies: Lil' Inker Stitched Rectangles, Fiskers Border Punch

Do join in this challenge. It's an anything goes Christmas Card using either ribbon or twine. Lots of scope!!

Thanks for dropping in.

Karen

Fusion Card Challenge - Welcome back!

Happy New Year everyone. No major resolutions made here, just a quiet deal with myself to stop worrying so much!! Ekkkk!

This is my first Challenge for the year, but it is the finish of the month long Fusion Challenge.  I just wanted to join in celebrating Fusion's re-emergence. Yey!!! I am a bit rusty after nearly two weeks out of the craft room. Hmmmmm!

I just love these intricate IO deer dies, such gorgeous silhouettes. This is their first 'outing'. 

I enjoyed sprinkling embossing powder like icing sugar ( I think it's called confectioner's sugar in the US) on the tag. It is not held in place with Versamark so it was a bit of mission to heat it gently from a distance without blowing it away.

Dies: MFT Tag die, Impression Obsession deer dies, 'JOY' Lil' Inker, EK edge punch
Papers: Kaisercraft red, craft and brown, Gordon Harris white,  MME Santa Claus and Love Me

Thanks for stopping by.
Karen