Fusion Challenge #20

Hi there everyone. I am racing to post yet another card. This one had a few changes along the way. We have a night time photo (now replaced with a daytime photo)....ahem it's 4.45am. A little late but kinda normal for me. So here we go with my card for Fusion's #20 Challenge.

 I did actually make an orange, or is that a Tangelo?? for the card but it just didn't work. I had these leaves on the desk from a previous card......when I laid them on, I really liked the look, so went with them. I have to say I love these colours together. Duck egg blue/soft aqua gets me every time. Yum!

Stamps: Hero Arts (CL487) Thank you for being my, SSS06125   Sentiments

Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched leaves, Spellbinders Circles, PTI Scallop, MFT Tag

Inks: Versafine Black, Versamark and Hero Arts White embossing powder

Paper: MME, Kascard Linen, Marisa Lerin Digital woodgrain

Embellishments: Hemp twine, Studio Calico wood arrows?? Rhinestones, pearl, button

Thanks for dropping in to have a look.

Happy Creating

Karen

ColourQ Challenge #212

Skating to enter a card in the ColourQ Challenge.  Just love the quirky image. I would love to have done something with wobbly eyes!!

Here is the card.

Stamps: Hero Arts Sentiment

Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched leaves, Flower punches

Paper: MME, Basic Grey, Kaisercraft

Ink: Versafine black

Other: Twine, button, Rhinestones, doily

Thanks so much for dropping by.

Karen

The Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge # 81 - Use Santa on your card

 Hello everyone. Did you enjoy the 'music' Christmas card challenge last week? So many amazing cards.
This week is sure to get you going too..........................make a card with a Santa image! Trot along to Lesley's blog , Always Playing With Paper, to join in the Merry Monday Challenge. If you haven't entered a challenge before and would like to have a go, all you have to do is make a card that pleases you (and follows the theme for the week). Join in the fun.

As it happens, I do have two Santa stamps, one is a Santa collage, and the other is a very busy stamp purchased years ago. Just not quite what I wanted. So I went on the hunt for a lovely traditional Santa, and ended up with this cheery modern wee fella. LOL There was just something about him that appealed. I found him as a digital stamp at Whimsy Stamps

He was duly coloured, given some glittery accents, an embossed buckle and mounted on 3D foam. The background has punched snowflakes attached.  The sentiment is a die cut, stitched circle with two stamped sentiments, a little twine and a bit of bling.

Stamps: Digital Whimsy Stamps, Sentiment Hero Arts

Die: Lil' Inker Stitched Circles, snowflake punch

Ink: Marvey Markers, Versafine Black, Versamagic and silver embossing powder.

Card: Kascard Linen 

 Be sure to check out the cards from the other design team members at Always Playing With Paper.

See you next week for a new challenge.

The Shabby Tearoom - Challenge #189 - 'Fall Florals'

I am joining in with this weeks Shabby Tearoom Challenge. I do enjoy the freedom to layer lots of lovely elements. The design team have such varied styles this week. Lots of wonderful inspiration.

I like the shaped windows in the small, birdhouse/rotunda?? so have die cut a similar shape. I have also used the fence in behind. I loved the image colours but in the end I decided to leave out the green. I die cut oak leaves, coloured floral wire and wound it, pulled some strands of hessian cloth, and made a bright orange flower to go with the two ready mades. The butterfly is cut from designer paper, coloured, then covered in glossy accents. The banners are from a single ended die. I turned the cut pieces in the die to cut the other end to the same shape.

 Stamps: Hero Arts Sentiment
 Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched leaves, MFT Fish tail flags Stax, Spellbinders Label 21, Martha Stewart fence punch, daisy punch (orange flower)
Ink: Versafine black, Memento (to colour the flower)
Paper: MME, PTI Rustic White, The Butterfly is from Kaisercraft -Timeless collection here.

Off to link the post.
Thanks for dropping in.
Karen

The Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge # 80 - Music or Carol Inspired theme.

Merry Mondayers created a bumper crop of gorgeous Snowflake cards (also a bag and an ornament) last week. It was so hard to pick just one favorite when all were worthy. Such talented challenge participants.

This week's Merry Monday Challenge is a music inspired theme. Soon we will be singing carols to celebrate the season. Here's a chance to feature your favorite carol or music on a card, or perhaps just a music themed paper.

I don't have carol or music stamps but my little Inkadinkadoo snowman stamp brought to mind  that wonderful song, 'Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow'. He really seems to be celebrating just that thought.

I hummed and hawed about using Kraft as a card base but I liked the look so went ahead. I used one of my favorite embossing folders to emboss it.

For the tag base I printed off the words to the song. You can just see the first verse at the top. The sentiment is also printed. The scallop die cut is actually a greeny/grey but the photo is showing just grey.

Stamps: Inkadinkadoo Snowman. Printed Sentiment and tag base.

Dies: Spellbinders, Snowflake punches.

Card: Bazzill Kraft, Neenah White, MME Paper.

Inks: Versafine Black, Marvey and Copic markers

Well that's it from me for this week. Go to Lesley's Always Playing with Paper to see the cards from the other design team members.

Have a very creative week.

Karen

Fusion Card Challenge #19

Grey, pink, black and white is such a striking colour combination.
I am definitely showing my age here, but I do remember wearing these colours in the 80's, a la Joan Collins, with shoulders pads!! So funny to look back at old photos........what were we thinking!!

I decided to go with fusion for this weeks Fusion Challenge.

At first I had no idea where I was heading with this card. I started with the bird and grasses and built it from there. I am pleased with the outcome. As with my last card, I resisted the strong urge to add twine or ribbon.
I stamped the bird on the white base, then stamped it again and cut it out to raise it on foam. The grasses are a wee stamp stamped three times.

Stamps: Inkadinkadoo bird, Hero arts, Not sure about the grasses.
Dies: PTI, wee butterfly punch, Cropadile corner rounder
Inks: Versafine black, Versacolor Pink, Hero Arts white embossing powder
Card: Neenah white, Kaisercraft
Other: Sequins and Rhinestones

That's it from me. Time to cook hubby dinner.
I hope you're having a creative day.
Karen

ColourQ Challenge #210

The quilt in this weeks ColourQ challenge inspiration photo is so graphic and bold. I love the Flying geese and half square triangles, so I thought something pointy would be the way to go.

I chose a diamond border from Papertrey ink to give the points and bold colours I wanted.
I really restrained myself from using ribbons and twines and stayed with a bold sentiment and a few sequins.

Stamps: PTI and Hero Arts.

Dies: PTI 

Ink: Versafine black, Memento

Card: Kaisercraft

Other: sequins and pearls

Another post to come.

Thanks for dropping in.

Karen

The Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge # 79 - Snowflakes, Blue, White and Silver/Gray

Last week's challenge certainly resulted in another round of very creative cards. Well done everyone.

This weeks challenge theme is Snowflakes!! I know there are many wonderful stamps and dies available for these beautiful wee structures, so I am certain there will be more fabulous creations for this Merry Monday Challenge.

For my card I white embossed some snowflake stamps on the white background, then I gently 'smooshed' a little colour over the top using Distress and other dye inks. I made sure not to cover the white background completely so the colour remained vibrant. I used dies and a punch to make the 'popped-up' snowflakes.

Stamps:   Inkadinkadoo 'Snowflakes-a-Plenty', Merry Christmas (Microsoft Publisher)
Dies: Spellbinder Create A Flake Four, snowflake and circle punches
Inks: Hero Arts White Embossing powder, Versamark, Distress and Memento inks
Other: Silver yarn, buttons, rhinestones

Have a very creative week.
Thanks for visiting.
Karen

The Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge # 78

The entries in last weeks challenge were so wonderfully vibrant with the touch of pink in the cards. Congratulations to the winners. Looking forward to your entries for this week.

Now we have beautiful native birds here in New Zealand but nothing as bright as the Cardinal. Wonderful! A fabulous image you have chosen Lesley. So perfect to inspire a great 'bird' Christmas card for this Merry Monday Challenge.

I kept the red bird because it compliments the greens and I wanted to stay with traditionalish Christmas colours.

The side trim is cut from a piece of card embossed with  the Cuttlebug Wicker Weave folder. I know I will use this often because I love the embossed pointy bits, and, one embossed A2 card makes lots of trim strips. :-) You just need to remember to adjust the height of your card to match the trim (if you want complete points). Ask me how I know this!! :-0

Stamps: 7Gypsies Victoria Birds, PTI Sentiment Wonderful Words - Holiday, Avery Elle Petals and Stems

Dies: Avery Elle, Spellbinders Scallop circle, Cuttlebug Wicker Weave Embossing folder

Card: Kaisercraft, Neenah white

Ink: PTI, Versamark, Versafine black.

Check out the cards from the other design team members, I have had a sneak peak and they are all fabulous.

Happy creating!

Karen

The Shabby Tearoom Challenge #187 - Sketch This

Well this was a lovely honor. Debbie from The Shabby Tearoom emailed to ask if I would like to be guest designer for this challenge # 187.  When she emailed the inspiration image through I was rather surprised to see a sketch!

So.....I can use any colour combination, and any theme I want. Hmmmmm??

I don't know if it happens this way for everyone, but most often, when I first see an image, a hint of an idea will pop into my head. Nine times out of ten, I stick with that thought. This time.....hydrangeas, script and duck egg blue. Go figure!

Here is the card in very soft colours.

I stamped the Hydrangea on to ledger paper and cut it out. The only place the ledger paper shows is in the two red lines through the leaves. A little odd perhaps but it seemed like a good idea at the time. The hydrangea looked rather flat (literally) on the card, so I restamped it several times, cut out and coloured each of the wee flowers, then 'popped' them up on the background using a tiny dab of glue in the middle of the flower. I finished them by dropping a wheeny bit of Stickles in the centre of each flower.

Stamps: Hero Arts sentiment,  Penny Black hydrangea stamp.

Ink: Versamark black, pastels to colour the leaves and flowers. distress ink for the edges

Paper: Neenah White, PTI rustic white, Bazzill soft blue, MME Ledger paper and blue and White gingham

Dies: PTI Mat Stack 5, Cropadile 1/2" corner rounder, Hero Arts Frame cuts for the wee banner

Extras: Seam binding, twine, buttons, pearls, paper flowers, braid

Well there it is. Thank you Debbie for inviting me to join your very talented team this week. A huge thrill.

Happy creating to all. I am really looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Karen

ColourQ Challenge #209

I love the cheery, bright colours in ColourQ's Challenge this week. They inspired a busyish card to match the pattern on the apron. 

I repeat stamped the background with a MFT border stamp. I think it gives a great effect. A happy sentiment and flower, and it was done. Not that quick, not for me anyway. There is always much mulling and sussing!!

Stamps: MFT Border it - Mod Borders, Clearly Besotted Fancy Florals, Hero Arts Live Life CL493

Dies: Clearly Besotted Fancy Florals, MFT Banner die

Inks: Versacolor pigment, Versafine black

Card: Neenah white, Kaisercraft

Thanks for the great challenge ColourQ.

Moxie Fabs Tuesday Trigger - A Fine-Toothed Comb

The Tuesday Trigger A Fine-Toothed Comb image just makes me drool. I adore the gorgeous subdued colours and the wonderful flower textures.

I decided to go with a lovely warm, sagey grey for the card base. I do like the softened result.

The metal flowers are bead end caps with a rhinestone inside. The flowers are a mixture of fabric, resin, metal and paper. The sentiment is embossed in white on a pearlised bronze paper.

Stamps: PTI leaf veins, Hero Arts Sentiment

Paper: Kaisercraft, MME, Kascard

Die: Spellbinders

Hope your weekend is going well.

Karen

Fusion Card Challenge #18

Hello everyone. Another day, another challenge.
Today is a challenge from Fusion. They have the best inspiration images. This time I was inspired by the image, it was the lovely stylized flowers on the mug.

This is what I came up with.
I drew the leaves in a drawing program and arranged them for printing, with a black outline, on the card base.
I coloured the leaves with one of my two copic markers. I am so sold on how well they blend on any surface, in this case, linen texture. I am also pleased that they didn't drag the printed inkjet outline. They are very expensive here in NZ, so I have decided on a regime of purchasing a few a month.
Unfortunately I can't purchase from the US as they won't sell to NZ residents. This is the same with Stampin Up products, as far as I know anyway. :-(
The daisy is a favorite Penny Black stamp I have had for some time.

Stamp: Daisy Penny Black Burst of Blue 2640E, Leaves printed (see below)

Inks: Copic and Distress markers

Paper: Kaskad Linen white, Kaisercraft teal, black and aqua (behind the daisies)

Die: Memory Box PARKER LOWER ALPHABET SET Craft DIE 98363, hand held punches for the daisy centres.

That's it from me for today.
Happy crafting
Karen

The Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge # 77

 Last weeks snowmen challenge was such a hit with 47 entries! Wow. Everybody put so much thought into their designs, it was very hard to pick a favorite.
This week's image is modern and bright, with pink. :-) I am dying to see what you all come up with.
Clicking on the image below will take you to the challenge where you will find the cards made by Lesley, the other design team members and the challenge participants.

Here is my card......quite CAS for me.

I used the dark green and light green in the die cut circles, the pink in the strip pieced border and pearls, and the red in the buttons and the border.

The Christmas tree is hand cut from Designer paper. I frosted the red buttons with fine glitter.

Stamps: Hero Arts sentiment (CL343)
Dies: Spellbinders, snowflake is a hand held punch
Paper: Neenah white, Kaisercraft colours dark and light Green, red and pink, B/W spot Provo craft Mat Stack

See you at the next challenge, I've seen the image....mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!