Masked Birthday

Hello Everybody,

Hope you enjoyed having a look around Snowdrop yesterday.
Today's piece of inspiration is a little easier to make, and I have given a couple of older sets an outing too. Older in this context of course means that I haven't used them in a while, but they are actually some of my favourite sets: Mini Mixed Media Backgrounds, Sentiment Builders Happy and VIGNETTE Chevron & Arrows. I combined them with the rose from Blossom Overture to make this birthday card.

I first stamped and masked the roses, next I masked out the oval and sponged some yellow inside before adding texture using a couple of Mini Mixed Media Backgrounds. I removed my masks and coloured the roses using stamp 'n' write markers before stamping the HAPPY sentiment and adding some black splashes and layering on my black base card. I then stamped the word BIRTHDAY on a strip of white card stock, attached it to my card and finished off by adding a few sequins.
Well, if you fancy CASEing my creation and linking it up at the Playground over on the STAMPlorations blog, here is the link. This is where you can also see the amazing projects created by my teamies. If you pop over, please leave a comment there too and you'll be entered in a prize draw.
I shall be back again tomorrow with another bit of inspiration for you.

Have a lovely day!
hugs
Monika xxx


   

Ferry Cross The Mersey

Hi Everyone.
As you can see, the project of today's post is the one I made for the Spotlight Feature over at STAMPlorations. It is the one I promised a couple of weeks ago and is inspired by Snowdrop. You might have been wondering what I meant with this. Well Snowdrop is a Mersey Ferry operating between the Wirral, where I live, and the city of Liverpool. Earlier this year she was given a make-over by Sir Peter Blake turning her into a Dazzle Ship. You can see pictures and read all about it here.
I first saw Snowdrop with her new look when she was featured on Northwest Tonight, my local news program, around the time Shery had given us a little preview of the Mixed Media Grunge set, that's when the idea for this card was born. However it took me a while to realize the idea using stamps. Once I had figured out that using embossing powder would be essential, I decided that it was best to wait until after the Stamp Fair as there would be ample opportunity to buy some. :-)
Well here is my card-y version of Snowdrop ...

I started off by deciding which stamps I wanted to use, they were Mixed Media Grunge, VIGNETTE Chevron & Arrows and Retro Mod Shapes. I then measured my chosen stamps to see what size my boxes for the grid needed to be and drew a grid outline in pencil marking on the reverse which stamps I wanted to use and where.

I then coloured my squares and rectangles using Promarkers leaving some of them white before stamping and embossing my chosen stamps with apple red, gold satin, metallic gunmetal and white, some of the chevrons and arrows were simply stamped in black. The pencil marks were easily rubbed out after colouring before stamping.
I then trimmed my panel down to size and layered on my black base card.

Tip!: The key to this style of card lies in the preparation, mainly deciding on your stamps, drawing your grid pattern and deciding on your colours.

As always, there is a video, which this time starts after the colouring of my squares.

Hope you feel inspired to try something outside the box or rather inside as in this case ....
For your chance to win, pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog and leave a comment there to be entered in a monthly prize draw.
That's it from me for today, back again tomorrow with more inspiration. Until then ...
have a lovely day!
hugs
Monika xxx

  

All Things Baby

Hi Everybody,

I am back again today with a traditionsl take on the washing line as my contribution the the Inspiration Post over at STAMPlorations.

I stamped the little vests from the Baby Bump set on watercolour paper, added the little flowers from the Grunge Floral Strips, watercoloured around the vests using colour from a blue marker pen scribbled on an acrylic block, drew my washing line, stamped the sentiment, layered on gingham paper and added some faux stitching, card Candi and gems to finish.

I would like to enter my card at:
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes with the optional twist of Let's Celebrate

I am going to keep it short and sweet today. If you fancy CASEing any of our cards, you can also link your creation up at the Inspiration CASE Playground. There will also be prize draws, for all the information and to see the fabulous projects my teamies have made pop over to STAMPlorations.

Off packing eBay parcels, back soon ...

Have a lovely day!

hugs
Monika xxx


The sets I used:
 
note: The little flower doesn't show on the graphic, but I am sure it came with the set.

Addicted to CAS

Hi Everyone,

First of all, I want to say 'thank you' to the girls over at Addicted to CAS for asking me to be their Guest Designer for May! This means I have the honour of joining them for two of their challenges.

Each challenge has a different code word in addition to the card having to be clean & simple. Today's code word is ...

The 'Birds' challenge is hosted by Jan from Lilypuss Cards and the sponsor is Casual Fridays. When Loll asked me, I was thrilled to bits especially since I had just received my new Small Birds set ... now here is a thought ... as you are reading this, providing it is about 1pm BST, I might actually be having a cuppa with Shirley who designed the set. We are due to meet up at my local STAMP Fair in Port Sunlight. Back to my card ...

I stamped and masked the Kingfisher, sponged my partial circle, removed the mask and coloured my bird using Stamp'n'write markers. I stamped my sentiment, added a couple of scored lines to the side of it, layered on my kraft base card and my card was finished. It a sort of reminds me of holidays ...

I am entering my card at:
Crafty Calendar - Things with Wings

Hope you enjoyed today's offering, it you want to follow my blog, please feel free to do so by clicking on the small green squares to the right of the 'join this site' button.
Thanks for stopping by.
Have a lovely weekend!
hugs
Monika xxx


here is what I used:
stamp sets by STAMPlorations I used: Noteworthy and The Bee's Knees: Small Birds
 
Stamp'n'write Markers by Stampin'Up!: garden green, more mustard, pumpkin pie, tempting turquoise, basic grey and early espresso

Upcoming event:

Opposites Attract

Hi All,
I am back again with some more STAMPlorations Inspirations. My first card today is what I call a tidy-my-desk card. It is made up of bits and bobs that were still floating about from earlier projects I made, that is including the inks. I made my second card before this one.

Where do I start? Well, I was playing with the ARTplorations Honeycomb Delight Reversed Stencil first sponging in yellow and then slightly offset in green. I then stamped the net like looking stamp from the Mixed Media Grunge set in yellow all over before adding the barcode border in green and spritzing with water. Once dry, I added a strip of designer paper, stamped the chevrons and blended the edges with copper and dark brown ink. For my tag I did some more stamping in dark brown and green  and white embossing using stamps from the Mixed Media Grunge set. I then added a branch, some leaves, die cut vellum heart with sentiment from the Blossom Overture set, a piece of burlap, flowers and sequins to finish.

I am entering my card at:

Scribble and Scrap - Anything Goes

Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

My next card is a one layer make. I wanted to keep it subtle and decided on a greeny yellow for my base card using the ARTplorations Shower of Flutters Stencil to add butterfly shapes by lightly sponging green all over. I white embossed my sentiment from the Noteworthy set, spritzed with a little of dark green and added some sequins as round shapes to finish. Here it is:

I think using a hint of green to highlight the butterfly shapes gives this card an ethereal feel. This card was also a good 'warm up' for me, STAMPlorations will have another Stencil Blog Hop in a couple of week's time starting 25th May ... off to get my thinking hat on ...

I am entering this card at:
Crafty Calendar - Things with wings
CASology - Shape
Inkspirational - Space
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes, optional: make it feminine

For more inspiration, pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog. This is where you can also link up for the Inspiration Case Playground, where each month we invite you to CASE one of our cards and to share it with us. Remember to comment there for your chance to win too.

This is it from me for today or not quite depending on which part of the world you live in. I shall be back later with another post sharing a CAS project. Hope you pop by again. As always, comments are very much appreciated.

See you then
hugs
Monika xxx

    

branch die - Sue Wilson
leaves die - Die'sire/Crafter's Companion
heart - Xcut nesting die/docrafts

Heart Shaped Easel

Hi Everyone!

Today's post features a project I made for the Spotlight Feature over at the STAMPlorations Blog, if you want to leave a comment there too, that would be great especially as you would be entered in our monthly prize draw. Should you ever need some 'how to' inspiration, click here to find a host of tutorials.
Back to today's project ...

You probably know what it is like looking for this extra special card for an extra special person, especially if it is for a big birthday, well what can I say ... I needed to make one for my hubby who is hitting the big 60 in June. As he doesn't look it and given that I didn't want to remind him of the number, I made a heart shaped easel card using STAMPlorations' current Stamp Club Set Mixed Media Grunge combining it with the Blossom Overture.

Going for a heart shape, there were two basic ways I could think of for easily cutting your base card. You can either keep a fold at the narrow end, which I did for the above card, or at the wider end, as you can see in the card below.

I have a little video below on how I made my cards, it is one of the craft-along-type. Blow is a list of things you need to get ready before starting: choose which of the above options you prefer, cut your base card accordingly plus an additional heart of the same size from white card for your card front and spritz with red ink. Spritz a piece of scrap to use for the sentiment panel too. Die cut two more of the large hearts from matching red card and a smaller heart from white and red card, one each. In addition you'll need some red and black ink (black Archival and Versacolor) for stamping, red and green markers for colouring, a water brush, scissors, glue, foam pads, sequins and STAMPlorations' Mixed Media Grunge and Blossom Overture stamp sets.

TIP! The secret of an easel card lies in it having a little catch to prevent the card front from slipping forward. I decided to use a raised sentiment panel, but you could use any other form of raised embellishment..

I would like to enter my card at:
Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes
Scribble and Scrap - Anything Goes
Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
Stempelsonne - Anything Goes, the rose is stamped and coloured
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes, optional: make it feminine, I feel my card could also be suitable for a female recipient

That's it from me for today. I shall be back again in a couple of weeks with more Spotlight Inspiration for you when I shall be taking my inspiration from 'Snowdrop'. This is where I leave you to muse what it could mean, all shall be revealed in two week's time.

hugs
Monika xxx



  

Xcut Heart Shaped Nesting Dies and Artiste Spritzing Ink by docrafts
Riding Hood Red ink and card by Stampin'Up!

CASEplorations May

Hi All,

May has started and we are ringing in another round of CASEing over at the Playground on the STAMPlorations Blog.

This month my teamies and I are taking inspiration from a card Kim made to enter one of our challenges. Kim freely states that Art Keeps Me Sane in the title of her blog, and this is her very arty card ...

... which also can be found here on her blog. Kim is joining us in CASEing her own card, you can find her version here. Kim's shading is fabulous and she achieved so much depth .... hmmm ... what was I to do with this ...

As you can see, I narrowed it down to white on kraft. My kraft card stock has a completely different tone plus it is rather mottled hence I decided to keep thing easy on the colouring front ... actually I didn't do any. I achieved my two tone white by stamping my background using some of the Mixed Media Grunge stamps in white CRAFT ink and embossing the rose from the Blossom Overture set in white. I couldn't really find space for a sentiment, but wanted to add a little extra ... a few pearls did provide me with the finish I was after.

It's over to you now ... you could CASE Kim's card or take inspiration from any of the Inspiration Projects posted on the STAMPlorations Blog during May. It would be great for you to let us know who inspired you and why. You don't have to copy everything, it could be an element, the layout or the colours for example one can take inspiration from.

Simply link up your card, the link will always be in the header of the STAMPLorations Blog or you can use this one here. The link will remain open until 5th June. There will be a winner ...

This is it from me, please check out the amazing creations on the STAMPlorations Blog, as always any comments are very much appreciated.

Have a lovely day!
hugs
Monika xxx

the stamp sets I used: