Sunday 20 April 2014

Retro Puff Power!!...

Hello, hello!!

I have made my first post over at WOW! Embossing Powder today!  Woohoo!   Thank you for all your lovely comments and congratulations - I love you guys :)

The theme for this month is 'Metal'.  How cool is this picture!...


I'm not going to lie, I was a little stumped to begin with.  I thought about using metal embellishments or making something to look like metal...but then I was cooking and the light bulb in my head pinged - tin foil!  It's a slightly unusual crafting material I know, but that's just how I roll...



and here's a close up of the cool Black Puff Powder in action...



Details of how it was made are over on the WOW! blog...have a mooch and check out the other DT samples while you're there - it's definitely worth a visit :)  Also, make sure you keep checking in as the DT post all month long!  



I used the sketch from this week's Retro Sketches for the inspiration for my layout - love this sketch!!  I think this one will be going into the archives and will almost definitely get used again!



Thanks for stopping by ;)










Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Teal, Pale Turquoise
Stamps: WOW! - De-Vine, Express Yourself; Verve - Sunny Days
Ink:        Versamark
Other:    WOW! - Black Puff Powder, Primary Fuchsia Fusion e/p; thread; pearls; tin foil

Friday 18 April 2014

WOW!...exciting news!...

Hey guys!!

I tried to get this post up last weekend but I just didn't get time!  Also, I was trying to do it from an iPad and it just wasn't playing ball - doh!

I've had some exciting news that I've been DYING to share with you all.........you are 'looking' at one of the newest members of the WOW! Embossing Powder Design Team!!!  Whoop whoop!!!




I have been waiting since the beginning of February to share this with you guys - honestly, I was fit to burst!!!!!!

I am so pleased to be a part of this fabulous team, the existing team members have been so welcoming and so helpful and made us newbies feel right at home ;)  Also, every single gal on the team, existing and new, are SUPER talented.  Each of us has our own style which is awesome as it keeps it fresh and means there are so many different interpretations of each challenge theme - the possibilities are endless!!  And, as you may know, there is embossing on pretty much EVERYTHING I make so I am all the more excited to be on this team :)

I really do suggest that you check out the blogs of these gals if you get a chance...you're in for a real treat!!

You can find them all on the WOW! blog.

I would like to thank Tania and the other guys on the team for having me and giving me this opportunity, I am very appreciative and can't wait to get stuck in!  Watch this space.... ;)

I'll be back soon with some cards and my first DT post!


Thank you for stopping by ;)






Tuesday 8 April 2014

Happy Birthday girl!...

Hello there chaps and chapettes!

Today is my colleagues birthday - yipee!!  She started at work the same time as me a few weeks ago so we're fellow newbies ;)

Now, I know she LOVES owls...I mean LOVES owls.  Unfortunately for her I don't have anything owl-related, but I kept the animal theme and hopefully she'll like her card anyway :)

This card is for The Card Concept challenge #7 too, where the theme is - Butterfly.  I'm really not sure which category my card falls into this time>  Maybe Clean and Simple, maybe Clean and Layered, maybe even Clean and Graphic?!  Ok, so the graphic one might be pushing it a bit!

It's also kind of based on the CAS(E) This Sketch layout from last week (#70) - I really liked it!




I finally own a butterfly stamp!!  Woohoo!!  I got this one in the awesome set that came with the last issue of Get Stamping magazine - it's beautiful!!  I heat embossed it in WOW! Ebony powder and then used Distress Inks to blend the colours, I think they're kinda pretty ;)  I also used some new-to-me WOW! embossing powder for the sentiment - it's Calypso glitter powder and it is STUNNING!!  It has a lovely sparkle in real life and I'm loving it!!

So this is happy birthday to Jade, I hope you have a great day!!  :)


Thanks for stopping by y'all!  ;)













Supplies
Card:     Paper Mill Direct - Black, White
Stamps: Verve - Hope Blooms; Clear Impressions - Cherry Blossom
Ink:        VersaMark
Other:    WOW! - Ebony, Calypso Glitter e/p; Craft Concepts - Cottage Floral e/f; rhinestones

Monday 7 April 2014

Birthday wishes...

Hello, hello!!

Tomorrow is my Dad's birthday and I've made him a card based on the fabulous layout at CAS(E) This Sketch this week.  I know I always say it, but those guys never cease to amaze me with the jaw-dropping, show-stopping sketches they come up with week after week!  I should be used to it by now, but they always wow me!  ;)


My Dad is a really plain/non-fussy kinda guy so I'm hoping this is simple enough for him.  I know it seems pretty simple, but that background pushed me out of my comfort zone a little bit!  It's a new-to-me WOW! background stamp called Sexi-Hexi and I inked up part of it in a random 'splodge' and embossed it using WOW! Platinum powder and then again in a more horizontal pattern using WOW! Silver Super Fine embossing powder.  The contrast between the silver and the platinum powders is subtle enough to not look too messy but still enough that it notices in real life :)  

The sentiment panels are there to give a bit of a pop of colour and the lime banner is popped up on foam adhesive to add a bit of interest and dimension, especially as there's no bling because it;s a boy card!

Here's the sketch...



Thanks so much for stopping by ;)  

I am hoping to get round and see you all this week as I'm working an early shift which should, in theory, give me a little bit more time of an evening this week - fingers crossed!!  :)













Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Ocean Blue, Lime
Stamps: WOW! - Sexi-Hexi; Stamping All Day - Art Deco Birthday
Ink:        VersaColor - Silver; Versamark
Other:    WOW! - Ebony, Platinum, Silver Super Fine e/p

Sunday 6 April 2014

Retro best wishes...

Hi guys!

How are you all?  I managed to post before the last minute rush on Tuesday evening - woohoo!!  It's been quite an eventful week/weekend here but I've managed to find some time to sit at my desk...not without an argument I might add though!  I lost out on my designated crafting day yesterday for a spur of the moment outing, so today was my turn - between washing and baking of course :)  

Today's card used the layout over at Retro Sketches.  It's been a while since I used one of their sketches.  I love this challenge and how it uses the layouts of previously made cards  :)  It's a really nice one this week, you should get yourself over there and join in!

Here's my card...



I was in a 'classic' sort of mood when I made this earlier.  It's for my Brother and Sister who have this week just moved out of my Dad's house and into a new flat for the first time  :)  I know it was a big thing for them but I know they're gonna love it!!!  My Brother, like myself, particularly loves damask!  I particularly love red, black and white and sparkly embossing powder too so here you have it!!





You can just about see the subtle sparkle in this damask embossing - it's so pretty!  The stitching is an homage to my Brother's love of tailoring too :)  I hope they both like it!!  This damask pattern stamp is new to me from WOW! and I LOVE it!!  I've not used any of their stamps before and they are fantastic!  It gave a perfect impression on the first use - as I now you guys will know, that can't be said for all stamps!

Like I said, this is for the challenge over at Retro Sketches this week.  The sketch is...



I've just noticed that I put my little pearls on the sentiment panel whereas the sketch has them just beneath it...ah well, artistic license and all that hey?!!  ;)

I hope you've all had/are having a marvelous weekend and I look forward to seeing you back here soon ;)


Thanks for stopping by ;)











Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direst - White, Black, Crimson
Stamps: WOW! - Vintage Wallpaper; Verve - Kind Words
Ink:        VersaMark
Other:    WOW! - Black Glint, Silver Super Fine e/p; Crafty Ribbons - Red Velvet seam binding;
                      thread; pearls

Friday 4 April 2014

STAMPlorations fun!...

Hi guys!

I am super excited to be a Guest Designer over at STAMPlorations this month!  Woohoo!  I won the Stamps and Stitches challenge over there in February, which was prize enough for me, but not only that, I am now the proud owner of some great STAMPlorations stamps AND I got the opportunity to join the super talented Design Team for the challenge this month - did someone say 'humbled'?  Oh yeh, that was me!  So a great big thank you to Shery and the DT for having me :)

Ok, so the challenge this month is;



So, the challenge is to use stamps and your favourite technique!  I think this is a pretty sweet deal and I got off quite lightly here!  ;)

For those of you who know me, you'll know my go to techniques are heat embossing, stitching and distress/emboss resist.  I have used all three on my card, along with some AWESOME stamps from my winings ;)



For this card I used STAMPlorations Vignette: Retro Mod Shapes and Vignette: Chevron & Arrows.  These sets are so versatile I can't wait to get the time to put to paper all the ideas I have floating around my head :)  I especially love the Retro Mod Shapes set as they remind me of a doodle I have done for as long as I can remember.  Whenever watching the TV or at a loose end, I have always doodled interlinking squares/rectangles of varying sizes and then coloured in the alternating squares.  That may be a little difficult to picture so if I think about it I'll post one on here one day and you'll see the full extent of my OCD/crazy!  Until then, the interlinking squares on this card should give you some idea of what my doodles look like.

I stitched the two curved lines through the squares to break up the rigidity of all those straight lines and add a sort of flow to the whole thing.  A bit of ink blending and heat embossing and I was done!  Actually, this card did take some time to make, despite first impressions - I made that square panel twice as I was happy with the first one.  Having said that, I've just seen it lying on my desk and it's not as bad today as it was when I made it so maybe it'll crop up on another card in some capacity - who knows :)

As you may notice, this card was based on last week's CAS(E) This Sketch sketch...I couldn't help myself - I loved it!  It's too late to enter it, but that's ok ;)



So there you have it, my contribution to a super talented bunch of designers - I hope I didn't let the team down!  

I hope you all pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog and get yourself involved...it's too much fun to miss and the inspiration from the team is worth the visit if nothing else :)

Thanks again to Shery for letting me be a part of this, I really appreciate it :)

Thanks for stopping by guys ;)












Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White
Stamps: STAMPlorations Vignette: Retro Mod Shapes, Vignette: Chevron & Arrows
Ink:        Ranger - Perfect Medium; Distress Ink - Broken China
Other:    WOW! - Ebony, Opaque Pastel Purple, Earthtone Grape, Opaque Bright White Super Fine e/p;
                    coloured thread

Tuesday 1 April 2014

Last Minute Larry!...

Hello!

Here I am again, 'Last Minute Larry', with an entry for CAS(E) This Sketch!!

Another super awesome, super versatile sketch...I could've done so much with this, if only I had the time!!  I think I'm going to have to give up this working malarky...it gets in the way of my crafting ;)  He he!

My card was another Mother's Day card for my friend's Mum, apparently she really liked it so that's always a bonus!



I have to say, I have never met the recipient of this card and as my friend is a boy, he was useless when it came to finding out what his Mum likes - colours, style, whether she is a floral person...nothing!  So I kinda had to wing it and make something that was pretty generic but hopefully suitable for a Mother :)  

I thought about adding pearls, but as I don't know whether she's a girly-girl or not I thought it best to refrain...although now I kinda wish I'd added a little bling!

Here's the sketch...


This sketch reminds me of Christmas, I may keep it for some inspiration for my Christmas cards this year :)

I just wanted to say thank you so much to all of you for all the support you continue to give me even though my posting has become a little intermittent and my commenting has been all but non-existent!  It really means a lot to me to know that you're all still in my corner even though I haven't been around to show my appreciation for you all :)  I am a very lucky girl :)

Thanks so much for stopping by ;)












Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Black
Stamps:  Verve - Kind Words, One Person
Ink:         Ranger - Perfect Medium; Distress Ink - Barn Door, Wild Honey
Other:     WOW! - Ebony e/p