Wednesday 28 August 2013

Challenge #30 Christmas Stampin' All Year Long

Over on Christmas Stampin' All Year Long there's a photo inspiration challenge.  These can often present far too many choices - colours, patterns, shapes, etc, but that's one of the reason's they're good to have a crack at.  Focus, focus, focus!
   
Inspiration Photo

 While this was intended as a Christmas card, I realise there's no greeting - oops!  I'll have to add it later!!

Lovin' the ribbon?  Wide, soft & really easy to tie into a knot or a bow. It's in the upcoming holiday catty.

Are you coming to the launch on Saturday?  No? Well get your skates on and reserve your spot.  You'll go home with some super ideas and lots of goodies!

Good heavens, is that Washi AGAIN?  What is this woman doing?  It's all about washi and Gorgeous Grunge isn't it?!

Have a great day.
Cheers
Karen





Tuesday 27 August 2013

Canvas, Washi & Sparkles

This was my creation for the 52 CCT August Embellishment Challenge #20 ; to use canvas.

Canvas stamping is quite simple but you do need to be comfortable with a softer image because the canvas tends to soak up the ink and it can bleed a little.  I've used a snowflake in Soft Sky that I stamped off first so the effect is quite muted behind the greeting.

I'm enjoying washi tape sooooo much!  It gives a fabulous look and it's application is seemingly endless.  I've been wrapping jars with it, attaching it to banners and flags......what do you do with your washi?  Leave me a comment below and let's see what amazing suggestions you have!

And since one embellishment wasn't enough I just had to add a sparkly one - these are our new Frosted Finishes.  They are STUNNING!  Hurry up and order yours today!  Everyone's going to want them!

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers
Karen

Monday 26 August 2013

Feels Like Spring!

After the last couple of weeks of gorgeous sunshine, it feels like spring has arrived early doesn't it?  It's still been chilly but such beautiful skies.


I made this banner, using our Epic Day designer series paper.   It's come out quite lovely with the embellishments and chipboard letters.

The burlap is a new product in our upcoming holiday catalogue.  I can see it will become a favourite.  It's lovely to work with and adds great texture.

And how lovely is that maple leaf?  It's going to get a work out too because it's great on masculine cards and I can see some really lovely table decorations for thanksgiving which we celebrate after having lived in the States for a few years.

What could be more Spring-like than the Two-Step Bird punch?  It gets used over and over for all sorts of things and it's just perfect in Bermuda Bay with a little colourful scrap of dsp for the wings.

Hope you have a lovely day!
Cheers
Karen






Wednesday 21 August 2013

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #38

It's a colour challenge this week over on CAS Colours & Sketches blog - I like these because it makes me try new colour combo's.
Bashful Blue has retired but I did find an old pad and a scrap of cardstock so I could be true to the challenge.  It's perfectly fine to substitute similar colours though if you have already passed yours on.

I don't make many baby cards and I absolutely love this so someone will have to have a baby soon that I can give it to!
Lovin' the banners?  These are a stamp & framelit from Hearts a Flutter.  The sentiment is from Bitty Banners & also has a framelit.
These tiny bows were easy to tie, you start bigger and keep adjusting till they're tiny.  Attach them with glue dots.

I hope you like it too!  Leave me a comment if you do!
Cheers
Karen

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Mojo 307 & JAI 178

No, a whole week hasn't passed already, it's just that last week my card was almost late for Mojo Monday and this week it's really early!   This is the first time I've combined two challenges, how exciting!
 

When I saw this sketch, it said Christmas.....partly because I've been working on some demo samples for my mini launch, so I'm kind of  "in the zone".  And also because I'm growing my stash for the troops - rather well right now as it happens!  Yay me!

And that's where the Just Add Ink challenge comes in, because this week is snowflakes!


So, here we have a couple of my fav things - snowflakes, and traditional Christmas colours.  What could be better (some real snow please!).

Do you like the way the snowflakes are stamped?  It's a technique called Stipple Kissing.  Start by inking your stamp in the lighter colour - I've used Crumb Cake.  Then, using a stipple brush, swipe it gently across the darker ink - Cherry Cobbler, and dab it on top of the stamp.  You can do specific areas as I've done here but it also looks great when it's a bit random and slap dash.   Be sure to breathe all over the stamp to moisten the ink before stamping onto your cardstock.

The rhinestones add a touch of sparkle and for a change I've used the embossed Old Olive cardstock on the de-bossed side, or the side where the image is pushed in.

Supplies used:
Stamp Set - ?? Sneaky Peeky,  Sweet Sentiments
Cardstock - Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Old Olive
Ink - Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler
Paper - ?? Sneaky Peeky
Petals a Plenty embossing folder, ??? Sneaky Peeky Framelits & the Big Shot
Rhinestone jewels, 1 1/4" square punch, stipple brush

What are those gorgeous sneaky peeky products?  You'll find out at the mini launch - email me to book - AND you'll get to use them too!

Cheers
Karen

Monday 19 August 2013

Christmas Stitches CSAYL #29

At Christmas Stampin' All Year Long  (CSAYL) this week it's a stitch challenge.  Oh dear!  You know I have neither the skill nor the inclination for sewing, so why am I doing this one?!  Well, Christmas Cards for Our Australian Armed Forces is only a couple of months away and I need to stay focused!

Solution?  Faux stitches!

This was a super easy card because all the elements came together really well with the most fussy bit being the paper piercing for the stitches.  Even that was pretty good with the use of Stampin' Up'!s piercing template.

Please don't look too closely at my marker-on-washi- technique.  It's a bit slippery to work on and not up to standard!

Supplies used:
Stamp Set - Greetings of the Season
Cardstock - Crumb Cake & Very Vanilla
Ink - Cherry Cobbler Classic and the matching  marker for the stitching
Northern Flurry embossing folder and the Big Shot
Paper Piercer & Essentials Piercing Template
Washi Tape - sneaky peeky from the upcoming Holiday Catalogue
Rhinestone Jewels

Have you had your craft fix today?
Cheers
Karen


Mojo Monday 306

I'm racing to get this Mojo challenge finished with only an hour or so left on the clock!  I didn't want to miss it because it's a really nice sketch this week.
As I've been challenging myself to make more male cards I thought I'd turn this into a masculine theme.

 Instead of the scallop bordered circle, I opted for stars placed in a circle shape.  They are made from Whisper White cardstock covered in Washi Tape (Epic Day) and then cut out with the small star punch.  I've attached them with glue dots so they stand up a bit on the edges.

In place of the sketch's flower embellishment I've chosen a retired corduroy button in Basic Grey. It works quite nicely flanked by the Candy Dots - which I love because they're so easy to use and unlike a brad you can attach them after the project is complete - great if you've forgotten to punch holes before you've stuck down your layers..giggle!


The embossing folder I've used is a sneak peek at the upcoming Holiday Catalogue.  This design is going to get a work out because it seems to go with everything, Yay!

Supplies used:
Stamp set - Perfect Punches (R)
Cardstock - Whisper White, Basic Grey, Smoky Slate & Midnight Muse
Paper - Epic Day Designer Series Paper
Washi Tape, Corduroy Button, Candy Dots
Small Star Punch (R), Designer Label Punch & Extra Wide Oval Punch.

Have a super day wherever you are, and try to fit in something crafty!
Cheers
Karen


Sunday 18 August 2013

Washi Tape for the Boys

The grunge look really lends itself to masculine cards and when combined with washi tape it's quite a nice graphic look with plenty of interest and the effect of layers, without actually having to make the cards too tizzy with patterned paper and embellishments.



This card has the sentiment from the set Chalk Talk stamped in Basic Black onto Pool Party.  I like the way the ink has turned out a little uneven, not unlike the effect you'd get on a chalk board.  However, if you like more ink, you can simply re-ink your pad before stamping especially if using stamps with lots of solid area like this one.
The washi tape is ripped at random lengths and stuck directly onto the Whisper White card stock.  I stamped the splotches from the Gorgeous Grunge set before adding the washi and because of it's translucence you can see the stamping through the tape, giving a layered effect.
My second card uses all the same supplies but this time with the Basic Grey washi.  

To create a patterned paper effect on white, I randomly stamped the images all over.  But wanting a focal point, I stamped the main sentiment first.  The last step was to frame the sentiment with washi, again torn so the lengths and ends are uneven.

I hope you like these washi tape ideas and find ways to use it in your crafting.  

Cheers
Karen


Saturday 17 August 2013

Winning Wedding Card

A few weeks back I did a post about wedding cards and offered a little guessing game challenge to see if anyone would pick the same card as my customer.

Well, on Thursday, I went to teach a class with that customer and here's the card she chose.......drum roll.......ta da.....



I'm quite pleased because this was my design, but sadly we didn't get a winner :(  

Interestingly, while the customer also liked the other two, she said the reason she chose this one was because it was quite unusual and she liked the presentation with the envelope appearing as part of the card.

Thanks to everyone for having a go.  Keep an eye out for future challenges!

Have a great weekend!
Karen

Washi Tape

Have you discovered Washi Tape yet?  It is so cool!   I have been having a little play with it and featured it in Darling Stamp & Scrap Club this month, so thought I'd share some ideas with you.
This sample uses the Gingham Garden Washi Tape; it comes in 3 separate rolls, all different patterns.  Each roll is around 4.6m so there's lots to play with!   And each one is a different width so you can really add interest to your projects.  The colours in this one are bright and summery: Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Island Indigo, Pear Pizzazz and Night of Navy.

I've attached strips of tape to some Whisper White card stock and then used my punches to make the heart and butterfly shapes.  By changing the angle (butterflies) you get a slightly different look.

Pop back tomorrow for some great masculine cards using washi.  Have a great weekend!
Karen

Wednesday 14 August 2013

One of Those Days

I had an "interesting" day today where my patience was repeatedy tested and I was finally forced to stand my ground and over-rule someone whose ability to provide a basic service that was part of their job description was seriously inadequate!  Wow, I feel better now I've got that off my chest!!  Needless to say, it had nothing to do with my business - my service is great AND I know what I'm doing - nor did it have anything to do with paper craft, crafters or anyone I know personally.  Phew!

Here's where I decided to channel my energy - or should I say frustration?!

This is a brand new technique to me!  It's called Retiform and I have Karen Barber to thank for it.  I was about to play along with a challenge and her card just called out to me. I loved hers so much that I've used the same colours: Baked Brown Sugar & Pool Party, but I also added So Saffron and have used different stamps: Everything Eleanor & En Francais.

I think this would make a great class and I'm absolutely sure there are lots of different ways/colours/stamps and looks I could achieve with a bit of fiddling around (in my craft room!). I'll give that some thought and probably add it into the schedule.

So what do you do when you're tested beyond your tolerance level?!

Cheers
Karen
P.S.  Tomorrow I will find out which wedding card was chosen by the customer from this post.  Will you win a prize for guessing correctly?  Leave a comment on that post telling me which card you think my customer will choose to be in the running!


Monday 12 August 2013

Another Christmas Card for our Troops and a CSAYL Challenge 28 Colour Combos

This week's colour challenge at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long provided lots of choices and gave me an opportunity to try another mini catalogue product ;)

I chose the colours blue, silver, white and red.  There are several different blues including Night of Navy, Bermuda Bay and Pool Party.  I've embossed the snow flakes using Bermuda Bay with clear embossing powder (work quick, it's a dye ink!) and Silver embossing powder on Versamark.  The greeting is Versamark with Pool Party embossing powder.

The stamps and Designer Series Paper are a sneak peek.....and how did I manage to cut out that snowflake so perfectly?  Come to the launch on 31 August to find out!

I love to read your comments, so show me some love!
Cheers
Karen

Sneak Peek with a Challenge for FMS 98

Good morning crafters!  It's a beautiful Monday in Sydney and we are being treated to unseasonably warm weather so today's card is full of warmth.  It's also a little sneak peek at a couple of new products coming in the Holiday Catalogue (out 1 Sept).   Email me if you'd like to attend the launch on 31 August.

My card is in response to a Freshly Made Sketches challenge.

The Designer Series Paper & maple leaf stamp are both in the upcoming mini catty.  I've done a shadow or ghosting technique on the leaf and I love the way it's turned out.  


Combined with those cute naturals buttons, it's quite a nice result.

Have a crafty day!
Karen

Friday 9 August 2013

PPA167, Masking & Bordered Sentiment Techniques

This week's challenge at Pals Paper Arts is all about colour:

And here's what I did:


I've combined a couple of techniques here; the bordered sentiment, and masking.  If you'd like to learn how to do them, come along to next week's classes.  Find out more here.

Supplies Used:  
Stamp sets: Creative Elements & Sweet Sentiments
Cardstock: Whisper White & Coastal Cabana
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding & Basic Black
Rhinestone Jewels & the Bitty Butterfly punch

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Thursday 8 August 2013

Thought I'd whip up another masculine birthday card using the annual catalogue for inspiration again - this time from page 101.

TIP: Cut the banner or flag ends on your cardstock by centre-ing a square punch.  Then curl the ends up with a bone folder and only apply glue to the flat area of the banner, not the curly end.

I'm really into combining stamp images from different sets at the moment, and I think that's the great thing about playing with your stamps;  you can find all sorts of different combinations that work well together, so don't think you can only use stamps from one set on a project.  Mix it up!  In this card, I've used the map log as a background and the compass which all reflect travel for a cyclist friend of mine - and that's where the bike comes in!

And seriously, is there anything that Gorgeous Grunge DOESN'T go with?!

Supplies Used:
Stamp Set:  Postage Due, Clockworks & Memorable Moments, Gorgeous Grunge
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White
Ink:  Night of Navy, Coastal Cabana
Paper Clay - for the button, coloured with Night of Navy marker when dry.
Apothecary Accents Framelits for the Big Shot

Wednesday 7 August 2013

SUO Challenge #76 Back To School

This week's theme over on the SUO challenge blog is "back to school", or you can make a card for a school age child.

My card is a blackboard with a pot of flowers for the teacher standing on the "chalk shelf" and a few books made with the word window punch and some scraps of designer series paper.

Blackboard Technique
To get this blackboard technique you'll need white craft ink (pigment ink suitable for embossing) and black cardstock.  Take a sponge and gently wipe it across the ink pad - try not to get too much ink on the sponge or you'll end up with splodges which is not really the look you're aiming for.  Now wipe the sponge across the cardstock in a circular motion to make it look like chalk dust.  Voila, it's done!  Now you can stamp your images onto your blackboard or if you prefer, stamp them first (in white craft ink) but be sure to wait till they're dry otherwise when you start sponging you'll smudge them.

A lot of these products are retired, but as usual I can't part with them so if you want to copy this you'll have to sub what you have, or perhaps just look in a few old drawers ;).

Supplies Used:
Stamp Set:  Calendar Alphabet & Numbers (R), Curly Cute (R), Itty Bitties (R)
Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler, Silver (R), Basic Black, Scraps for flowers & flower pot
Ink: Whisper White Craft, Black Marker
Paper:  Scraps of Designer Series Paper
Sponge, White Gel Pen
Bitty Punch, Word Window Punch
Square Lattice Embossing Folder & Big Shot

So while we've been back to school for 2 weeks now our North American friends are only just getting ready to return for their new year.  Good luck guys!

Cheers
Karen

Stamp Camp Sneak Peek

I am a fan of handmade gifts and when I first saw a purse set made by Becky Roberts I knew I'd love to make this one!  Knowing how you like to make things too, I decided it would make a perfect theme for a stamp camp.Naturally I've adjusted the design somewhat, and altered the sizes for our camp so it won't be the same as you see it here, but you get the idea.

The purse you see pictured came from an original design by Becky Roberts at Inking Idaho (link above).   The note cards are all mine!  These particular notes are retired so you will have something different in your project, but trust me, they'll be just as cute!




Kind of cute?   Well, if you would like to make one of your very own similar to this, you can enrol for this class by emailing or calling me.  See the contact page for details.

There will be a selection of colours and patterns to choose so you can customise your own project too.  And you'll have all the dimensions so if you want to go home and make more, you can ;)

Have a crafty day!
Karen

Tuesday 6 August 2013

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown August Sketch Challenge

The deadline for Christmas Cards for Australian Armed Forces is just a few months away, so I'm really pleased to have found this site, 52{Christmas}Card Throwdown,  to keep me on the move towards my goal.  No, I don't have a set number that I like to make, I just want to have a good sized stash when the time comes :).

Here's the design team sketch:

And here's my offering:

I like how this one turned out, especially as I've used a non-Christmas stamp set, which speaks to it's usefulness year-round :)


Stampin' Up! Rhinestones are so easy to use.  How did I line up those 7 little ones on that ornament?  Easy, they come in a long strip with a continuous line of glue dots attached so all you need to do is cut the length you want and stick them to your project.  There are also 3 other sizes that are individual, again with glue dots so they're super quick to stick wherever you want.

My main embellishment is a Soda Pop Top from our last seasonal catalogue.  I've flattened it in the Big Shot - really easy, just put it between the two cutting surfaces and run it though.  I did mine on Tab 1 of the Multi-Purpose Platform but you should check yours first to see which "sandwich" layer works best.  The centre was made by stamping a snowflake and punching out with a 1/2" circle punch.  I stuck it down using glue dots.  Be careful with your choice of adhesive when working with metal because PVA or craft glue usually doesn't give a strong permanent bond.

Supplies Used:
Stamp Set: Mosaic Madness & Greetings of the Season, Snowflake from Snow Swirled (R)
Cardstock; Old Olive, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive
Silver Glimmer Paper
Mosaic Punch
Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder
Rhinestones, Bakers Twine & Soda Pop Tops (R)

Right, I hope you've had a crafty day, or maybe get some time this evening to make something.
Cheers
Karen