Kool Kitty Musings

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 50 (Joy)

Good morning!

Today's card is inspired by the December card challenge prompt but with a twist.

I wanted to feature some houses but this time pare things right back to create a super flat card for posting.

Well, masking paper to the rescue!

Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs - All The Christmas You'll Ever Need (r)
Dies: Hello Bluebird - Glacier Peaks, PTI - Seeing Stars (r), Simon Says Stamp - Village
Other: Distress Inks

You can get a lot of depth and interest by using your dies to create a silhouette for masking and then go to town with some distress inks and white gouache paint to create your very own wintry night sky.

After leaving the background to dry, there's nothing quite like peeling back the masking paper to reveal what's underneath.

So satisfying!

I simply finished off this card by stamping a lovely large sentiment from Lil' Inker Designs that would perfectly fill that white space.

Nothing else was needed so I left it at that.

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

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Lil' Inker Designs - All The Christmas You'll Ever Need stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Glacier Peaks dies Shop at: MISC	PTI - Seeing Stars dies Shop at: MISC	Simon Says Stamp - Village dies Shop at: SSS
Distress ink pad - Black Soot Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad - Dusty Concord Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad - Picked Raspberry Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Strathmore Bristol cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Simon Says Stamp - Masking Paper Shop at: SSS	Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Taylored Expressions - Blender Brushes Shop at: MISC
Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ | SBC | SHC	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 46 (Star of Wonder)

Good morning!

Today's card features what are some of my favourite types of supplies for Christmas cards - dies for making a little winter village scene:

Stamps:  Avery Elle - Starry Scene (r), Lil' Inker Designs - All The Christmas You'll Ever Need (r)
Dies: Essentials by Ellen - Stitches Cover Plate, Avery Elle - Starry Scene (r), Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars (r), MFT - Grounding Elements, MFT - Tiny Houses

And speaking of winter scenes, the whole inspiration behind this card was from the November card challenge prompt here.

I just love the combination of the new MFT Grounding Elements and Tiny Houses dies against the Starry Scene stamped sky. I stamped the sky in Sea Glass ink twice, so it is a little darker than normal - but it really makes the other elements stand out, especially against that lovely stitched background.

For a little extra pop, I blended Artichoke ink on the green trees and there's glitter paper galore here: the frosty snow drifts, the champagne gold glow behind the windows, and brown glitter paper for the little doors.

I love a dimensional star and was determined to feature one here - lo and behold I already had a white star cut in the little bowl I keep on my desk of random die cuts that need using.

The perfect sentiment from Lil' Inker Designs was just meant to be as it nestled perfectly in the space that was left.

I love it when a plan comes together. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Avery Elle - Starry Scene stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Lil' Inker Designs - All The Christmas You'll Ever Need stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Essentials by Ellen - Stitches Cover Plate Shop at: EH	Avery Elle - Starry Scene dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC
Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC	MFT - Grounding Elements dies Shop at: EH | SHC	MFT - Tiny Houses dies Shop at: EH | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Artichoke ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Taffy Shop at: AZ | EH
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 42 (Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow)

Good morning!

Today's card features a die that might not necessarily scream Christmas... the Pop Out Sunburst die from Pinkfresh Studio.

It's also a rather tenuous take on the August prompt for the 2020 card challenge which featured a geometric layout with a circle centre for the text (plus there's a fair bit of light blue featured too...):

Paper: Pebbles - Merry Little Christmas (r)
Stamps: Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party
Die: Pinkfresh Studio - Pop Out Sunburst

I cut the sunburst from white cardstock twice and once from the Snow Day paper I recently bought. I do love Pebbles illustrative style - they have a lot of pretty papers that can be used multiple ways and when I buy the odd 12x12 I know I will use the full sheet up eventually.

When assembling the pieces in the frame to see how they looked, I realized that some white glitter paper alternating with the patterned paper could be a good option.

I layered up the white frames on my card base then inserted the cutouts in alternating order and left things to dry while I went hunting in Evernote for an appropriate snowy sentiment.

I picked the Holiday Word Party sentiments from Flora and Fauna to stamp on aqua cardstock and heat emboss in white.

I cut the strips apart and mounted them on 3D foam tape then used a gold ribbon sticker from Crate Paper to finish off the frosty look.

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	Pinkfresh Studio - Pop Out Sunburst die Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass cardstock Shop at: MISC	Pebbles - Merry Little Christmas - Snow Day paper (r) Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Merry Days - Cardstock stickers (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC
Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 41 (Noel)

Good morning!

Today's card is a festive take on the rather summery May prompt of the 2020 card challenge.

Stamp: Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages
Dies: Waffle Flower - Diamond Texture, Pinkfresh Studio - Heather Lowercase, Pinkfresh Studio - Lea's Ornate Uppercase, The Stamp Market - Tiny Tags, WPlus9 - Snowflake Trio (r)

The original prompt photo was quite ethereal and focussed on baby pink tones and a bit of aqua, plus hearts.

I definitely wanted to use pale rose for the background panel and cut my card base panel with the Diamond Texture die from Waffle Flower.

I had a stack of white die cut letters to hand, having tested my new Pinkfresh alphabet dies (below), and thought I could use some of them for a bold greeting featuring cardstock scraps of the wonderfully bright shades from The Stamp Market.

I used the "strip of post-it tape" trick to transfer the letters to the panel once I'd got them nicely lined up on my craft mat.

It makes things so much easier - especially when the letters are on 3D foam.

I then flipped through my worryingly large collection of snowflake dies and picked out the WPlus9 Snowflake Trio for some extra texture and interest.

I added glitter enamel dots to the centres for that frosty feeling and just had a small gap let to fill, which was perfect for a tiny tag stamped with a festive sentiment.

I tied sparkly silver thread on the tag and finished everything off with a resin heart from Heidi Grace Designs that must be 13 years old or so by now.

Still looking fresh. ;)

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	Waffle Flower - Diamond Texture die Shop at: EH | SHC	Pinkfresh Studio - Heather Lowercase dies Shop at: MISC | SBC	Pinkfresh Studio - Lea's Ornate Uppercase dies Shop at: MISC | SBC
The Stamp Market - Tiny Tags dies Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - Snowflake Trio dies (r) Shop at: SHC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	The Stamp Market - Bubble Gum cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cactus cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Citrine cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal cardstock Shop at: MISC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 39 (Stitched Greetings)

Good morning!

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen that my 2020 craft in lockdown has pretty much been cross stitch.

In fact, I rediscovered stitching just before Christmas of 2019 when some old kits I started in the early naughties were retrieved from my mum and dad's loft and I got the stitchy bug again having found Caterpillar Cross Stitch kits online.

It's allowed me to spend time away from my work desk (which is also my craft desk) and just keep some balance during the many weeks/months when staying at home was the new normal.

Also, thank heavens for audiobooks during this time - stitching and listening to tales from another world really helped bring some balance during downtime.

So yes, when I saw the Embroidery Hoops set from The Stamp Market I had to get them. ;)

My card for today is also my festive take on the October prompt of the 2020 card challenge.

Paper: Crate Paper - Falala - Fireside (r)
Stamp: Agateria - Zestaw do napisów na każda okazję 3
Dies: The Stamp Market - Embroidery Hoops, Mama Elephant - Sew Fancy (r), Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles

From the prompt, I was particularly inspired to use hand stitching, a bold grey for my background, and texture galore.

The threads used on this project were actually left over from the Bloom and Grow stitch-along project that ran over the spring and summer of 2020. I was aiming for a folk style and just created my own folksy snowflake design.

I thought this would make a perfect card for family in Poland hence the Polish sentiment heat embossed in white.

The stitched label die in the Sew Fancy set from Mama Elephant was, thankfully, just the perfect size for it.

It's not that clear in the photo, but I used the B-side of the patterned paper below to cover my card base as the cardstock in cream/white was just too jarring against the woodgrain grey cardstock.

The finished card really is beautifully tactile and definitely ticks all the handmade boxes. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Agateria - Zestaw do napisów na każda okazję 3 stamps Shop at: MISC	Mama Elephant - Sew Fancy dies (r) Shop at: SHC	Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	The Stamp Market - Embroidery Hoops dies Shop at: MISC
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ | EH	Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Woodgrain cardstock - Neutrals Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Simon Says Stamp - Slate Gray cardstock Shop at: SSS
Crate Paper - Falala - Fireside paper (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 37 (Chasing Snowflakes)

Good morning!

Well it had to happen eventually... I have finally made a slimline card this year and followed the very popular trend.

But thankfully, no need to invest in any slimline dies for this design. ;)

This card is also my take on the September prompt of the 2020 card challenge:

Stamps: Pinkfresh Studio - Skiing By
Dies: Pinkfresh Studio - Skiing By
Other: Distress Oxides

The elements I went with from the prompt were a woodland creature, a mountain scene, and cream as a neutral colour.

The great thing about a slimline card design is that you can really showcase a blended night sky.

I used Tattered Rose, Dusty Concord, and Chipped Sapphire for the winter sky and of course splattered it with water, some white ink and, on this occasion, pearl white Gansai Tambi which has that wow factor when you tilt the card and the light bounces off the gleaming finish.

This sky was the perfect background for some mountains and ski slopes, so of course I reached for my favourite festive Pinkfresh Studio stamp and die combo from last year: Skiing By.

Usually I would use white cardstock for the snowy bits - but the warmer colour tones of the sky made cream the best option this time.

Nice to change things up a little sometimes. :)

I kept everything minimal at the bottom and just added a simple greeting so that the sky was the main event.

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Pinkfresh Studio - Skiing By stamps Shop at: SBC	Pinkfresh Studio - Skiing By dies Shop at: SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Chipped Sapphire Shop at: EH | SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Dusty Concord Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Distress Oxide ink pad - Tattered Rose Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ | EH	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Simon Says Stamp - Fog cardstock Shop at: SSS	Hero Arts - Liquid Watercolor - White Shop at: EH | SHC	Kuretake Gansai Tambi 36-pan watercolour set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Taylored Expressions - Blender Brushes Shop at: MISC	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ | SBC | SHC
Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Card Challenge - December prompt

So here we go, the final prompt of 2020 for this challenge!

I hope you've enjoyed playing along with all the prompts and have managed to make a card or two along the way. :)

 

{Pinterest pin}

For our December prompt we are definitely embracing the cosy indoors and the wintry view from our window.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Christmas cookies and ornaments - you can get the look of piped icing with a white gel pen on brown die cut "cookie" shapes. Alternatively use circle or heart dies to make an ornament embellishment or an aperture that masquerades as an ornament.
• Red, kraft, ivory and grey make a great colour palette
• Tied up with string - feature twine on a tag, as a button and bow combo, or wrapped around your card. Embellish it to the max with winter foliage die cuts or keep it nice and simple.
• Bundled up for the winter - feature knitwear, a scarf, a fun Christmas jumper, mittens or other winter finery whether as stand-alone elements or on a critter, snowman or person.
• Tree landscapes - whether as a border, stamped background or a silhouette to contrast against a blended ink sky, trees can be a beautifully minimal design feature or the main focus of your card.
• Scandi Gud Jul - feature traditional Scandi or other folk art styles. Perhaps you have a Christmas gnome at the ready?
• A smattering of sparkle - whether loose glitter, embossing powder, glitter paper, sequins, confetti - 'tis the season to SPARKLE and shine!
• From our/my home to yours - send Christmas wishes across the miles from one house to another.
• Rustic Christmas charm - deer, buffalo plaid, wood textures, kraft paper...
• Hot cocoa, marshmallows, and a candy cane for good measure
• A window aperture - this could be created with an actual window frame die or using nesting dies looking out onto a wintry scene

I hope those initial ideas help get you started. :D

Happy crafting!

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 30 (Winter Wishes)

Good morning!

Today's card is taking on a decidedly wintry feel. Brrr....

Stickers: Pebbles - Winter Wonderland (r)
Stamps: Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages, The Stamp Market - Simply Stripes
Dies: Pinkfresh Studio - Ornate Oval Frame, Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles, MFT - Fishtail Flags Layers STAX (r)
Other: Distress Oxides

This card is actually inspired by the July prompt of the 2020 card challenge, which featured many elements with diagonal stripes. This summer seems to have been the time for me to experiment with DIY striped backgrounds.

Because I actually made this background panel with my then new Simply Stripes stamp set from The Stamp Market and using the Cool Summer Night ink cube set from Altenew to see how just using 4 inks from the same set would work.

Well the background made with those cool blue tones actually made me think of a wintry scene rather than something for a summer's night. ;)

I used the largest Diagonal Stitched Rectangle die from Pinkfresh Studio to cut it to size for my card then worked out what to showcase....

I'd also recently added the Ornate Oval Frame to my supplies and I thought I could create a little scene inside it with Distress Oxides and some old stickers.

And hey presto, with just a little Tumbled Glass and Faded Jeans ink blended onto the oval aperture cut with the frame die I had a wintry sky and snow scene. I added some Hero Arts white ink splatter and used my white pen to bring out some of the snowflakes.

For my sentiment I stamped out a greeting from Mama Elephant's Merry Mixed Messages set, which contains lots of stacked sentiments that are perfect for adding to tags or little pennants like I have done here.

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	The Stamp Market - Simply Stripes stamps Shop at: MISC	MFT - Fishtail Flags Layers STAX dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Pinkfresh Studio - Ornate Oval Frame die Shop at: AZ | EH | MISC | SBC
Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Altenew - Desert Night dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Altenew - Dusk dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC
Altenew - Ocean Waves dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Altenew - Sea Glass dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Faded Jeans Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Tumbled Glass Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Altenew - Cool Summer Night ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Hero Arts - Liquid Watercolor - White Shop at: EH | SHC
Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ | SBC | SHC	Taylored Expressions - Blender Brushes Shop at: MISC
Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 29 (Christmas florals)

Good morning!

Today's card is inspired by the July card challenge prompt which features text in a foreign language (French in the photo) so I thought it was time to create a card with a Polish sentiment. :)

Earlier this year I enjoyed an afternoon stamping out lots of Just Mason Around jars in lots of different shades of ink, but using the same ink pad for each of the layers. I find it useful to have a little stockpile of these sorts of elements ready to go on projects as they go so perfectly with many floral sets in my stash.

The jar I'd stamped with Bubblegum ink from Lawn Fawn was looking like a great candidate for a festive project:

Stamps: Agateria - Zestaw do napisów na każda okazję 3, The Greetery - Just Mason Around, The Greetery - Pine Blossom
Dies: The Greetery - Just Mason Around, The Greetery - Pine Blossom, Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine, Simon Says Stamp - Sentiment Labels, Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens, The Greetery - Nordic Frames

I stamped the main bouquet from the Pine Blossom set in Altenew Moss ink, with Lawn Fawn Butter and Minty Fresh florals, plus PTI Sweet Blush and Melon Berry for the flowers and berries that are popped up.

To fill in some of the gaps, I cut the Holiday Greens dies from Ripe Avocado cardstock and blended a little Oregano ink on the edges here and there.

I covered the card base with a subtle snowflake paper and used Fog cardstock as the main background. I cut it with the largest Nordic Frames die and then splattered white liquid ink all over. The white ink isn't very opaque once it dries, so I used a white pen to bring out some of the dots.

Finally, having assembled the jar bouquet and adding the sentiment I cut a bow from Sea Glass cardstock and used my Wink of Stella pen to add some glimmer here and there.

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Agateria - Zestaw do napisów na każda okazję 3 stamps Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Just Mason Around stamps Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Pine Blossom stamps Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Just Mason Around dies Shop at: MISC
The Greetery - Pine Blossom dies Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine dies Shop at: MISC	Simon Says Stamp - Sentiment Labels dies Shop at: SSS	Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens dies Shop at: AZ | SBC
The Greetery - Nordic Frames dies Shop at: MISC	Adirondack dye ink - Oregano (r) Shop at: SBC	Altenew - Moss dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Lawn Fawn - Bubblegum ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Lawn Fawn - Butter ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Minty Fresh ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Storm Cloud ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	PTI - Melon Berry ink pad Shop at: MISC
PTI - Sweet Blush ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Altenew - Tropical Forest ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS
PTI - Ripe Avocado cardstock Shop at: MISC	Simon Says Stamp - Fog cardstock Shop at: SSS	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass cardstock Shop at: MISC	Hero Arts - Liquid Watercolor - White Shop at: EH | SHC
Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Zig - Wink of Stella glitter brush pen - Clear Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ | SBC | SHC
Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 27 (Season of Joy)

Good morning!

Today's card is a very simple affair - in fact it's the kind of Christmas card I make every year when I'm short on time and can use a few papers and dies to do the work for me. ;)

This card is also my take on the May 2020 card challenge prompt that combines pink and aqua tones.

Paper: Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa (r)
Dies: The Stamp Market - Scalloped Frame, Lil' Inker Designs - Holly Jolly (r)
Other: Enamel dots

I chose a nice colourful and busy pattern from the Snow & Cocoa 6x6 pad from Crate Paper and combined it with elements from the cut-apart 12x12 sheet also in that collection.

That includes the polar bear in his scarf, which fits perfectly in the Scalloped Frame die from The Stamp Market.

It's a great die size that goes nicely with the 3x4 cut-outs in scrapbooking collections.

Rather than use 3D foam tape, I cut the die from white cardstock 5 times and glued the frames together.

As a finishing touch I cut holly leaves from Emerald cardstock and added enamel dot berries.

It couldn't be simpler. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Lil' Inker Designs - Holly Jolly dies (r) Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Scalloped Frame dies Shop at: MISC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle cardstock Shop at: MISC
Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa - 6x6 paper pad (r) Shop at: SBC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 17 (Merry Merry)

Good morning!

Today it's time for a festive take on the June card challenge prompt which you can see here.

One of the elements of this prompt was a focus on word art.

And here's the result:

Stamp: Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party 2
Dies: The Stamp Market - Modern Motif Cover, The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles

 

It's a clean and simple take, but I thought multicoloured cardstock to create the main sentiment with a word die from The Stamp Market would be perfect for this project.

I just added a simple typed "christmas" at the bottom and a red heart to bring it all together.

But for the added festive touch I used my favourite white-on-white cover plate mounted on white glitter paper this time.

It's so bold and vibrant in real life. :D

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

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Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party 2 stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	The Stamp Market - Modern Motif Cover die Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas dies Shop at: MISC	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Lawn Fawn - Hearts dies Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	The Stamp Market - Bubble Gum cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Cherry Kisses cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Citrine cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal cardstock Shop at: MISC
Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 14 (Christmas Forest)

Good morning!

Today's card is a take on the geometric triangles that were provided as inspiration in the April card challenge prompt here.

While I had the same stamp set out, I thought it a good opportunity to actually make a Christmas card (or two) with it.

Paper: Crate Paper - Sleigh Ride (r)
Stamps: Neat & Tangled - Scandinavian Prints Christmas, The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas, MFT - Brush Splatter Background
Die: PTI - Round Off Edgers

I layered different shades of pink/red for the triangle tree stamps in my Misti, using the creative corners set square to line them up as best as possible.

The tree stumps were all stamped in Limestone ink.

It's hard to see in the image but some of the white space is filled in with the MFT Splatter background stamp to mimic snow - it's in Minty Fresh ink and provides a nice contrast to all the pink, tying in the aqua paper at the bottom.

Once the sentiment was stamped I trimmed the main panel with one of the rounded edges dies from PTI and propped up the bit where it overlaps the paper with some 3D foam.

Finally, it was time to add a few sequins here and there. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

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Neat & Tangled - Scandinavian Prints Christmas stamps Shop at: SBC | SHC	The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC	MFT - Brush Splatter Background stamp Shop at: EH | SHC	PTI - Round Off Edgers dies Shop at: MISC | SSS
Altenew - Frosty Pink dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Altenew - Limestone dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Hero Arts - Charcoal ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Ballet Slippers ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Lawn Fawn - Bubblegum ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Lobster ink pad Shop at: EH | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Minty Fresh ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Plastic flamingo ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Pretty Pink Posh - Sparkling Clear Confetti Mix sequins Shop at: EH | SSS	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI creative corners Shop at: EH | SBC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 11 (Peace on Earth)

Good morning!

Well, way back in April when I was drafting this blog post, it was Good Friday in Corona Lockdown.

I have no idea what will happen in the months between me writing this post and the day it is scheduled to be posted, but I hope things improve and so I plan to continue trying to keep at this challenge while I can.

Although to be fair, inspiration is a bit thin on the ground considering it's April at the time of writing! ;)

However, this card is a bit of a catch-up project.

It's my festive interpretation of the March card challenge prompt - which featured a lot of green!

Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs - Oh Deer Christmas, Simon Says Stamp - Mod Trees Background
Die: Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Circle
Other: Copics

I was inspired by a technique I saw Yana Smakula do with this background stamp - it's clear embossed on green cardstock then I went in and blended green inks over the top so that the embossed trees are now lighter than the background.

I also used this lovely stamp set from Lil' Inker Designs that I picked up earlier in the year before it was unavailable forever.

I tried my hand at stamping on pink cardstock then colouring in with Copics and added a few highlights with a white pen. I really like the end result and have another similar illustration set from Lil' Inker Designs, so I will try this look again, put perhaps on another shade of cardstock. Makes a nice change to white! :D

And of course there had to be a bit of glitter in there - the full panel is mounted on gold glitter paper. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Lil' Inker Designs - Oh Deer Christmas stamps Shop at: SHC	Simon Says Stamp - Mod Trees Background stamp Shop at: SSS	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Circle dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Adirondack dye ink - Meadow (r) Shop at: SBC
Adirondack dye ink - Pesto (r) Shop at: SBC	Gina K Designs - Obsidian Amalgam ink pad Shop at: EH | SSS	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC
Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 6 (O Christmas Tree)

Today's card is more of a pared back affair.

It's also my take on the February card challenge prompt which features hot pink and some lacy layers. ;)

I wanted to try making my own stamped background on a card blank with generational stamping and just a small selection of colours – and only acrylic blocks for stamping.

It's by no means my best card, but it turned out OK in the end and was saved from the bin. ;)

Stamps: Flora & Fauna - Mini Bottle Trees, Flora & Fauna - Mini Pine Branch, Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas, The Stamp Market - No Peeking
Dies: PTI - Tag Sale #10, Waffle Flower - Lacy Layers 2 (r)

I used Emerald Isle and Party Pink inks from The Stamp Market for the background stamping with the Mini Bottle trees set from Flora & Fauna.

The dot in this set also fits inside the "baubles" of the Christmas tree on the tag which is very handy for bringing the colours together.

I have lots of buttons in my stash, and I was determined to use one from the PTI mix Holiday Mix. I find these buttons a bit hit-and-miss for projects. The right colour will be in the wrong size and super lumpy, otherwise the right size is the wrong colour for your project. LOL Can't win.

It's probably why I usually reach for my jars of October Afternoon buttons. Those shades are more forgiving and even the larger buttons aren't super lumpy.

Anyway, a plainish and experimental card today... onwards and upwards to the next one!

 

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Flora & Fauna - Mini Bottle Trees stamps Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Flora & Fauna - Mini Pine Branch stamps Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC | SSS	The Stamp Market - No Peeking stamps Shop at: MISC
PTI - Tag Sale #10 dies Shop at: MISC	Waffle Flower - Lacy Layers 2 dies (r) Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Fresh Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Party Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS
PTI - Aqua Mist cardstock Shop at: MISC	Lawn Fawn - Hemp Twine - Black Tie Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Card Challenge - November prompt

Good morning!

Well the time has come - it's our penultimate prompt for this year's challenge.

{Pinterest pin}

And we're definitely going into winter full force with these elements!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Cool blues, silver, and grey as a neutral for your colour palette
• A scene from a window or use dies to create peek-a-boo apertures
• A warming winter beverage and sweet treat (Christmas cookies and gingerbread?)
• Stars and lights
• A fairy
• Snowflakes
• Mittens, Christmas jumpers, or anything with a knitted feel including textured backgrounds
• Big picture winter scenes - think mountains, skiing, night skies, forests
• Lanterns and candles
• Hanging element - perhaps create your own DIY ornament hanging from a branch, or simply a tag as a card toppers attached with twine

Happy crafting!

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 1 (Where tree tops glisten)

Morning!

Well there's been some careful prep behind the scenes and writing this blog post back in January of this year, I'm really hoping I've managed to pull it off, because this is the first post in my countdown to Christmas 2020 where I share a card project a day as we approach Christmas day. Or perhaps not a card a day if I fell behind sometime around early February! Ooops!

So first up is my take on the January card challenge prompt. You may remember it... it was celebrating the fact that 2020's Pantone Colour of the Year was Classic Blue, so of course there had to be a bit of blue courtesy of my Distress Oxides:

Stamp: Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas
Dies: The Stamp Market - Dotted Tree, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles
Other: Distress Oxides

But before I talk about the background, what about that stitched tree eh?

It's one that I'd stitched back in December 2019 when I cut this die in various colours of cardstock ready to stitch at future crops. Some nice thread and pretty sequins and beads really do the job.

And the background? Just Neenah cardstock blended with three shades of blue Distress Oxides, going back and forth the shades to get an even blend before finally toning it down a little with white Picket Fence ink.

For wintry snow I splattered the background with white liquid watercolour from Hero Arts and added the perfect greeting for a glistening Christmas tree courtesy of Hello Bluebird stamps.

To add a little extra texture I used clear Morning Dew Nuvo drops to go over some of the white splatter.

I think I'll use that trick again! :D

Until next time...

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Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: SSS	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	The Stamp Market - Dotted Tree dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	Distress ink pad - Picket Fence Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Distress Oxide ink pad - Chipped Sapphire Shop at: EH | SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Stormy Sky Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Tumbled Glass Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Hero Arts - Liquid Watercolor - White Shop at: EH | SHC	Studio Calico - Mister Huey's color mist - Opaque White (r) Shop at: SBC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops - Morning Dew (clear) Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC
Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ
Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Card Challenge - October prompt

Well, here we are - approaching the last leg of this year's challenge.

The nights are drawing in, the air is getting crisper, and perhaps Christmas crafting will already be on your to-do list.

I wonder if this month's prompt will assist with that?

{Pinterest pin}

We've definitely got a nice muted rainbow pallet to work with - perfect for autumn but also great for cosy or merry winter designs. As always, here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Leaves and boughs - why not use tone-on-tone leaf dies or stamps to create a seasonal wreath or just rainbow leaf background of some sort. Or use the rule of thirds to feature leaves as your main element.
• The great outdoors - scenery in any season, but especially winter and autumn: think mountains, hills, little villages, woodland.
• Geometric looks - use simple triangular dies/stencils/stamps to create the look of trees or hills. You can get a really great mod look to your festive Christmas trees.
• Embrace the mod style - and speaking of mod, why not try a retro look through prints, fonts, or other bold design elements.
• Folk art - there are many dies and cover plates out there now that have that European/Scandi folk feel. A great time to use them!
• A little something spooky - those little characters remind me of kids in Halloween costumes. If Halloween is your thing, then run with it!
• A touch of class - there's also lace in that image, so plenty of scope for classic and elegant looks with actual lace or perhaps lace texture/impressions.
• Stitch it - the leaves in the image are created with crochet, there is no reason not to feature some stitching (however fine) on your card.
• Bold background - see if you can use a bold background colour to your card rather than white or cream. Perhaps a nice dark grey to really make the other colours you use pop!

I hope that gives you a few thoughts on where to go with this month's challenge. :)

Happy crafting!

2020 Card Challenge - September prompt

Good morning!

Welcome to a brand-new month and a brand-new prompt. :)

{Pinterest Pin}

This month there is a little woodland magic in the air as nature takes the main focus. However, there's still ways to interpret what you see without going that route:

• The colour pallet - there are some great tones there that would work as bold florals or die-cut sentiments, I definitely spot some shades in the new Concord & 9th colour range and tones that feature in The Stamp Market colour chart too.
• Add a touch of gold - glam up your project with gold sparkle, whether foiled accents, heat embossing, texture mousse, enamel dots, Stickles, or a splatter of  watercolour paint... there are many ways to go big or keep it subtle with gold.
• Natural fibres - how about using handmade paper or felt, fabric trim, or lace to add a tactile touch to your card. If you're anything like me, you're sure to have some reels of twine in your stash - always great threaded through a button.
• Pleating - whether fancy paper folds or card bases with a bit of engineering. Jennifer McGuire has lots of YT tutorials for cards that will still fit in a regular envelope, but have an element of surprise in how they open. You could also add some scoring details to create an elegant textured background.
• Floral border/stamp off to the side - the cuffs on the dress remind me how you can bring attention to your sentiment by positioning large stamps off to the side of your card or at the top and bottom edge. Get some mileage out of those big floral bouquet stamps and use them as a border rather than the main focus of your design.
• Bricks - woodgrain is still very much in, but I'm pretty sure Tim Holtz has released a textured embossing folder for brick effects. It would look great embossed on white or a neutral tone for a clean and simple backdrop.
• Signs of autumn - toadstools, leaves, trees, mountains, garden birds, all that is nature can be easily incorporated on your card and even fits the bill for Christmas projects if September is the time you start working on those.
• Sweater weather - well, that's definitely something that makes me think of Christmas. A knitted print background, a critter wearing a sweater or scarf... or even an ugly Christmas jumper image. When the nights draw in, it's time to get cosy.

I hope that's got your creative cogs turning. ;)

Happy crafting!

2020 Card Challenge - July card

Behind the scenes I'm still hoping to make a card for every card challenge prompt I post this year, even if they may end up being Christmas cards. ;)

But I have managed to make a project that is my take on the July prompt, which includes an element or two with bold diagonal stripes.

So hey, why not make my own diagonal stripes and in rainbow colours to boot?

A few weeks ago I was experimenting with stamps that can build stamped backgrounds, this time it's dies that make nice and uniform strips quickly and easily from pieces of card you have lying around waiting to be used.

I recently topped up my supply of cardstock by The Stamp Market via UK store Dies to Die For.

The Stamp Market released various new colours in August and when I swatched the cardstock out I had some off-cuts left that could be turned into strips very easily.

Here's one of the backgrounds I created with them:

Stamps: The Stamp Market - Friendly Phrases
Dies: The Stamp Market - Friendly Phrases, Avery Elle - Double Pierced Squares, The Stamp Market - 1/2" Quick Strips

I used it as the backdrop for one of the sentiment builders in the Friendly Phrases stamp and die set.

The set is intended to make mini cards, but I like how the various assembled sentiment designs fit inside fancy or non-fancy square dies and can be used as the focal point on a large square card too.

I did some tone-on-tone stamping for the floral background and used white Nuvo drops to add a bit of interest along with the orange flowers.

And for a change, my sentiment is stamped in something other than black! ;)

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The Stamp Market - Friendly Phrases stamps Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Friendly Phrases dies Shop at: MISC	Avery Elle - Double Pierced Squares dies Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC	The Stamp Market - 1/2" Quick Strips die Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Melon Orange ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Party Pink ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: MISC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS
PTI - Aqua Mist cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Bubble Gum cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Citrine cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Fresh Pink cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Leafy cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Melon Orange cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal cardstock Shop at: MISC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops - Simply White Shop at: AZ | EH	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Card Challenge - August prompt

Good morning!

Well I'm not sure this month's prompt will be all that reflective of UK weather in August... but it's worth a try. ;)

{Pinterest pin}

Here are a few ideas to get you started, because even if the full on summer vibes aren't your thing, there's something that can be turned into a card (for all seasons....):

• Blue/aqua tones plus a pop of sunshine yellow - play with the palette and see what comes together. Mustard yellow is definitely a trend colour right now and could be used as your main colour with a hint of one of the other shades.
• Blend it - a sunset or sunrise scene can be easily achieved with ink blending. You could even try stamping with images in black to create a silhoutte.
• Pool/beach/island/chillax theme - so many paper and stamp collections of years gone by would fit this theme.
• Citrus or other fruit design elements - lemons, peaches, pineapples, they've all enjoyed trend status in papercrafting.
• Cheers! - feature a cocktail, mocktail, or beverage of some kind.
• Go retro - whether with a striking background print, text, or something iconic from the 20th century.
• Circle focus - use a circle aperture or a circle to showcase your sentiment. This can be easily done with sunray stencils and cover plates that already include the circle element.

I hope those get the imagination going. :)

Happy crafting!

2020 Card Challenge - July prompt

Good morning!

This month's prompt certainly offers a lot of elements to pique your interest:

{Pinterest pin}

But just in case, here are some ideas to get you started:

• Rosettes and pinwheels – always a popular design element for celebrations
• Dymo-like sentiments – white text on another colour
• Words – use any of the words in the image as your sentiment, whether in English or French: Thank You, Hello, Hooray
• Uplifting theme – make a card to send positive vibes or extra courage
• Fringe - whether made from trim, with a die, or by just snipping with scissors
• Washi tape - use it to attach papers, create tabs or to make a background pattern
• Illustrative patterned paper - lots of collections feature this style now, especially Crate Paper but if you prefer bold patterns then there are also big dots and stripes in the image too
• Fruit - watermelon is definitely one of the things I love about summer, but you can dig about in your stash to see if there are other fruits you can use
• Mini envelope - use a mini envelope as a pocket on your card or use tiny envelope stamps to create an orderly design of envelopes in different colours
• Birds - the parrot in the image gives you free rein to use more exotic colours for any birds you feature
• Kraft/woodgrain - use this as your neutral to contrast with much brighter colours

I hope you find those ideas useful. :)

Happy crafting!

2020 Card Challenge - June card

It's time for yet another clean and simple card. :D

One inspired by the June card challenge prompt as shared here.

I was inspired by the graphic and multi-coloured word art, thinking it was about time I used some of my alphabet stamps and dies:

Stamps: WPlus9 - Whimsy Alpha
Dies: WPlus9 - Whimsy Alpha, The Stamp Market - Modern Motif Cover

The Whimsy Alphabet from WPlus9 has been much underused by me. But recently looking at colour combos for my inks from The Stamp Market I decided I should get it out and use it with these bright and vibrant inks.

I've had good results stamping with these inks in particular on Bristol Board paper. I had a pad of the 250 gsm paper from The Range and although the weight is a bit thin for my taste as a cardstock, I have found it much easier to get clean impressions with this coated paper that is similar to Stampin' Up Whisper White and will probably buy more in a heavier weight if I can find it rather than get more 80 lb Neenah.

Anyway, yes, once I'd got the order of the colours sorted I mounted them on aqua cardstock ready to showcase with a cover plate.

And well, that Modern Motif cover die from The Stamp Market is one I will be using a lot when I just want some white-on-white texture.

I wanted to continue the pops of colour, so used a large solid shape stamp to add colour to the cutouts. It worked quite well and saves having to cut the cover plate from cardstock shapes to get this contrast.

I wondered about adding sequins, but when I tried to work out where to put them it really made things look a bit busy.

So I just left it at that on this occasion. ;)

 

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WPlus9 - Whimsy Alpha stamps Shop at: EH | SHC | SSS	The Stamp Market - Modern Motif Cover die Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - Whimsy Alpha dies Shop at: EH | SHC	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Bubble Gum ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Citrine ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Fresh Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Leafy ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Melon Orange ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Party Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Peach ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	PTI - Aqua Mist cardstock Shop at: MISC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Card Challenge - May card

Time for a little card challenge catch-up. :D

Only half a month late, but you may remember the prompt for last month here.

The hazy pinks and aqua tones of the prompt along with the floral accents inspired me to recreate a hazy pink background with Distress Oxide inks in order to showcase the sentiment.

Stamps: The Stamp Market - Floral Diamond, Pinkfresh Studio - Floral Diamond background
Dies: The Stamp Market - Floral Diamond, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles
Other: Distress Oxides

I used some newer items in my stash for this.

I've had the Floral Diamond stamp set from The Stamp Market for a while but hadn't managed to get the die to go with it until it was recently stocked in the UK.

I also purchased the aptly named Floral Diamond background stamp from Pinkfresh Studio recently and well, why not use them all together? :)

I added a touch of aqua with the watercolouring using reinkers from The Stamp Market and by stamping the aqua solid diamond in the middle.

And as a final touch, sequins of course! :)

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The Stamp Market - Floral Diamond stamps Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	Pinkfresh Studio - Floral Diamond background stamp Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Floral Diamond dies Shop at: MISC | SBC	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Distress Oxide ink pad - Picked Raspberry Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Spun Sugar Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Worn Lipstick Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	The Stamp Market - Citrine ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Leafy ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Melon Orange ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Party Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Pretty Pink Posh - Sparkling Clear Confetti Mix sequins Shop at: EH | SSS	Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Marvy Jewel Picker Shop at: AZ
Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Royal Langnickel - Zen watercolour round wash brush set Shop at: AZ
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Card Challenge - June prompt

Good morning all!

Happy June!

It's time for another prompt for this year's handmade card challenge and it's one that embraces the summer feels...

{Pinterest pin}

As always here are a few initial ideas to get you started:

• Word focus - whether a sentiment or word art, use that as the focus of your card, you may not even need to add further embellishments.
• Something cool - ice creams, ice lollies (as we say over here in the UK), a posh cocktail or just a nice cool drink.
• The full spectrum of colours - the colour circles remind me of one of the watercolour pan sets offered by American Crafts or Prima (neither of which I have) but you could create your own background from punched/die cut cardstock scraps.
• Summer vibes - whatever comes to mind, anything from fruit (citrus, berries, melon...) to a beach theme.
• Landscape - create a full landscape with stamps and inking techniques, like a seascape, sunrise/sunset, fields of flowers, lakeside, etc.
• Negative shapes - create an aperture as the focal point or use negative die-cutting for letters and other shapes.
• White on kraft - ditch the bright colours and use background stamps or phrases embossed in white on kraft.
• Geometric shapes - use basic geometric shape stamps or dies to create repeat patterns or overlap colours for a bold and vibrant look (Laura Bassen shares many techniques for this style on her YouTube channel).
• Seasonal florals - June in my neck of the woods is the month for peonies, roses, and trailing hanging baskets, so much floral splendour that I'm sure you have something in your collection that will fit the job.

Happy crafting!

2020 Card Challenge - May prompt

Good morning!

Sorry the prompt is a little late this morning.

I had a vision-related migraine episode Wednesday evening and though my vision was back to normal yesterday morning (thankfully) I had to take it a bit easier with my time staring at a screen, so didn't manage to draft the prompt last night.

But here is our may inspiration:

{Pinterest pin}

Lots of lovely late spring/early summer elements for many occasions:

• Retro theme - the colour palette lends itself well to many 1950s and 20th century elements: typewriters, radios, record players, jukeboxes, old-fashioned fairgrounds with all the trimmings.
• Floral focus - this is the season for peonies, roses, big blooms. You could also think about presenting flowers in a crate, decorative containers, mason jar, or glass bottles.
• Balloons - why not try some second generation stamping to create a balloon background or dig out those underused balloon stamp sets and dies and see what comes to you.
• Sky/cloud backgrounds - plenty of scope for creating ink blended backgrounds or using stencils to create clouds
• Polka dots/gingham/diamond backgrounds - create your own background rather than relying on paper, or if you have 6x6 paper pads that need depleting go to town with them!
• Something sweet - baked goods or a sweet sentiment, the choice is yours!

I hope those ideas have got you thinking.

Until next time, happy crafting!

2020 Card Challenge - April card

Hey there!

Could this be a first?

I've completed a card challenge prompt in the same month it was issued! Granted I made this card a few weeks ago and failed to photographt it... but still, two days left in the month and my card is made!

For a reminder of the prompt, head over to the blog post here.

Paper: Pink Paislee - Hello Sunshine (r)
Sticker: Pinkfresh Studio - Felicity (r)
Stamp: Neat & Tangled - Scandinavian Prints Christmas
Dies: PTI - Limitless layers: 2 1/4" heart, Neat & Tangled - Scored Shapes, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles

I was particularly inspired by the rainbow triangles and the faceted geometric print in the prompt. So I got out one of my favourite triangle sets - Neat & Tangled's Scandinavian Prints Christmas to create the beaming heart.

I actually used a 4 x 4 inch piece of white card for this. I measured the centre point and then aligned the striped triangle stamp in the wreath builder template from Gina K, so I could do 2 impressions in 2 colours at a time. It worked rather well, but I wish I'd used colours more on the pastel end of the spectrum.

Once that was done I used a heart die from PTI to create an aperture in the patterned paper I'd picked out (a favourite collection from Pink Paislee!).

Once all my layers were down I die cut a heart with the scored shapes set also from Neat & Tangled and added a sentiment strip from Pinkfresh Studio's Felicity collection.

And that's it!

Until next time - happy crafting! :D

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Neat & Tangled - Scandinavian Prints Christmas stamps Shop at: SBC | SHC	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Neat & Tangled - Scored Shapes dies Shop at: SBC | SHC | SSS	PTI - Limitless layers: 2 1/4" heart dies Shop at: MISC
Lawn Fawn - Carrot ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Chili Pepper ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Forget-Me-Not ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Jalapeño ink pad Shop at: EH | SHC
Lawn Fawn - Juice Box ink pad Shop at: EH | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Lemonade ink pad Shop at: EH | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Mermaid ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Plastic flamingo ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Gina K Designs - Wreath Builder Templates 3 3/4" and 4" Shop at: SSS
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Card Challenge - Feburary card

Well there's nothing like a pandemic lockdown for you to catch up with your list of card projects you need to make.

Problem is I've also been a bit lazy in photographing said projects!

But finally, here is my card for the February card challenge prompt:

Paper: Carta Bella - Our House
Stamps: Ink Road Stamps - Bazinga, My Cute Stamps - Cat's Meow (r)

I went with the full-on pink theme - and the enamel dot inspired by pearls. And that's about where the inspiration ended!

Really, I just wanted to use that pink cat paper... that was it.

And the cat paper meant I could use a stamp from my Bazinga! Big Bang Theory inspired stamp set by Ink Road Stamps.

And as for the little kitty - well once again my vintage stamp library came to the rescue. I loved My Cute Stamps back in the day and their Cat's Meow mini set has been great for cat-themed projects.

Until next time!

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Ink Road Stamps - Bazinga stamps Shop at: SSS	My Cute Stamps - Cat's Meow stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	MFT - Fishtail Flags STAX dies Shop at: EH	Gina K Designs - Obsidian Amalgam ink pad Shop at: EH | SSS
Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Carta Bella - Our House - 6x6 pad Shop at: SBC	Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Card Challenge - April prompt

Good morning!

I hope you are all staying well out there. :)

Here's the prompt for April - I picked all the prompts for this year back in December and well, this palette is pretty perfect at the moment:

{Pinterest pin}

It's the perfect board to create some rainbow-inspired projects - whether with the ROYGBIV colours or just using the feature shades in the image.

Here are some more tips to get you started:

• Uplifting sentiments - we all need a bit of sunshine at the moment and even if you are unable to send cards or give them in person, make something uplifting and display it in your own home so you get to enjoy it.
• DIY backgrounds - that painted chevron background could be easily recreated, but I'm sure you could make diagonal striped backgrounds with stamps or strips of card, colour washes, or collages with patterned paper.
• An odd number - there are five arrows in that photo, why not feature three or five elements in a row or scattered on your project.
• Painterly style - if you have any sentiments with that brushed lettering look, now's the time to use them!
• Tags - they can be the main layer on your card or an accent.
• Geometric shapes - triangles are always a good one, or like the rabbit on the tag, faceted stamps and dies would work wonderfully.
• April showers - don't forget those umbrellas! They're great for a spring theme.
• Pencils - a great colouring medium to use on your project. Even if it's just a white pencil for adding depth to solid stamped images.

I hope those ideas are useful. I've not had much time to craft the past few weekends. I thankfully still have work in that is keeping me occupied during the day and there are other things that have needed my attention. But my notebook of to-do projects is there reminding me what to make when I'm ready to get back to my craft desk.

Stay safe and happy crafting!

P.S. Remember to tag your projects #2020handmadecardchallenge on Instagram if sharing there.

2020 Card Challenge - March card

Slowly but surely I've been working on some projects behind the scenes.

I'm almost caught up with where I want to be in the actual making of them, but still need to start my Easter cards at some point!

One of the items on my to-do list was a card for the March card challenge prompt. If you cast your mind back, this prompt was all about totally embracing the colour green, but also had some great spring floral elements and interesting background patterns.

Well, here's my take:

Paper: Crate Paper and Pebbles
Stamps: Agateria - Napisy na każdą okazję, MFT - Fall Florals (r), PTI - Gran's Garden, The Greetery - Just Mason Around
Dies: MFT - Fall Florals (r), PTI - Gran's Garden, The Greetery - Just Mason Around, Cheery Lynn - French Pastry Doily, PTI - Round Off Edgers, Simon Says Stamp - Sentiment Labels

 

This project gave me the opportunity to use some old items in my stash together with some brand-new additions, namely the Just Mason Around stamps and dies from The Greetery, PTI's Gran's Garden stamps and dies, and I also used my Stamp Market inks for some direct stamping with blocks rather than the Misti for all those multi-step florals and leaves. :)

They turned out really nicely, and it's always been quicker to stamp these sorts of things direct onto the die-cut for sets where there's no open matching die. It's nice to have an ink that doesn't require double stamping for this too. :) I got solid impressions first go with those inks.

For the mason jar I used Altenew Sea Glass, Lawn Fawn Merman, and Altenew Lagoon. If I'd been really dedicated I'd have stamped some mock stems in the jar but I loved how the jar turned out as is.

And there we have another card in the card basket ready to go!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Agateria - Napisy na każdą okazję stamps Shop at: MISC	MFT - Fall Florals stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	PTI - Gran's Garden stamps Shop at: MISC | SSS	The Greetery - Just Mason Around stamps Shop at: MISC
MFT - Fall Florals dies (r) Shop at: MISC	PTI - Gran's Garden dies Shop at: MISC | SSS	The Greetery - Just Mason Around dies Shop at: MISC	Cheery Lynn - French Pastry Doily die Shop at: AZ
PTI - Round Off Edgers dies Shop at: MISC | SSS	Simon Says Stamp - Sentiment Labels dies Shop at: SSS	Altenew - Lagoon dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Altenew - Sea Glass dye ink Shop at: EH
Hero Arts - Charcoal ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Merman ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	The Stamp Market - Citrine ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Fresh Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Leafy ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Melon Orange ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Mossy ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Party Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Altenew - Cool Summer Night ink cube set Shop at: EH | SHC
Altenew - Sea Shore ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Card Challenge - March prompt

Morning!

Welcome to the next prompt in the 2020 Card Challenge.

March heralds the sights of spring which includes lots of green lushness, so hopefully this month's prompt will give you a few (possibly random!) ideas. :D

{Pinterest pin}

Here are a few ideas (Spring themed and otherwise) to get you started:

• Embrace the green tones - whether a monochromatic celebration of the colour green or green as your pop of colour.
• Spring flowers - daffodils, meadow florals and grass, palm fronds, etc. The cow parsley floral print in the photo reminds me of those silhouette stamps over a blended twilight sky.
• Books/notebooks/office supplies - a row of book spines has definitely been featured in many paper collections before (Crate Paper for one!), you could use the spines as inspiration or perhaps use a bookplate style label to frame your sentiment, or incorporate a wordy background/lined paper.
• Handmade - embrace the theme of crafting on your card, there have been sets by Hero Arts and others that are designed for projects that you can give to fellow crafters, perhaps this is the perfect time to put them to use.
• Dresses and handbags - whether a party frock made from paper piecing and a little fabric for the skirt or vintage style ephemera like dress forms, the elements in the image could be interpreted in various ways.
• Beads/garlands - you could use real beads and wire, stitch beads or buttons onto your project, or use decorative trims.
• Retro prints and patterns - Orla Kiely stems, line prints, DIY doodle prints.
• Resist techniques - there's a print in the photo that reminds me that a patterned background stamp could make a great print when heat embossed in white/clear and a wash of colour (maybe green?) is applied over it.
• Monsters, dinosaurs, and crocodiles - who knows, you may have an upcoming occasion that could feature one of these. ;)
• Lake scene/fish - they're in the image, no reason you can't feature them on a card!
• Numbers galore - whether a special milestone date/age or just a fun background.

I'm sure you'll come up with something I've not thought of.

Happy crafting!

P.S. Remember to tag your projects #2020handmadecardchallenge on Instagram if sharing there.

2020 Card Challenge - Feburary prompt

Good morning!

And welcome to a brand-new month - the January blues should have dissipated a little by now, and we can start looking forward to longer days and the signs of spring. :)

But first, here's the prompt for February's challenge:

{Pinterest pin}

Gosh where to start with this collection of elements? There are so many aspects that could be incorporated in a card project:

• Love and romance - well February is the month of love, and there are definitely lots of iconic Valentine themes there with the various hearts and shades of pink.
• Kraft - it makes a great background for cards and pairs nicely with many colours (not just pink).
• Stitching - those lovely embroidery supplies would be perfect for a card. We've got pretty thread, something that could be interpreted as an embroidery hoop, lace and trim. You could interpret stitching with dies or by punching your own design to stitch by hand, or even dust off your sewing machine. So many possibilities!
• Frames and apertures - there are some lovely ornate frames in that photo and an aperture is always a great way to frame a sentiment.
• Ribbons and rosettes - I'm sure I have something similar to those rosettes in the various packs of stand-out stickers from Crate Paper that I've collected over the years. Maggie Holmes definitely featured rosettes a lot in her collections. 
• Jewellery and hardware - Tim Holtz's Ideology range has featured many items over the years that would fit the bill here. Do you have ribbon charms, mini frames, photo corners or other accents that would work nicely here?
• Button shapes - the heart made of spools reminds me of those button art projects that were so popular back when we all bought buttons galore. If you don't want to go full out with buttons, why not try featuring at least one button from your vast collection as an accent on a tag or centre of a flower?
• Doilies - still such a versatile way to create a background for your card, I might just dust off my favourite die...
• Layout - the collage style in the photo provides great inspiration for a looser way of adding elements. You could cluster layered mini die cuts from snippets of paper in rows or like the circles created by those dishes in the photo. The placement of the rosettes at the top could also be interpreted on a card a bit like an empire waistline.
• Flowers - surely you didn't think I'd forget those? As usual there are some floral elements and plant life in the image, I especially like those embroidered florals with the bow.

I hope those are a few useful ideas to get you started.

Happy crafting!

P.S. Remember to tag your projects #2020handmadecardchallenge on Instagram if sharing there.