Cure For The Monday Blues Challenge #1 Bohemian Rhapsody

Hi everyone from a very wet and windy Somerset..............someone up there is certainly testing our mettle and my thoughts go out to people living on the Levels.

Anyway one way to banish thoughts of this miserable weather is a fab new challenge called Cure for the Monday Blues run by the lovely Taheera.  Every Monday she will be posting an inspirational photo and here is the one posted for this very first challenge:

Aren't they the most gorgeous colours?  Makes you think of summer sun, sandy beaches...........oh well, we can only dream eh?  Here's what I came up with.

There's been a lot lately about spray painting using a hand pressed air tool with your alcohol markers.  This seems to have come about from the recent CHA exhibition.  When I saw it I thought, I've got one of those - so went hunting and sure enough I have got one but it's called Blitzer and my sister bought it for me donkey's years ago along with a video (shows how old eh?), marker pens and stencils.  So I dusted it off and got some Flexmarkers ready.  I've used a Clarity Stamp Stencil on a piece of white cardstock and sprayed the colours I needed.  It's surprising how much ink gets blown out over the card by just squeezing the bulb of the spritzer.

This was mounted on a 5" square card.  I die cut the two bottom corners using Cheery Lynn Fancy Corner Cuts #4 - these are great as you get three styles but two dies of each so you can cut the edges in one go.  I used the waste from the corners at the top of the spritzed card, added a ribbon and the sentiment is Stampin Up Whimsical Words which was cut out using SU label punch.  Final touch was some Liquid Pearls.

Thanks for dropping by.

Less is More - Week 130 - Pinterest Photo Inspiration

Well, would you Adam & Eve it.........two cards in two days - what's going on???? lol

Looking through the entries in the current challenge I saw a couple of cards using the same digi image of a shoe and as it was very familiar I went hunting in my photos to see if I had it - and I did.  That meant I can play again.  According to Daizy-Mae it's an old Sketching Stamper digi called  'The shoe'.

I decided that the occasion warranted me using another NBUS (never before used schtuff!!!) and in this case it's my Cheery Lyn Mexican Tile Pattern die which is absolutely gorgeous.  I re-sized and printed off the shoe image so it would fit inside the aperture.  I backed the Mexican Tile with some red card, added some red Liquid Pearls to the front of the shoe and then added Crystal Lacquer to the front and heel of the shoe.  The sentiment was computer generated and I added some Liquid Pearls in the corners of the card and inside the "o" of shoes.

We don't know whether we are coming or going with this weather.......one moment it's blazing sunshine and then thunder and torrential rain - very weird, still we've managed to erect the trellis panels and new arch and I've got my climbers planted; they are definitely getting well watered in!  lol

Thanks for dropping by. 

Less is More - Week 117 - Sketch

And back round to Monday we come........hope you all had a great weekend.

This week's challenge over at Less is More is a sketch challenge that has been drawn by Jen:
 

Sketch #9

This week we have a sketch for you drawn by Jen.

It's simplicity itself, so to add a little constraint, we ask that the card stays in this orientation.  Remember we still want to see plenty of white space.

 

 

Here's my take on the challenge.  I am just loving this technique, I think it looks so nice.  The stamped elements are from a Chocolate Baroque stamp set called Breath of Spring and I have used the main hydrangea flower and one of the corner stamps.  Inks used were Stampin Up Perfect Plum and Always Artichoke.  The alphabet dies are Memory Box Large Classic and the border die is Cheery Lyn Lace Light Deco Border.  I actually cut the words directly out of the stamped image and then cut two more layers out of plain card to give it dimension and then just popped the letters back in their holes......much easier than the original way of doing it!

Thanks for visiting and hope you all have a creative week.

Less is More - Week 87 - Lucky Dip

This week's challenge over at Less is More is a Lucky Dip and the lovely ladies have come up with:

For our 5 week months we have a 'Lucky Dip' challenge and a special guest.

this month we have asked Susan Goetter to join us. You will all know and love her as she is such an inspiration, entering multiple challenges every week.....what a star!

Our challenge this week is

Love & Marriage

For my card I have gone with a silver and white theme and I have used my Spellbinders Majestic Elements which consist of six dies but you can mix and match them to create 20+ designs.  For this I have literally just die cut white pearl card and decoupaged the elements up using silicone.  The backing card has been embossed with my Cheery Lynn XL embossing plate Foliage.  The sentiment is Waltzingmouse Stamps and stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with silver detail e/p.  The flowers are from my stash and I've punched the leaves using my Nellie Snellen punch & emboss duo set.  I've added some Liquid Pearls as a finishing touch.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by.

Addicted to Stamps - Theme Challenge #3 -SPRING

Happy Wednesday to everyone and welcome to our new challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More which is:

S P R I N G

Now, you have to understand that although all of us in this hemisphere acknowledge we are now very firmly in AUTUMN............ to all those Antipodeans it is now SPRING...... topsy turvey or what!!!  lol  Anyway lets play nicely and do what the esteemed Kylie asks!!!

My card is hopefully Spring-like enough for this challenge.  I've taken a cream square card base and added a piece of cardstock in a deep yellow on top which was first embossed using a Cheery Lynn XL embossing plate called Foliage.  I then rounded the corners and die cut a lighter piece of card with my Memory Box Spring Border die.  I've used my Spellbinders Blossom dies for the main focal element of the card - again in a lighter piece of yellow card and smaller white card.  This was topped off with another circle of the yellow.  I've added roses and hatpins from my stash; the leaves have been punched using Nellie Snellen duo cutting and embossing punches.  The ribbon is from my stash but actually bought from Lidl's a while ago - it's lovely and has pearls and wooden butterflies on it and, luckily, matched the colour of the card.  The sentiment is from Stampin Up's set called Apothecary Art stamped in Mustard Seed DI.

Please pop over to the Addicted to Stamps blog and have a look at the lovely samples the DT have made for your delectation.   We look forward to seeing all your marvellous entries.