A New Challenge!

I love it when I find a new challenge, especially when it is one that really opens up the possibilities and gets the creative juices flowing.  Well done to Lesley and Jackie for coming up with this idea, and thanks for all the inspiration.

And here is my first Fusion card.

I have added my own challenge to this as well, I really want to get good at making Clean and Simple cards.  I do find it difficult leaving lots of white space and not using heaps of embellishments, ribbons, lace etc but it will be good for me to learn something new!
It just so happens that this week’s CAS-ual Fridays challenge is to use Chevron and Flowers, so I will enter my card in that challenge as well.


The colours are just gorgeous, aren’t they?  Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango and Melon Mambo.  The yellow Chevron paper is from the Parker’s Patterns DSP, and the greeting from the gorgeous Kindness Matters stamp set.  The flowers look like they have dark blobs in the middle of them, but actually it is just a dob of silver Dazzling Details – the shiny stuff just didn’t show up in the photo.  Have to have a little bit of bling!
Hope your day is bright and sunny!
Happy stamping!
Chris

Dynamic Duos #47

A gorgeous colour combination again this week, Pool Party and Cherry Cobbler.

What can I say… other than, yum, yum, yum! 🙂  Love these colours!

The photo doesn’t really do justice to the card, the embellishment consists of one of the Soda Pop Tops, which has been flattened by running it through the Big Shot, and then I have layered it with one of the Vintage Faceted Buttons. I have also used the Cloudy Day Embossing Folder, some of the gorgeous More Amore Specialty papers, the Hearts a Flutter stamp set and matching Framelits Dies and the Papillon Potpourri stamp set and matching punch.
Check out what the rest of the Design Team have come up with for these colours here, and I look forward to seeing what you have made too.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Dynamic Duos # 46

This week’s Dynamic Duos challenge is to use the colour Primrose Petals and combine it with a colour of your choice.  Well, now that just leaves it too open for me, too many possibilities and ideas……
I decided on combining my favourite colours of all, pink and purple….. so I have added Elegant Eggplant to the Primrose Petals.

My card uses two techniques that I haven’t played with for a long time.  Firstly, the Stained Glass technique, combined with the Tissue Paper technique.


To do this, I have embossed the Swallowtail in white embossing powder onto the smooth side of the Crepe Filter Paper (page 6 Seasonal Catalogue) – if you feel the paper really carefully you will notice that one side is slightly smoother and the other side a little more rough. The Stained Glass technique is usually done onto Vellum, which is much stronger than the crepe paper, so I wasn’t sure how this would turn out.
Then on the back, behind the butterfly image, I have coloured using inks and a blender pen, in the two colours, blending them together.
I embossed an extra butterfly to experiment with, and gave this one to my son.  He coloured the back of the butterfly directly with brightly coloured markers, and that worked really well too, so you could do either of these.  However, it does work best if the colouring is on the back of the embossed image.
I have then wrapped the crepe paper over a piece of Shimmer White cardstock, and stuck it behind the cardstock using glue to keep it in place.  If you are using standard tissue paper for this technique, it is nice to scrunch up the paper to give it more texture, and then smooth it out again, but this crepe paper is a little heavier and I thought it would detract from the image, so I left it flat.
While you can’t see it in the photo, the shimmer of the cardstock does show through the crepe paper.
The lace, seam binding ribbon and gorgeous resin rose, are all from the Artisan Embellishment Kit (page 10 Seasonal Catalogue).

As always, heaps of inspiration from the rest of the Design Team at Dynamic Duos, all using different colours for their creations.

Happy Easter everyone, I do hope you are having a crafty Easter, and spending time with loved ones.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Honeycomb Embossing

I have wanted to try this out for some time now, and yesterday was the perfect time to sit down and do some fussy cutting.   Is it only me, or does anyone else find fussy cutting relaxing?  A bit like watercolouring, knitting and crocheting…..


Perhaps one day Stampin’ Up! might bring out a punch to coordinate with the Honeycomb Embossing Folder used here, but for now, each piece of the patterned paper had to be cut by hand.   I have also used one of the Needlepoint Border Embossing Folder along the bottom, and one of the Delicate Designs Folders along the top.  Can you tell that I love my Embossing Folders?? 🙂
The Crumb Cake coloured layer is one of the pieces from the Pop Up Posies Kit which I have cut one edge off and popped under some Crumb Cake ribbon, and the greeting comes from the Apothecary Art stamp set.  Oh and mustn’t forget that gorgeous patterned paper, which is from the current seasonal catalogue on Page 16, called the Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack, lots of beautiful papers in it and they are great for cardmaking.

The sketch I have used for this card is this week’s sketch at the Freshly Made Sketches challenge site, and I always love a sketch challenge, so thought I would have a go at this one.
If you have any questions about this card, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment.
Happy Stamping!
Chris

Monochromatic Pinks

Definitely a “girly” challenge this week at Dynamic Duos,

and I have combined the pinks with black and white.

My card uses the Blooming With Kindness stamp set, which is a bit of a favourite at present.  The main flower image has been stamped twice, slightly off-set, once in Pretty in Pink and once in Regal Rose.
The ribbon is gorgeous but unfortunately retired quite a few years ago!

I apologise for the short post today, I have spent most of my day at a local model train exhibition with my family, it was fantastic, but I am feeling a little weary, so time to rest and recover!  Maybe some stamping 🙂
Lots of inspiration again this week from the rest of the Design Team, and please share your wonderful creations with us at Dynamic Duos.
Happy Stamping!
Chris

Last day of Sale-a-Bration

Last chance today to pick up some of the gorgeous free stuff that is available during Sale-a-Bration.  Lots of gorgeous stuff this year, it is hard to choose a favourite, but this cute little stamp set has to be one of them…..

It’s called Patterned Occasions and I think it is a really versatile set.  Just a simple set of cards, but the images are pretty cute!
If you would like to get this set for free, or any of the other products that are available, all you need to do is contact me today with your order and payment worth $100.  The order must be placed today, as these will not be available come tomorrow!  And for every $100 you spend you get 1 free product.  And there’s lots to choose from this year, stamp sets, papers, punches…….


Anyway, send me an email or give me a call.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Direct Ink meets Triple Stamping….

… actually in this case I think it is Double stamping.  I am not sure of the correct name for this technique, I have seen it called a number of different things, but whatever it is called, it is a great technique.

This first card I am going to enter into this week’s Retro Sketches challenge since it was their sketch that inspired me 🙂

I have used the Direct Ink onto cardstock technique using the colours Pool Party and Old Olive, and then I have used the Triple stamping technique for the silhouette in Basic Grey.  The silhouette image comes from one of my all time favourite stamp sets Serene Silhouettes.

The second card uses similar techniques only this time I have used the ink directly onto the clear block and then stamped that onto the cardstock.  It is just a little more subtle, but still very effective.  The colours are the same, only this time it is the French Foliage stamp set (another favourite!)

 

If you like the Triple Stamping technique, live in the Canberra area, and would like to learn more about how to use this technique, I will be running classes on Tuesday 26th March at 1pm and Wednesday 27th March at 7.30pm.  Bookings are essential as places are limited, so contact me asap to book your seat.  I will also organise a class on the Direct Ink techniques, probably in late April or early May, details coming soon.

Happy stamping!
Chris

Easter Bunny is coming…..

….so I thought I had better get on and make some Easter cards.
Again, I have used the Oval Framelits along with the very cute Everybunny stamp set – too cute!
I am a bit addicted to banners and flags on my cards at the moment, so I have used the gorgeous Tea For Two Designer Series Papers to create them here, and some brads to “secure” them at the top.  Little bunny has been heat embossed using black embossing powder and then coloured using inks and a blender pen.
You can contact me if you would like more information about any of the products I have used for this card, and since Easter is less than a month away, contact me also to order your Easter stamps and papers now so that you have some time to create something special for someone special! 🙂
Hope you have a crafty weekend.  Happy Stamping!
Chris

Oval Framelits

I have to apologise for my lack of posts recently, things have been rather busy in our household.  I have been doing a little crafting so I will try to catch up and share some of them with you.
Today I will share a card that I made using the new Oval Framelits.  I just love oval shapes, especially on cards, but have only just had the chance to try them out.  Need a few more hours in the day, I feel.  Or perhaps I just need to sleep less 🙂

This card uses the Everything Eleanor, Papillon Potpourri and Apothecary Art stamp sets, along with the colours Bashful Blue and Midnight Muse and a half of one of the pretty doilies.

Promise to be back soon with more of my creations.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Dynamic Duos #41

This week’s Dynamic Duo‘s colours are:

Yum… another gorgeous combination!
The colour reminds of a beautiful clear ocean, so I made my card using the new By The Tide stamp set.

I have also used the French Foliage set to add some “bubbles” in the background along with the Square Lattice embossing folder and some sponging around the edges, and paper piercing and faux stitching of course! 🙂

You can see what the rest of the Design Team have done with these colours here.  Please join us and share your wonderful creations.
Happy stamping!
Chris