#103 Nature - The Male Room Challenge

This time the challenge at The Male Room is Nature.

I was looking through my papers when I came across the one with the birds and clouds and thought of a Lawn Fawn Christmas stamp set I have which has a "Seasons Tweetings" stamp in it. I also found the outer brick effect paper that at some point had a circle cut from it. I thought the two went well together.

I cut a couple of clouds using a CC die and stamped the greetings, raising them up with some foam tape. Finally added some twine down one edge and a little distressing with ink.

Thanks for looking and hope to see you over at the challenge.

Birds - Twofer card challenge

The current challenge at Twofer card challenge is birds.

You will have seen in my previous posts that Cuba provided me with lots of inspiration and I'm not done yet! Another hummingbird this time a stamp set I bought from Crafters Companion. They are large stamps meant also for fabric projects but I got them on a card lol!

This first one I made from snippets. I tend to make backgrounds and then keep them until I can't get anymore out of them (it's becoming as bad as designer papers!). I think this one has run its course now! I'm popping into the Snippets Playground to share this.

I thought the backgrounds worked well with the stamps and no colouring to do. I added a sentiment stamp from a recent magazine freebie and I did some dots around the edge of the die cut to make it pop from the card.

The next one was using a stencil and another stamp from the same freebies. This time I coloured the images using distress oxides inks with some water.

Thanks for looking.

Allsorts challenge 503 - Masculine

Our new Allsorts challenge starts today with the theme of Masculine chosen by Ellie.

For my DT card I was I admit inspired by all the wonderful cars we saw on our trip to Cuba and also in the city of Havana.

We actually got to ride in this one below!

I wish I had taken more photos of the cars now - but after a while they become so common place that you forget how wonderful they all are.

Back to my card! - I used a Marianne Embossing folder and die set for the background. I stamped the car which is an old wooden stamp then coloured with promarkers and Spectrum metallic pens then fussy cut out.

One lucky, randomly selected winner will receive our prize of the two stamps by Bee Crafty. 

                                               

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Bee Crafty is a card making, rubber stamping and scrapbooking supplies shop. We specialise in card and papers, and all associated supplies, inkpads, adhesives, tools, 100’s of scrapbooking papers and 1000’s of other supplies for your card making, scrapbooking and craft projects. We have an extensive range of products with new ranges are arriving all the time which we will be adding to the new site everyday, including weekly special offers, craft classes and crops.

Thanks for looking and hope to see you over on the challenge blog this week.

Laserowe Vintage Gentleman for Swedish House Crafts DT

I'm here with you today to share a card made with the Laserowe Vintage Gentleman collection papers for the Swedish House Crafts Design Team. I also used this collection in issue 186 of Simply Cards and Papercraft for an article for Swedish House Crafts you can still get a copy.

I love the extra tags you get with a set of Laserowe papers, it makes them great value for money. I cut around this one of the motorbike for my card,  just adding a little ink to the edges. I used Gummiapan stitched rectangle dies to cut two pieces of the background papers.

As this card is for a younger male I used the darkest part of the backing papers. Then I put Gummiapan inksplats stamp over most of the pattern to grunge it up. I also used Gummiapan Mini worn ringed star stamp.

I used the Gummiapan film negative stamp and Happy Birthday Text background stamp to stamp over the background card. I masked the film strip so that the words look like they are on the film.

Finally I used the Gummiapan Stamp - Text - Happy Birthday (mini straight hand) at the bottom of the card. I just love this tiny stamp I used it a lot!

Links to products I used:

Laserowe Vintage Gentleman collection papers
Gummiapan stitched rectangle dies
Gummiapan inksplats stamp
Gummiapan Mini worn ringed star stamp.
Gummiapan film negative stamp
Happy Birthday Text background stamp
Gummiapan Stamp - Text - Happy Birthday (mini straight hand)

I'm also entering this card into the Library Challenge where the book is Absolute Beginners and I took the bike on the cover as my inspiration.

Anything Goes @ CD Sunday challenge

I printed this background paper from the CD Rom Mix it Up Fabulously from the House of Zandra. It was destined for a different project when I noticed that it had a lot of green in it. 

I recently went to Cuba and there is a hummingbird there that is green that is not found anywhere else in the world! You can buy many things with the hummingbird pictured like this wooden plaque below.

However, the hummingbird is not the national bird of Cuba! This little fella is, he's the Cuba Trogan.

Now we didn't see either of these in real life - but we did see a Pelican and also a cattle egret which I got a picture of.

So, back to my card. I bought this die as I knew I would want to have a reminder of the hummingbirds - this was before I realised they weren't the national bird lol! I had cut it out of this Creative Expressions gold card and laid over the green area of the printed paper when I decided it went rather well. 

I cut the die again and cut the hummingbird out and placed it over the top of the die to give some extra dimension and added a little clear sparkle pen to the bird. I also placed some of the "waste" back into the die. The sentiment is an old one from a Hero Arts set.

I'm entering this into the CD Sunday challenge - anything goes. I used the backing paper from the cdrom as explained above.

Allsorts challenge Week 502 - Milestones with numbers

Our new challenge at Allsorts for this week is Milestones with numbers. I've chosen to make a 21st birthday card using some free stamps and papers that came with Making Cards Magazine last year.

I used promarkers to colour the image and added a little overlay of clear sparkle pen to the grey dress. The numbers are from Gummiapan anniversary numbers set. There isn't a 21 but I used the 25 cutting away the five and the number 1 from the 10.

Hope to see you over on the challenge. The prize for the lucky winner this week.

Pride and Prejudice and some published work

I've been trying to make this card for at least a year! I had the idea in my head and then it was the book at The Library Challenge - still didn't manage to make it. However, The Library Challenge is having an Anthology where you can pick a previous book and so this is my entry for Pride and Prejudice.

I was determined to do it this time and just made it before the challenge deadline! I'm also entering it into the Country view challenge blog for Landscapes/cityscapes.

I've used a set of Creative Expressions stamps, the sentiment and silhouettes are from an Indigo Blu set and then I added a CE die cut from a deep gold cardstock. The background I created with aquatints.

I've been featured in two magazines recently with design work for Swedish House Crafts. 

Thanks for looking.

Anything goes (optional twist beverages) at The Male Room Challenge

Our challenge this time at The Male Room is "Anything Goes" with an optional twist of "beverages.".

I've chosen to use the "beverages" prompt for my card and I used this cute spellbinders die to cut three cups (re usable of course!). The sentiment is from a MFT stamp set. I added the stars for no other reason than they were waste from a Christmas die left on my desk!

Thanks for looking. Hope you can join us over at the challenge with this easy theme.

New Beginnings at Penny Black & More challenge

Our first challenge of 2019 at Penny Black and More - and it's the aptly titled "new beginnings".

For my DT card I've chosen to interpret it as a "retirement".

I've used Penny Black 40-224 hot rod! stamped in Versafine Clair ink Chianti - it makes a lovely change from black ink. I've also used PB 30-113 petal party which is the second generation stamping in chianti and watering can grey on the base card.

The background is an embossing die from Spellbinders in a houndstooth which I used on a background I had made from various watered inks on cream card.

Our sponsors this month are Penny Black and Swedish House Crafts.

Thanks for looking and hope to see you over at the challenge this time and in 2019.

We had a trip to Cuba in December - what a wonderful place! Here's a collage of the hotel and a few of Havana.

Cathedral Square Havana

Revolution Square Havana

Ambos Mundos Hotel - where Hemmingway stayed

This was our "taxi" to Havana - our driver was having a little rest as we returned to the car! Can't imagine doing this in the UK with the door open.

Hearts and flowers at Allsorts challenge

Wendy has chosen the theme at Allsorts challenge this week which is Hearts and Flowers.

I used a flowered CC 3d embossing folder for background. It came free with CC magazine so it's slightly smaller than the one they sell. To enhance the embossed detail I used some pink and green inks sponged over the raised areas.

I then added a Roxstamps heart wreath from Swedish House Crafts and a Penny Black "love" die cut from silver mirri card. Finally I mounted it onto a piece of silver mirri card too.

This weeks prize for a randomly chosen winner is a heart stamp and flowers.

Thanks a Bunch at Allsorts challenge

Our theme at Allsorts challenge this week is "Thanks a Bunch". I used this lovely die for my DT card, which I received as a present. You don't really need to do anything to the die but I decided to paper piece some elements to add a little interest. I then used a TL pierced square die to mount it.

Our sponsor this week is Stamp Addicts.

The Colour Blue at The Male Room Challenge

The challenge this time at The Male Room is "The colour blue".

I used a Seth Apter square die to cut out from a background I had made. To make the background I used a sheet of Centura pearl with a hint of silver and then spritzed it with different blue inks. I also did the same on a piece of acetate which I used in the square top right on the card. The sentiments are from a Paper Smooches stamp set. Finishing touch was to put some silver gilding wax on the die cuts and over the card background.

Thanks for looking and I hope to see you over at the challenge.

mid month reminder for Traditional Christmas colours at Penny Black & More

A little mid month reminder for our Traditional Christmas colours challenge over at Penny Black & More. Perfect for those last minute Christmas cards - or an early start on next year!

Remember we mean  Red, Green, Gold, Silver and White or any combination of those five colours on your work. Otherwise it won't be eligible for the challenge.

For my DT card I used Penny Black hanging treasures 40-165. I embossed with verdigris powder onto the red bauble, red onto the green and gold onto the smallest bauble. I used a spellbinders die set to cut them out. The background I created with a free stencil from a magazine and then I used a CC metallic gold pen to draw in the hanging threads.

I do hope you can find time to join us over at the challenge.

Christmas Trees at Allsorts challenge

This week on the challenge over at Allsorts we want to see Christmas Trees.

For my DT card I've used an Inkylicious stamp. It's actually designed with white areas for snow and I decided to cover these with some white snow effect powder using a glue pen. I first stamped the trees in several shades of green.

I then cut an aperture in some snow effect card and mounted it on foam tape over the image.  I used a CE sentiment die. Finally adding more of the snow dust over the whole card.

Thanks for looking, hope to see you over on the challenge this week where the prize is these very useful distress crayons.