Silver Hearts and Great News!!!

Hello, I'm back again with another card that I made on Monday morning.... I was making up for lost crafty time last week!!!

I tuned into see the new Less is More challenge on Saturday and thought yippeee, Paper Piecing.... but no, on closer inspection of Chrissie's and Jen's inspirational cards I could see it was Paper Piercing.... that little r makes a whole world of difference, good job I studied them closely :0)

So I combined the piercing with the 'Hi Ho Silver' challenge at CASual Fridays this week...

I decided that I preferred the raised bumps when you pierce the card from the back, I just had to work out my curves back to front instead. I used a couple of large plastic circle stencils to prick along the edge of and then curved and stamped the sentiment to match. The heat embossing isn't great .... I'm gradually replacing old rubbish embossing powders and it looks like silver could be the next to go although to be fair the silver inkpad isn't up to much either but then it's not a colour I use a lot!!
I managed to solve the need for a smaller heart die cut for this card by finding an old sizzix sizzlets alphabet that has hearts set in the letters so I ran one of the dies through a few times to cut those those tiny hearts :0)

The great news is that the place to buy your favourite American stamps is back online today.... yes Make the Day Special has re-opened its doors with a new look, new owner and the same great stamps... with hopefully some new companies coming soon ..... pop over for a visit here and have a look around :0)

Thanks for stopping by today
Jenny x

Monster Truck!!

Hello there :0)

The ColourQ#177 palette this week are my kind of colours...... quite bold and great for masculine cards.
I'm trying to use some of my older, forgotten dies and after flicking through my Quickutz dies I found this monster truck and an idea was born.....

I've used Tumbled Glass as the blue in the sky but it's very hard to photograph without bleaching it out.... it's much more obvious IRL!!!
The fonts are a couple of Sizzix alphabets, I thought the different heights would give the rocky road effect :0)
The stripe on the base card is a happy accident too, having tried to re-stamp a patchy image and not quite lining it up again properly, but I thought it looked quite in keeping with the truck/big tyres theme :0)

I'm also linking this card upto Addicted to CAS 'Masculine' challenge..... and lets face it guys cards are a challenge to make!!!

This card reminds me when we all had a go in a Land Rover on an Off-Road course at a Country Show quite a few years ago now. We were passengers with an experienced driver and it was very 'exhilarating' seeing/feeling the car traversing all sorts of gradients at various angles, but James laughed the whole way round the course, he found being thrown about most amusing. Needless to say wanted to stay on for a second go!!..... as I remember it was all I could do to get my feet on flat ground and let my head catch up with them!!!

Thanks for stopping by :0)
Jenny x

To the Moon and back!!

Hello there :0)

I've made a card to enter for this weeks Less is More challenge

which has a theme of 'Up in the Air'.

Last weeks 'musical' one layer task eluded me.... more

difficult than the sports and exercise one layer last month!!

With James off school this week crafting time has been on the slim

side but I razzled this together last night...

The sentiment and rocket die-cut are from an MFT dienamics set...... love that fun font and what a cute sentiment it is too :0)

With no small heart gems in my stash I had to attempt my own with

red stickles.... that was a tense breath-holding moment!!!

Not the most amount of white space but clean and simple never the less :0)

Thanks Lyndal for kindly pointing out that my card would fit in with the Catered Crop
 Recipe Swap 'Star' challenge ..... I'll pop it in over there too :0)

Thanks for looking :0)

Jenny x

Dies : My Favourite Things Dienamics- 'You move me' (Stamp and die set)

Making Washi Tape is 'Squ'easy!!!

Hello there, Just popping in to share my DT card from yesterdays blog post at Make the Day Special.

My card uses Lawn Fawns 'Make Lemonade' set and the utterly fabulous 'Tiny Spots' Background stamp from Hero Arts ... are you thinking bubbles in the lemonade too??? Oh it was love at first sight with that background stamp!!
I'm  following sketch#15 at CAS(e) this Sketch this week.... sorry for the punny sentiment too *groan* :0)

I'm loving the CAS sketches Jackie and her team produce each week and their inspiration cards are fabulous too :0) I went literal with the banner shape this week under the focal image and decided to make my own Washi Tape with tissue paper, double sided tape and Lawn Fawns Chevron Backdrops..... here's the photo tutorial from my DT blog post in case you haven't seen or tried this technique before :0)
Should just add that this little baby is not my idea... loads of tutorials out there and this is how I do it!!

By using double-sided tape you can make your washi tape as long or as wide as you want.

I simply stick the length I require on the shiny side of the tissue paper...

the matt side is easier to stamp on and looks more authentic!!

Idea: With lots of colours of tissue paper available you don't have to stick with white either!!

Turn the tissue over to stamp your pattern...I find it easier to leave 

it untrimmed still at this point. I have used Lawn Fawns Chevron Backdrops and 

Basic Grey Ink from SU, it's a bit of trial and error when it comes to inks but most 

do dry on the tissue... heating with a heatgun is not advised!!

Tip: Pale inks will appear very light when you have taken the backing off the adhesive 

and also take into consideration the strength of the background colour your attaching the washi too.

When you've finished your stamping and the ink is dry turn the tissue back over to trim.
I  use a ruler and sharp craft knife but if you have a steady hand you can use scissors
against the side of the DS tape.... it's easier to tear or trim the ends at this stage with the
backing on, ready for your project  :0)

My skinny roll of tape looks a bit pathetic but it was short for photography purposes!!
Make as much or as little as you want, it will keep for other cards :0)

Right thats all for now, best get back to the men folk. 

Looking forward to half term this week... no rushing around in the morning like a mad thing!!

Just to let you know that Make the Day Special website will be up and running 

again as soon as possible, the online store is in the process of changing ownership 

and will be back with your favourite overseas stamp companies very soon :0)

Thanks for stopping by :0)

Jenny x

Love and Marriage

Hello there. I've been scratching my head thinking of a love song I could use on a card for CASual Fridays this week and a look through my older wood mounted stamps found this little gem which is thee perfect song for the theme of love, the song title is there for all to see too.....

I punched a few hearts in the same coloured card stock and stuck them down for a faux embossed look and a touch of glitter on the chapel and round the edge of the frame for a bit of sparkle, hard to see on the photo..... I love the look of Kraft and white together :0)

Short and sweet today because I'm off out Birthday pressie shopping for my Mum..... it's a big one this year!!!

Thanks for stopping by :0)

Jenny x

 

I Heart Art :0)

Well hello again. I have been playing with the new 'I Heart Art' stamp set from Paper Smooches, it's just sooo cute and a great excuse to get those colouring pencils out... like I need an excuse!!!

I've used a couple of sketch challenges and this first card is based on this weeks CAS(e) this Sketch....

I wanted to try the technique that Jennifer Mcguire used in the Clean and Simple 2 class but my watercolour pencils are not nearly vibrant enough so I watercoloured the canvas first and then stamped over the top of it, I really love that sentiment.... perfect for a non-slushy valentine :0).
I also dig that chunky brush, such a great shape to colour in.... guess I should have put colour on the bristles but we'll pretend it's been cleaned up :0)

I couldn't resist making this next card which loosely (hope it's accepted) fits in with Retro Sketches this week...

I'm always a sucker for a colour splash and red, black n' white really are the top of the class for colour pops!!.... I also love that splat stamp,  it's very versatile as paint or ink. Yep, I think this is one of my favourite Paper Smooches sets :0)

                                                   
Right time to go find that craft desk again...it's quite small and it's surprising how making a couple of CAS cards creates a complete mess.... does anyone else find that or is it just me!!??

Thanks for your visit :0)

Jenny x

Stamps: I Heart Art - Paper Smooches
Dies : 3x4 Notebook paper - dienamics by My Favourite Things
Prismacolour and Coloursoft pencils

Baby Neutrals

Afternoon :0)

I've just got in from a dog walk having dodged an almighty hail storm so I thought I'd chance my luck again and try and get my card posted before James gets in from school!!

Less is More is two years old this week so I really wanted to play along in celebration because it's such a fun, friendly blog with a great mix of challenges each month to get you thinking and creating, so Happy Birthday LiM :0)

This week falls on a colour theme and the beautiful combination of Kraft and Kreme..... now this is another combo that makes me think of food again *tut tut* but it's also a lovely choice for baby cards too...

It's a mix of old (the teddy Quickutz die) and new (sentiment and stitched rectangle die) this week. It does makes me happy to dig out some of my neglected stash and breath a new design into it and I also love the rustic look of this cream coloured cardstock from Stampin Up.... perfect for the challenge teamed up with Crumb Cake :0)

That's all for today, the lad has just arrived like a whirlwind as usual demanding drink, food and the washing machine be put on!!!..... not necessarily in that order though :0)

Thanks for stopping by

Jenny x

Stamps: Clearly Besotted Dies: Lil' Inker and Quickutz

 

Lets Chill Out!!

Helloeee :0)

The sun is shining here this morning and in my card too..... I went bright with a hot Pink card base for my DT card at Make The Day Special..... sunglasses ready??!!

Since I got my hands on the Bold Blooms set from Paper Smooches I wanted to use these two particular stamps to make a palm tree and this weeks CAS(e) this sketch sparked an idea for a way to use them on a card.  

I made my own piece of faux washi with promarkers and a strip of card to match the colour scheme and, ironically, found this sentiment on the Chilly Chums stamp set..... well thats what you go on holiday for!! :0)

Just to let you know that the latest February release stamps from Paper Smooches are available in the UK at Make the Day Special, you can find theme here :0)

Thanks for stopping by
Jenny x