Toucan Do It

Day 5 of the hostage situation...

How are you? I hope you have something pleasant planned for your day or, if you're reading this at night, that you've done things you enjoy.

The silver lining to this pandemic cloud is the amazing preparedness of we crafters! While others may have previously scoffed at our craft-apocalypse tendencies, we can finally say...

ROFLOL!!! Mind you, I'm just grateful that there was no craft store within a 30km radius for me to feel bereft with non-essential businesses closing down; at least I can always keep shopping online! (Yes, I can say that safely with DH in the other hemisphere, lol.)

So, today I made a simple but sweet card. There's a little bit of masking and a smidge of colouring in (which you know I love) but that's really all there is to it (okay, and some fussy cutting too because I didn't buy the matching dies). The twine and sequins are a Sale-a-bration freebie, so score! Lol.

Materials used:

• stamps - Some Birdie Loves You (Clearly Besotted)
• card - whisper white, Bermuda bay, basic black, calypso coral, Butterfly Gala DSP
• other - Stampin Blends, Big Shot, stitched rectangle die, post-it notes, mini Dimensionals, metallic baker's twine and sequins combo (SAB), glue, craft foam

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe and well.

Cheers

Kez

Cheers - CAS on Friday Challenge #176

Welcome back to another CAS on Friday challenge.

This is challenge #176 and the theme is BIRTHDAY. 

Sooooo many possibilities abound with a birthday theme and I often stick with balloons unless I know the person well - they're happy and cheerful and gender-neutral. This time, however, I was tempted by a scrummy looking cocktail and a big fat cherry.

Here's my card:

Materials used:

• stamps - Adult Beverages (SSS), Adult Beverages Sayings (SSS), birthday stamps from stash
• card - whisper white, lemon lime twist, basic black
• distress oxide inks - mustard seed, spiced marmalade, candied apple
• other - white embossing powder, heat tool, Adult Beverages dies, Big Shot, Dimensionals, craft foam, white gel pen, scalpel, blending brush, post-it notes, Stamparatus, Bermuda bay and cherry cobbler Stampin' Blends

To get that gorgeous looking drink, I stamped the glass on a post-it note and cut out a reverse mask - ie I cut out only the 'bowl' of the glass, which meant everything else was covered up.

Then I used a small blending brush and distress oxide inks to colour it in. Very simple, I promise. The umbrella was coloured with alcohol markers and I added the polka dots with a white gel pen for a bit of fun.

I've got a birthday coming up myself in a couple of weeks - one of those big scary ones with an '0' at the end of it. I had planned to spend it with my DD in Scotland but sadly those plans have had to be put on hold for a while as we all deal with the new reality of a worldwide pandemic. I do hope you're all well and remain so for the duration. 

Please follow the link to the CASOF blog to see what beauties my fellow design team members have come up with for birthday cards, and we'd sure love it if you played along with the challenge. It would give you something cheerful to do while you isolate/hibernate! 

Thanks for calling in and take care.

Cheers

Kez

Stencil-icious

I recently acquired the Peony Bouquet stencil from Simon Says Stamp and had some fun creating two cards inspired by the uber-talented Kristina Werner. The first one was very straightforward as it's all in shades of blue, but the second took a little more delicate handling, lol. Still, I'm very happy with the outcome.

They look quite different, don't they? That's what colour will do!

Materials used:

• stamps - Tiny Words Birthday (SSS), Abstract Impressions (SU)
• card - dapper denim, whisper white, garden green, purple posy
• other - Peony Bouquet stencil (SSS), sequins, blender pens, Stamparatus, craft foam, Altenew and Distress Oxide inks

Thanks for calling in. 

Cheers

Kez

Hey, Honeybee

Today's card features Honeybee Tilda, a stamp I haven't used in quite a while, plus a great circle birthday die I borrowed from my bestie. The background papers are from the Golden Honey designer series you can get for free in SU's Sale-a-bration catalogue.

Isn't she a sweetie? Her wings are nice and sparkly from some clear Wink of Stella but unfortunately that doesn't show much in the photo. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Honeybee Tilda (Magnolia)
• card - whisper white, basic black, Golden Honey DSP
• other - happy birthday circle die, Big Shot, craft foam, Dimensionals, Stampin' Blends and Copic markers, clear Wink of Stella, epoxy dots

Thanks for dropping by. Do come back on Friday for the next CAS on Friday challenge!

Cheers

Kez

Summer Lovin'

What a whirlwind of weather patterns we've had over the past few months! From scorching high temperatures and the hottest summer on record, to torrential rain and now yesterday was the coldest March day in twelve years. Mother Nature must be going through the change, I think! Lol. In light of the cooler temperatures it seems weird to be posting a tropical summer-themed card, but there you go.

I love this cute flip-flops (jandals/thongs) die set and how perfectly it matches with the papers from SU's mini catalogue. 

Materials used:

• stamps - none
• card - whisper white, garden green, real red, daffodil delight, Tropical Oasis DSP
• other - stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, flip flops dies (Paper Smooches), Dimensionals, blending brush, computer and printer, craft foam

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Edited to add: Managed to get a sunnier day, so retook the photo - now shows the colours much better! 

Lovely Day

I've just realised all my class cards this time around feature flowers! That wasn't intentional, it was more about techniques, but hopefully the ladies will like them anyway. Here's my third project for them:

Materials used:

• stamps - Beautiful Friendship, Forever Lovely
• card - purple posy, whisper white, basic black
• inks - purple posy, highland heather, gorgeous grape, granny apple green, pool party, Memento tuxedo black
• other - centre step card dies (ODBD), Big Shot, Stamparatus, craft foam, black baker's twine, scrap paper for mask

The background 'paper' is made by stamping the hydrangea stamp onto whisper white using purple posy ink and I masked off the main flower on the centre panel before stamping the leaves and other flowers. The baker's twine was split approximately in half to make it thinner. Because there's not a lot of space on the thin panels, I've swiped a black ink pad around the 'paper' to give the impression of another layer without actually adding one. 

I'm heading off overseas for a while so apart from my CAS on Friday design team posts every second Friday night, card posts from me may be few and far between. Take care while I'm gone and keep crafting! 

Thanks for popping by.

Cheers

Kez

You're My Anchor - CAS on Friday Challenge

Can you believe another fortnight has passed? I know! And of course that means it's time for a CAS on Friday challenge. I do hope you'll be inspired to join us.

This is challenge #175 and the theme is BOYS AND THEIR TOYS.

Of course, those of you who've been following me for a while will know that for my 'boy' (ie hubby) I could not go past making him a sailing themed card. Most of my nautical stamps, papers etc are over on our boat, but I did have at home an anchor die and some retired SU 'ship's log' papers that did the trick just fine. Here's my card:

I wanted the anchor to have an aged, well-worn look (much like hubby himself, lol) so I cut it from copper foil then had a ball adding spray stains and inks to make it look old and rusted. Heating these to dry them also caused some of the coating on the foil to curl and bubble a bit, giving me some bonus extra texture! I put two more layers of card underneath the foil for more dimension.

Materials used:

• card - cajun craze, early espresso, copper foil, Nautical Expedition designer papers (retired)
• other - anchor die (Kaisercraft), Big Shot, twine, glue, various inks, black mini Dimensionals, heat tool, craft foam, distress spray stains - brushed pewter, tarnished brass

Now pop on over to the challenge blog to see the fabulous cards the rest of the design team have created and don't forget to leave us all some comment love!

Thanks for dropping anchor.

Cheers

Kez

Garden Arch

For our next class we'll be making a couple of fancy fold cards, the first of which is this simple diorama card featuring the gorgeous arched gate die from the mini catalogue. When I first saw the preview of this catalogue, this was the stamp set and die bundle that appealed to me the most and I knew it would be 'first cab off the rank' when I ordered!

It folds flat into regular C6 size for postage, which is always handy.

Materials used:

• stamps - Grace's Garden, This Little Piggy
• card - whisper white thick
• other - Garden Gateway dies, Big Shot, Stampin' Blends, glue, blending brush, Stamparatus, mini cloud stencil (MFT)

Once I've finished making our other 3D project, I'll be back, and to keep you going there'll be a new CAS challenge tomorrow night. Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

True Colours - CAS on Friday challenge

I just love colour challenges, probably because I love playing with colours in inks and paints etc.

Hi all and welcome to another CAS on Friday challenge! This is challenge #174 and as you may have already guessed, we have some colours for you this time around.

My first instinct when I saw coastal cabana, crushed curry and Bermuda bay together was for an ocean sunrise/sunset scene but I must admit, it floored me at first about how I would incorporate granny apple green. Thankfully, after a few days my brain kicked in to remind me that the sea can be a greeny-blue!

I made simple masks from post-it notes, sponging the sky area first with crushed curry, then Bermuda bay and granny apple green for the water. My only coastal cabana is the card base itself. All-in-all, this card took less than 10 minutes to make!

Materials used:

• stamps - Thoughtful Branches (SU)
• card - whisper white, coastal cabana
• other - blending brushes, post-it notes, 1" circle punch, Stamparatus, clear Wink of Stella, craft foam

Please visit the CASOF blog and my fellow DT members to see what wonderful things they've done with these colours - and don't forget to leave us all some comment love!

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kez

Sepia Roses

Inspired by a gorgeous card by Erum Tasneem I found on Pinterest, I've been having a play with my Altenew Build a Flower Rose stamps and dies. The main flower in this set has SIX layers! Yep, you read that right, S.I.X., lol. But look how realistic it is and how much depth you get! Luckily there's a guide on the pack to show you how to align them all plus plenty of very helpful YouTube videos, so it's nowhere near as difficult as it may sound.

Here's how my card turned out:

Once I'd decided where I wanted all my die-cut images to go, I stamped a few splodges (very technical term) around on my background then added the first batch of flowers and leaves. I've only stamped two of the four layers on the leaves as I didn't want them to steal the limelight from the roses. The stamped sentiment is layered on a narrow strip of brushed gold card and I added some gold pearls to finish off.

A very essential item in the stamping of these roses was my Stamparatus. As I'd bought extra plates, I was able to set up all six layers using both sides of three plates, which made multiple stamping a breeze. While it's all set up, I'll stamp some more roses in different colours so I have them all ready and available for future cards - brilliant!

Materials used:

• stamps - Build a Flower Rose (Altenew), Tiny Words Birthday (SSS), Timeless Textures (SU)
• card - very vanilla, brushed gold
• Altenew inks - Coffee Break set (sand dunes, rocky shore, mocha, espresso)
• other - Build a Flower Rose dies (Altenew), Big Shot, Dimensionals, gold pearls, Stamparatus

There's something so timeless and elegant about sepia tones, isn't there? I love them.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Happy Galentine's Day!

If you're a Parks and Rec fan, you'll recognise my header today, lol. I love the idea of women celebrating other women in their lives on Feb 14th and not just romantic love, so this card is dedicated to all the wonderful gals who enrich my life, both past and present.

Materials used:

• stamps - Forever Lovely, Good Morning Magnolia
• card - pink pirouette, whisper white
• other - stitched rectangle die, stitched frame die, magnolia die, detailed hearts die, Big Shot, Dimensionals, Stampin' Blends, pearls, craft foam, subtle embossing folder

I cut the hearts die and attached that to another piece that had been embossed, then cut both with the stitched frame. This process flattens the embossing a little but also has the effect of making it look like the hearts are embedded in the background piece, don't you think? 

Wishing you all the happiest of happy Galentine's days and thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Case-ing Myself

I made another of the heat-embossed Breathtaking Bouquet cards, this time in navy with rose gold, which I'm thinking I prefer to my earlier black and yellow gold combo. I'd be interested to hear which version does it for you...

I hope the pinkish tinge shows up sufficiently in the photo for you to get the full effect. We made this one in class and my ladies loved it - and were very happy with how easy it was to make.

Materials used:

• stamps - Breathtaking Bouquet
• card - night of navy, rose gold foil (Bazzill)
• other - rose gold embossing powder (Lawn Fawn), heat tool, stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, craft foam

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kez

Piggy Love - CAS on Friday Challenge

Hi all! It's time for another challenge at CAS on Friday so I hope you'll feel inspired to join us.

This week's challenge is #173 and the theme is LOVE.

We're getting close to Feb 14th and not that you need an excuse to declare your love, but it certainly has become traditional to exchange a card and maybe some flowers and/or chocolates. How much more heartfelt is the message when you make your own Valentine?

Here's my clean and simple card:

All I did was blend a bit of granny apple green ink on my small panel to match the card base, trying for an ombre effect and lightening the colour as it moves up. The pig was coloured with a mix of SU Blends and Copic markers and I added some Wink of Stella to the heart for added sparkle. Clear epoxy dots finished it off after adding the white embossed sentiment.

Materials used:

• stamps - Hog Heaven (MFT)
• card - whisper white, granny apple green, basic black
• other - blending brush, Copic Markers, Stampin' Blends, Hog Heaven dies, Big Shot, Dimensionals, craft foam, white embossing powder, heat tool, clear Wink of Stella, clear epoxy dots

I hope you'll visit the blogs of my fellow design team members to see their gorgeous creations, and don't forget to leave us all some comment love!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Kia Ora and G'Day

Happy Waitangi Day to all fellow Kiwis out there! I hope you're enjoying your day off and hopefully a nice day at the beach or a BBQ with some mates.

My card today is a simple one but nonetheless incorporates four symbols of New Zealand - the long white cloud, silver fern, black background and, of course, a kiwi.

Materials used:

• stamps - Plushies Down Under (Clearly Besotted)
• card - whisper white, basic black, baked brown sugar, silver foil
• other - cloud dies, stitched rectangle die, tropical die, Big Shot, Dimensionals, Copic Markers, Stamparatus, craft foam

As my Aussie SIL put on a meal for me for Australia Day, I'm doing one for her for Waitangi Day - and you can bet there will be pavlova involved! And probably also some kiwifruit, lol.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Cheers
Kez

Doggone it

For today's card I couldn't resist the opportunity to get out a Cottage Cutz die that hasn't been used in a while. When a friend had a stamp that went with it perfectly, it seemed like a match made in heaven.

Materials used:

• stamps - Various sentiments (unknown origin)
• card - whisper white, basic black, baked brown sugar
• other - Santa Puppy die (Cottage Cutz), Big Shot, sponge dauber, white gel pen, subtle embossing folder, Dimensionals, Sahara sand marker, Stamparatus, craft foam

Soooo adorable! And now you know where all your missing socks go, lol.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kez