The Showstoppers

Occasionally I make a card which keeps drawing my eye again and again. It could be the colours that draw me, perhaps the design or form and at other times I'm not sure exactly what it is, I just know I love it!

Here's a run through of the cards that have been showstoppers for me this year. Some of them you've seen before, some you haven't.

An eclectic bunch, to be sure! Lol. Thanks for calling in. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Snow Flurry - CAS on Friday Challenge #194

Welcome to another CAS on Friday challenge!

This is challenge #194 and with all of the other DT members heading into winter, the theme is SNOW.

My card is very simple, just a couple of stamps and some sponging, but I love the winter look.

Materials used:

• stamps - Winter Woods, Gorgeous Grunge
• card - crumb cake
• other - craft foam, stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, Drifts & Hills stencil (MFT), sponge daubers

There's only one more challenge left for this year - and oh boy, what a year it's been, am I right?! So we would really love it if you joined us for our snow theme - plus, why not head over to the CASOF blog to see what other snowy goodness my team mates have come up with for you.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Dwell in Possibility

Yesterday I had the pleasure of some playtime with my distress range, experimenting with combining regular distress inks and spray stains with oxide inks and sprays. I ended up with a number of backgrounds to use for future projects and today sat down to turn one of them into a card. Here's that result.

Materials used:

• stamps - Specimen (Tim Holtz)
• card - basic black, whisper white, watercolour
• oxide inks - rusty hinge, speckled egg, iced spruce, old paper, crackling campfire, black soot
• other - black embossing powder, heat tool, quote chip (Tim Holtz), aqua painter, water spritzer, Dimensionals, black marker, scissors

I must admit to being a bit worried as I fussy cut around those narrow antennae! But thankfully I managed to not chop them off, lol. The body is glued flat while the wings are elevated just a little. 

Thanks for dropping in. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Todays - CAS on Friday Challenge #193

Hiya! Welcome back to my blog and to another CAS on Friday challenge.

This is challenge #193 and it's my turn to play host; I picked the theme of using a BIG SENTIMENT. 

I had so many options for this it took me a while to decide, but in the end I went for this heartfelt sentiment from Tim Holtz's Ponderings set, which I think pairs nicely with the image from SU's Enjoy Life. Some simple sponging with distress oxide ink and it was done!

Materials used:

• stamps - Ponderings (Tim Holtz), Enjoy Life (SU)
• card - whisper white
• distress oxide ink - scattered straw
• other - 2 1/2" circle punch, Stamparatus, blending brush, basic grey marker, craft foam, removable paper

I hope you'll follow the link to the CASOF blog and take a look at what my fellow DT members have created for you. And, of course, we'd love it if you took part in the challenge!

Thanks for stopping by. 

Cheers

Kez

Peace - CAS on Friday Challenge #192

Welcome! It's time for another fortnightly challenge with CAS on Friday. 

This is challenge #192 and the theme is CHRISTMAS.

I really, really wanted to use this gorgeous sentiment stamp from Tim Holtz, so I designed my card to suit. And you know me, any excuse to pull out my oxides and get inky! 😁

I masked off some of my whisper white card and used brushes to add the oxide inks, progressing from lightest to darkest and blending them well. Once they were all dry I heat embossed the deer and sentiment, added a few stars with white gel pen and it was done!

Materials used:

• stamps - Dashing Deer (SU), Christmastime 2 (Tim Holtz)
• card - whisper white
• distress oxide inks - tumbled glass, faded jeans, chipped sapphire, wilted violet, black soot
• other - Stamparatus, black embossing powder, silver embossing powder, heat tool, Versamark ink, white gel pen, blending brushes, masking paper, mounting foam tape, embossing buddy

Do follow this link to the CASOF blog to see what gorgeous Christamssy creations my fellow team members have come up with, and hopefully you'll be inspired to join in the challenge yourself.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

All Is Calm

As soon as I saw the colours in the current Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge, I thought they'd make a gorgeous sunrise combo. 

This morning I got out my brayers and blending brushes and got to work and this is what I ended up with. The 'speckly' effect on the sky is from shimmer mist, which has a gorgeous sparkle when it catches the light.

Materials used:

• stamps - Wonderland (SU retired)
• card - whisper white, basic black, Sahara sand
• other - Darling Deer dies (Tim Holtz), brayers, blending brush, sponge dauber, stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, white gel pen, mini Dimensionals, champagne shimmer mist

To me it's very peaceful and serene, so the sentiment stamped inside is 'All is calm, all is bright.'

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kez

Edited to add: I was honoured to be among the Artists Pick for my card. Thank you ladies!

A Life Aquatic

The card I have for you today is for the challenge to CASE a card at Less is More. Here's our inspiration:

And here's my card:

I used distress oxide inks on my 'cavity' background, blending my darker shade first then stencilling over it with a lighter colour. While the stencil was still in place I spritzed with champagne shimmer mist to give it a gorgeous sparkle. Another stencil was used as a guide for cutting my curvy waves and the seahorse is coloured with Copics and fussy cut over another image stamped directly on to the card base. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Pinky Inky (Pink Ink Designs), Whale Done (SU)
• card - whisper white
• distress oxide inks - peacock feathers, cracked pistachio
• stencils - Bubbles (Tim Holtz), Drifts & Hills (My Favorite Things)
• other - champagne shimmer mist, Copic markers, blending brushes, scissors, distress collage medium

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Plaid Chicks - CAS on Friday Challenge #191

Hi all! Welcome to another CAS on Friday challenge.

This is challenge #191 and the theme is PLAID.

Now, regular visitors will already know how much I LOVE plaid, so I was particularly excited about this one. Of course, I've never done plaid on a CAS card before, so had to restrain my natural inclination to just plaster plaid everywhere, lol. In the end I decided I wanted to use these adorable little chicks, so chose some plaid with yellow in it to match.

Materials used:

• stamps - Birthday Chicks (MFT), Tiny Words Birthday (SSS)
• card - plaid paper, whisper white, night of navy
• other - Sahara sand marker, Stampin' Blends, night of navy baker's twine, mounting tape

I thought the 'Woohoo' sentiment was a good multi-purpose one, so this card could be used for a number of celebrations, not just birthday.

Now pop over to the CAS on Friday blog to see how my fellow design team members have used plaid on their cards, then why not get yourself some plaid on? 

Thanks for calling in. 

Cheers

Kez

Autumn Leaves - CAS on Friday Challenge #190

'Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall'
                      

Hi all and welcome to another CAS on Friday challenge!

This is challenge #190 and the theme is AUTUMN.

Autumn has always been my absolute favourite time of year - there's finally relief from the heat and I love, love, love the colours of the leaves as they turn. For autumnal colours I couldn't go past SU's lovely Plaid Tidings designer series paper which I've cut with a leaf die.

Materials used:

• stamps - Autumn Leaves (Poppystamps)
• card - Linen white, Plaid Tidings DSP
• SU inks - mango melody, cinnamon cider, merry merlot
• other - linen thread, Big Shot, Stamparatus, sparkling enamel dots, blending brush, mango melody Stampin' Blends pens, sponge dauber, Seasonal Layers thinlits

If you follow the link to the CASOF blog, you'll have the opportunity to see the beautiful Autumn creations my fellow design team members have made for you. And don't forget, we'd love you to join in the challenge!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Colour Challenge Poinsettia

The colours in this week's Just Add Ink challenge really called to me and once I had an idea I simply had to sit down to find out if it would work. Here's the challenge:

I've used the stunningly beautiful poinsettia 3D embossing folder from Tim Holtz and Sizzix and coloured it with SU's Stampin' Blends and some Copic markers. As the folder is made to US sizes, I've ended up with quite a large card, but I'm very happy with it.

Materials used:

• stamps - Christmas Gleaming (SU)
• card - very vanilla, merry merlot
• other - Poinsettia 3D texture fades embossing folder (TH), Big Shot, rococo rose and mint macaron Stampin' Blends, Copic markers, clear epoxy dots, Dimensionals

Thanks for calling in. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Celebrating - CAS on Friday Challenge #189

Welcome! It's time for another clean and simple card challenge with CAS on Friday.

This is challenge #189 and the theme is NUMBER/S.

This one had me stumped for a while, I've got to admit. Age cards for little ones are useful but I don't have any grandchildren yet, so that seemed to be planning a bit too far ahead, lol. Hubby had a zero-ending birthday this year but didn't want to acknowledge those digits (lol) so I didn't do a number card for him. Then I recalled that a good friend has a milestone birthday coming up in the not too distant future, so I made a card in anticipation of her special day.

As I've always loved the classic elegance of black and vanilla together, I used that colour scheme with some glittery gold thrown in for good measure. The background is gold embossed with a damask pattern, another classic that never seems to go out of style.

Materials used:

• stamps - Damask (Tim Holtz)
• card - very vanilla, basic black, gold glitter
• dies - large numbers, Celebrate You
• other - craft foam, Big Shot, gold embossing powder, heat tool

Have you got someone who has a special number birthday or anniversary coming up? Then join in our challenge and make them a card! And don't forget to head over to the CASOF blog to see what my team mates have come up with for your inspiration.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kez

Let's Party! - CAS on Friday Challenge #188

Hello! Welcome back to another challenge at CAS on Friday!

This is challenge #188 and the theme is PARTY TIME.

I took an image from SU's Young at Heart set, coloured it and added a punched strip of vellum with the sentiment heat embossed. It was so peaceful sitting in my craft room colouring - quite the opposite of these lovely ladies kicking their heels up, lol. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Young at Heart, Sentiment Strip Celebrate (Darkroom Door)
• card - whisper white, vellum
• other - Copic markers, Stampin' Blends, black embossing powder, heat tool, rhinestones, stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, craft foam, Sahara sand marker, soft sky marker

Do pop over to the CASOF blog to see what my fellow team members have created for this great theme. Hopefully you'll be inspired to join in the challenge.

Thanks for calling in. 

Cheers

Kez

You Blow My Mind - CAS on Friday Challenge #187

Welcome to another CAS on Friday challenge!

This is Challenge #187 and the theme is UNDER THE SEA.

Here's my card:

Materials used:

• stamps - Big Bite (Gerda Steiner Designs)
• card - whisper white (SU)
• distress oxide inks - cracked pistachio, mermaid lagoon
• other - waves stencil, craft foam, Copic markers, Stamparatus, blending brushes, sequins, enamel dots

How adorable is that little blowfish? Such a cute face! 

I stencilled with some distress oxide inks (cos you know how much I love those!) to get the wave effect for my background. 

Do follow the link to the CASOF blog to see what other Under the Sea creations my fellow DT members have come up with, and as always, we'd love you to join in the challenge.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Spring Flowers

'Spring flowers' is the theme I gave my ladies this week and after browsing Pinterest I was inspired to visit my craft room for a play...

I'm still loving my Wildflower Stems dies and couldn't resist using the sweet daisies for my card, along with the newest (but not for much longer) distress colour, Speckled Egg. Here's how my card ended up:

Materials used:

• stamps - Damask, Attic Treasures, Entomology (all Tim Holtz)
• card - whisper white, Sahara sand, early espresso, mixed media card
• distress oxide inks - antique linen, speckled egg, fossilised amber, twisted citron, mowed lawn
• distress oxide spray - antique linen
• distress embossing glazes - speckled egg, vintage photo
• dies - Wildflower Stems (TH), stitched rectangle, stitched frame
• other - Big Shot, Dimensionals, water spritzer, aqua painter, white baker's twine, white gel pen, heat tool, Transparent Wings butterfly (TH)

There's a new distress colour coming out in a couple of weeks, so as you can imagine I'm getting rather excited about its release - not to mention constantly changing my mind about what shade I'd like it to be, lol. 

I hope you're finding some crafty goodness in your day. Thanks for popping in.

Cheers

Kez

Everyday Magic - CAS on Friday Challenge #186

Welcome back to another Clean and Simple on Friday challenge.

This is Challenge #186 and the theme is NATURE. Here's my offering:

Materials used:

• stamps - Dragonfly Dreams, Timeless Textures
• card - whisper white, basic black
• distress oxide inks - wilted violet, mermaid lagoon
• SU ink - pretty peacock
• other - Chit Chat stickers (Tim Holtz), Detailed Dragonfly dies, Big Shot, stitched rectangle die, Copic markers, in colour faceted gems, Dimensionals, craft foam, blending brush, clear Wink of Stella

My fellow design team members have some beautiful cards to show you, so be sure to follow the link to the CASOF blog and take a look, then once you're inspired, join in the challenge!

Thanks for calling in. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez