Welcome Baby - CAS on Friday Challenge #204

Welcome back to another clean and simple challenge with CAS on Friday.

This is challenge #204 and our theme is BABY. Here's my offering:

Materials used:

• card - soft sea foam, whisper white, night of navy, pool party, Twinkle Twinkle DSP
• dies - stitched rectangle, Well Written (SU), Bundle of Baby Clothes (MFT)
• other - craft foam, Big Shot, Dimensionals

I hope you'll get the chance to join our challenge and create your own baby card. Meanwhile, pop over to the CASOF blog for some more inspiration from my fellow team members.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

A Call From You

Regulars will know how much I love colour challenges - well, just colour in general, really. The latest challenge combo at Color Hues didn't spark any ideas until yesterday, when I spent a happy hour or so playing with dies and inks. 

I'm sure after last year and not being able to be with our loved ones in person, you'll all understand the joy that comes from something as simple as a phone call. Certainly WhatsApp voice and video calls were a godsend to me, with all the members of my family scattered far and wide around the globe.

So, in honour of that simple pleasure, here's my card. 

Materials used:

• card - basic grey, whisper white, watercolour, smoky slate
• distress oxide inks - squeezed lemonade, mustard seed
• dies - Vintage Telephone (Tim Holtz), stitched rectangle
• other - Ray of Light stencil (MFT), Dimensionals, craft foam, blending brush, sponge dauber, pencil, heat tool, computer and printer

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Santa's Little Helper

Oh my goodness, the folks over at Just Add Ink unleashed a beast when they chose their theme this week!

It was the perfect reminder that I've been wanting to make a number of scenes for Christmas decor this year (which, as you can appreciate, is not something that happens overnight, lol). My thinking cap went on, I assessed what I had on hand, quickly raced out and bought some Xmas trees the right size and before you can say 'Ho, Ho, Ho', I was happy to be back in Christmas mode. And oh what fun it was!

Here's my effort:

And here it is lit up:

Soooo cute, am I right? You can colour the trees, which I've done before, but this tone suited my background paper so much I left it au natural. I did three layers of the little elf to make it sturdier and it's propped up on dimensionals as well. The lights are attached on the back and I drilled a hole through so I could wind them around the tree, cutting off unneeded excess. I wanted it to have a slight retro vibe so kept with colours that made me think of *cough* decades gone by. Lastly I attached some co-ordinating paper around the outside front of the frame.

Materials used:

• card - basic black, 
• paper - Graphic 45's The Night Before Christmas Collection
• distress oxide inks - vintage photo, 
• other - Woodland half tree (Tim Holtz), Tiny Lights (Tim Holtz), Dimensionals, Big Shot, Santa's Little Helper die set (Tim Holtz), distress collage medium

The little elf looks cute in colours too (see sample below) but it didn't stand out enough against my very busy background, hence the silhouette look. 

Have I put you in a festive mood? Started you agonising about Christmas already? Soz, not soz!!! LOL.

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Secret Project

For some time recently I was working on a project for my two girls and as they've now finally both received them, I get to show you all as well!

I was inspired by a beautiful project made for one of the Tim Holtz/Sizzix releases last year and I've gotta say, it was an impatient wait for all the bits to be available Down Under and to order and receive them, lol. With them having a vaguely-kitchen-associated theme, I asked each of my daughters their dream kitchen colours (without telling them why) and used those. DD1 picked dark emerald green, copper and black, while DD2 chose red, mustard and royal blue.

Here are some progress pics as they slowly took shape:

All the tea/coffee pieces were cut from a heavyweight watercolour card then watercoloured using a combination of SU and distress oxide inks.

The lettering used TH/Sizzix Alphanumeric Stretch Lower alphabet dies, again cut from heavy watercolour paper and inked.

For my backgrounds I used dies to emboss rather than cut. I love the cute coffee-cup-heartbeat used on DD2's set!

The frames were painted with distress paints, though on the one below I painted with Jo Sonya copper craft paint first, then a slightly thinner coat of black distress paint over the top. I love the way the copper peeps through and gives a lovely aged look. 

And here are the completed plaques.

Though they were quite time consuming to make they were also tons of fun! They've got a wall hanging attachment on the back and I sprayed them with fixative so they'll be safe from dust and liquids. 

Materials used:

• Tim Holtz mini framed panels
• distress oxide inks, SU inks, Delicata celestial copper ink
• distress paint, Jo Sonya paint
• TH Alphanumeric Stretch Lower dies, Cafe Colorize dies, other dies from stash
• Big Shot
• craft foam, Dimensionals
• watercolour paper, copper foil card, basic black card, Kaisercraft blue card

I'd love to make some more but sadly those frames are no longer available - now I'll have to be on the hunt for an alternative.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Happy New Home - CAS on Friday Challenge #203

Welcome everyone. The time has come for another clean and simple challenge with CAS on Friday. This is challenge #203 and our theme is NEW HOME.

For my card I chose a slimline style and some bright, funky papers. The black spotty paper is flocked and velvety, so it's beautifully tactile and I have to touch it every time I see it! 😀😉

Materials used:

• stamps - Itty Bitty Greetings (SU)
• card - whisper white, basic black, lemon lime twist, patterned papers from stash
• other - slimline stitched dies (Paper Rose), homemade holiday dies (SU retired), craft foam, Stamparatus, Sidekick

We'd love you to join in our challenge. If you need more inspiration, head over to the CASOF blog to see what my fellow DT members have created for you.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Sending Smiles - CAS on Friday Challenge #202

 

Hello all and welcome to this new CAS on Friday challenge. We do hope you'll join us to create.

This is challenge #202 and our theme is HAPPY MAIL.

I discovered I only have one mail-related stamp and was planning to use that until an idea crept into my head and I just had to try it out ... and I'm very pleased to say it turned out even better than I imagined. So, without further ado, here's my card:

It's all dies and punches - I used an old favourite, the word window punch, to create the diagonals for my airmail-lookalike edging, and the apron strings from the apron builder die set to make the lines of the postmark, chopping off the curly bit at the end. Three layers of the sentiment die glued together give it some dimension, then my card was all done. Easy-peasy!

Materials used:

• card - whisper white, real red, Pacific point
• dies - Apron builder (SU retired), Sending Smiles (SSS)
• punches - word window, triple heart (both SU retired)

Follow the link to the CASOF blog to see what my fellow team members came up with to inspire you.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

The Professor is in the House

In just over a week's time I'm heading to Melbourne to visit with my elder DD. I haven't seen her since July 2019 as she's been overseas - so I'm pretty excited, as you can imagine. I'm making her a special crafty project (made one for younger DD too) and I absolutely MUST get it finished before I go! The thing is, I keep getting distracted by challenges that pop up and spark my creativity, thus spending time on them rather than what I should be doing! I'd told myself that after the challenge card I made on Thursday (the blog post a couple back) I would not do any other challenges...

...and then...

...the folks at Just Add Ink went and posted a new challenge...

And oh my goodness, if that didn't spark off all kinds of ideas...all the lovely Tim Holtz things I have been dying to use...brand new dies that arrived in the mail only hours before the challenge went up and are absolutely PERFECT for this theme...

...well, you know what happened next...

...you know I succumbed, once again...

Sigh.

Here's my steampunk card.

It was tons of fun grunging up all the cogs and gear bits as well as the edges of my blueprint paper and I love the professor in his flying goggles and top hat complete with propeller, lol.

Materials used:

• stamps - The Professor (Tim Holtz)
• card - crumb cake, basic black, whisper white, watercolour, black foil
• distress oxide inks - cracked pistachio, hickory smoke, faded jeans, rusty hinge
• distress paints - cracked pistachio, rusty hinge, walnut stain
• other - Gearhead dies (TH), Mechanical dies (TH), black archival ink, distress embossing dabber, aqua painter, Small Talk stickers (TH), Idea-ology hardware heads (TH), mini glue dots, Dimensionals, chunky rust and patina oxide baked texture embossing powders (Seth Apter), collage medium, mechanical blueprint paper (Etsy)

Hubby will love this when his birthday rolls around. Now, to get back to what I'm SUPPOSED to be doing...

Thanks for calling in!

Cheers

Kerry

Keep on Rockin' - CAS on Friday Challenge #201

Welcome! 

It's time for another CAS on Friday challenge and our theme this time is MUSIC.

They say 'music soothes the savage beast' and that's certainly true for the 'beasts' in my card, who are not only soothed but living it up big time! 

Materials used:

• card - whisper white, soft sea foam
• stamps - Jungle Vibes (MFT)
• distress oxide ink - speckled egg
• other - Copic markers, SU Blendabilities, blending brush, Concerto stencil (Tim Holtz), Dimensionals, craft foam, Stamparatus, Big Shot, stitched rectangle die

Why not make a card and join us in our challenge! Pop over to the CASOF blog to see what creations my fellow team members have made to inspire you.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Just One Life

Over at the Color Hues blog they've got a black and white challenge going.

An idea began forming in my crafty little head and I sat down this morning to play...

I smooshed my background with black and grey inks then splattered with white paint, hoping for a kind of 'galaxy' effect. The man's silhouette was edged with white ink and white gel pen highlights his buttons. For dimension I cut two layers for the clock and three for the figure; I love the effect from all the different heights.

Materials used:

• card - basic black, watercolour
• dies (Tim Holtz) - Timekeeper, The Park
• distress oxide inks - black soot, picket fence, hickory smoke
• other - splatter brush, heat tool,  craft foam, Small Talk stickers (TH), Idea-ology clock hands and long fasteners, Idea-ology chipboard quotes, paper piercer, white gel pen, sponge dauber, mini black Dimensionals, black soot distress paint

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

 

Love You a (Chai) Latte

This week's Just Add Ink challenge immediately got me mentally running through a list of L words, then through my Pinterest boards searching for inspiration. I found it in my 'coffee themed cards' board because, although I have never been a coffee or tea drinker, I did fairly recently discover a love for chai lattes. In fact, having a chai is now my favourite way to start my day.

So I adapted the usual 'love you a latte' sentiment and can send this card to my younger daughter, who  introduced me to chai lattes and will get a laugh out of it.

At some point in the planning process I decided to include this week's GDP challenge as well and used their challenge colours, a combination I absolutely love and am making a mental note to use again. 

Materials used:

• card - watercolour, whisper white, basic black, real red
• dies - Playful Alphabet (SU), Cafe Colorize (Tim Holtz), stitched rectangle
• SU inks - Bermuda bay, blushing bride, creamy caramel, smoky slate, basic grey
• other - Big Shot, owl builder punch, craft foam, sponge daubers, blending brushes

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Ker

PS I posted this card to Instagram and then THIS happened:

My card was also picked for the JAI challenge, so I am a pretty happy chappy right now, not gonna lie! 

Simple Beauty - CAS on Friday Challenge #200

Welcome to my blog! You've arrived just in time for another clean and simple challenge with CAS on Friday. 

This is challenge #200 and our theme is SPRING.

I couldn't resist using some gorgeous paper absolutely abundant with Spring flowers. 

And a whimsical part of me liked using a small daisy as the tittle (dot) over the letter 'i'.

Materials used:

• stamps - Tiny Text (Tim Holtz)
• card - whisper white,   Emma's Shoppe Collection designer papers (Crate Paper), polka dot paper (unknown)
• other - Alphanumeric stretch lower dies (TH), craft foam, small daisy punch, shaping mat and shaping tool, Big Shot, stitched rectangle die, Stamparatus, glimmer enamel dot, alcohol marker, blending brush, mini glue dot, Dimensionals

You'll find tons more inspiration from my fellow team members over at the CASOF blog and, of course, we'd love you to join in our Spring challenge.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Cardinal Rule

The month has gotten away from me and although I've had my Feb Christmas card planned in my head for some time, I didn't get it made before today, so I'm just squeaking in under the wire! My design was very much influenced by a gorgeous creation by the talented Emma Williams. 

Anyway, on to my card, which was so much fun to create I'm surprised it's not illegal, lol. Smooshing, inking and colouring - I mean, come on! In all honesty, for me there is no better way to pass the time - and it's cheaper and more fun than therapy!

Materials used:

• card - whisper white, watercolour, early espresso, vellum
• distress oxide inks - speckled egg, vintage photo, candied apple, black soot, rustic wilderness
• distress inks - speckled egg
• TH dies - cardinal, mini holiday greens
• other - Big Shot, Sidekick, starry night stencil (TH), glimmer paste (Nuvo), peace dies, red tiny pearls, craft foam, tiny  Dimensionals, distress crayon, sponge dauber, collage medium (TH), branch die (retired SU), stitched rectangle die

Phew! Glad I made the deadline! Don't want to be breaking my new year's resolution already! Now to start planning March's card!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Take Risks

If there is an age where you no longer have fun getting inky fingers, then I haven't yet reached it, lol. Today's card was a veritable feast of colour all over my hands, as you can see:

But it was worth it, I think. This card is for the Just Add Ink sketch challenge this week. 

It had me rather intrigued for a while, then I decided to see how it would look in a mixed media format and, well, here's the result.

This poor butterfly, tattered and torn, is still out there taking risks for the duration of its short life - kind of a metaphor for our own lives, don't you think?

Materials used:

• stamps - Attic Treasures, Remnants (Tim Holtz)
• card - crumb cake, early espresso, watercolour
• distress oxide inks - peacock feathers, evergreen bough, vintage photo, mustard seed, kitsch flamingo
• other - vintage photo, antique linen and walnut stain distress crayons (TH), Tattered Butterfly Bigz die (TH), Big Shot, blending brushes, water spritzer, heat tool, hexagon die, word chips (TH), fossilized amber distress archival ink, clear rock candy distress crackle paint (TH), sponge dauber, Dimensionals, distressing tool

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Edited to add: I'm thrilled to say this card was picked as the winner for this challenge. Many thanks to the folks at JAI. 

Double Up

For the past few days I've found myself in that state where an idea for a card design was rattling around inside my brain and wouldn't let me rest until I gosh darn just sat down and made the thing! LOL. 

In actual fact, the idea incorporates two clean and simple challenges:

And here's the card I came up with. I sponged distress oxide inks through the flower stencil first, then stamped the background stamp using Versamark while the stencil was still in place. After removing the stencil I added white embossing powder and melted that, then overstamped the main greeting - thank goodness for stamp platforms is all I can say!

Materials used:

• stamps - You Matter, You Matter Background (both Simon Says Stamp)
• card - whisper white
• distress oxide inks - festive berries, candied apple
• other - white embossing powder, heat tool, flower stencil, Stamparatus

You can click on the challenge blog icons to see what fab creations their design teams and other challenge participants came up with.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Bold and Beautiful Butterfly - CAS on Friday Challenge #199

Hi everyone and welcome!

It's time for another clean and simple challenge with CAS on Friday and this time around I got to pick our theme. Inspired by summer here in Australia, I decided on a colour challenge of turquoise/teal, orange and white. 

Such bright, cheerful colours that look stunning together - I hope they'll inspire you as much as they did me.

For my card I couldn't resist the opportunity to use this gorgeous butterfly from Tim Holtz's Specimen set, adding a little ink blending and stencilling for my background. The pattern in the centre of the inspiration picture gave me a Middle Eastern/Morroccan vibe, so I picked a trellis design along those lines for my stencil.

And there's plenty of shine and shimmer when it catches the light.

Materials used:

• stamps - Specimen (TH), Fancy Sayings (Clearly Besotted)
• card - whisper white
• distress oxide ink - ripe persimmon
• other - trellis stencil, distress embossing dabber (TH), crackling campfire embossing glaze (TH), heat tool, blending brush, craft foam, Stamparatus, alcohol markers, clear Wink of Stella, clear sequins

My fellow DT members have some beautiful samples to get your creative juices flowing over on the CASOF blog, so pop over to take a look. And, of course, we'd love you to join us in the challenge.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kez