Boxed Set

In class this week we'll be making a boxed set of cards; this makes a terrific gift to give, or - if you can't bear to part with it - a gift for yourself! Nothing wrong at all with giving yourself gorgeous things.

The design is pretty much a case of a lovely card by Jackie Bolhuis though I did make some minor cosmetic changes. Thanks for such wonderful inspiration, Jackie!

Here's the box all wrapped up

 

And the cards

We'll also decorate the inserts

Plus a touch of lovely on the envelopes

Materials used:

• Abstract Impressions, Timeless Textures, Forever Lovely, Painted Glass, Eastern Beauty
• card - crumb cake, basic black, whisper white
• ink combos - flirty flamingo and balmy blue; highland heather and mango melody; calypso coral and daffodil delight; lovely lipstick and blushing bride; daffodil delight and coastal cabana
• other - pretty label punch, linen thread, white embossing powder, heat tool

If you're inspired to make your own, here's a link to Jackie's blog post where she has a 'how to' video. Thanks for calling in.

Cheers
Kez

Exotic Torture

As you guys know, I don't often do lots of bright, vibrant colours. Not that I don't love them, I do - well, certainly Bermuda bay (which I've used today) is one of my favourites - but it's rare that I combine a bunch of them together. However, today's card breaks the bank on that scheme.

It all began yesterday when I was browsing one of my fav craft sites and saw Graphic 45's new Kaleidoscope papers. Here's a sample to show you:

See what I mean? Very vibrant, very in-your-face, and they obviously stuck in my mind because this morning when I woke, I had a design idea in my head to use these colours and the Eastern Beauty bundle (which almost had cobwebs on it, lol). Much as I tried to push the idea away - because lord knows I've got tons of other things to put my mind to - it persisted front and centre until finally I knew there was nothing for it but to give in and see if my idea would work. Well, it didn't, not the first time anyway, but I vowed to give it a second shot and if that came to nothing I'd know I'd tried and put it behind me.

So, here's my card. Very outside my comfort zone, very so-not-me, and no doubt for some of you, it won't be your thing either, but it got the itch out and it will appeal to someone (cross fingers!).

Materials used:

• stamps - Eastern Beauty
• card - Bermuda bay, basic black, melon mambo
• other - rhinestones, Eastern Medallions dies, Big Shot, Dimensionals, melon mambo embossing powder, heat tool, orange tinsel embossing powder (Ranger), pumpkin pie satin ribbon (long retired), embossing buddy, Versamark ink

The orange embossing powder, being tinsel (glitter by any other name), goes everywhere, no matter how much I rubbed with chalk dust (embossing buddy) beforehand!

If you love it, please let me know - it will sure help me feel less unsure about trying things outside my box again. If you hate it, please keep that to yourself!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Best Laid Plans

I have got to stop leaving the making of my class cards until the last minute...and by last minute I mean less than the time it takes to order more materials from SU that I've just discovered I don't have enough of, especially in a short week. Ho hum. Ah well, that's what emergency substitutions are for, right? So you have to imagine the green in today's card is granny apple green (which I had planned to use but discovered I'd run out of) rather than cucumber crush (which I had to substitute for, despite it being retired, because I had plenty on hand and it was similar enough in tone). M'kay? Cool.

With many of my ladies needing cards suitable for the men in their lives, we're using another retiring set and semi, sort-of CASEing a card by Kimberly van Diepen. I know a couple of the hubbies/sons/sons-in-law are into motorbikes, so hopefully this will be right up their alley.

Materials used:

• stamps - One Wild Ride
• card - cucumber crush, whisper white, basic black, black glimmer, retired DSP
• other - layering circles dies, Big Shot, Stamparatus, Dimensionals, basic black marker

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kez

Hello Beautiful

Over at the Clean and Simple on Sunday blog the challenge theme for this week is butterflies and I found myself unable to resist making a card for it. Here's my offering:

Materials used:

• stamps - Butterfly Gala (SU), Climbing Roses (SU), Leafy Vines (Hero Arts)
• card - whisper white
• distress oxide inks - squeezed lemonade, abandoned coral, cracked pistachio, peacock feathers
• other - butterfly duet punch (SU), clear Wink of Stella, mounting tape, white embossing powder, heat tool, Versamark ink, Stamparatus, blending tools

Aren't these colours gorgeous together? The butterfly is sooo shimmery too, after I slathered it with Wink of Stella! Love that stuff.

Well, thanks for calling in. Have a beautiful day.

Cheers

Kez

Goodbye Again

It's always sad once Stampin' Up's retiring lists come out and we have to say goodbye to some of our favourite stamps and accessories. Some I miss for a short period of time and some stay with me - quite literally - for many years.

Amongst my favourite retiring stuff this year are some of the products I've used for this card:

This project was inspired by two others and I had a lot of fun combining the elements of each that I loved, while adding a touch of 'new' in there as well.

Materials used:

• stamps - Dragonfly Dreams, Climbing Roses
• card - very vanilla, soft sky, Sahara sand, watercolour, Delightfully Detailed laser-cut speciality paper
• inks - early espresso, soft sky, so saffron, soft sea foam
• other - aqua painter, clear Wink of Stella, markers, large letter dies, Big Shot, hexagon embossing folder, Dimensionals

Thanks for dropping in.

Cheers

Kez

Waving Hello

It's time for another Stampers Anonymous team blog hop and this month we have a sketch to play with.

Here's my card:

For the background I drew some wavy lines on a sheet of acetate then cut them out to make a template, which I used with sponge daubers and pool party, coastal cabana and Bermuda bay inks. The first time I tried it I used regular sponges but wasn't happy with the result, so switched to daubers. The octopus was stamped in Pacific point then sponged randomly with gorgeous grape to add a bit of depth. Gorgeous grape was used again for the weeds on the vellum piece. The inside of the stitched frame piece is raised up with Dimensionals. The very subtle sentiment was stamped with Versamark and embossed in white. The glitter epoxy shapes which were the finishing touch are no longer sold (my bad) but they were so perfect for the card I couldn't resist using them.

Materials used:

• stamps - Sea of Textures, Itty Bitty Greetings
• card - whisper white, vellum
• inks - pool party, coastal cabana, Bermuda bay, Pacific point, gorgeous grape, Versamark
• other - acetate template, sponge daubers, white embossing powder, heat tool, washi tape, Dimensionals, mini dimensionals, Big Shot, stitched rectangle framelits, under the sea framelits, clear and glitter epoxy shapes, tweezers, Stamparatus

Now move on to see what delights the rest of the team have for you. Kristy is up next!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

 

Hey, Chick

So I was wandering the craft aisles in Spotlight the other day (as you do) and spied some bright and cheerful core'dinations card that instantly made me think, Easter basket. Well, naturally, I couldn't walk away from that, now could I? You know me so well! Of course, having bought it, the dilemma was what style of project to make and in the end I went with a bag in a box handbag, adding a no-line watercoloured image. Here's how it turned out:

Simple but cute, yeah? Let's hope my ladies enjoy making it in class this week.


Materials used:

• stamps - Little Cuties
• card - daffodil delight, grapefruit grove, watercolour, core'dinations Yellow Small Dot (non SU)
• other - 1 3/4" circle punch, layering circle framelits, Big Shot, Dimensionals, aqua painter, Gingham Gala sequins, markers, sticky strip

Well, thanks for calling in.


Cheers
Kez