Christmas Wreath - The Card Concept Challenge #212

It's time for a new challenge with The Card Concept and this month the moodboard features a stunning Christmas wreath to inspire you. 

I chose to go vintage collage for my card which incorporates both wreath and tartan from the pic. 

I added ink to the background pieces to provide cohesion as well as enhance the vintage vibe. My wreath was cut from card coloured with various inks as well as some mica, so it has a lovely sheen and glow when it catches the light. For the bow I attached plaid washi tape to card and die cut from that. The stars were thick chipboard but I removed a couple of layers as I didn't want that much bulk; the chipboard sentiment strip I left as is, as it provides a nice base for the gentleman to stand on. 

Materials used:

• dies - Vault Collection Christmas 2021 (Tim Holtz)
• papers - Christmas backdrops (Tim Holtz)
• ephemera - Christmas ephemera pack, Baseboards & Transparencies Christmas 2023 (TH)
• other - antique linen and vintage photo distress inks, sponge dauber, blending brush, Big Shot, Christmas design tape (TH), distress inks and mica stains, Dimensionals

I hope the moodboard gives you inspiration for your own cards and that you'll share them with us over on The Card Concept blog. Do check out the samples from my fellow design team members. 

This card is also being entered in the current Christmas Kickstart challenge. 

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

Thankful Blessings - The Card Concept Challenge #211

Hi there and welcome/welcome back! Today's card is for the new Card Concept challenge for November. Here's the moodboard:

I took those gorgeous autumn leaves as inspiration for my card featuring some very happy, free-flying mice, lol.

Lots of colouring and fussy cutting for this one, but they're so adorable, how could I resist? 

Materials used:

• stamps - You Autumn Know (Lawn Fawn)
• dies - stitched rectangle
• other - Copic markers, blending brush, white pigment ink, cloud stencil (My Favorite Things), Dimensionals, black marker, white gel pen, white embossing powder, heat tool, MISTI, craft foam

Do check out more samples from my team mates over on The Card Concept blog and if you're inspired to create, we'd love you to share in our gallery.

Thanks for floating by!

Cheers

Kerry

Pumpkin Season - The Card Concept Challenge #210

Now that we're into October the weather here has finally realised it's Spring and is giving us fresh green grass and buds on trees, but up in the northern hemisphere they're celebrating Fall/Autumn, and that means pumpkins...

The pumpkins were my main inspiration but I also used the orange, black and steel grey/blue (from the buckets) as my colour palette and added touches of gold. 

I stamped and gold embossed the pumpkins, then watercoloured using oxide inks. Once dry I splattered liberally with brown, gold and white. The sentiment is also gold embossed and mounted on black then gold glitter.

Materials used:

• stamps - Pumpkin to Talk About (Simon Says Stamp)
• distress oxide inks - carved pumpkin, iced spruce, black soot, frayed burlap
• dies - stitched rectangle
• other - paint brush, MISTI, Big Shot, craft foam, gold embossing powder, heat tool, gold glitter card, white gesso, tarnished brass distress stain, fan brush

There's plenty more inspiration for you from my team mates over on The Card Concept blog, so do check those out, and of course we'd love you to create and share with us.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #209

Are you itching for a challenge to get your creative mojo raring to go? The Card Concept challenges are back after the summer break and here's our first inspiration pic to springboard your ideas:

I used autumn tones and a floral theme for my card.

I added patches of crackle texture paste to the distressed background paper, coloured the die-cut flower using distress inks and painted the stem and leaves with crackle paint for the tiniest of fine cracks. Strips of co-ordinating papers form the stage for my die-cut sentiment and a few gems and gesso splatters added the finishing touches. 

Materials used:

• designer papers - Autumn Splendour (Mintay)
• dies - Sunrise Stem (Simon Says Stamp), Hugs (stash)
• distress inks - dried marigold, spiced marmalade, brushed corduroy, walnut stain
• other - Dimensionals, blending brushes, craft foam, white gesso, fan brush, gems, texture paste crackle (Tim Holtz), distress crackle paint (Ranger)

We'd love you to create a card inspired by our board and share it with us on The Card Concept blog, where you'll find more samples from my fellow design team members. 

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #208 - Hello Summer

Got the winter blues? Cheer yourself up by using The Card Concept's Hello Summer board as inspiration for your cards this month!

My mixed media card was inspired by the colours and starfish.

I began by making the starfish using soft clay and a mould; once dry I coloured them with oxide sprays. More sprays were used on the teal background piece and mummy cloth, which I then interwove with a few fibres from hessian ribbon. For the foreground I used sand embossing powder over crumb cake cardstock - it's the first time I've used this powder and I was thrilled at how realistic it looks! I got out my stash of seashells, assembling those with the mummy cloth, starfish and some art stones/art pebbles. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Ocean Wisdom (Stampendous)
• card - distress watercolour (Tim Holtz), crumb cake and basic beige (Stampin' Up), vellum
• distress spray stains/oxide sprays - salvaged patina, peacock feathers, lost shadow, pumice stone
• other - silicone mould Sea Land - Corals and extra light soft clay (Stamperia), Sand embossing powder (Hero Arts), heat gun, art pebbles and art stones (Art Ingredients), mummy cloth (TH), hessian ribbon (SU), seashells, craft foam

I'd love to be walking along a warm beach right now, wouldn't you?

Check out more inspirational ideas over on The Card Concept blog. This is the last challenge before the US summer break, so no more challenges until September. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #207 - Red, White and Blue

This month at The Card Concept we're challenging you to draw inspiration from our red, white and blue mood board:

I was inspired by the bold primary colours of red and blue to create a card for a young child, also incorporating the stars and stripes.

Materials used:

• card - basic white, basic black, real red, starry sky, pink (Stampin' Up), striped paper (Etsy)
• dies - Dancin' Birthday Panda & Dancin' Birthday Dragon, Smart Glasses (Spellbinders), Celebrate (Tim Holtz), Large Numbers (Stampin' Up)
• other - Sidekick, Dimensionals, stars stencil, volume paste, palette knife, computer & printer

If you create anything inspired by our challenge we'd love to see it in our gallery. Visit the Card Concept blog to do so and to see more samples from my fellow design team members.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #206 - April Flowers

Thanks for joining me for another challenge with The Card Concept. Hopefully our options will inspire you to create, whether it's for a birthday, wedding/anniversary, friendship, Mother's Day or perhaps just a 'thinking of you'. 

My clean and layered card was inspired by the gorgeous pink flowers.

My process was perhaps slightly different: I stamped the flower image first so I could then hold the background stencil over it and find what I considered the best layout to suit the stamp. With the stencil in place I coloured my pale blue background with dye ink, not worrying too much if I went over the stamped image because I knew I'd be using oxide inks to colour that, and they would colour over dye ink. Once the background was done I cut with the postage die and then used stencils to colour the image. Next I added the postage stamping, coloured my background piece, and die-cut a sentiment to fit perfectly within the delineated area, using vellum for the shadow so the stamped images beneath could still be seen.

Materials used:

• stamps - Garden Roses and matching stencils (Pink Fresh Studio), Postage Collage (Waffle Flower)
• card - distress white heavystock, vellum
• distress oxide inks - tattered rose, worn lipstick, picked raspberry, shabby shutters, peeled paint
• other - Postage Collage coloring stencils (Waffle Flower), blending brushes, MISTI, Blueberry ink (Altenew), Miss You die (stash), mounting foam

Check out my fellow team mates' offerings over on the Card Concept blog and don't be shy to share your own creations with us.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #205 - Spring Has Sprung

While we look forward to cooler temps here in Australia, the northern hemisphere is warming up and loving all the beauty nature brings with it in Spring. Spring Has Sprung is the theme for this month's inspiration challenge at The Card Concept and what a beautifully sweet mood board we have for you.

The birds, florals and colours all inspired my shaped layered card.

There are three layers of the 'hello' die for depth and I cut the little bird from the reverse side of the DSP to perch there. It's the perfect size and isn't it adorable? This card is 14cm tall and just 10.5cm at its widest point, so fits in a regular C6 envelope. 

I repeated some of the papers on the inside and left space for a handwritten message.

Materials used:

• card - boho blue, basic white, Flight & Airy DSP (all Stampin' Up)
• dies - hello script (stash), Bird House A2 cardbase (Honey Bee Stamps), Essential Arches (Spellbinder)
• other - Big Shot, blending brushes, Dimensionals, sponge dauber

Check out what my fellow team members have created to inspire you over on The Card Concept blog, and thanks so much for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #204 - Winter Warmth

We've a brand new monthly challenge and inspiration pic for you at The Card Concept, this one entitled Winter Warmth.

There's certainly plenty of warmth going on around here, as February is the hottest month of summer for us. This week we've had more than one day of 37degC (98.6degF) temps so I am most definitely looking forward to the cooler days of autumn not far away (hopefully!).

The animal, trees and colours on the rug gave me an outdoorsy/nature vibe, which became the inspiration for my mixed media card. 

Curvy Girl was stamped on my background piece of watercolour card first then I sponged the clouds, sky and ground around her, and stamped her again on another piece of card. She was watercoloured using distress inks and after some fussy cutting attached to the background.

Materials used:

• stamps - Curvy Girl Loves to Hike (Stamping Bella), Spectacular Adventures (Altenew)
• card - pecan pie (Stampin' Up), watercolour, Happy Camper plaid paper (Etsy)
• distress inks - bundled sage, peeled paint, forest moss, stormy sky, spiced marmalade, wild honey, tea dye, rusty hinge, brushed corduroy, pumice stone, vintage photo
• dies - alphanumeric tiny type lower (Tim Holtz)
• other - water brush, mini cloud stencil (My Favorite Things), blending brushes, Sidekick, MISTI, vintage photo embossing glaze, heat tool, black archival ink

Hopefully some aspect of the inspiration picture and/or colour palette will make you want to create. If so, do share it with us on The Card Concept blog and don't forget to check out all the cards made by my fellow design team members.

Thanks for hiking by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept #203 - New Year Love

Welcome to the first challenge of 2024 with The Card Concept! Our monthly challenges give you an inspiration photo and colour palette and you can take any aspect of our mood board as the springboard to spark your creativity.

Here's our first challenge for the year, aptly titled New Year Love:

The combination of little houses and 'Our Nest' sign brought birdhouses to mind and were the inspiration for my mixed media card, as well as the colour palette. 

I assembled my birdhouse first, running the main part through Tim Holtz's mini lumber 3D embossing folder then inking everything up with oxide inks antique linen, gathered twigs, vintage photo and candied apple. For my background I did more 3D embossing, this time with the pine branches folder which I then sponged with mowed lawn and rustic wilderness oxides. I used whatever ink was on my blue blending brush for the other areas then blended it with a water brush and dabbed off to get lighter patches. Once it was all dry I cut it into an arch and ran it through the embossing folder again to revitalise the impression. The patterned paper is a free Stampin' Up Sale-a-bration offering called Flight & Airy (aptly named, lol) and the sentiment is SU also, from the Feels Like Home set. 

What elements of our January mood board inspire you? We'd love you to join us by adding your card to our gallery, and of course there's more cards to see from my fellow design team members over on The Card Concept blog. And if you're on social media, we're on Facebook and Instagram too, so check us out!

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #202

Welcome back to another challenge with The Card Concept. This month our board is called Christmas Cheer.

 I took the Christmas theme and colours, predominantly red and white, for my clean and layered card.

My caroling elves were coloured with Copics and fussy cut. Aren't they adorable? Such sweet little faces. Oxide inks were blended for the background together with a little water splatter. As a finishing touch I added glitter to the 'fur' bits and just love the texture as well as the subtle shimmer.

Materials used:

• stamps - Sing Joy! (by Mo Manning for Penny Black)
• card - basic white, real red, basic black, Merry Bold & Bright DSP (Stampin' Up)
• Copic markers - E00,11,21,33,41,50,55; G24,43,82; B0000,000; YR24,27; R24,29,39
•  distress oxide inks - antique linen, brushed corduroy, tumbled glass
• other - blending brushes, MISTI, water spritzer, Dimensionals, Quickie glue pen, distress glitter clear rock candy

Do check out more samples over on the Card Concept blog and remember we'd love you to create your own festive card and join us.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #201

It's time for another inspiration challenge with The Card Concept. Here's this month's board, Fall Leaves:

The challenge is to create a card inspired by any aspect of this photo, whether it's the theme, the colours, one or more of the items in the picture - just any idea that comes to mind. Plus of course we'd love it if you shared your card in our gallery. 

I took the leaves as inspiration but replaced the autumn/fall colours with Christmas greenery. 

The holly branches were cut from white card and coloured with distress inks, then I added some glossy accents and rock candy glitter to the berries. The "bells" are actually a coffee cup layer die upside down and for the clappers I glued two small circles together then shaped them for dimension. The 3D embossing folder gives me pine leaves/branches in my background.

Materials used:

• stamps - Christmas Classics (Stampin' Up)
• card - basic black, basic white gold glitter 
• dies - Festive Gatherings, Papercut Cafe (Tim Holtz), stitched frame (stash)
• distress inks - twisted citron, mowed lawn, candied apple, picket fence
• other - craft foam, Big Shot, Dimensionals, blending brushes, 1/4" circle punch, Glossy Accents, clear rock candy glitter, gold cord, gold embossing powder, heat tool. Pine Branches 3D embossing folder (Tim Holtz), shaping mat and tool

Do head on over to the challenge blog to check out more samples to inspire you and thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #200

It's time for another inspiration challenge with The Card Concept. This month's mood board, titled Autumn Chill, has some gorgeous rich colours and evocative images to get those creative juices flowing.

The challenge is to create a card inspired by any aspect of this photo, whether it's the theme, the colours, one or more of the items in the picture -  just any idea that comes to mind. Plus of course we'd love it if you shared your card in our gallery. If you post on social media, please tag @thecardconceptchallenges2 and use the hashtag #tcc200. 

My card is a simple shabby style in warm colours inspired by pretty much all of the elements in the mood board.

I couldn't go past this image, to me it embodies the spirit of the challenge board so perfectly. I chose copper coloured card to match the hair and die-cut some autumn leaves from ink smooshed card I always keep on hand. They were bent to give them movement and glued in place, while the cable-knit paper and backing card were distressed and offset slightly. 

This is so me, I'm not sure I can bear to give it away so it might end up being added to my art journal for my own personal enjoyment.

Materials used:

• card - copper clay, basic black, basic white (Stampin' Up), boho knit pattern paper (Etsy), watercolour
• dies - Fall Foliage (Tim Holtz)
• other - distressing tool, Sidekick, sponge dauber, copper clay ink, craft foam, digital image (Image Credit: R.W.K. Clark), various distress oxide inks

Do check out all the other inspiration we have for you over on The Card Concept blog.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #199

Welcome to the first Card Concept challenge after the holiday break and we've a fabulous inspiration photo for you called Country Style. 

The challenge is to create a card inspired by any aspect of this photo, whether it's the theme, the colours, the flowers, rooster, barn, door, ribbon, wreath - just any idea that comes to mind. Plus of course we'd love it if you shared your card in our gallery. If you post on social media, please tag @thecardconceptchallenges2 and use the hashtag #tcc199. 

My mixed media card was inspired by the country theme, flowers and black gingham ribbon.

Lots of layering and dimension on this one. Everything was cut from watercolour card and coloured using oxide inks, and you all know how much I love using those! 😉 SU's in-colour dots came in very handy for flower centres.

Materials used:

• stamps - So Sincere (Stampin' Up!)
• card - black, watercolour, gingham digi paper (Etsy)
• dies - Country Wheelbarrow, Garden Builder, Essential Arches (all Spellbinders)
• other - Big Shot, craft foam, Dimensionals, blending brushes, in-colour dots (SU), distress oxide inks, MISTI, fine-tip glue

I do hope you'll pop over to the Card Concept blog to see what my fellow team mates created, and that you'll be inspired to join us. The challenge runs for a month, ending on Monday 9th October. 

Happy crafting and thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #198

Hello and welcome to another challenge with The Card Concept. Challenge #198 is Summertime Fun and here's our mood board to give you some inspiration:

Inspired by the ocean theme of the cushions, I created a mixed media slimline card.

I applied a watered-down coat of gesso to my background paper to give it more of a whitewashed look and to tone it down a little so my focal panel stood out more. Edges were distressed slightly, as were the edges of the mat behind it. Mummy cloth was added, then the focal panel (also distressed) and die cuts, before lastly adding some small shells and art stones. 

Materials used:

• card - azure afternoon, pebbled path (SU), Blue Dream lighthouse (Stamperia)
• other - Seaside Escape die cuts (Mintay), Art Stones (Prima), mummy cloth (Tim Holtz), sea shells, foam mounting tape, Dimensionals, distressing tool, hot glue gun, sponge dauber, gesso, paintbrush

Why not check out what my team mates have created for you over on the Card Concept blog - and, of course, we'd love it if you create and add to our gallery.

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #197

Welcome to the second challenge of the month with The Card Concept, when we give you not one but two mood boards to inspire your creativity. This time around we offer you Industrial Modern and Nature Calls.

I love to play with industrial chic so picked option A for my mixed media card, inspired by the cogs and rusty metal. 

I used a background I had on hand that had been sprayed with uncharted mariner and rusty hinge distress inks and ran it through the fabulous mechanical 3D embossing folder. This was then highlighted with antique gold wax rubbed over many of the raised areas and cut into three sections. The chipboard corner piece was left plain as I like the contrast and that it enhances the background without stealing its limelight, so to speak. The copper clay card base was given a very light sponging with black ink around the edges.

Materials used:

• card - watercolour, basic black, copper clay
• distress sprays - uncharted mariner, rusty hinge
• other Tim Holtz products - Mechanical 3D embossing folder, Paper Dolls mini, Small Talk sticker
• other - Big Shot, Industrial corners chipboard (Dusty Attic), heat tool, Dimensionals, craft foam, antique gold wax (Art Alchemy), sponge dauber

What's your vibe? Maybe you have someone in your life who loves industrial, steampunk or fishing and the great outdoors? We'd love to see your creation in our gallery, plus don't forget there's more to see and inspire you over on The Card Concept blog. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry 

The Card Concept Challenge #196

Welcome to another challenge with The Card Concept where we give you an inspiration picture and colour palette to kickstart your creativity. Here's this week's pic called Patriotic Picnic.

I was inspired by the flowers in the basket and as a nod to the patriotic theme, have used Australian natives for my clean and layered watercolour card.

We had a waratah (the pink flower) in our front yard at my previous house and it was always lovely to see it in bloom. Gumnuts, too, we had plenty of, but I don't miss hurting my feet stepping on them, lol. 

I embossed my image in gold on watercolour paper and coloured with Zig real brush markers and a waterbrush. Black card was chosen for the base as it really makes the image pop. Any areas that couldn't be easily fussy-cut, I coloured with a black marker to blend in. 

The theme this week at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is watercolouring, so I'm entering this card. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Australian Natives (Uniquely Creative)
• card - watercolour, basic black
• other - water brush, craft foam, MISTI, Zig Real Color Brush Markers, Dimensionals, gold embossing powder, heat tool, stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, basic black marker

My team mates have plenty more to inspire you so do pop over to The Card Concept blog, and thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #195

As usual with every second challenge, this week The Card Concept offers two inspiration pics for you to choose from as a jump start for creativity. Here are Floral Spring and Garden Birds.

  

As I adore having birds in my garden, it wasn't difficult to chose that option as the inspiration for my mixed media card.

Once I'd chosen all the bits and pieces I was planning to use, I began with blending some oxide inks on my background and added a few water splatters. Next I applied the rub on flowers, die cut birdhouse and fence before adding the quote chip, small bird and extra flowers. Lastly came the bird in flight and some white paint splatters before everything was mounted on my card base.

Materials used:

• card - basic white, boho blue (Stampin' Up)
• Tim Holtz products - oxide inks in shabby shutters, bundled sage, speckled egg; Quote Chips - Labels; picket fence distress paint
• Stamperia Welcome Home collection - rub ons, ephemera
• other - blending brushes, rub on tool, paint brush, craft foam, Dimensionals, water spritzer

I hope you'll be inspired to create with our mood boards and share in our gallery. Do visit The Card Concept blog to see more samples made by my team mates, and thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #194

Are you ready for another Card Concept inspiration challenge? This week's Spring Banquet pic is sure to get you thinking all things sweet, fresh and pretty, even if you're not experiencing spring right now.

I was inspired by the candle, flowers and colour palette for my mixed media card.

My flowers were sprayed with two oxide pinks and I also used two shades of green for my leaves. The background was one colour but in both distress and oxide. The lantern and candle were shaded with distress inks after being die-cut, then layered together and the quote chip gives a nice solid base for them to sit on. The finishing touches were paint splatters and sponging the edges of the card.

Materials used:

• card - watercolour, basic grey, very vanilla
• distress spray stains - speckled egg, twisted citron, mowed lawn
• distress oxide sprays - speckled egg, spun sugar, kitsch flamingo, crushed olive
• distress ink/oxide ink - weathered wood, lost shadow, hickory smoke, antique linen, mustard seed, spiced marmalade
• other Tim Holtz products - Candlelight colorize dies, Bouquet paper flowers, Funky floral 3 dies, quote chip, picket fence distress paint
• other - Big Shot, craft foam, heat tool, Dimensionals, mini glue dots, paintbrush, sponge dauber

Do pay a visit to the Card Concept blog to see what my fellow team mates made to inspire you and thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

The Card Concept Challenge #193

It's time for a new challenge at The Card Concept and this week you've a choice between two great inspiration pics, (a) New Arrival or (b) Busy Bee.

 

I couldn't resist those adorable forest animals in option a and took them as inspiration for my clean and layered baby card.

The animals are coloured with Copics and fussy-cut. For the sentiment I cut two layers of the dies and glued them together - I love the additional dimension this gives. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Woodland Friends (Isabel Cristina)
• card - basic white, mint macaron, cinnamon cider, Baby Milestones plaid (Nitwit)
• Copic markers - 
• racoon - C0,C2,C4,R20
• deer - E41,E42,E43,R20,E25
• squirrel - E11,E13,E15
• other - Well Scripted dies (SU), Big Shot, retired in-colour dots (SU), Stampin' Blends just jade light, mint macaron light and dark (SU), white gel pen

I do hope you'll check out the cards my fellow team members have created to inspire you. We'd love to see your own creation in our gallery.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry