CASology Guest Designer

Hi Everyone,

I'm very excited today as this is my first ever guest designer post and it's for the very awesome CASology blog. Their theme for this week is:

This got me thinking about all my favourite mushy sentiments and a particular long-time favourite of mine comes from a Mama Elephant stamp set called Love Quotes and I used this as the focal point of my card.

It's been a lovely sunny weekend here in the UK and, as the sun streamed through the window of my craft room, I feel inspired to create something bright and colourful. I still wanted to keep it CAS though so I opted for a crisp white card base with Neenah Solar White cardstock cut to A2 size. I rounded two of the corners for a more interesting shape.

I masked off the different lines of my sentiment stamp and used a different coloured pigment ink for each. From top to bottom I used Avery Elle Magenta, Avery Elle Strawberry, Avery Elle Fizz, Avery Elle Lemon Grass, Mama Elephant Pacific Blue and Mama Elephant Egg Plant. I tried to match the colours as closely as possible to the patterned paper I used from the 6x6 Fruit Stand paper pad from Doodlebug Designs.

I stamped the speechbubble image onto more Neenah cardstock using Tuxedo black ink and second generation stamping for a muted look. I then fussy cut this and drew around it onto the back of my patterned paper and fussy cut that also. I die cut a small heart from the white speech bubble to let more of the patterned paper peek through (as well as to highlight to word 'you' since that it the title of our challenge!) I layered the two shapes and adhered them with foam pads.

I completed my card by die cutting a couple more hearts from patterned paper with my Simon Says Stamp Mini Heart Dies, and adhering a few colourful sequins. The sequins I used were (clockwise from the top left corner) Pretty Pink Posh 4mm Pink Peonies, Pretty Pink Posh 6mm Amethyst, Neat and Tangled blue sequin from the Spring Mix, Neat and Tangled mint sequin from The Spring Mix, a clear sequin coloured orange with a copic marker and Pretty Pink Posh 6mm Raspberry.

I love getting comments from you all so please let me know what you think xx

Another Create a Smile card for the November Guest Designer Search

Hello again,

Well it turns out I had a little longer until the deadline than I thought so I decided to create a 'sister' card to my original entry - I love the Whimsical Wheels stamp set so much I just couldn't resist the opportunity to use it again. There's still a little time to enter yourself if you'd like. Just click on the image below and it will take you staright to the original blog post:

So I chose to make another little love note card - I know it's not valentines day but it's just what I felt like creating I guess. To be honest I'm probably just putting off starting the Xmas cards - there's nothing quite like needing to do something to make me immediately want to do something else!

My card case is good old Neenah Solar White 110lb cut to A2 size. I rounded one of the corners for a more interesting shape. I decided to stick to pastel colours and a washi tape background as per my previous card. I used a really cute grid washi with little hearts and the word 'love' written in pencil. I'm not sure where I got if from but I love it.

Next I stamped the train and carriage images from the Wimsical Wheels stamps set from Create a Smile with Momento Tuxedo Black Ink. Again I used second generation stamping for a more subtle outline which helped to capture some of the fine lines and details in the stamp. I also thought it looked a little like pencil lead to give an almost hand drawn feel. I coloured the image with Copic Markers, fussy cut it and adhered it to my card with foam pads.

Next I created a pink ombre look on a scrap of card and stamped my sentiment onto it with more second generation stamping in Tuxedo Black ink and also Avery Elle Pigment Ink in the shade Mint To Be. This sentiment has to be one of the best ever. No only does it fit with the cute train image, it also reminds me of an episode of the simpsons when Lisa gives Ralf a card with this sentiment on - Love it!

I added hearts to the carriages, die cut from card scraps using my Simon Says Stamp mini hearts dies. I also cut heart shaped puffs of steam from cotton wool pads and adhered the whole lot to my card with Claudia Hellmuth Multi-medium matte liquid adhesive. I completed my card by adding glossy accents to the tarin and heart next to my sentiment.

Anyway, hope you like my card - all comments gratefully received xx

Read Me Tag

Hi guys,

So I have something a little different to show you this time. I made a bookmark tag for the AEIHeartU Tags Challenge using the Avery Elle Alice & Friends Stamp set. Hope you like it!

I started by die cutting a peice of white card stock and a peice of patterned paper, from the Pebbles Garden Party 6x6 paper pad, using one of the Paper Smooches book mark dies. I adhered these together. I stamped the white rabbit and Alice designs from the Avery Elle Alice and Friends stamp set onto a variety of patterned paper, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I then fussy cut each of the layers and paper peiced them. I added rosy cheeks with Spectrum Noir markers. I also used the scrolled banner and letters from the stamp set to create my 'Read Me' sentiment. I stamped this using Versafine in and fussy cut the image.

Next I created bunting using pink bakers twine and more patterened paper from the Garden Party paper pad, punched using my Stampin' Up banner punch. I added more twine and and ribbon to the top of the tag. I completed my tag with Aquamarine, Pink Blush and Sparkling Clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

Clicking on the link below will take you to the challenge post so you can enter to. You can also see all the fab DT inspiration:

Red Riding Hood Hello Card

Hello again,

So, my card for today is a simple one which I made for the AEIHeartU Clean and Simple Challenge. I just love the Avery Elle Red and Goldie stamp set and this challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to pair it with the Xcut Woodland Shadow Box dies once again. In contrast to my Goldilocks and the Three Bears Hello Card, I only used one of the dies to create a much simpler look, but I like if just as much. I also love these great glittery enamal dots from My Minds Eye - hope you like the card!

To create this card I started with a piece of Neenah Solar White Cardstock cut and scored to A2 size. I used one of the die from the Xcut Wooden Shadow Box Dies set to create an aperture for my characters to peek out of. To create them I first stamped the Red Riding Hood and Wolf Dies from the Red & Goldie stamp set onto more Neenah Cardstock with Black Licorice Hybrid Ink from My Favourite Things. I then used a selection of Spectrum Noir and Copic Markers to colour my images. I'm still working on my alcohol marker technique and I'm hoping the Online Card Class I've signed up for will help when it starts in just over a week…so excited!!

I stamped the Hello sentiment, also from the Red & Goldie set, onto the front of my card with Versafine ink. Finally I completed my design by adding 3 enamel dots from the My Minds Eye Jubilee collection. 

Clicking on the image below will take you to the challenge post and all the other fantastic entries:

You Make Me a Happy Camper Card

Hi guys,

It's been a busy crafty bank holiday weekend for me and this is the last of the cards I've been making. I made this card for the Avery Elle AEIHeartU Challenge No. 14  and Paper Crafting Challenge No. 17  sequin challenges. I don't make many cards with a lot of white space so this is something a bit different for me. I used paper piecing and a little stamping to make this card using the Avery Elle Happy Camper stamp set and one of my new favourite 6x6 paper pads from the Crate Paper Notes & Things collection - enjoy!

I used a grey polka-dot notecard from Pebbles for my card base. I then die cut a scalloped rectangle from Neenah Solar White Cardstock using one of the Mama Elephant Femme Frames dies. 

Next I used the lake stamp from teh Avery Elle Happy Camper stamp set and stamped it nto the reverse of the cardstock rectangle using Hero Arts Soft Vanilla Shadow Ink. I used a Fiskars craft knife to cut the outline of the image from the cardstock to use as the aperture for the shaker element of my card. I stamped the cloud images directly onto the white cardstock using Pool Party ink from Stampin' Up. I also stamped the tree images using Pear Pizzaz ink, also from Stampin' Up. 

Next I stamped the mountains, trees, canoe and fox images onto the reverse side of several patterened papers from the Notes & Things 6x6 paper pad from Crate paper. Again I used Hero Arts Soft Vanilla ink. I then fussy cut the images - believe me this was pretty fiddly and time-consuming! - and adhered the to the front of my card using small pieces of foam tape. 

I stamped the sentiment from the Happy Camper Stamp set onto the front of my card using Hero Arts Charcoal Midtone Ink - this gave a little softer effect than black ink.

I adhered acetate behind the lake aperture and carefully lined the edge with foam tape. I then placed sequins where I wanted my lake to be and glued the front of my card to the card base. I used 4mm Sparkling Clear sequins and 6mm Aquamarine sequins from Pretty Pink Posh, as well as a few others from my stash. Finaly I completed my card by adhereing a few more sequins to the front. 

Clicking on the badge below will take you to the challenge post and the rest of the great entries for the 14th Avery Elle challenge:

Goldilocks and the Three Bears Hello Card

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share this card I made for the Avery Elle Kraft Challenge - although in the end I missed the deadline for submission, (the whole different time zone thing got the better of me…oops!) I didn't really have anyone in particular in mind when I made it, I just wanted it to be fun and cute.

I started with a 5x7 card base which I made from Neenah Desert Storm Cardstock. I then layered a piece of polka dot patterned paper from a Stampin' Up Saleabration freebie from this year. The centre piece of the card was made using more Desert Storm cardstock and pattered various shades of green patterened paper from the Amy Tan Yes Please collection. I used the Xcut Woodland Shadowbox Dies to create the layers of the forest scene. I separated the layers with foam tape to create dimension. I then used the sentiment, characters, toadstools and tree stump stamps from the Avery Elle Red & Goldie stamp set. I stamped them in Black Licorice Hybrid ink from My Favourite Things.

I stamped the three bear figures onto Desert Storm cardstock and coloured the mama and papa bears in a darker shade of brown with Spectrum Noir coloured pencils, blending solution and paper stubs. I coloured the cheeks and ear tips of the baby bear pink in the same way and added freckles with a Uniball white gel pen. I used the moustache, top hat, tie and bow stamps from the Mama Elephant Honey Bunny stamp set to accesorise each of the bears and fussy cut each of them. The goldilocks, toadstool and tree stump were stamped, coloured and fussy cut from Neenah Solar White cardstock in a similar way. I adhered them to the card with silicone glue. The sentiment was stamped in Stampin' Up Crisp Cantaloupe ink.

I used my Zig Wink of Stella clear brushpen and Ranger Glossy Accents to highlight certain areas of the card such as the toadstool and sentiment. Finally I adhered various sequins for extra sparkle. I used 6mm and 4mm Sparkling Clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh and 8mm salmon pink ones from my stash.

To create the inside of the card I first used the Hero Arts Galaxy wood block stamp and Stampin' Up Pool Party ink. I then used another cute bear image form the Avery Elle stamp set to complete my card.

Floral Birthday Card

This quick but pretty card was a birthday card for a friend. The design was inspired by my 2013 Christmas cards. The base for the card was a Hobbycraft 5x5 white notecard. I used an Xcut square nesting die to emboss a border around the edge of the card. I cut a peice of patterned paper from the Fourteen collection by Crate Paper down to 4x4. I distressed the edges a little with my Stampin' Up distress tool. Next I adhered a small peice of Neenah Solar White cardstock to the centre. I stamped the sentiment from Stampin' Up's Morning Meadow stamp set, using Versafine black ink. I stamped the flower and stem images separately onto another piece of Neenah white cardstock using the Avery Elle Petals & Stems stamp set. I used Momento London fog ink for the stem and leaves and Stampin' Up Strawberry Slush ink for the flower. I then die cut the images using the coordinating dies which I ran thrugh my Cricut Cuttlebug. I adhered the die cut pieces to the card with Dovecraft silicone glue to add dimension. Before adhereing my patterned paper to the notecard, I wrapped around a piece of green bakers twine from the Dovecrafts Riverbank Revels collection. I finished the card using the My Paper World Paper Pens in yellow and moss green. I use these as a cheaper and more flexible alternative to enamel dots. The only disadvantage is that, unlike enamel dots, you have to wait for them to dry.