What's Up With Dave? Card

Well this card, which I made for the Lawnscaping One Layer challenge was just that - a massive challenge! I'm used to using lots of dimension and embellishments to create interest in my cards so using just one layer took a bit of getting used to. I decided to take the opportunity to sneak in a cheesy joke - well, if I can't use sequins then I have to have fun somehow! Hope you all like it xx

I used a piece of Neenah Solar White Cardstock as the base for my card and rounded the corners with my WRMK Corner Chomper. I created my design by stamping images from several Lawn Fawn stamp sets - Critters Ever After for the frogs, Hello Baby for the lilypad, reeds and grass and Joy to the Woods  for the log. I stamped each of the images in Soft Vanilla Shadow Ink from Hero Arts. I stamped the images a second time onto paper and adhered these using temporary adhesive to create masks for the images I wanted to remain uppermost in my design. I coloured over the Soft Vanilla ink with Spectrum Noir pencils, paper stubs and Blending Solution. I added freckle details to the frogs using a Uniball white gel pen and pupils and a sentiment with a Uniball black gel pen.

Clicking on the picture below will take you to the challenge post with the fantastically inspiring DT creations and all the other amazing challenge entries:

Get Better In Warp Speed Card

Hi guys,

When I'm making cards I generally like to have a tv programme on in the background. Most recently I've been re-watching old epidsodes of Star Trek Voyager - yes, I know I'm a geek! Today I've been inspired by everything I've seen on screen and created a card for the Paper Smooches Sparks August Designer Drafts Challenge, using the Space Cadet stamp set from Paper Smooches. Happy crafting xx

To Create my card I started with a puple notecard from Hero Arts. Next I layered a piece of Ranger Watercolour Paper over the front. I created the galaxy background using Windsor Newton India Ink and Distress inks in Dusty Concord and Salty Ocean shades. I first wet the paper and then dotted on the ink. I used a paintbrush to blend and used a mini mister filled with water to create the cloud-like feathered effect to the edges. Once I had dried this with my heat tool I splattered some white Windsor and Newton ink over the top to create the impression of stars.

Next I stamped several images from the Paper Smooches Space Cadet stamp set onto Neenah Solar White cardstock using my new Black Licorice hybrid ink from My Favourite Things. I coloured rge umages with Spectrum Noir pencils and blended with paper stubs and blending solution. I added dot detail with my Uniball white gel pen and added shine to the space ship with Ranger Glossy Accents . I fussy cut the images and adhered them to the front of the card using foam tape to create dimension. The sentiment, also from the Space Cadet stamp set was stamped using Versamark ink and heat embossed with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder.

I kept embellishments fairly minimal on this card. I used my Simon Says Stamp Mini Heart die set to cut hearts from cardstock coloured with more Dusty Concord Distress Ink. I then adered several Sparkling Clear sequins from Pretty Pik Posh in 6mm and 4mm sizes.

Please click on the challenge banner below to check out everyone's fab entries for this challenge:

Or, if you click on the blinkie below you'll go straight to the Paper Smooches store where you can buy all their lovely stamps and dies to play along with the next challenge:

Make a Wish Card

Hello again, 

Well that's four cards in four days this week - I'd like to think that I've just been struck with a huge amount of energy and creativity but sadly I think I'm just tryong to avoid revising for my exam next month. Oh well, I'm enjoying myself anyway! This card was made for the Lawnscaping Challenge No. 88 - Texture. For the inspiration for this card I went back to my childhood days of playing with My Little Pony (all you 80s kids will know what I mean!) and used pretty pastels and images from the Critters Ever After stamp set from Lawn Fawn. I used textured watercolour card stock, smooth acetate and fluffy silk parchment to add a variety of textures to my design - Enjoy!

My card base was a white notecard from Papermania. I next used the Femme Frames die set from Mama Elephant to cut the front of a powder blue Hero Arts notecard and a piece of Ranger watercolour cardstock into layers. I then created a aperture in the front layer to allow a watercolour rainbow river to peek through. To create this a used Worn Lipstick, Mustard Seed and Peacock Feathers distress inks and plenty of water to create a watercolour wash on another piece of watercolour card stock. I love how the ink did the work for me and created all the colours inbetween with no effort at all from me. I dried this with my heat tool and then splashed clean water over the top. The distress ink reacted with the water a second time to create a watermarked texture. Once this had dried again I wasn't happy with how bright the colours were so I overlayed this with a piece of acetate to create a more pastel look which was much more in-keeping with my design. I adhered this behind the aperture window. The front of the aperture was created with acetate for a contrasing texture the rough watercolour cardstock.

Next I cut a number of cloudy shapes from silk parchment. I've had this in my stash so long I can't even remember where I got it from but I was so pleased to finally be able to use it. To make the clouds look extra fluffy I distressed the edges slightly with my Stampin' Up distress tool. I adhered them to the card with silicone glue to create lots of dimension.

The unicorn image is from the Critters Ever After stamp set from Lawn Fawn. I stamped it onto watercolour cardstock using Hero Arts Charcoal mid-tone ink, for a softer look than my usual black ink. I used Spectrum Noir pencils, paper stubs and blending solution to create smooth shading. I then used a Uniball white gel pen to add freckles. I used the Zig Wink of Stellar clear glitter pen to add sparkle to the mane and tail and Ranger Glossy Accents to add shine to the horn and hooves. Again I adhered this to the card with Silicone glue.

I stamped the Make a Wish sentiment, also from the Critters Ever After Stam set with the charcoal ink. I added lots of tiny star stamps using the three colours of distress ink and flicked clean water over the card to allow them to blend a little. I also masked off the centre of my card and flicked watered down versions of the three ink colours across the card. I used this same colour wash to create the look of the rainbow river splashing out of the banks for extra fun and of course texture. 

I completed my card, as ever, with plenty of sequins. For this card I used a combination of 4mm splarking clear and Pink Peonies sequins and 6mm lemon drop, aquamarine, pink blush and snow sequins all from Pretty Pink Posh.

Below is the Lawnscaping Challenge inspiration photo. Click on it to go straight to the challenge blog to see the amazing design team inspiration all the other awesome entries:

Cheer Up Grumpasaurus Card

Hey Guys,

I made this card for my Vicar who has been a bit sad recently. I really love the sentiment from the Paper Smooches Cuteasaurus stamp set and I thought it would be perfect for this card. I wanted to enter the card into this weeks Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge and the design is inspired by their photo.

The card base is a Pebbles notecard from their Garden Party Collection. I then die cut a piece of vellum using the scalloped edge frame from the Mama Elephant Femme Frames set. Next I used the inner frame from the same set to create a stitched rectangle of Neenah Solar White cradstock. I stamped the Hero Arts Galaxy wood block stamp with Stampin' Up Smokey Slate ink onto this. I then used a piece of woodgrain paper from the Dear Lizzy Daydreamer 6x6 paper pad and die cut it into to a speech bubble using the Mama Elephant Speech Trio dies. I die cut some tiny heart shaped windows into it using  Simon Says Stamp Mini Heart Set Craft dies and stamped the sentiment from the Paper Smooches Cuteasaurus stamp set in Hero Arts Charcoal ink. The dinosaur images are from the same Paper Smooches set as the sentiment and i stamped and paperpieced them using more 6x6 paper from the Dear Lizzy Daydreamer collection. The flowers that the dino on the right is holding are tiny images from the the Mama Elephant Honey Bunny stamp set which I painstakingly stamped and cut from scraps of pink patterned paper - good job I enjoy fussy cutting! I adered each of the layers with foam tape to create dimension and completed the card with twine from my stash and 4mm and 6mm Sparkling Clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

I tried to take as much inspiration from the Paper Smooches photo as possible. The colour scheme of pale pink, pale aqua, white and grey is taken from it. I also used pink flowers and woodgrain inspiried by the wooden paintbrushes. The sparkling clear sequins were inspired by the glass jars and bottles.

Below is the photo that inspired my card. Click on it to go straight to the challenge post on the Paper Smooches Sparks website:

Clicking on the Paper Smooches badge below will take you straight to their website where you can buy all their awesome stamps and dies:

Welcome Baby Card

This card was made for friends on the birth of their son. Firstly I stamped a Neat & Tangled Sunburst in Hero Arts Soft Vanilla ink. The kangaroo image from the Critters Down Under stamp set from Lawn Fawn was stamped using Momento Tuxedo Black ink. I then coloured it using Spectrum Noir blendable pencils and blended with paper stubs and blending fluid. I created a faux-bokeh appearance using circle stamps from various stamp sets in my stash and Papermania gold embossing powder. I then added sequins and completed the card with  Stampin' Up gold bakers twine.

New Home Card

I made this card for my brother and sister-in-law when they moved. The card base is by Pebbles - I really love the aqua chevrons. The stamp set is Bitty Bungalows by Paper Smooches. I stamped the images with Momento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured them with alcohol markers. I fussy cut them and popped them up on gue dots to add dimension. The sentiment is from an old Mollie Bloom set (I can't recall the name I'm afraid) and I stamped it with Hero Arts Soft Pool and Stampin' Up Real Red inks. The wood veneer geotag is from Studio Calico and I coloured the central heart with matching Real Red ink and used glossy accents to add shine. The heart images are from the Happy Feast stamp set from Lawn Fawn. The piece of rafia took me the longest to decide on - I must have tried every peice of twine and ribbon in my stash before I finally settled on this one!