Suns{Hi}ne Card

Hello again,

This is my second Paper Smooches card for this week and I'm entering this one into the Paper Smooches Sparks October Picture Perfect challenge. I was realy excited when I saw the inspiration photo because the colours reminded me of my favourite paper collection at the moment - Fresh Cut from Basic Grey. I picked out the pink colours in the main image for this card, from the Paper Smooches Royal Cuteness stamp set. Hope you enjoy seeing the finished card:

I made the base of this A2 size card from Neenah 110lb card stock. I then die cut a scalloped rectangle of cardstock using one of the Femme Frames dies from the Mama Elephant set. I then adhered peices of patterned paper from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut 6x6 paper pad over the top in a starburst design.

To create the focal point for my card I first die cut pieces of vellum and white silk paper using the Paper Smooches Clouds dies. I then layered these onto my card with images from two Paper Smooches stamp sets. The sun image is from the Spectrum stamp set. i stamped this onto white cardstock using Blushing Bride Ink from Stampin' Up. I then stamped the castle image from the Royal Cutenes stamp set using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I coloured the image using Spectrum Noir markers and fussy cut it. I adhered all the peices using various thicknesses of foam pad to create a castle in the clouds effect.

Next I cut a one inch thick strip of vellum and stamped the Sunshine sentiment from the Spectrum stamp set onto it using Avery Elle white Pigment ink. I sprinkled over Wow! Sparkle embossing powder and heat set it.

To complete my card I added 6mm and 4mm Sparkling clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh and added subtle shimmer to the sun and castle with my Zig Clear Wink of Stellar Pen. 

Clicking on the inspiration photo below will take you to the challenge post with all the other great entries and, on course, amazing inspiration from the Paper Smooches Sparks Design team:

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

Happier Than a Pig in Poop Card

Hello everyone,

So this week I've taken the plunge and gone for a more professional look to my photographs. Rather than taking the photo on a shelf in my craft room (and having to rely on the pretty dismal British weather to provide enough light!) I bought daylight lamps and made a light defuser box. I'm really pleased with the improvement in image quality so far and I'm sure I will achieve even better results with a bit more practice. Anyway, I hope you like the card and that you're able to see what I've been up to that little bit clearer now.

My card base was cut from a peice of Neenah Desert Storm cardstock. Next I layered a peice of pink heart patterned paper from the Dear Lizzy Daydreamer collection 6x6 paper pad. I used a thin strip of coordinating paper from the same collection to die cut a scalloped edge which I adhered to the top of the first peice of patterned paper. I used a Paper Smooches scalloped edge die from the Borders 2 set. 

Next I trimmed a small piece of Ranger Watercolour paper and die cut the top edge with the notebook paper edge die, also from the Paper Smooches Borders 2 set. I wanted to create a messy watercolour background to make it look ike the pig had been splashing around. I did this using Vintage Photo Distress Ink and plenty of water. I dried the backgrond with my heat gun and adhered it ti the card using foam tape, to create dimension. 

I stamped the happy little pig image from the Green Acres stamp set by Paper Smooches, twice onto patterned paper using Hero Arts Mid-tone ink in Cup O' Joe. I then fussy cut the images and paper peiced them, using the second image to add dimension to his nose. I adhered the images to the background using foam tape.

Next I trimmed a strip pf wood grain patterened paper from my stash and die cut he top edge once again with a die from the Borders 2 set. I used the stamp edge die to create the look of fencing. I then die cut three small hearts from the patterened paper using the Simon Says Stamp Mini Hearts die. I adhered the patterened paper to the card with foam tape.

The word "happier" was die cut using my Cricut Explore and adhered to the card using silicone glue. The remainder of the sentiment was stamped using a "create your own" label stamp from staples. I really love the tiny font and how I can quickly and esily create any sentiment I like.

I completed the card using several pink sequins from the Neat & Tangled Spring Mix sequins. I also used a couple of 4mm Sparkling Clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

Clicking on the image below will take you to the Paper Smooches Sparks August Anything Goes challenge:

And clicking on the image below will take you to the fabulous Paper Smooches website:

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: