Two in One!

With one card I made this evening, I have completed 2 challenges! And I didn't even realise it until I signed into my blog to post this card.


This card qualifies for Mel's Weekly Challenge #3 and SBS25 Challenge #9. Mel's Challenge was a colour cahllenge (Elegant Eggplant, Real Red, Yoyo Yellow, Gable Green plus one neutral) and we had to use Dazzling Diamonds or the new SU Chunky Glitter. SBS25 Challenge was to use up some scraps on a card. Here's my card that qualifies for both challenges.

The base cardstock is Elegant Eggplant. I stamped the flower from Season of Joy in Real Red ink on Real Red cardstock (scraps). I then adhered some Red Chunky Glitter in each of the petals using Tombow 2-Way Glue. The flowers were fixed to the base card with Stampin' Dimensionals. The torn Whisper White (a scrap - already torn) was stamped repeatedly with the flourish from Season of Joy in Gable Green. The Yoyo Yellow piece (also a scrap) is stamped with the greeting from Season of Joy in Real Red.

I have spent a lot of time over the weekend making Christmas cards (I sent all the ones I had made to the RAAF Chaplain in the Middle East for distribution to our Aussie troops so they can send cards home for Christmas). I therefore have lots to post over the next few days. So stay tuned.

SBS25 Challenge No 1

The first challenge issued to the members of SBS25 was to make 5 cards using the same image and the same colours. Didn't sound too hard. Then why did I find it so difficult?

I decided to make Christmas cards as I have a Christmas Stamp-a-Stack coming up at the end of August and I needed samples. I just love the Season of Joy stamp set so that choice was easy. Then I had to select the colours. I wanted to use at least 2 of the current (Australia-NZ) In Colours so I went to the '08 In Colour Combo chart that SU has for demostrators. I chose Groovy Guava, Wild Wasabi, Close to Cocoa and So Saffron. I added Brushed Gold to the mix for a bit of sparkle.

Here's the cards I came up with.

I used Wild Wasabi double stitched ribbon on two of the cards and the retired Gold Organdy ribbon on a third. I used a different colour base card for each card. I'm not 100% happy with all of them but I think, as a group, I like them.

What do you think?

An apology and lots of creations!

I must apologise for my long absence. I have no excuse and not even a reason. However, I have been busy whilst not posting. So grab a cuppa and get comfortable. This is a long post.

1. This card is my first try at a new technique. I'm not sure what is called. First you brayer over a piece of vellum and then stamp with an uninked stamp to lift off some of the ink, leaving a lifhter image behind. I combined this with two-step stamping. The colours are Old Olive, Always Artichoke and Very Vanilla. The stamp set is A Beautiful Thing from our Spring Mini Catalogue.
2. When tidying my stamping cupboard I found three long, skinny tags made from Very Vanilla cardstock. Of course, I had to use them. I chose the hostess set In the Spotlight. The small flower was stamped on the tags using So Saffron ink and then on scrap Very Vanilla cardstock using More mustard. The sentiments are from another hostess set, So Many Sayings, and were inked with an Old Olive marker, stamped onto Very Vanilla and punched using the Word Window. The base card is Very Vanilla. Layered on that is old Olive DSP. The large flowers were More Mustard stamped on So Saffron cardstock. I layered one small flower on each large one with Stampin' Dimensionals and then adhered everything to the card.
3. Christmas cards are moving up my list of priorities. I am absolutely loving the Season of Joy set from the Spring Mini Catalogue. Both these card layouts were CASEd from the SU Demo page. The first one used Real Red, Bashful Blue and Confetti White cardstock with Certainly Celery ribbon.
These 2 are the same layout mirrored. The first time I stamped "joy!" it was not at all straight. So I started again. When I had completed the card I decided to make another, mirrored, so I could cover the crooked word. The colours are Old Olive and Bashful Blue with Confetti White cardstock.
4. A week or so ago we had a Demo get-together here to say goodbye to one of the girls who moves to QLD in a few weeks. These are the two cards Natasha had prepared for us to make. The first one use In the Spotlight with Cameo Coral, Ruby Red and Old Olive. What a fantastic colour combination. I think this one would do for any occasion, including Christmas.

This small, square card only uses stamps for the word. The shirt is folded from Spring Showers DSP. I placed faux buttons down the centre of the shirt, made with the Crop-a-dile.
5. Another card using In the Spotlight. I CASEd this one but I can't remember who from - sorry! The colours are Blue Bayou, Purely Pomegranate, Old Olive and More Mustard. Paper piercing around the inside of the Confetti White rectangle adds another dimension.

6. The next 2 cards resulted from me "playing" with the hostess set Oh So Lovely. I love this colour combination - Purely Pomegranate, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla - which was usggested by Angela Sargeant. I used the stipple background stamp to create the horizontal stripes. The DSP is from Berry Bliss (yummy!). There are 2 ribbons along the bottom - Purely Pomegranate wide satin and Chocolate Chip taffeta.

I also love this colour combination - Bravo Burgundy, Mellow Moss, Handsome Hunter and Apricot Appeal (thank you Colour Coach). I used by CM oval templates to cut the ovals. There is a lot of sponging on the edges of nearly every piece on this card - it gives a much richer look.

7. On the right are 2 brag books I made using the instructions from UStamp. Each of them will hold up to 8 photos. They are just so cute. Perfect for gifts for grandmas, aunts, etc. Below I have pictures of each of them open.

I'm really pleased with how these turned out.

Well, that's it. I hope you are satisfied with my output this week. I don't think next week will be so productive as my husband and daughter have been away this week and they come back tomorrow.

Thanks for looking.

VSN Challenge 3

The last challenge!

This card uses my 2 favourite colours from our current In-Colour range - Purely Pomegranate and Wild Wasabi. I think they work so well together for a Christmas Card. I haven't used the wide Satin ribbon much so I just had to use it for this card - and it comes in Purely Pomegranate!

The stamp set is Season of Joy - just gorgeous. I stamped the swirl twice along the bottom and top, changing the orientation each time. The image was stamped in Wild Wasabi and Purely Pomegranate on Whisper White. I cut out one of the flowers, the inside of the tree and the letters J and Y from the Purely Pomegranate image and glued them onto the Wild Wasabi one to add some interest.

I adhered a Purely Pomegranate mat to the card base. Then I layered the ribbons (Wild Wasabi double-stitched over the Purely Pomegranate satin). Lastly, I layered the image with Wild Wasabi textured cardstock and used Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere them down.

I really love this set for Christmas. I can see me making a lot of cards something like this.

I'm back!

I have batteries!

I held a Watercolour Techniques Class on Saturday afternoon. These are the 3 cards we made:

From top left:
1. This card was made using the Misting Markers technique. Stamp Sets are Season of Joy and A Little Birthday Cheer. Colours are Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi and Cameo Coral.
2. We used Watercolour Wonder Crayons and Blender Pens for this card. The images come from the True Friend stamp set. Colours are Elegant Eggplant, Lavendar Lace, Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink and Old Olive.
3. Lastly, we used Markers and Aquapainter for this beautiful rose from Bloomin' with Beauty. Colours are Always Artichoke and Rose Red with Certainly Celery wide grosgrain ribbon.

The ladies and I had a great time! Maybe you'll like to join us next time for a Christmas Stamp-a-Stack (stay tuned for details).

BLOG CANDY

I know I promised you some blog candy when I reached 2000 hits. Well, we passed that over the weekend. So, leave a comment on this post before midnight Friday 29th August (Darwin time) and you'll be in the draw to win the above 3 cards! In your comment, tell me your favourite watercolouring technique.

I can't wait to read all your comments.