Sunday 29 June 2014

SNIPPETS, COLOURS AND SKETCHES


Hello All

I'm sharing a couple of cards here for various challenges but first a little bit of exciting news (well it is for me)!

 If you follow my blog regularly you'll know that for the last 5 weeks I've been having various alterations and upgrades to my master bedroom/ensuite and I'm hoping it'll be all but finished by the end of the week! 

So as if that's not enough to make me squeal with excitement we've also been having a re-jig of our spare box / guest room and a larger office / living area. Whoopie ... wait for it ... drum roll please!!!

I'm going to have my own designated craft room in the 'box room' and my guest room will become a 
more useful and convenient space downstairs.

It's taking shape and I've got a work desk in place and it's been painted in a soft lilac but I'm waiting for a wooden floor to go in, shelving units and gloss paint work so can't move properly yet.
So why am I telling you all this??? Well my photos have been taken in the new room 
and I would love to hear what you think.

Anyway here's my first card which is for the CASology, ColourQ and Pixies Crafty Snippets Challenges


I've used a wood effect embossing folder for my off the edge circle to hopefully fit with the 'Wood' theme at CASology and the sentiment is from Clearly Besotted - Design a Tree stamp set.
This week's challenge at Less is More is to recycle something so the flowers are made from paint sample cards which happen to match the ColourQ colours this week. 
I've accumulated loads of these during our re-decorating and they are too good to throw away.


   


Next up is a card for Freshly Made Sketches and I'm going to pop it in at Simon Says Stamp where it's an Anything Goes week. Another colleague is retiring in 2 weeks so this card will fit him perfectly (I hope).



  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog

Card Recipe:

Image: LOTV - Vintage Boys
Papers: Doodlebug from Craft Mojo
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - Dandelion Dreams
Button and twine from my stash

Ok lots to do in the house today so thanks for stopping by and any feedback is much appreciated.
Catch up with you all again soon.


                                                            Sarah


Saturday 28 June 2014

RECYCLE TIME

Hi There
Back for another challenge here over at Less is More 
and this week we'd like you to recycle something

To be honest when I saw this I thought ... yep that's simple!
Ha Ha! Not sure whether it's because I've had a crazy busy week
with Australian friends staying and various workmen putting the
(almost) finishing touches to my bedroom but it's not easy.

BUT I am confident that the talented bunch of Limettes 
will find this challenge a breeze and come up with 
some fantastic inspirational ideas.

So here's what I got up to ...

Believe it or not this is a gift tag which was on a shop-bought
gift bag for my birthday last year and I've held on to it thinking
'this will come in handy'
It comprised of the shocking pink banners, black and white checked button 
the large button at the top and the ribbons.
I've just added a couple more recycled buttons from my stash, 
a strip of washi tape, sentiment from Clearly Besotted and gems.


                                       


This card seems a real cheapo recycling option!
The tag and ribbon are from a 'Phase Eight' garment price tag!
The sentiments are Clearly Besotted with the 'happy' word die
cut from the reverse of a matching tag which I've curved
 slightly to match the curve of the white card panel. 
To finish off I've added a strip of patterned paper from Doodlebug,
enamel dots from My Minds Eye and metallic cord from my stash.





Ok that's my offerings and I can't wait to pop around blogland and see your creations.
 Apologies if I haven't got around to commenting on all of your blogs from last week 
just a crazy week ... will try to do better this week.

Have a fun and crafty weekend.

                                                            Sarah

Friday 27 June 2014

AFTERNOON TEA LADIES

Once again I've got a manic week going on so just zipping in to hopefully catch a couple of challenges before they close.

My Australian friends left on Wednesday then it's been workmen since and probably up to Tuesday when I can 'fingers crossed' cut the ribbon to my new bedroom (so to speak). Simply can't wait.

So this is to combine three challenges; Simon Says Stamp (anything goes), Color Throwdown and Sketch Saturday and it's for a colleague at work who is retiring. She's a very elegant lady and I'm hoping she'll get to do plenty of Afternoon Teas soon.


Sadly and somewhat amazingly I didn't have the correct purple shade for Color Throwdown so I'm hoping I can sneak in with this one ... apologies ladies.

   Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog

Card Recipe:

Image: LOTV
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted
Sizzix: Swiss Dots Embossing folder (de-bossed)
Pretty Pink Pearls: sent over from my American Auntie
Wink of Stella - couldn't resist adding some extra sparkle

Ok more crafting needed so thanks for stopping by and back tomorrow.

Sarah

Sunday 22 June 2014

GOLDEN FLUTTERBY

Happy Sunday

Apologies if I've missed commenting on some of your blogs but I've had a crazy week with guests turning up, coming and going, and some staying into next week. Adding into that the lack of one bedroom and bathroom it's been a bit mad! Thankfully this time next week I may be considerably further on with the bedroom renovations as my units, skirtings and 2nd fix plumbing should be going in (fingers crossed).

As a result I've not had much time to craft but here's a card for a couple of challenges:




Card Recipe:
Clearly Besotted: Elegant Butterflies & Congratulations word die -
both heat embossed in gold and Winked with Stella.
Uniko: Background Builders Vines
Doodlebug: Sequins
Sizzix: Mosaic embossing folder
Gold metallic cord from my stash

Challenges:
Clearly Besotted: Anything Goes
CASology: Celebrate
Fusion & CAS(E) This Sketch: Combined
Pixies Crafty Snippet Challenge


   

So thanks for stopping by, have a fabulous day and any feedback is much appreciated if 
you've time to leave a quick comment.

Many thanks

Sarah



Saturday 21 June 2014

WATERCOLOUR MANIA

Happy Saturday ... yeah!

It's 8am and time for another Less is More Challenge! This week we'd like to see watercolouring on your creations and judging by what I've seen over the last few weeks it shouldn't be a problem. I know many of you have done the online courses so I'm hoping to learn some great techniques from you.

So here's my cards and I've decided to go for water-coloured backgrounds 
rather than water-colouring an image itself.



For this one I've used water colour pencils in shades of yellows, oranges and reds then added water to create a night sky.  The city skyline die cut is from Paper Smooches 
and I've covered this in Wink of Stella to make it a real city night-life scene.
The sentiments are from Clearly Besotted: Going Places and Blast Off 
with a couple of Doodlebug sequins for some added sparkle to finish off!

I'm going to head over to the CASology challenge with this card where the key word is 'Celebrate' and the team are certainly celebrating with 100 challenges under their belts.




For this one I've created a panel using distress inks which I've blended together then spritzed with water.
the panel at the bottom has some twine wrapped around for added detail then mounted on 3d adhesive. The upper panel is mounted flat to the card with a wrap around piece of vellum, heat embossed with another sentiment from Clearly Besotted. 
Finished with a couple of Doodlebug sequins.

I'm heading over to the Timeout Challenge with this one where it's a photo inspiration this week from the wonderfully talented Donna Mikasa. 
I'm hoping my blended colours will be fit as my inspiration from Donna's card.

 

Ok over to you now and I'm excited to see what you come up with during the week.

Sarah


Sunday 15 June 2014

DOLLY MIXTURE SHOWDOWN

Hello All

Bit late in the day for posting so going to be quick.

I've NOT been watching football (basically I'd rather watch paint dry) and I'm happily sat in a room with no TV! I can just about hear the shouting and jeering from the other room where hubby and daughter are glued to the box!

So enough of that ...

Here's my card for the latest CASology Challenge where the theme is Anniversary

                                    

I've used a 'dancing couple' die-cut which must be a freebie as I don't own the die but I thought it fit perfect. It's mounted on an embossed Rounded Tag die from Clearly Besotted with sentiment and hearts also Clearly Besotted 'Paired Up' set then finished with some metallic cord from my stash.




Next up is for the following challenges:
CAS Colours & Sketches
Color Throwdown
Clearly Besotted: Anything Goes
Addicted to CAS: Theme Transport
Pixies Crafty Snippet Playground



This Used:
Clearly Besotted: Going Places Stamp & Die Set, Sweet Little Sentiments, Landscape Die
MFT Die-namics: Snow Drift and Pierced Rectangle Stax
Promarkers, Gems from my stash

http://addictedtocas.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/challenge-40-transport.html      


Last but not least is my entry to this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge and as Football is so 'popular' right now I couldn't resist giving the card a 'footie' twist. Another gents card for the depleted box of handy to have in cards.



Card Recipe:
Card & Papers from my stash
Sizzix: Retro Circles embossing folder
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - In the Frame set
Stars and Circles Nail heads - Josy Rose



Ok that's me done for tonight ... a quick tidy up and off to bed.

Thanks for stopping by and see you all soon.


Sarah


Saturday 14 June 2014

ON OR OVER THE EDGE

Morning All

Hope your are ready to put those crafty mits into action for a new Less is More challenge. 

It's the One Layer Card week with an 'Off the Edge' theme.

First up I'm in a fussy cut mood using my 'go to' stamp set for gorgeous florals; 
Beautiful Blooms from Uniko Studio; I use it loads.
 The inspiration for my card came from the stunningly colourful floral picture 
inspiration at Fusion Challenge so I'll be heading over there shortly. 




I started by stamping the beautiful bloom in different summer colours and masking as I went along then fussy cut the edges to give them an 'off the edge' look. I've added a brand new Clearly Besotted sentiment from the newly released Sweet Little Sentiments set and to finish off some colour-coordinated pearls from Doodlebug.

Next up is a simpler off the edge card and I love the combination of black, 
white and shocking pink together so it's 'black' space for me this week!

Firstly I've heat embossed my Hobbycraft Butterfly stamp and a sentiment from 
Clearly Besotted Fabulous Fuchsias with white embossing powder.
 The butterfly is just 'tipped' off the edge. 
To finish I've added polka dot ribbon, rhinestone gems, doodlebug sprinkles and 
a good old twinkling of Wink of Stella.

I'm also entering this one at Addicted to Stamps and More where 
it's a Clean and Simple week


Ok it's over to you and I'm looking forward to seeing all your 
fantastic creations during the week.
Have a fun weekend.


Sarah


Friday 13 June 2014

SHIP AHOY ... ABOUT TO SAIL


Hi All

Yippee it's Friday evening and the weekend!!!!

I'm literally zipping in to catch a challenge before it closes and I'm quite impressed that I've managed to combine it with 3 others ... love it when that works out.



This Used:
Memory Box: Wave Stencil
Paper Smooches: Anchor Die; from Make the Day Special
MFT Die-namics: Sentiment Strips
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - Sweet Little Sentiments
Sequins: Doodlebug; from Craft Mojo
Washi tape, Distress inks, gems and cord from my stash

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge: Stencil It
The Card Concept - Nautical Theme
The Paper Players
CAS(E) This Sketch

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog                                         
        


Ok off for my fish and chips tea now but I'll be back tomorrow and thanks for stopping by.

Sarah

Sunday 8 June 2014

A QUADRUPLE POST


Hello Blog Pals

Hope you've had a fun and crafty day.

My OH has been decorating today and from past experience I've realised it's best to stay out of the way so I took the opportunity to make a couple of cards this afternoon.

First up is a card I made for Mr Dazzle ... it was his birthday last week and he's my AMAZING blog photographer hence the image on the card which was sent over the pond from my fun-loving and trendy American Auntie. The colours just so happen to be in line with the current challenge at The Card Concept so I'll be hopping over there shortly with what is a 'free-style collage' creation plus Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday challenge where the theme is Father's Day or Masculine this week.

                             

Materials Used:
Sizzix Framelits - Star Dies
Clearly Besotted - Superstar & Geometric I stamp sets & 'Happy' word die
Papers: Echo Park
Sprinkles: Stampin Up & Doodlebug

                                                      Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog


Next up is a funky floral card using the colour selection from this week's ColourQ Challenge and I'm combining it with the 'Summer' theme at TIME OUT challenge with an option of flowers.

I've used the leaf dies from Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Florals' set to make the petals with stems from MFT Die-namics 'Lily'. The sentiment is also Clearly Besotted and I've mounted the image onto a pierced rectangle from MFT Die-namics 'Rectangle Stax'. To finish there's buttons and gems from my stash.




                                                               

I think I've gone mad for colour challenges today as I've just noticed these are all colour related challenges!

So this one is for CAS Colours & Sketches and I lurve these colours together so simply had to have a do at it. I'm quite impressed with how it's turned out too. The coloured, striped background is made by colouring stripes with promarkers.


                               

I received my latest release order from Clearly Besotted yesterday and I've been waiting (quite patiently) for the 'birthday' word die to come back into stock so this is its first outing for me. The 'birthday' word was die cut in black and in the striped paper then inlaid in black. I think it looks pretty striking and would be great for a masculine card as I'm always short of them. The other sentiments are also Clearly Besotted and I've finished off with a couple of Doodlebug Sprinkles from Craft Mojo.

                                                     


Last but not least is my card to enter this week's Color Throwdown challenge and it's another Clearly Besotted heavy card. I took inspiration for my layout from the challenge photo using the dies from the Bridal Bouquet set which are stamped with versamark ink but it doesn't seem to be showing too well in the photo but I assure you it's there.  Perhaps it's the glossy-type card I've used for the roses.

The sentiment is a brand newbie just released by Clearly Besotted 'Sweet Little Sentiments' which flew off the shelves so I was very lucky to leave the checkout with my basket in tact.





That's one mammoth post and I don't think I've ever posted one with 4 cards so huge thanks for stopping by and if you've read to the end you deserve an extra special hug and thanks. It's much appreciated.

Sarah