Simply Stampin' Sketch

The challenge this week on Simply Stampin' is to follow a sketch which I have to say is usually a favourite with me and some very interesting layout options crop up from time to time - just have to remember them when inspiration is lacking!!  I'm afraid I don't know the source of the papers I've used as they are from the 'bits' box (still using scraps where possible), The stamp is from SU Aviary set with a little swirl of leaves from Sweet Summer.  Framelits labels dies were used for the image, Scalloped Edgelits die for the border strip and Sizzlits Lots of Tags and an SU punch for the sentiment. Do take a look at what their Design Team have shown us for inspiration this week by following the link.

Make My Monday Challenge

There is still a French theme going on at Make My Monday and I'm rapidly running out of French themed 'things' so good thing there's only one more week!  This time they are asking for TRICOLEUR namely to include red, white and blue.  I had a piece of watercolour paper which I'd used at a recent marbling workshop - not particularly successful this particular piece but the colours were right and I was going to sponge and overstamp it so used it for a background here.  French themed stamps are from Chocolate Baroque Paris plate, the small text is En Francais stamp by Stampin' Up and the swirl from SU Everything Eleanor set.  The flowers are also from Everything Eleanor and the leaves from French Foliage (SU).  Sentiment was stamped on a scrap of the background paper and cut out using a Crealies die and flowers were mounted onto Spellbinders die cuts.

Addicted to Stamps Challenge

The challenge on Addicted to Stamps this week is to follow a sketch which they have provided -  following a sketch is an excellent way to lay out a card if you are ever stuck for ideas and this one was quite straightforward.  Background paper is from My Minds Eye; I embossed a piece of Core-dinations card with dots for one of the layers; the image is a stamp from Stampin' Up Faith in Nature set; the swirly frame was cut with a Lea'bility die and that's it really - a simple card for a simple layout.  I hope you all have a good weekend - feeling quite autumnal (ie chilly) this morning but the sun is trying to break through.

V is for Vintage

Did I mention that the tag swap at Chocolate Baroque seems to be more difficult now we are getting to the end letters of the alphabet?  I decided eventually to go for a fairly obvious one here and chose VINTAGE - using the Haberdashery stamps. The dress form was stamped onto a scrap of patterned paper and cut out so that I could layer it.  Background is again from Tim Holtz vintage shabby collection overstamped with smaller stamps from the set.  Of course I had to add a piece of cream lace from my trimmings scraps and made a dimensional flower with some of the backing paper using a Studio 490 stamp. Only four more letters to go now and I will have a beautiful and varied collection of twelve tags by the end of the year.

The Lost Twinchie

The twinchie which I thought I'd lost when Craft Artist shut itself down wasn't in fact lost after all.  When I opened up the programme this morning it asked me if I wanted it to try and recover the unsaved work - how great is that?  Here is my third twinchie - a steampunk sort of Halloween - I hope you will pop over to see what their Design Team have made for this fun challenge.

For a Friend

Have you ever spotted a 'must-have' die or stamp on a blog, purchased said item, only to find that it is much larger or smaller than it appeared??  Well that was the case with this lovely Marianne die set - much larger than I thought but at least it didn't need the addition of too much to turn in into a special card with a simple stamped sentiment from Stampin' Up. If you are wondering, this is a six inch card.  I made the roses using a Creative Expressions embossing folder and cutting out the individual flowers to manipulate and layer - a bit fiddly but something which can be done easily while watching TV. The leaves were made using a Crealies die and of course cut from some of my scraps.  Backing paper is from a Prima pad - love their designs.  Not the best photo but the light isn't brilliant at the moment and the flowers are too deep for a good result using the scanner.

Twinchie Time

Time for a new challenge on Show is Your Twinchies blog and this time they are asking for some two inch square pieces of art with a Halloween theme. The first one was stamped using an owl on pumpkin stamp from a set of the new clear stamps by Chocolate Baroque.  Unfortunately I had to chop off the bottom of the pumpkin to make it the right size - thought that would be preferable to chopping the head off the owl!!  The second one was produced on the computer using Craft Artist software.  I did have a third one in the making on the computer but the programme crashed  and closed down so I lost it with no time to make it again at the moment.