CAS at Fashionable Stamping

Hello there - we're back here over at FSC with another challenge them and this fortnight Meggymay would like you to create something Clean and Simple. I love this style but haven't gone CAS for a while so enjoyed making my card - 

I used some Washi tape and Tissue tape (coloured with distress stains) on white card, inked the edges with distress ink and mounted on yellow card and a white card blank. 

The letters (Stamp Addicts) are stamped on yellow card and embossed with white, cut out and the edges inked again with Distress ink. 

The rest of the FSC team have, as always, made some beautiful projects for inspiration, so do pay them a visit. It would be great to have you join our challenge - don't forget we MUST see some stamping, not just Digis, and the winner will be chosen at random and receive a voucher to spend over at FlonzCraft...Happy creating…Esther xx

Birds at FSC

Wow – I can’t believe it’s already time for another challenge at Fashionable Stamping and this fortnight Yvonne is leading us in a challenge to create something with birds. Now I don’t really use birds in my crafting much, and don’t really have many supplies, except for the obvious flying flock from Tim Holtz, so I was a bit stuck until this months Craft Stamper came through the door…and then inspired by one of the projects in it I made this card - I’ve used slightly different supplies – distress stains and inks instead of the markers used in CS and I’ve glued the little bird and his cloud with silicone glue to give some dimension. The stamp was a prize and I’m afraid I can’t remember the manufacturer. Don’t forget we are a stamping challenge so do need to see some stamping on your entry, as always there is some fab inspiration from my team mates, do go and visit them too. And of course we have the voucher from Marina of Cottage Crafts for the randomly chosen winner. I look forwards as always to visiting you…thanks for stopping to see me…Esther xx

We are Sailing…

I’ve had some inky time to play at my craft desk today and it’s been all about holidays..Pete and I are off to Turkey in September and whenever we go away I always plan to keep a holiday diary, but never actually do it. BUT…this year I’m planning ahead and have made a little book to take in the hope it might encourage me to stick to it. I was inspired by the challenge over at Blockheads Paper Arts which is to make and bind your own mini book.

I have used a sheet from an atlas as my front cover, and after painting and stamping, used a double sided sticky sheet  to stick it to a sheet of acetate for added stability and protection. This also gave me another surface to stamp on, creating a collaged layered look.

 

I used various papers which I painted with gesso or acrylic paint (or both) and stamped on.

I made a couple of pages with acetate pockets to tuck tickets/mementos into – I've tucked a scrap of paper in one to try and show it, but it’s tricky to see on the pic.

I’ve tied the book with seam binding and the finishing touch is a cute little seahorse charm.

I’m sharing this here -
Blockheads Paper Arts – Make a mini book
Anything Goes – Summer Days
Artful Times – Use Acetate
The Artistic Stamper – Holidays

Unruly PaperArts RAQ 1 - Dear Diary

While I still had my holiday/beach themed stamps out I also made a card -

I’ve stamped the sailing boat (Rogue Redhead) and antique map (The Stamp Man) on water colour paper, and used Derwent inktense blocks to paint the images. The little crab is from the same Rogue Redhead set.

 I’m sharing this card here -
Less is More – tearing
CAS-ual Fridays – Splish-Splash
Rogue Redhead – Shape Up (use at least 1 circle, 1 square and 1 rectangle).
The Craft Barn – Colour technique
Totally Papercrafts – Inspired by a song (we are Sailing) 
Apologies for the long post, thanks for visiting…Esther xx

Spongy doodling

Been busy this weekend with DT stuff but found time to make a card for a couple of challenges that caught my eye. Over at 'Less is More' the girls have asked for doodling - where as this normally reminds me of boring Uni lectures I really enjoyed having a go at this. I combined it with the opposites attract challenge at 'CAS-ual Fridays' and have used Aqua and Orange shades of distress inks. 

I masked off the top of the card with sticky notes and placed a stencil on the bottom half, which I sponged through.  The challenge over at 'Just Us Girls' this week is sponge a layer.  

I then took to it with my pen and 'doodled' away. A stamped sentiment finished off.

I'm also going to enter this over at 'Anything Goes' . 

Hope you have all had a good weekend - thanks for visiting...Esther xx

Quick splash of colour

  Really quick post as I'm off to bed but wanted to get this blogged. I only had time for a quick play at the craft desk this weekend and so stuck with CAS cards.

This one is based on the Colour Splash challenge over at The Play Date Cafe. I just adore this Hot pink combined with Black and so had to give it a go.

The border is stamped and embossed in Black (have lost the packaging so can't remember the stamp brand), then I die cut a Marianne creatables butterfly added some ric-rak and stickles and there you have it.  The pink looks a bit coral coloured on here but it was really more like the hot pink of the colour splash photo.

I'm also sharing this at

Less is More - Punches/die cuts

Moving along with the Times - get well soon

CAS cards

Been a while since I made any cards just because I wanted to so after browsing some challenge sites yesterday, I decided to spend some time at my desk creating a CAS card. This first is inspired by the 'On the Red Carpet' theme over at CASual-Fridays. The movie I chose is 'The red Shoes'. I've coveted this ballerina stamp from Happy Daze for ages and finally treated myself this week so just had to use it.

I stamped in white, embossed in pearl and then painted her shoes on with red liquid pearls. The swirl stamp is from Artistic Stamper and the sentiment a rub on from my stash. I’m also sharing this at Just Add Ink where the theme is ‘red and white’ (hope the black card stock is allowed) and Gingersnaps Chestnut Challenge – ‘Words of Wisdom’.

The second card is one I made a few weeks ago for Stamp Addicts and haven't blogged yet. I'm sharing it in the anniversary Challenge over at Less is More which is a colour challenge - Aqua. Sorry about the awful photo, it's really blurry for some reason and I can't retake it as I don't have the card anymore! I masked a square and used distress inks to create a graduated panel which I stamped over in Stone Grey Stazon. Also added a touch of ink around the edges.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the weekend – not looking forward to braving the snow in the morning ! Esther xx

CAS trio

It's time for the first Craft-Room Challenge of the New Year,  You could win £10 to spend at the  Craft-Room  shop - but don't forget to display the shop logo linked to the website in order to be eligible. There's a sale on over at the shop til Jan 13th too so it's a good time to pop over and grab some bargains.  It was my turn to choose the theme this time and I went with CAS - I love this style and it seems to have just exploded on the creative scene since I started my blogging life !

This card is made using Milled Lavender Distress stain as a first layer, some brush strokes of Inktense block, and Dusty Concord sponged through a harlequin stencil. The spiral stamps are Hero Arts - a little set of four I've had for ever! Had to add a bit of bling too didn't I ! I'm sharing this at

 Less is More - Predominantly Purple 

Gingernsaps Creations Chestnut theme - Use a set of stamps 

Sir Stampalot - monochromatic

I was then on a bit of a roll so went on to make this one too - similar technique just a change of colour and occasion. Same spiral stamps and the freebie from this months Craft Stamper magazine.

I'm sharing this one at

My Time to Craft  - hugs and kisses

Papertake Weekly  -  Anything Goes

 Penny Black and more at Allsorts - Love and Hearts

I didn't want to stop at two cards so I looked for inspiration for a third colour scheme - and decided upon the Play Date Cafe Challenge. Aren't these beautiful colours - Mint, Juniper and Vanilla. I used my chalk inks for this one - love the soft finish they give and added a chipboard Butterfly.

As well as the PDC I'm sharing this one at -

CASual Friday - Use Chipboard

The Friday Mash Up - Birthday and Chalk

I had great fun making these cards and they were so quick to come together once I had the initial design idea - come and join in at the Craft Room, looking forward to seeing your CAS creations....Esther xx

Let it Snow...

.....well no not really - I know it's pretty but i'm in no hurry to have to battle the snow to get to work. But I have enjoyed being a bit creative with a snowy theme today. It's been ages since I've had time to browse through blogland but I did a bit of hopping this morning and found inspiration to try something a bit different. Brenda at Floral fantasies has a tutorial for these ornaments. Brenda uses DP, but I got out my inks and stamps and did what I do best - make an inky mess. I clear embossed Crafty Individuals snowflakes on half the pieces and coloured with Faded Jeans Distress inks. The other pieces I coloured with Tumbled Glass DI and stamped with Faded Jeans.

For the Centre piece I stamped a PSX snowman (The first Christmas stamp I ever bought and I still love it) onto a scalloped circle coloured with DI , added some colour with Promarkers and triple clear embossed over the lot.  On the final layer I sprinkled a little white embossing powder and love how it turned out - I think it looks a bit like floating snow. All I have to do now is decide where to hang it.

I'm sharing this here -

The Stamp Man - Create an Ornament

The Artistic Stamper - Christmas

Craft Your days Away - Snowmen

Moving Along with The Times - Last minute Christmas

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Winter Wonderland - Let it Snow

My second make today was a simple card - having to do quick cards now as rapidly running out of time. Inspired by CAS-ual Fridays I made some snowflake masks, sprayed with Perfect pearls mist, then layered a sheet of acetate over the top stamped with white snowflakes , kept in place with brads.  

Hope you've all enjoyed the weekend  - Thanks for stopping by...Esther xx

You Rock

Time for another Craft-Room challenge and this week Mervi wanted us to remember the men in our lives - my card was made with my other half in mind even though it's not his birthday til March, he's a big rock fan and I've used a fab set of stamps from inkadinkadoo.

I've used the sketch from CAS-ual fridays for inspiration and over at Less is More this week the theme is stars and I have some of those on my card too. Moving Along with the Times is also hosting a Male themed challenge so I'm entering this there too.

I know we all struggle with male cards so I hope you find some inspiration from our Design Team samples and join us with your creations over at Craft-Room. I look forward as always to visiting and seeing what you create...... Esther xx

Cute Nativity

I have to admit I've felt a little fragile today after a BBQ with friends yesterday - trying to squeeze the last bit of summer out ! But I did manage a bit of crafting today - staying with Christmas and a CAS card with this really sweet LOTV image which I just love. I wanted the image to be the focus so all I've done is add a frame cut with a Nestie and a sentiment - 

This is a lovely image and I've coloured with Pro-markers.

 I'm sharing this at the following challenges -

Just Add Ink - Baby (a baby is the focus of the nativity after all!) 

Less Is more - Anything Goes

Passion for ProMarkers - Beary Special

Sir Stampalot - It's a frame up  

Hope you all have a good week...Thanks for stopping by... Esther xx

                                                         

More CAS Christmas

I really must get a bit more creative with my blog post titles, I'm a bit rubbish at them. Anyway this post is exactly what it says on the tin...a couple of CAS christmas cards. Apologies for the photos, they're a bit dark.

This first one uses a beautiful Penny Black stamp which I've stamped and embossed in silver and then stamped again behind.  The colour wash behind is Distress stains in weathered wood and milled lavender. Less is More this week wanted to see double so I'm entering this over there as well as at Penny Black At Allsorts who are challenging us to get ahead for Christmas.

I then went for bright colours and followed the sketch at Waltzing mouse sketch challenge and made this card. As I'm determined to continue with my Christmas card I'm looking for a festive spin for every challenge I fancy having a go at and this stamp from Waltzing Mouse made me think of Christmas lights so I've used my pro- markers to colour and added some glossy accents. For some reason the red has shown as more orange on the photo but it is a bright Chrismtas red IRL.

Thanks for visiting...I love reading your comments so please let me know what you think. Always grateful for tips...Esther xx

A splash of Christmas

Hello,  I found time for a quick play today to get some more Christmas cards done - this one was inspired by the colour splash challenge over at The Play Date Cafe - the splash being red.

I stamped the snowman (Judikins) used an H2O to paint his scarf, mounted on some black and metallic red card and stamped a few snowflakes on the black card with brilliance white. It was really tricky to photograph the metallic red card - this was the best I could do.

I'm also sharing this at -

CAS-Friday -  Create a Clean And Simple project inspired by a book, and use the colors black, white and red - my book is The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

Less is More - Metallic

Shaky Christmas

After a bit of a damp BBQ yesterday, I have spent a relaxed day crafting today and made this shaker card for Christmas.I've only ever tried a shaker card once before and so was quite pleased with how this turned out (the shadows on the acetate in the pic is glitter). It was inspired by the current Less is More challenge which is a 'things that move' theme, either a card with moving parts or with images that of things that move. I could say I've done both - the shaker card and the flying Santa!!  I've used stamps from Stamp Addicts painted with distress inks and run the outer frame threw my big shot in a dots embossing folder.

It's obviously pretty difficult to show the shaker card in action so I've taken a still of the card lying flat after a bit of a jiggle - I've added glitter and beadazzles.

I'm entering this into these challenges -

Less Is more - Things that Move

Allsorts - You've been Framed

CAS-Friday - Embossing

My Time to Craft - G is for....'Glitter'

I've got to go back to work tomorrow aftr a lovely relaxing week off so I better get off to bed - have a good week and thanks for dropping by...Esther xx

Bright Christmas

I'm always looking for something different to try with my Christmas cards but the very bright pink Christmas themed paper I’d recently been given was causing me trouble – couldn’t get an idea going.

When I saw this weeks colours at The Play Date Cafe it was the perfect opportunity to try them again. I really love this colour combination now I’ve used it but wouldn’t have thought to put them together myself  - I need to get a bit braver with colours I think as I tend to play it safe!

 

I ended up not using much of the paper and I’m not sure how Christmassy the card is but I quite like it. The colours on the base card are distress stains – I started this card as something else (Less Is More challenge ) but realised it wouldn’t work as a one layer card as it was textured and I wouldn’t get a very clear stamp but as the colours matched I’ve put it too good use here anyway.

I embossed the Winter Tree stamp in detail white and added some gems, then just layered up the papers, ribbon and stars.

I’m also sharing this here -

CAS-ual Friday – Embossing (hope it’s CAS enough, never sure at what point a card stops being CAS)

Craft Us Crazy – Anything Goes

Stampin for the Weekend – Holidays

Totally Papercrafts – Christmas in August

Thanks for visiting – Esther xx

CAS Christmas

I finally got round to making a couple of Christmas cards this week and one is for the Less Is More inky challenge.  This was the challenge from the LIM Ladies – A One Layer Card and USE INK….hopefully in a way you haven't tried before.... or using a favourite technique.

Well I tried a bit of playing with Distress Stains after catching Tim Holtz’s latest demo video.  I only have 3 colours at the moment (something I will have to correct!) and all I’d done was use one colour to completely cover an area as a base.  So for this card I used Weathered Wood and Spun Sugar together on just the bottom of the card. I stamped over this with the trees and added a touch of sparkle and a greeting. 

I like how the colours blend but don’t mix too much into a smudgy puddle and will definitely try this again – once I get some more colours !!
As well as LIM I’m sharing this here too -
Stampin for the Weekend – Holidays
Totally PaperCrafts – Christmas in August
Craft Us Crazy – Anything Goes
Inspire Me Fridays
Thanks for stopping by…I’m off to try and decide which DS to buy next….:-) Esther xx

Black and White

I don’t know about you but I love the elegance of black and white cards – but I never think to make them unless it appears as a challenge theme which is exactly where the inspiration for this one came from -

The secret Crafter challenged us to use just black and white so I’ve embossed this Fiskars stamp in white EP on black card and added some glue dots covered in glitter. This finishing touch was inspired by the challenge at CAS-ual Fridays and I have to say I’d never thought of using my glue dots in this way before and love how they look – here’s a close up !  I’m also going to enter this at Crafters Companion where the theme is Glitter and Glitz and at Fashionable Stamping Challenges - this is a new challenge site set up by some of the girls who were on the Lets Ink it up team (where I had a brief adventure) which sadly had to close when Suzanne became unwell. Their first theme is anything goes and I wish them every success in their new challenge.   

Hope you’re having a good week – thanks for stopping by…Esther xx

More Christmas….

I never thought it would happen…but..I’ve been making more Christmas Cards in July!! The cause of this unheard of event was the arrival of more Design Team stamps. Thankfully they were a joy to work with and inspiration kept flowing all weekend…here’s just a couple of samples -
I’m sharing this at Less Is More where the theme this week is ‘Feeling Fruity’ – I’d never really done CAS cards before coming across this challenge site when it started six months ago and am so glad I gave it a go because I’ve loved creating them – so thank you ladies - long may it continue!!

This wintery one uses the same tree as the first but with such a different look, I’ve used monochromatic colours and am entering this at The Secret Crafter as this is their theme.  I’m also entering it at Allsorts who have a final Free and Easy week.

Thanks for visiting, Esther xx

The stamps used are all from Stamp Addicts and will be on Create and Craft, 9th August @1.00pm.

Little tutorial

One of my all time favourate techniques is masking and stamping – I love the effects you can get with even very simple images.  My mum, who is a bit of a stamping novice, was quite confused by the technique though and couldn’t get over how simple it is once I showed her step by step…and I've recently been asked about it elsewhere too so I thought I‘d post a card I made with a few pics to show what I did. Apologies to those of you that will know how this works.

This is the card – made with  a single cupcake stamp, a cherry and a background gingham stamp –oh and the sentiment of course. I actually wish I hadn’t added the cherry but it’s too late (and I mean gone bedtime late) to do anything about it now! 

Stamp the cupcake onto a sticky note (making sure part of the image is on the sticky bit!) and cut out just inside the stamped line. Stamp the cupcake onto your cardstock and cover it (mask) with your sticky cut out.

Stamp the image again over the mask, you can mask and stamp several times - I did five cupcakes.

 

Mask all of the cupcakes and stamp over with background stamp.

The cakes look more natural, like they are standing one in front of the other, on top of the background  - which I thought look a bit like a picnic table cloth!!  I've coloured with pro-markers and added a little ribbon and bling.

I’m going to enter this here -

CAS-ual Fridays – Sweets and Treats

MAWTT – Favourate things (masking, cupcakes and lilac!)

Thanks for visiting…now I’m off to bed!! Esther xx

Sketchy colour ways

I had some craft time today just for me…my DT stuff is up to date and so I made just what I fancied! I used several challenges for inspiration – which lead me to my first card – very unusual for me to make a patriotic card, mainly because I’m really not keen on the colours, but when I saw the sketch at Less is More and the 3D challenge at Just Us Girls the idea came to me straight away so I went with it…

I’m not sure if the Rosettes are a bit big for it to be CAS – never really sure of the boundaries so I’m relying on the LIM girls to tell me! I’ve embossed a white panel with Swiss Dots and edged with a hint of silver which doesn’t really show up here. I’m going to add this to challenges at Moving Along with the Times – CAS, Stamp Something – Red, White and Blue and Secret Crafter – Embossing.

My next card is completely different but also inspired by  sketch and colour themed challenges – namely Lili of the Valley’s sketch and The Ribbon Girl’s colour theme (Pink and Cream) I do like a bit of girly pink sometimes! The ribbon looks peachy on here but it is more Dk cream in RL

I’ve coloured the LOV image with Pro-markers and used Paper Pizazz DP to layer with my plain CS. Other challenges for this card are -

I love Pro-markers – Anything Goes

Passion for Pro-markers – Park Life

Totally Papercraft – Spots and Stripes

Well that’s me for today – thanks for stopping by, Esther xx

Splash of Green

One of the things I love about the blogging world is being able to ask for advice when things aren't quite right with a project. I'm doing this here.... Over at the Play Date Cafe their challenge this week is a Colour Splash – more specifically black & white a splash of GREEN. Green is not really a favourate of mine, and inspiration was lacking so I decided to try another card for this weeks Less is More challenge (pick a square) as the previous one wasn’t quite right (should of left the ribbon off!) and I also wanted something to enter this into the Artistic Stamper Challenge which is ‘Ladies and Girls’. I’m not at all sure about it – I used a stencil and sprayed some Distress re-inker mixed with water, onto which I stuck this silhouette, which is from one of the new stamp sets by Stamp Addicts and just added the Penny Black sentiment.  The idea worked in my head – not sure it has on paper..or card! Suggestions anyone..???  Esther xx