Beautiful with Altenew

 

 This month's challenge at Altenew is the beautiful inspiration above.   I was playing with some of my new Altenew inks - and came up with this card

 

This is made with a number of Altnew stamp sets, dies and inks.  

Stamp sets: Flowers and leaves - Beautiful Day, green splatters - Watercolour Frames, and sentiments from Simple Flowers. 

Inks: Turquoise, Tide Blue and Starlight for the flower which had been embossed with Platinum EP

Leaves were in Rocky Shores and Espresso and the frame in Olive.  

We had a great weekend away, despite traveling through a thunderstorm to get there.  And another thunder and lightening storm on Saturday, which ended with a hail storm. 

  

It looked like snow!

And we weren't able to sit outside on the deck due to a Mamma Thrush deciding her nest would be situated on one of the deck chairs. 

The chair was about 3 feet from the door out onto the deck.  I got a bit close and she flew off so I got a good look at her four eggs.   It was really interesting to watch her sitting, flying off for something to eat and then back to sit on her brood. 

Thanks for stopping by today. 

OCC Rainbow Maker class - more homework

I was not feeling well today - had a Gall Stone episode over night and was still feeling nauseous this morning so had a day off.  Spend the morning reading and then after lunch I decided to do some more  home work for the class.

This ink blending card was inspired by one done by Kristina Warner from Day 1

I used a variety of Altenew inks to blend through a mask made with a Spellbinders Heart die cut.   I used the same colours to stamp the splatter with a Your Next Stamp splatter stamp.  I used 2nd generation stamping to get the softer colours.   The sentiment is from Kaisercraft.
This has been entered into the Add a Sentiment challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday blog.

Feeling better this evening so it will be off to work again in the morning.   We've off to the beach tomorrow for the weekend.  I'm not taking any stamping stuff but might take some pencils and a colouring in book or two. 

Rainbow cards....

I've been taking part in the OCC Rainbow marker class - or at least watching the videos.  I did manage to get one card done for my homework.  As part of the Altenew sale, I purchased the Simple Flowers stamps and dies and had an idea to stamp the flowers in different rainbow colours.  I decided to use Catherine Pooler inks as they are so vibrant and will make the flowers pop.  

And I was super pleased with the result.  I added lots of Spectrum Noir glitter pen on the flowers to give it a shimmery shine.  

And here's a bit of a sneak peek of the latest Challenge at StampNation... it's all about using your border stamps and I did a rainbow card

Full reveal is over at StampNation.  Do come and join.  It is well worth it. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Birthday with Elizabeth Craft Designs

Don't you just hate that moment when you realise you need a card - like NOW.... for me it was for my inspiration post for Die Cut Divas.  I thought I was up to date with my design team cards.... and suddenly realised that I was not prepared!

So some patterned paper and a beautifully large die from Elizabeth Craft Designs to the rescue

Some PP that looks like watercolour paper made for a perfect background to the shimmer card cut die.  I did one layer white card and then one in the blue shimmer.  Added a few hand made enamel dots in a matching blue and all done and dusted in less than 15 mins.

Our challenge this month is Anything Goes.  So pull out those dies and embossing folders or crank up you electronic cutter and have some fun.  We love seeing all your beautiful creations.

Hope you've been busy this weekend.  We spend some time today sharing a lunch to celebrate the engagement of our friend's son and his fiance.   Congratulations to David and Kelly

I haven't shared any Archie photos for a while so here is one of him today... playing on the slide

 He's almost 16 months old now and a real boy.  Loves to play and climb and loves going to the park.

Sending Hugs and kisses

A very CAS card today that was inspired by a FB live by Lydia Evans for Altenew.  It was a couple of weeks ago when Altenew had their summer sale on.  One of the cards Lydia made used the Watercolor Frames set and I just had to order it.  I was so inspired to CASE her card.  Well today the stamp arrived.  Added to that, I had ordered the yellow inks and they had arrived earlier this week.   I got some time this afternoon to play with them.

The watercolour frames where stamped in Limestone and Silverstone Grey inks.  The sentiment from Wishing You set was stamped in Pure Graphite.    I used Painted Flowers to make my roses.  I used the new yellows - Fresh Lemon and Honey Drizzle.   I used some of the Tropical Forest Green inks for the leaves.  The background leaves are from the Beautiful Day set.   I wasn't sure if I needed something more on the card, but love the simplicity of the card.

My poor hubby has had the 'flu this week.   He didn't have a cough or a runny nose but had the hot and cold shivers and feeling lethargic and headachy.   He really did get a bad bout.  Finally feeling a bit better.  Just hope he hasn't passed it on to me!

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your weekend and hope you get to be crafty

Go Wild

As I was blog hopping over the last couple of days I saw that CASology Cue card was SAFARI
I knew what I wanted to do... and the set I would use and finally this afternoon after work I managed to get it done.

The stamp and the embossing folder came recently with one of my Papercraft magazines.  I started by using a Simon Says Stamp circle die and embossed it with the folder.  I then used three Oxide inks to sponge over it and gave it a spritz with water.   I stamped, coloured and fussy cut the little adventurer and his giraffe friend.   These got popped up off the panel,

I've also entered this into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - For a Child

Weekend stamping and a Christmas Tag

Hi all.  Hope you have all had a great weekend.  I did some stamping... a few cards for my design teams and some just for fun. 

Sunday morning I took part in Hero Arts Flickr group 90 mins scramble.  I really had a struggle.  The challenge was to use a frame on your card.   I decided I'd use some oxide inks for a background, smooshing on a stamping block ... but oh my goodness....what a mess!  After several goes, I gave that a miss.... and then decided to use an older HA stamp called Flower Box.  Started by stamping and colouring and then added my sentiment with Versafine Onyx black.   But I forgot that this ink takes time to dry - so don't go and trim it up too soon....

ARRRG... by this time it I flagged it and came back half an hour later and started again!

Still not 100% happy but it got finished.

My next project was a tag to enter into the current Christmas challenge at StampNation. 

I used a tag die cut with a Catherine Pooler SOA die, and used a Sunny Studio stamp set.  The branches were stamped with Altenew Evergreen ink.  The bells are stamped with Catherine Pooler inks in Garden Party, Lime Rickey and Grass Skirt   They really look shiny

I did some testing of different inks for the bells

I'll be sure to be trying out some different colour schemes for my Christmas cards this year.

The Colour Purple.... my favourite

Yes, once again I'm making a card with my favourite Purples..... and what would suit that better than the lovely Enchanted Iris from Altenew.

I did some google searching to get some idea of the way to colour these.  I used Copic markers
V012, V015 and V017 with a little bit of yellow from a Spectrum Noir pen C3.  I used a couple of greens to do the leaves and a very pale blue to provide a shadow.  I did somehow manage to get marks on the page - hence the well place sequins!   The sentiment is from Beautiful Day set from Altenew.

I also made a very simple card using some  purchased die cuts.  I got 5 packs of die cuts, twines, enamel dots usually $3.99 each for a $1 each.   I don't usually use these sorts of die cuts, but when I need a card quickly they can work well

 

I went to the local stationery store to pick up the white card stock I use and found a pad of this beautiful pearlescent blue card - $4.99 for 40 sheets of A5 card.  Good value. This makes for a nice base and I'm sure I'll be using it a bit.