WWC 295 Karen's All About Occasions Challenge

 Hi there.  It's time for the new challenge at Watercooler Wednesday and Karen is our hostess with an All About Occasions challenge.

My card today started as a card for an Embossing challenge... but I didn't read the theme correctly - It was use Metallic with a Geometric embossing folder. - I didn't use a Geometric folder but used a floral folder.  

I made my metallic centre by making the edges and using Catherine Pooler Sauna ink and gold Perfect Pearls. I then used a an Altenew 3D Embossing folder Beautiful Bergenia.  I matted the panel onto a piece of gold paper and then added to a white card base.   Added a Catherine Pooler die cut Hello and finished with a sentiment from an Altenew set. 

Come and join in the fun at  Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and check out the project from the other designers.  Then take our challenge and link up your project to the challenge post.    We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday at 5 pm Mountain Standard Time (Tuesday at 11.00 am NZ time ) to link up your project.

October's Hero Art Facebook Fan 90 min Scramble.

 Hi.  Nina is hosting a 90 minute scramble over at the Facebook Hero Arts Fan Scramble Challenge 

Her challenge is to use your Hero Arts Background stamps.   I have a lot of older Hero Arts stamps including a reasonable number of block backgrounds and cling backgrounds.   I chose to use a cling stamp called Leaf and Floral background.  I saw that my blogger friend Cindy had used the same background stamp - nice to see how we used it differently. 

I watched a video this week from Jennifer McGuire that used Perfect Pearls with background stamps and that's what I did.  I stamped the background stamp with Versamark and added the gold Perfect Pearls.  I finished off with a simple little die cut Hello from the Hello Stamp and Cut set.  The little added sentiment is from the same set and was gold embossed onto the same dark blue cardstock.  The panel was added to some gold card and then added to a white base.   

Nice to just have some fun playing in a scramble - even if I did it over 2 nights the total time was around 60 mins. 

Thanks for stopping by.  

Cards for two challenges.

 I'm back from my  5 days away - we did a little road trip south of Auckland.  We had a lovely trip away, did lots of walking - along the beach at Papamoa, through the bush in Rotorua and a short walk to see the Huka Falls in Taupo.  And some soaking in the Thermal Pools in Rotorua and in a warm creek riverside in Taupo.   Had fun riding the Luge in Rotorua and generally had a relaxing time.  

So today I have two cards to share.  One I made on Saturday after getting home from babysitting little Grace.  She had a bit of a hard week - ending up spending 2 days in Starship Hospital (Auckland's Children's Hospital) last weekend with high temperature and not being able to weight bear on her leg.  After lots of tests and scans she went home on Monday but got a call back on Wednesday and spend another two nights in hospital with more scans and blood tests.  She had a bacteria in her blood that caused the joint pain but is now much better.  Back to her smiley self. 

On to my cards... Both are for challenges hosted by my blog friends... Gail and Jo.  First up for Christmas Kickstart Challenge.. the theme is Festive Sweet Treats 

My card uses some Catherine Pooler Designs stamps - Candy Cane Lane and the matching dies.  I used Green Skirts and Rockin' Red CP inks to stamp the Candy Canes and Peppermint sweets and die cut them out.  I used the Grass Skirt to make the Plaid background - also a Catherine Pooler Design stamp.  The sentiment is just perfect for the sweets.   

My next card is for a brand new challenge blog - started by Gail and assisted by Jo.  It's called "Let's Squash It" - and is all about embossing folders.  Gail admits to being a bit obsessed with Embossing Folders... and so am I!  I just counted how many I have - 139 full sized folders and 23 border folders.  

So for the first challenge the theme is "Geometric and Metallic"  Use a Geometric EF and Metallic paper/card.  On the blog, Gail has a tutorial on making your own metallic paper.  For my card I used a faux metallic technique I did years ago from a video by Jennifer McGuire (here) using ink and Perfect Pearls.  

I used some Catherine Pooler Sauna ink and Gold Perfect Pearls to make my panel.  Then used a We Are Memory Keepers 3D Geometric die to emboss.  I trimmed the panel and layered it with some black card and then onto my white base.  I added a black die cut from  Penny Black.  

I have to say this was the second card I made using this technique.  I miss read the the challenge and didn't use a Geometric Folder.... so I have another card up my sleeve.  You'll see it sometime in the future!

Thanks Gail and Jo for starting this fun challenge.  

WWC 272 Helen's Challenge: Anything Goes with a Masculine Twist.

Hi there - time for another challenge at Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  Helen is our hostess with an Anything Goes with a Masculine Twist challenge.

I have been struggling to do masculine cards so I went back through my Flickr photosteam to get some ideas.  This technique was one I saw over at Jennifer McGuire's blog in 2015 which she called Faux Textured Metal Paper.  I remember enjoying making the faux metal paper back then and again today.   It's done by using Perfect Pearls over distress inking.  For this one I masked the centre of the white card and then sponged on Fossilized Amber Distress ink and added Bronze Perfect Pearls.    It really gives it a metallic shine which when you emboss it, makes it really pop.  I used a WRMK 3D embossing folder .   I added the big Happy Birthday die from Elizabeth Craft Designs cut from black cards stock.   I added some black pearls to finish.   

Come and join in the fun at Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and  check out the project from the other designers.  Then take our challenge and link up your project  to the challenge post.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday at 5pm Mountain Standard Time (Tuesday at 12.00 NZ time) to link up your project.

Sparkle and Shine

I really had fun taking part in the Online Card Class Sparkle and Shine.  There were heaps of different ways to make your projects Sparkle and Shine.... including using mica powders such as PearlEx and Perfect Pearls.   I have some of each.  With the PearlEx you need to use a fixative (such as cheap hairspray) and with Perfect Pearls the fixative is already in the formula.

My first card uses Perfect Pearls Interference Red on some black card with a Hero Arts Background.

The colour is stunning in real life - changes colours at different angles.    I CASE'd Debby Hughes by white embossing on vellum and used some Perfect Pearls - perfect pearls coloured powder onto the vellum.  I added some leaves and finished with a black die cut that was a freebie.  The little hearts came out of the die cut and were the perfect embellishment.

And the second card used PearlEx Blue Russet on white card.  A very interesting combination

I used the same Hero Arts background to make the central panel.  I used some Altenew Christmas Rose flowers and used the PearlEx powder to do the centres.  I die cut some Sizzix leaves in a pale green.  I added a vellum circle with an embossed Stampin' Up sentiment.  A few sequins and it was all finished.

I can highly recommend this class.

As these cards are full of shiny goodness I have entered the first one into the challenge at Simon Says Stamp. 

Thanks for stopping by today.