Time Out Challenges: Pick Two

 2nd post today.... check out my first one Here

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Had great day in the craft room on this public holiday Monday. I’ve had lots of fun getting creative, and I realised I hadn’t made a card for the latest Time Out Challenges. It’s a fun “Pick Two” challenge: choose two (or more) words from the six provided and use them in your project in some way.

This time the words are: Earth, Rain, Pastel, Hope, Tree, Bloom 

I’ve chosen Pastel and Bloom.

 

For my card, I used a beautiful large floral stamp from Woodware: Floral Wonder. To keep the look soft, I stamped it in Memento Toffee Crunch ink, then clear-embossed it. I coloured the image with Altenew watercolour paints on smooth 300gsm Franceville card, which handled the water well and didn’t warp too much. I used two shades of soft pastel pink for the flowers and two greens for the foliage. Once it was dry, I trimmed the panel down and matted it on pink patterned paper. The sentiment is from another Woodware set, Word Fragments. I stamped it on a scrap of white card in Altenew Cloudy Night ink, die-cut it, and popped it onto the card. To finish, I added gold dots to the flower centres and a few pink dots for extra embellishment.  Really happy with how it turned out. 

Guest Designer Fun: A Sweet Treat–Inspired Card at Time Out Challenge

 I recently won over at Time Out Challenge and was absolutely thrilled to be invited to join them as a Guest Designer for Challenge #310. Of course, I didn’t hesitate for a second — I said YES!

Today I’m sharing the card I created for this fortnight’s challenge, which is themed “Inspired by a Sweet Treat.”

Anyone who knows me, will know this challenge was made for me. I’m a self-confessed chocoholic, and I honestly don’t think a day goes by without at least a little chocolate… sometimes more! So naturally, chocolate became the inspiration for my card.

To begin, I embossed a piece of red cardstock using an older embossing folder to give it a lovely vintage feel. For the “chocolate,” I used a dark brown cardstock and embossed it with the Altenew Mod Squares folder. Cutting it on an angle allowed those squares to really resemble a block of chocolate. I then added some extra richness by swiping the surface with Gold and Redwood Ink.

The wrapper was created by tearing some silver cardstock along with a scrap of vintage patterned paper, adding texture and a slightly rustic feel. For the sentiment, I reached for an older (now discontinued) stamp from Quietfire Design, designed by Suzanne Cannon. I stamped it using Altenew Espresso Ink to keep the colour palette warm and chocolatey.

And of course, once I started, I couldn’t stop there! I had a little extra playtime and created more Sweet Treat–inspired cards, including a fun birthday cupcake and a celebration cake.

This challenge was such a joy to work on, and I loved letting my sweet tooth guide my creativity. Thanks so much for stopping by — I hope my chocolate-inspired card brings a smile to your day!

Time Out challenge #306- Sparkle, Red, Heart and Twine.

 Today I was scrolling through my blog feed and saw the Time Out Challenge.   I entered recently and was super excited to see my card (here) had won challenge #305.   And checked out challenge #360.  It was perfect for what was sitting on my desk.  I had been working on my DT card for Die Cut Divas where out challenge is Red/Pink.   

Lots of choices for this one....  I chose Red, Sparkle, Heart and Twine!  I had a Hero Arts Background Cling sitting on my desk and some WOW Clear Sparkle Embossing powder.  Red card was close at hand...

The Hero Arts Leafy Vines (2012 - retired) looks amazing in real life - the embossing powder sparkles and shines in a variety of colours as you tilt the card.   So hard to photograph!  I got out an older Spellbinders die set - Lace Hearts.  Included in the set is the gorgeous key.  Cut it from some textured rose gold card and tie a twine bow.  Created the sentiment on my computer and printed it then die cut with Altenew Featured Sentiments dies.  Added sparkle crystal gems.  

A little Blue Bird.

 Well I couldn't not make another card using the Memory Box Backyard Wren die today.  It has been a bit of a dismal day... woke to no power, so read for a bit, before heading to two suburbs north to have breakfast before doing our grocery shopping.  By the time we got home it was raining but the power was back on!  It kept raining on and off so headed to the craft room for the afternoon. 

And yeah, this time I made a blue bird.   My card was inspired by this beautiful card from Lin  

I loved the design Lin used, so I cased it.  I die cut an arch (Hero Arts Infinity Arches die) and used Gina K Tapestry embossing folder.   I still had my Distress Oxides out... The background panel was made with Speckled Egg spritzed with some Shimmer Spary - Frost.  In real life it is so shimmery. I stamped the Couture Creations sentiment directly to the panel. I die cut the bird and used Evergreen Bough, Salty Ocean to colour up the bird.  The beak and eye were done with Altenew Charcoal Suit grey ink.  I die cut Pinkfresh Studio Curvy leaves and blended Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide.  I used only part of the biggest die.  I used some Scrapbook.com 3D adhesive strips to add dimension to the frame and used some 3D dimensionals to pop up the bird.  Some little blue gems from my stash finished the card. 

I'm entering this into the Time Out Challenge and Just Us Girls collaboration challenge - Birds of a Feather.   

Hope there is some crafting in your weekend.   

 

Bird on a Branch

 It's been a busy week... haven't had much time to craft... but finished work early.  During the week I saw that Scrapbook Central was having a class by Chick Mitchell.  As this is in Wellington (8 hours south of me) I can't go... but Chick has designed some cards with a bird and some beautiful backgrounds.  I contacted her and found the bird was from Memory Box.  Of course I had to get it!  And it arrived yesterday late afternoon.  So after signing off my computer (working from home day!) and before doing the housework, I popped into the craft room and had a play. 

 

I started by putting the little birdie together.  I die cut with some 160gm Fabriano paper.  It's a light cream colour (although the packaging says white)  It cuts like butter.  I used inks from Altenew's Tea Party ink set to add colour to the layers with a touch of some brown to darken parts.  The branches, flowers and leaves are from Spellbinders - Layered Cherry Blossom die set.  I added a touch of the lightest red inks to the creamy dies.  Used some rose gold metallic card for the centres.   My background was a variation on a technique that Chick taught at SENZ craft fair last July.  Used a chipboard panel of leaves.  I inked them with some Distress Oxide in Speckled Egg and spritzed and laid it onto my panel.  I then blended some of the same ink through the panel like a stencil and finally just added some of the ink onto the panel.  Just love the look I achieved.   Die cut a scalloped panel from Gina K Master Layouts 4 and trimmed the panel to fit inside.  Added the branches, flowers and leaves and the little birdie.  Finished with a pre-printed sentiment from Creative Expressions Woodies.

I can't wait to try different colour combos for this little bird.   I scoped out Pinterest and have got a few samples on my board.

Entering into Darnell's NBUS challenge - as it is the first outing for the die

and Just Us Girls - in Collaboration with Time Out Challenges - Birds of a Feather