Project 168: Sketch for MAWTT x2

Hazel posted a sketch layout for Moving Along With the Times this week. If you come by regularly you know I'm a sucker for a layout challenge - always makes you think of things differently when you see all the creations that people do with the sketch.Which is why I was inspired to make two cards!

Here is the sketch:

For the headline card, I wanted to play with a series of mustache stamps I had - some of them are from a small set Claire gave me (the top three in the banners down the side) and the other stamps are from a set I bought from Michaels - probably Recollections range but couldn't be sure. I love that bowler hat and gingham tie - I think I'd probably laugh if I saw someone unironically wearing the outfit in the street but it's great for crafting!

The Hey Man greeting was fixed to the top mustache but I masked it off to get the image and then masked the mustache to get the greeting - worked in both cases!

I used all natural and black print card stock from Recollections and the lined them in and orangey-red to make them stand out. The black border is punched using an American Crafts Knock Out border punch. I am kind of obsessed with this card now that it's complete - I love it when something just works without too much effort!

For take two, I decided to emboss the central image - I have so many lovely embossing folders that feature big graphics that never get used because I always want to feature stamps instead. So embossing folders strike back and take central stage this time. I love the owl here, it was one of my first embossing folders I purchased (Claire had it and I copied her) and it's just a sweet little image.

I used a masking/washi tape set for the little tags down the side in a similar pink to the paper. I went for green for the other layers - not sure why to be honest, I just thought more pink was a bit much!

The little green flower is a punch + press combo that we bought at a craft fair together in 2012 (seems like yesterday but it's been over 2 years!) and I liked the depth it gave with the embossing. I added the pearls to the eyes and flower - originally had bling but I didn't think it worked. I think it was the right call.

Can't wait to see what everyone else does with the sketch!

Project 167: A sexy take on brown monochrome

Sometimes the craft challenge stars align.

I had this idea in my head to make a sexy cowgirl card for a 30th birthday we are attending this weekend and I wanted a bit more inspiration to bring it all together.

I knew the stamp would be Mae Western by Kenny K and as I haven't entered their challenge blog in a while I wanted to get involved this week.

So I decided to pop over to Retro Sketches for a layout idea and loved the sunburst of layout 125 but wasn't quite sure I could make it work.

However when I saw that I <3 ProMarkers were doing a monochrome theme, I thought a vintage/antique brown and ivory monochromatic scheme could pull it together. And let's skip to the part where I show off this bad boy of a card because I'm totally stoked about it.

I die cut the image onto a circle and then colored it using a suite of browns from ProMarker:

• Henna
• Cinnamon
• Tan
• Burgandy
• Satin
• Blush
• Walnut
• Firewood
• Gold

The 30 is stamped using a Papermania typerwriter individual letter stamp set and brown ink - the ink is so old I have genuinely no idea where it is from and what brand it is. Could be Craft Superstore own brand? I then added a slight ink texture over the whole image to bring down the white tone and play up the antique feel

The baking papers are a tan sheet that is embossed with a woodgrain pattern, and the stopwatches are Chronology papers. This is actually a die cut piece that I got in a craft goodbag set and having been struggling to place.

I cut the brown starburst pieces and then added a line of gold glitter glue to give it a bit of texture.

The past few weeks have been light on crafting so I'm loving the combo of challenges to get back in the swing of things and can not wait to give it to the birthday boy on Saturday.

Project 166: Plain and patterend mixed greeting set

I'm back from an epic American vacation - we hit several cities and states between Chicago and San Diego, seeing family and friends in each location as well some incredible sights. It's an understatement to say I'm gutted to be back and having to set the alarm for work tomorrow!

A friend (who has been the recipient of several of my cards over the years) commented that she is always looking for blank and mixed greeting card sets because she often writes without a formal occasion. It inspired me to make a mixed greeting set as a gift for someone and I'm a bit in love!

The recipient is a new member of my family - my sister's mother in law (she's only been married for 2 weeks!) and I wanted to give her a small set as a thank you for a favour she is doing for me. I know from her style she's elegant and likes a little bit of color so I think this simple layout works really well.

I chose a contemporary tartan for two of the cards and a Moroccan tile pattern for three to keep them modern. I used an EK Success border punch to create the flowers down the side and made sure they popped out against a plain (but slightly textured) colour that complemented the pattern. Most are Trader Jane from Recollections and the rest are bits and bobs from the stash. Here's a close up of one of the tile prints:

The sentiments are die cut in cream and stamped in brown ink, with small flower embellishments. The sentiments are all from the same stamp set where the greetings are mixed cursive and print fonts - I think they add the to elegance of the ribbon and diecut.

All in all I think they make a good looking set and will work for just about any occasion!

Project 165: Girls just wanna have fun at MAWTT

Our challenge this week at Moving Along with the Times is "girls just want to have fun" and I interpreted this by thinking, what is more fun than glamour?

And to that end - what is more glam than this fabulous Penny Black stamp?

Claire introduced me to her and I have to be honest - she's so fab I'm often a bit intimidated by her. But she was so perfect for this challenge I got over it and decided to make it even more fab with leopard print and bling.

I coloured the image with ProMarkers and kept them limited to blue, purple, yellow and grey. I liked the idea of a non-pink girly card.

I used a bit of purple leopard print to give it a bit more edge and added some bigger bling to the corners. Again - why go small when you can go big on a card like this?

I used a touch of silver liquid pearl on the domes to give that extra touch of luxury and decided to stop there - I was going to outline the skyline and was pleased I stopped.

The sentiment is also Penny Black and I think it sums up what this lady is all about.

Can't wait to see what everyone else has done to interpret the brief!

Project 164: Buttons, Bunting and Birthday Bloghop!

Happy Birthday MAWTT!

It is a huge honor to be a part of the birthday celebrations this week for Moving Along With the Times. Before we get started, here are the rules of the blog hop:

You must visit the following blogs:

Hazel (Didos)
Sue
Pami
Hazel L
Carole
Judith
Wendy
Janice
Debs
Karina
Laurie
Tammy
Susan
Claire
Jessie (you are here!)

Sarah

Blog Hop Rules.

To be eligible for the prizes you must visit all the blogs, leave a comment and collect a letter from each.  Then email Hazel at didosdesigns@yahoo.com with the word you have made with Blog Hop Word in the Subject Line.  You must send the word to us to be in with a chance of winning!

Each DT Member will announce their winner on their own blog from the comments. 

My prize is a free digi at Kenny K so make sure you get involved!

NNNNNow the theme: we have a buttons, bunting and birthday challenge for Team A and when I saw these gorgeous stamps from our sponsor Aurora Wings, I couldn't resist.

The headline card is the feature for the challenge. I took a bit of liberty with the bunting component and instead punched out purple stars using a Recollections star punch from Michaels. I hand drew the stitching to make it look like bunting.

I colored the image using ProMarkers and I wanted her to be ethereal and fairy-like, which is why I went for the purple and blue and slightly yellow skin tone. I added glitter and a bit of bling to the stars and die-cut her out using a scallop circle die from Xcut.

The purple flag with the greeting is stamped with a new greetings collection Claire bought me from BoBunny - such a great set of messages and I loved the mixed font on this one. I used purple buttons and a strip of bling to make it a bit more festive. The bling may be too much. Oh well, here we all are!

This little guy is from Aurora Wings as well and I just had to use him:

I went for a more woody color scheme this time and colored him (her?) in greens and browns. I cut him out with a scalpel for precision and then layered the image over a die-cut circle of Trader Jane paper from Recollections. I love the pattern on this paper, I'm a bit precious about using it - but MAWTT deserves the best :)

I kept the rest fairly simple, using some dew drops from Paperchase, a gold candy and gold glitter glue for the little spots.

I can't wait to see what you all do to celebrate our birthday with us!

If you thought I was making a typo above, I was giving a hint! Your letter from this blog post is N - if you did the blogs in order then you are nearly there :)

Check out MAWTT on Thursday

Just a quick note to say that we have something exciting happening on Thursday to celebrate our birthday at Moving Along with the Times - be sure to check it out as there are LOADS of prizes! 

Project 163: I do like to be beside the seaside

One of the great things about having a craft buddy is the endless in-jokes you can revisit through the medium of crafts. So you get to laugh about things not just through retelling a story, but you can create new extensions of the joke.

This card above is an expression of so many jokes I have with Claire and - if I do say so myself - it totally rocks!

Claire introduced me to Bugaboo stamps so when I saw her I do like to be beside the seaside theme for MAWTT this week I had to use Poppi Penguin as the feature. He's just too cool for school here with his surfboard and sunnies. I die cut a circle from a circle die set she gave me and then cut out Poppi with my Fiskar finger blade - another tool Claire insisted I get which I love/hate her for.

The background paper is from Pink Petticoat and it's covered in seagulls. Why does a seagull paper exist? I know - crafters have to have everything - even seagull paper. This particular piece is actually a scrap from a playdate so I wanted to use it for her challenge.

Then we get to the little greeting: I decided Poppi speaks Spanish! (from the Fiskars thank you set I got for Christmas)

Finally along the bottom are a bunch of crabs, punched with a Martha Stewart punch. Crabs are one of the longest running jokes that I have with Claire and I use them any time I get a chance. Here I used yellow card and Hippie Chick glitter paper.

All in all - this is a fitting tribute to my dear craft buddy.

Happy MAWTT-ing everyone!