hello

 hello sweet stampers!

I'm playing along with the current challenge from the lovely people at AAA Cards #186. Along the edge + only die cuts - right up my alley!

I started with the die cut hello - such a lovely font and a greeting all by itself! I cut it three times from white cardstock and Coastal Cabana. Then I layered them and glued them together to build dimension.

 I chose a die that looks like fern fronds to make a little bunch and cut them from coastal cabana and also Daffodil Delight. Keeping in mind "along the edge" I arranged them all on the lower edge of the card. The colours really pop against the white - a beautiful combination. Lastly I die cut a leaf from the same set which has circle pop outs - usually thrown away, but perfect for embellishments on this "die cut only" card. Finally, I adhered the white card to a Coastal Cabana notecard.

So there you have it - 100% die cut, fresh and lovely.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

dies: Altenew leaf mix die set, simply hello die

card: whisper white, coastal cabana, daffodil delight

hugs

 hello sweet stampers!

I have a lovely little card for you.  The good people at AAA Cards have a terrific challenge at the moment - one inchie! Plenty of ideas presented themselves, but fully containing it all in one inch is no mean feat. And keeping it black and white...Brilliant!

I decided to do one inch popped up on foam squares to add dimension. The tiny square can otherwise be lost in the sea of white. To add interest, I also mounted it using the rule of thirds so that the little bird's eye is perfectly at the top right intersection.

I started by stamping the bird then die cut it out. I used just a portion of the branch stamp from the same set, added the flowers and positioned the bird on the branch using foam squares to pop him out a bit. There was just enough room left for the sentiment. 

I love the one inchie - what a great idea.  I may have to invest in more tiny stamps though...

Thanks for stopping by!

Edit: Thank you so much to the AAAcards DT - I'm thrilled to be in your chosen Top Four! 

Supplies:

card: Stampin up! whisper white

ink: memento tuxedo black

stamps: Altenew under the cherry blossom tree, Altenew sentiment strips

missing you

 hello stampers!

Today I made a card for the challenge #473 put up by the lovely people over at Freshly Made Sketches.  

I thought this was a lovely, simple design and so I wanted to create something elegant and fresh.

As you may know, I am a nature lover so leaves feature prominently in many of my cards.  I tried to create a sense of movement with the leaves blowing left to right across the card. 

I started by stamping onto two cards, exactly the same using my Misti. Then I cut down one of the cards, mounted it onto a card base inked in the matching darkest colour ink, and just ever so slightly bigger.  Then mounted them both onto the base layer. I finished it off with a simple sentiment and a lone birdie was popped up on foam tape for dimension.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

ink: Altenew Lagoon, Dew Drops, Limestone, Volcano Lake, Galactic Stream

stamps: Altenew wildflower doodles, under the cherry blossom tree, SU loyal leaves

so proud of you

 hello!

Feeling crafty today - that's probably a good thing.  I thought a challenge would be fun and I found one that enticed me from the lovely people on PerfectlyCAS. 

The first challenge for 2021, #11: 

I like this CAS idea of using only 1/3 or less of the card, which suits my (emerging) style.  Not always, but I think the cards I like most are simple and surrounded by white space. I'll try to do more of them and see where it leads... 

I've always liked the look of a single leaf. There's something natural and powerful about it. It says 'This is me, just as I am".  No pretence.

Thanks for stopping by!

supplies: 

Craft giraffe stencil: circles

Altenew inks: dew drops, galactic stream

Altenew stamp: sentiment strips

Stampin Up! stamp: Loyal Leaves

it's your day

 hello everyone!

I don't know where the last month has gone - xmas then new year then recovering, I guess. lol 

I have been making cards, well trying out new stamps anyway, but today I decided to do a challenge to get my head back in the game.

AAACards CAS game #181 presented a nice idea - use up to one-third of the card, with a summer in January twist.

Since it's actually summer in January here, I felt right at home. One glance out the window, and there's plenty of inspiration!  I must admit, I simply can't do snow, especially in January. Is it just me?

I recently received a stamp set which has cherry blossoms and I looove it.  Beautiful. Now I know cherry blossoms are traditionally associated with spring, but in early summer the petals start to fall so that's the idea I went with.

I think a subtle design and a subdued colour palette is relaxing - just the ticket in this balmy weather. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies:

Altenew stamp: Under the cherry blossom

inks: Altenew sea glass, dusk, pink diamond, memento tuxedo black

you are strong

 hello stampers!

Today I have a clean, green card. I was inspired by the big Melia tree in our garden which is covered in new bright green leaves at the moment and wanted to capture that dewy greenness (is that a word?). I used this week's challenge at CAS(E) this sketch CTS #402 as inspiration for the design.

I think this design lends itself to many interpretations, but I thought I'd stick fairly closely to the elements. 

  

The Forever Greenery DSP from Stampin' Up! has some lovely papers so I used some as the background and then layered some fussy cut leaves on top to make it like a bouquet. A little shaded spruce card cut into leaves and intermingled gives it some dimension.  I added a few dew drops for that fresh dewy look and finished it off with bright white twine.

Green and white I think is my favourite colour combination - so clean and fresh. I hope you can find the time to spend relaxing in a garden today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

cardstock: whisper white, shaded spruce

ink: balmy blue, shaded spruce, Altenew Sea Glass

paper: Forever Greenery DSP

stamp: Stampin' Up! Loyal Leaves

make a wish

Hello fellow stampers!

Surprised myself by managing to make a card today after just finishing one yesterday. Obviously my priorities are all straight...

The Paper Players presented a lovely challenge this week Color Challenge PP#521.  Silver, black and white were the colours and wow, do they bring the drama. Love it.

I think this is the last Christmas season card I'll most likely be making this year, given it's only 11 days to Christmas, but I do love any opportunity to use the Dasher stamp. He loves the drama too. 

I decided on a snowy white scene, set off by black night sky and a bright silver moon. Simple and elegant. I did cut a few layers of windswept snowdrifts to add a little interest, but the focus is squarely on Dasher.

A world away from me with our hot summer days at the moment, and I can only dream of snowdrifts and a bright silver moon. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

cardstock: basic black, whisper white

ink: Memento tuxedo black

stamps: Stampin' Up! Dasher, Altenew sentiment strips

be strong

Happy Sunday!

I was hankering for a little card making, having been too busy organising christmassy things the last couple of weeks...ho hum. So this afternoon I snuck off to my favourite room to do some creatin'!

The lovely people at CAS(E) this Sketch #401 had a retro challenge CTS #147 this week and it got me thinking. 

I thought some stencilling would be fun - as well as therapeutic - and ended up stencilling it all.  The flower element I had no problem with as I love to use garden themes and nature in my cards, but the elements at the top didn't really go with the nature theme...or did they? 

Never one to shy away from a challenge (pun intended) I thought I would use negative space for the top element. That way it is there, but not the focus - perfect!

I love the juxtaposition of leaves and geometric shapes. The colour of open sky, but the shapes of conformity. I tried to give a sense of movement both with the leaves gently floating upward, and with the windswept shape of the sky.

The message is simple - in this noisy world of self aggrandisement, my card hopefully serves as a little reminder that you can just be you and I can just be me. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

cardstock: balmy blue, whisper white

stencils: Altenew Foliage, Altenew Colour Block Triangle

ink: Altenew sea glass, balmy blue, soft sea foam, shaded spruce

stamp: Altenew sentiment strips