Sending You Love for Happy Little Stampers

I am honoured to say my card was selected as Winner of the Mod Squad Challenge  –  Watercolor Florals – Stamplorations.  Thanks so much for selecting my card!

 

Update:  April 2019 – Altnew 5th Anniversary Challenge – Share Your Best Altenew Projects

 

 

 

Hello and welcome!

Today I’m very excited to have the opportunity to join the amazing Happy Little Stampers – Watercolour Challenge as a Guest Designer.

This month, the challenge is Anything Goes with the Optional Twist: CAS!

My card features Altnew’s ‘Just Because’ stamp set, which was stamped and  watercoloured using Distress Inks.  I love to play with  no-line watercolouring regularly.  This image was fun as I stamped it in a bright coloured ink, rather than the usual light colour.

The sentiment is from Mamma Elephant – ‘Wishing You’ set.

The large die from the MFT “Blueprints 26′ set was used to cut the base card.

I was really happy with the way it turned out.

Challenges:

ModSquad – Floral Watercolor with Stamplorations

CAS-ual Fridays CFC198 – April Showers bring May Flowers

Brown Sugar – Challenge #277 – Pearls or Mother’s Day Theme

Addicted to Stamps & More – Challenge #289 – CAS

Stamping Sensations – April Challenge – ‘One for the Girls’

SSS Wednesday Challenge – Anything Goes

Paru’s Card Challenge May – Mother’s Day

    

               

 

Thanks for stopping by

Have a great week

Helen

 

Enjoy your day! Red Roses

 

Welcome back

I hope you’ve had a great weekend.

I’m back to share my card using Penny Black ‘The Look of Love’ which is a wood block stamp.

Using Distress Ink to colour the image, I stamped it 3 times across a small piece of cardstock.  I smoothed the colour with water and a brush, before adding some black and red ink splatters.

The bottom section features card embossed with EF – ‘In Stitches’ from Craft Concepts. After embossing, the 2 sections were joined and added to black card with a narrow border, and the card front.

A thin strip of card was coloured with the red Distress Ink, added to a black strip, before covering the join. The sentiment  from Penny Black ‘Heartfelt Thanks’ was then stamped in the bottom corner.

Challenges:

Penny Black and More – April – Black and White plus one

PBSC April – Anything Goes…Optional ‘Spring Flowers’

Modsquad Challenge – Floral Watercolor with Stamplorations

CFC #198 – April Showers Bring May Flowers

Addicted to Stamps & More – Challenge #289 – CAS

Stamping Sensations – April Challenge – ‘One for the Girls’

               

Thanks so much for stopping by

Cheers

Helen

 

 

 

WWC167 – Gail’s “All About Christmas” Challenge

Hello again

It’s that time of the week – a new challenge over at Watercooler Wednesday Challenge Blog.   Gail is our wonderful host.

The card I’m sharing this week has a lovely clean and simple layout.  I really love white on white on cards – especially Christmas cards.

The main image is an old wood mount stamp I bought years ago on a throw out table, but it remains one of my favourite Christmas images.  After water colouring  with Distress Inks, I placed it in a Woodland Forest Frame from Simon Says Stamps.

It was added to a card front, covered with a piece of card embossed using a 3D embossing folder from We R Memory Keepers.

To finish, I added a card sentiment ribbon from Paper Rose (an Aussie Company).  The sentiment is from Print Blocks.

Don’t forget to check out the other wonderful cards created by the talented design team over at our blog.

Challenges:

Merry Monday #287 {Colleen’s Inspiration…}

HLS April Christmas Challenge

Sweet Stamping Christmas – April -Anything Christmas goes

April Rudolph Days Challenge

Scrapbook Boutique – April 2018 Challenge & Blog Hop  

HLS – April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

                

Thanks so much for visiting

Cheers

Helen

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sending Love – Altnew

Welcome

Today is ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day,  one of the most important occasions here in Australia. This day marks the anniversary of the first campaign fought by soldiers from  Australia and New Zealand landing on the Gallipoli Peninsular in 1915. At this time we remember all those who have sacrificed so much, to allow us to live in such a wonderful country and the special bonds of friendship that have developed.

Tonight I’m sharing a shaped card, featuring Altnew’s ‘Just Because’ Stamp Set.  I love this floral bouquet, which I watercoloured using Distress Inks.  I have to admit that I love watercolouring. (You could probably tell when you look at my posts! LOL!)  The effects are always special and a just a little softer and less formal.

I used Lifestyle Craft cutting dies to cut the front of the card, carefully hand cutting the  overlapping sections of the image.  This set is great, as it has so many sizes, and allowed me to cut another slightly larger, as a frame, before attaching it to the folded card.  This base card was cut using the same die as the main image, but the die was placed slightly over the fold to form a hinged card base.

To finish, I added a sentiment made from Altnew’s ‘Wishing You’ and ‘Floral Frame’ stamp sets, and some pearls.

Challenges:

Altnew – April 2018 Inspiration Challenge!

The Flower Challenge #19 ‘Shaped Cards’

Time Out Challenge – #107 – Spring

Stamping Sensations – One for the Girls

HLS May Watercolour Challenge

A You Like It – Favourite Colouring Medium (and WHY)

Brown Sugar – Challenge #277 – Pearls or Mother’s Day Theme

Paru’ Card Making Challenge – April 2018 challenge – Flowers

                          

Thanks so much for stopping by

Helen

 

You are FABULOUS! (Edna)

Hello and welcome

One look at Edna and you can’t help but smile!

I’m really pleased with the way this card turned out!

After stamping EDNA the DIVA from Stampingbella on white card, I had lots of fun colouring her with Copic markers followed by lots of clear Wink of Stella!

I covered the background card with old Designer paper from My Mind’s Eye.

Using fun foam, I raised a die cut from Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Medallions dies for the front of the card.

After fussy cutting Edna, I added some tape and added her to the front along with some rhinestones coloured with the same copics.

The sentiment is from MFT ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ dies and ‘Simply Fab Sayings’ stamps.

Challenges:

Seize the Birthday – “Vibrant Colors” Challenge

Double “D” Challenge – Friendship

Stamping Sensations – One for the Girls

Stamping Bella Sistahood Challenge – April 2018 – Make It Sparkle

Simon Says Stamps  – Wednesday Challenge – Sparkle and Shine

            

 

Thanks so much for visiting

Have a good day

Helen

WWC166 – Kath’s Masculine “Anything Goes” Challenge

Edited to add: I was so happy to be chosen as the TOP SPOT at Art Impressions – Challenge #230 Good Goes Round!  Thanks so much!

I was also fortunate to be selected as a Happy Little Stampers – April Mixed Media Challenge – Travel.

Hello and welcome

Here we are back again with Kath’s new challenge over at Watercooler Wednesday Challenge this week.

I have just returned from a holiday in South Australia, where I visited a couple of lighthouses, which I just love. As I had also recently received  the wonderful new Lighthouse Circlet Mini Tryfolds stamp set from Art Impressions,  I decided it was perfect for this week’s challenge.

As it is a trifold card, it is really difficult to photograph clearly.

On the back of the packet are very clear instructions for the using the 3 stamps and 2 mini die cuts to create the look through circle card.

My card is slightly taller (5″), rather than the 4″ suggested, as I wanted to play around with a background.

After stamping and die cutting each of the 3 circles, I water coloured the scenes using Distress Inks. I then added a little white paint to the wave caps to make it a bit more realistic.

Front panel       Middle inside flap

 

 

 

 

Inside back panel

 

I wanted my card to give the impression of looking through an old brick wall across to the wonderful views.

Unfortunately, when I checked, I didn’t have a brick stencil, but I found a Kaisercraft die.

So I cut a stencil using an old piece of packaging – not too strong, but perfect for a decayed look.

   

Using white  Ranger Texture Paste, I added some bricks to the front, the second panel and on the inside of the back panel.

To give the impression of the wall decaying, I used Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations die to cut the top RH corner of the front and top LH  of the middle panel.  As I didn’t want the shapes, I just cut off the die cuts to leave an uneven shape.

On the back panel, I added a circle using Mama Elephant – Sew Fancy Creative Cuts. I used the banner die from this set and stamped the sentiment from MFT – All Smiles set. To finish, I added three small, craft die cut shells from Memory Box Seaside Treasures.

Sorry this has been such a long post!

Now it’s over to you!  Don’t forget to check out the clever creations from the rest of the  talented Design Team members at our blog.

Thanks so much for visiting.

Have a wonderful week and happy creating

Cheers

Helen

Challenges:

Art Impressions – Challenge #230 Good Goes Round!

Happy Little Stampers – Watercolour Challenge April

Happy Little Stampers – Anything Goes with Dies – April

Happy Little Stampers – Mixed Media Challenge – Travel

Die Cut Divas – April’s challenge theme is to make a project you associate with April (such as Easter, Rain, Storms, April Fools Day, Spring, Autumn, IRS/Taxes) or April holidays (www.holidayinsights.com)

Dies R US Challenge #95 – Springtime

Cardz 4 Guyz – Challenge #192 Travel or Transport

Time Out Challenge – Spring

The Cat’s Pajamas # Spring

                         

 

 

 

 

 

Baptism WWC161 – Tenia’s “All About Occasions” Challenge

Hello again

This week, Tenia is hosting our All About Occasions Challenge over at Watercooler Wednesday.

Recently, I needed a Baptism card for a little boy, so it made me think a bit.  Finally, I settled on this design.  I hope you like it.

To start, I googled a cross and dove image and printed it twice on white card.

From the first copy, I coloured the edges of the cross in blue and cut it out.

On the second, I added some light grey shading to the dove and cut out the image.  Using raised tape, I layered it up on top of the cross.

After creating and printing off the Sentiment for the card, I cut out the card front with MFT Die-namics Blue Prints 26 border die.  Some very simple blue shading with Distress Ink went in the middle area and misted lightly with water.

I then layered up a SSS  Stacked Stars white die cut and then the cross, over the shaded area.

I was quite happy with the way it turned out. Lovely clean lines.

Hope you have some fun with our new challenge.  Don’t forget to get some more inspiration from the other wonderful Design Team members over on our blog.

Challenges:

Die Cut Divas – No Fooling – “Anything Goes”

Have a great day

Helen

WWC164 – Marsha’s Feminine “Anything Goes” Challenge

Welcome

This week we have another Feminine “Anything Goes” Challenge over at Watercooler Wednesday which Marsha is hosting.

I decided to post something a little different for this challenge!  It is monochromatic and has a definite vintage, shabby chic look, as well as being  a bookmark!

I often think it’s a shame the beautiful cards we make can’t be reused in a  more purposeful way.  I know I have received cards that doubled as a bookmark and loved the idea of enjoying them over and over!

This card uses one of my old, but all time favourite stamp sets, Pink Paisley Butterfly Gardens Collection.  It is full of a variety of lovely old world images!

To begin I cut a rectangular piece of cream card stock and began by stamping the images running off the edge along the bottom and side using Distress Ink, leaving plenty of open space for the script background.

The En Francais stamp from Stampin’ Up is inked and then has sections wiped off, so as not to give a perfect image or interfere with the original stamping.

Once all the stamping is finished, I added some ink blending around the edges and distressed them.

To finish, I added three strands of twine around the card, about a third of the way up and knotted it.

A corner rounder was used to trim the corners of the cream background card cut slightly bigger than the front panel. The decorated panel was then attached lining up the top.

After adding a hole in the top middle, some more  twine was threaded through it to form the tail of the bookmark, as well as a button and small bow.

I then added a double butterfly cut and embossed using Joy Crafts Cutting & Embossing   set.  The bottom one used cream card and was  lightly sponged with colour, while the top one was from black card stock. They were then layered up on the card front.  The body and antennae were highlighted using bronze Pearl Pen     .

A small punched naïve heart decorated with script and lightly sponged colour was glued to the bottom, along with the stamped sentiment from Verve Stamps and 3 bronze Pear Pen dots.

I hope you get the chance to join us this week.  Don’t forget to check out the inspiration from other members of the Design Team on our blog.

Challenges:

AAA Cards Game #112 – A Favourite Technique

SSS Monday Challenge – A Trio of Something (Butterflies)

                                  

Thanks so much for visiting

Helen