Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Mother

With Mothers' Day coming up, Sunny Challenges have requested a card especially for Mum with an interesting sketch to go with it.
 
I don't own a stamp for this occasion so had to make do.  I also would have loved a slightly larger circle for my main butterfly as it looked so pretty before I cut into it.
 
All SU
Stamps:  Swallowtail; Papillon Potpourri
Card:  Primrose Petals; Tempting Turquoise; Summer Starfruit
Ink:  Markers in above colours
Tools:  Big shot; Honeycomb embossing folder
 
The photo shows the colours as quite dark but in real life that blue is a beautiul turquoise.
Mary

Calming challenge

Black and Grey and perhaps even masculine ???  That is the challenge over at Dynamic Duos.  First thoughts were for a sympathy card but that seemed a little too obvious so I decided to work on the masculine part as well.
 
I love the latest look of the blackboard technique, so decided to make a blackboard easel card. 
 
I have always loved the Keep Calm posters and was dreadfully disappointed when Australia did not get the SU Keep Calm stamp set so I had to settle for another brand.


Stamps:  JustRite Just Keep Calm; SU Woodgrain
Card:  SU Basic Gray and Basic Black
DSP:  SU Howlstooth and Scaringbone
Ink:  Versamark; SU Basic black marker
Tools:  White embossing powder

So there we are - I think it will fit into the masculine card genre.
Mary

Thank you Karen for choosing this card as a Dynamic Darling

Because it's one layer

The Paper Players are looking for a card with only one layer this week.  I wasn't too sure about trying this, but the design team cards were so lovely that I have given it a go.


All SU product used on this card
Stamps:  Because I care; Bordering on romance
Card:  Whisper White
Ink:  Soft Suede
Tools:  Big shot;  Adorning accents edglits
 
Thanks for a great challenge,
Mary

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Awash with Bubbles

The challenge at Just Add Ink is to add a technique that you haven't tried before. 
 
A few days ago while cleaning I found a pile of bubble wrap and remembered reading that someone had made a background with bubble wrap - I didn't even bother to read how they did it because I thought it would be rather messy. 
 
Yes, it was a bit messy, but I am quite happy with the result. 
 
Because the background was quite strong I wanted something simple for the focus and SU Awash with Flowers has now seen ink for the very first time.
 
All ingredients are SU
Stamps:  Awash with Flowers
Card:  Midnight Muse; Whisper White
Ink:  Midnight Muse; Gumball Green
Tools:  Stamp-a-ma-jig;  Gumball Green ribbon;  Round Tab punch
 
 
So for me this card has two new techniques and I will be trying both of them again very soon.
Mary

 

Monday, April 22, 2013

Wishing you

At Seize the Birthday this week the challenge is to make a feminine birthday card according to the sketch guidelines.  I think it is a great sketch and many ideas were going through my head but it took much longer than I anticipated to get the ideas onto the cardstock. 


All ingredients for this card are from SU
Stamps:  Vintage Verses; Pendant Park
Card:  Crumb Cake; Primrose Petals; Naturals Ivory
Ink:  Soft Suede; Primrose Petals
Other:  Crumb Cake tulle; Pearls; Champagne mist
 
I needn't have worried about overdoing the champagne mist, as it doesn't show in the photo, but it is very pretty.
Hope your day is perfect too.
Mary

Friday, April 19, 2013

Four You

Unscripted Sketches are celebrating their Fourth Birthday with a four part challenge.
Although my entry started out as a clean and simple card, the addition of the dsp does make it look rather busy. 

All supplies are SU.
Stamps:  Vintage Verses
Card:  Primrose Petals
DSP:  Attic Boutique
Ink:  Soft Suede
Tools:  Big shot; labels collection framelits;Victoria crochet trim
 
Hope your day is perfect too,
Mary



Monday, April 15, 2013

Blooming pumpkin pie

Pumkin Pie and Bashful Blue are the two colours selected this week over at the Dynamic Duos Challenge.  Each of the samples from the design team are gorgeous and my fingers itched to get going on this one.


Stamps:  SU Blooming with Kindness
Card:  SU Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue
Ink:  Pumpkin Pie
Tools:  Big shot; SU embossing frames

Sadly that was the last of my supply of the retiring Pumpkin Pie cardstock.
Mary

Edited to add:  Thanks to a comment left about this card I now realise that I was totally confused and have used More Mustard cardstock not Pumpkin Pie.  The flower was stamped in Pumpkin Pie.  Sorry.


Natural challenge

Just Add Ink's new challenge is to use Moonlight Muse, More Mustard and Rich Razzleberry on a card.  Not colours I would normally choose but they do work.
 
 
Stamps:  SU Nature Walk; SU Simple Delights
Card:  SU Rich Razzleberry and More Mustard
DSP:  Print Poetry
Ink:  Rich Razzleberry

Quite a few of the above elements I used today for the first time, so it is good to be challenged.
Mary


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Seize the cat

The new challenge over at Seize the Birthday is for a masculine birthday.  I don't have much in the way of specifically male stamps but this cat caught my eye and I thought it might suffice:


Stamps:  Annabelle stamps Party Animals; SU Happiest Birthday wishes
Card:  SU Whisper white; basic grey;Tangerine tango
DSP:  SU Howlstooth and Scaringbone
Ink:  Stazon black; SU Peach Parfait marker
Tools:  Big shot; Stripe embossing folder; Basic grey striped ribbon

Meow for now,
Mary

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Big wishes duo

I love the challenge over at Dynamic Duos, which is to use the colours Pool Party and Cherry Cobbler.  Yesterday I made a card for a friend with similar colours and was really happy with it, so it was a no-brainer to decide on my card for this week.


Stamps:  SU Patterned Occasions
Card:  Pool Party Coredinations; Whisper White; Cherry Cobbler
DSP:  SU Sycamore Street
Ink:  SU Basic Black Marker
Tools:  SU embossing folders - Fancy Fan and Cloudy Day; Big shot; Cherry Cobbler seam binding
 
and you may like to see yesterday's card:
 
 
the elephant is stamped in grey in this one and the card itself is the retired Taken with Teal, and although it looks very dark in this photo, it is quite a lovely colour.
 
Thanks for popping in,
Mary

Edited to add:
I was surprised but delighted that Amy liked my card.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Bright birthday

Seize the Birthday have a sketch this week and I am throwing this entry into the mix.
 
Although I love the colours in this Saleabration DSP, they are not the colours I would normally turn to when making cards so you may need your sunglasses to look at this one.

 
Stamps:  Perfect Punches
Card:  Whisper white; Island Indigo
DSP:  SU Sycamore Street
Tools:  Simply scored
 
As I don't posess any large ovals, I made the rosette and pulled it into an oval shape to make it fit the bill.
Mary

Ticket to ride

Sunny Challenges and Creations have a sketch to use this week along with a background stamp.  The lovely "Feeling Sentimental" stamp set was still on my desk so that is what I have gone with.  I used the large woodgrain stamp on Sahara Sand cardstock and used Island Indigo and Naturals Ivory as well.


Stamps:  Feeling Sentimental; Ticket wheel; Pretty Petites
Card:  Sahara sand; Naturals Ivory; Island Indigo
Ink:  Baja Breeze; Midnight Muse

Hopefully I have ticked the boxes for this challenge.

Mary

Friday, April 5, 2013

Cream in my coffee

I have left my run a bit late with this entry for the challenge over at Unscripted Sketches.  After many different ideas and much wasted time, I had almost given up hope of making anything work, and then the new challenge at Just Add Ink went up and the colours were so lovely that I knew what I wanted to do.  So I am  combining the two challenges in this one card.
 

Stamps:  SU Hearts a Flutter and Patterned Occasions
Card:  SU Whisper white
Ink:  Crumb Cake; Early Espresso
Tools:  Big shot; Hearts a Flutter framelits; scallop punch; Very Vanilla seam binding; Crumb cake scalloped tulle; embossing
 
Thank you for dropping in
Mary

Monday, April 1, 2013

Easter bunny bliss

Since 1952 the Lindt gold wrapped chocolate bunny with his red bow and tiny bell, has been a much coveted gift at Easter - as familiar as the foil wrapped eggs.  Just a few days ago the company lost a long running court battle to trademark the bunny, but hopefully he will be here again next Easter.

This week at Just Add Ink, the challenge is to add a bunny, and what better bunny than the SU Chocolate Bunny.


Stamps:  SU Chocolate Bunny (retired); Bliss (retired)
Card:  SU Real Red; Whisper White
Ink:  SU Real red; Versamark
Other:  Gold embossing powder;
Tools:  SU embossing folder vintage wallpaper; Framelits labels collection; big shot
 
Hope you all received lots of chocolate treats over the last few days
Mary