ATSM Challenge #119

Hi there everyone!

Over at Addicted to Stamps and More we are up to our CAS challenge.

I have created two cards today using a new designer's stamp. Shirley, now has her designs for sale through STAMPlorations.

Here are my cards -

Using the City Girl stamp for the first time, I decided to paper piece her coat with a newsprint type of DP. I decided to leave everything else very neutral.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges -

Less Is More - Newsprint

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes (I didn't use the optional twist)

For this card, I stamped the Rosebud stamp and then masked the roses with a post-it note. Then I had an oval mask and stamped a background script stamp. I coloured the roses with a Spectrum Noir marker.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges -

CAS on Sunday - One Layer

Our wonderful sponsor for our challenge at ATSM is 

and the prize will be 3 digis for our winner

I hope to see you at the challenge blog!

Thanks so much for looking xx

Surprise! Happy Birthday Joanna and Happy Anniversary to IBS

Surprise! 

I'm here today, along with other gals on the Inspired By Stamping design team, to wish the Inspired By Stamping stores owner, Joanna, a happy 3rd Anniversary for the store and an early Happy Birthday to her!  

You should have arrived her from Kendra's blog.  If not, and you'd like to join in the fun, please start at Joanna's blog and hop along with us to wish her many happy returns!  We've all made birthday creations to share using Inspired By Stamping products.  Come and take a peek at mine!

Joanna is a big fan of purple and green. I have combined the Aster and Elegant Flowers set for this card. 

I have embossed the chevrons, flower and sentiment. 

Joanna is the most wonderful person to work for. Work? No, it isn't work. It is a pleasure to be on her Design Team and to be able to use her amazing products. A big congratulations on 3 years for Inspired by Stamping and a huge Happy Birthday to you, my friend. 

Thank you for stopping by today and for hopping with all of us from Inspired By Stamping!  Your next stop is Leah's blog.  

Merry Christmas with Inspired by Stamping!

Wow! Have you feasted your eyes on all the new releases that were showcased for Inspired by Stamping over the last 5 days. We have all had so much fun creating with them.

Today I have a card to share with you using the Poinsettias set. 

This is a beautiful set for you to create an amazing Poinsettia. I decided to go with a watercoloured look.

I created my background by laying some distress inks directly onto my craft mat and misting them with water. I then pressed my watercolour card on top and picked up the colours. 

Once I dried it with my heat gun, I stamped the poinsettia and coloured it in with a smallish brush. Once I had applied a fair bit of colour I gave it a very light mist of water to get the colour to run a little. I dried it off again and then stamped the sentiment (from the Elegant Christmas Sentiments set).

I added pearls in the center.

If you happened to miss the new release sets, here is a recap -

Poinsettias

Sugar & Spice - you can see my cards I have made with this set HERE

Big Holidays - Check out my blog next week using these stamps

Build a Stocking - you can see my card that I have made with this set HERE

Christmas Wreath - check out my blog next week using this awesome set

Winter Birds

How amazing is the new release sets. Pop on over to the DT blog to see more creations!

Thanks so much for looking xx

Inspired by Stamping - Build a Stocking (and so much more!)

Welcome to Friday everyone! This is a special post as I have made some extra cards this week using the new release Christmas stamps from Inspired by Stamping.

This new release will blow your socks off. Joanna has outdone herself and the DT have had so much fun creating with these new sets.

Today, I am going to use the Build a Stocking set on two different cards. The stamps are very versatile and you will see why with my cards.

Here is my first card -

Lots of embossing for this one! I stamped the stocking and fussy cut it out. Then I embossed the cuff and fussy cut it out and adhered it to the top of the stocking. Then I embossed lots of stars all over the stocking. The background was created with the snowflake stamp. The sentiment is from an older set but still beautifully co-ordinates - Elegant Christmas Sentiments.

I used the IBS Monthly Colour Challenge for this one - you can check out the challenge HERE

My next card uses the same set but has a completely different look -

As soon as I saw the tree and deer in this set, I knew I had to make a cute little scene. 

I started with tearing a piece of paper in half. I used one of the halves as a mask at the bottom of the card. I then sponged ink over the top half to create my sky. I tore some white cardstock to create my snow banks. Once they were all adhered, I stamped my trees. The lighter trees were inked and then stamped off onto scrap paper and then stamped between the darker trees. I stamped the deer and fussy cut then popped him up with some foam squares.

The sentiment is also from the Elegant Christmas Sentiments set.

The last thing to do was add heaps of stickles for my snow along the torn edges of the cardstock.

Our release has come to a close! I hope you have enjoyed seeing all the new stamps over the last few days.  Don't forget our monthly challenge too! There is amazing inspiration for you to choose from.

Thanks so much for looking xx

STAMPlorations - Sketch Challenge #22

Hi everyone! Welcome back.

STAMPlorations has a brand new sketch for you for the next fornight.

I have used a brand new stamp from the Bee's Knees line created by our very own Shirley.

This set is called Rosebuds. It is beautiful.

Here is my DT card -

For my main panel, I used a piece of watercolour paper, smooched my ink pads onto my craft sheet, spritzed them with water and then used a brush to pick up the ink and randomly brush onto my paper. I kept using my heat gun to dry the paper and would add more colour here and there. I dried my paper again and then stamped the rosebuds and coloured them with a brush. The sentiment comes as one whole stamp but I snipped mine in half so I could stamp them before and after the stems. 

Once everything was dry (trusty heat gun again), I used an ink spray that was sent to me by my teamie Marina at ATSM. I held it up quite high and sprayed down on the paper so I could get some larger drops instead of a mist. 

I added three little raindrops from PTI and die cut a tiny butterfly from some leftover of the watercoloured panel. It's a little bit lost but it is there :) I also added a butterfly to the inside of my card.

I hope you will join us for this challenge. We have a wonderful guest designer - 

Leslie - don't forget to pop on over and say hi but here is a little bit about her first -

I started stamping in 2002 after I was sucked into it by a heat-embossing demo at a local craft store while on vacation in Florida. Then I discovered Stampin' Up! and joined "for the discount". I taught classes for 8 years before I resigned, mostly because I was an equal opportunity collector, and I really wanted to use ALL THE STAMPS. One of my customers suggested I start a blog. I joking said, "What would I call it, The Crooked Stamper?", which was an inside joke -- they accused me of not being able to cut parts for my kits straight. She said, "I'd read it." and my life entered Blogland. Then I discovered challenge blogs, and I'm now addicted to challenges. My favorites are sketch challenges.

I'm now retired from the Day Job, and I play in my craft room most days. I also run the Shopping Our Stash challenge blog, and I'm a designer and DT coordinator for A Blog Named Hero.  

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges -

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for looking xx

Inspired by Stamping - Day 1 Release Week!

Welcome everyone! I am so excited to be sharing with you my cards using the brand new release stamps from Inspired by Stamping. I am so in love with these new sets and I'm sure you will be too.

Today we are concentrating on the Sugar & Spice set – there are so many ways to use these stamps. My first card is lots of fun using 3 gingerbread men.

There are so many different ways that you can 'dress' you gingerbread. Aren't they the cutest!! I stamped my solid gingerbread man and then embossed the extras with white powder. I gave one a hat that was emobssed too. Then I fussy cut them out and popped them up on my embossed background using foam squares.

I stamped a couple of the sweet stamps and fussy cut them out. The sentiment was die cut at an angle to give it a bit more interest.

My next card also uses a cute gingerbread man and for this one I have created a fun shaker card!

I was so inspired by the colours in the photo for our IBS monthlychallenge that I used it for this card.

I stamped a background using the little sweet stamps from this set, created my shaker card by filling it with sequins and stars and popped it on the front of my card base. Below you can see all the little goodies inside once it has been shaken.

I created my gingerbread man the same as in my first card using the little stars for his front, fussy cut him out and used glossy accents to adhere him to the front of my card.

Wow! I had so much fun using this set. I hope you are enjoying the first two days of Release Week – strap yourself in because there is so much more to come! 

Thanks for popping in today xx

Copper Butterfly {Hello}

Good morning everyone. 

I was playing around in my craft room yesterday and got very busy watercolouring and using texture paste and other goodies. I was able to make a number of cards (some which will be shown later in the week) but here is one that I would like to share with you today.

(NOTE: If you would like a watermark created for your projects - like the one I have made for my cards, please email me at kyliepurtell@gmail.com and I will give you 10% off the design price if you mention this post)

My generous friend, Loll sent me a number of stencils that she made with her Silhouette. I really wanted to use the 'brick' design.

I masked off my panel and then used texture paste through the stencil. Once it was dry, I sponged Baked Brown Sugar ink over the panel. 

I die cut a butterfly from copper sheets that Loll had also sent me many moons ago. I usually use them for leaves but I thought it made for a beautiful butterfly. 

The grass is an Impression Obsession die which I cut up a little to give me smaller pieces. 

The stitched rectangle is from Lil' Inkers.

The sentiment is from STAMPlorations.

A big thank you to Loll for my goodies. I really love them.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges

Eclectic Ellapu - Texture

Papertake Weekly - Super Fly

Emerald Faeries Challenge - Things with Wings

Thanks so much for looking xx

ATCAS #50 - You're not my Friend....

Hello everyone. Another Saturday has come along so it's time for a new challenge at ATCAS. Has the title of this blog post got your attention? Onto to that shortly ;)

The hostess for our new challenge is the beautiful ugly bum Marie ;) Here is the code word she has chosen -

Vellum really scares me. I really hate that it is a bugger to adhere to the card. But I got around that little problem and ended up making not one but two cards!

This first one is so funny! I bought a stamp set from Lil' Inkers called The Fine Print. You really have to  read the fine print because you may get a bit offended if you don't, lol.

I have stamped the sentiment onto a little vellum envelope that came with my PTI Shakers and Sprinkles kit. It didn't dry too well so I tried to emboss it instead. That was worse.... So I went back to the original envelope and hoped for the best. 

Here is my card -

I filled the envelope with little sequins and adhered it with sticky dots.

Here is what is inside the card - 

This is important because if you don't here is where the offense may be taken.

The sentiment actually reads You're not just my friend. You are my best friend ever.

How funny!!!!

Here is my second card -

 

You may not be able to see where I used the vellum here. My backing piece is the vellum and I have gold embossed the sun and sentiments which are from PTI - Shakers and Sprinkles stamp set.

A cute little shaker card. 

I hope you will join in with our challenge for this fortnight. There is plenty of inspiration over on the challenge blog. 

Thanks so much for looking xx

Inspired by Stamping - Showcasing Aster

Hi everyone and welcome to you all. Today I am sharing with you a card I have made using the amazing and beautiful Aster set which is from the Inspired by Stamping September Release. This complete set is just wonderful – every stamp can be perfectly co-ordinated with each other to give you stunning effects.

I have used soft pinks and greens for my card with a bit of embossing.

I have embossed the chevron stamp over my die cut tag and then popped it up with foam squares. I embossed the Aster flower and used a cotton bud and distress inks to colour it in.

The sentiment was also embossed and then I scattered a few sequins about and adhered them with glossy accents.

A beautiful, beautiful set. If you don't have it in your collection, may I suggest you get this one!!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges -

613 Aveune Create - Anything Goes optional twist of CAS

Eclectic Ellapu - I will be adding my card to both their challenges for this month

Fussy and Fancy - Pink

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope to see you again soon xx

Name the New Technique

Hi everyone! Over at Happy Little Stampers I am having a giveaway. I have created a few cards using a brand new technique and it needs a name!

I use a baby wipe and touch it directly to an ink pad and then swipe it over the cardstock. 

Here are three cards I have made using this technique so far -

This first card was made this morning in a matter of minutes!

I have already blogged the next two cards - you may have seen them before ;)

I also made this card below this morning. Instead of swiping on to the cardstock, I dabbed the ink on.

For all these cards I have used a mixture of Stampin' Up, Memento and Distress Inks.

How to enter the competition? Just pop on over to Happy Little Stampers Facebook page or the Forum. Think of a name for this new technique and write it in the comment section. If your name is chosen you will win a mystery prize!!

More Sprinkles!

Hi there everyone. Just a quick post from me. 

I had to make another shaker card as I have another niece that celebrates a birthday next month and while I had all my goodies out from Papertrey Ink, I got cracking.

I was inspired by a colour challenge this time! This is new for me, lol

Here is my card -

And a close up of all the yummy shaker bits

The colour combo was inspired by

I would like to enter this card over at

Miriams crafting blog - Shades of Pink

Sisterhood of Crafters - Think Pink

Thanks so much for looking xx

Happy Birthday with Sprinkles on Top

Hi there everyone.

I'm a little excited because I received my very first parcel ever from Papertrey Ink. I ordered the Makeit Market Kit: Shakers & Sprinkles and a couple other goodies.

When it all arrived yesterday, I calmy put the package in my craft room and continued to quickly finish up my housework. Once done, I zoomed straight in there to unpack everything.

This kit is so fun. There are a heap of dies, stamps, papers and sequins/sprinkles etc to make amazing shaker cards. Of course, you don't have to make a shaker card but I did for my first go.

Now I need more so my wishlist has grown again.

Just to get a feel of what I could make with all this, I headed on over to the designer Betsy Veldmans blog to get some inspiration and I CASED one of her cards.

Here it is -

Everything I used was from the kit (except for my base and scallop frame card stock). 

The kit even comes with double sided foam sheets for you to die cut to create your shaker. This stuff is very, very sticky and a bit hard to get everything straight. I did end up a bit lop sided but nevermind. 

I stamped the "Happy Birthday", "with" and "on top" and then laid my glittery die cut Sprinkles over the top of the acetate once it was all put together.

Here is another photo showing the sprinkles and stars I used within the shaker -

There are confetti dies in this kit too. The stars and hearts come from two different dies. Love them!

This card is for my niece who turns 11 next month. I have to say this is one of my most favourite cards that I have made. It is so fun.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges -

Love to Create - Dies and Sparkle

Moo Mania - Bright and Cheerful

Inky Chicks - Die Cuts only (no images)

(I also have to thank Sandie & Kim for my little addiction to PTI that I seemed to have developed. I used Sandie's PTI stamps while staying with her in London and a couple of weeks ago, Kim and I were emailing each other and talking about it and the next thing I knew my bank account was smaller!! Thanks ladies.....)

Thanks so much for looking xx

IBS - Australian Nature

Hi there everyone.

Just a quick post from me today to share with you a very quick and easy card using the New Release stamps from Inspired by Stamping - Australian Nature I and Teeny Tiny Greetings

Here is my card -

I have embossed the butterfly from the Australian Nature set and then used Distress Inks and a cotton bud to colour them in. I then took a baby wipe, touched it on the ink pad and swiped across the card.

The sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Greetings.

Some little raindrops and rounded corners finished it off.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges -

Sparkles Monthly Challenge - Thngs with Wings

Emerald Faeries Challenge - Things with Wings

Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Wings

Fan-Tastic Tuesday - Anything Goes with a Twist - Wings

Thanks so much for looking xx

STAMPlorations Sketch #21

Hi there everyone. Well call me silly because I thought I had scheduled this post to go live 10 hours ago but turns out I hadn't even written the bloody thing... So sorry, Shery!!

Over at STAMPlorations, we have a brand new sketch for you and it is a ripper.

I had so many thoughts go through my head for this one and here is what I came up with 

I stamped, masked and embossed the sunflowers and then used a cotton bud to apply distress inks. I then added a bit of ink to a scrunched up baby wipe and swiped it over the panel to give it that sun beam streaky look.

I embossed some strips of paper and then popped everything up with foam dots. This isn't exactly how I thought this would turn out and I nearly chucked it in the bin but it started to grow on me. 

I have used Bloom Sketches: Sunflower Artsy for this card.

I was once again inspired by the Fusion Challenge where this time I used just the photo

Thanks so much for looking xx

ATCAS #49

Firstly, welcome and Happy World Card Making Day everyone.

Over at Addicted to CAS we have a brand new challenge and I am your hostess for this challenge. Due to a family emergency (and me not being very organised at the moment), I made this card earlier today in about 10 minutes flat. I didn't think I was going to make something in time but all the stars aligned and I was lucky enough to produce something that I was happy with.

Here is the code word -

Stencils are something I have only really just added to my stash. I first bought some from Shery over at STAMPlorations. Then I only bought my first Distress Inks not long ago, either. I know, I know I am a BIT slow. Anyway, stencils really weren't something that I thought I would really go for but then I found texture paste and all those goodies so the stencils were a must have ;)

Here is my DT card -

Firstly I cut my panel to the size I wanted and used painters tape to adhere my stencil (Faded Dots) so it wouldn't move while adding the ink. I blended Broken China, Salty Ocean and Faded Jeans for an ombre feel. 

The stars are Lil' Inker Dies (omg, I love this company and have a new order on the way which I can't wait for). 

The sentiment is from STAMPlorations and from the Sentiment Builders: Celebrate set.

I matted the whole panel onto black cardstock. I only wanted a very thin border of black so it didn't take away from the main panel. 

We also have the pleasure of a brand new guest designer joining us for the month of October - Hannelie from Desert Diva. Don't forget to pop on over and say hi.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges -

Thanks so much for looking xx