Café Americano

 Challenge #270 at Time Out has just gone live and this fortnight it's an Inspiration Photo Challenge!

Here's a closeup

Our generous sponsor Newton's Nook is offering a $25 store credit to our Time Out Winner as chosen by the Design Team!  And the winner will be offered a guest design spot with us in a future challenge!   

Our Top Pick will also be invited to be our guest in a future challenge so I hope you will take some Time Out of your busy schedule and come play cards with us! 

Speaking of Top Picks, we are delighted to welcome Heidi Kunkel of Heidi's Creative Side (our Top Pick of Challenge #269) as our guest this fortnight!  If you haven't already done so, please drop by and see what Heidi has made just for our challenge ... and let her know how much you love it!

Our very own Nonni snapped this photo on her visit to New York last year.   There's quite a lot in this pic to inspire - the blackboard, the traffic, the city block ... and of course the mention of coffee!  I can't wait to see what captures your imagination!

I was inspired to break out a spanking new stamp set - Mid Mod City by Claire Brennan Designs - that I picked up on my recent trip to visit my son in Scotland!  Many of you probably remember the brilliant Claire Brennan from Waltzing Mouse Stamps.

I was also inspired to break out another NBUS item - the Colorise Café set by Tim Holtz ... finally!  I'm embarrassed to say that I just had to have this set two years ago and have only now got around to using it!  It did take a bit of working out how to assemble it but fortunately Youtube was very obliging and it came together quite quickly once I found snippets of four suitable pink shades of card stock.  I think it looks right at home with the futuristic retro look of the Mid Mod City block and I can just imagine sipping coffee from this gorgeous pink cup while contemplating the big city before my eyes!

There are some fabulous sentiments that came with the Mid Mod City set but I went with this "anything is possible" sentiment from Verve Coffee and the matching "Coffee" die - the vibe of this stamp set seemed to suggest anything is possible!

I'd like to enter these fab challenges

NBUS Challenge #67;

Snippets Playground Challenge #490 - Here are the snippets (left over bits from cutting card bases);

Double D Challenges - To Spook or Not (I've opted for the Breast Cancer Awareness option);

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday October Challenge - Anything Goes!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and should be able to find you!

Kate

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

The Sparkles Christmas Challenge #165 has just gone live and the theme this month is

Use the Word 'Christmas' on your creation!

I don't want to panic anyone but it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - as of today you have 2 months to start getting your Christmas cards done if you haven't been making them throughout the year.  I thrive on last minute stress - just kidding!  I am ever so grateful to Caz and the design team at Sparkles and all the design teams who have made making Christmas cards throughout the year - for their inspiration, hard work and for showing me what I absolutely must add to my burgeoning Christmas craft stash!

   

I visited my son in Scotland during August and while there was able to "shop" for stash that is difficult to find in Europe post-Brexit and yes much of it was Christmas related so watch this space!  I also picked up some (as many as I could find) craft magazines and this die was a freebie with one of them!  

The two dies in the set pack a lot of punch and don't need much IMO, so all I did was add a little Distress Ink to the base layer and stack the sentiment layer - easy peasy lemon squeezy (or lime squeezy in this case)!  I think this die will lend itself to doing something like I did last month so will try it again if I find an appropriate tartan panel in my stash!

  If after visiting the Sparkles Challenge Blog you're still in need of inspiration, you can see all my Christmas cards and how I made them by hitting the "Christmas" Label (just below the archive list) or click here!

I'd like to enter these fab challenges

NBUS Challenge #67

Word Power Challenge #10 - Make the sentiment the focus;

My Time to Craft Christmas Challenge #96 - Christmas Trees;

Merry Little Christmas #58 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Peace on Earth Challenge #71 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Girlz Creative Christmas challenge #92 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Kraft Chicks Challenge #735 - Week 4 All Occasions;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

 

Autumn Hugs

 

Challenge #273 at Time Out Challenges has just gone live and this fortnight we have an Inspired By Words Challenge with this quote from Vincent Van Gogh

“As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colours 

enough to paint the beautiful things I see.”

An Inspired By Words challenge works exactly as you would expect - you take the words from the featured quote and use them to inspire your creation!   You can use one word, multiple words or just the general idea of the quote.

This challenge is generously being sponsored by Poppy Stamps and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design teams a $20 credit to the store!  The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge!

Speaking of guest designers, our guest designer this fortnight is Deborah Wheeler of Deborah's Crafty Blog!  Be sure to check out her gorgeous interpretation of our quote as well as my talented team mates over on the Time Out Blog!

How do these words inspire you and where do they lead your imagination?  We hope you can take Time Out of your busy schedule to come play cards with us!

I just love this squirrel (Poppystamps Nordic Squirrels) - like all the Nordic animals he was so easy to assemble and his sweet little cardigan is so sweet and perfect for this time of the year when there is a little nip in the air!  He's having a frolic in some fallen leaves (Tim Holtz Fall Foliage) against an embossed lumber panel (Tim Holtz Texture Fade).  The "Playful Hugs" sentiment (also Poppy Stamps but discontinued) was cut and stacked three high from orange card stock to which I added some Candied Apple DI to the lower half to create an ombre effect.  I also added touches of gold to the leaves with some gilding wax.

I'd like to enter these fab challenges

NBUS Challenge #66 - The Nordic Squirrel is NBUS;

Cards 4 Guyz Challenge #358 - Embossing wet or dry;

Papercraft Challenge #110 - Fabulous Fall;

Crafty Animals Challenge #87 - Anything Goes must include an animal;

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and should be able to find you!

Kate

Sheriff Shindig

 

Many years ago I bought two sets from Waltzing Mouse Stamps that I never got around to using - Way out West and Sheriff.   I also bought this Elizabeth Crafts Props 6 Cowboy Accessories a long time ago that has likewise languished.   All three sets came in handy this week when I needed a card for a big country music fan.  The card happens to be for our parish priest and I'm hoping the sheriff badge will make him chuckle.

It needed to be a big card since many people will probably want to sign it.  This card measures 13cm x 18cm (5x7) - and I don't find it easy to fill that much space!  

I knew I wanted to make a spinner card so I cut a track in the top half of the panel.  Next I used the Tim Holtz Lumber Texture Fades 3-D Embossing Folder to emboss roughly the top half of the panel.   I then stamped this text border from Way Out West along the bottom.  I used various DIs (Ripe Persimmon, Spiced Pumpkin, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Broken China, Gathered Twigs) to add some colour to the panel.  To bridge the gap between the embossing and the stamping,  I created a little scene with two more of the borders from the Way Out West set on a separate piece of white card stock, tore the top and bottom edges, blended a little Broken China DI for the sky and placed it over this empty area.   I then added the hat, bandana and boots from the Elizabeth Crafts set.

I cut three badges using the cut files that came with the Waltzing Mouse Sheriff set, stamped onto one of them and used the other two for stacking since it was going to be a spinner element. Here is a video of the Sheriff badge in motion.  In hindsight, perhaps the 3D embossing folder wasn't such a great idea as it definitely impedes the smooth running of the spinner element but I love the effect of the woodgrain!

 And here is a photo of the computer generated sentiment on the inside.

I'd like to enter these fab challenges

NBUS Challenge #66;

Get Creative Challenge #135 Inspired by a Book - True Grit by Charles Portis;

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Make Your Own Background;

Cards 4 Guyz Challenge #358 - Embossing wet or dry;

Alphabet Challenge Blog - M is for Masculine;

Cut it Up Challenge #313 has a theme of Colours of Autumn/Fall;

Can You Handle the Pressure - Twist of Fall Colours;

Papercraft Challenge #110 - Fabulous Fall;

The Four Seasons September Challenge - Fall;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and should be able to find you!

Kate

Snarky

Challenge #272 has just gone live at Time Out Challenges and this fortnight we challenge you to be

Snarky

This challenge is generously being sponsored by Funky Fossil and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design teams a £25 credit to their store!  The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge!

Speaking of guest designers, we are joined this challenge by the incredibly talented Sudbury of Eden land Designs.  Wait until you see what she has created for our challenge this fortnight - do drop by and leave her some comment love!!

How do you interpret snarky?  Susan and my talented team mates have plenty of inspiration for you over on the Challenge Blog!

Snarky isn't really my style so I struggled with this challenge, but in the end I managed the tiniest amount of sarcasm thanks to this great set Comic Book Words Stamp and Die set (which is currently on special) from our sponsor Funky Fossil.   

I stamped some elements from the set onto white cardstock and framed the panel with a black rectangle so it resembled a panel from a comic book (the black frame was stacked three times).  The OMG was stamped, die cut and stacked 4 high so it really popped!

Two of the images (star and border on the bottom) came from much older WMS stamp sets - Halftone Basics and Kaboom.  Speaking of WMS, any fans of Waltzing Mouse Stamps may be excited to know that Claire Brennan is back in business!  

I'd like to enter the following fabulous challenges

NBUS Challenge #66 - The Funky Fossil Comic Words set has its first outing with this card;

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday Challenge for September - Anything Goes;

Word Power Challenge #9 - Focus on the Sentiment;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your comments are always appreciated and always bring me joy and if you do leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Focus on the Sentiment

 

The Sparkles Christmas Challenge #164 has just gone live and the theme this month is

Sentiment as the Focus

I used this sentiment die (LDRS Christmas Wishes) as the focus for this card.  I lined up the sentiment die on this tartan panel (I used a tartan because I wanted something with a definite pattern).  I then stacked the die cut so it would be more stable and layered it on a gold mirror card shadow.  Then I covered the hole left from die cutting the sentiment in step 1, carefully lining up the pattern.  I tried adding a few small die cut Christmas around the sentiment but wasn't happy with any of them and ended up only adding these small golden dots left over from a previous project.

I'd like to enter these fab challenges

Allsorts Challenge Week 796 - Getting Sentimental;

Merry Little Christmas #57 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Peace on Earth Challenge #71 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Outlaws Festive Friday Challenge 2 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Kraft Chicks Challenge #731 - Week 5 Anything Goes;

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate