Women are like Tea Bags !!!

I created six of these cards for Think Pink next weekend.  They were very simple to make owing to  the fact that I used these gorgeous papers from DCWV The Garden Tea Party stack.   The large sentiment is from the WMS Afternoon Tea Sentiments set.  The tea bag frame and teacups on the envelope are from the WMS Afternoon Tea set.  The small sentiment is from the WMS Opera Tags set.  All sentiments and images were stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa except for the tea bag frame which was stamped in Fired Brick Distress Ink.

Thanks for stopping by,
Kate

Pink Christmas Shaker Card

I've seen so many shaker cards around recently and it's been ages since I made one, so I thought I'd make one for the last of the set of pink Christmas cards I am making for Think Pink next week.  

I have used the Window Dressing die from Clearly Besotted to cut the window.  Behind the window you can just make out St Nick which is from the WMS 'Twas the Night Before Christmas set.  The hanging ornaments and sentiment are also from this set.  

The Christmas tree is a very old PSX wood mounted stamp and I don't think it's seen ink in 15 years.

I am entering this card in the Waltzing Mouse Fanatics Challenge #27 where the theme is Christmas.  

Thanks for stopping by,

Kate

Open Me First

Still on my Thinking of a Pink Christmas challenge - this is card #9.  My intention was to make a batch of 10 so I'm close to finishing now.  Every one of these cards has been lovingly made and is dedicated to my dear brave friend Maggie.

I thought it might be fun to use this Sizzix Gift #2 die for a Pink Christmas card.  Previously I've only ever used it for birthday cards.  I used the smallest of the WMS Stitched Tag dies to make the label and stamped it with a sentiment from Ornate Ornaments.  To make it a little more festive I've added some pinkery (that's greenery in pink) from the Sizzix Decorative Strip die Festive Greenery and a decorative Christmas sentiment from WMS Compliments of the Season 2.  The background was stamped with WMS Vintage Christmas Backgrounder.

Once again I'm entering this card in the Waltzing Mouse Fanatics Challenge #27 where the theme is Christmas.

I just noticed the Cut It Up Challenge where the challenge is to make a 3d project for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Thanks for stopping by,
Kate

Enamoured with Enamel

I am having so much fun experimenting with UTEE and various embossing powders and inks and I just love the molten glass effect.  In the photo above, I managed to take advantage of some day light this afternoon which shows up this effect more accurately than the inside lighting.

Here's a closeup of the wreath I created for today's Thinking of a Pink Christmas Card.

Here I die cut 3 laurels from the Tim Holtz Regal Crest die.  I embossed and UTEE'd them differently - changing the order and the number of times I embossed with the pink embossing powder and the UTEE.  On one of the laurels I dabbed a Victorian Velvet DI onto an already enamelled surface and reheated it - that's the darker pink with the spots - the spots being where the ink beaded on the enamelled surface.  

I cut a snow flake using my Cameo and a free design from Bird's Cards.  I embossed it with pink embossing powder, then white, then holographic, then UTEE.

Once I was happy with the die cuts I intertwined the laurels so they formed a circular wreath and placed the snow flake where I wanted it.  I then reheated the elements so they fused together.

I stamped the WMS Vintage Christmas Backgrounder and embossed it with white powder.  The sentiment is from WMS alpine Christmas, stamped onto a banner cut from the same die as the laurel.  I curved the sentiment slightly on the acrylic block to fit the curve of the banner.

The Festive Friday Challenge #40 came at just the right time and has been a wonderful source of inspiration for me as I try to make a bunch of special pink Christmas cards to be auctioned for Think Pink next week.  There are tons of ideas in the inspiration photo and there are so many lovely entries.  These were just 2 of many which caught my eye and influenced my design today.

Marybeth

and Jacquie Southas

As well as the Festive Friday challenge, I am entering this card in the Waltzing Mouse Fanatics Challenge #27 where the theme is Christmas.  

Thanks for stopping by,

Kate

Pink Snow

I have been having so much fun with UTEE and pink embossing powder and I've been trying this technique on any suitable Christmas die cut in my stash.  Latest experiment was with the Twiggy Tree from Memory Box.  I wasn't sure it would be suitable as it is so fine but when the UTEE went on it accumulated in the branch junctures and looked like the branches were laden with snow.  Seemed appropriate therefore to go with this sentiment from WMS Compliments of the Season, framed with a WMS Fancy Phrases frame and cut with a Spellbinders Fancy Tag.

I think I bought the embossing folder in Wiesbaden or Dortmund at a craft fair  - it doesn't have a name on it and I've long since lost its packaging.  It reminded me of the beaded ornaments in this inspiration pic from Festive Friday Challenge #40.

This side on pic may give a better sense of the dimension of the card

Thanks for stopping by,
Kate

Shiny Pink Reindeer

I was so chuffed about the little bird I made the other day, I thought I'd try the technique again - this time with this small reindeer (a Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers).  I experimented a little more here and sprinkled some silver embossing powder into the molten mix and then reheated it to spread it around.  I did something similar with the star except rather than sprinkling the embossing powder I actually embossed it in silver as well as the pink and then coated it with UTEE.

The sentiment is from the WMS Alpine Christmas set, and the snowy scene border was part of a free cut file from Bird's Cards.  

I'm entering this card into the Festive Friday Challenge #40.  I am so glad this challenge is on.  I'm getting loads of inspiration for the Thinking of a Pink Christmas card set I'm working on for next week and not just from the photo - the other entries are amazing !!!

I'm also entering this in Darnell's NBUS #2 challenge.  I've had that Sizzix Framelits star set in my stash for 18 months and this is the first time I've actually used it.

I'm also entering this card in the Fusion Challenge - Shiny Pink

Thanks for stopping by,

Kate

Gelato Ornament

This green is one of my favourite colours to mix with pink - it reminds me of gelato.  Seems appropriate therefore to use this delicious swirly ornament from the WMS 2011 Ornaments set and a panel embossed with the D'vine Swirl embossing folder. 

I've used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketch #154.

I found even more inspiration in this photo from Festive Friday Challenge #40.  The large pink rose on the second shelf, which influenced my decision to use this background paper, the etched crystal ornaments and the pearls which gave me the idea of suspending the ornament by pearls.

Thanks for stopping by,

Kate

Shiny Pink Bird

I tried my hand at a new crazing technique I read about recently - sorry can't remember where.  You apply several coats of embossing powder to an image, crack it, rub distress ink into cracks then remelt.  I die cut this Memory Box Meadow Bird, coated it with several coats of pink embossing powder, cracked it and tried rubbing Worn Lipstick DI into the cracks, but it made no difference to the colour.  I thought my problem was that I had used coloured embossing powder so I coated it with clear UTEE, and it reacted very strangely with the pink embossing powder causing holes in the pink and then mixing with the pink until I was left with a marbled effect.  I continued to experiment by sprinkling glitter on the still molten UTEE (which naturally doesn't show up in an indoor photo but looks fab IRL).

I used the Birds 'n' Trees Stamp and Emboss set from Sizzix/Hero Arts for the background, embossing it with pink Clearsnap EP.  The sentiment is from WMS Alpine Christmas and was stamped with Smokey Grey Versafine (my son James said the pink sentiments in the previous 2 cards were too hard to read).

I am entering this card in the Fusion Challenge Shiny Pink (I had the bird, the background and the sentiment but couldn't figure out what to do next until I happened upon this sketch).

I am also entering this in Festive Friday Challenge 40 where the pointy trees in this photo inspired me to use the Birds 'n' Trees background stamp.

Finally, as the Birds 'n' Trees set hadn't been used before, I am entering this in Darnell's fabulous NBUS Challenge #2

Thanks for stopping by,

Kate

Pink Bedtime Story Sketch

Another card for the Thinking of a Pink Christmas set, this time using the lovely Bedtime Story Sketch at this month's WMS Pyjama Party.  

I've used the WMS Teeny Trees set (NBUS) to create the focal image, with the WMS Pinstripe Backgrounder embossed with pink EP, and a sentiment from WMS Cottage Christmas.  A little silver embossing on the tree and sentiment, a row of pink gems and some silver ribbon to add a little glamour.

As well as the Pyjama Party Bedtime Story Sketch, I am  entering this card in the following challenges

Festive Friday Challenge # 40 which has this gorgeous inspiration picture

and Darnell's NBUS Challenge #2

Thanks for stopping by,

Kate

Thinking of a Pink Christmas

Our Think Pink evening is fast approaching and in light of what my dear friend Maggie is going through, it seems more appropriate than ever that I get involved.  I'm planning to make various all occasion cards, but I also thought it might be fun to do a set of Pink Christmas cards for auction.  I just finished the first one tonight in time for the WMS Pyjama Party Old Pyjamas challenge - to use old Christmas stamp sets.

I've used a few sets here Vintage Christmas Backgrounder  which I embossed with white EP, and Compliments of the Season 2 and A Cottage Christmas which were embossed with Pink EP.  The button is a Sizzlit die cut which I coated with versa mark and embossed with the same pink EP.

This is the first time I've used the Vintage Backgrounder and I have to say I'm smitten.  Not only does it look beautiful but it also stamps like a dream.

Thanks for stopping by

Kate

P.S.  I was so excited (and tired it was the wee hours of the morning after all) I forgot to add the other sources of inspiration for this card.  

Festive Friday has this fabulous inspiration picture.  If I hadn't already been Thinking about a Pink Christmas I certainly would be after gazing on this loveliness.

I also used Freshly Made Sketches #153 for layout inspiration

 I am also entering this card in the lovely Darnell's NBUS challenge #2 as the Vintage Backgrounder had previously not seen ink, and it's a Christmas card.

Spooky Cuteness

Waltzing Mouse are having a Pyjama Party tonight - yippee !!!   

I made this little tag is for Challenge 2 - too cute to spook.  Since I don't have much in the way of Halloween stuff, I have used sentiments from the WMS Candy Wagon set.   The beautiful spider web doily and spider were cut with my Cameo using a free cut file from Bird's Cards.  I coated the frame in versamark and embossed it with a sparkly white embossing powder.  The little spider was coated with glossy accents (not for the impatient - took several hours to dry completely).

 Claire has asked that we post each submission in a separate so look out for other entries tonight/tomorrow.  

Thanks for stopping by,
Kate

Wedding Blues

A wedding card for a friend's brother who is to be married next weekend.  The pretty blue papers were from a set of downloadable freebies from Cardmaking and Papercrafting called Moroccan Chic.  I printed them on glossy photo paper.

I paired them with two shades of blue and cut some Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles and Ellison Thick Cuts Primitive Hearts.  The sentiment is from WMS Fancy Phrases and the gorgeous flower was stamped with WMS Funky Flowers and cut with the matching die set.  I love how the Bundled Sage Distress Ink matched the green in the papers.

The inspiration for the layout came from this brilliant Mojo Monday #362 sketch by Julee Tilman, though I had stuck down the central panels before I realised I had forgotten to add the ribbon (it's been one of those days) !!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Kate