Style is Eternal

 

It's time for a new challenge at Time Out and this fortnight we challenge you to be

Fashionable!

 

I've never really followed fashion - anything that's fashionable today will, by definition, NOT be fairly shortly!  Style on the other hand is eternal!   And this Dashing Crow from AALL stamps has oodles of it - from his impeccably tailored suit and red cravat to his top hat and aviator goggles!

I'm going with a little steam punk today - couldn't resist given that top hat and aviator goggles!  I've kept the image fairly clean and resisted the urge to add background stamping, stencilling or distressing.  What I've done instead, is used a technique I call faux embossing.  It consists of simply overlaying die cut elements to create a much more pronounced embossed background than you would get with an embossing folder.  

I've never tried it with a stamped image before.  I needed two identically stamped images so I stamped the crow image onto two 5x7 panels (I used a stamping platform to make sure they were stamped in the same place on both panels.  After colouring both, I cut the top image using a clockwork cover plate die, lining up the die so that the crow's beady eye was framed by one of the gears.  Once cut, I carefully overlaid it so that the cut image lined up with the base image - pretty easy peasy actually!   Very subtle but I love the tactile interest of the gears on this gorgeous image!  Next time I'll get a little more adventurous and add some more background stamping and perhaps a little gilding wax!  A stamping platform makes this soooo much easier as whatever is stamped needs to be the same on both panels so that they line up  - though the colours of the ink and card stock needn't be the same and might be interesting 💡!

Because the stamp is just a head and shoulders - I felt he needed to be framed so I made a simple thin black frame using two stitched rectangles.  I added some gears (X-Cut Chronology Gears die set) that I then double embossed with some verdigris embossing powder.  I stamped and cut the sentiment with a very old Sizzix Framelits set called Style is Eternal and then shadowed it with black card stock.  

What does fashionable mean to you?  Perhaps fashionable accessories such as handbags, hats or shoes or perhaps a fashionable period of time (the 60s or "disco") or is it something else entirely!   I can't wait to see how you'll be inspired!  As always my fabulous fellow DT members have plenty of fashionable inspiration for you and we're joined this fortnight by the very talented Arlene so do please pop over and say hi!

Challenge #237 is sponsored by AALL and our winner, as voted by the DT, will receive a $20 store credit and will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge.  

This Dashing Crow image is getting it's first inking here so I'd like to enter NBUS Challenge #49!  

I'd also like to enter my masculine card in Traumfabrik Challenge 115.  Traumfabrik has two movies to inspire this month - Miami Vice for a masculine card and Freaky Friday for a feminine card but anything masculine or feminine is accepted!

I'd also like to enter my Dashing Crow into the April Triple B Challenge - where anything bird, butterfly and/or bloom related is accepted!

And Crafty Animals Challenge #71 closes just after this post goes live so I hope to sneak my card into that challenge as well if I'm quick enough!

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

Kate

Winter Wonderland

 

To create this Winter Wonderland I added 4 colours of distress inks to an A5 sheet of white card stock so that, with blending I ended up with 7 different coloured bands.   I then cut a number of trees (Poppy Stamps Whittle Forest Reindeer die set) from each of these coloured bands and made up this Winter Wonderland.  The two deer in the foreground are from the same set - though I couldn't resist adding those red noses!

I'd like to enter the following challenges :

NBUS Challenge #49 - the Whittle Forest set is NBUS;

Colorful Options April Challenge (Rainbow Option);

Day of the Month Club Challenge #50 - Find a Rainbow Day

Inspired By Challenge #IB234 - Inspired by Rainbow of Colour (see badge below)

Poppy Challenge PSC#103 want us to use cute critters;

Crafty Animals Challenge #71 want us to use any animal;

Allsorts Challenge Week 725 - For the Love of Animals

Happy Little Stampers April Christmas Challenge

April Rudolph Days Challenge

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

Kate

Spots and Stripes

When I saw the prompt for Inspirational Challenge #288 of Spots AND Stripes, I knew immediately what direction to go in!  Spots always work well on flower heads IMO, while this die (a very old Sizzix Bigz die) with its perpendicular leaves works well with something striped ... well plaid in this case ...  and what are plaids but stripes going in perpendicular directions - so I hope that's ok!  

I used a Simon Says Stamp coverplate die for interest in the background and a double fish-tailed banner to mount a Happy Birthday sentiment - I trimmed off some of the leaves to make way for the banner

I'd also like to enter these additional challenges

Triple B April Challenge

Four Season April Challenge

AAA Birthday Game #48

Happy Little Stampers April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Krafty Chicks Challenge #660 - CAS

Use Your Stuff Challenge #482 - Layers

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

Kate

For Sweet Caroline!

 

My son asked if I could make a card for him to give his girlfriend for her birthday and as she's a chef, I thought I'd use a couple of kitchen accessories that have been in my NBUS stash for some years as well as a fairly new Poppy Stamps Whittle Pie die - I've fallen somewhat in love with the Poppy Stamps Whittle die range.  

I cut the spatula from red and spotty card, did a little surgery on the spotty one and overlaid it on the red, adding some thin strips of black to mask the joins.  These are possibly the oldest NBUS items I have in my stash.  According to my records I bought them in 2007.  They're very old Sizzix Original Dies - Apron and Mitt (I only used the mitt) and Cookies Baking Sheet and Spatula (I only used the spatula).

The pie base was cut from silver mirror card and I cut the top layer of the pie from red and craft so it looks like the filling is just oozing out of the pie!   I decided on a simple "sweet" sentiment - well her name is Caroline! 

 I made up another 2 pies - one for the envelope and one for the insert - and took a chunk out of the pie on the insert with a scalloped punch!  

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges 

NBUS Challenge #49

Snippets Playground Challenge #452 (here's a photo of some of the snippets I used)

AAA Birthday Game #48 - Layer it Up (I layered up my sweet birthday pie)

Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies April Challenge

Krafty Chicks Challenge #660 - CAS

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

Kate

Mwah!

 

Time for a new Challenge at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge and time to add another card to the stash for next Christmas!

This one was a quickie so I'll be making a few extras before I pack everything away!  

I had already cut some panels from this card stock for a previous project.  I just love the gold foiled stripes - so elegant!  I then cut the mistletoe foliage (Memory Box Mistletoe Bundle) from green card stock and the berries and bow from white.  I added a little gilding wax and some glossy accents to the berries and bow because I wasn't happy with the white - I think I'll cut them from gold next time!  The sentiment is from one of the first Waltzing Mouse Stamp sets I ever bought - Festive Foliage!  I am embarrassed to say that at the time I had no idea what "mwah" meant!!  It is the perfect sentiment to go under a bough of mistletoe though, don't you think!  

I stamped the inside top right corner with the Mistletoe stamp which came with the Festive Foliage Stamp Set.  With such a gorgeous mistletoe stamp, you might be wondering why I felt the need to buy a mistletoe die!  Hmmm, I think the little bow in the set swayed me because I can see it being very useful and the other reason is that die cuts and stamps each have their uses.  Stamping on patterned paper is problematic and I love to use patterned papers so I usually opt for die cutting because I'm not a fan of fussy cutting!  Die cutting also gives loads of dimension!  When it comes to decorating the inside and the envelopes however, I tend to prefer stamping because there's less bulk and you can write over a stamped image!

The Mistletoe Bundle set is NBUS so I'd like to enter my card in NBUS Challenge #49.

I'd also like to enter the Happy Little Stampers April Christmas Challenge

and Krafty Chicks Challenge #659 - Week 2 so it's a Christmas Challenge

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

Spotted Specs for World Book Day

 

Challenge #236 has just gone live at Time Out Challenges and it's a theme challenge in honour of World Book Day.  

I stamped this Swedish Proverb (Sugarpea Designs Read Between the Lines) on a striped panel - the proverb does mention between the lines so I thought stripes were definitely called for!  I cut the specs (Sugarpea Designs Open Book) from some co-ordinating spotted card stock.  I cut them again from a piece of recycled acetate packaging with the aid of a rubber embossing pad so they wouldn't be cut through.  I couldn't see how I could attach the clear lenses to the frames any other way!  I then used scissors to cut around the outside cutting line of the acetate specs (it didn't have to be perfect just as long as it wasn't visible around the frame) and then overlaid the spotty frame on top.  I then cut the the temples - I just found out that's what they're called - from more spotty card stock and attached the frames to these where the adhesive wouldn't be seen and added a little foam tape to support the bridge.  They really do look quite realistic don't ya think!  I'm so chuffed I finally figured out how to put them together in the way I'd imagined!  

It was a little too top heavy, so I added some potted plants using various dies to the bottom for balance and I must say I love the lift the little pink and yellow flowers gave the design!

I hope you'll join us in creating a project that celebrates books and reading!   My team mates have some wonderful projects and we're joined this challenge by Trina Pham as our guest designer.   Do drop by and say hi - we all appreciate a little comment love!

 

Our generous sponsor Newton's Nook are 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!   

I'd like to enter the following challenges

Challenge #570 Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - Use Die Cuts

Bastel Traum Challenge #123 - Celebrate

Happy Little Stampers April Anything Goes with Dies

NBUS Challenge #49 - The Open Book Die Set is NBUS 

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

Window to the Stars

 

Challenge #137 has just gone live at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge and here is my DT card!  My team mates have created some wonderfully inspiring Christmas cards so be sure to pop over and check them out!  And of course we love to be inspired by your creations as well!

This lovely die (Brilliant Oval) fell into my basket on a recent shopping expedition at Poppy Stamps and is getting its first outing here!   I've stacked it up twice for dimension and cut it again from vellum and inserted the vellum panes into the frame.  I cut just the centre from silver mirror card and inserted these bits into the frame.  

The "peace" sentiment is from Reverse Confetti (Winter Words) and is stacked up twice in white and topped with silver mirror card.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired and find time find time to create a Christmas card or two and join us!  

I'd like to join the following challenges

NBUS Challenge #49 - The Oval Window is NBUS

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks Challenge #657 - Anything Goes

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

Dream Bigger

This month at 613 The Avenue Create, we are challenging you to use stencils!  I am woefully short of stencils so I cheated a little!  I used a cover plate die to create a stencil from some heavy duty card stock and blended three colours of distress ink through it to make this rainbow "Southwest" background.  I fell in love with this Taylored Expressions Southwest cover plate die a few years ago - I thought it would make a wonderful background for a dream catcher but it's been sadly neglected all this time. 

 I started with Picked Raspberry on the top third of the panel, then Squeezed Lemonade on the middle third and Mermaid Lagoon on the bottom third.  Then I went over the areas where two colours met with both those colours - Picked Raspberry + Squeezed Lemonade produced an orange and Squeezed Lemonade + Mermaid Lagoon produced a green.

The advantage of a stencilled background rather than a die cut panel is that it's perfectly smooth and ready to be stamped on!  This big bold sentiment from Waltzing Mouse Stamps also got its first outing and sits beautifully under these feathers I cut from black card stock (WPlus9 Dream Catcher) - I gave them a coat of Glossy Accents, sprinkled some ultrafine iridescent glitter and then gave them another coat of glossy accents when the first one had dried!  This way they have the smooth shiny surface you expect from glossy accents yet the glitter underneath the surface still catches the light!  I think they resemble opals!

I also have this gorgeous rainbow die cut panel left over from the process!  Because I'd used low-tack tape to hold it still during the stencilling process, there were odd markings around the edges, so I went over the edges with a black permanent marker.  I'm not sure what I'll use it for yet - but definitely too pretty to discard!   

Just out of curiosity, does anyone else see two yellow eyes, pink lips, green eye brows and a third (blue) eye on the forehead???

I'd like to enter the following challenges

NBUS Challenge #49 - Southwest Panel, Text Stamp are both NBUS

Colourful Options April Challenge - Rainbow Option

The Sisterhood Of Crafters - Rainbows or Rainbow Colours

Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #599 - Large Words or Text

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks Challenge #657 - 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