52 Card Challenge UK Scrappers Week 15 - Make the Words the Focus

This week, Nat set the challenge as "Making the Words" the focus.  I pondered about this challenge for a while, and then took the brief literally. 

I had this glossy orange paper sitting around and rather than waste it, I backed the card with it and "patched" the background together where I had cut away from a sheet of paper.  I had previously cut an orange frame with Spellbinders, but it didn't look right, so coloured the frame and the flower with a black Promarker.

I have decided that rather than wait for the right time to cut into papers, with the amount of papers I have - just do it! So I am making cards for friends to give them messages before I move to Australia.  This one was for my lovely friend and neighbour, Roberta. 

I then coordinated the card with black and white.  I had the remainder of a Prima "Say it with Gems" black swirl, so used it here.  It adds some sparkle and dimension in real life, though you can't really spot it in the photo.  I used some black card candy in the middle of the flowers, and then covered it with orange Stickles, as I did with the word I wanted to accent, and the main flower. 

I can use the remainder of the lace paper in my Project Life pages, as we have just had the boys' second birthday party/our farewell do.  I think the message on the lace paper is pretty apt!

Supplies:
Orange glossy craft paper
ki memories black glitter lace paper
Orange Stickles
Black and white flowers
Black card candy - Craftwork Cards
Prima black "Say it in Gems"
Black button
Assorted flower

52 Card Challenge - Week 29 Nordic Theme

This week, for the Week 29 challenge over at UK Scrappers, Nat set the participants a Nordic inspired challenge. 

 

As I am actively trying to use up anything "snowy" related, this Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses paper jumped out at me as the perfect main ingredient.

 

 

I am also trying to use up odds and sods of this and that - just so I transport a pared down and more cohesive scrapping stash. 

 

I added an oddment of red satin ribbon, and some cotton lace and just a few tiny spots of red Stickles on the middle of the flowers to add a little bit of sparkle.  A Hero Arts greeting matted on green Bazzill completed the card. 



 

Supplies:

Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses Powdered Sugar

Red Satin ribbon

Cotton lace

Hero Arts "Miracle of the Holiday"

 

 

 

 

 

 

52 Card Challenge UK Scrappers - Week 25 Sticker Sneeze

Nat set an interesting challenge this week - get out some of those old stickers and get using! 

I know for certain that I wouldn't have been as productive without this challenge - it really pushed me to stop thinking about the product and just get on with it!

I had half a sheet of Rusty Pickle "Grinchmas" stickers left.  They really looked awful sitting side by side - the colours clashed and I had kept shoving them aside in favour of other things. 

 

First time I used my Spellbinders Pointsettia die - I cut a flower from Basic Grey "Scarlet's Letter" range, and then used the die to outline flowers using my Inktense water colour pencils and coloured part of two flowers in.  I really like the end result!

 

 

The bling really made the difference to this very simple card, the sticker of which was outlined with Silver Icicles - the thicker Stickles. 

 

Went to town a bit with all the embellishments above - quite a busy card. 

 

I like the simplicity of the one above - I used the robin from a set of Christmas stamps and just added some felt ribbon. 

 

Even more basic - just added the bit of left over felt ribbon, and a couple of stars punched out from glitter paper and a few little gems as accent. 

How satisfying - all those stickers are now used up, as is most of that Basic Grey paper. 

Supplies:
Rusty Pickle "Grinch-mas" Stickers was the common elements in all these cards. 
Papermania felt ribbon
Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses "Powdered Sugar"

52 Card Challenge - Week 13 Take Inspiration

For Week 13, Nat's challenge was to take inspiration from online/elsewhere as the basis for the card.



The above was my inspiration - so pretty.  I've pinned it from Split Coast Stampers.  I took the ribbon banner elements and turned the card into this:

 

My starting point was that really bright ribbon that I wanted to use up.  I remember purchasing it yonks ago - some DCWV self adhesive ribbon.  Great idea, and lovely quality - just want to get it used. 

 

I have also been dipping into my sequin supply a lot lately.  They were coordinating colours but when I'd stuck them on, they were a bit too pastel - so I covered them with Stickles.  They looked too odd, so I then bordered every second plain card ribbon banner with Stickles to make them tie in. 

 

I also covered the blue sequin stars with Starburst Stickles and then stamped the greeting with Versafine  in two different colours. 

 

I'd also like to duplicate this card directly from the image - it is just beautiful in the pinks.  Thanks for stopping by.



52 Card Challenge - Week 28 Deck Chair Stripes

This week, Nat challenged us to use Deck Chair Stripes as the Week 28 challenge -

My card couldn't have been simpler! I think a piece of Basic Grey as the deck chair mat, with a piece of Kaisercraft paper to mat the embossed dandelion clocks.

Several years ago, my friend Linda lent me her embossing folders whilst on a scrapbooking weekend, and they have been sitting unloved in a drawer for a very long time.  The rub-on leaves were CherryArte ones which had stuck to the backing sheet, so I simply cut them out and used them as such on the card. 

For a wee bit of dimensionality, I added some teeny tiny pearls which I bought by mistake - they really only require the most miniscule portion of glue to make them stick! Then a "Got Flower" flower by Prima - I still have a bottle of these in all assorted colours on my desk and I find them very handy for card making. 

The message was from a freebie stamp set which doesn't shop up very well.  I guess the quality is pretty poor, but I do really like the font!  I shall perservere, but if not worth it, it shall go in the bin!

I like the simplicity and "quietness" of this card.  You can't often say that about my projects!

UK Scrappers 52 Card Challenge Week 30 - Use Inspiring Supplies

Wow - over two thirds of the year completed already - that's scary stuff.  Nat set an interesting challenge this week - with the forthcoming Craft and Hobby Association show coming up in America which shows all the soon to be released new scrapbooking and craft products, choose an item which has been your favorite or most eagerly anticipated, and use that on your card. 

The item I chose was a Simple Stories 24/7 journalling block cut down from the 12 x 12 sheet.  My inspirational supplies are not necessarily Simple Stories - it could have easily has been Echo Park, or Project Life.  I like the different sized journalling blocks available for the pocket scrapbooking system that I have now adopted. 

 

 

The colour scheme was determined by the Simple Stories 24/7 journalling block - dark grey, with splashes of gold, red and grey blue.  I found the scroll die cut when having a clean up - I am very pleased to have used it here. 

 

The rest of the card was mostly scraps; I have also used my Memory Box "puffy clouds" dies for the first time and added foam pads for two of the smaller clouds.  The card didn't look right until I added more of the Doodlebug sequins that I have rediscovered lately - so useful for little accents here and there!

 

I added more dimension to the smaller flower by adding a middle from patterned paper, and then filling it with grey accent beads. Trying also to use up my hoard of rub-on alphas - they disintegrate over time, and it would be a shame to waste them. 

 

Quite a different style of card for me - but I am very pleased with how it turned out! The card would have never turned out like this were it not for the 52 Card Challenge. 

 

Supplies:

Various patterned paper scraps

Freebie magazine paper (Scrapbook Magazine) (Blue arrows)

Fresh "Beauty" Scroll Die Cut - 29th Street Market My Mind's Eye 2008

Memory Box "Puffy Clouds" die

Bazzill "Just the Edge" strip

American Crafts Trademarks "Jane" rub-on alphas

 

 

 



52 Card Challenge - Week 27 Celebrate the Season

In catch up mode for the above 52 Card Challenge on UK Scrappers - and I am doing pretty well, despite the chaos going on in my life at present!

The Week 27 challenge theme was to "Celebrate the Season" - and here in the UK at the moment, we are experiencing a heat wave!  So Christmas and the cold seems like a lifetime away - but we all know how quickly that can change. 

 

This card is on an aqua background, and the patterned paper is a subtle yellow, with a blue wintry design which doesn't translate onto the screen. 

 

Quite some years ago now, I attended a craft fair with a couple of friends at Port Sunlight, near Liverpool.  It was a great day and lots of crafty items perused - but I do remember buying copious amounts of ribbon there, for £10.  I love ribbon of all sorts and really enjoy using it on my cards. 

 

Supplies:

My Mind's Eye Patterned Paper

Light Blue Glitter Paper

Quickutz snowflakes die

Crystal effects snowflakes clear stickers

Papermania Capsule collection "sunshine" self adhesive gemstones

"Stampin' Up!" scallop punch

Snowflake eyelet

Inkadinkado stamp

"Stardust" Ranger Stickles

Lemon beaded ribbon

 

I love the combination of lemon and light blue - quite a refreshing colour scheme, despite being used on a wintry card. 

 

 

 



52 Card Challenge UK Scrappers - Week 9 Roses

The challenge for this Week 9 of the 52 Card Challenge was to use roses:-

I had originally made a different card for this challenge, but when completed, it was more suited to a different challenge theme. 

It was originally going to be my mother's birthday card, but when finished was too dimensional to send through the post to Australia. 

A very simple card - I misted the fabric wild rose to make it red, and then outlined the edges with a gold mist, which I painted on. 

Using up the wide red satin ribbon, and the black lace.  I didn't want it to appear too much like a Valentine's Day card, as it is for a friend, but it may still be mistaken for one!

The label was raised up with foam pads which I often do, especially sticking over ribbon. 

Supplies:
Black lace
Red Satin ribbon
Prima leaves
Wild rose - unknown?
Flair Designs patterned paper "Roses"
Spellbinders Nestabilities "Labels 4"
Elizabeth Crafts Designs die - "Happy Birthday"

I love these challenges - using up bits and bobs that otherwise may have lingered longer! Thanks for stopping by. 

52 Card Challenge UK Scrappers - Week 20 Challenge The Printed Word

The challenge for Week 20 was to feature "the printed word" - from literature, a quote, or stories.  This caused me to scratch my head quite a bit, as I haven't done much reading of late.

I had already pulled out this tag from the K and Co Mira tag pad to use on another challenge, so decided to cheat a bit by using this quote - which is a Kundalini yoga blessing, or an Irish blessing, apparently.  Quite a bit of cultural difference there then!

 

I just adore these words:

 

May the long time sun

shine upon you

All love surround you

And the light within you

Guide your way home. 

 

 

I pulled out the same collection patterned paper and went from there - I remembered I had some paper roses bought eons ago that I thought would come in handy. 

Much as I love looking at all the heavy dimensional works of art that abound on the web, I usually limit myself to fairly flat scrapbook pages and cards for the practicality of it.  This time, I decided to break out of my mould - I am sure the card will still fit in the envelope, and as I am hand delivering it to a friend, I decided it could be as bulky as it turned out to be!

 



I edged the orange paper with pink chalk ink and then laid my washi tape and velvet orange daisy ribbon over the top.  I had hand cut the leafy embellishment from the other side of the paper - this particular piece was quite heavily foiled - I am not such a fan, so I was really pleased to have cut into it. 

I thought it was a mistake to have run the ribbon along the whole width of the card, but in the end, it was the right thing to do as it hid the stems of the roses, and was somewhere for me to hide the glue!

I stamped the leafy elements in Cactus Green stazon ink, as the green paper was glossy and really thick in weight.  The green paper is from the DCWV Taj Mahal collection which I bought to scrap my elephant photos - I haven't made much progress so far.  That is a "one day" job.  :lol:

Supplies:
K and Co Mira Paper Pad and Tag Pad
Doodlebug Boutique Trims
Indie Chic washi tape
Papermania Spring brad
MME Wild Asparagus embroidered brad
Cactus Green Stazon ink
Sizzix and Hero Arts stamps and framelits "Flowers and Butterflies"
Assorted flowers

I love this assortment of colours - something quite exotic about them - like being in Kashmir! I am really pleased with how this card turned out and hope the recipient likes it too. 

52 Card Challenge UK Scrappers - Week 8 Red/Pink/Aqua

This week, the challenge set by Nat was to use a combo of red/pink/aqua ... a favourite of mine. 

I started with a Papermania aqua base.  I always buy card packs when they are on offer and this was such a time. 

 

I knew exactly where I would start, and that was with the lovely floral Alyssa's Garden sparkle stickers by Cloud 9.  I had used the rest of the sheet so am keen to use up and get rid of the packaging. 

 

The clouds were cut from a small scrap of paper and then run through the Stampin' Up! embossing folder.  I think the different dimension is really effective  and I have made a note to use my folders much more often!

 

I am really glad I decided to add the red hearts at the end - they add a much needed pop of colour. 



Supplies:
Papermania foam alpha minis
Cloud 9 Design "Alyssa's Garden" sparkle dimensional stickers
Washi tape
MS punch
Bazzill pink cardstock
Stampin Up! Perfect Impressions Perfect Polka Dots
Patterned paper scraps
Heart punch

I am really happy with how this card turned out and am so pleased I now have a way to upload photos onto my computer - Happy Days!  On to the next challenge.  :D

52 Card Challenge - Weeks 22 Feathered Friends & 24 Children's card

I am gradually catching up with the 52 Card Challenge on UK Scrappers, slowly but surely.  Now that I have completed a major family project, I can concentrate again on going back and using up stash, and maybe getting one or two more pages completed for my Project Life scrapbooking album for the boys. 

 

Week 22 challenge was Feathered Friends.  At one time, my Stampin' Up! Bird and Branch punch was my go to item.  It has been a little while since I've used it, and I am glad I pulled it out now. 

 

One of my friends particularly likes vintage and I think she is more into the subdued heritage colours.  The Verbena Scrap pad was on my radar as I have recently used quite a bit of it in my album project.  I had already coloured some lace with a Promarker, and this was in my ribbon bag left over for a layout of Lewis I did last year.  It happened to coordinate perfectly, and was a much needed bit of texture on otherwise a very paper-based card. 

 

The card came together quite quickly and I was pleased to use some stripey paper for the bird's wings - it adds some impact.  I like the card and hope the recipient does too. 



Supplies:
Stampin' Up! Bird and Branch Punch
K and Co K'Ology Verbena Scrap Pad
Lace
Promarker
Foam Pads
Pinflair Silicone Glue
Prima "Got Flowers"
Colorbox Fluid Chalks Warm Brown
Papermania Capsule Collection Gems


Week 24 - Children's card/young at heart

 

This card was even quicker and more last minute - the third boys' second birthday card I have made.  The tiger cub was a perfect colour for this background paper from Animal Antics.  Amazing how I like this paper pad for young boy cards, but can't see myself using it on a scrapbook page.  (But you should never say never ... things have a habit of popping up!)

 

I bought two small punches from Tesco many years ago - a star and a heart one - amazing how versatile and well used they have been over the years.  And at about £1 each, good value for money, too! 

 

Supplies:



First Edition Animal Antics
Woodware Scalloped Circle Punch
Star Punch
K and Co Juliana Letter Sticker
Poundland Baby Stickers
Elizabeth Crafts Designs Die "Happy Birthday"

10 cards to catch-up - let's see how long that takes! :)

UKS Scrappers 52 card challenge - Weeks 5 and 19

For this challenge, Nat asked us to use this sketch:

 

 I took the snowflake literally and made a Christmas card:

 

 

I think there's a vintage, grungy vibe going on! I embossed the snowflake and the greeting with Brilliance Pearlescent Orchid ink, and then sprinkled pink glitter over the top.  To stop it shedding, I coated everything with Glossy Accents.  It does end up making the image look a bit clunky, but I would rather have that than glitter falling everywhere!

 

I layered up some of the small stars on the Cuttlebug die and using them as accents.  I layered up a star on top of the snowflake and adhered over the ribbon strip. 

 

Supplies:

Basic Grey Granola "Wholesome"

Pink Patterned Paper - ?

Brilliance Pearlescent Orchid Pigment Ink

Pink Glitter

Glossy Accents

Inkadinkado Peppermint Twist clear stamps by Brenda Walton

Cuttlebug dies "Winter"

Black lace

Stardust Stickles

EK Success corner rounder

Papermania Capsule collection "Red Hot" pink gems

 

The challenge for Week 19 was to make a card with texture.  I found this sample of a 10 Second Studio make I had done a good long while ago at LB Crafts - stamping onto foil with Stazon, and then embossing the metal using the various tools and wheels. 

 

Again - good to get all the little bits and bobs out of the way, so I decided to make a card out of it!

 

 

You'd think I would have checked if the foil was square before sticking it onto the card! The scrap of patterned paper brought in the grey colours successfully and married together the colour scheme.  I should have also used a grey ribbon, but the black and white one was to hand.   A very simple card - I bolstered the raised texture of the foil by adhering some pinflair glue behind it so it wouldn't get squashed flat. 

 

Supplies:

Bazzill flat black cardstock

10 second studio sample on foil

black and white spotty ribbon

Craftwork Cards sentiment

Black and grey patterned paper - HOTP?

Martha Stewart iron fence punch

 

Thanks for stopping by! :)







52 Card Challenge - UK Scrappers Week 6 and 7

Continuing with making cards for all the two year old birthdays coming up, it has proven useful to fulfil more challenge aspects of the 52 Card Challenge for UK Scrappers. 

 

Week 6 - loving old stash - using up the Daisy D's Lullaby range of papers and embellishments kindly given to me by Heather Bee when the boys were born.  Used here for a vintage girl's card:-



 

I dug out some old stickers too.  I do find it difficult to use stickers effectively but I did like them when I bought them - they are very cute - I even bought two packets!  I've used one, but still some left on the second sheet.  I would have also liked the banner better if it had curved - but it didn't, so I was a bit restricted in it's use. 

 

Now that I look at the image of the card on the screen, I should have trimmed down one of the edges of the photo corners so that the sides were even.  On a 12 x 12 scrapbook page, you probably wouldn't notice - but the large scale of them means that they're quite prominent.  Oh well - too late!



Supplies:
Daisy D's Lullaby Patchwork Yellow Patterned Paper plus photo corners
Woodstock Creative Stickers
Sizzix Framelits "Frames with Sprigs" die
Kaisercrafts Basics Pearls Denim
Prima "Got Flowers"

Week 7 - feature a heart on your card

 

I used large squares for the card above, but small squares on this card.  I've still got nearly half a sheet left!  Amazing when you love something, there is never enough, but when you are trying to use up, it lasts for ages and ages.  Bear embellishment had a pink heart on it, so I coloured it in with a blue Promarker and outlined everything with a stone coloured chalk ink. 



Supplies:
Daisy D's Lullaby Patchwork Yellow Patterned Paper
Sassafrass Lass patterned paper
Creative Memories Square Punch
Elizabeth Craft Designs die - "Happy Birthday"
Spellbinders Nestabilities "Labels Four"
Colorbox Chalk Ink
Handcrafted Everyday Gift Stickers

Not my favourite cards that I have ever made, but more stash used and two more weekly card challenges completed! What's next?

52 Card Challenge 2013 - UK Scrappers Week 14

Hello everyone -

This is my card for week 14 of the challenge on UK Scrappers to make 52 cards this year.  (I am trying to make 52 Christmas Cards - and I might not be able to participate all year due to emigration, but we will see how we go). 

Week 14 challenge was to use hexagons - luckily I had previously purchased the Hexagon Framelits from Sizzix, but they had been unused up to this point. 

Seeing how I am all about using up the stash, the thing that was the focus of my stash busting mission is this snowflake ribbon which I have had for many years.  I suspect it may have originally come from Costco, but certainly was a gift from my friend Tara who sometimes shares her stash largesse with me. 



I scratched my head about the design for a good long while before coming up with this.  I really like the colour scheme - wintry but fresh with the use of lime green.  Glad to see that sequins have come back - not that I really care about fashion, but it may catch up with me eventually!

Supplies:
Wired snowflake ribbon - Costco?
Papermania Adhesive Shimmer Dots
Doodlebug Sequins
Sizzix Framelits - Hexagons
Craft for Occasions Bling - Blue gems
Express Yourself DIY Snowflake
Scenic Route patterned paper Background Blue Grid White
Aqua cardstock - DCWV, Dark Blue - Cricut, Lime Green - scrap?
Brilliance Ink Mediterranean Blue
Hero Arts Miracle of the Holiday Clear Stamps

I was wondering where I'd put the message but luckily I had just the right niche tucked in on the ribbon. I don't often leave so much white space on the card, but I really like it and will replicate the design for the amount of ribbon I have! That was my last glittery aqua snowflake used up, so I will just substitute that for something else. 

Four challenges down - more to go!

52 Cards Challenge - UK Scrappers - let's go! Week 1, 2,17

Natalia Harandon, aka Mystic Nat on UK Scrappers, hosts a 52 cards challenge every year.  In some years I have played along for a time - I can't say that I have ever completed a full year.  Still - I think it's fun to join in with challenges so I decided to backtrack and join in this year - even though we are nearly half way through and up to Week 22!

So I have been making cards in isolation, but it is much more fun to join in with challenges so I will make to each week going forward, until we move and I can't craft any longer. 

Week 1 - Theme = New (new beginnings, baby, home or simply using new stash - the choice is yours!)

I had to make some New Year cards for a colleague at work, and this is one I came up with -

 

Desperately trying to use up my snowflake/snow stash before going to Australia.  Theme of "New" for New Year.  I like black and white with one accent colour!

 

Week 2 - Clean and simple

 

I kept this one really simple - with such busy patterned paper, you don't need much else!

 

 

I used my Framelits tag, Merry Christmas white peel-off, and some snowy buttons with some Stickles on top.  That was it!





 

Week 17 - using old scraps



 

Nearly all of my card making features old paper/embellishments - but this paper is older than most!  Another New Year card. 

 

 

I was getting great mileage from my Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 4 dies.  Also really old rub-ons and more white peel-offs in the stars.  Some Icicles Stickles and I bought two packs of these snowflakes from Hobbycraft quite some years ago!



 



So that's it for now - a long way to go to catch up, if I can!  Thanks for stopping by.  :)