The First SSS Challenge for the Year

This year seems to be humming along creatively. I hope that bodes well for the rest of the year still to come.

This week's theme at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is: Add A Sentiment. I needed a birthday card for the bff so I knew I could Add A Sentiment to her card.  It's her birthday today! (NZ Time)  I made the card in the weekend but I didn't want to load it before her special day in case she checked my blog!  Here's what I came up with:

I really don't know what is happening with my heat embossing lately. That's two cards I've made recently that haven't embossed well. It was a new stamp set so maybe I should've 'primed' it? I also did the right thing by using my Misti but it still double stamped a little off, which is one of the reasons the embossing didn't turn out perfectly.

I did learn a lesson though: don't cut your strip for stamping before using the Misti! The stamps left no room for the magnets to hold it in place! My fix-it was to adhere my stamping piece to a bigger piece of scrap paper so that I somewhere to put the magnets. (Another reason the embossing smooshed?).

Materials:
Stamp: Studio Calico
Inks: Versamark, Studio Calico
Embossing Powder: Ranger
Embossing Folder: Sizzix
Cream Card: Stampin' Up!
Corner Chomper: WRMK
Other: Sequins, scrap paper, card base

Hello 2018!

How's 2018 treating you so far?

Today I'm loading a layout I scraplifted from @meldarcy over at Studio Calico. Scraplifting isn't something I do regularly but the design called to me (instax style photos with washi trims) and the very same kit she used arrived on my doorstep this week. How serendipitous!

The layout has been submitted to the Studio Calico January LOAW #1 challenge. The original blog post is here. The challenge is to document goals. My layout ties in to the theme because it documents one of my goals for this year (#bemoresocial) and I got 5 photos scrapped which fits another goal - craft more (#morecrafttimeplease).

Materials:
Studio Calico: Silver Lake Lodge Scrapbook kit, Goals stamp set, washi strips, planner stickers, glass slipper pigment ink.
Heidi Swapp Colour Shine (blush)
Ink: Stampin' Up! , Tim Holtz
Glitter Paper: DCWV
Punch: McGill
Word Strips: Cocoa Vanilla

Happy New Year!

There is just enough time to get a post in before the the new year! Actually, it's already 2018 in New Zealand! But at least it will still say 2017 on the blog.

Here's hoping 2018 will be filled with much love, laughter and light for us all

Anything Goes Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

This week I'm back working on challenges. I needed to make a birthday card for a ten year old for tomorrow. The challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is Anything Goes so I am entering this card to that challenge:

I used my new Nuvo embellishment mousse over the embossing, to colour the card base and to colour in the number 10 on the inside:

I had to cut my acrylic stamp in half (#gasp) to stamp the words separately.  I also put a special, NZ designed and made, stamp on the back of the card for this sweet girl. The birthday girl has started to attend church with friends so I thought she would find it a special touch.

Again, this card is being entered at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Materials:
Stamps: Hero Arts, Rubbadubbadoo
Ink: Ranger
Embossing Powder: Ranger Antiquities
Mousse: Nuvo
Number Stickers: Basic Grey coloured with Nuvo Embellishment Mousse
Embossing Folder: Craft Connections
Bling: Kaisercraft
Pen: Stabilo (to write 'th' on the inside and draw lines on the front of the card)
Paper: SImple Stories (for the tiny blue hearts on the front)
Cardstock: Bazill, (base unknown)
Other: Tiny Heart Punch

You May Not Need That Latest Gadget

That's right, the shopaholic just said: you may not need that latest gadget!

A new gadget was just released by a well known male crafter, and a well known craft manufacturer.  When I saw it, I thought: that looks the same as my sidekick I bought many years ago only in a different colour.  (I choose red over brown any day). I ordered a new, and tiny die recently and I thought that it would be easier if I could cut the die with my old, trusty sidekick rather than pull out my regular die machine (Ebosser).

The first setback was realising that when I purchased my sidekick, thin metal dies were not on the market.  It only cut the steel dies embedded in the plastic frame.  Now is about the time you might point out that the new gadget would cut all of the current die sizes, thus rendering it useful.  I, of course, was not going to be beaten at the first hurdle.  I played around with different, self-made 'shims' to account for the lack of plastic frame on thin metal dies.  The final sandwich involved adding: a piece of chipboard covered on both sides with patterned paper from my scraps stash and a plain embossing folder sized to fit the sidekick.

The plain embossing folder may shear over time but I could cut new plastic shims out of product packaging or some other thick, solid material.

It's always good to look at older supplies and give them some love again.

What would Kelly make inspired card

This week on the blog over at Simon Says Stamp they have a link-up for cards inspired by Kelly's 'what would Kelly make' series.  (The link-up is here) Kelly's cards this week had lovely bright, almost painted backgrounds. I was inspired by the coloured, artistic backgrounds on Kelly's cards. So I set to work using the supplies that I have on hand.

First up, I tried a new technique on this card - one from Jennifer McGuire I think. I inked stripes of distress inks (minis) on an acrylic black, spritzed it with water then laid it on my card front like a stamp.  I wasn't that happy with how it turned out. I did have a few extra tries but they turned out worse than this one 😂. Once it dried, I heat embossed the lovely sentiment (Hero Arts). To try and improve the overall look, I misted the card front with a lovely teal Prima spray. Then I inked the edges of the card base before adding the card front to try to blend the whole look together. Here's my card:

The link for this challenge is here.
I am also entering this card for Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Materials:
Stamp: Hero Arts
Inks: Ranger Distress Ink, Ranger Embossing ink
Embossing Powder: Hero Arts
Colour Spray: Prima
Card: unknown

Altenew Sketch Challenge #AltenewSketch

It's another 'Not A Card' day on the blog again. I've been working on getting photos scrapped and documented instead of card making this week. Loving slaying my stash of photos!

Altenew had a Crafting Friends blog hop yesterday. While I was on their site, I checked out the Scrapbooking blog and discovered a sketch challenge. The details are here

Here's the sketch they have as their challenge:

They encourage you to use either elements of the sketch or the whole sketch as your inspiration. I liked the sketch, particularly the use of three photos. My photos of course were the opposite orientation! So I used 3x4" prints and cut a 4x6" down to suit. I also liked the blue/teal colours in the background paper on the sketch example.

This year I have been lucky to win a couple of store credits from Altenew and I was able to get: Marker Set A, Golden Peach Embossing Powder and Painted Inspiration stamp set. Because it is an Altenew challenge, I need to respect the rules and use mostly Altenew products. Boy, this gave me a good challenge given my limited Altenew supplies! Without much further ado, here's my layout:

I started by stamping and heat embossing on vellum with the only Altenew stamps and embossing powder I own and the layout came together after that. I added journaling lines with the peach Altenew marker (R302)  and decorative lines/arrows with the black Altenew marker (S). I also coloured clear bling with the peach marker to help them blend into the layout. You can do a lot with limited supplies. Here's a close up of the embossing and the faint journal lines:

I'm pleased to have three photos scrapped. Thanks Altenew for the challenge #AltenewSketch

Altenew Materials:
Altenew: Painted Inspiration Stamp Set , Golden Peach Embossing Powder, Markers S & R302

Other Materials:
Cardstock: DCWV
Patterned Paper: K&Co
Sparklets: Kaisercraft
Perfect Pearls: Ranger
Decorative Pearls & Blue dots: Retail Girl
Punch: Martha Stewart
Unknown: vellum, decorative bling I coloured