Hello and You're Paw-some....Inkspirational Challenge #159~Play, Twofer Card Challenge #4~Pets

Hello,

Welcome to Inkspirational Challenge #159~Play.  How fun is that prompt...and how vast the interpretations!

Joining us as our Guest Designer is incredibly talented, Sarah, from Sazzle Dazzle fame. Her blog name is incredibly apt; her card - indeed, ALL her cards! - will definitely dazzle! My DT have some fabulous cards, too...do visit and leave them some love:

Sandie

Shauna

Marina

Kylie

Nonni

Yvonne

As you may - or may not know, I'm the social media coordinator behind fabulous Darnell's new Twofer Card Challenge. I post/comment for the team on FB and IG, but have not taken the plunge to play along in the challenges. Why? They're hard! In a good way, but WOW! Talk about having to put a thinking cap on tightly to use the SAME stamps/dies to create TWO distinctly different designs for TWO different occasions! That's a tall order, which is precisely what makes this challenge sooooo incredibly unique...and fun (especially from my vantage point as a viewer, rather than a do-er *grin*)

Well, my standing-by-the-sidelines has come to an end, and I'm dabbling my finger in the water with my first ever entry into Twofer Card Challenge #4~Pets

You see: a new Studio Katia set arrived at my place - Best Friends - featuring an assortment of pets - and pets made me think of  'play' and...well, you can connect the dots.  Added to that, was the amazing inspiration found in Kara's twofers, soooooo...a Twofer play it is.

First, here's my puppies and kitties, coloured with prisma pencils...

Love the 'play on words' of the sentiment! 

Second, a gathering of rainbow pets, waving Hello, through the window....

Annnndddd....my Twofer!

Now, I'm nervous! Hope I've done this right!  Whatever the case, I had a blast *playing* with new stamps, new colouring ventures AND a new challenge!

What kind of *play* will you bring to the Inkspirational gallery?

Excited to find out!

Thank you for dropping by!

It's Prominently Purple at Just Us Girls Challenge #437~Colour Week

Hello,

A warm (and hopefully, sunny) welcome to you as you join us for this week's Just Us Girls Challenge #437~Colour Week.  Of late, I've been crushing over Ultra Violet, the Pantone Colour of the Year 2018. Described as "complex and contemplative," mysterious and intriguing, symbolic of "unconventionality" and "artistic brilliance", how can one not be tempted to play with this amazing colour and "push boundaries through creative outlets"?  Purple? Yes please!

If you've come from - or are heading to - the challenge blog, you'll see an array of fabulous cards from our April Guest Designer, Karren Johnson, and my talented teammates: Sue, Angie, Vicki, Ina, Bobby, Nancy, Lisa, Maria.

Two cards to share today. Mine features the oh-so-lovely, delicate Mandala stencil from Studio Katia. Three shades of purple distress inks, a sentiment from Label Messages (love that this set has matching dies!) and...done! Simple and, in my view, so pretty....love that the stencil did all the hard work!

My just-turned-8-year-old niece is joining me again as a Guest Designer, with a card she made when visiting us over Easter.  Studio Katia for her, too: You're Ranunculus stamps and die; Label Messages,STAMPlorations Dragonfly Waltz  stencil. Outside of the actual heat embossing, she did this alllll on her own! LOVE her bright purple card!

Turning the stage over to you! 

Looking forward to seeing your PROMINENTLY PURPLE creations in the gallery!

Thank you for dropping by!

Striped and Floral Thank You...Just Us Girls Challenge #436~Trend Week: Black and White Stripes

Hello,

Welcome to Just Us Girls Challenge #436~TrendWeek, where our wonderful Lisa has selected BLACK and WHITE STRIPES as our inspiration! Talk about a fabulous trend, right?!

If you've come from - or are heading to - the challenge blog, you'll see an array of fabulous cards from our April Guest Designer, Karren Johnson, and my talented teammates: Sue, Angie, Vicki, Ina, Bobby, Nancy, Lisa, Maria.

My card pairs faux-water-coloured stamped stripes with Spring Bouquet blooms from Studio Katia (swoon!). I love black, white and red...so dramatic!

Turning the stage over to you! 

Looking forward to seeing your BLACK & WHITE STRIPES creations in the gallery!

Also sharing at:

The Library Challenge #4~Memoirs of a Geisha (focus on colours)

Always Fun Challenge #53~Anything Goes

Thank you for dropping by!

DT Inspiration: UNIKO Meets ON TREND~Pantone Ultra Violet

Hello,

Welcome to my UNIKO Studios Design Team feature post; one I've very excited to share! Let's begin...

Source of Inspiration: Recently,  I was incredibly fortunate to win a seat in On Trend, the first class designed and taught by the incredibly talented, Taheerah Atchia, well known for her skill in mixing education/research with inspiration. In this class, she focuses on trends, offering us "a comprehensive look a the phenomenon of trends - how they are born where they come from, how to spot them and how to use them.'  A tall order and WOW! Does she ever deliver! The lessons - which feature five different current trends - are engaging; her translations of these trends into cards, amazing. She has definitely poured her heart and soul into this project!

Of course, a class is also an invitation for 'assignments', and that, my friends, is what I'm sharing with your today.

My *Assignments*: Taheerah's first lesson focused on Ultra Violet, Pantone Colour of the Year 2018. Described as  "complex and contemplative," mysterious and intriguing, symbolic of "unconventionality" and "artistic brilliance", how can one not be tempted to play with this amazing colour and "push boundaries through creative outlets"?  So...play I did!

Drawing inspiration from images/photos Taheerah curated for the class (in the lessons and on Pinterest), I've made a series of cards, featuring a wide assortment of UNIKO products in my replications. 

The sequence of my 'assignments' is straightforward: the original source followed by my translation.
I'll leave you to look, uninterrupted *grin*:

Card #1

Source

Card #2

Source

Card #3

Source

(no sentiment; the colour - three shades of DI inks, - and shimmer - 

Moonstone Nuvo paste - make a statement on their own)

Card #4

Source

(Copic coloured: BV02, 13, 17; YG03, 17, 68)

The Set

Hopefully, my cards have given you inspiration in ways to use your UNIKO products AND incentive to sign up for Taheerah's class. Maybe you'll even become a fan of ultra violet/purple, too! I'm aiming to share more UNIKO and ON TREND lessons in the future.

Uniko Studio Products used:

Card #1: Natures Treasures Clear Stamp Set
Natures Treasures II Clear Stamps
Organic Wishes
Paradise Clear Stamp Set
Simply Said Birthday Clear Stamps

Card #2: Paradise Leaves Clear Stamps

Card #3: Stencil – Pure Florals Chrysanthemum

Card #4: Pure Floral: Rose
All Occasion Sentiments #6 Clear Stamps

Thank you for dropping by!

You're So Beautiful...Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #287~Make Your Mark

Hello,

Welcome to Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #287~Make Your Mark.

My Altenew Cube Builder stencil hasn't received a lot of love recently, so it was time to change that...

A sentiment from Altenew's Farmer Market set, a couple of Nuvo Jewel Drops for some dimension and...done! Quick and simple!

Please visit my wonderful team to see how they 'made their mark', then join us in the gallery with your versions! Looking forward to seeing you there!

Thank you for dropping by!

STAMPlorations CUTplorations PHRASE DIES Blog Hop

Hello,

Welcome to my place, where I'm thrilled to be part of the STAMPlorations CUTplorations Phrase Dies Blog Hop, held to celebrate some new arrivals to the STAMPlorations line.  The phrases, with their wonderful words, delightful fonts and big size, are amazing; plus, they cut like butter! You'll want them all, guaranteed!  

April's Challenge is Focus on the Sentiments, and that's precisely what I aimed to do with my showcases.

Let's get rolling....

Ultra CAS happening on my first card! I scribbled, then spritzed, a rainbow assortment of Zig markers on an acrylic block, then 'splooshed' it over a bristol paper die cut of the new Art Happens Phrase Die. Once dry, I triple stacked it, then placed it atop a Happy Flowers - ARTplorations Stencil embossed panel. If you haven't tried embossing with STAMPlorations stencils, do so...they work marvelously!

A similar technique for my second card, using the Art Happens Phrase Die and Leaf Prints - ARTplorations Stencil (embossed, then splooshed).  I rather like the mottled pops of colour...

My third and fourth cards feature the Life Is Good Phrase Die, inset into panels featuring Coffee Petites (because life is good with coffee and treats, right!) and

the lovely In Bloom: Fancy Frangipanis - Shery Russ Designs (because life is good with flowers!).

You Are My Sunshine Phrase Die is the star for the next two cards. For the first, I used the Clouds - ARTplorations Stencil (sun is stenciled; clouds are embossed) as the background for the rainbow-inked sentiment. Here, the snippet of stenciling and subtle embossing give the sentiment context (or so I hope *grin*).

For the second, I paired one of my all-time favourite STAMPlorations products - the Happy Flowers - ARTplorations Stencil, - with the phrase die.

My cards just touch the surface of what can be done with these phrase dies; my talented teammates have more ideas over on their blogs. Hopefully, my CAS creations sparked ideas for ways YOU can use these products in your projects. Can't say it often enough: these dies are awesome! 

Please pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog for more details and for the next person on the hop.  Just so you know: everything is 10% off in the store right now, no code necessary, but if you would like to save an additional 20% off (which means 30% off your total!) use my Stamp Code:

STAMPGIRLCAROLM

Also sharing at:

AAA Cards CAS Challenge #112~Favourite Technique:  stenciling and die cutting are my favourite techniques, hands down!

Less is More Challenge #368~Case Card

  

Creative with Stamps #25~CAS + Sentiment

Thank you for dropping by!

For smiles and inspiration head to: STAMPlorations blog | STAMPlorations shop

Dahlia Thank You...MUSE Challenge #260~Anita, TIME OUT Challenge #106~Photo Inspiration, 4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #397~Anything Goes

Hello,

Popping in with a card inspired by the stunning stenciling at MUSE Challenge #260~Anita

and the pretty colours at TIME OUT Challenge #106~Photo Inspiration

I used the same Altenew Layered Dahlia stencil as Anita did, changing up the colours to fit with those in the inspiration photo. A 'bit' of tricky taping to mask off the different flowers, leaves and 'background' sections of the first stencil, but once done, adding ink with the second detail stencil was easy-peasy. A simple sentiment finished it off...

NOTE: Honoured and delighted to be selected as a Muse Challenge #260~Featured Member! THANK YOU!

Hope you're having a great weekend; may the sun be shining and the weather warm!

Also sharing at:

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #397~Anything Goes (optional twist: Flowers)

Thank you for dropping by!