Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2014 - April

I'm scraping in with a day to spare in the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2014 challenge for April.  Mainly because I don't have most of the supplies Tim used, so inspiration wasn't forthcoming for most of the month.  But I'm determined to complete all 12 tags, so it's a case of using what I've got, and substituting with the nearest thing.

Here's Tim's tag:

I'm also entering it into Simon Says Monday Challenge Mellow Yellow.

I'm eating out tonight with the girls, so DH is cooking Chinese fried rice for himself.  The smell is driving me mad.

Spring Gerberas

Got my timings a bit wrong today.  One of the challenges I made this card for, Muse, has just closed.  But one door challenge closes, another one opens.  The latest Simon Says Monday Challenge is to use yellow.  Ok then!

The current Uniko Studio challenge is Spring/Easter using this colour scheme:

And the challenge at City Crafter is Paint It - create a card or project that includes a painted background.

I stamped the images in Versamark and white embossed them, masking the flowers while I did the leaves, then watercoloured the panel using Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Bundled Sage and Weathered Wood Distress Inks, then matted it onto a piece of brown(ish) card.

Stamps: Uniko Studio Pure Florals: Gerbera

Paper Artsy 3UP - Guest Designer

I'm one of the guest designers on Paper Artsy's blog tonight for the start of their 3UP series, and here's a peek at one of my cards.  Every day for the next week guest designers are showcasing Paper Artsy's new product collections.  Click on over to see both of my cards.

Happy Birthday, Cornelia!

Last Saturday was STAMPlorations teamie Cornelia's birthday, but as she's been away on hols this week, team leader/big boss/owner of STAMPlorations Shery is organising a little surprise birthday party for her on her return today.

I've used some of the new stamps from STAMPlorations (what else?) which will be available to buy in May.  Click here for a sneak peek.  We'll be having a little blog hop where you'll have a chance of winning - make sure you follow the STAMPlorations blog to get all the latest details.

I've been sloshing inks around again, and I've used the colour scheme from Colour Me:

I'm also entering it into Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Clean and Simple:

Butterfly Garden and Magenta ATC Swap

I'm playing along with Make It Monday for the first time (now that I own some Papertrey Ink stamps - thanks, Maria!).  The theme is watercolour splats - how could I refuse?

I'm also playing along with CASology where the theme is Garden:

And with Simon Says Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Clean and Simple:

Butterfly by Clearly Besotted, all other stamps by Papertrey Ink

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I took part in an ATC swap on the Magenta blog, and Mariette posted all the swaps on Wednesday.  Here are the ones I submitted - take a look on the Magenta blog to see what I got in return, and all the other gorgeous ATCs in the swap.

Seize The Birthday - Anything Goes

It's a new challenge at Seize The Birthday, and this week there are no toppings, so anything goes (as long as it's a birthday card!).  And today is also teamie Jodene's birthday - Happy Birthday, Jodene!

It's my new latest craze, sloshing outside the lines.  It makes me happy.  You'll be seeing a lot of it because I'm slightly obsessed with it.  At least until my next latest craze...

I've also been trying to use colour combos outside of my happy safe zone (green/blue/purple).  I've been trying really hard with pink but needed a break from it, so today I thought I'd use red/yellow.  And look, it's Seize The Birthday team colours, which I hadn't realised till I started this post (must have been in the subconscious).

I'm entering this into Less Is More where the theme is "Makes Me Smile".  It could be something cute or funny, or a technique that makes you happy.  Yup, this makes me happy.

I'm also entering it into Winnie & Walter's Join In To Win.

The image is from Rubber Romance, and the sentiment is from Winnie & Walter The Big, The Bold and The Happy.

An umbrella and a bird

Two cards for you today.  This first one started life because of The Card Concept theme - use an umbrella.  Am I too grungy to be clean and layered?

I'm also entering it into Keep It Simple Bright Spark (bright colours or sparkly things)

I bought the Tim Holtz die a few months ago and rather than cut a dark silhouette I wanted to use bright colours.  So I cut it in white, then swooshed it through some spritzed Distress Inks.  Conveniently, some new stamps arrived from STAMPlorations which had the perfect sentiment.  The stamps will be available to buy in May (go here for details of the stamps and a blog hop).

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This next card is for Just Us Girls Colour Challenge (any blue and any orange - my orange is spiced marmalade - sploshed on, of course!).

And it's also for Moxie Fab World - Hip On Handwriting (use your own handwriting or something handwriting-inspired).

Happy Chardonnay

Wine is always a good theme for men's birthday cards, and while I was rummaging through my stash of stamped images (I stamp extra images as I'm making a card, store them and usually forget about them) I saw this image.  I was still in sloshing mode so I sloshed on a bit of Crushed Olive and Peeled Paint Distress Ink and trimmed it down.  Also in the forgotten stash was this tweed background panel which I'd already coloured and I thought the two went together really well.

I made the card as a reminder for the Craft Stamper Take It, Make It Bottles challenge which ends soon.  You've still got time, if you're quick - and you don't have to alter a bottle, you could create a card or other project with a stamped bottle image.

I'm entering this into Time Out Masculine Birthday challenge, which is ending soon too.

ETA: Also entering into Simon Says Monday Challenge: Big Stamp.

STAMPlorations Sketch Challenge #10

Time for the latest sketch at STAMPlorations.  Our guest designer is Carol from Just Me: c, and this is the sketch, which runs until 2 May:

I've used stamps from the MOM Subway Art Builders sets which are designed so that you can cut them up to mix and match your favourite sentiments from the sets, which is what I did.  I stamped them in Versamark and white-embossed, then watercoloured some Dusty Concord, Milled Lavender and Worn Lipstick Distress Inks over the panel.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more inspiration from the Design Team and Guest Designer Carol, and to enter your card.

And if you played along with our last sketch, and you've entered the monthly challenge (stamps and your favourite technique), you'll be in with a chance of this prize too:

You Are ...

Got some new toys yesterday so I couldn't wait to play with them.  This image is from the Mini Couture set by Dyan Reaveley.  I wanted to play along with the ColourQ challenge, which is Rich Razzleberry, Black and Gold option, but I don't have a corresponding Distress Ink so I used Memento  Sweet Plum.  Memento inks aren't as good as Distress inks for sloshing around on the card that I use, as they soak in quicker.  But, hey, you just get different results!

The sentiments are from Winnie & Walter The Big The Bold And The You, so I'm also entering it in their Join In To Win challenge.

I'm loving sloshing outside the lines, it's so liberating!  And it's just as much fun as splatting ;)

Masterboard Card

Quick post before tea.  I made a masterboard inspired by Jo Firth Young's masterboard on Paper Artsy's blog.  I used a piece of A5 (European) and stamped some JOFY stamps all over in Versafine Onyx Black, then used Tattered Rose, Bundled Sage and Ripe Persimmon Distress Inks to watercolour splodges on and around the images.  Then I chopped the piece to the size I wanted.

Before the Ripe Persimmon highlights were added

I'm entering this into Paper Artsy's weekly challenge

And Colour Me Subtle

Okey dokey, off out to enjoy dining al fresco while this gorgeous weather lasts!   Hope your weather is as nice as mine :)

Party Time

I just love messing around with Distress Inks!  I wanted some solid-image bunting so I performed some delicate surgery on one of the stamps in the Paper Smooches Tri-balation set.  See that solid three-triangle image top left?  I sliced it up with a craft knife so that I could turn it into a banner, and I also used the striped banner image from the set, coaxing it into a bit of a curve.

Then I splodged some Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick and Salty Ocean onto an acrylic block, stamped my re-arranged triangles into the colours, spritzed and stamped onto the card panel, joining the images with a yellow marker pen.  I love the looseness and movement.  I stamped the striped banner and dragged some of the colour through with a wet paintbrush.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:-

Paper Smooches SPARKS Picture Perfect Challenge

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge

A new one for me, Cure For The Monday Blues, which is already up to Challenge #13!

And Time Out Challenge, where it's a birthday card, with the optional twist of a masculine card.  Well, men's cards don't have to be dull colours, do they?

ETA: Forgot to add it to Make The Day Special Challenge - Anything Goes

Happy Hibiscus

A card without splatter - whatever next?  I'm playing along with Muse, where Vicki has provided this fabulous inspiration card:

And it ties in nicely with the current challenge at Fusion.  Look at that fabulous rose garland!

Here's what I came up with:

I inked the Penny Black Hibiscus stamp up with a mixture of Memento and Distress Inks and stamped the images onto the card, then overstamped with the sentiment (Papertrey Wet Paint).  Tied a ribbon bow around the panel, matted and mounted - done!