STAMPlorations Inspiration #141

Inspiration time on the STAMPlorations blog.  A couple of weeks ago I made this card using the Flutter Zen I Cutplorations die:

The negative mask makes a great card topper!  (Love those Infusions!)  I've used a sentiment from Country Rustic and attached it with staples.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a gift certificate to the store.

To celebrate STAMPlorations' 4th birthday, all stamps in the store are 15% off.  If you use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY you'll get a further 20% off.  Happy shopping!

STAMPlorations 4th Birthday Blog Hop and Wishlist Linkup

Hello and welcome to Day 3 of STAMPlorations 4th Birthday Party and Blog Hop and Wishlist Linkup!  There are loads of new stamps and dies on release, and the design teams have been playing with them.  Here's what I used from the release:

Cupcake Builder #1

Shaker Balloons #1 Heart

Sweet Word Die

Bold Sentiments: Sweet

For my first card, I stamped the 'sweet' ombré-style on a white panel, matted it onto some patterned paper, adhered it to DL-sized card then stamped the rest of the sentiment down the side of the card, then added a die-cut cupcake.

The second card uses the heart shaker balloon die set, sweet word die and a couple of ARTplorations stencils with Distress Oxides.  I built up the shaker element by cutting four extra hearts and using the frames.

So then I had four die-cut hearts.  Couldn't waste them...

I put them through an embossing folder, added some die-cut strings and popped them onto a Distress watercoloured background, and added the 'sweet' die-cut (with a black layer underneath).  The rest of the sentiment comes from Blossom Overture.

All the important stuff on how to win lots of goodies is on the STAMPlorations blog.  All stamps, dies and stencils are 15% off until 3 July, and if you use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY you'll get another 20% off.  What are you waiting for??

STAMPlorations Inspiration #140

It's Inspiration Tuesday on the STAMPlorations blog, and today we're featuring Shery's stamps.  I was really taken by this card from Deepti's Spotlight feature.  I loved the dramatic flower that she'd created using the grunge stamps as petals.

Deepti's card

Then I saw a pin on Pinterest of a large flower canvas using the turquoise/grey colour scheme.  And my card was born.  I stamped the 'petal' (from Scribbly Splattery Grunge) in Versamark, and used the end bit of a splotch (from Mixed Media Elements) for the centre, and heat-embossed with clear powder.  Then I squidged Peacock Feathers and Pumice Stone Distress Minis over, spritzed liberally and waited impatiently for it all to dry.  I resorted to ironing while waiting...

The 'wish' diecut is from the Sweet Spring Wishes phrase die.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and leave a comment for your chance to win a gift certificate.

From 27 June to 3 July, all stamps, stencils and dies will be 15% off (no coupon needed) to celebrate STAMPlorations' 4th birthday.  And if you use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY you'll get another 20% off.  No-brainer.

Hot Pink Tulips

Been sloshing again, it's habit-forming.  Again, using Distress Re-inkers and a broad waterbrush to paint tulips (sort of).  I toyed with the idea of scribbling flower outlines but decided against it for this one.  But my fingers are itching...

I'm entering this into The Challenge Keywords.  I've hit every one except square.

Also Inspired By All The Little Things

And The Flower Challenge - Anything Goes

We're off to a summer street party now.  And in typical English fashion, it's raining.

Seize The Birthday - No Topping

Welcome to a new challenge at Seize The Birthday!  This time it's no toppings, so anything goes as long as it's a birthday project.

This one's been lurking in my 'unblogged' folder for too long.  I sponged some Distress Inks over a stencilled background, added a Crazy Bird and sentiments, and called it done.  And Grandma loved it!

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some fabulous inspiration from the design team, and from our surprise party guest, Cathy, and play along with us.

Doing More of What I Love

In case you haven't guessed, what I love is sloshing Distress Inks around.  My latest craze is painting flowers using Distress Re-inkers and a broad water brush.  Today's inspiration came from the current Inkspirations challenge photo:

I went a bit literal with it.  Just sloshed some ink on with the water brush, filled in the gaps, then drew some lines around the shapes using a Posca pen.

I'm also adding it to the CAS Watercolour Challenge - Summer - my hanging baskets have purple petunias in them.

And The Flower Challenge - Anything Goes

STAMPlorations Inspiration #139

Time for some inspiration at STAMPlorations, and today we're spotlighting Deepti's stamps.  Normally the featured designer's stamps would be discounted for seven days, but as STAMPlorations is approaching its 4th birthday, ALL stamps will be 15% off - and if you use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY you'll get a further 20% off.

I did some no-line colouring for this card (Best Mom Ever).  Stamped it in Memento Desert Sand, then started colouring with watercolour paints, then added detail with Distress Markers.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the Design Team, and don't forget to leave a comment there for your chance to win a gift voucher to the store.

Words To Live By

Just a quickie post from me, a G&T calls ;)

Playing along with The Flower Challenge, Anything Goes with this sloshed Distress Ink painting, with a few STAMPlorations grunge stamps added.

Hopefully it's now with the intended recipient :)

STAMPlorations Inspiration #138

Time for some inspiration over at STAMPlorations.  This week we're featuring Becca's line of stamps, Big Grins by Becca Cruger.  For the next seven days they'll be 10% off (no coupon needed) apart from A Cuppa Love and A Snarky Birthday, which will be 20% off (no voucher needed).  And if you use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY you can get an extra 20% off those prices and any other stamps, dies and stencils in the store!

I've gone mad with the candles - stamping, masking and watercolouring to make this one-layer card.  I'm adding this to Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Make It Masculine.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and don't forget to comment for your chance to win a gift voucher to the STAMPlorations store.

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Craft Stamper Take It, Make It Reminder

Are you playing along at Craft Stamper Take It, Make It?  All you need is stamps (rubber or polymer) and you're in!

I recently bought a flat-tipped waterbrush.  How I've lived without one for this long I don't know!  I've had great fun sloshing colour around on watercolour paper, just picking up Distress Re-inker colour on the brush then painting it on.  I started with the flowers, followed by the stalks and the background.  I dipped a stylus into neat Black Soot re-inker and added a centre to the flower, and scribbled a vase outline, and left it all to dry.  Several hours later, I managed to smudge the Black Soot centres, which hadn't soaked into the paper so, after blotting what was left, I just stamped some grungy dots, a grungy scribble, and a grungy sentiment for good measure.  Too good to throw away ;)

Our sponsor this month is our very own Jolande, who is offering this prize to one randomly chosen winner:

The winner chosen by the Design Team will have their project published in the magazine (hold on to it in case you're the winner, cos you'll have to post it!), a profile on the blog and mag, and a guest design spot in a future challenge.

Pop on over to the Craft Stamper blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the design team, and play along for your chance to win. Make sure you follow the rules if you want to be eligible for either prize.

Seize The Birthday - One Layer

Welcome to a new challenge at Seize The Birthday.  This week's challenge is the dreaded one-layer - you either love it or hate it and I love it!

For my one-layer card I cut a mask slightly smaller than the card, then die-cut the butterfly (STAMPlorations Flutter Zen I), sprinkled PaperArtsy Infusions powders and spritzed.  Look at all that spritzy goodness!

I love playing with Infusions.  The added walnut stain means that there's an unpredictability about how much the walnut will mix.

Anyway, back to the challenge.  Our surprise guest designer is Lindsey of Bashful Blogging.  Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for inspiration from Lindsey and the Design Team, and play along with us.

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STAMPlorations Inspiration #137

Time for some more inspiration at STAMPlorations!  This week we're featuring my line of stamps, The Bee's Knees.  All my stamps are 10% off (no code needed) except Houses Extras and Two Of Us, which are both 20% off (again, no code needed).  And if you use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY at checkout, you'll get a further 20% off!

I've used Brew-tiful Day, stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and coloured with a magenta Sharpie.  The flower is from Becca's set, Sweet and Sassy Mom.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog to see what my teamies have been up to with my stamps, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a gift certificate to the store.

CUTplorations June Challenge

We've got a fun inspiration pic for you in our CUTplorations challenge this month - a Welsh dragon.  Of course, everyone knows Welsh dragons are red ;)

Becca's set, Dino Things, is ideal for this.  Here's what I made:

Sponged Distress Oxide background, Crisscrossed stencil watermarks, Dots All Over stencilled with white paint, sentiment from World Birthday Cakes and CUTplorations Birthday die.  Oh, and some googly eyes.

How will you be inspired by the photo?  Just remember to use any STAMPlorations product, and any brand of die, and base it on the inspiration photo.

Craft Stamper Take It, Make It

It's time for a new challenge at Craft Stamper Take It, Make It and as always, it's Anything Goes as long as you've used polymer or rubber stamps in your project.

I used this fun image from Crafty Individuals, watercoloured him with Distress Inks, coloured the background, stamped some grungy dots, sponged some more dots, sponged some woodgrain (the knot looks just like a ripple on water!) and added some washi tape.

Our sponsor this month is our very own teamie, Jolande!  She's offering this stamp set and stencil to one lucky randomly chosen winner:

The winner chosen by the Design Team will have their project published in the magazine (hold on to it in case you're the winner, cos you'll have to post it!), a profile on the blog and mag, and a guest design spot in a future challenge.

Pop on over to the Craft Stamper blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the design team, and play along for your chance to win.  Make sure you follow the rules if you want to be eligible for either prize.