Elegant Pines Snowflakes for Slimline Sunday

Welcome to another edition of Slimline Sunday where my design focus is around creating 91/4” x 4” cards. Slimline style is perfect for those who want more space to play in their design as well as for cards where you want more room to write personal messages.

My layout was inspires by a card sketch over at Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers challenge #BYSHC61

My colour palette was inspired by CAS colours & sketches challenge #569.  I had intended to try to keep my design CAS but got carried away so am just using the colours! 😂 

Playing with the Forever Plaid 3D embossing folder, Elegant Pine Snowflakes DSP, Gold foil paper, Greetings for You ephemera pack, Secret Sea hand coloured rhinestones, gold bakers twine, a brayer and some fussy cutting of the DSP.

Final product ended up being a great holiday vibe with the warm tones of the Pecan pie plaid background and the dark Secret Sea with hints of Mossy Green. I fussy cut out a snowflake and popped up on a gold foil and whisper white circle and added the twine and rhinestones for some more pops of texture and bling. Finished off from an ephemera sentiment. 

This DSP is SO pretty and great not only for holiday projects but winter birthdays and scrapbook layouts - the photos don’t pick up the tiny details in the designs. I love the Evergreen Pine snowflakes just so unique.

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Peaceful Vibes for Scrappy Saturday

Welcome to another edition of Scrappy Saturday!

Today’s layout was inspired by Autumn Scrap a Sketch #6 and the coordinating “choose at least 5 word prompts from the list” prompt. I have chosen stamping, splatters, fussy cutting, using 4 patterned papers, glitter, ink, flowers and squares (3 on my second layout)

Shout out to the Color Throwdown #ctd841 challenge for the gorgeous Fall vibes color palette I chose Secret Sea, Cajun Craze and Cloud Cover.

Playing with the Peace on Earth suite, Conflowers and retired French Foliage stamp sets, the Alphabet A La Mode dies and some Streaked Dot embellishments.

All the inspirations came together to create a gorgeous layout to honour some photos of us enjoying Fall fun!

My left hand side layout is my traditional 12x12 layout using the sketch. I have used my blends to colour my Peaceful Garden DSP to add pops of Cajun Craze to the Secret Sea and Cloud Cover palette. The splatters and writing in the French Foliage are one of the reasons I couldn’t past with this set when it retired. I love it for adding pops of colours to peek out behind layouts and ephemera. Love that the Alphabet A La Mode dies are perfect for adding tittles to a small space! The Hello title is mounted on the nesting label dies in the Peaceful Garden dies.

My right side 12x12 Pocket page features DSP with more pops of Cajun Craze hand coloured and leaves room for 4 of the 4x6 photos of scenery from a Fall family hike. 

What’s your favourite fall activity? 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

Fancy Funky Fold Friday

Welcome to another edition of Funky Fancy Folds. Today I am playing with the Vertical S fold card. I adapted the fold to be A2 size using the tutorial from Beccy’s Place.

My card design was inspired by playing along at the Stampin’ Up! Only challenge #SUOC385 case the designer Cindy. 

I chose this card from her blog - so many excellent choices to CASE.

Over at Sweet Stampin’ are challenging to play with dies so I chose to play with my Smowflake Kisses dies.

Stampin’ Fancy Friday has a Sparkle and Shine challenge this month - no need to ask me twice added lots of gold foil and sparkly embellishments.

Love how it’s come together!

Happy Stampin’
Margaret 
Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Throwback Thursday Summer By the Sea

Welcome to another edition of Throwback Thursday - a chance for me to pull out some old favourites from my stash.

I’m playing along with Try a Sketch on a Tuesday #TSOT679 to use Oodles of Doodles use doodles anywhere on your stamp set which helped me choose to pull out my By the Seaside stamp set. 

Also playing along with their sister challenge Double Trouble to use not only the s doodles but to add layers and a sentiment.

Over at TGIF challenges I was inspired by the clouds in #tgif543 mood board. Well whom kidding also inspired me to crave a donut but I don’t have a donut stamp set 🤣

The As You See It colour and mood board challenge #AYSI357 inspired me to incorporate a sunset using the colours in the prompt.

I love playing with old and new so incorporated my Prairie Grass stamp set into the design.

Love the here for you through any storm vibes of the imagery and cloudy day by the sea vibes in this design so I chose the ‘my shoulder is yours’ sentiment. Think this would also be a great anniversary card too with less of the cloudy storm brewing. 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Totallyawake4-life 

Fabulous Fall

Happy Wednesday! It’s officially Fall now so it’s officially time to get our pumpkin on! 

Today’s card design was inspired by playing along over at Inspired By challenge #IB354 mood board of pumpkins and the accompanying grid sketch that prompted me to bring out an old Cuttlebug embossing folder from my stash.

The Fall vibes from the mood board over at Just Us Girls #JUG793. Yay more pumpkins!

My colour palette was inspired by the Colour Dare challenge #CDC670. I’ve chosen Crushed Curry, Cloud Cover and Old Olive.

My custom made sentiment was inspired by Just Add Ink challenge #JAI769 to use numbers and words. I used the Grateful from Acorny Thank You partially stamped and the 4 U from a retired alphabet stamp set.

I’m also playing with my Fall Fest retired stamp sets from my Stampin’ Up! Stash and the retired sprig punch. 

My final result is a cute little Grateful 4 U card.

Happy Stampin’ 

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Technique Tuesday - Emboss Resist

For today’s edition of Technique Tuesday I am playing with the Emboss resist. I have chosen to play with my Prairie Grass stamp set as it’s perfect for showcasing this technique.

I am also playing along with the Case-Ing Tuesday #CT530 over on Facebook where we case a card from the catalog from Stampin’ Up! 

My colour palette was chosen from the Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge #HSS472 of Pretty Peacock, Darling Duckling and Timid Tiger.

I love how gorgeous this technique works allowing that pop of white to shine through against the vibrant background. Perfect for an I’m here for you card! 

This sketch was a lot of fun to play with. There’s something extra therapeutic about tearing your pretty paper - it’s like a message of contradiction in the brain being faced from your childhood teachers saying that you don’t tear paper and now has been won by the adult brain saying go ahead I can do whatever I want now I’m an adult 🤣

Have you used paper tearing in your paper crafting design? 

If you haven’t done the Emboss Resist it’s one of the easier techniques that gives a lot of WOW factor. 

All you need is your stamp, white paper of coloured inks of choice plus a Versamark or other brand of sticky ink pad, clear embossing powder and a heat gun. A anti static powder is also handy as it prevents the powder from sticking to any fingerprint reside from handling your papers. I also keep a small paint brush with my embossing supplies for if the anti static powder wasn’t enough to delicately brush away stray powder I don’t want on the paper. 

So use your anti stick powder over the paper, stamp your image in versamark onto the paper, sprinkle with embossing powder and shake off excess. I love using a coffe filter to catch my excess to be able to easily pour back into my powder pot. Use the heat gun to set the powder. Make sure it’s all turned shiny and fully set. I usually heat from the back first so that it’s less likely to blow off my powder on me. Than I do a second time over the front.  Once your powder is set you can blend colour with sponge or brush or use a brayer to add colour over top of your image as desired and than use a paper towel to clean off the embossed areas to reveal your white pop of wow 🤩 than finish your card design! 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love 

Be Totallyawake4-life

Making Memories and More on Monday

Today’s edition of Making Memories and More on Monday’s is inspired by the AAA Colourful colour themed challenges Colourboard #20 for my colour palette. Black Berry Bliss, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black.

My layout was inspired by the Scrap A Sketch Autumn challenge sketch and the choose at least 5 from the word prompts over on Facebook. 

I’ve  2+ photos over my double layout, stamping, fussy cutting, 4 patterned papers, ink, leaves, sequins, pumpkins, orange and green.

I’m playing with some retired Halloween and Fall stamps, sprig punch, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie ink pads and Blends markers.

My left page is a traditional 12 x 12 layout using the sketch as a page map. The Wicked Fun DSP was fun to pull out and play with for another layout and thankfully BlackBerry Bliss is a close match for the retired Rich Razzleberry. The Jar of Haunts and Fall Fest made some cute ephemera accents. Bit of fussy cutting but well worth the outcome! 

My right page is a retired 12 x 12 pocket page from Stampin’ Up! former Project Life era! I had fun stamping and decorating the 4x3 panels. The 4x6 slots will house 4 photos.

This layout is going to honour the photos of our granddaughter from a previous Halloween - yes I have fallen very behind in my scrapbooking.

We’ve always loved Halloween and definitely love experiencing it again through a child’s excitement. 

What’s your favourite thing about Halloween? 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Slimline Sunday meets Snowflakes

This week’s Slimline Sunday card was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #FMS704. I just loved the circles I immediately envisioned Bokeh vibes. I stretched the sketch to be slimline and turned to be landscape to fill the space.

Over at Inspire.Create stamping challenges #IC201 was inspired to use Blues and Greens. I have chosen to play with Pool Party and Soft Sea Foam.

Sweet Stampin’ has the prompt to use dies so I am playing with my Sunshine Kisses Dies.

Also playing with Greetings for You ephemera and Iredescent Faceted Gems.

I wanted to keep my design clean and simple so opted to create a DIY Bokeh background using masking techniques and a DIY stencil using window sheets and circle dies.

My sentiment was chosen from Greetings for you ephemera was a little starker white than I wanted against the snowflakes so I blended it with some Soft Sea Foam.

The added iridescent faceted gems add a pop of shimmer. I love the finished product!

Have you attempted to embrace the Slimline style? I admit A2 is my default go too but I am enjoying pushing myself outside that comfort with the slimline and fancy folds cards. 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life