Slimline Sunday

Welcome to another edition of Slimline Sunday.

Today’s design was inspired by Colour INKSpiration #CI205 Berry Blast, Granny Apple Green and Basic Grey, Freshly Made Sketches sketch #FMS727 which I stretched into a Slimline design, Just Us Girls Emboss prompt #JUG814 Embossed Brick embossing folder and the Tic Tac Toe challenge #tttc288 right side line Splatters of Wink of Stella on my brick wall, Everyday Arches and Natures Symphony Dies and Berry Blast Pearl Embellishments.  

Getting inky with the March Product of the Month Notes of Spring stamp set, Natures Symphony dies, Everyday Arches dies, Triple Banner punch, Exposed Brick embossing folder, Wink of Stella, vellum, Berry Blast, Granny Apple Green and Basic Grey ink, Berry Blast and Grey blends and pearls. 

Love how it all came together with the little deer nestled into the greenery. Pops of pink pearls and the texture in the exposed brick embossing and added dimensions that brayering over the brick with the gray. The arches give cave entrance vibes. A great card for nature loving man in your life! 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4life 

Gatefold Explosion Fun Fold Friday

Welcome to another edition of Fun Fold Friday - today I am sharing my attempt at the Gatefold Explosion card.

My design came together from playing along with a couple challenges 

The floral spring vibes from the Mood board #82 over at Inspiration Station. 

Cant get enough of the Colour INKspiration Colour challenge #CI204 - Petal Pink, Flirty Flamingo, Soft Sea Foam and Lost Lagoon

. 

The Paper Players #PP774 Sketch Challenge

Inspire.Create challenge to use florals #210

I’m getting inky with a few different products to get my final to come together - Words of Beauty for my outer sentiment, Beautiful Butterflies for my inner sentiment, Fragrant Layers for my inner insert & envelope, Covered in Flowers Accents for my front focal flowers blended with colour palette colours, Painted Illusions DSP, Everyday Arches dies, Rhinestones and unbranded Silver twine. 

Painted Illusions 12x12 DSP Colours: Darling Duckling, Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green, Lost Lagoon, Misty Moonlight, Petal Pink, Pretty Peacock

Measurements for various pieces.

Triangle Cutting tips 

Blending on the flower accents - you can add any colour desired to these accents which makes them very versatile. 

Process video of the card coming together:

All the elements came together for a stunning card that should give an explosion of warmth & love to the receiver who opens it 🫶🏼

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Throwback Thursday

Welcome to another edition of Throwback Thursday a chance for me to challenge myself to getting inky with old favourites and mixing them with some current ones.

Today’s card design is inspired by playing along with a couple card challenges. The Global Design Projects Case the Designer #GDP536 for my layout elements.

The Colour INKspiration colour palette #CI204 Petal Pink, Flirty Flamingo, Soft Sea Foam and Lost Lagoon.

I have been seeing so many gorgeous designs using the current Simply Beautiful stamp set so was inspired to shop my stash to see if I had something close to work with instead. 

So today I am getting inky with the retired Fifth Avenue Floral paired with the Patterned Illusions 12x12 DSP the February Product of the Month, So Swirly Embossing Folder, the Beautiful Butterflies dies for my leaves, inks and marker, blending brushes, Wink of Stella, rhinestones and unbranded silver twine. 

Love how the colours, texture and softness of the flower all combined for a gorgeous Happy Birthday card. 🫶🏼

Happy Stampin’ 

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

Thinking of You Thursday

Welcome to Thinking of You Thursday. Today’s card design uses the No Line Watercolour Technique from last week.

I’m playing along with a Colour INKspiration challenge #CI202

Today I am getting inky with the Fragrant Floral bundle, Forever Plaid embossing folder, Subtle Waves embossing folder, Lemon Lolly, Pretty in Pink, Strawberry Slush and Garden Green blends, Unbranded gold twine. 

 

Another Fragrant Floral card ready to cheer someone up! 

Happy Stampin’ 

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Ghosting Technique

Welcome to Try a Technique Thursday. Today I am playing with the ghosting technique along with being inspired by a few challenge prompts. 

The Colour INKspiration has a “showcase your favourite colour” for their 200th challenge. While it’s hard ti pick just one for the purpose of the challenge I have chosen Secret Sea … it’s such a gorgeous deep navy and goes with everything! 

Thanks to the Cupcake Challenge Let it Snow #CI632 - I am playing with the Elegant Pine Snowflake stamp set and dies for my focal images.

I am having another go at Tic Tac Toe challenge this time using the diagonal for the win - Navy, Free is Snowflake technique, and Holiday sentiment of “Warm Winter Wishes”

In addition to the Elegant Pine Snowflakes stamps and dies I playing with the new Triple Banner punch, a retired 3/8” circle punch for my glittery centre of my snowflake and of course some bling rhinestones. 

The Ghosting Technique is a simple technique to do but it packs a good WOW in the effect. The shadow of the ghost image really makes the focal images pop.  

First you want to stamp your focal image in  white ink or Versamark for a more subtle shadow to create the shadow layer. I have chosen Whisper White.

Clean the stamp well to ensure you don’t transfer white ink to your darker inker.

Next ink stamp with your dark inker choice and then carefully stamp slightly off from the white stamped image. 

Photopolymer stamps are perfect for this technique but you can use wooden stamps with a stamp a ma jig or rubber stamp with a stamp positioning platform. 

That’s it - you can repeat more ghosting if desired and complete your card design. 

You can also create the ghosting effect with your dies as well - I have cut pine accents for my focal snowflake in white and Secret Sea and layered to create that shadow effect with the paper as well.

See how easy it comes together with this short process video: 

I forgot how much I love Crumb Cake with Navy. A perfect holiday card for someone on my Christmas card mailing list! 

What’s your favourite Stampin’ Up! Colour? 

Happy Stampin’ 

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

Masculine on Monday

Welcome to Masculine Monday - challenging myself to make more cards with a masculine vibe as it’s so easy to be drawn to the Feminine and Floral in my stash. 

Today’s design was inspired by playing along with Colour INKspiration challenge #199 to use Cherry Cobbler, Shaded Spruce and Pecan Pie colour palette. 

Over at Stampin’ Up! Only Challenges and their mood board challenge #SUOC389 had me pulling out a stamp set with trees in it. 

I’ve pulled out my Country Living for the truck and Encircled in Nature for the trees and branch dies. Paired these with current products Everyday Arches, Greetings for You ephemera sentiments, Traditional Sequins Dots and my Stampin’ Blends in the colour Cherry Cobbler, Shaded Spruce and Pecan Pie colour palette 🎨 

Nothing says it’s the holiday season like bringing home the Christmas tree!

Are you a real Christmas tree fan or do you prefer the reusable artificial tree?

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

Memories & More Monday’s

Welcome to another edition of Memories & More Monday! Today I have both a layout and two cards to share.

Playing along over at Colour INKspiration challenges colour challenge #197. I played with Misty Moonlight, Secret Sea and Crumb Cake.

I had seen the layout sketch on Pinterest and wanted to recreate it as a great way to showcase the gorgeous paper in the Peaceful Garden suite. Thank you to the original creator of the sketch. Unfortunately the pin I had found just went to Google and there’s no watermark on the sketch to tie back to the creator. 

I am going to use this layout as the first page for my scrapbook showcase for an upcoming Inspire, Create, Connect crop the team is putting on in a few weeks.

All the squares in the sketch inspired me to create card designs with the squares as well. I’ve seen these layouts in other colours and themes and love them in the Peaceful Garden suite as well. 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

Slimline Sunday

 

Welcome to another edition of Slimline Sunday.

Today’s design is inspired by the Colour INKspiration palette of Sky Shamrock, Summer Splash, Grey Granite and Early Expresso. #CI196

I’ve chosen to play with the Delicate Pines stamp set, Earthem Tone metallic paper, Copper embossing powder for my sentiment, Streaked Dot, Gold Bakers twine and of course Wink of Stella.

The end result is a perfect all purpose card to send over the holidays could be for a birthday wish, Christmas wish or even an anniversary.

I am really enjoying creating the slimline cars size - more room to play on for me as a paper crafter but also great for occasions where many people need to sign inside. 

Have you tried the Slimline yet? What’s your favourite reason to use it?

Happy Stampin’

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life