Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a theme challenge chosen by Heather C

Beachcombing - cards that showcase the lovely things we discover on beach walks. As an avid beachcomber and shell collector, I knew exactly which direction I was going in with today's card, so I grabbed the sketch layout over at Sunday Stamps and set to work. Take a look at what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

I took the opportunity to ink up my Shell Collecting stamp for the first time and using a piece of retired pink shell-patterned paper from my stash for my base and colour scheme, I stamped a trio of shells in Melon Mambo and then infilled with the reverse stamp in a couple of different lighter pinks for contrast. I brushed the top one with clear Wink of Stella for a subtle sparkle and added them to a white central panel embossed with the Soft Waves 3D embossing folder - perfect for the challenge over at Inspire.Create this week:: 

Another snippet of designer paper, a trio of sparkly gems and a sentiment from the retired 'Friends Are Like Seashells' stamp set complete my card. I'm not sure I've ever found shells that are bright pink like this, but we're all allowed a little creative licence when if comes to cardmaking, right?

I really like this layout; I hope you do too as I've used it again for another card in a completely different design that I'll be sharing with you over the weekend.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your post.
• Make sure you link the specific post and not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI#(insert challenge number) when uploading to a public gallery
• Please turn off word verification so that we can send you lots of feedback.
• You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges. 
• We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider for Top Pick and Featured Artist, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.

Enjoy your day and I'll be back soon with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SHELL COLLECTING PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (£18.00)

MELON MAMBO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£10.25)

PRETTY IN PINK CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.65)

WINK OF STELLA GLITTER BRUSH (£9.50)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£16.00)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Jaydee to host this week and she has a theme challenge for us to work with:

We are all about cards for the ladies this week! I toyed with going pink and delicate for my card, but instead decided to go with something bright and colourful using Jen M's layout over at Freshly Made Sketches this week - take a look:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

I still had some of the Easter Time Mix & Match Ephemera left and wanted to use them up, so my starting point for today's card was the pretty watering can filled with flowers. For my layered panels, I used a piece of Daffodil Delight gingham from my stash and an Azure Afternoon panel cut with that Lovely Arrangements circle panel die (adjusted to make a bigger panel). I added a double twine bow and a simple sentiment from the same bundle:

A few enamel dots finish my super simple design. I love bright colours - not everything feminine has to be pink and delicate right? That said, I made two more cards whilst I was in my craft room making this one and they all have a floral, feminine theme so you have more inspiration on this theme to come this week!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

Enjoy your day; the youngest of the James Junior is home from uni this weekend and is playing cricket today, so we are hoping that the dry weather continues and rain doesn't stop play! We might even manage another BBQ this evening - fingers crossed! I'll be back in a couple of days with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

LOVELY ARRANGEMENTS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£45.75)	RAINBOW ADHESIVE-BACKED DOTS (£5.10)	AZURE AFTERNOON A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)	AZURE AFTERNOON CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£14.00)
BAKER'S TWINE ESSENTIALS PACK (£10.25)

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. Our final challenge of the month is a colour challenge: 

This trio of brights is right in my wheel house, but I decided I wanted something a little more subtle for today's card so I grabbed the sketch over at Just Add Ink for my layout and set to work - take a look at what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

I wanted to have another play with my Forever Florals bundle, so I stamped a sentiment onto my label (I used Basic Grey as opposed to black just to soften it slightly) and then added some Lemon Lime Twist ink and a blend of Flirty Flamingo and Pumpkin Pie inks to some white cardstock with a blending brush to soften the colours, before diecutting three floral clusters and framing my sentiment label with them:

Mindful that I used the large circle of the sketch for my sentiment and therefore hadn't used the sentiment strip, I added a small tab of ombre Lemon Lime Twist ribbon to the back of my label so that it is still in keeping with the layout but without spoiling the overall clean and simple feel.

I'm also linking today's card up over at TicTacToe Challenge (I went across the top of the board with CAS/diecut/floral) and over at CAS On Friday where the challenge is 'sympathy' - this thinking of you sentiment in the Forever Florals set, along with a couple of the others, make for lovely sympathy cards.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

As a reminder, for our colour challenges, you must use all of the stated challenge colours. You may also use neutral colours; however, the challenge colours should be the most noticeable ones featured on your card. We use Stampin' Up! colour names for reference, but you are welcome to use any other companies' products as long as you match the challenge colours as closely as possible.

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

FOREVER FLORALS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£46.75)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£16.00)	BLENDING BRUSHES (£14.00)	BASIC GRAY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)	FLIRTY FLAMINGO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)	PUMPKIN PIE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)
LEMON LIME TWIST CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)

Happy Saturday everyone! Today I'm sharing the card that I promised you yesterday! This one uses the layout over at Try A Sketch On Tuesday and goes down the middle column of Jolanda's TicTacToe Challenge board (diecut/dry emboss/layers)

I have been quite a few clean and simple cards later, so this one is something of a departure with lots of layers! It uses a new-to-me bundle called Forever Florals - take a look:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

My lovely teamie Ann over at The Paper Players persuaded me I 'needed' this bundle but I didn't take much persuading: the dies are so pretty and I love scripted fonts in the stamp set. I wanted to use the floral frame as the top layer, so I tweaked the TSOT sketch slightly to make the base layer square in order to fit everything in! I added a white base embossed with the Soft Waves embossing folder, the for the next layer used the large round floral cluster die, with just the edges showing on each side. The next layer is a piece of Painted Illusions designer series paper; this was February's Product of the Month but is still available whilst stocks last - you can get a pack for just £5 when you place an order of £70 or more. I love the soft pinks and the ditsy floral design works well with the Forever Florals Dies. Next I added the rectangular floral diecut frame, with a sentiment label in the centre, embellished with another cluster of pink flowers: 

I also added in some shimmery ribbon and enamel dots and finished the card inside with the other half of that lovely sentiment and some leftover diecut pieces:

Isn't that just so pretty, even if I say so myself?! Not one for posting as there's too much dimension, but a special card nonetheless.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your day; the sun is shining here so I am typing this in between gardening and making the most of the good weather whilst we have it. I'll be back tomorrow with another project for our new challenge over at |the Paper Players. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

FOREVER FLORALS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£46.75)

PAINTED ILLUSIONS 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£5.00)

SOFT WAVES 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER (£7.17)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£16.00)

BLENDING BRUSHES (£14.00)

FLIRTY FLAMINGO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£8.50)

Today I'm sharing a card another quick clean and simple card for the 'follow my leader' challenge over at AAA Cards this week:

I'm also playing along over at Colour Dare, where they are on challenge number 700 - congratulations team! 3 of those 4 colours appear in my Lovely Blossoms designer series paper so it was the obvious choice for my detailed strip - take a look:

My patterned paper is more muted than the one Jane chose for her card, but I kept with her bold border and co-ordinating sentiment (I used Secret Sea to coordinate with my paper as opposed to black) and kept with the same greeting style, but a 'hello' as opposed to  'hi' using my Kristina Werner Big Type Greetings Dies:

This is such a simple no-stamping design but one that can be adapted with lots of different paper strip designs and sentiment types - great for a quick card and to use up scraps too.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your day; I am sneaking my post in today between my run and some errands. I'll be back tomorrow with another project for our new challenge over at As You See It so do pop by and see what I've made - it's recipe challenge week. Until then, happy stampin'!

I've had a busy couple of days so it's a late post from me this evening but I wanted to share a light-hearted clean and simple card inspired by the following challenges:

Addicted To CAS have the code word of 'postage' and I immediately thought of my retired 'Snailed It' stamp set for a suitably themed card - take a look at what I came up with:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

That letter-carrying snail is so cute and the colours at Colour Dare were perfect for his slimy body and shiny shell (I used both greens with a pop of pink for the heart and my envelope decoration). I cut him out with one of the Perennial Postage Dies to add to the theme and I also added a pair of googly eyes because, well - everything is more fun with googly eyes, right?

I'm also linking up today's card over at The Alphabet Challenge Blog where they are on 'Z is for Zoology'. There were so many animals I could have chosen for their challenge, but this little guy reminded me of the giant snails that you sometimes see at the zoo - they always used to fascinate my children when they were younger.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your evening and I'll be back soon with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

I have a second card today; this one uses Michelle L's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches and I'm squeaking in my entry over at Colour Inkspiration with that pretty ice-cream coloured palette:

I wanted to have a first play with the new Rolling Waves bundle and these colours had a definite summery feel to me! I thought Michelle's layout might work for a beach scene, so set to work. Take a look at what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

I used a base of Basic Beige to emulate white sand, then stamped the Coastal Cabana stamp onto a piece of the same colour cardstock and used this for my sea bae, before adding Pool Party and Shimmer White sea foam. I layered a couple of beach umbrellas in the challenge colours and for the smaller third circle of the sketch I blended some Bubble Bath and Daffodil Delight inks onto some white cardstock with a blending brush and die cut a trio of shells, adding a few pink sparkly sequins for some seaside shimmer:

 A happy birthday sentiment finished on the inside with another greeting and another trio of those pretty shells complete my card:

I think I need a little more practice with the layering and I do wish the dies were a little longer (I had to get a little creative to extend my sea to cover the height of my card) but otherwise for a first try I'm quite happy with how this card turned out.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

I've been away for a couple of days and not been into my craft room for over a week, so having been out for a long walk around a local reservoir this morning which the hubs was paddleboard training the rescue crew for some local open water swimmers, I rewarded myself this after noon with some crafting just for fun! I took my inspiration from a number of challenges:

I was intrigued by the squared background layout over at Atlantic Hearts Challenge (you should definitely checked out the embossed card that my sweet friend LeAnne, who is on their DT, created - it's fabulous!) but I wanted to combine with the challenge over at Just Us Girls where I haven't managed to play along for a few weeks as life keeps getting in the way and this week I had found the perfect piece of paper covered in umbrellas and flowers, inspired by their photo mood board. My sentiment was chosen with the challenge over at Time Out in mind: I chose rain (umbrellas),bloom (flowers) and hope (my sentiment) - take a look at the card I created:

My card is pretty self-explanatory and I used up a bunch of retired product: Pleased As Punch designer paper, Stitched Shapes dies to cut out the squares and circle, some coordinating flowers cut using the Pierced Blooms Dies to embellish my sentiment, which is from the 'Under My Umbrella' stamp stamp set:

I added another piece of that pretty designer paper to the envelope flap for a co-ordinated finishing touch.

That's all from me; enjoy your evening and I'll be back tomorrow with another project for our new challenge over at The Paper Players. Until then, happy stampin'!