AAA Cards Challenges 2021 : One inch strip + small stamps, with video

 

This fortnight we challenge you to make a card with  one one inch strip and the option to 

use small stamps.

As an introduction I have to say: I had to change my card as it was peeking out the one inch strip. So I tried to chop the duck's legs off to make it look like he's swimming and still didn't fit, so off with the white rim and also his quiff. Now it fits but I don't love it anymore.

So I remade it with this Ewe stamp from Marianne design I had precoloured before.

I've also inkblended the background with Distress inks Carved Pumpkin and PIcked Raspberry.

As my stuff is still mostly packed up from the move I had to make due with my " crafty survival kit" and so no stamp but a label from my label maker for the sentiment. It's clear so fits any background ;-).

So onwards to the original blogpost:

The twist small stamps was chosen by Asa.

For my card I looked through my precoloured images, the smallest I had were these April/May critters from CC Design. I went through the others too, but yeah this one's the smallest.

I masked off the one inch strip and applied Distress inks: Crakced Pistachio and Lucky Clover. I then Stamped the sentiment inside the strip, just to keep as much white space as possible. The sentiment is from Craftin Desert

Divas, Animal Antics and I stamped it with Versafine ink.

Mounted the duck with foamtape.

For more information or to play along the AAA Cards Challenge, see this.

Diamond in the ruff

 It probably would make more sense with the dogs from the Hero Arts set Diamond in the ruff ruff ruff..hehe I might still add it after I entered the cards.

But I remembered this sentiment from earlier this week when I made the card for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: CAS showcasing Hero arts.

And of course the new Less is More Challenge: One layer and diamonds.

For my second version I stamped the sentiment first with Versafine ink. As on the first version I smugded it bit a second pass of Versafine ink.

Masked off the sentiment and a strip from the

top.

I marked the centre and with my home made diamond shaped stencil. I inkblended the middle one first with Distress ink Seedless Preserves, then the lightest ones at either end with Pink Flamingo and then the Picked raspberry ones. I then decided it need more Seedless preserves so I continues the pattern outside the card boundaries. Now on this version it is more faint, but there's some Spun Suga ink on the outside towards the masks to make a banner.

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this.

For more information on the Less is More

Challenge, see this.

Less is More: one layer and diamonds

 


This fortnight the challenge at Less is More is:  one layer and diamonds.

My diamonds are in disguise but for my card I used a stencil I made with a die, not sure of the brand just now. I inkblended Distress inks through it, all my favourite rainbow colours: Candiead Apple, Carved Pumpkin, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Mermaid LAgoon, Wilted Violet and Picked Raspberry.

On top I stamped the Hoera from Carlijn Design (grote teksten 2), I've used Versafine ink for that.

Few diamond embellishments too.

Super simple and all one layer and yet stunning in my opinion ;-).

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this.

Layered Koi

 

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is: Clean and Simple.

Now I'm a Dt member for AAA Cards Challenges and our CAS rules are much more CAS than I see around me, but I've stuck to  my style, even if it's too empty for most ;-), it's how I roll.

Showcasing Hero Arts I've used the layering Koi. the first layer I've stamped with a really pale Lilac from Memento (Lilac posies) as I can't stamp white on white, tried pale blue and grey too, didn't like those. I thought if skipping that layer, but it also stamps the "whiskers"so kinda had to.

for the body I've used red and orange colors,

Morrocco and Ochre, the black is Versafine ink. Let it dry (not long enough) then cut it out as best as I could.

For the background I've inkblended Distress inks: Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean. Splattered with water and Chipped Sapphire Distress ink and the silver or iridescent color in the Fintec Pearl palette for shimmer.

Stamped the sentiment from Whimsy Stamps (Simple Sentiment Strips), mounted the koi with foamtape adhered it to the card, then added a few clear/silver rhinestones as bubbles.

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this.

Christmas Craft Creations, April Theme: No Stamping. with Video

 

This month we're not stamping at the Christmas Craft Creations and at first that threw me, but then I remembered I made a card similar to this one for  a challenge I've entered myself.

For it I'm using the Simon Says Stamp Joyful frame die and cut it from a cardpanel, then again to get the inner bit.

Traced the window onto the cardbase and swiped Distress inks Candied apple across the cardbase.

Adhered the panel with tape runner and placed it on the base.

Then stuck down the centre with liquid glue. for the twig I've used a  set from Marianne Design (Col 1439) It adds a little festive feeling with the red glittery berries, but it doesn't even need it.

As I had double sided tape behind the
cardstock the little bits became sticker and are so easy to stick on a card.

Perfect card for multiples.

For more information, or to play along the Christmas Craft Creations challenge, see this.

one layer layered card?

 

Sounds weird, but I stencilled the circles with Distress inks, then overlaid another stencil with a grid or design and used a contrasting Distress ink.

I thought it looked happy and bubbly. The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is Layer it and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is Happy Birthday.

I've used Distress inks: Wilted Violet and Chipped Sapphire, Pink Flamingo and Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed and Carved Pumpkin, Mowed Lawn and Rustic Wilderness.

The shaped stencil is from Dutch Do Ba Doo and the sentiment  I can't remember, from my stash of ephemera.

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this.

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this. 

The Male Room Challenge #149: Wood

 This month the Male Room Challenge theme is: Wood.

I interpreted it like Woods, a forest, a shrubbery hehe well you know woods.

For my card I masked off an area, applied Distress inks ( Speckled egg, Evergreen bough and Pine Needles), then splattered it with water and dried it with my heattool.

Left the lower mask on and took the one on the top away so I could stamp my trees with them going off  the inkblended bit. For this I used Nellie Snellen stamps (Sil037, Csil004), I did cut up the groups of trees so I could make my own forest arrangement. For stamping I've used Versafine ink.

I also wanted to use the silhouette deer, but I was worried they wouldn't stand out. So instead I diecut Marianne Design CR1289 from dark grey cardstock and adhered it on the card, they could be standing in a snowbank.

The sentiment is from Whimsy Stamps ( Simple sentiment strips), and I also stamped it with Versafine ink.

For more information, or to play along the Male Room Challenge, see this.

AAA Birthday Challenges #24 Shaped card, with video

 

The April theme for AAA Birthday Challenges is: a shaped card other than rectangle or square.

I went beehive shaped, not sure if that's the proper name, but hey.

First I thought I'd do a hexagon with the bees,maybe inkblend more hexagons,but then I thought I should attempt a free hand shape. If you have a die that does this then yay to you, I do not, so I winged it.

I cut three panels, the size of a normal card, then with pencil set the outline of my beehive and then traced it with a fineliner, erased the pencil marks and cut it out. Added dimension with Spiced Marmalade Distress ink.

On the second panel, I just applied some ink behind the "door" so it looks recessed. The third panel I scored in between the tiers and then folded it over, attached it with glue to the second panel.

The Bees are from Woodware stamps( Bee Happy). I stamped them with Gina K ink and cut them out. I coloured them  with Copic markers.

The sentiment I made with my label printer as , ofcourse, I don't have anything Bee+ Birthday, so I made my own. It's a very DIY card this one ;-).

Added one bee as if it's coming out the hive and then added the front panel to the other two. mounted the other bee with  foamtape and adhered it on top. Also  mounted the sentiment with foamtape.

For more information or to play along the AAA Birthday Challenge, see this.

AAA Cards Challenges #187: two quarters + rainbows, with video

 Happy Easter, this fortnight we play a new game at AAA Cards Challenges: 2 quarters of your card front.I explain more in my video and there's more examples on the AAA Cards blog.

Basically it's 2  1/4 bits of your card front not 2/4 because that would be 1/2, just to make it more challenging ;-). How you divide your cardfront it up to you.

My cardbase measures A6 metric, so 14,85cm divided by four is 3.6cm, I went for 3,5cm just to be on the safe side. I masked of the quarts on either side and inkblended Distress inks to get the Rainbow in the optional twist that was chosen by Ceal.

In the middle I stamped the sentiment from Clearly Besotted (laugh outloud) with Versafine ink.

For more information or to play along the AAA Cards Challenge, see this.

Less is More: pink, grey and gold

 So this fortnight pink, grey and gold for the Less is More Challenge.

Still mostly packed up, I thought I've seen my Wow embossing powders, but where are the heat tools...dunno.

Then I thought, I've seen my laminator so I went on the search for the foils.

I made the polkadot pattern in Photoshop and printed it with my laserprinter. Swiped Distress inks Kitsch Flamingo all over and then foiled it with Wow Fab foil in silver, yes..OK so redid it with gold :-D

I stamped the sentiment with Memento London Fog for my grey. it's from Whimsy Stamps Simple Sentiment strips.

As my laser printed left a border, I cut out the strip and mounted it with foam tape.

I'm sorry it's a bit skewed on the photo, I tried to catch the sun on the gold foil  as best as possible. Next task should be unpacking Srl camera and flash

I only have one Paper Rose Studio die and well that's cows in a field, so wouldn't go, but I shall also enter it in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: anything goes. I wonder if they missed me lol

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this.

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this.

And here's the card I messed up yesterday by using silver foil. I thought I'd  show what I did with it. I had the coloured elf image in my stash and sentiment is from same Whimsy set.

More Less is More ;-)

 I started this second card yesterday as well, but as I'm not set up properly yet, I can't take any pictures in the dark.

Also changed the inkblended sea from an oval to a strip. I've used memento inks ( Summer Sky, Teal Zeal and Nautical blue), then splattered it with water.

For the images I've used those in my stash. I coloured them yesterday, The Mermaid is My Favorite Things, the grass could be Craft Emotions and the Seahorse I think is CC Designs. I don't have any at hand so not sure. Coloured the images with Tri Blend Markers from my Craft survival kit. The senitment is from Whimsy stamps I prepped a few before moving house. You always need birthday cards, right?

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this.

AAA Cards Challenge #186: along the edge + Only diecuts, with video

 

AAA Cards Challenges this fortnight is  Along the edge and the optional twist was chosen by Lucie: use only diecuts.

For my card, or cards actually, I've used border dies from Carlijn Design (randwoorden feest) and Paper Rose (farm border 1).

My first card had too many layers in my opinion, so I deleted that footage and started again. I do show it in the video 4 layers is not as CAS as we'd like at AAA Cards.

So now I've started with a black cardbase and only the white panel as a layer. same size as my card, I diecut the Hoera from the top and the farm border from the bottom.

Not it's a negative, not like the first card, so you have a few options: leave it as is, place all

the little bits back beteen the legs and trees, or do what I did , use the white positive and shift it a little, so the black cardbase becomes the shadow, seemed towork for me.

For more information on the AAA Cards Challenge, or to play along , see this.

Meow are you?

 

The Less is More Challenge this fortnight is about CAS inking, ideally 1/3 and max 1/2 of the cardfront. I went for 1/3 (exactly). Masked off the area and applied Distress inks ( Squeezed Lemonade, Carved Pumpkin, Picked Raspberry),

I'm still all packed up from the move, but yesterday I unpacked the stamps :-D..priorities eh..The sentiment is from Craftin Desert Divas (Animal Antics) and the kitty is from Marianne Design, I had it in my stash of precoloured images. Mounted the kitty with foam tape.

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this.

Christmas Craft Creations Challenge, Marche theme: Christmas Flowers, with video

  It is March and the Christmas Craft Creations challenge is: Christmas Flowers.

For my card I've used a wreath from Clearly Besotted (ring around Christmas set) and I've stamped it with Versafine ink. The sentiment is from Honey Bee Stamps (Fa lalalala set) and I've also stamped it with Versafine ink on watercolour paper.

I've made a mask for the penguin, so can make him sit on the present, Stamped him, masked him and then stamped the wreath.

To colour my images I've used Talens Ecoline.

After I've sprayed the cardpanel with spray fixative,I do this outside and then I adhered the panel to a cardbase with tape runner.

For more information or to play along the Christmas Craft Creations, see this.

AAA Cards Challenges #185: ONE Inchie + Black and White.

 

This fortnight we want you to embrace the emptiness, literally!. One inch on a 4x6inch card is giving even me some form of agoraphobia...but we love the empty space at AAA Cards, so make sure you only one one inchie and  contain everything in there.

Now for my card...I cheated lol...from the front it looks like one inchie and it's B&W as well!.

But if you open the card....surprise! the rest of the image is revealed and even some colour.

For my Panda I've used the Marianne Design  Panda's EC0179 and stamped it with Versafine ink. the Sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp and I also stamped it with Versafine. the Green bamboo is Bamboo leaves from Memento, made sense ;-)

I don't have many small images, as I tend to steer away from buying them, considering the difficulty  in colouring them,so for methis was the best solution.

For more information on the AAA Cards Challenge, see this.

Create a Smile Challenge Sketch

 

This fortnight the Create a Smile Challenge is a sketch. As always there's a €25 giftcard up for grabs to spend at the shop.

I tilted the sketch or cardbase, depending how you look at it.

I thought the little strip in between the big and small areas was perfect for my images on a branch.

It is from Best Bugs and I stamped it with Gina K amalgam ink on Copic safe paper. then coloured it with Copics and cut it out.

For the cardbase/background I masked off the two compartments and made a Bokeh of sorts. I thought the bugs could be sitting in a flowery meadow, but out of focus (Bokeh effect) so

you only see the colours not the shapes. To do this I've used Distress inks in various happy colours and a finger dauber and inkblended the backgrounds. On top I did the same with white ink through the   Bubble circle stencil.

I've stamped the sentiment from the same Best Bugs set onto white card and cut it out. Mounted the brach and sentiment with foamtape onto the cardbase.

For more information or to play along the Create a Smile CHallenge, see this.

The Male Room Challenge #148: not a card

 I'm so honoured to announce I've joined the Male Room Challenge Design Team. I've played along many times, and I'm so glad they wanted me.

For the "not a card" challenge, I thought I could make a bookmark.

I cut a strip of watercolour paper, Schut hotpressed and coloured it with Talens Ecoline, then splattered it with the pearlescent colour in the Finetec Metallic, for stars, a little shimmer. I've stamped the tree with Versafine ink once the background was dry.

Stamped the Giraffe from Katzelkraft (les Jungles) onto Copic paper and coloured it with Triblend Markers, then cut it out. I thought the

long neck was perfect for a bookmark, I could have placed him a bit higher, but didn't want to cover all of the tree.

Also the Katzelkraft stamps are just perfect for masculine cards I think.

Glued  the giraffe ontop and passed it through a laminator.

Cut of excess and punched a hole  in the top, bit of ribbon to hang out of the book.

For more information on the Male Room Challenge, see this.

AAA BIrthday Challenges #23: Patterned Paper with video

 This month the AAA Birthday Challenge is: Patterned paper.

I don't have a lot of patterned paper, so I went through it, changed my plan mid way from Cow to Crocodile as well.

I found the dotty paper, thought they could be confetti, also there was a stripe paper in the same block, and green,  and I thought if there's green the Crocodile from CC Designs' set Hello- Goodbye might be nicer.

I also had to swap sentiments  and went for the one in the Technique Tuesday set called Alligators and Crocodiles.

Stamped the sentiment with Versafine.

The patterned paper is adhered flush with the cardbase and the Crocodile with foamtape.

For more information or to play along the AAA Birthday Challenge, see this.

AAA Cards Challenges #184 Sketch + Watercolour, with video

 This Fortnight the AAA Cards Challenge sis a sketch with the option to use watercolours.

It's  Michelle's Choice this time.

For my card I went with Talens Ecoline a liquid watercolour and of course you could use the Acryllic block ink smooshing, that might be a real quick card. I didn't, also changed my mind three times while watercolouring, see the video for the progress.

After watercolouring I heat set it and removed the tape, damaging the paper a little, I left it,it's very faint. I stamped the Tree with Versafine ink and the animals from the same Marianne Design set (EC0182) on another piece of watercolour paper. I decided to use the lion as I have a nice punny sentiment to go with it, it's from Simon Says Stamp and is called Punny Animals.

I used Ecoline as well on the lion and then used the dies included to cut him out. Mounted him with foamtape.

To adhere the watercolour panel I've used tape runner and stuck it to a cardbase,then mounted the lion on top.

For more information or to play along the AAA Cards Challenges, see this.

One Layer Birthday Card

 The Less is More Challenge this time is: ONE layer card and flower.

And as I've used inkblending, I shall also enter it into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Favorite Technique, and inkblending is right there at the top.

For my card I masked off a rectangle on the cardbase. I then applied DIstress inks with finger daubers. All the usual supsects, but Kitsch Flamingo instead of Picked Raspberry, but also, Carved pumpkin, Squeezed lemonade, Cracked pistachio, Tumbled glass, Wilted violet.

The splattered with water, dried it with my heattool.

The Daffodils are from Nellie Snellen (Nellie's Choic Sil064) and the sentiment from Whimsy Stamps (Simple sentiment strips) and I stamped both with Versafine ink, then heat set it again.

For a playful feel I did stamp the daffs peeking out on ine side, it would have fit, but I like it this way more.

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this.

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this.