Brand New Challenge Blog: TIME OUT Challenges!

Hi friends, fellow bloggers and all!

I have very exciting news for you today: I have set up a challenge blog with my dear blogging friend Sandie, woo hoo! :) Our very own challenge blog is called...

TIME OUT Challenges

Over the next few weeks we will be introducing you to our challenge and hoping that you like what you see!

We currently have a very small DT:  me, Sandie plus 2 very creative ladies:

Lynn-her blog is The Mango Boys and Me

Shery-her blog is One Layer Cards

We are having a DT Call in February and before that you'll get sneak peeks about the challenges.

I'd love you to head on over to TIME OUT challenge blog - take a look and become a follower and/or subscribe so you don't miss out on our posts and our DT call. Looking forward to seeing you there!

I also have a little note card to share -I made it for  CASology's dot-challenge. I went all dotty and have dots even in my card base! The circle stamp is from Gel-a-tins and sentiment is from Patchwork Frenzy: GraphicPentagons by STAMPlorations. Hope you like and see you at TIME OUT Challenges!

Holiday Theme at Addicted to Stamps and More!

Hi friends in blogland,
time for a new Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge! We are having a holiday theme -can you guess I chose Easter? Yep, "Hyvää Pääsiäistä" is Finnish for "Happy Easter". :) Our sponsor is DeeDee's Digis and I used their adorable rooster as my focal point. I've colored in with Copics. I've been making many CAS cards lately so it was fun to go through my (huge...) pile of patterned papers and look for color inspiration from the papers for a change. I'm thinking I have to figure out some CAS ways to use designer paper -I love my papers but they are trickier to work with if you want to make a clean looking card! Anyways, this card is not CAS but it's not very busy either -just some pearls and a doily as embellies. :) I hope you'll now head on over to the challenge blog and check out the other DT projects -ATSM has such a wonderful design team! Happy crafting!

His and Hers

Hello everyone!
Less Is More is having a One Layer week with hearts. I used PATCHWORK FRENZY: Graphic Squares by STAMPlorations for creating two Valentine's cards. I used only one ink color but stamped the "second generation" for lighter shade. The inks are by Memento: Rhubarb Stalk in Hers and Danube Blue in His. The textured cardstock adds interest to the CAS look I think.  I couldn't decide on the perfect placement for the sentiment so I chose a different spot in both cards... Which one do you like better? Have a fun week and thanks for popping by!

You're Sew Special!

Hi there!
Here's my card for the current Addicted to CAS: Use Die Cuts. The theme is chosen by wonderful Loll, the queen of die cuts! I hope you'll visit her blog and leave her some love -she is a very inspirational lady. Sandie is another great, inspirational blogging friend and I have to thank her for this card -she has given me this beautiful mannequin to play with. I had SUPER fun playing with the mannequin -first stamping some script with a Prima stamp, sponging the edges with Vintage Photo DI, adding the lace for dress, ribbon for belt and flower for extra gorgeousness. :) I wanted to add some designer paper to this card too, I think it fits the vintage-feel nicely. Thanks for popping by and have a great new week!

I'd also like to enter:
http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.fi/ Ribbon, no bows

More Flowers!

Hi guys!
As promised yesterday, I have a new flower card + some tutorial links and tips. The stamp set I used is the same than yesterday: VIGNETTE: Eclectic Florals by STAMPlorations. The clue in this coloring technique is that you use markers for coloring in a solid image and not an outline image as you would usually do -this gives a very unique, "hand-drawn" look. If you stamp with a very pale ink like in my yesterday's card (for those of you who missed that, I've added the photo below) the outcome looks a bit like water coloring.

These cards are very much influenced by Darlene's videos Mixed Media Flowers and Lots of Copics. Both of these coloring tutorials teach you how to add depth to solid stamped images using Copics and pencils. If you stamp with inks like Memento it's fine to use markers on top of stamping. Here I've chosen Copics that match my ink color but you could also try more funkier combinations and use your blender pen to fade the sharp line between your Copic coloring and the stamped image. In her Mixed Media Flower tutorial Darlene brings in an Inktense pencil in contrasting color too -I used only white Inktence pencil here for adding more light. I believe you could use any other colored pencils for this technique but Inktense pencils are really great!

The blending in the card I posted yesterday looks softer mostly because of the shape of the flowers: they have bigger, rounder petals so you have more space to blend your dark, medium and light marker. Also the ink I stamped with is very light. If you are interested to hear my Copic combos, let me know and I'll check them for you -I'm writing this away from home and don't remember them by heart! :)

I hope I've inspired you to have a go at coloring in solid images, it's very fun and surprisingly different from working with outline images! Making these cards have made me think of my silhouette stamps in a different way. Oh and do check out Darlene's GREAT tutorials, her Youtube Channel is a gem.

Lastly, the card above is my third card for One Layer Simplicity -one more card for my birthday card stash! Have a fun weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Blue Flowers

Hi guys!
Just a short post to enter current Less Is More (shades of blue) and One Layer Simplicity (restocking the shelves, my 2nd entry, I always need sort of all occasion cards for friends!).

I've used a new set VIGNETTE: Eclectic Florals by STAMPlorations. I'll have another card with these flower stamps tomorrow -I'll talk more about the coloring technique and give links to tutorials then, now I've got to run or I'm way too late soon! Have a great weekend everyone!

Make Your Mark at Addicted to Stamps and More!

Hi guys,
Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge is back from the Christmas break with a Make Your Mark challenge: use markers, pencils or other coloring mediums in your craft project. We are happy to have Deedee's Digis sponsoring us for the entire month of January and I had very fun coloring in their rooster digi with my Copics. The sentiment I used for my background means "Happy Easter" so it looks like I started very early with my Easter cards this year. :) I had an orange doily in my stash and that inspired me to use this very bright color scheme for the card. I chose one of my favorite layouts where extra layers are added to the top of the card -great layout for using paper scraps. I hope you'll now head on over to ATSM challenge blog for the rest of the DT projects -you'll also get to meet our guest designer Gemma! She is one of our Wall of Fame crafters -if you enter ATSM Challenges regularly, you might end up there too! :)  Happy crafting!