Something Fishy...

A very cute mer-cat emerges from the depths of the sea. This gorgeous digi is from A Day for Daisies. It is going to be my daughter's birthday card, but I haven't put a sentiment on as I think it may end up in a frame. Much more sparkly in real life, this sea feline has been coloured with Pro-markers and Cosmic Shimmer. Sequins have been added for fish scales and water bubbles. The background is a mixture of Tumbled Glass Distress Stain and Coastal Cabana ink.

I would like to enter this kitty in A Day for Daisies Challenge - Add sequins.

A Technique and Sketch Challenge

 

I love this technique! This week's technique and sketch challenge at The Friday Mashup! 180 calls for the marble rolling technique. My background is gently rolled with Pool Party re-inker. The flowers were cut from a more frenetically rolled mixture of Coastal Cabana and Strawberry Slush. I love the scribbly effects you can produce and rolling marbles around in re-inker is very therapeutic! April x 

A Colour Challenge

 

This is my entry for this week's Nacho Average Challenge #106 which is a colour challenge using Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe and Daffodil Delight - a very yummy combo of colours that I would never have put together in a hundred years!

I have used the lovely Four Feathers stamp set along with Pictogram Punches. There are some Coastal Cabana sequins, washi tape and a bit of glimmer paper thrown in for good measure. I hope you like it! April x

By the Tide

A little herd of seahorses! I had to google the collective noun. I have used a Crushed Curry card base with some Eastern Elegance dsp. You can't really see them, but there are lots of silvery 'bubbles' made with Dazzling Details. I think these little fellows look as though they know where they are going! I have sponged the background and used resist embossing. No sentiment, because I thought it clashed with the script, so I have stuck that inside. Hope you have had a lovely weekend, April x

Fresh Prints

 

I had a lovely evening at the Fresh Prints workshop on Thursday. I had such a nice time, I completely forgot to take any photos! Here is one of the cards we made though. It features the very cute alligator from the See Ya Later Sale-a-bration stamps which won't be around for much longer! This great set of stamps is available until the 31st March with orders of £45. Please let me know if you want to place an order. We added a couple of banners made from Fresh Prints dsp and a Gingham Garden washi tape bow.

 We also made this box envelope for the Spiral Flower cards, using the Envelope Punch Board. It combines In-Colour dsp with a Flower Shop stamp. Such a nice evening with great company. I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Perfect Pennants

 

Here is a Make and Take we are creating at a party this week. The card on the left is one I made at Monica's training day. Both combine Perfect Pennants with the Sale-a-bration set, Banner Blast. A lovely way of combining all the In-Colours too! I'm really looking forward to this Stampin' Up party, but will have to avoid the nibbles...

A Colour Challenge

 

Here is my card for the NAC#74 using a colour combination of Crisp Canteloupe, Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana. The Eiffel Tower stamp comes from the Follow My Heart set and the DSP is one of the papers from the Sweet Sorbet Sale-a-bration pack. I have also used a sentiment and two Bermuda Bay banners from the Good As Gold Simply Sent kit - another free item available with orders of £45. The card is finished off with a few rhinestones and some Crisp Canteloupe Ruffle Stretch Trim - I hope you like it!

A Tutorial

Here is a card front that I am taking to our next team meeting in December. I thought that I would share the tutorial with you, as my photo really does not do justice to the sparkle! All products used are Stampin' Up and can be ordered from me.

1. Create your background by rubbing a sponge on Pistachio Pudding, Pool Party and Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pads. Rub the sponge on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.

2. Using a Baked Brown Sugar ink pad, stamp over the background with the Post Card stamp.

3. Using a Whisper White ink pad, stamp a snowflake from the Snowflake Soiree set (the third in size) on the left of the postcard. Stamp the smallest snowflake twice on the right.

4. Using Versamark, stamp the snowflake from the Hostess set, Warmth and Wonder about four times and emboss using Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss Powder and a heat tool.

5. Randomly stamp the snowflake across the card using Coastal Cabana.

6. Cut out the postcard.

7. Using a Perfect Plum ink pad, stamp the reindeer from Warmth and Wonder on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock. Cut out using the Postage Stamp punch, then stamp the snowflake in Pool Party in the corner. Sponge Baked Brown Sugar on the edges of the stamp and adhere to the corner of the card. Embellish with some rhinestones.

8. Stamp the sentiment from Warmth and Wonder and then you are done! Ready to turn your postcard into the finished card of your choice.

I hope that you enjoyed my tutorial! April xx

Eastern Elegance Evening

We had a great time at the Eastern Elegance workshop last week. There was lots of card and gift bag making going on, broken up with tea and biscuit consumption, of course! The cats did their very best to 'help' everyone...
 
It is such a lovely set of papers that you can use for lots of different uses. Some of the Smoky Slate and Coastal Cabana papers actually look quite festive. Before the workshop, I had another go at making the gift bag as I thought I might have forgotten how to make it. This time I used the Bird Builder punch to make a more Christmassy version.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend!

Eastern Elegance workshop

Come along to a workshop at my crafty abode on Wednesday, 9th October at 7pm. We will be making a gift bag, card and notelets using Stampin' Up's Eastern Elegance designer series papers. These lovely papers coordinate beautifully with Smoky Slate, Crushed Curry and Coastal Cabana card stock. We will also be using the Mixed Bunch stamp set and Bitty Butterfly punch.

Do join us for a relaxed evening of crafting. Tea and biscuits included of course! Please message me to book a place.