Let's Party

Hello Everyone! Today I decided to play along with Retro Sketches Challenge #53:

and also Lawnscaping Challenge #53 - Texture. Funny how they're both #53!

I created a "let's party" card using a lilac and black theme along with some mustard and pink for pop colours. 

The base cardstock is lilac and i embossed it using the Cuttlebug Polka Dots embossing folder. I created a border using strips of black cardstock. The black panel in the middle is a handmade paper cardstock. I cut strips in it using my craft knife and weaved the strips of coloured paper through it. 

All the strips are differently textured as well. I added some hand-drawn stars with white gel pen and layered some star stickers on punched out circles to top the weaved strips. I added some alphabet stickers to spell, 'let's party' and some white dots around the center panel, et voila!

Thanks for stopping by and do leave me your comments! :)

Grow old with me!

First off, here's wishing Lulupu a very happy first birthday! I decided to enter myself in the Lulupu Challenge #10. It's been on my mind since the day I saw the challenge. The catch is that you have to take inspiration from one of their DT members and any one of their creations. Now that's tough as: 1) the DT members are extremely talented and 2) you don't want to be a copy cat.

The card I chose as inspiration is by Ujjwal. I absolutely love this card and fell in love with it the moment I saw it and have been a follower of her blog ever since! The card that inspired me is this one:

and what I've come up with is this:

I die cut the flower  and leaf and stamped over it with the coordinating stamp set from PPRS-Hibiscus, then coloured it in using Staedtler Luna colour pencils. I misted it with plain water (since the pencils are watercolour pencils it created a nice effect) and let it dry.

I embossed a plain black cardstock using the Polka Dots embossing folder from Cuttlebug. For the base I chose a plain white cardstock and scored it to create lines at the top and bottom. I layered a white paper doily and then the black cardstock and stuck the flower and leaf in place. I added a beautiful sentiment from Fiskars Clear Stamps (Wedding) and then some pearls in colours reflective of the other colours in the card.

Thanks for stopping by and do leave me your comments!

Two Hearts One Love

Today, I have a CAS stamped card. I used a white cardstock for the base, a red cardstock for layering and a polka dot patterned blue cardstock for the banner. The red cardstock has been torn freehand on three sides. I used clear heart stamps from a stamp set from PPRS I forget the name of and stamped around the card. I finished off with a sentiment from the same stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by and do leave a comment! :)

New Challenge Blog and DT call

Hello Everyone! Today I came across a super new blog Sister Act Card Challenge by two sisters-in-law and they have a DT call. Double whammy! 

So I'm entering myself into the race to become part of their DT. You can find the DT call challenge HERE. They require 3 of your best cards to enter. Now that is a tough call, choosing the best 3 according to you and hoping they are the right choices! But I had a think and decided to showcase 3 cards that are very different and show variety. 

CARD #1 - Friend of Mine

I used stamps from Unity Stamp Co. for the image and sentiment. I wanted to feature the stamped image as the focus. I chose a dark green for the base of the card and decided to use yellow and brown as the other colours. I smudged the edges of the yellow cardstock with brown and green ink from Micia Old Hand ink pads to create a vintage look. I coloured in the pot using a white gel pen and added red rhinestones for the flowers. I knotted a bit of brown ribbon to create a multi-layered bow. I added some square sequins around the pot and the border of the yellow cardstock and a couple of yellow tiny punched butterflies.

CARD #2 - Celebrate

This card is a stamped, punched, drawn on "CELEBRATE" card. I used some really cute cupcake, butterfly and sentiment stamps from Unity Stamp Co. 

I used a dull orange cardstock base and drew a freehand harlequin pattern using a brown felt tip pen. I used a brown patterned paper to make the borders after punching them with the Martha Stewart Doily Edge punch and also for layering underneath the 'Life is Good' sentiment from the Year-o-graphy paper stack. 

I stamped the cupcakes stamp on a cream patterned cardstock and coloured it in using Faber Castell colour pencils and also smudged the edges with brown ink. I also added dots with brown felt tip around the edges of the stamped image to create a 'postage stamp' look. I stamped the butterfly stamp using brown ink from Micia Old Hand Dye ink pad and the 'celebrate' sentiment using black ink from the same company.

I added some pearls randomly for embellishment and finished off the card by going over the edges of the layers with a black OHP marker.

 CARD #3 - Friends never run out of tea or talk

This card has no stamps used at all. Punches have been used for the tiny leaves but everything else is hand cut and created. I chose a lilac and green on black theme for this card. I cut out a thin strip border out of polka dot patterned paper from the Glitter Stack from DCWV. The base is a plain black cardstock and the other papers used are handmade papers.
I drew and cut the teacups and the circle behind the cups. I used a red plain cardstock cut and pasted behind the cup to form the inside. I added some flowers from Itsy Bitsy and rhinestones. I finished off the teacups with a few glitter steam swirls.

Thanks for stopping by and wish me luck!! Your comments are valuable!

Clean and simple

I made this cute little card just now. Couldn't wait to share so there you go, two posts from me in a single day. *phew*

I am entering this for Retro Sketches Challenge #52

This challenge is really cool because they opened the entire array of past sketches for inspiration. You can choose from any sketch challenge they've had so far. I chose sketch #18:

and came up with this:

I punched circles and hearts using Jef punches and layered them on top of each other. I also used paper piercing for this card and am entering it for the Less Is More Week 108 - Paper Piercing Challenge as well.

I pierced a grid around the punched circles and also pierced x's and the bow. All the piercings were free hand using a needle.

Clean and Simple! :)

Thank you for stopping by and do leave your comments! :)

Life is Good-Celebrate

Today's card is a stamped, punched, drawn on "CELEBRATE" card. I used some really cute cupcake, butterfly and sentiment stamps from Unity Stamp Co. 

I used a dull orange cardstock base and drew a freehand harlequin pattern using a brown felt tip pen. I used a brown patterned paper to make the borders after punching them with the Martha Stewart Doily Edge punch and also for layering underneath the 'Life is Good' sentiment from the Year-o-graphy paper stack. 

I stamped the cupcakes stamp on a cream patterned cardstock and coloured it in using Faber Castell colour pencils and also smudged the edges with brown ink. I also added dots with brown felt tip around the edges of the stamped image to create a 'postage stamp' look. I stamped the butterfly stamp using brown ink from Micia Old Hand Dye ink pad and the 'celebrate' sentiment using black ink from the same company.

I added some pearls randomly for embellishment and finished off the card by going over the edges of the layers with a black OHP marker. I love how it turned out!

Thanks for stopping by and do leave me a comment.

Entering this for :

1) Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes

2) Unity Stamp Co. {be inspired} challenge

Love Journal

Today I'm sharing a 'Love' journal i created. It is made with a mix of plain and patterned card stock and lots of embellishments, tags, little envelope pockets and stamping. It is held together with binder rings I bought from A1 Craft Supply and all my stamps were bought through them as well. All my patterned paper, scrapbooking elements and stamping inks of various companies were bought through Lulupu - The Craft Lounge. And my Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch and various other crafting goodies were bought from Mansi of Die Cuts and More. 

Ok, with that out of the way, let's get started on what i've created. I guess you could call this an upcycle, altered project as the base for the entire journal is cereal boxes. I cut the boxes into rectangles of 6'X8" first. I then hand selected patterned papers from my various paper stacks and cut them into 6"X8" or in some cases 5"X8" so that I could add a 1" strip of a different patterned paper for the margin. I punched the edge of the cover page with the Doily Edge Punch from Martha Stewart.

I then distressed some edges like on the red page above and below, but I don't own distress inks, so I deviced a method where I cut a bit of cotton, dab it in my ink pads and rub onto the edges. The result was none too shabby, if I may say so myself.

All the scrapbooking elements added to this project are from the You and Me page kit.

I added a spaces for journalling and photos. I layered flowers from Itsy Bitsy and stuck a matching rhinestone in the middle. These appear in quite a few different places. Now I'll let the photos speak for themselves shall I?

Showing details and special elements, I've added special touches on almost every page, there's a lot of hand doodled elements as well.

Pretty flower

Space for journalling

A little confetti rain

Squares to tick

Two tags in their cosy little pouch

Envelope to hold message/journalling

Stamped sentiment

Tag

Thanks for stopping by!