Let's go Bananas

Hi Crafty Friends,

Yesterday was my second eldest birthday, so let's go bananas and celebrate!

I started by stamping the cute little party monkey twice, once on my card and once on a post-it note. I cut out the monkey on the post-it not and used him as a mask on my card. Then it was time to get out my stencils. I picked a leaf background stencil and ink blended through it using different shades of green. I removed the mask to reveal the monkey, and coloured it using my Copic markers. Stamped the sentiment, or two in this case, and my card was done.

Products used
Stamps sets: "Go Bananas! #241" by Aall & Create and "Critter Concert" by Lawn Fawn
Stencil: "Leaves" by Dutch Doobadoo
Inks: Distress Oxide by Tim Holtz/ Ranger
Markers: Copic sketch

Card inspired by the following challenges:
 

Thank you for stopping by, I really appreciate you taking the time!

Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane
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ATC - Visible Image February swap "Love is in the air"

 Hi Crafty Friends;

At the start of the year I found a challenge on Facebook that I thought looked really fun, and I decided to give it a go eventhough it was out of my comfort zone.

The challenge I found was an ATC swap, and I never make ATCs.

The swap is hosted by Visible Image stamps, and you can only use VI stamps, dies and stencils + your prefered mediums like colours, inks etc.

There is a new swap every month, and you only commit to one month at a time. I signed up for the January swap, and gave it a go. It was so much fun! Unfortunatelly I can't show you my January make yet, as I don't know if it has reached my January swap partner.

 As I enjoyed it so much I just had to sign up for the February swap to, and as my make has reached it's destination I'm free to share it with you.

The theme for February was "Love is in the air", and a colour scheme of pink, red, black and white, and here's the ATC I created for my February swap partner.

I decided to create a card to go with the ATC so that I could send my swap partner a little greeting, and here it is together with the ATC.

Products used, all by Visible Image
Stamp sets: "Robot Data" for the little heart and "Create with your Soul" 
Stencil: "Strobes"
Inks: Distress Inks by Tim Holtz and VersaFine Clair "Nocturne" by Tsukineko

I hope you like my cards, both the greeting card and my ATC.

Here's the February cue card

Can't wait for the March swap to start, and yes I'm definitly signing up for that one too!


Thank you for taking the time to stop on by, I really appreciate you taking the time!

Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane

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Ink blending and embossing with a stencil

 Hello, 

Have you ever dry embossed with a stencil?
I've never tried it before but inspired by the current challenge at AAA Birthday - Use a Stencil(s) and February's challenge and optional theme - Hearts at Stencil Fun, I decided to give it a go.

I taped the stencil to the back of my card and ink blended through it before running it through my die cutting machine. To get the embossed effect I was looking for I used an embossing mat with my cutting machine. It left a really nice embossed effect on my card. It doesn't show so well on camera, but the hearts are embossed and it looks beautiful IRL.

Here's a close up

Products used
Stencil: "Print Shop - Offset stencils" by Vicki Boutin
Ink: Distress Oxide "Picked Raspberry" by Tim Holtz/ Ranger
Die: PY111 "Grattis" by PY Hobby
Embellishment: Enamel Dots "Transparent" by Nellie's Choice

I hope you like it and are inspired to join the challenge over at AAA Birthday!

Playing along at: Stencil Fun

Thank you for stopping by, I really appreciate it!

Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane
x

AAA Cards Challenge 234 - Circles

 Hello Friends,

Ready for a new CAS (clean and simple) card challenge?
I hope you are, because today is the start of challenge game 234 at AAA Cards, and this time we'd like to see Circles on your cards.

Here's my take on the challenge

I created my own stencil and masks by die cutting some circles out of some post it notes. Then I ink blended through my homemade stencils, masked of when I needed to. I added some transparent enamel dots for some more interest and dimension, stamped my sentiment (by Visible Image) and my card was done.

I hope you've been inspired to play along with us. For more fun inspiration by the design team and our special guest designer for this challenge, Lynda AKA LoopyLoo, please head on over to AAA Cards challenge blog, where you'll also find more information on how to join the fun. Please remember that we want to see CAS (clean and simple) cards with lots of white/empty space. 

Here's the cue card for the challenge

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, I really appreciate it!

Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane
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Stencil and Foil

 Hi Friends,

Stencils and foils, what a great combination.

There are many ways to foil on a card. One easy way, that doesn't require any special machines, is to use Transfer Duo gel together with your foils.

Here I have used the transfer gel through a mandala stencil. The gel goes on white, and then becomes clear when it dries. Once it's clear it's time for the foil. You place the foil, pretty side up, over the gel and press it down, by hand or with your die cutting machine. Lift up the sheet of foil and you are left with a beautiful foiled image. To finish my card I added a stamped and heat embossed sentiment in gold.

Want some more inspiration using stencils on your cards?
Visit AAA Birthday's challenge blog where you'll find beautifully stenciled birthday cards by the design team. And why not have a go yourself and enter your card to AAA Birthday's  February challenge - Use a Stencil(s).

Here's the challenge cue card

  
I hope you're inspired to join us!


Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane
x

Use a Stencil(s) - AAA Birthday challenge 46

 Hello and Happy Weekend Crafty Friends,

Don't you just love stencils? 
I do, so when it was my turn to pick the theme for February's challenge at AAA Birthday I just had to go with - use a Stencil(s).

For this card I have used a stencil I created and cut out with my Silhouette machine. You don't have to have a machine like the Silhouette to create your own stencils. I often make stencils, and masks, using dies I have in my stash, or by just cutting shapes out of paper with a pair of sissors.

I hope you've been inspired to create a birthday card, or two, to share with us at AAA Birthday. You have until the 28th of February to create and upload your birthday cards at AAA Birthday's challenge blog.


Here's the challenge cue card

Thank you for stopping by, I really appreciate it!

Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane
x

AAA Cards Challenge 233 - Teal and Gold

 Hello,

Ready for a new CAS (clean and simple) card challenge?
AAA Cards challenge game #233 - Teal and Gold starts today, 
and I hope you'll join in the fun.

Teal and Gold, do I have any teal or gold I can use?

That was my first thought when I saw the theme of this challenge. Don't get me wrong, I love teal and gold, but it's not colours I use very often. Then I remebered that I have an old ink pad in teal, and I have gold embossing powder.....problem solved!

I started of by ink blending my card front with the teal ink, then I stamped this beautiful stamp with some embossing ink and heat embossed it with the gold embossing powder. To finish the card I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment, "You inspire me to be better", with the same embossing ink and powder as I used for the image. Quick, easy and clean and simple, my kind of card!

Products used
Inks: Memento "Teal Zeal" and VersaMark watermark both by Tsukineko, 
Stamps: "Lacy Graffiti" #60 by Olga Heldwein/ Aall & Create, "Poppy Garden" by Altenew
Embossing powder: "Gold" Super Fine Detail by Ranger

Here's the challenge cue card

I hope you're inspired to play along with us!
For more inspiration by our guest designer for this challenge, Angela, and the Design Team please visit AAA Cards challenge blog, where you'll also find all the information you need to join our challenges.

Thank you so much for stopping by, I really appreciate you taking the time!

Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane
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AAA Birthday Game #46 - Use a Stencil(s)

 

Hello Crafty Friends,

Can you believe it's February already?
The good thing is that it means it's time for a new challenge at AAA Birthday, and this month we want you to use your stencil(s).

I love stencils!

They're easy to use, very versatile, you can use them in so many ways and with so many different mediums, and they're inexpensive. You can even make your own. Can it get any better?!

I often make my own stencils, but for this card I have used a gorgeous stencil by Vicki Boutin which I ink blended through using Distress Oxides. 

Products used
Stencil: Color Study - Fresh Mixed Media Stencils by Vicki Boutin/ American Crafts
Inks: Distress Oxide Ink "shaded lilac", "salvaged patina", "twisted citron", "squeezed lemonade", "dried marigold" and "kitsch flamingo"
Die: PY111 "Grattis" by PY Hobby
Papers: Neenah Classic Crest - Solar White and "Black & White Stripes 6x6 Paper Pad" by MFT 
Embellishments: Enamel Dots "Transparent" by Simple and Basic

Here's the cue card for February

For more information, and inspiration by the amazing Design Team and Catherine, our special Guest Designer for the month of February, please visit AAA Birthday's challenge blog.


I do hope you'll join us in this fun challenge, as I can't wait to see your stenciled birthday cards!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, I really appreciate it!
Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane
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