Paper Smooches Adventure...

Before I tell you about todays card, I just wanted to say a big hello & welcome to all those lovely people who have recently joined as followers - I love sharing this craft and it is a privilege to have you along for the adventure :)

This card was inspired by this fortnightly photo from Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge.  I love the natural textures and colours, along with the nautical and time theme - perfect for a little boys card.  I created the waves by using the negative pieces created when I used an EK Success Scalloped Edge punch - you can achieve a similar effect with any scalloped edge - just turn the negative punch out up-side-down and you have an instant wave!  The clouds are from the gorgeous new Paper Smooches Whimsical, and the time-related sentiment is stamped using Paper Smooches Alphadots.  For a change, I tried stamping with Tim Holtz Distress Ink Faded Jeans to keep with the stonewashed feel.  Papers are a combination of MME On The Bright Side - Two, Authentic Gathering, and the pirate ship and treasure island are cut of from Grace Taylors Playtime.  Finally, I mounted the scene on white cardstock to reflect the white edging around the clock.

Once again, thanks for joining me on this adventure!

It's Spring Baby...

Even though we are heading towards Winter here, north of the equator is heading towards Summer, hence we have a very Spring inspired baby card.  This card was inspired by the CAS-ual Fridays Hey Baby! Challenge, The Paper Players Spring has Sprung, and this gorgeous collage of Easter images from Jay Gees Nook Challenge.

I love these shaped bib cards - I first made one when my sons teacher was expecting her first baby.  I love that they are so easy to make - similar to a circle card, just not quite the full circle, then use a circle punch to create the neckline.  I have stitched around the edge of this card to add some texture - but as you can see I still have my "L" plates on when it comes to driving my sewing machine - but the more I practise the better I'll get at least that's what I tell my kids, so I better start practicing ;) These gorgeous stamps are from Paper Smooches Spring Fling, although the set has an egg-shaped stamp, I actually stamped the tulip to create the top and bottom of my cracked egg, and paper pieced them and the baby chick.  Papers are a combination from Echo Park Dots & Stripes, Grace Taylor and Sassafras. The sentiment is from Practicing Creativity Designs.

Hope you are enjoying Spring (or Autumn!) wherever you may be.

I Adore You... More or Less ;)

Another card inspired by this months Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge photo inspiration, and incorporating this great scalloped heart shape Fiskars My Funny Valentine punch, for this weeks Less is More Punches or Die-cuts Challenge.

I loved the colours, dimension and theme from the inspiration photo.  I saw a technique I found in Beck Fleck's Scrapbook PageMaps 2, which used a circle punch to create a 3D ball, so I thought I would try this technique to turn My Funny Valentine punch into a 3D heart.  The heart is created by punching out a series of 5 hearts from red textured bazill.  I attached the hearts to each other using double-sided tape (rather than the glue Becky suggested).  I discovered that it is much easier using this technique when you have double-sided paper or cardstock.  If you do use double-sided paper, then 7 layers created a better visual texture than the 5 layers Becky uses.  The best thing about this is that the heart still folds flat if you want to post it - then pops back to 3D when removed from the envelope!

The cute sentiment from Paper Smooches Good Gab was stamped onto kraft cardstock using Blazing Red StazOn ink. This panel was then mounted onto red linen textured bazzill and pop-dotted onto a textured salmon pink background paper from Grace Taylor.

Hope you are having an adorable day too :)

Loving Paper Smooches...

I just LOVE Paper Smooches funky stamps - and their digital freebies! 

I loved the colours, textures and theme from this months Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge inspiration photo.  I chose a textured salmon pink background paper from Grace Taylor and used the double hearts digital freebie (with a cute arrow to represent the pin in the photo) as a template to create a stitching outline.  I then hand-stitched the outline in red cotton (also taken from the inspiration photo).  The cute sentiment from Paper Smooches Good Gab was stamped in Blazing Red StazOn ink. This panel was then mounted on kraft cardstock (to match the linen colour), and pop-dotted onto red linen textured bazzill.

Many thanks for stopping by :)

Version 2 - carved into the old oak tree