simply-crafting: June 2013

Humph! I think I made a boo boo . . . I used to use Letraset Bleedproof Marker paper for my stamping but Letraset have been bought by ColArt who have a much higher minimum order value so getting hold of Letraset products is going to be problematic for a while - at least until I've paid the builders and can be sure I have enough capital to invest in a big batch of Letraset products and maybe some new ColArt products too - watch this space!

But for the time being I needed to find an alternative so I ordered a small quantity of each of the Craft Creations cards that might be suitable. I did a test stamp and digi print on each and chose the Matt Coated White Card as the best for both. So I ordered myself a batch of 40 sheets. But it's not taking the ink as well as the test sheet. The ink seems to "sit" on the surface and doesn't blend properly - waaaahhh!!! I must have got the test sheets mixed up - it's so difficult to tell the difference between bright white sheets of cardstock. I was sure I double checked but hey back to the drawing board.

Products Used:

Forever Friends - Retro (CD Rom)

6 x 6" Paper Pack - Capsule Spots & Stripes Summer Brights

Brads included with Carousel

Nesting Dies Circle

Mum/dad Etc Peel Off

Astralux Card - Dark Blue

Cards & Envelopes 6 x 6 Inch White

Matt Coated White Card?

ProMarkers - Burgundy, Berry Red, Poppy, Midnight Blue, China Blue, Tan, Blush, Buttercup, Ivory, Sunkissed Pink.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafts 4 Eternity #127 - For the boys

Dream Valley Challenge 58 Sports

Sweet Stamping - Sketch Challenge

The Pink Elephant Challenge - #203 Father's Day Theme

Papertake Hello Boys :)

Creative Inspirations Challenge 218 - Father's Day!

Milk Coffee Challenge FATHER'S DAY and/or MALE INSPIRED CREATIONS

Cards for Men Challenge 12 - Boys will be boys

Creative Card Crew Challenge 38 Metal

Creative Craft Challenge 12 - We love you Dad

Vintage Wedding

I love these papers and the lace and the buttons and the image - until I colored it. The red of the car just doesn't "go" with the vintage papers. I think I need to invest in some more ProMarkers - any excuse eh?

Products Used:

Boofle Buttons

Cherryblossom Lane CD rom

Pearl Gemstone Wheel

Sheer Ribbon 15mm

Cotton Lace White

Shapeabilities Jewel Flowers And Flourishes

Vanguard Paper Ivory

My Minds Eye Antique Floral 180-page Pad

Cards & Envelopes 8 x 8 Inch White

Matt Coated White Card

ProMarkers - Burgundy, Berry Red, Poppy, Burnt Orange, Ginger, Marsh Green, Moss, Warm Grey 5, Warm Grey 4, Warm Grey 3, Warm Grey 2, Warm Grey 1, Cool Grey 5, Cool Grey 4, Black.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Catz Challenge #186 - Lace & Buttons

Monday Sketch Challenge

Crafts and Me Challenge #137- Vintage

Charisma Cardz Challenge #23 - Digis Only!

Stampin for the Weekend Challenge 36 Cute

Digi / Stamping Challenge Vintage Recipe

Southern Girls Challenge #71 Give it and Upper Cut and Punch it out!

My First Saturated Canary!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Saturated Canary. When our Personal Impressions rep told me they would be stocking Little Darlings stamps including the entire range of Saturated Canary I quite literally jumped for joy!

I waited patiently for them to arrive and carefully chose my favorite. It arrived on Friday but I didn't have time to play until today. I was excited enough by the gorgeous design and perfect size of the stamp. But when I inked it up and took my stamp away form the card stock it was a huge wow moment. The quality of the impression is absolutely superb!! I did check it a second time to make sure it wasn't just a fluke and it wasn't, perfect quality again.

I learnt long ago that cheap stamps are a waste of money, my two year old niece loves them so her toy box is where they belong. But these are something else!

I was even more impressed when I started coloring. The designs look really complicated but it was actually really easy to color. I can not wait for the new Fairy-tales and Fables designs! They should be available to order from the end of June.

I have a huge stack of Shimmer papers because ding bat me ordered too many. I love the look of them but they're too thin to doe cut. I'm running really low on pink paper and card stock and I'm in stash busting mode so I'm improvising. I used a glue stick to stick the Shimmer paper to some scrap heavy weight papers and then die cut them both together. I've got the gorgeous effect of the Shimmer paper but without the flimsy, just perfect for delicate die cutting.

A new favorite stamp and a new favorite paper - happy day!

Products Used:

Saturated Canary Stamp Fairy Wishes

A5 Paper Pack - Hot Diggity Dog

Pearls included with Carousel

Pearl Gemstone Wheel

Nesting Dies - Oval

Nesting Dies - Scalloped Oval

3D Clear Gloss

Shimmer Papers - Pink

Shimmer Papers - White

Shapeabilities Jewel Flowers And Flourishes

Cards & Envelopes 5 x 7 Inch White

Matt Coated White Card

ProMarkers - Sunkissed Pink, Blush, Ivory, Tan, Mustard, Buttercup, Magenta, Cerise, Rose Pink, Cocktail Pink, Pastel Blue.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

In the Pink Challenge #21 - Anything Goes.... as long as it's PINK!!

Fussy and Fancy Challenge 90 - Bling it On

My Time to Craft Challenge #225 'Fairytale'

Sketch Saturday Week #262

Passion for ProMarkers Week 202 Fairy-Tale

Crafty Boots Pink Butterflies

Enchanted Challenge - Fairy

Natalie and Amys Challenge #10 'Fantasy'

Floral Monochrome

A floral monochrome card was quite a challenge but I find intricate die cuts and a verse often make for a nice simple card that suits a monochrome color scheme.

Products Used:

Bakers Twine - Gorjuss

5x5" Cards & Envelopes - Embossed

Clear Stamps - Wellington

Bexley Black Papers

Boofle Buttons

Shapeabilities Jewel Flowers And Flourishes

Corner Adorner Small

Jet Black StazOn Pad

Glittered Jeepers Creepers Stripe

Stardream Card - Crystal White

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 272 - Ebony and Ivory!

Totally Papercrafts Challenge # 170 Punches and Dies

All Sorts Challenge Week 210 - In the Garden

Floral Challenge BLACK & WHITE

Make it Monday #144 Anything Goes

Sketchy Colors #167 Black, Grey, white

Everybody Art Challenge#240 2 Scrap Paper

Christmas Cat

Products Used:

The Best of Just Inklined 2012 CD ROM

Dovecraft Papers

Dovecraft Ribbon

Dovecraft Brads

3D Clear Gloss

Glitter Value Pack Assortment - Gold Silver Red Green

Vanguard Paper Ivory

Cards & Envelopes 6 x 6 Inch White

Matt Coated White Card

ProMarkers - Burgundy, Berry Red, Poppy, Walnut, Burnt Sienna, Cinnamon, Mustard, Buttercup, Holly, Pine, Warm Grey 5, Warm Grey 4, Warm Grey 3, Warm Grey 2, Warm Grey 1, Black.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations Challenge 217 - Colour Swatch Challenge!

Little Miss Muffet Challenge 62... Sketch

Winter Wonderland Challenge Four Legged Friends

Crafting When We Can Challenges 46 - Mad About Markers

Cutie Pie CHALLENGE #46 - ONE FOR THE KIDS

Fruity!

I love these vintage style Happy Days papers. This is just about the last of them, I seem to be going through a phase lately of using the last bits of old paper packs, I'm not sure if I'm trying to make space for new ones or I'm just on a clearing out fix because trying to keep on top of the infernal dust is nigh on impossible with builders in the house!

The bulk of the actual building work is finished now, it's just waiting on the plumber and then things should start to move along much faster. Which reminds me I should be getting on with choosing a new shower, I'm tempted by the electric showers that reckon to put air into the water to make it feel like a power shower. But it's a lot of extra money so I need to make sure they're worth it before I part with my hard earned.

Products Used:

Designstax - Happy Days

Big Bloomers - Happy Days

Designer Die Cuts - Happy Days

Embroidered Brads Happy Days

Journalling Cards Happy Days
Pretty Sweet - Mini CD collection
Gem Flowers
Fired Brick Distress Pad
Marvy Le Plume Pen Carmine
Core Card Cardinal
Simply Classic - Life™ Double-sided Words Paper
Cards & Envelopes 6 x 6 White Scalloped
Matt Coated White Card
ProMarkers - Sunkissed Pink, Blush, Ivory, Burnt Sienna, Cinnamon, Tan, Burgundy, Berry Red, Poppy, Midnight Blue, China Blue, Cornflower, Pastel Blue, Warm Grey 5, Warm Grey 4, Blender.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Seems a Little Sketchy Sketch 40
Fab N Funky Challenge #174 Lets Get Fruity
I Love ProMarkers Challenge #171 -ALL STITCHED UP...
Daring Cardmakers June Colour Combo
Stamping Sensations Challenge - Summer Blooms

Pastel Rainbows

I accidentally rotated my backing paper panel when I was assembling this card, fortunately it still works with the backing panels going horizontally, actually I think it looks teeny bit better.

Products Used:

Paper Pack - Capsule Collection Spots & Stripes Pastels

Ribbon - Capsule Collection Spots & Stripes Pastels

Bakers Twine - Capsule Collection Spots & Stripes Pastels

Assorted Buttons - Capsule Collection Spots & Stripes Pastels

Notelets - Capsule Collection Spots & Stripes Pastels

Ribbon Bows - Ca psule Collection Spots & Stripes Pastels
Pretty Sweet - Mini CD collection
Nesting Dies Circle
Centura Pearl Paper - Ivory
Cards & Envelopes 6 x 6 White Scalloped
Matt Coated White Card
ProMarkers - Sunkissed Pink, Blush, Ivory, Burnt Sienna, Cinnamon, Tan, Midnight Blue, China Blue, Cornflower, Pastel Blue, Cerise, Rose Pink, Cocktail Pink.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Sunday Sketch & Stamp Challenge # 159
Crafty Boots Rainbows
The Pink Elephant Challenge - #202 Summer Time Theme
The Squirrel and The Fox Challenge #45 SUMMER

Step Out In Style

This is just about the last of the papers from my Ultimate Die-Cut & Paper Pack Strictly Party. I'm going to have to get creative in finding papers that will suit the left over decoupage images.

I made a little matching gift bag too.

Products Used:

Bakers Twine - Gorjuss

A4 Ultimate Die-Cut & Paper Pack (48pcs) - Strictly Party

Cotton Lace White

Ribbons included with Carousel

Colourset Recycled Card Ash

Cards & Envelopes 6 x 6 White Scalloped

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Sketchy Colors #166

Divas By Design Challenge 87 Colour Inspiration

Charisma Cardz Challenge #22 - Tons of Layers

Peach Floral Tag

Just about got a head of myself then OH pops round, "by the way we're going out for so-an-so's birthday tomorrow, can you make her a card and some jewelry !"

You'd think he'd know by now that I can't just whip em up in a few minutes! So that's my free evening booked up. But hey, I just got some gorgeous new jewelry stuff in and I've been drooling over it all week.

Just the dog to walk and some grub to rustle up then I'm going to enjoy an evening of crafting in front of the telly. I could actually go for a movie, hum, have to think about that while I'm out walking.

I'm still madly in love with my new My Minds Eye Antique Floral 180-page Pad it was just the thing for this peach and lemon floral tag, or bookmark, I made it flat so it will do for either depending on which I need first :)