Card candy swaps

Warning! Today's post is pic heavy.

I just lurve card candy, they're like regular crafting, squeezed into a concentrate, lol. And if I could only bear to part with them they make great presents for crafting friends too!

I took part in one of the ILWS organised swaps at Convention and made 10 lots of this candy:

Recipe

Stamp set: Serene Snowflakes, Four the Holidays (sentiment set)

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Medium Window Sheet, Vellum Paper

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Stazon White, Baja Breeze, Versamark

DSP: Elegant Soiree

Punches: Scallop Trim Border, Ornament, Butterfly, Scallop Square, 1-3/4” Circle, 1-3/8” Circle, 1” Circle, Star, Tag, Small Tag

Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon: Whisper White

Other: Silver Elastic Cord, Basic Rhinestones, Clear Rhinestone Brads, Dazzling Diamonds, Silver EP, White EP, Silver Brads, Large Silver Brad (Hodge Podge)

And these are all the lovely swaps that I got in return from the super talented ladies in my group (Group 3) (and I got to keep one of my own if you're wondering what happened to the 10th - it's not going spare, heehee).

From Emma using Cottage Garden

From Margaret using For Everything

From Michelle using Artisitic Etchings

From Kirsteen using Tiny Tags

From Rachel using Vintage Vogue

From Val using Growing Green

From Marisa using Season of Joy

From Jo using Cottage Garden

From Nicci using Contempo Christmas

And because Joanne and Jan (my upline and downline, together with me at Convention) were so jealous of my candy we've decide to have a little candy swap of our own so please pop back soon to see what we create for that.

Want your own card candy? Book a workshop with me and you and your friends can have a go at making your own. Just email me to find out how.

See you soon.

Sara xx

Shabby tres chic with love

Another "shabby" card for you today. I would never have dreamed of tearing my card and distressing it like this a year ago and yet I really enjoy these techniques and love the different look you get. I guess it's good to step outside your comfort zone now and again. What do you think?

Recipe

Stamp set: Artistic Etchings

Cardstock: Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla

Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Old Olive

DSP: Tangerine Tango

Striped Grosgrain Ribbon: Old Olive

Other: Early Espresso Brads, Cutter Kit, Colour Spritzer Tool

I started with an A6 portrait card blank of Cajun Craze and matted it with layers of Tangerine Tango DSP (sponged lightly around the edges with Cajun Craze ink) and Early Espresso cardstock. The medallion stamp was inked with Baja Breeze, stamped off once onto scrap and then stamped onto Very Vanilla card for a more faded look. Using Early Espresso ink the Eiffel Tower was stamped to one side of the medallion and then the sentiment stamped over in Old Olive. This front layer was torn across the bottom, distressed around the edges with the Cutter Kit and Early Espresso ink then spritzed with Early Espresso and Crumb Cake markers. I'm loving this new colour spritzer tool (and can't wait for my distressing essentials kit to arrive later this week, heehee)! The whole layer was adhered to a layer of Baha Breeze that was also torn across the bottom and distressed around the edges. Early Espresso brads were added bottom left and a fold of striped ribbon behind the layers bottom right before popping up on dimensionals on the card front.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sara xx

Artistic etchings in new colours

I had a good fun night on Thursday with my downline Jan and my upline Joanne. We gossiped plenty about Convention next month and what to expect. It's the first one for Jan and I, we couldn't make it last year and we're so excited - with good reason from everything that Joanne's told us. We had some lovely swaps between us, which I'm can't share yet because some of them are being swapped today and others may also be for convention so I don't want to spoil any surprises. I've now also got my hands on samples of all the main DSPs, the coloured brads and the buttons, so I'm busy putting my sample book together to take to workshops, so that you can all see everything for real - they're so much better than just on the page.

Today's card is one that I've made using the Artistic Etchings in the clear mount version. The clear mount really does make it a doddle to place your stamps quickly and easily.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Artistic Etchings, En Francais

Cardstock: River Rock, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler

Punch: 1-3/4" Circle

Narrow Taffeta Ribbon: Marina Mist

Other: Linen Thread

I stamped the Eiffel Tower in Not Quite Navy ink onto a layer of River Rock card. By stamping again onto a sticky note and cutting it out I created a mask for the image. I placed it over the original before stamping again on the same layer with the En Francais background stamp in Soft Suede ink and then removing the mask. These two stamp sets are just made for each other. This stamped layer was matted direct to a layer of Marina Mist. A bow of Marina Mist Narrow Taffeta Ribbon was wrapped around the top left corner before adhering the layers direct to an A6 portrait card blank of River Rock. I stamped the pendant in Not Quite Navy ink onto a scrap of Marina Mist and punched it out with the 1-3/4" Circle. This was popped up on dimensionals in the top right corner. The Amour sentiment was stamped in Cherry Cobbler ink on Very Vanilla card and cut out following the shape of the word. It was then adhered direct to a scrap of Cherry Cobbler Card and cut again following the shape, before popping up on dimensionals in the centre of the circle. Finally the key was stamped in Not Quite Navy ink on River Rock card, cut out, tied with Linen Thread to the ribbon and fixed in place with dimensionals cut in half.

I think this would work quite well as an anniversary card. What do you think?

I'm off to Cardiff once again tomorrow. More training in preparation for my exams in November, but also meeting up with a crafty friend while I'm there so it's not all bad. And I've got a few cards ready to share with you next week so please pop by. Off now to finish getting ready for this afternoon's workshop.

Have a great weekend.

Sara xx

An artistic etching for my first sample from the new catty

My first card from the new catty uses the very elegant Artistic Etchings set. This set will be great for travel type cards and scenes (I have a Paris trip that I'm now itching to scrapbook with this set) but also works beautifully for anniversaries and birthdays too.

The colours I've used are all ones that you'll be familiar with as they were to meet one of the challenges that I set this month over at In Love With Stamping. The colour challenge is to use Basic Black, Real Red and Whisper White.

Recipe

Stamp set: Artistic Etchings

Cardstock: Real Red, Whisper White, Basic Black

Ink: Basic Black, Craft Whisper White

Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon: Real Red

The Eiffel Tower was stamped in Basic Black ink onto Whisper White card and matted onto Real Red. I then used this layer to work out the positioning for the ornate circle and stamped this in Craft Whisper White ink onto the Basic Black layer. The ornate flourishes were stamped around the circle and along the edge of the layer in the same way. Either leave the Craft ink to dry or use your heat tool to set it so that it doesn't get smudged. Real Red ribbon was wrapped around the left side top and bottom corners and this layer was matted onto Whisper White card and then the Real Red A6 portrait blank. The focal image was popped up on dimensionals.

I'm set now for tonight's hostess event. Now to prep for tomorrow's workshop and Open House. It's all go ;-)

Sara xx