DT 175 plus TSOT 655 - Hopping By Froggies

 Welcome to Double Trouble Challenge 175 plus Try a Sketch on Tuesday Challenge 655!

The theme for the challenge at Double Trouble is to use punches or dies. I used several dies for my card. Double Trouble is pairing up with TSOT for this challenge. Details can be found on the Double Trouble website and the TSOT sketch is shown below. 

I started by creating the orange background. I used various shades of orange and adhered the pieces vertically to a piece of printer paper and then cut that to fit an A2 card front. I arranged the hexagons and die cut those openings. A piece of yellow cardstock was placed underneath and I die cut the hexagons again, using a slightly smaller one for each opening to create a border. 

The frogs were die cut, inked and assembled. They were arranged in the openings, facing all directions. I added a sentiment at the bottom right. 

Come and join us at both Double Trouble and TSOT and show us how you interpret this challenge.

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can’t wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Poppy Card Set

 This is another set of cards that I completed at a recent crop. 

I die cut the kraft backgrounds and set them onto coloured cardstock. The floral and leaf images were die cut from the same coloured cardstock and adhered at the bottom. I die cut six different sentiments in the same colours, one for each card. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Reverse Bay Window Card

 This card is based on one I saw on Instagram and I figured out the measurements on my own. 

The finished card stands up for display and there is a panel on the back for a message. I chose a winter theme and I die cut all the images and sentiments from white cardstock and inked them. The front of the pinecone pieces were inked with a silver ink pad although that is hard to see in the picture. I added a silver bow to each of the clusters as they were missing something without it. The card folds flat for mailing with one pinecone cluster showing on the front.

Christmas card count is currently at 148... about 80 more to go! 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

MTTCC 95 - Christmas Circle Collage

Welcome to My Time to Craft Christmas Challenge 95!

The theme for this challenge is Christmas stockings. 

I love this open circle die and I chose to cut it in white and decorate each of the circles. I placed a variety of red and green patterned papers behind a few of the openings and stamped and coloured additional images, one of which is a stocking. I added Stickles to some of the images for shine and used green Stickles between each of the openings. I also used fine tip markers to draw dots around a few of the images.

Come and join us at MTTCC and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Card Sets - Stencilled and Coloured

 I spent a day at a 12 hour crop and completed 40 cards - yes 40 cards!

32 of them (4 sets of 8 each) were ink blended. I actually had a blister on my thumb from doing so much of that. I used four layering stencils and created 8 cards in different colour schemes with each stencil set. I stamped the same eight sentiments and placed a different one on each card in a set. 

I also completed a set of eight cards that were stamped and coloured. Those are not shown below. 

Lots of work - all to be given to cancer patients who appreciate them so very much!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Silhouette Trio

 This card was inspired by one made a while ago by Chris Lothian.

The three panels were ink blended and I sprayed water on an acrylic block and pressed it into a corner of each piece to lighten the colour. I used a script stamp to stamp the text in black and then embossed the silhouette images over top. The pieces were arranged on the front and a sentiment and three coordinating hearts were stamped at the bottom. A black marker was used to doodle a line around the edge. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Holiday Cheer Fun Fold Card

 This is a card design I have made before but I wanted to use some Gina K Designs images to make a Christmas card. 

I foiled the images and used stencils to colour them. I adhered the large flower with the stems on the front and added a hot foiled sentiment with some metallic thread and gold gems. That was all set on a die cut background with a floral pattern. 

In the first open panel, there are three smaller sentiments with another stem image. 

Further inside the card, there is a panel on which a message can be written. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

AH 594 - Jolly Holiday Snowflakes

Welcome to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge 594!

There is much that can be done with this sketch - it is posted below. 

I chose shades of turquoise to make a Christmas card. The centre panel has white snowflakes and I chose a darker shade of turquoise for the cross piece. I also added thin strips of the same cardstock along both sides of the centre panel. The sentiment was die cut from white shimmer cardstock plus both light and dark turquoise cardstock and pieced together. I brushed the lightest part of the letters with a clear shimmer brush. I die cut some small snowflakes and added them around the sentiment and used Stickles on the centres of those snowflakes as well as on the others on the background paper. 

Come and join us at Atlantic Hearts and show us how you interpret this sketch. 

You have until Sunday evening to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Hugs Mandala Card

 My friend, Dena, recently posted a card using this mandala die and I had to find that die! I love it! 

The design of this card is similar to the one Dena made but I changed up a few elements. I used another GKD set to created the floral sprays found throughout the card. The mandala front was inlaid into the side of the card and the floral image and a large sentiment was placed on the top. 

Under the sentiment when the card is opened, there is another sentiment on an ink splattered panel. 

When the card is completely open, there is a third decorated panel and a place to write a message. 

Enjoy,

Alyson

SS 759 - Birthday in Blue

 Welcome to Sketch Saturday Challenge 759!

The optional theme (in addition to the sketch) is to feature a sentiment. 

Since this is a pretty straightforward sketch, adding a large sentiment worked perfectly. I die cut two panels from blue cardstock and arranged them on a white card front. The sentiment was die cut three times and the letters were stacked. I used the die cut outline to place the letters evenly. The balloons wouldn't fit at the bottom (location of the flourish on the sketch), so I moved them to the top. The white card front was adhered to a dark blue card base. 

Come and join us at Sketch Saturday and show us how you interpret this sketch. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

CD 617 - Bird on Branch Shaker

 Welcome to Colour Dare Challenge 617!

You must use all three colours for this challenge. 

This was my second attempt at this card. The blending brushes I used the first time were badly stained and the shades of purple were very off colour. 

I stamped and stencilled the bird and the branch using shades of the three colours. They were die cut and set aside until the shaker was built. The background was hot foiled in purple and I die cut six additional pieces of white cardstock to go behind the foiled front. The sequins were added to the shaker and the bird and branch were placed on top of the acetate. A sentiment was placed at the bottom and the entire card front was adhered to Lagoon cardstock. 

Come and join us at Colour Dare and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy,

Alyson

Cut It Up 312 - Trio of Flowers

 Welcome to Cut It Up Challenge 312!

The theme for this challenge is "What's in your garden?" 

I love gardens of flowers so I chose a trio of wildflowers. Each image was stamped and coloured. The colours were based on the patterned paper used for the background. I played around with the arrangement of these items and they looked so forced when everything was lined up so I decided to offset everything, even the sentiment. I used blue glitter paper and black cardstock for the mats. Easy but cute!

Come and join us at Cut It Up and show us what's in your garden. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

MTTC 542 - Just for You Anemone

 Welcome to My Time to Craft Challenge 542!

The theme for this challenge is to use texture. 

I created a background using oxide sprays and stencilled the bricks onto it. Right away, the colour was showing through the bricks so once the paste dried, I stencilled over it again - and the colour STILL showed through. I realized that since oxide inks are water reactive, anything wet added on top of them will take on the ink colour. I had to start a second time and this time, I used other inks and smooshed the paper into them. I wanted a teal, pink and purple background. Once that was dry, I stencilled the bricks again using texture paste and it turned out so much better! 

The anemone was die cut from white cardstock and I added some light purple ink around the centre. The sentiment was placed across the card and the anemone was added at the left. No embellishments were added as the flower is the focal point. 

Come and join us at MTTC and show us your projects with texture. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Snowman Collage

 The postage collage sets are so popular - this card was made with the new snowman stencil that fits the die. 

I chose turquoise for the background and splattered that with white paint before moving to the second stencil. I kept the snowman colours traditional - black for the eyes and buttons and orange for the nose. I used glitter paste on the snowflake in the bottom row. The sentiment was white embossed on black and added at the right side. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Three Section Fun Fold Card

 I really don't have a name for this fun fold - I saw it demonstrated by Lynn Dunn and it was just called a fun fold card. 

There are three panels to this card. I chose a Christmas theme and used plaid paper that has a small line pattern on the reverse. Both sides of the patterned paper will be visible with this card so you need to like both patterns! I created two pine bough clusters and one of them was placed on the front. The second was was placed in the centre panel and there is a white piece on the back panel to write a message. Aside from red Stickles, I didn't add any other embellishments to this card. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

TSOT 654 - Grateful for You

 Welcome to Try a Sketch on Tuesday Challenge 654!

The sketch is shown in horizontal format and I stayed very true to the sketch. 

I chose a plaid patterned paper for the background and die cut two hexagons. The white one was stencilled with a swirling leaf pattern and I shifted the stencil slightly so there would be a shadow on the leaves. I added a cross strip with autumn images on it and die cut and inked a maple leaf. The leaf was added at the side and a sentiment was placed as per the sketch. Some gold metallic thread and gold gems were added as well. 

Come and join us at TSOT and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Frog Trio

 These three cards were made as part of the Let's Stamp Together program. This month, it was a set from Spellbinders. 

I would not normally purchase anything with frogs on it but this set is so cute! 

The first card is a shaped card - the large scallops along the top is where the three part sentiment was stamped. 

The second card is a basic scene card. The clouds were stencilled using the scalloped die. 

The last card has some glitter paste and spray - the paste was used for the water flowers and the rings in the water and I sprayed Distress Oxide spray on top of the rings. I missed some of the paste sections (well, my hand accidentally touched some of it) so it's not the best, but it was a good try! 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

DD Sept - Boots in Window

Welcome to the September challenge for Dragonfly Dreams!

The theme this month is birthdays. 

I wanted to try a card similar to one I saw on Pinterest and this is the result. The background was embossed and I dragged a grey ink pad over the top to add interest. The window was die cut and I added yellow cardstock and vellum behind the openings. The boots were stamped, coloured and fussy cut and I placed several flower and leaf die cuts so they are coming out of the pair of boots. A hot foiled birthday sentiment was placed at the bottom of the window. 

Come and join us at Dragonfly Dreams and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until the end of the month to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

PS Sept - Sparkly Hugs

 Welcome to the September challenge for Pearly Sparkles!

The theme this month is pink, pearls and/or sparkle. Choose at least one of these. 

I used Distress Glitter Paste mixed with a pink reinker and stencilled the pink glittery circles for the background. The flowers and leaves were die cut in white and inked in shades of pink, purple and green. The centres of the each of the flowers is gold (sparkly). I added a hot foiled sentiment and some additional gold gems before adhering the card front to a gold base. 

Come and join us at Pearly Sparkles and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until the end of the month to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson