Clean and Simple

I've recently discovered that in card-making circles CAS means clean and simple.  Generally these cards should have white space (or other plain colour I suppose) with few layers and minimal embellishments.

I think that these two cards meet the requirements.  In the first card the topper has beern embossed and inked, with organza ribbon placed behind it across the card.  The sentiment has been stamped.

The second card is quite similar to this one, but I quite like that layout. I made the flowers out of organza ribbon then drew on the stems and leaves.  The pink is a tad more neon than I was expecting when I ordered it!

I'm entering the following challenges:

Card 1
Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes
Little Miss Muffet Challenge - Button Bonanza
CAS-ual Fridays - Three Thirds
Less Is More - Flowers 
Cute Card Thursdays - Handmade Embellishments 

Card 2
Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes
CAS-ual Fridays - Three Thirds
Less Is More - Flowers 
Cute Card Thursdays - Handmade Embellishments 

Spots and Stripes

I made this card for the Paper Crafting Journey Spots and/or Stripes challenge.  I've really embraced the theme by using stripes of spots and stripy spots! 

I started by laying stripes of spotty washi tape onto A6 card. Then I trimmed about 0.5cm (maybe slightly less) from each side.  I then embossed it with an embossing folder (Tim Holtz Texture Fades Retro Circles) and went over the raised surface with a white ink pad, and covered that with clear embossing powder to give a nice glaze.  Finally I cut the card into quarters and attached it to the backing card.  The whole thing is finished off with a simple, stamped sentiment.  I added the organza bow as the sentiment on its own seemed a bit bleak.

Gift Tag - Just Because

I  think that this might be my first gift tag.  For inspiration I looked at lots of tags on Pinterest and Google image search, but they either seemed really elaborate or too simple, but then I suppose this is quite simple too.  After all it's only strips of Creata glittered card on a tag, embellished with paper flowers with flower sequins at their centre. I stamped "Just Because" on a smaller tag and then passed some organza ribbon through both.

I am entering the following challenges:
Paper Crafting Journey - Spots and Stripes
Creata Challenge - Tags and Bags
4 Crafty Chicks - Flowers

Less Is More Challenge - 3 colours

This was supposed to be my entry into the Simply Less is More Week 170 Colour Challenge, but I missed adding my link by a matter of seconds! 

The challenge was to use 3 colours, or 3 shades of the same colour.  I used pink, purple and turquoise circles and simply drew on stalks and leaves.

For such as simple card, it took me ages to come up with it!  But I think that it's quite sweet in its simplicity. 

Cardmaking Challenges

One of the most difficult things that I find when sitting down to craft is thinking of what to make.  I sit down with all my crafty stash around and... nothing.  Without a pattern, or a plan or some sort of guide it can be overwhelming.  There's simply too much choice.  What materials should I use, how does everything go together, what layout would work best, what colours should I use, which embossing folder, which dies, which papers, and so on, and so on.

So I decided to find a few papercraft/cardmaking challenge blogs to help me out.  Having someone else come up with the idea leaves me free to focus on the making.

Here is a card that I made with a summery theme.  It's a bit of a departure for me as yellow is not one of my "go to" colours.

I used the Sizzix Tim Holtz Rays Texture Fades embossing folder on yellow card stock and highlighted the raised areas with yellow ink.  I've tried to emboss the rays but I think I need more practice with that.  The butterfly and flower are from the Sizzix/Hero Arts stamp & die set, which I've coloured in with Spectrum Noirs.  The small flowers are also die cut from Creata patterned and glittered paper.  The sentiment came with the latest issue of Papercrafter magazine.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Here Come Summer

Crafty Cardmakers and More - It's a Bug's Life

C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Make Your Own Embellishments

My First Card

This is the first card that I made. It was for a friend's birthday last September.  Her nickname is "Lolly" so I thought a card with a lolly on it would be just right.   This is when I first started to realise that card composition was a lot more difficult than it looks. It's not a bad first effort, but if I were making it now (with my wealth of experience... LOL) I'd do a few things differently, like adding a little dimension by using foam pads on the lolly, increasing the size of the main lolly a little, possibly using some extra matting & layering to frame the lolly better, and I might ditch the flower embellishment in favour of something "sweeter" ;-).

Hello!

I love paper. In fact I've always had a thing for stationery - pens, pencils, pencilcases, paper, gift wrap, you name it.  I haven't always kept in touch with my paper passion, though it occasionally showed up from time to time - the stationery cupboard at work was one of my favourite places. Then just before Christmas 2013 my passion for all things paper was unleashed with a vengeance!

Image via createandcraft.tv

The seeds were sown in late Summer when I stumbled upon (and promptly became hooked on) Create & Craft TV, which inspired the seemingly harmless decision to make my own Christmas cards.  Shopping for supplies started a chain reaction, which shows no sign of slowing down.  I was introduced to a whole new world of pretty papers, delightful embellishments, stamping, embossing, die cutting...  You get the picture.

Now, you should know that I've also got a thing for fabric, yarn & haberdashery.  It seems that I have a need to express my creativity by making things.  I delight in the whole process of taking a set of separate elements, and then combining them to create something completely new. It's marvellous!  So although I barely have time to spend on my existing crafty interests, I'm embracing this awakened interest in paper into my crafty fold, and as it's nice to have somewhere to document my journey I decided to set up this blog.

So here's to a new adventure. Let's see where it takes me!