Kraft branches

07 Nov 2016 2 Comments

by Helen in Cards, Ladies, Thank you

This is a thank you card in the colours from CAS-ual Friday: orange, brown and kraft.  I love the different variations on orange and brown, all subtle due to being stamped on kraft.

This one is for CFC160 CAS-ual Fridays (orange, brown and kraft)

and Time Out #69 Give thanks with a grateful heart.  It’s not for Thanksgiving but it is for a couple of people I am very grateful for (and to), which I guess amounts to the same thing.

The haiku for this one is truly autumnal:

Autumn leaves flame red,
orange crunching underfoot:
fade to wet yellow

New Home Welcome

07 Nov 2016 4 Comments

by Helen in Cards, CAS, New home

I found this card very difficult. I had an idea of how the colours should look and the theme, but I tried watercolour paints and pens, and different inks, but I couldn’t get the colours to look right together.

Here is the most passable of my attempts, with coloured cardstock in the end! And the orange is much more orange than it looks in the photo but at this time of the year getting a good photo is near impossible…

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Color Throwdown #417

Volor Throwdown #417

#ctd417

and CASOLOGY Welcome

Which is a bit away from the guidelines because it’s one main image but repeated….  All I can say is. I tried…

And here’s the haiku

Houses drift sadly
through dreams with gentle reproach
Gone, my childhood home.

Lavender Wishes

03 Nov 2016 2 Comments

by Helen in Cards, floral

After two months of no time at all to craft due to being incredibly busy at work, and clearing a house, I’m back at my table trying to recover my mojo!

I don’t really do Halloween or Thanksgiving so I’m sticking to multipurpose cards. This simple CAS card was amazingly difficult to put together. I wanted to use the very pretty patterned paper, but struggled to find card of the right colour. Happily the watercoloured and fussy-cut flower could be made to order. No idea where that stamp came from, though…

This one is inspired by sketch #196 at CAS(E) this Sketch so I’m just sneaking in before the deadline.

Here’s the sketch

 

Cards in envy: first class card

11 Sep 2016 Comments Off on Cards in envy: first class card

by Helen in Cards

So pleased that my card Squaring Up has been named First Class Card at Cards in Envy for the Hip to be Square challenge.  It’s been crazy this week (my work ramps up dramatically at the beginning of term) and I’ve no cards made, so it was thrilling that people liked my card 🙂

I still love that challenge idea – cards that can easily be posted! Don’t we all need plenty of those?

squaring up

 

Muse shout out

07 Sep 2016 Comments Off on Muse shout out

by Helen in Cards, CAS

Yay! My Flying High card won an Honorable Mention at Muse.  I’m so thrilled. In such illustrious company too: some beautiful cards inspired by Sarah’s.  And I love that it’s voted for by the contributors (the three I voted for are also in the top 6).

Muse Honorable Mention

Out of this world

06 Sep 2016 3 Comments

by Helen in Cards, CAS, Masculine, teen

Maybe a boy (or girl for that matter) would enjoy this one!

I don’t have a pink in my watercolour set so I experimented with colours, and when I looked at the result it reminded me of galaxies (or maybe that was just because it’s Star Trek’s 50th birthday and that was on my mind!) The stamp set was free with a magazine, and the planets I doodled myself.

I’m entering this one in the Stamplorations CAS Card challenge for September.

Stamplorations CAS card challenge - pink

I love their mixed media inspiration but CAS is more my style!

I’m also entering Craft Stamper’s Take it, make it “Take a stamp” challenge: Anything Goes

We too boldly go
Experimenting in art:
Aim out of this world…

Salamander birthday

05 Sep 2016 6 Comments

by Helen in Birthday, Cards, CAS

Managed a few cards this weekend, as I’m trying to build up stock for a busy period of family birthdays plus an autumn fair at the care home my dad lives in.

This one is inspired by the colours at CAS Colours and Sketches #189: red, yellow and blue. The card by Jane in the design team really got me thinking (SUCH a fab card!) and here’s where I ended up.  I hope it’s still Clean and Simple despite the salamander motif being layered on top!

I’d also like to add this to Daring Cardmakers September Elemental Inspiration: with the exotic beach photo (wish I were there!). The three elements are the exotic location (probably has lizards if not salamanders on sunny rocks!), the border between sea and sand in the middle of the picture (border between red and yellow colours in mine) and the water (watercolour background!).

Rain in Tenerife
Small lizards hide under rocks
Never felt before.

Melon mambo and pumpkin pie agapanthus

04 Sep 2016 2 Comments

by Helen in Birthday, Cards, floral, Ladies Tags:

This one is for the colourQ challenge #357…

melon mambo pumpkin pie

It’s a watercoloured background rather than ink but I think I’ve nailed the colours.

Not sure I’ve nailed the hand lettering though 🙁  Need more practice!

A garden sunset
Day, weekend, summer, all gone
Flowers just black stalks

Flying high

04 Sep 2016 8 Comments

by Helen in Birthday, Cards, CAS, Masculine

I have been trying hard to come up with cards that can be used for boys and men. There are so many easy motifs suitable for women (flowers!), but not so many for males.

This card uses some of the same watercoloured background I used in the Squaring Up card, but in a very different context.

happy birthday kite

I’m entering this in Muse #181 challenge as it’s inspired by Sarah Platt’s stunning card:

Sarah Platt - Razzle Dazzle Crafts - for Muse #181

and also Seize the Birthday (Anything Goes Birthday) 

(edited to add the link – not sure where that went!)

And here’s the haiku:

Are you leaving us?
Fly on: your adventure is
elsewhere. Cut your string.

Squaring up

01 Sep 2016 9 Comments

by Helen in Cards, CAS

I’ve got a lot of duty stuff done recently so feel justified in a little playful crafting.

This card is inspired by the challenges at Less is More (Using a peel-off – or several in this case!) and Cards in Envy (Hip to be Square).

squaring up

The watercolouring of the background took the longest: the result of several trials.  I added Woodware Francoise Leaves peel-offs (I’ve had them for a while!) and more peel-offs for the frame (straighter than they look in the photo, honest!).

Feeling square and grey
Age comes before you’re aware
Don’t let it slip in…

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries