Another Beautiful Blended Bloom

I've continued on with my Blended Blooms creations over the weekend and used this sketch from one of the half dozen on offer for the Paper Players 200th Challenge. I knew I was too late to link it in, (they've picked their winners before I've even posted) so if you've dropped in to read my blog, thank you so much for spending some time here with me.

Nance Leedy chose this sketch as her inspiration, the sketch, way back at Challenge 65, was originally by Anne Marie Hile. When I was making the previous card with the red bloom, I thought the reverse of that DSP from the Fresh Prints Paper Stack would be perfect with the Coastal Cabana range of three blues in Blendabilities. These shades of blue are among my top favourites, but they seem to be the most difficult to blend with these new alcohol-based markers.

I tried leaving the flower on a square of white, then a circle but it really covered up too much of the patterned paper, so in the end I cut the flower out by hand. The greeting is from Really Good Greetings, it comes up a treat when coloured with a couple of Stampin' Write Markers, and the dies from Chalk Talk provide a nice outline for this one.

The finishing touches are a scattering of sequins and a red Glimmer brad. The sequins have picked up some of the colours on the card, but I am looking forward to some coloured sequins coming in the NEW catalogue!!!

Hope your week is a happy one...
Rachel

Beautiful Blended Bloom

Ever since I received my Stampin' Up! pre-order (for the new catalogue), I've had so.o.o.o.o much stuff to play with! I bought two colour packs of the new Blendabilities and we were given another pack in the coral tones, PLUS the Blended Bloom stamp at Convention.

They're all nice, but I'm particularly delighted with the Cherry Cobbler pack that I used on Blended Bloom. Since the yellows weren't on my initial order, I've used a sponge dauber to colour the flower centre Crushed Curry. I found the sketch at Seize the Sketch  perfect to show off this fabulous flower, and the design team at Sieze the Sketch have some lovely cards on show too.

Because I had no narrow red ribbon, I coloured a white piece using one of the red Blendabilities. It is an alcohol-based marker, so takes no time to dry. I love the way the colours just "POP" off the page, it's gorgeous isn't it? It was a great chance to use a piece of DSP from the Fresh Prints Stack. It retires at the end of this month but you can still pick it up in my online shop.

I'll be showing off the new stamp sets, In Colors, Blendabilities and Framelits at my Catalogue Launch on July 4th. You're most welcome to come if you are near to South Morang, Victoria (north of Melbourne). Its FREE! Email me or phone 0417 500 681 for details.

I hope you're inspired to try the Blendabilities when they're released onto the market.

Rachel

Wedded Bliss PP198

In the northern hemisphere, they're heading into summer, and apparently the wedding season. I don't think we have a particular month in Australia which stands out as, extra-popular for weddings.

Sandy at the Paper Players has challenged paper crafters everywhere to make something for a wedding, and I've settled on 'just a card'.
I used Crumb Cake and a matching paper from the Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Stack. I really like those white polka dots on Crumb Cake.

Thought I'd show a close up too.

  The 'word cake' from the retiring stamp set, Love & Laughter features in the circle and bakers twine with gold thread has added some glitter & gleam to this project, as has a starburst circle cut from Gold Foil. A lacy white doily has been placed behind this layer, and a 'congratulations' from Itty Bitty Banners has been stamped in Crumb Cake and cut with a die.
A pretty little flower with a pearl, from Petite Petals stamp set with its co-ordinating punch, tops the starburst.



I hope you like my wedding card, thanks for visiting my blog.

Rachel

Sailing Along PP #191

I rely on challenges a great deal for inspiration and usually prefer a sketch to all others. I find that it helps me to deviate from a standard card.  The Paper Players is a favourite challenge of mine, but this colour challenge by Ann had me stumped - until I took a look through the Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Stack. Up until then I couldn't think beyond flowers but this striped paper reminded me of boats and suddenly, I remembered Moving Forward, last year's Ronald McDonald House fundraising stamp, and I knew I would be making a baby card!

After inking up the stamp with Always Artichoke ink, I removed ink from some parts with my blender pen so that I could add Calypso Coral with a Stampin' Write marker. Setting the striped paper straight didn't appeal, so I cut with the curved Adorning Accents Edgelit and then cut a mat to match from Coastal Cabana. I experimented by tilting it this way and that until I was happy with the placement, and then I did a bit more slicing. A length of the chunky bakers twine from SALE-A-BRATION was tied around one end, and knotted before the sailing boat, cut with Deco Labels, was placed on the card. Unfortunately, the 'congratulations on your new baby' is also from a retired stamp set, Friendly Phrases. It is still a favourite of mine with the two different fonts.


 Pop over to my later post to see this version tricycle-for-girls of the card for a baby girl.
Be warned that the current Ronald Mc Donald stamp set, Tag It, will be retiring at the end of June and while there is sure to be another super stamp set to replace it AND raise funds for this good cause, if you are wanting Tag It, you might be best to order it now.

Tag It

I've been for a lovely walk in the Autumn sunshine this afternoon and I'm feeling very fit and healthy!
Thanks for popping in
Rachel

Love You FMS#127

This card has meandered off in its own direction! I find it funny how they do that sometimes - just take over! I had been looking through the Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Stack for colour inspiration, never expecting that this piece of patterned Crumb Cake would 'be the one.' I had even had my Real Red Ink Pad at the ready as I was sure the paper would include red somewhere. Well, Raspberry Ripple is a lovely, luscious red and there's a length of the lovely silky ribbon on the card as well. I have three layers of banners in Crumb Cake, White and Raspberry Ripple. The white has been dry embossed with a retired Embossing Folder (can't remember its name but a pretty script).

There is a small rectangle of DSP taken from the current Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Stack and mounted on white card. I stamped the Crumb Cake base card with the flower from Happy Watercolor that looks like an orchid and the word 'love' from Fabulous Phrases.

No button for this card, it doesn't really need one, and I will finish the inside later with white card, and a partial stamped flower. Just beginning to run short of time (and light).
Don't forget to pop over to the gallery at Freshly Made Sketches, for lots of inspiration. There are more than a hundred submissions, plus the teams very fine designs too.

Happy stamping
Rachel

Natural Wedding FMS #126

I had selected this lovely spotted paper and was planning to mount it on white for a wedding card, so all the pieces were stamped when I spotted (pun intended, lol) this sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! That's when I had a WOW! moment and decided to give it a go. I work visually, so there were a couple of trial pieces that didn't work out, before I settled on this arrangement.
I usually make black and white formal wedding cards, but even my own son had a very 'back to nature' type wedding, where the bride made her wedding invitations from Crumb Cake card stamped with a tree and their initials, and they gave a small native shrub to each of their guests. When you know the wedding is casual, a less formal card is probably more appropriate. I will continue on and make a couple more for my stash, but I'm thrilled with this one. Thanks to Amy  (FMS) for the interesting sketch!




I hesitated before adding the twine wrapped in gold thread and two tiny pearls to the label, it doesn't quite fit the 'Mother Earth' theme.....

 what do you think?

Base card is Crumb Cake, DSP is Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Stack (132996) in Occasions Catalogue as is the Gold Bakers Twine (132975). The Whisper White is textured with a retired embossing folder, the Crumb Cake Tulle is retired also and the stamp set is the wonderful Label Love,(130619W) my 'go to' set.

Talking about the wedding has made me a little nostalgic. They celebrate their 2nd wedding anniversary at the end of March and welcome their first child in June. Happy, happy times.

On that note.....

happy crafting

Rachel