A Blog Named Hero 5th Anniversary Blog Hop

I was stoked to be invited to be part of the A Blog Named Hero's 5th Anniversary Blog Hop. I am a current Facebook Design Team member for A Blog Named Hero.  This card was made at a recent Craft Retreat using the Hero Arts Layering Flamingo stampset. After inking the images, I masked a line and used distress inks to create the background. To get the soft effect, I used Clarity brushes to add the inks. I love the smooth and soft effect! Thanks for dropping by! There are heaps of prizes if you comment on this blog hop. The next one on the list is Tenia Nelson. The entire blog hop list can be found here.

GIVEAWAY INFO:

A Blog Named Hero is so thankful for our wonderful sponsors and collaborating companies!  Several companies decided to help us celebrate our fifth anniversary with giveaways and they were so generous that we decided to spread the love over both hop days with different prizes to be won each day!  Giveaway prizes total more than $500!  To win, leave a comment on each hop stop.  We will select winners randomly from different blogs so the more blogs you visit each day, the greater your chances of winning!  And be sure to visit A Blog Named Hero on Sunday for the list of Sunday hoppers and prizes!  Comments must be left before 11:59 PM EDT on Tuesday, March 28th and winners will be announced on March 30th.

Today's prizes include the following: 

• $50 gift card to Hero Arts
• $40 gift card to Pretty Pink Posh
• $35 gift card to Lil' Inker Designs
• $25 gift card to Newton's Nook
• $25 gift card to Paper Smooches
• $25 gift card to Winnie and Walter
• $25 gift card to The Ton  
• $20 gift card to Right at Home
• One Online Card Class of your choice

Good luck and happy hopping!!

Materials
Stamp - Hero Arts Layering Flamingo
Die - Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle
Inks - Hero Arts Soft Blossom, Bubble Gum, Pale Tomato and Ombre green, Distress Inks Broken China and Mowed Lawn, Wink of Stella

Happy 50th Birthday

I'm back with another card I made at a recent Craft Retreat for a 50th birthday. I wanted to try the calligraphy stamps from Concord and 9th. It's so nice to personalise a card with a name, especially in calligraphy fonts! The 50 was cut with a Brother Scan n Cut. I'm not sure if I can justify buying one for personal use, but it was fun using it. The background was done with masked stamping using the Altenew Beautiful Day stamps. I'm adding this card to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use more than one die.

Thanks for dropping by!

Materials:
Dies - MFT Stitched Rectangles STAX, Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles
Cardstock - Kaisercraft glitter card
Stamps -Altenew Persian Motifs and Beautiful Day, Concord and 9th Sophisticated Script
Inks - Distress Ink Picked Raspberry, Ranger Pink Gumball

Paris Rain

I made this card at a recent Craft Retreat using borrowed dies. I tried using Distress Oxide Inks for the first time. I blended the background with Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade and Fired Brick. I then splashed with some Perfect Pearls Mist for the spotty background. I decided to make a shaker card as I was learning how to make one at the retreat. So this is only my second attempt at making a shaker card! When I saw this die, I was estatic and was keen to make a card as I went to Paris for the first time with my sister two years ago. Seeing the famous landmarks on this die made me very happy! I've added some photos below that I took of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. I'm adding this card to the current Fusion Card Challenge - Paris Rain Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Layer it up and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use more than one die. Thanks for dropping by!

Materials:

Dies - Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle, MFT  Paris Skyline

Inks - Distress Oxide Inks, Perfect Pearls Mist

Sequins are from my stash

MFT Card Challenges

Hi! I'm back with a combination of two challenges for MFT - the Sketch and Color Challenge. I just love the MFT butterflies! Thanks for dropping by!

Materials:
Dies: MFT Blueprints 13
Stamps: MFT Beautiful Butterflies and Whimsical Greetings
Stencil: MFT LJD Wildflowers
Inks: Distress Ink Shaded Lilac, Lawn Fawn Merman, MFT Periwinkle, Hero Arts Navy, Ranger Pink Gumball, Wild Orchid, Grape Soda and Caribbean Coast

ABNH Bling it up

I was enabled at the Craft Retreat on the weekend to make a shaker card, thanks to Jenny Dix! I made this with Pretty Posh Pink sequins given to us from PPP via Joy Taylor. I'm adding this card to the current A Blog Named Hero's Bling It Up challenge. Thanks for dropping by!








Materials
Die - Simon Says Stamp Flowing Vine Collage, Hero Arts Happy Stamp n Cut
Stamp - HA Happy Stamp and Cut
Ink - Versamark, Ranger Liquid Platinum
Sequins - Pretty Posh Pink

Altenew March Inspiration Challenge

Another card made at the weekend Craft Retreat. I was able to try the Altenew Wild Hibiscus stamp set along with the new Tim Holtz Oxide Distress inks to make this card for the current March Inspiration challenge. I'm also linking this to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - For a Special Lady.

Materials
Stamps - Altenew Wild Hibiscus and Label Loave
Inks - Tim Holtz Distress Oxides - Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade and Fired Brick

MFTSketch Challenge MFTWSC323

I'm back with a card for the current MFT Sketch Challenge. I made this at our Craft Retreat on the weekend using MFT stamps and dies supplied by Joy Taylor. I was like a little kid in a lolly shop!! I love these new butterflies stamps from MFT, so I had to incorporate them into the design! I'm also adding this to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - For a special Lady. Thanks for dropping by!

Materials
Dies - MFT Blueprints 13, Stitched Rectangle STAX
Stamps - Impression Obsession, MFT Beautiful Butterflies and Whimsical Greetings
Inks - Altenew

Bright Craft Retreat

I just came back from a Craft Retreat in Bright with some fellow bloggers. We had a wonderful 4 and a half days of crafting. I've lost my mojo for a while now and it was good to be 'enabled' by these ladies. I learnt how to make shaker cards (completed 4 shaker cards at the retreat), made two boxed cards and had lessons in Copic colouring! Lots of fun and serious crafting with these ladies! Here is one of the cards I made at the retreat for the current Fusion Card Challenge, using the sketch. I'm also adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - For a Special Lady. Thanks for dropping by. I have more cards to blog over the next few weeks!!

Materials
Kaisercraft Curiosity 6.5 pad 
Stamps - Altenew Persian Motifs, MFT Connected alphabet
Dies - MFT Stitched Rectangles

Stencil Flowers

I have a  quick card to share using a Hero Arts stencil and some distress inks sprayed with Perfect Pearls. I was inspired to get out the distress inks after watching lots of videos on the new oxide inks - can't wait to try them out!! Thanks for dropping by!

Materials:

Stencil - Hero Arts Bold Floral

Stamp - Hero Arts Happy Stamp and Cut

Inks - Distress Inks Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet and Seedless Preserve, Perfect Pearls.