Let's Squash It! Challenge #26 - Let's make a Christmas Card

 

Hi there, I'm over on the Squashy blog today to share a little inspiration for our current challenge! We've gone super-easy this month and would just like to see you use an EF to create a gorgeous Christmas card.

Our guest this month is the lovely Cat from Cat Luvs Paper. 

You can see her beautiful guest creation by clicking here. 

For some reason I decided to de-boss the inky, water-coloured background for my card. I used watercolour card, which takes embossing so beautifully. I wanted to fill the little 'wells' made by the de-bossed Christmas Trees with plenty of ink so there was a good depth of colour. Seems to have worked ok and was a quick and simple make. I used that fabulous 'Noel' die cut again, sent to me by my sweet buddy, Greta. 

Embossing Folder - Darice Trees

The cards in the Squashy Gallery for this theme look fabulous. I really think embossing seems to especially suit cards made for the festive season. You have until the end of November to play along with this challenge and Cat, Gail and I all hope you'll come and join the festive fun! 

Let's Squash It! Challenge #23 - Inspiration.

 

I'm over on the blog to share a little bit more inspiration for our current challenge at Let's Squash It! where Gail and I are delighted to be joined this month by Emma from Trenouths Crafty Creations. 

I decided to channel the femininity of Emma's card for my card. It really is a card... it's a tag-shaped card and actually larger than it looks on the photograph. 

The EFs are Kirsty Allsop/Cuttlebug Swiggles and a lovely, little Sizzix number that doesn't have a name on it. Just like Emma, I used plenty of white in the background to really make the main image 'pop'. The image is from Stamplorations - I've just been over to the site for the link and read that Shery is due her surgery in a few days time. Good luck, Shery, we're all thinking of you and your family.

We currently have a grand total of 2 beautiful cards in the gallery at Let's Squash It! Well done to Joanne and Robyn! Here's hoping we'll have a few more appear to join them before the end of the month. Come on guys, shaped cards are so much fun!

Let's Squash It! Challenge #21 - Make it Manly!

 

It's all about the guys this month over at Let's Squash It! as we play Make it Manly! Birthday cards, Father's Day cards, anniversary cards, birth announcements... the choice is yours, just make sure it's one for a male!

Let's be honest, I really struggle with masculine makes, but was very pleased how quickly this card came together after I'd chosen a few key elements. The image and sentiment are from Stamplorations and the EFs I used are Darice - Square Patterns and Creative Expressions - Distressed Lines. It's not easy to tell but the embossed card was carefully coloured with black Distress Ink.

We have a fabulous guest with us and I know you'll love her stunning creation. Gail and I really hope you'll come on over and join the fun for this challenge. 

Let's Squash It! Challenge #19 - Without Geometry, Life is Pointless.

 

We've got a fun new challenge on offer over at Let's Squash It! starting today and running until April 30th! Gail and I would like to see Embossing Folders with Geometric Shapes and/or Repeating Patterns, please.

I had way too much fun making this little card! The MFT bees are so cute (Honey Bees) and I'm really pleased with how the Kaisercraft Embossing Folder Honeycomb gave a lovely deep, crisp emboss to the Bazzils card. Unfortunately, I can't find a link to the EF and can only assume it's gone out of stock. 

I always like geometric pattern embossing folders and think they can make great backgrounds especially for masculine cards. I was going to head that way until this crazy little idea came into my head!

I do hope you'll come and play along with Gail and me as I think we all need a little Geometric Fun in our lives from time to time!

More Inspiration for Let's Squash It! Challenge #18 - Emboss/Deboss

 

It's time for the final Inspiration post over at Let's Squash It! where we're playing where we're playing Emboss/Deboss. 

I've really enjoyed this challenge and have loved trying different ways of combining both sides of my EFs on the same card. It appears that this technique has captured the imaginations of our participants as we've got some beautiful, really inspirational cards in the gallery.

During this challenge I've been especially interested in trying to use the small EFs that I seem to have acquired along the way. I was messing about with a piece of watercolour card and a small EF from Sizzix; just flipping the folder backwards and forwards and running it through my Cuttlebug. I came up with this panel and thought it was perfect as a background.

Here's the folder in comparison with the card.

I'm so pleased with the texture and the pattern made with just this little folder to play with. The flowers were sent to me by one of my Card Chain Challenge buddies, Lucille. Aren't they lovely? She sent them all coloured and ready to use, so putting my card together was just so quick and easy. The sentiment is from a cute set by Funky Fossil called Small Print #2.

You've still got until March 31st to come and play along, so why not break out those EFs and come join the fun! 

Let's Squash It! Challenge #14 - Stencil and Emboss

 Hi there, it's time for a new challenge over at Let's Squash It!

Can you believe that we're reached Challenge #14? 

For the rest of this month we're inviting you to combine two of my favourite crafting techniques to stencil and emboss your cards! 

I have to admit that I found this challenge rather tricky at first, but then I had a lightbulb moment and came up with this little card:

For me, the key to mixing these techniques is simplicity - don't go with a fussy stencil and try to use an EF that has wider raised areas such as you have on this gorgeous folder from Gemini called Set in Stone. 

If you want to take a look at how I arrived at this card you can click and take a look at my technique time post.

We have a fabulous guest and she has totally rocked the challenge, so please come on over and join the fun! 

Let's Squash It! Challenge #13 - Double Emboss

 

Hi folks, it time to emboss things as we start a brand new challenge for this month over at Let's Squash It!

During October we'd like you to use an embossing folder and pair it with another embossing technique. You can use two embossing folders on the same piece of card or combine dry embossing with heat embossing. The two types of embossing must be together, so an embossed background plus a panel with an embossed sentiment won't pass muster. If you need any guidance Gail did a fabulous inspiration post to get your mojo revved up and ready to go!

Here's what I created for this challenge. Sadly, I needed a sympathy card as my friend has just lost her beautiful dog. I kept the card very simple and first embossed with Couture Creations EF Fudge (so pretty) and then swiped a Versamark pad across the raised areas and then heat embossed with Altenew Translucent Pearl powder. The end result is so pretty and sparkly, and so hard to photograph!

Gail and I would love you to come on over and play along.