Christchurch Relief Auctions

Thank you for calling - it is just a quick post today.

 I made some cards for the Handmade for Christchurch  project on facebook - all the items are donated and then auctioned on the NZ/Aus auction site Trade Me, with profits going to the designated charities. 

I used the Cottage Rose Cling Art Stamp  from Layers of Color, after stamping the front edge was cut back, and a punched border in a co-ordinating colour was adhered to the back layer of the card. 

The punch is the lace border from Martha Stewart

There was no sentiment stamped either the on front or inside, so the cards can be used in many ways - for letters or specific occasions.

This is the full set - envelopes included.

Thanks for calling by - may your day be blessed.

Orange Flowers

Thank you for visiting again - I am humbled by the fact that so many of you  choose to visit my blog regularly.

After a rather chaotic February, with very little crafting time for the last two weeks, I managed to have all Sunday in the studio and made five cards then and another yesterday - it is this latter that I am sharing today.

The base of he card is a creamy card stock, which was stamped with the flourish from the Nature Walk Set by Layer of Colors in Galaxy Gold ink by Tsukineko.

The feature panel was layered with a piece of music from a hymnal and cut with a Spellbinders Labes 14 die, then sponged with Tea Stain Distress ink.

It was over-stamped with a Scripture from the Scripture Collection 2 by Our Daily Bread Designs and embossed in copper.

After mounting this on the card, three flowers from the Nature Walk set were stamped in Whispers Orange ink and coloured with chalks and a blending pen.  These then had a button stitched in the centre and were mounted using glue dots.

The band at the bottom was white card sponged with the orange ink used in the flowers.  The sentiment was again embossed with copper. I then pierced two lines either side of the sentiment and stitched them with a variegated metallic thread that I had used to secure the buttons with.

The buttons were inspired by the Stamping Sisters In Christ Challenge, which was based on

 Psalm 9:10 "Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."

The thought shared was that God is our unfailing security, and the challenge was to use three buttons, as representing something that holds securely.

I am linking this to the following challenges:

Stamping Sisters In Christ #70 - Use three buttons

Crazy 4 Challenges # 76 - Use Flowers 

Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #50 - sketch

Bunny Zoe's Crafts Challenge #9 - Flowers Everywhere

The Crazy Challenge #56 - Here Comes Spring

Critter Challenge#54 - Use a Sentiment

Cupcake Craft Challenge#131 - Anything but Square

Incy Winsy Designs Challenge # 83 - Spring is in the Air

Lexi's Creations Challenge #34 - flowers

Polly Craft challenge #82 - three circles (the flowers or buttons)

Stamps R Us Challenge - For the Girls

WoodwareUSA #16 - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting - May your day be blessed

Layers of Color Cake Decorating Party!!

Welcome to the

Layers of Color

Cake Decorating Party!

We have a line-up of fantastic crafting chefs that will inspire you to get into your creative kitchens and whip up some delicious artwork! 

Our party hostess is Gunn Thelin Knutsen  who is generously sharing her cake with us today! 

Come whet your appetite with her creative paper cake slice boxes that are marvelously decorated with Layers of Color.

This is truly how you can have your cake and eat it too! Enjoy a tasty cake fresh from the oven,

while being creative with Layers of Color, pretty papers, laces, flowers, and even jewelry!

If you have come here from Lynn Stevens you are in the right place - if you wish to start from the beginning, go to Layers of Color.

On the menu today I have made Lemon Fruit Slice

These were stamped with one of the Fruitful Harvest stamps  - they are sitting on a doily stamped with a medallion from the Touch of Elegance.

Here is a close-up of the slice, served and ready to be eaten, sitting on a doily stenciled using the Vintage Medallion art stencil.

This view also shows the edge of the slice, stamped with the tiniest stamp from the Touch of Elegance set and overlaid with lace.

Next on the menu are Polka Dot Cupcakes - the staple of any party.

These cakes are based on kraft coloured card and  embossed (iced/frosted) with a mixture of gold and silver embossing powder, the 'cups' were stamped with an image from A Touch of Elegance stamp set. The wee creatures are from the Polka Dot Parade set of stamps - this set has a beautiful range of whimsical animal images.

On the inside of the card I used a greeting from the Happy Wishes clear art stamp set.

And finally, to finish off, Fly Away Sponge.

The main image is from the Royal Birds Clear Art Stamp Set and coloured with chalks.  Both butterflies, from the Flutterescent Clear Art Stamp Set are stamped in interference ink.

Here is an image of the top of the sponge.

The rose is hand made in a metallic type of paper that really shimmers IRL.

From here you can continue to Nina Brackett's wonderful blog.

Tasty isn't it? Let's have some more!...You're invited to feast your eyes on the Layers of Color Design Team and Guest Designer's Cake Party treats!

Layers of Color

Beatriz Jennings

Dawn Burnworth 

Diana Queen

Grace Nywening
Gunn Thelin Knutsen

Guro Aarre

Heather Wombacher

Iwona Palamountain

Janice Whiting

Jennie Harper

Jessica Fick

Joan Ervin

Julie Overby

Kazan Clark

Keri Lee Sereika

Linda Lucas

Lynn Stevens

Maxine Diffey (that's me)

Nina Brackett

Sharri Seffens

Suzanne Czosek

Be sure to swing by Layers of Color Boutique and grab a FREE Cupcake Card Template! In celebration, we've added some SALE items and Special Bundle offers with fabulous pricing on Spellbinders Dies! 

And when you subscribe to this blog and leave a comment, you will be entered into our Party Favor Drawing to have the chance to WIN this yummy Layers of Color art stamp set!...

Birdday Party art stamp set

Hum along with me as I sing Happy Birth Day to Andre - his birthday was on the 20th

Happy Birthday Andre - you are very special!!

And a a very special Happy Birth Day to Laura's first Grand-baby

Landon Douglas Matthews 

Join us on Facebook, Flickr and LOC Art Galleries!

Thank you for visiting, and may your day be blessed!!Layers of Color

Cake Decorating Party Countdown

Whoopee- it is only another 32 hours until the party!!

Yes the countdown is on!!

And here is another sneak peek.

See you all then!!

P.S. Sorry I have been MIA for a bit - we have had some illness in the family.

May your day be blessed!!

MMSC #90

Greetings to my visitors once again - I am so flattered that you keep coming back to visit.

This card was made for the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #90, and with a specific person in mind.  Some time ago I tried the "Black Magic" technique and this time it worked - I ended up with a row of samples all coloured up with Stampin' Up pencils, so when I reached for this image, it set the colours for the balance of the card.

I love the way the colours almost shimmer in strong light and the white highlights really bring the image to life.

This was mounted on a spellbinders lacy square, which I had cut in white card and backed with some blue.

The rest of the card was constructed to the sketch, using mid-yellow paper that was embossed with the Swiss dots folder, over cream card.  For the other features I used pink ribbon and card, and blue half pearls, and punched the bottom border with a Fiskars punch.

The lacing on the corners of the image was done using some multi coloured metallic thread  that I had on hand, and I used pearls to accent this too.

This is being linked to:

Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #90

Annabelle Stamps - Say it with Polka Dots- embossed dots

MamiDoodles Challenge #20 - Flower Card 

Stamping With The Dragon - Anything Goes

Totally Papercrafts - CAS

CCEE challenge # 1106- Use an embossing folder

Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes

Delightful Challenges - Get punchy

Once again thank you for visiting - May your day be blessed.

Valentine Blues

Greetings to you all and thank you for calling by.

I recently made a quick Valentines card for my DH, and chose an image from Cora Harkins' site Digital Two for Tuesday  for the feature.  As we are not fussy folk the total card is actually quite simple in it's construction.

I trimmed the image and then sponged the sides with  Tsukineko Brilliance Mediterranean Blue ink, mounted that on striped dp that had the edges sponged with Vivid Cobblestone ink.

Before layering this onto the base I added a couple of vintage corners that I cut in mid blue card using the cuttlebug.

The sentiment from Layers of Colour Sent with Love set was stamped in the Mediterranean Blue ink, which was also used to sponge the edge of the base card.

  Some piercing was added to complete the card

I am linking this to:

Creative Crew - For a Loved One

Creative Card World - Love Card Challenge

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge #22 - My Valentine

Sisterhood of Crafters - In Love with Valentines

A Spoonful of Sugar - Challenge #138 - Lets see some love

Bearly Mine challenge #3 - For men or boys

Digital Tuesday Challenge #97 - From the Heart

Everybody Art challenge # 128 - Valentines

AIFactory - Valentines Day, Love

C.R.A.F.T. challenge #89 - Valentines

Dutch Dare Card challenges - Love is in the air

Sugar Creek Hollow - Non-traditional Valentines.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  May your day be blessed

Tickled Pink

When I went to make this card this afternoon I was not intending to use pink - somehow I got ambushed!!

I looked at the card colour and thought 'why not'.  Then I realised that the piece of lace that I previously had used as a stencil looked good on the base colour and it just grew from there.

The sentiment is from the Layers of color latest release Happy Wishes and was stamped in the same Tsukineko Brilliance Pearlescent Orchid ink that the lace was coloured with, cut with a Spellbinders Classic Oval and embossed, then  sponged with the same ink, before being mounted on a  scalloped oval in a pale mauve.

Plum coloured kaiser half pearls scattered over the card finished a very quick card.

I am linking this to :

Aly's Sunday Sketch - bling bling

Let's Ink It Up Challenge #9 - Romance/valentines (The lace looks romantic)

2 sisters challenge blog-challenge #25 - The world is our oyster - pearls

Catch the Bug - February Anything Goes Challenge

Little Claire's Challenge #1 - Anything Goes

I trust you have marked February 23rd on your calender for the sweetest Cake Decorating Party on the web!

Thanks for calling by - May your day be blessed