February Card Chain Challenge Reveal

This is the second month in a row that the first Sunday of the month has coincided with the 2nd day of the month, which means this is my second post today. Scroll down for my we love stamping post.

Today is 2nd of the month so time for the Card Chain Challenge big reveal. This month 25 card makers took part and I sent my card to Marianne in Greece. Sadly, it is still on it's way. I hope it will look better in real life when it finally reaches Marianne.

From all the options this month I have used the colours, hearts and flowers, friendship and die cutting.

I used a press plate by Pinkfresh Studio called always smiling (I bought it recently along with the matching dies with a Christmas voucher), but I foiled it instead of pressing it. It was foiled onto a piece of Tim Holtz alcohol ink card, which I find brilliant for foiling. I didn't get the matching stencils, but coloured it with alcohol markers following the picture on the packaging. Using the alcohol markers on the glossy cardstock helped the ink blend - you have to be careful not to smudge it before it is dry though.

The little hearts cover plate die is by Sunny Studios and I coloured a panel underneath with the red marker used on the flower centres. The sentiment, from the same set, was also foiled in gold. Both the flowers and sentiment were stacked 3 times to add dimension, but not too much that it would cost more to post.

I was very lucky to receive this gorgeous card from Pia in Norway

I love the silver, black and white with the stamped background. Those colours would work well for the March challenge too.

If you would like to take part in the next card chain challenge, you have until 6th to sign up here

I am sharing this at:

NBUS#72 - the flower spray and matching die are NBUS

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it. 

We love Stamping March Chalenge

Today is the first Sunday of the month so time for a new challenge over at We Love Stamping. Where we love to see you showcase your stamping. I am so pleased that we have had a bit more sun recently and the daffs are starting to cheer me up. Spring is coming - hooray.

Lynn has chosen our theme this month:

**Welcome Spring**

OR

**Anything Goes**

I can't tell you how happy I am to see the first signs of spring coming. I just love the way everything springs into life and the colours are really vibrant. I wanted to try and create that feeling with my card this month, and decided to use this Uniko stamp called spring botanicals to help me. This tulip stamp is quite large so I decided to make a 7x5 card so that I wouldn't have to crop it at all.

I started by stamping and heat embossing the tulip. I then masked it with drawing gum, (I really like how this works and it is much quicker than making masks) used some post it tape to mask the edges and blended Catherine Pooler ink (either fiesta blue or cummerbund, or even a bit of both. Funny how you can't remember even after a few days!) until I was happy. I wanted it to feel like a bright clear blue sky. Something I have missed so much this winter.

After rubbing off the drawing gum, I painted the tulips with my zig clean colour real brush pens. The sentiment (from the same stamp set) is stamped on vellum and heat embossed. I fussy cut the bottom edge and rounded the corners on the top edge and added the glue behind the lettering. The panel was mounted onto some blue card and a white base and a few little silvery gems were added to finish it off.

Don't forget there is always a prize to be won and this month there are two Spring themed Penny Black stamp sets from Buddly Crafts. Why don't you head over to the challenge blog to check it out? The prize winner is selected randomly and in addition the DT will choose a top three for special mention.

I hope I have inspired you to join us this month, all you have to do is ensure stamping (including digi) is seen somewhere on your card front, it no longer needs to be the main focus. Please also mention the products used. It would be great if you could join in with our theme, but anythings goes is always an option if you are out of ideas. The challenge will close at noon (UK time) on Wednesday 2nd April.

I am looking forward to seeing you in the gallery.

I am also sharing this at:

The four seasons challenge March '25 - Spring

Inkspirational #336 - CAS

Allsorts week 818 - CAS

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it.