Playing With Plaid...

Hi! I was cleaning up my stash and came across a half finished plaid card base. I think I had started it when I got my first set of Altenew inks. Since I wanted to enter the challenge at Pixies's Snippets, this worked perfectly! Here is the card I created.

I just added the stitching lines with an old Itsy Bitsy stamp set. The sentiment is part of the Graphic Greetings series by Taylored Expressions and is called Birthday. I stamped it with Versamark ink and heat embossed with silver embossing powder. I blended some pink colour around the edges to make it stand out. To finish I cut a mat out of some translucent cream paper and popped up the sentiment on foam tape. I also added four half pearls from my stash at the corners.

Love the way this card turned out. Entering it in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 342:
The challenge that started it all! I have been following Di's big giveaway posts fairly regularly and wanted to add my snippets card to the gallery.

Watercooler Wednesday WWC202:

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 563 - Anything Goes:

Incy Wincy Designs - Celebrate 10 Years:

Love,
Nandini

Altenew Academy Project #5...

Hi! I am really enjoying my classes at the Altenew Academy. I love the fact that these classes not only teach new techniques, but also give a fresh insight into familiar ones!

Today's card is based on the Celebration Stencil Techniques class by Laurel Beard. My love affair with stencils started when I was in college. I studied Textile Design and we used to make stencils manually with sheets of acetate and a simple cutter. This was before ready to use stencils were available. I have also designed a few stencils for Mudra Craft Stamps based on Arabic designs.

You can find examples of my cards with these stencils here and here.

Unfortunately I don't have any Altenew stencils. But that is not an issue since you can stretch your dies by using them as stencils. Any dies work for this and intricate dies work particularly well.

I used the Dodecagram die to create my card.

I first inked a piece of watercolor paper with some distress ink. I cut the die out of a sturdy piece of paper and placed it on the inked panel. Since the die cuts a thin outline, I placed the negative piece of paper as well and taped it down. I then applied green distress ink through my 'stencil'. 

Initially I planned to add some flowers over the stenciling. But the panel looked so good, I decided to keep it as is. The sentiment is from the Birthday Greetings stamp set by Altenew. I stamped it with Jet Black ink. To finish I added some gold sequins from my stash.

Here is a closer look.

I love this simple card and would love to make it in different color combinations.

Entering this card in the following challenges:

AAA Cards CAS Game #110 - Ombre:

Muse Challenge #257:
I was inspired by the 3 blooms forming a rough triangle in one corner and the sentiment stamped in bold black in the opposite corner.

Love,
Nandini

Addicted To Stamps And More #267...

Hi! The current challenge is up at the Addicted To Stamps And More challenge blog. This week the theme is

Here is my card

I started with a piece of white card stock that I die cut with the DCAM Stitched Rectangles die. I inked it lightly with some Artistry distress ink. I used the Script and Honeycomb stamp set from Itsy Bitsy and stamped with the Satin Rose metallic ink by Tsukineko. The flourish was die cut with the Oscar die by Couture Creations and the butterflies were cut with the Floral Wreath die set by Sizzix.

I  hope you like my card and are inspired to create something beautiful. Please do visit the ATSM challenge blog for more inspiration by my talented team mates and also to link your creations to our gallery. Looking forward to viewing beautiful creations.

Love,
Nandini

Second ATC...

Hi! I finally made my first ATC today, inspired by the new ATC challenge launched by Kylie Putrell, owner of Happy Little Stampers. After I finished die cutting my inked panel for the first ATC I was left with a lovely frame that I simply couldn't bear to discard. So my second ATC was born!

I blended pink, orange and yellow Artistry distress inks on a piece of white  card paper. Added some water droplets and once the paper was dry I stamped a Kaisercraft stamp with Versamark and heat embossed with the silver EP by Itsy Bitsy. I die cut the rectangular die which went to make my first ATC. I die cut another rectangle with black card stock and inlaid it into the inked frame.

I used the Bon Voyage stamp set by Craftyscrappers for the rocket which I stamped on the scrap paper that I used while ink blending. There was a lovely mix of colors left and I had to use it! I stamped the sentiment on white card stock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and matted it with the scrap paper. I also dabbed some of the foiling glue randomly and foiled with the silver foil.

I am really happy to have two ATCs out of this.

Entering this ATC in the following challenges:

HLS October ATC Challenge:

Craftyscrappers Challenge #16 - Sparkle it up:

Love,
Nandini

First Attempt at ATC...

Hi! I have always been fascinated by ATCs. These little works of art are so beautiful and varied! Few months ago Kylie Putrell, owner of Happy Little Stampers launched a new ATC challenge. I was immediately intrigued and wanted to enter. But kept postponing it. I decided that I will make an ATC this month come what may! So I finally took the plunge. And here is my first ATC.

I started with a piece of black card stock and used the Strips n Stripes stamp set, silver foil and Fun Foil Glue - all from Craftyscrappers for a fun background. I blended pink, orange and yellow Artistry distress inks on a piece of white  card paper. Added some water droplets and once the paper was dry I stamped with a Kaisercraft stamp with Versamark and heat embossed with the silver EP by Itsy Bitsy. I recently picked it up from the Itsy Bitsy store and I love it! 

I used the Bon Voyage stamp set by Craftyscrappers for the balloon and sentiments which I stamped on white card stock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

I enjoyed the whole process and look forward to creating more ATCs.

Entering this ATC in the following challenges:

HLS October ATC Challenge:

Craftyscrappers Challenge #16 - Sparkle it up:

Love,
Nandini

Addicted To Stamps And More #259...

Hi! This week is the Clean and Simple challenge at Addicted To Stamps And More.

I made a quick card with some watercoloring and stamping.

I used the bud and the foliage stamps from Altenew's Peony Bouquet and stamped them randomly on a piece of watercolor paper. I used distress inks to color the images loosely. Once the panel was dry I trimmed it and mounted it on a navy blue card base.

The sentiment is from the Magical Birthday stamp set by Craftyscrappers. I used Vanilla White EP by Wow! for heat embossing.

I hope you liked my card and are inspired to create something beautiful. Please don't forget to check out the beautiful creations by rest of the DT at the Addicted To Stamps And More blog. And be sure to link up your creations in our gallery.

Entering this card in the following challenges:

Sketch Saturday #480:

As You Like It - Flora or Fauna:
Very tough question as I love animals too! But I will go with flora since flowers and trees always soothe me and make me happy.

Just Add Ink #376 - Just Add 'D':
I used distress inks for coloring.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - STAMPtember Stamp It


Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - STAMPtember Stamp It

The Flower Challenge #12 - Tic-tac-toe:

I used heat embossing for the sentiment, watercolor and blue.

Love,
Nan

Addicted To Stamps And More #243...

Hi! It is that time of the week again when we unveil a new challenge at the Addicted To Stamps And More blog. This week the theme is 

I decided to try out a few designs for my Diwali cards. I have been sending them for the last two years and it is always a rush to complete them. Here are two versions of the same design that I made.

I tried a galaxy background with the kraft card and a simple ombre ink blending with the white one. Here is a closer look at the first.

To create the background I blended several distress inks on a panel. I used an old Diwali themed stamp set by Mudra Craft Stamps to stamp with foiling glue and applied gold foil. These foiling products were recently introduced by Craftyscrappers and I am completely addicted to them!

Here is the second card

I used four shades of blue distress inks to get an ombre effect. I used the Starry Borders stamp set by Craftyscrappers to stamp with foiling glue and applied the silver foil. I love the beautiful, shiny background this created. I decided to make this into a shaker card. 

The sentiment is from an older Mudra Craft Stamps set that I love. I stamped and heat embossed both on strips of black paper. I used the Gina Marie X stitch circle dies for die cutting.

I hope you like my cards and are inspired to create something beautiful. Please do visit the Addicted To Stamps And More blog for some great inspiration by my team mates and also to link your creations. Looking forward to seeing you in our gallery.

Love,
Nandini

Craftyscrappers Challenges...

Hi! We are back with our challenges on Craftyscrappers after a break. Our first challenge is an easy one - Anything Goes.

I used the stencils that came with my DT pack to create two cards. Stencils are part of the new release and let me tell you they are fabulous! They are sturdy and flexible which makes them very easy to use. Also they have a large hole at the top. So storage is very easy. And the designs are fabulous. So is the size at 6.5" x 6.5". I have always loved stencils, from my college days when we used to hand cut them out of plastic sheets. Here are my cards.

I started with two pieces of colored cardstock, one green and one blue. I used a beautiful ink layering  technique by Jennifer McGuire to create my panels. You can find the video tutorial here. I used the white pigment ink from the Colorbox Paintbox pigment ink pad set first and then used the Artistry distress inks Amazon Trails and Ocean Reef. Here is a closer look at the cards.

The cardstock was pale blue. I sponged the white ink first and then moved the stencil up slightly. Then sponged the blue ink. Here is a close up of the panel.

I used the Arrow stencil (CS-STNL-06) and the sentiment from the Lotus stamp set (ST-FLW-09) designed by me.

Here is the second card

I used a light green cardstock for this card. Here is a closer look at the panel.

I used the Victorian stencil (CS-STNL-07) and the sentiment from the Lotus stamp set (ST-FLW-09) again.

The sentiment panels were cut using the Gina Marie X stitched circle dies. I used Memento dewdrop inks to stamp the sentiments using my trusty Stampaholic.

Hope you like my cards. Please do check out the Craftyscrappers blog for more amazing inspiration.

Love,
Nandini

Make My Monday Challenge #40...

Hi! The current Make My Monday Challenge #40 is up and the theme is Birds. So you can create anything to do with birds, feathers, nests, eggs, flying etc.

I honestly struggled with this theme. Though I have I few stamps with bird images, I couldn't think of anything to make. One of my favorite things to do when I am stuck is to go through Pinterest. I was doing this the night before the challenge was due when I came across this beauty by Bhavana Kesarkar. You must check out her blog Blending Art And Craft which is full of amazing creations. So I decided to CASE her card and here is what I came up with.

I started with a piece of white card stock that I cut with DCAM's Double Stitched Nested Rectangle dies. I blended some purple, pink and peach distress inks in the middle. I used the Script texture stamp by Kaisercraft and lightly stamped with Artistry Lavender Dash ink. I then added some splatters with silver pink acrylic paints. I stamped the bird image from the Winnie and Walter You've Got Love Mail stamp set with Picked Raspberry ink and heat embossed it with Ranger's Holographic EP. The sentiment is also from the same set and I stamped it thrice with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. The only reason I got such crisp stamping was because of my trusty Stampaholic.

Here is a close up of the panel.

I mounted the panel on a kraft card base that I had lightly stamped with the same Script stamp by Kaiserkraft. Some sequins from my stash finished the card.

Hope you like my card. Do check out the Make My Monday challenge blog for more fabulous inspiration by rest of the DT.

I am entering this card in the CAS(E) This Sketch #209. 

Love,
Nandini

Addicted to Stamps and More #229...

Hi! The new challenge is up at the Addicted to Stamps & More challenges this week and the theme is 

So we want to see all your creations that use clean and crisp lines, minimal or no embellishments and lots of 'white' space. 

This is also my favorite theme since I am very much a CAS girl.

I created a rather masculine card this time.

I started with a panel of white card stock that I cut with my DCAM Double Stitched Rectangle dies. I did some ink blending at the center of the panel with distress inks. Then I used my Gina Marie Stitched Star die to cut out a star. I wanted to 'dress up' my star a bit. So I stamped Script stamp by Kaisercraft with the Bronze metallic ink by Encore. I love this ink since it is very rich and has a beautiful shimmer. I distressed the edges a bit for more definition. Here is a closer look at my star.

I stamped the sentiment from the Let's Party stamp set by Mudra Craft Stamps with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I used the Stampaholic to get the perfect placement of my sentiment. I finished the card by adhering the star directly to the kraft card base and mounting the panel on some foam tape to pop it up.

Hope you like my clean and simple card and are inspired to create something beautiful. Please do visit the ATSM blog for some amazing inspiration by my team mates. Looking forward to seeing your creations in our challenge gallery.

I am entering this card in the current HLS Anything Goes with Dies Challenge.

Also entering it in the Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge #157 - No Pattern Paper. Thanks Julie for the suggestion.
Love,
Nandini

First post for Nagashri Arts...

Hi! I am on the Nagashri Arts blog with two cards made with the Vintage Leaf dies, which are proudly made in India.

Visit the blog for a quick tutorial on how I made these cards. And don't forget to visit the Nagashri Arts store for all your craft needs. Because any body can craft!

Love,
Nandini

Make My Monday Challenge #32...

Hi! The latest Make My Monday challenge is up and the theme is this beautiful photo.

The thing that really caught my eye was the beautiful background. I decided to use one of my favorite techniques - Joseph's Coat. Here is my card.

I started with two pieces of watercolor paper on which I smooshed various inks in yellow, pink, green and orange and let them air dry, On one I randomly stamped the leaf image from the Leafy mini stamp set by Mudra Craft Stamps with Versamark and heat embossed with Ranger's Clear embossing powder. Then I covered the whole thing with Dark Garnet Artistry ink. I trimmed this piece to size and mounted it on a black card base. 

I used the Text Block Birthday die by Papertrey Ink to cut a piece of dark brown card stock which I mounted on the other piece of watercolor paper. I also covered the whole piece with Versamark ink and Ranger's Holographic embossing powder for some added pop.

Hope you liked my card and are inspired to create something beautiful. Please do visit the Make My Monday Challenge blog to link your entries and also some really fabulous inspiration by my talented team mates.

Freshly Made Sketches #257:

CAS on Sunday Challenge #93 - Heat Embossing:

STAMPlorations October CAS Card Challenge:

HLS October Anything Goes with Dies

Uniko Challenge #36

Love,

Nandini

Craftyscrappers Challenge #10...

Hi! The new Craftyscrappers challenge is on and theme is Women Power. Today is the first day of Navratri, a festival celebrating the goddess Durga and her victory over evil. To celebrate this auspicious occasion, we want you to make feminine cards for the women in your life.

Our sponsor for this challenge is 

Craftyscrappers is a great e-shop selling high quality die cuts, stamps and embellishments at very pocket friendly rates.

You could be the lucky winner to win amazing prizes from our CRAFTYSCRAPPERS SHOP

FIRST WINNER: a clear stamp set along with craft goodies.

SECOND WINNER: assorted die cuts.

THIRD WINNER: assorted embossed cards pack.

I made a card for a dear friend whose birthday falls in October. Since she loves bright colors, I chose a vivid card base combined with pretty flowers.

I started with a pre-stamped die cut from Craftyscrappers. It is very handy to have these on hand, especially if you are not a confident stamper or don't have a lot of stamps. Since the image is precut there is no bother of fussy cutting. I used distress inks to color the image.

I chose a bright blue card base and embossed it with the WRMK Next Level embossing folder. I cut a frame out of the same paper with DCAM's Double Stitched Rectangles dies. These dies are great since they have stitching on both sides of the cutting line. And the quality is amazing. Here is a close up.

The sentiment is from the Lotus Delight stamp set by Peek-a-boo Designs. I stamped it with Versamark and heat embossed with WOW! white EP. To assemble, I popped up the frame and the image with some double sided tape. 

I hope you like my card. Please be sure stop by the Craftyscrappers blog and check out the amazing inspiration by my super talented teamies.

Entering this card in the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #256

Color Throwdown #412

Love,

Nandini

ATSM Challenge #209 - Clean & Simple...

Hi! We have a new challenge up on the Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge blog. This time it is

You can enter any creation as long as it is Clean and Simple. This means that clean and crisp lines, minimal or no embellishments and lots of 'white' space should be used. Though White space does not need to be 'white'. It can be any colour. White space is a term used for the area of your card with no stamping, embellishments etc.

Our lovely sponsor is

QKR Stampede and Eureka Stamps was purchased by Stamp On It in 2013 from the state of Colorado and moved to its new home in Michigan! We(Stamp On It) had its humble beginnings over 25 years ago and is now a mobile(on-the-road) family owned and operated business. We travel coast to coast and attend as a vendor over 25 retail stamping and scrapping shows each year. 

Blog: http://eurekastamps.blogspot.ca

Prize: 3 digital images 

Clean and Simple or CAS as it is commonly referred to is my favorite style of card making. Here is the card I created for this challenge.

I started with a piece of water color paper and stamped the images from the Peony Bouquet stamp set by Altenew with Versamark and heat embossed with silver EP. I colored the images with several distress inks, both Ranger and Artistry. Here is a close up of the bloom.

After the inks were dry I cut out the images with the matching dies and then arranged them to my satisfaction. I clicked a picture of the arrangement with my phone. This is a great trick. Especially if you tend to spread out your card making over a couple of day. 

Then it was time to create the base. I was very inspired by the current Stamplorations sketch challenge and decided to follow it. I took a piece of kraft cardstock and used the Die Impression background technique with my Lifestyle Crafts nested circle dies. This technique is explained in detail by Jennifer Mcguire and you can check out the post and the video here. I dabbed the Indian Jamun distress ink by Artistry before running the paper through my Big Shot. The result was a lovely, subtle background of concentric rings. I used another technique by Jennifer Mcguire (tutorial here) to add some silver splatters to my card. I simple flicked some plain water on the card and covered it with silver embossing powder. I then heat set it normally. It does take some time to set the EP, since the water needs to dry. But the effect is gorgeous. Here is a closer look.

I used some thin double sided tape and silver glitter to create the silver strip on the side and mounted the whole thing on a cream card base with foam tape. The sentiment is from the Big, The Bold and The Extras set by Winnie & Walter.

I hope my card inspires you to create something beautiful. Please do check out the Addicted to Stamps and More blog for more inspiration by my super talented and amazing DT teamies. And be sure to add your entries to our gallery here!

Entering my card in the following challenges:

Stamplorations August Sketch Challenge:

Penny Black and More August Challenge - Anything Goes with a Stamp

AAA Cards Game #72
I used two new techniques - die impression background and using water to add splatters and heat embossing.

Love,

Nandini