Monday and the start of another week

Morning readers, 

Hope you all had a great weekend and that any "weather" didn't spoil your plans. It DID interfere with our plans .... we were expecting nine, for a BBQ - the weather forecast was for rain and 20mph winds, hardly conducive to a relaxing BBQ! We moved it indoors and planned to served chilli, chicken wings/sausages/salad etc from a table ...... intended as finger food since our dining table cannot accommodate nine people (nor indeed our dining room!). However, despite the curveball thrown at us by the weather, we had a lovely evening.

I've a make to share with you today ....... something you don't often see from me, well a couple of somethings actually, PATTERNED paper and SOOOO not CAS (Clean And Simple) - don't faint! Still, I do quite like the results AND I got to use some vellum AND some textured card, embossing AND a PUNCH ... I'm calling this a bit of a miracle card! QUITE out of character for me and yet ... I LIKE it, and hope you will too.

My 3½" x 4⅞" card

And a closer view of the vellum and embossing

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, 3½" x 4⅞" card and matching envelope
• Card in white, red, patterned grey and textured grey, for my card front, insert and matting
• Snippets of the above card and some vellum
• EK Success punch, to cut my border in the self-adhesive textured grey card
• Nesting circle dies to cut the two circles from vellum and textured grey card
• Scrappy Catz image (SCR912E-14) stamped on to vellum using Versamark embossing ink, sprinkled with Stamp 'n Stuff red dragon embossing powder which I then heat set
• Clearly Besotted sentiment (from "mini calligraphy") stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• I used a black sharpie pen to edge the grey circle

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge - September challenge - ANYTHING GOES
2. Krafty Chicks - challenge No. 627 - STAMP ACT
3. Stamping Sensations - September challenge - FEMININE
4. Crafts Galore Encore - September challenge - ANYTHING GOES
5. QKR Stampede - challenge No. 451 - ANYTHING GOES

And now for an Artist Trading Card - measuring just 3½" x 2½"

My ATC

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of leftover card in white and a purpley red
• Using a makeup brush I applied a light covering of Harmony crushed velvet ink
• Overlaying my Stamperia (KSD278 - NBUS) stencil I add a further layer of the crushed velvet ink along with circles stencilled using the slightly darker Harmony damson wine ink
• CTMH sentiment (from D1257 "Make it count") stamped using Tim Holtz permanent distress ink in black soot
• Black sharpie used to edge my card panels

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. NBUS - challenge No. 42 - USE NBUS
2. Mirtillamente - challenge No. 13 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Morgans Artworld - challenge No. 9 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Craft Rocket - challenge No. 96 - DOTS and/or STRIPES
5. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 189 - ANYTHING GOES