Retro Rubber Blog Challenge - #197 - Merry Christmas - photo inspiration...

Hey,

Welcome to the last Retro Rubber challenge of 2022!

Where has the year gone?! I just got back from 17 days in London and it feels like boom Christmas is nearly here. 

I hope you have had fun playing along with us this year.

We have a Merry Christmas photo-inspired challenge for you this time.

I love mugs and cups in any form, so I was always going to be inspired by the mug in the photo.

I used a NBUS Unity Stamp Co stamp 'Warm Fall Hugs' that I got in September 2021! I think with the move last year it just got forgotten about! I decided to heat emboss it onto black watercolour paper, so I could use the amazing Iulie watercolours. If you have never used them, get a set on sale you will not regret it, the shimmer is amazing!

I then painted in all the details using the watercolours and then fussy cut it out. I wasn't sure what to do for a background and then I remembered the awesome Spellbinders wreath die that I had, it always elevates everything! I added a little bit of red bling and a tiny sentiment (die by MFT, sentiment by Clearly Besotted).

It is so pretty, it made me super happy when it was finished.

Here is a close-up, because I just loved all the little details.

Show us your interpretation of the photo and pop over to Retro Rubber and get inspired by the things the DT have made.

Challenge ends December 16th and then we will be on our Christmas break returning in January with more fun challenges for you.

Don't forget to tell us the age of your stamp, that is part of the fun of our challenge and please only enter 10 challenges including Retro Rubber.

Cx

Fusion Card Challenge - Chalkboard...

Hey,

Welcome to the last-ever Fusion Card Challenge.

It has been a privilege to work with Karren and the team, some of them are my OG cardmaking heroines and it was so amazing to be in a team with them.

This time we have 'Chalkboard' for you! As always both the sketch and the inspiration image are awesome.

Which will you try?

I loved both, so I fused them!

I was inspired by the chalkboard effect and wanted to recreate that.

I cut a circle using a die and then cut it in half. I stamped lots of the icons and sentiments from the Tim Holtz 'Merry & Bright' mini set for Joann's - using the special ink for perfect pearls. Then I dusted silver perfect pearls over it to create a chalky look.

I always love how this turns out.

It looked a tiny bit flat, so I stamped some stars around the half-circle and it really added a little flair that I like!

Make sure you check out all the rest of the inspiration by the DT over at the Fusion challenge blog, and play along with your own creation! When playing along you may use the sketch OR the photo to inspire your makes. OR, if you are feeling adventurous, you can fuse them together (see what I did there!).

Can't wait to see your makes. 

Challenge ends on December 13th.

Cx

Retro Rubber Blog Challenge - #196 - Tic Tac Toe...

Hey,

Welcome to another awesome Retro Rubber challenge - the penultimate one of 2022! That went fast!

We have a fun tic tac toe board for you this time.

Tic tac toe boards are so much fun! I went with the first vertical row - Orange/Pens/Pattern Paper.

How cute is my sledding Yeti!? I love this stamp set 'Baby It's Cold Outside' by Evelin T Designs... sadly I have had it since Sept 2021 and despite cutting him with Big Sexy (Brother Scan n Cut) he has never ever been inked!!

I recently sold all my Copic markers, as I decided I preferred Altenew's markers and that is what I used to colour him, along with my fave Sakura Gelly Roll Starburst pens, that add a ton of shimmer.

I added some glittery snow paste through a Clearly Besotted stencil (snow day) for a bit of additional interest and created the hill using a Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside'. The stripey paper is actually from a Halloween kit!

I love it and he is actually going into my 2023 Christmas card stash..

I can't wait to see which row you choose! Be sure to pop over to Retro Rubber and get inspired by the things the DT have made.

Challenge ends December 2nd.

Don't forget to tell us the age of your stamp, that is part of the fun of our challenge and please only enter 10 challenges including Retro Rubber.

Cx

Fusion Card Challenge - Gingerbread..

Hey,

Welcome to another awesome Fusion Card Challenge.

This time we have 'Gingerbread' for you! As always both the sketch and the inspiration image are awesome.

Which will you try?

I loved both, so I fused them!

I love gingerbread, so gingerbread men are my faves!! I love the 'Tis The Season set by Ellen Hutson. I bought it second-hand and used it a lot this year for my Christmas cards.

To match the sketch, I stamped a row of gingerbread men, I used Rocky Shore ink by Altenew, I thought it was a good gingerbread colour. I kept it super simple and stamped the sentiment over the row and then coloured the bows using a Sakura glitter gelly roll pen.

So fun and easy.

Check out all the rest of the inspiration by the DT over at the Fusion challenge blog, and play along with your own creation! When playing along you may use the sketch OR the photo to inspire your makes. OR, if you are feeling adventurous, you can fuse them together (see what I did there!).

Can't wait to see your makes. 

Challenge ends on November 22nd.

Cx

Retro Rubber Blog Challenge - #195 - You had me at Ombre...

Hey,

Welcome to another awesome Retro Rubber challenge.

This time we have an ombre theme for you..

Recently I have been working with these strip dies and I decided to make the ombre part of my card using these.

I have a bunch of the Michaels colour tone pads, which are great for this kind of card. I used the 'Pink Buttons' one here.

After I had applied all the paper strips to my white card, I had to stamp my sentiment and I was a bit nervous about stamping over the beautiful ombre! But this is where a stamp platform is your best friend!

I used the Waffle Flower 'Oversized Smile' set that I have had since it was released in April 2021 and this is its first use (shame..).

It came out well and makes me smile to look at it!

Show us your interpretation of the sketch and pop over to Retro Rubber and get inspired by the things the DT have made.

Challenge ends November 18th.

Don't forget to tell us the age of your stamp, that is part of the fun of our challenge, and please only enter 10 challenges including Retro Rubber.

Cx