Two Combined Challenges - Happy Little Stampers CAS #1 And NBUS #3

Today I am killing two birds with one stone, or, more accurately, two challenges with one card! The first challenge, is the Happy Little Stampers CAS #1 - Watercolour Challenge and then I realised I was also using a set of Simon Says Stamp frame dies, that I had a little while and never used, hence, the NBUS Challenge #3

First, I made a watercolour piece just using a piece of watercolour cardstock and some cheap watercolour paints, then I let that dry.

Next, I got the negative part of the Penny Black 'Bashful' die, that I used HERE and adhered it to the watercolour piece and stamped the Simon Says Stamp ' Friendship Messages' sentiment at the bottom (I love that font)

Then, and this is where the NBUS stuff came in, I cut some frames with my Simon Says Stamp 'Frames' dies - and yes, I should have shares in SSS!

The reason that I had not used the frames before is that they are sized to fit the US A2 card size and all my cardstock was in UK A4 size, which is a little taller and a little thinner, so using US dies on our cardstock is always a compromise . . . anywho, I splashed out and got some US cardstock, from, yes, you guessed it, SSS . . . and what a difference it made!  I was chuffed to bits, when my newly cut frames, fitted my Neenah Solar White cardstock perfectly!  No more chopping off the bottom of a card, and I can now use the biggest die, whereas before I could only use the next size down . . . amazing!

For those of you who don't know the difference in sizes, US standard cardstock is 8.5 inches by 11 inches, whereas, UK standard A4 cardstock is, 21 centimeters by 29.7 centimeters (approx 8 and seveteen sixteenths inch by 11 and eleven sixteenths inch) . . . I know, daft, right?  Well, it's ever since we went metric way back when.  Up until then we used inches too, but now it is all in centimeters and millimeters . . . I sometimes wish I lived in the US . . . sigh!

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, I do hope you haven't nodded off and are still with me, here is the card.

 

I couldn't make my mind up today, which pic was best, the one with the cluttered background that showed the textures up nicely or the one where I moved it to a less cluttered background, but didn't show the textures so well, so I decided after much deliberation, to let you choose!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, and 'sticking with it' until now and I appreciate and reciprocate to all who leave comments, have a great day!  Hazel x

More NBUS For Challenge #3

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Darnell, over at djkardkreations has really started my ball rolling, with her NBUS challenge #3 to be found here

For those of you who do not know Darnell, or what NBUS means, you must be new on the blogging scene!

Darnell is a fabulous, helpful and giving blogger who makes the most amazing cards.  NBUS is her acronym for Never Before Used Schtuff - which speaks for itself - I know that most of you, if not all of you, have purchaased stuff and never got round to using it, just like me.

Anywho, this challenge of Darnell's just gave me the kick up the rear that I needed to get out of the Christmas shlump and encourage me to use some of that NBUS - which, believe me when I say, even if I made a card every day from these hidden gems, I still wouldn't catch up by this Christmas coming!

This card's NBUS supplies were the Penny Black 'Bashful' die and the My Favorite Things, 'Simply Fabulous Sayings' stamp set.

This is the card

The light was too poor to do a detail shot today.  Thanks for taking the time to drop by, I appreciate all your visits and comments and will reciprocate!  Have a great day,  Hazel x