Freshly Made Sketch #151

Hello folks!

Just my kind of layered sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches this week - a good opportunity for me to reach for some MME 6x6 patterned papers:

I have to admit, Mr Mojo went AWOL when I made this so I didn't veer from the sketch at all.  I think I may send this to my friend's teenage daughter - her Mum can explain what a typewriter is...doesn't that make you feel old?!

Thanks for looking,

Claire x

The Card Concept - Challenge #17

Hi bloggers!

There's an inspiration pic over at The Card Concept this week - I've always wanted a green bedroom and I think this is the perfect green.  Years ago, when I lived in London,  my (now) husband managed to persuade me to buy some green paint so that he could paint my bedroom for me.  Unfortunately it was the kind of green hue that reminded me of the inside of a hospital operating theatre...not quite the clean, restful colour I was thinking of....

Anyway, unusually for me, I didn't have any kind of idea in mind - I just had a play around with a W Plus 9 script stamp and a Bo Bunny flower to see what I could come up with.  I masked the flower and stamped over it with the script, shaded some of the petals with a couple of Copics and added a lick of Wink of Stella.  I then cut it into 4 squares and stuck it all back together again. I did think of making it clean and simple but I can never resist layers so I added an embossed background too.  I guess that's made it clean and layered now hasn't it?

It would have been nice to have been able to fit a sentiment somewhere but I didn't want to cover the flower so blank will have to do!

Thanks for popping over!

Claire x

Evening all!

Check out the new Colour Q palette!  It makes me think of the Old West for some reason...in fact that belt kind of reminds me of a snake...not sure if I'd want it around my waist....

I've been promising my next door neighbour that I would make him a fishing themed card for his birthday - I'm ashamed to say that I promised him 12 months ago and I've only just got around to it...how bad is that?!  I'm also ashamed to say that I've had this Stamp in Style set for over a year and haven't used most of it.  It's a fabulous masculine set but I always seem to use the golf bag, rather than the fishy bits!  When I saw this week's colours, I knew they would be perfect for this set.

I used SU markers and an aqua painter to colour in the image - such an easy way to 'watercolour'  - the sentiment is from PTI..the perfect masculine font I reckon!

Check out the rest of the DT's project too - you'll be so glad you did!

Thanks for popping over,

Claire x

Bored Yet? Freshly made Sketch - Again

Ok, even I'm getting bored of all these posts!

Last one today I promise - thought I'd have a quick play with the Freshly Made Sketch again before Mr Linky says goodbye:

Thanks for popping in!

Claire x

Kaisercraft Saturday Challenge - take 2!

G'day again!

So enjoying playing with Kaisercraft papers for their new look Saturday challenge - this one is for challenge 2, in which we have to have a multi dimensional element, something floral and a bit of sparkle:

The papers are from Kaisercraft's Sweet Pea and the floral stamp and sentiment are from an older set belonging to the 2009 Christmas Belle collection.  I really like that it's not an obvious seasonal stamp and that it can be stamped in any direction.

For the dimensional element I embossed the background paper and used dimensional tape to make the image pop.  The floral elements are the stamp and the paper banner (just stating the obvious) and a bit of sparkle has been added to the sentiment using KindyGlitz.

Phew...that's enough blogging for me today!

Catch you later,

Claire x

PTI August Blog Hop

Morning bloggers!

It's time for  the August Blog Hop over at Papertrey Ink using this gorgeous inspiration picture:

I used Butterfly Kisses - it was the very first PTI set I bought and it hasn't seen ink for way too long.  I embossed it on vellum and used a marker to colour the back.  The strip of circles is a Silhouette die cut which I cut in gold, black and pink - it took forever to put the pieces back in a combo I was happy with.   I also used this week's Freshly Made Sketch for a bit of design inspiration.

Short but sweet again today...I'll be posting another card later on! Thanks for stopping!

Claire x

Kaisercraft Saturday Challenge

Afternoon bloggers!

Well it's all been getting a bit flowery here recently - I can't remember the last time I made a masculine card or used some patterned papers.  My Kaisercraft paper stash has been woefully neglected so I was really pleased to see that their Saturday challenges now include cards and not just scrapbooking layouts:

I stamped the car onto some patterned paper and added a little dimensional magic to the windows and lights to make them shine.  All the papers and rubons are from Kaisercraft's 'On the Move' collection.  It's also a Kaisercraft birthday stamp which I have embossed using some pewter emboss powder.  I love how it's got that metallic look going!  I'm entering this one into the first Saturday challenge of the month which you can find here.

Catch you later!

Claire x

Arty Farty

Hello again!

Online Card Classes 'Stretch Your Stamps 2' has come to an end but I'm still playing catch up with my homework.  Dawn Woleslagle did a fantastic card using some WPlus9 floral builder stamps which she outlined with a black Sharpie marker to give a kind of sketched, arty look.  This is so far removed from my personal style, I just had to have a go:

I did it very quickly (can you tell?) and in hindsight I'd probably think about the design of the card a bit more.  I love how it turned out though and it's definitely something I'll try again, but with more of a plan in mind next time!

Thanks for looking,

Claire x

Colour Q #255

Hello blogging friends!

Tuesday's rolled around once more so it's new Colour Q time....where has the week gone?  Oh that's right, it's been washed away in the torrential rain we've been having here in Sydney.  After months of brilliant blue skies and warm sun,  we're now experiencing payback in the form of non-stop windy, wet and soggy days.

This type of weather seems to play havoc with my mojo. I have to admit I drew a complete blank when I saw this week's colours so I had a bit of help with the latest Retro Sketch:

  I stamped a typed background with W Plus 9 and then stamped the Doodlebug Designs bloom over the top, used a Copic to colour some of the petals and added a resin centre.  The notebook strip was cut with my Cameo and the patterned papers came from a 6x6 Authentique pad - I coloured one of them with the same Copic marker so that it matched the petals on the flower.

Well, let's hope the mojo comes flowing back in the next couple of days...hope you can get some happy stamping going!

Thanks for popping by,

Claire x 

Balsa Wood Colouring

G'day Bloggers!

So I'm still picking up some new techniques from Online Card Classes Stretch Your Stamps 2 - this time we had a tutorial by Debby, which showed how to stamp on balsa wood and colour it with Copics.  I was so tempted to completely copy her card - it really is gorgeous, but here's my version:

I have so few Copics that I'm always very limited with colours - again, I attempted to blend a Kaisercraft blender pen with some very light pink Copics but I found that they wouldn't blend completely, partly because the Kaisercraft colour was so vibrant - it kind of bled into the wood.  I think next time I'll use lighter Copics only.  Still like it though!

Short but sweet today - thanks for popping over!

Claire x

Colour Q #254

Hello bloggers!

Me again, this time with the latest Colour Q palette.  It's rare for me to have an almost exact inky match so it was the perfect time to pull out W Plus 9's Fresh Cut Wreaths:

I've had this set for a couple of months already but hadn't had the opportunity to use it - I love how all the little flowers fit together...it's like trying to build a jigsaw., but without the boring bits!

My MIL needed a wedding card so that fit in nicely with the wedding theme over at The Card Concept...there's a couple of layers so I guess I've gone for the 'clean and layered' look.

Lots of gorgeous inspiration from the rest of the design team this week so pop over and give them some love won't you?

Thanks for stopping,

Claire x

Stretch Your Stamps - Outline Stamps

G'day folks!

I've been busy learning a few new techniques from Online Card Classes' Stretch Your Stamps 2.  Laura Bassen made a couple of beautiful tags, placing the stamped focal point off centre and colouring it in with Copics.  I've got a very limited number of large outline stamps (make that one) and used Waltzingmouse's Camellia set:

I white embossed the bloom on to white card stock and used a combination of Copics and a Kaisercraft blender pen.  It didn't blend quite as well as the Copics but I quite like how the petals are more defined because of it.  Of course, once I'd coloured the image in I wasn't quite sure what to do with it so turned to Mojo Monday for a bit of inspiration - thank goodness for sketches! And wouldn't you know, this fits in with Waltzingmouse Fantatics challenge - 'make your mark' so I'm popping it over there too. (Thanks Kate!)

See you later with the Colour Q challenge!

Claire x

More Stretching

Hello again bloggers!

So I'm on day 2 of Stretch Your Stamps II and this time I learnt an ombre technique from Laura Sterckx.  Take a look at her blog - she's 16 and has so much talent!  

 

I used dye inks for this one but I suspect it would look better with Distress Inks.  I ended up cutting a panel and using it for this week's Freshly Made Sketch from Jen M.  I embossed the sentiment using pewter emboss powder from SU,  then layered it on a piece of vellum for a softer look.  I partially embossed the bottom layer of card stock instead of using patterned paper - I think the ombre effect is so pretty, I didn't want anything to detract from it.

So that's my 'homework' for today...I can't remember ever enjoying homework!

Thanks for popping by,

Claire x

Stretching my Stamps

Hello folks!

Last time there was an Online Card Class I made a promise to myself that I'd join in with the next one...and I'm so glad I did.  This is my 'homework' from the Stretch Your Stamps II class - it's based on a fantastic CAS card by Kristina Werner using a Hero Arts background stamp.  I have very few background stamps so there wasn't a lot of choice - I ended up using my crackle stamp from Waltzingmouse. I white embossed a background onto white card stock and did a rainbow colour wash using watercolour paints. So simple and I love how it's turned out.  If only I could take credit for any of it....

Kristina placed her sentiment on to a white background but, since I had quite a lot of white embossing, I found it looked a lot clearer on the black.

Can't wait for the next lesson!

Thanks for looking,

Claire x

Colour Q #252

Hello blogging buddies!

How's your week going? Ready for another play with colour? Here's the new palette for the latest Colour Q challenge:

Ok, so I'm looking at the colours now and thinking mine are a little off! I have nothing even closely resembling Summer Starfruit... I went in the green direction and used Marina Mist instead of Island Indigo.  As for the turquoise...let's just say that washi tape looked turquoise when I picked it!

I based this on the sketch over at CASe This Sketch - this week they've joined up with Tag You're It - you've got to love two challenges in one haven't you?

The background has been stamped and white embossed with Mama Elephant's Basic Borders - I sprayed it with some Glimmer Mists which are always woefully neglected in my stash.  Then,  stamped the little giraffe on some watercolour paper and gave it a wash of turquoise ink.  To be honest I'm not sure if I like it...I wish I'd left the embossed lines white so that it looked cleaner.....once again I seem to have missed the 'clean and simple' idea of the challenges...oops.

Hope you get the chance to play this week! Make sure you check out the rest of the DT's inspiration!

Claire x

Getting to Know Me?

Hello bloggers!

I've a bit of a different post today. You may have seen around blogland a blog hop with a difference - it's a chance for you to get to know your fellow bloggers and see what inspires them in their craftiness. Hazel from Hazel's Paper Designs kindly asked me to take part so go and take a peek at her blog - she's just had a guest spot over at Casology and created a fabulous lolly for the latest cue word. It really does look good enough to eat!

Here goes:

What creative projects are you working on? 

As I'm on the design team, I've been working on a project for this week's Colour Q palette which goes live on Tuesday.  Sometimes we may have the colours weeks in advance - other times we may have a few days notice.  I've got my eye on a few challenges this week but I'm hoping to take part in Online Card Classes 'Stretch Your Stamps II' from today so I'm not sure how many I'll have the chance to play in.

How and what inspires your designs?

I have to say most of my inspiration comes from taking part in challenges and often from the design team's creations.  I'm continually amazed by what people think of -  the Casology design team in particular really think outside the box, which I love.  Pinterest is the obvious choice for some quick inspiration - however, I'm utterly paranoid about inadvertently case-ing someone's design. Sometimes an idea comes to me and I worry that I may have copied someone else by mistake! Perhaps you could tell me if this is normal....

What method/process do you apply to each of your projects and how long does each project take to make?

This question made me laugh. It implies that I have some kind of process.  Here's an example of my process with a Casology design:

1) Read the cue word at about 11pm on a Tuesday night - that's the problem living in Australia...all the challenges go live really late.

2) Start thinking about it and then realise I can't sleep.

3) Still thinking....

4) Still thinking....husband now laughing at me and telling me I'm a complete nerd.

5) Eventually come up with some kind of design. Chuck it in the bin as it hasn't worked...retry it. Eventually manage a card (but am rarely happy with it!) Clean and SIMPLE?  Stuff that! I have been known to spend 10 minutes on a card and then hours, depending on whether that mojo's flowing!

If you had to describe your signature style, what would it be?

I think it used to be very clean and layered, with lots of patterned paper.  But there are so many clean and simple challenges now, I think maybe my style is changing.  I buy a lot more stamps and ink than I used to and use far less patterned paper. I used to scrapbook more than make cards (hence the blog name) but now cards seem to be my favourite crafty exercise so all that paper is now gathering dust!

Anyway, that's enough about me folks...time to pass the bloggy reins to a couple of my favourite card makers:

Kay Miller - My Joyful Moments: Sigh...what can't this talented girl do with a die cut? And stencils. And stamps. And paper.  Her creations are so colourful and creative...she's the type of card maker I'd like to be when I grow up. I'm so grateful she agreed to do this as I know she's on lots of design teams so I'm sure her time is precious.

Kim Heggins - Cupcakes, Cards and Kim: Kim's cards are always so original - she's a master (or should that be mistress?) of clean and simple but uses a variety of different techniques so her clean and simple is never boring! Thanks for agreeing to do this Kim!

Girls...over to you....

Thanks for popping by,

Claire x

Tic Tac Toe Part 2

Morning bloggers!

Thank goodness it's the weekend - this week's been completely manic so not much time at the crafty table for me.  I did manage a quickie combining the Casology challenge with CASual Friday's Tic Tac Toe - this time I combined dots, white and sequins:

I sponged a rainbow of colours and stamped Mama Elephant's Around We Go ferris wheel over the top - for those of you who are tutting that I have only used one sequin...I haven't. I actually stuck two together since the tic tac toe challenge requires sequins (plural)! Well, you never know how strict they are over at CASual Fridays!

Have a great weekend!

Claire