Triple Challenge

Hello bloggers!

It's a rare day when I combine several challenges in one:

The latest sketch at CAS(e) this Sketch definitely played a part in the design but looking at it now, I reckon I'm pushing it a bit. Again.  Since it's red I'm entering it into Addicted to CAS' 'red' challenge.
And the love theme fits in over at Casology too!

I used Whimsy Stamp's cute little apple and sentiment from Feeling Fruity (Additions) for the focal point so I'll also link up to their blog challenge where the topic is 'with love.' Now I just need George Clooney's address...

Thanks for popping over!

Claire x

Calling all Space Cadets

Hey all!

It's been a while since I had a play at Retro Sketches so I rustled up this little card using Arielle's latest sketch:

Francine Vuilleme did a great tutorial for an outer space background on Splitcoast Stampers a few weeks ago and I've been itching to have a go.  The background has been stencilled using a Paper Smooches Polka Dot Border die again with texture paste. Not a great photo - the light was fading by the time I got home from work!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Claire x

Paper Smooches Guest Designer - Week 4

Hello again!

It's my last week as Paper Smooches January Guest Designer - I've so enjoyed playing with all their gorgeous new stuff! For this week's card I've used some of the new dies: Paint Strokes and Polka Dot Borders:

I used the negative from the large polka dot die to create a stencilled background using some texture paste.  It was just enough to give it a textured background without overpowering the image. Having just come back from the beach, I thought of using the Paint Strokes dies as some waves - the cute little monster is from one of my older PS sets called Little Fella. His 'surfboard' is actually the skateboard from the same set - minus the wheels of course!

Well, that's my Paper Smooches stint over. Why not hop on over to the Paper Smooches Blog and store for some more inspiration?  Kim, thanks so much for asking me to guest design for you - loving all those new products of yours!

Thanks for stopping by!

Claire x

Seeing Red

Happy Australia Day folks!

Hope it has a been a good one for my Aussie friends!

Quick card for Addicted to CAS and CAS(E) This Sketch tonight:

My Copics have been getting a good workout recently - I bought a whole load of new markers as a Christmas present to myself a few weeks ago. I do love Copics but I've come to the realisation that you can never have enough of them. I've watched a few video tutorials and you seem to need about 8 markers to do one strand of hair! These Penny Black poppies were coloured with 3 different reds which is pretty much my limit at $8.50 a marker. I have to admit though, they are very addictive!

Anyway, if you know of any cheap Copic retailers let me know - otherwise I really will go bankrupt.

Thanks for popping by,

Claire x

Papertrey Ink - January Blog Hop

Good morning!

It's Blog Hop time at Papertrey Ink and this time there's a gorgeous inspiration photo featuring one of my favourite colour combos - orange and teal.

I combined a couple of challenges with the hop. I cased myself with this card as part of Casology's latest challenge where the cue word is clear:

Since the acetate was already out, I used it to make a card base, cut a window out of cardstock and added a Copic coloured umbrella from PTI's Scattered Showers.  

The second card is based on the latest Freshly Made Sketch using some Doodlie Do blooms. I took the colours from the PTI inspiration photo, including the black in the background.

Hope you get time to join in with some crafty hopping today! Thanks for calling by,

Claire x

Casology #181

G'day folks!

Thought I'd take advantage of a quiet house whilst the kidlets are fishing with Daddy and made this quick little card for Casology. The cue word is 'clear:'

I die cut a rectangular panel and backed it with a piece of acetate, there added a Copic coloured rose from Winnie and Walter. The sentiment is Waltzingmouse.   Yet again I was reminded why I rarely use acetate in my card making - is it me or do you spend most of the time trying to wipe dust and sticky finger prints off the plastic?

Have a fabulous weekend!

Claire x

Paper Smooches Guest designer - week 3

Hello!

Where has the week gone? I can't believe we're coming to the end of Summer holidays over here - the kids are due back at school in a few days so I'm frantically trying to do all those things I should have done 6 weeks ago!

Time for another card using the fab new products over at Paper Smooches.  I love the new Curls and Swirls stamp set and used it to make a card for my aunt and uncle who celebrated their Golden wedding anniversary on New Years Day - 50 years...isn't that amazing?

I randomly stamped the flourishes in Versamark onto a navy background, then embossed them in white, gold and silver. The sentiment is from one of my older PS sets - Sentiment Sampler.  I embossed this in white on vellum as I didn't want to detract from all those pretty swirls!

Go and take a peek at all the new goodies that Kim has on offer in the store - there's also heaps of inspiration on how to use them on the Paper Smooches blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

Claire x

Time Out Challenge #47

G'day folks!

Time Out has a birthday card challenge this week with the optional twist of adding sponging. I'm always moaning about my very average sponging technique but I found a way around it with this card:

I used Paper Smooches new Polka Dot Border Die as a stencil and sponged the spotty background in a variety of distress inks, then added a chalkboard greeting by Whimsy Stamps. I'm also going to link this one up to Freshly Made Sketches although I may be pushing it a little this week as I've made a few alterations!

Enjoy your weekend!

Claire x

More Clean and Simple

G'day again!

Still in clean and simple mode with a couple of cards for Muse and Casology.  At Muse, Anita has made this gorgeous card for some inspiration. Here's my retake:

I've barely strayed from the original but I thought it was a great design for those smaller stamps in my collection, that rarely get a lick of ink! This little giraffe belongs to Mama Elephant's Nursery Deco set.

Casology's cue word this week is 'open'.  I used one of the larger arrows from TAWS Good Point and coloured it in with Copics, adding a little wooden heart from Studio Calico. Not only does it give directions to my husband on how to open his card, it also indicates that my heart is still open to his love! Bleughhh! On that slightly sickly note, I'll say goodbye!

Thanks for stopping,

Claire x

All That Glitters...

Hello folks!

How's your week going? My mojo seems to have gone on walkabout since Christmas so I'm keeping it all very clean and simple at the moment. This little card has been done for 2 challenges - Addicted to CAS  where the code word is 'cake' and AAA Card Challenge which has a glittery theme:

I mixed a smidgen of glitter with some gold embossing powder and embossed this little cupcake from Waltzingmouse. I matted it onto gold card stock and plonked it on a navy background which I was also going to mat against gold, then decided to tilt it and add some glitter to the corners. What is it with that stuff? It gets everywhere!

Fingers crossed I'm feeling a bit more crafty next time...I can feel a shopping spree coming on otherwise...

Thanks for calling by!

Claire x

Paper Smooches Guest Designer - Round 2

Hello again!

It's my second week as January's Guest Designer over at Paper Smooches. This time I went completely CAS with one of Kim's new stamp sets - Silver and Gold, together with the new Awesome die:

I die cut the sentiment and covered it with a heap of Versamark, then smothered it in a mixture of pewter and navy embossing powders, heated it again and smothered it some more. It kind of looks like it's made out of metal don't you think? I stamped a light blue scattering of stars for the background, then added a couple of starry rows and flags. There's a couple of little, separate triangles in this set so I used one of those to add a little depth to the flags. A few splashes of 'paint' and it was all done.

Make sure you hop on over to the shop won't you - heaps of inspiration on how to use these new sets and dies, you'll be grabbing that credit card in no time!

Thanks for popping by,

Claire x

Flowers Galore

 Hello!

I can't believe I haven't played at Colour Q since I left the design team. Where has the time gone? Love this week's colours so I thought I'd combine them with the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches:

I randomly stamped a few blooms from Altenew's Painted Flowers in Melon Mambo and Blushing Bride, then painted around them with some pale blue Glimmer Mist. I love these stamps but sometime I feel that they look a bit overpowering when they cover the entire card, so I added a sheet of vellum to the bottom part to soften it. The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse with a little die cut kraft dragonfly from Fancy That.

Bit late for blogging tonight so enough said...

Thanks for stopping!

Claire x

Sketch Saturday

G'day!

Just a quick card for Sketch Saturday - this is a new challenge for me and I thought the sketch would be perfect for a baby card:

Short but sweet. Thanks for stopping!

Claire x

Paper Smooches January Guest Designer!

Happy New Year!

Hope you have all had a fantabulous Christmas! 

It's been a while since I wrote a post or even made a card. We spent Christmas on the beach in Tasmania. A very different Christmas experience for us all - a barbecue lunch with freshly caught fish, fresh prawns, beautiful wine, lots of presents (somehow Santa found the kids), good friends,  did I say wine?  It was a really wonderful way to spend Christmas.

Just before I left, I received an email from Kim over at Paper Smooches Stamps, telling me I was January's Guest Designer! A lovely surprise and I came home to some gorgeous happy mail which I've been playing with ever since. She has some great new products in store so check them out here.

My first card for January is this one:

I used the brand new Hibiscus Die as my focal point. I coloured it with Copics and curved the leaves and petals up a little to add some dimension. It's resting on a die cut paint stroke from Paint Strokes Dies  and the sentiment is from the Silver and Gold stamp set. For the background I randomly stamped a variety of flourishes from Curls and Swirls in Versamark.  Love this stamp set! Somehow all the flourishes fit in with each other so you don't have to spend half an hour working out where to place them all...or is it only me who does that?

Well, first card down and a few more to go. I'll back back next Wednesday with another!

Thanks for popping by,

Claire x