Fusion Guest Designer - Glamping Fun

Hello,

The latest challenge is now up and running at Fusion. It's my last stint as guest designer so thank you for having me along for the Summer Karren! Here's my version of the sketch:

Feel free to use the inspiration pic or the sketch, or even both together.  I used W Plus 9's Fresh Cut Florals with some very old patterned paper from My Minds Eye. 

Hope you can get inky this weekend!

Thanks for calling by,

Claire x

Papertrey Ink Stamp A Faire - Inspired by Muse!

Hi all,

With an hour to spare I'm sneaking a quick card into this year's Stamp a Faire event over at Papertrey Ink. So many challenges to join in with but I chose to do Yana's challenge which is to create a die cut with a faux iron look: 

I was completely inspired by Cat's pretty card over at Muse. I love her beautifully coloured panel of flowers so I did a similar panel using PTI's Doodlie-Do and added a sentiment from Botanical Blocks.  The frame is from PTI's Pretty Frame Coverplate die, smothered in lots of embossing powder and embossed to look like metal.

Thanks for calling by,

Claire

CAS-ual Fridays Colour Challenge

Hello again,

I was intrigued by CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week - a colour challenge featuring kraft and white. I don't think I've ever made a card just using these colours before:

The blooms are from Pretty Posies and after embossing, I quickly covered them with white glitter so they're really sparkly in IRL. It so annoys me when you can't see the sparkly bits in a photo!  I wanted to soften the background a little so I covered it with a panel of vellum to match the leaves.  The white panel has also been stamped with Zigs and Zags (now retired) in a very pale kraft coloured ink.  

Here's a photo with the light shining on it to show the glitter: 

Actually you can barely see it in that photo either...I give up!

Thanks for calling by!

Claire x

Time Out - 10 Minute Fail!

Hello bloggers!

Time Out's latest challenge is an absolute nightmare for a creative procrastinater like myself: Autumn with the optional twist of Speed Stamping.  

I seem to remember there used to be a card challenge called '10 minute card dash' and I never entered as the thought of making a card in so little time filled me with horror.  Sometimes it takes me 20 minutes just to decide where to put the sequins:

Of course, what I planned and what I produced are two totally different things. I made a circle mask and envisioned a crisp, stamped circle of WMS Autumnal leaves with a PTI sentiment perfectly placed underneath.  Unfortunately the stamping left a blurry edge as the ink didn't adhere to the textured card stock too well. In panic I reached for the brown marker to create some faux stitching around the edge. It looked like something a 5 year old had made. So I rooted through my stash for a smaller circle, cut it out and plonked it on to the card case. In total it took me 14 minutes and 12 seconds. Considering I had to make the mask, die cut the panel, create the base, do the stamping and look for stuff inbetween I don't think I've done that bad a job! What do you think?

Enjoy the rest of your Friday!

Claire x

My Favorite Things - Camp Create Take Two

Hello folks!

The mojo's been well and truly flowing and I've been able to get all the challenges done for the second part of MFT's Camp Create. I feel like a Brownie who's won all her badges! I haven't done them in order so scroll down to this post to see the first few cards I made:

The second challenge features 'magnificent masking.' I masked a similar little scene to Karolyn - you can catch her You Tube tutorial here - and added some of the stamped images from Up in the Air. I placed it all against a die cut fishtail flag and embossed a sentiment on a tab from Blueprints 24:

The final card is for the last challenge featuring 'delightful die-cutting' I followed Stephanie's You Tube tutorial using Happy Hellos and a sentiment from Up in the Air. I really like how it's turned out and will definitely be using the same technique again for a quick, clean and simple card:

That's all my badges completed for this year - if only I'd put so much effort into attaining badges in the girl guides!

Thanks for stopping by,

Claire x

Camp Create - My Favorite Things

Hello, hello,

A very photo heavy post today - I've been playing along at My Favorite Things who've kicked off session two of Camp Create.  I managed to create a card for each of the challenges in session one - not sure if I'll be able to complete them all this time but I have managed four so far.

First up is Inlaid Made Easy - inlaid die cutting looks so simple but it took me ages to work out how to do all the cuts!  I used the Die-namics Sunflower die, together with MFT's Fishtail Banners, both of which I think are retired - the sentiment is from Polynesian Paradise:

For day 3 (yes, I'm aware I've missed a day)  the theme is Background Bonanza. You can see the You Tube video here. I blended a distress ink background and white embossed Bundles of Blossoms over the top.  The sentiment's from Adorable Elephants:

Next up is day 4's challenge - Monochromatic Magic. I used some yellow Color Bursts on watercolour paper and white embossed with Bundle of Blossoms again.  I cut an MFT Banner and a smaller Fishtail Banner to use as the background for Dienamics Upsy Daisy. A strip of ywllow washi and a sentiment from Polynesian Paradise and it was all done:

Are you still with me? Last card for this post features Awesome Ombre, a bonus challenge. I created an ombre like sky and grass with distress inks and added a sweet little elephant from Adorable Elephants. The rounded banner die cut is from Blueprints 24.

That;s it folks - I'm all carded out! Fingers crossed I can get the rest done on time! Thanks for calling by!

Claire x

Fusion Card Challenge - Orange and Black

Evening bloggers!

Did you get the time to play along with Fusion last week? The new Fusion Challenge is up and running and features one of my favourite colour challenges - orange and black:

I think I was inspired by everything in this week's pic - as soon as I saw it I knew CAS-ual Fridays Amazeballs (now retired) would be perfect.  You have the option to use just the sketch or the inspiration pic or even use both like I've done.

I'm also entering it into the latest CAS-ual Fridays challenge which has a friendship theme - I think all my friends are totally 'amazeballs!'

Thanks for stopping by!

Claire x

Frreshly Made Sketch #300

Hello folks,

One of my favourite challenges, Freshly Made Sketches,  is celebrating 300 sketches this week:

I used the colours from Altenew's August inspiration challenge with Hennah Elements. I coloured the largest bloom with Copics but wanted to soften it, so gold embossed the flower on to vellum and layered it over the top. To give it some dimension I fussy cut the flower and popped up the layers with dimension tape. 

Happy stamping!

Claire x

My Favorite Things - Creative Construction Blueprints Challenge

Hello again,

I'm continuing my MFT obsession by joining in with their new Blueprints challenge. I never seem to stop raving about my Blueprints dies - I only have the one set but if I won the lottery tomorrow I'd be buying the lot! This new challenge is to use a Blueprints die set to create a card by either using one of the Blueprints sketches provided or making up your own design:

I used the sentiment strip, rounded corner banner, sequin stars and stitched panel from Blueprints 24 to create my card. The stamp set is Up in the Air, coloured in Copics and set on a blended distress ink background. I stamped the sentiment in pewter to match the glittery star sequins.

Hope you get the time to get inky this week - thanks for popping by,

Claire x

Fruity Triple Whammy!

Evening folks!

It's a rare crafty moment when I combine three different challenges on the one card. Less is More have a colour challenge based on tropical fruits, Casology's cue word is 'juicy' and AAA have a Summer theme for their latest challenge:

This was another card that came about through random stamping on a scrap piece of paper.  I used the citrus slice stamp from Whimsy Stamps' Feeling Fruity (now retired) and just hoped for the best! The sentiment is from PTI. 

Thanks for calling by,

Claire x

MFT Sketch Challenge - Santa's Elves

Morning folks!

I've been getting all glittery for this week's sketch over at My Favorite Things:

This little man is from Santa's Elves - I used a really fine glitter and glue pen to make his hat and sleeves sparkle.  I also added some to the tree, then coloured the baubles with a Copic. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Claire x

New Fusion Card Challenge - Pastel Pencils

Hello!

Time for a brand new Fusion Challenge - this week's pic features some pretty pastels. Heaps of inspiration to be drawn from it. You could use some of those pastel hues with a splash of metallic silver or you could just use the sketch. You could even combine the two like I've done:

I embossed some blooms from Altenew's Hennah Elements on to some vellum. I then coloured the back of the vellum in some lighter shades of Copics to give them a softly coloured look. The silver embossed senitment is from PTI.

You have a couple of weeks to post your card on to the Fusion blog to be in with the chance of being pronounced Zen Master!

Thanks for stopping,

Claire x

No Stamps!

Hi bloggers!

I made a very CAS card for this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge which is to use dies only:

I used the Funky Square die to create the little flowers but I think it may be retired now. It matches one of my favourite sets - Bold Wishes and the glitter covered sentiment is from Smiling Fri-Dies.

I'm also popping this over to the latest AAA challenge which has a rainbow theme.

Thanks for calling by,

Claire x