50 Years Young

Hi folks,

So the big bloke turns the big 50 later this year and since he's been away for the last few days I thought I'd get his card done so he doesn't actually see it. The poor love keeps insisting he's turned 47 for the last 3 years but I think this little card makes it very clear that he isn't turning 47 again!

This week's Freshly Made Sketch was a great starting point, although I did miss out the element on the circle.  The background panel has been stamped with MFT's Wood Plank and and the striped panel is by WMS. I stamped the circles with a set by Winnie and Walter. 

I've also used the colours and lots of elements from The Card Concept's inspiration pic - the plates with the red and blue borders gave me the idea to use the W & W set, the silver forks influenced the pewter embossed numbers and the red and navy striped panel came from the napkins on the table.  So much to draw from in that pic!  I think I would class this one as clean and graphic!

Happy stamping!

Claire 

MFT #495

Hello, happy weekend to you,

This week's MFT sketch  inspired me to get the patterned paper out and use it with Up in the Air to create this cloudy scene:

I had lots of small bits of paper left from the Sweet Celebration paper pack, perfect for using on the hot air balloon instead of colouring it in. I already had a badly embossed piece of card stock, embossed with Happy Birthday Background  so I was able to cover the un-embossed part with the panel which is why I've flipped the sketch.  I really should get this set out more often...

Thanks for popping by,

Claire

Rainbow Dudes!

Hello folks,

Another CAS card for you, this time for Paper Smooches Anything Goes challenge.  So sad that Kim's closing the store so here's a little card I made using my very first PS purchase - Little Fella:

I've also used the inspiration photo from Time Out. Who doesn't love rainbow colours against a pure white background? 

Happy stamping!

Claire

Fusion Butterfly

Hello, hello,

I made a very quick card for a few challenges - the Paper Players who have a clean and simple thank you theme and Fusion who have a very pretty electric blue butterfly featured in their inspiration pic. I've also used the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch:

I always cut this gorgeous Stamplorations butterfly from plain card stock but this time I used a few Copics to give some gradual colour. The white embossed lace doillle stamp is Waltzingmouse, as is the sentiment.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Birthday Twosome

Hi bloggers,

Here's a couple of birthday cards, the first using the pretty colour palette from The Colour Throwdown:

I'm throwing this over to Less is More which has a recipe challenge featuring solid and outline stamps. I used Winnie and Walter's Big Bang Confetti and a sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays, stamped in black.  I'm also popping it over to Addicted To CAS who have a one layer challenge>

The second card is for MFT's Wednesday Sketch Challenge which I've combined with their latest Birthday Project challenge - to make a card featuring a party.  I used so many different stamp sets for this one - Birthday Chicks, Hog Heaven, Happy Hippos and Rain or Shine, with a sentiment from Fluttering Friends. The DP is from the Sweet celebration Paper Pad. 

Hope you get the chance to get inky this week!

Claire

Paper Players Colour Challenge

Hello folks,

Here's one more Christmas card for my ever-growing pile:

I've used the colours from The Paper Player's challenge to ink up It's a Sign:Holiday Sentiments from Ink to Paper with Centre Style Masculine from PTI.

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Colour and Sketch

Hello, hello,

I felt like doing nothing but colouring last night and whipped up this little card using lots of images from Birth-yay:

I used the colours from the latest challenge as well as sketch #493 as layout inspiration.  The background was stamped with Cement Gray on Grout Gray card stock using Happy Birthday Background. Not the best photo as I've left it all to the last minute as usual and daylight's well and truly disappeared for the day!

Happy stamping!

Claire

New Stuff!

Hello bloggers,

I was very lucky to win a gift certificate from Papertrey Ink/Ink to Paper a few weeks ago so thought I'd have a bit of a play with the goodies I bought:

First up is AAA's one layer challenge - I stamped It's a Sign: Birthday Sentiments and used the black, yellow and orange from the graphic as inspiration. One layers are definitely not my thing but for once I'm happy how this one's turned out.

For the second card I used the sketch from Freshly Made and the colours from Colour Throwdown - the blooms have been stamped in a really dark purple from MFT but it looks navy in the pic - the frame is cut from navy card stock.  I stamped the background with Grout Grey on Grout Grey card stock, my go-to neutral for months now...I'm obsessed with it.  I'm also popping this over to Time Out's inspired by Words Challenge.  Any mention of a garden reminds me of flowers.

Enjoy what's left of your weekend!

Claire x

Altenew June Inspiration Challenge

Hello fellow inkers,

Time for another Altenew card using this month's inspiration pic. I made a very CAS card using these elegant butterflies and sentiment from Ori Kami: 

After blending the colours using distress inks,  I created all different kinds of butterflies - I tried embossing them on vellum and colouring them with Copics but in the end I thought they were just as pretty embossed in copper and navy on plain cardstock. Anything else just looked too much with the inked background.  I like how it's turned out but now I have lots of these little butterflies to use so I may have another go!

Thanks for stopping by,

Claire

CAS on Friday Guest Designer

Hello folks!

I'm delighted to be Guest designer over at CAS on Friday today.  They have a brand new challenge to whet your inky appetite:

The theme is 'sunshine.'  I used a Whimsy Stamps set to create my sunny card - the centres of the sun have been blended with distress inks using MFT's circle stencil and the sentiment's from Polynesian Paradise.

I'm also popping this one over to The Paper Players who also have a weather inspired challenge happening.

Hope you get time to join in this week!

Claire 

Rainbow Borders

Hello again,

Here's a very quick card for Less is More which has a 'borders' theme for their latest challenge:

I used a die from MFT and one of the border stamps from Mama Elephant's Modern Borders, stamped in black and coloured with a rainbow of Copics. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Colour Challenge #142

Hello stampers,

The colours over at MFT are perfect for a masculine card this week so I inked up Viking and Wood Plank Background (both retired) to create this rather blokey card:

 I used this week's Freshly Made Sketch and I'm popping it over to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge calling for masculine cards.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Happy Birthday AAA!

Hello folks,

It's AAA Cards 6th birthday so there's a birthday theme for their latest challenge:

I'm also going in with The Paper Players in their Tic Tac Toe challenge. I chose the row on the right - birthday, silver and embossing. I've embossed one of the circular patterns with pewter embossing powder.

Happy stamping!

Claire