Final CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge!

Hello bloggers,

Another one of my favourite sketch challenges is closing it's crafty doors this week so I had to play along - it's the last ever challenge from CAS(E) This Sketch: 

 

 

 

 

I've also been inspired by both the inspiration pics at The Card Concept and Fusion. I think there are a lot of similarities between the two photos - the windows, the white paint on the walls in the background, the neutral colours, the leaves and the natural wood of the table and the bristle brush. I've also used a touch of gold and apricot which are in the Fusion pic and I've taken the browns from the suitcases in TCC photo to frame my Stampin' Up blooms. I think one is clean and layered in design!

Have a great weekend!

Claire x

Snow in a Row!

Hello folks,

It's only January and I've made two Christmas cards - must be a record! This very CAS card is for four challenges: Addicted to CAS where the code word is 'snow', Less is More's 'in a row' challenge, Addicted to Stamps and More's Christmas challenge and CASology,  where the cue card is 'unite.' What could be more united than family and friends at Christmas time? (Unless of course we're in the middle of a pandemic and we're not allowed to 'unite' at all!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used Ink to Paper's It's a Sign: Holiday Sentiments, with a simple row of three snowflakes, stamped in three different colours and with the sentiment stamped over the top. I might just have found 2021's Christmas card design...

Happy stamping!

Claire

Shades of Blue

 Hello fellow inkers!

 Another card, this one for Just Us Girls who are having a colour week challenge, using shades of blue:

 

 

 

 

 

 Blue isn't a colour I turn to often, particularly for flowers. I always seem to use pinks when I do floral cards. So, this one was definitely a challenge. I used a navy ink to heat emboss my Altenew 'Beautiful Day' blooms, then coloured the flower with a variety of blue hued copics. The background has been sponged with Tumbled Glass distress ink, with a hint of Black Soot at the base. It looked a bit too blue to my eyes, so I added some white embossed sprigs to the background for some contrast.  

 

This one's also going over to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge to 'layer it up' since I've layered a few different elements together !

Thanks for popping by!

Claire x

Snowy Challenges

Hello again,

 It's always good to make a few Christmas cards throughout the year isn't it?  MFT's colour challenge was a good opportunity to ink up Christmas Selfies:

 

 

 

 

 

It just so happens that two of my favourite challenges have snowy themes this week - The Paper Players has a CAS, snow theme happening and so does Addicted to CAS, so this one's popping over there too!

 

Happy stamping!

 

Claire

A Touch of Winter - Altenew Inspiration Challenge

Hello inkers,

After Christmas I bought some new goodies from Altenew in the sale which they promptly arrived on my doorstep and my mojo flew right out the window. I think I was so excited at all the new stuff that I got a little overwhelmed and didn't quite know what to use first!

A sketch is always a good place to kickstart the creativity though, so I used Freshly Made's latest one to give my mojo a kick up the backside:

 

I also used the colours from Altenew's January Inspiration Challenge. There was no problem with the pinks but the dusky, pinky, brown didn't feature in any of my ink collection. In fact, the only thing resembling it at all was one small piece of card stock which I've used for the centre panel.  I'm never quite sure if you're allowed to use green with the colours but they can always hit the delete button if it's not allowed!

I used Peonie Bouquet Stamp and Die and Angled Mosaic 3D Embossing Folder which may actually be my new crafty obsession! The sentiment is from Beautiful Day.  For the background panel I stamped some of the smaller blooms and leaves in grey ink on grey card stock. It added a little detail without overwhelming the card.

Thanks for stopping by,

Claire

MFT Sketch #523

Hello stampers, happy weekend to you!

I've got a few parcels of happy mail arriving this week - I was lucky enough to get an MFT voucher for Christmas, which lasted about 2 days since they've just had a 30% off sale! A new sketch is always a good opportunity to ink up the new stuff and I thought Old Friends would go perfectly:

 

 

 

I also used the City Block Background, embossed in white on Grout Gray card stock. The dp is from Birthday Brights. 

This one's going over to Time Out's Life in the City challenge, since I've used the City Block stamp - she looks quite dressed up, ready for a day out in the city don't you think?

For the first time ever I'm also playing along at Addicted to Stamps and More with a challenge to 'make your mark.' I used Copics to colour in my little, old granny. It will probably make it's way to my Mum in the UK who will probably be quite insulted as she's still a bit of a glamourpuss even at the the ripe old age of 81!

Hope you get the time to get inky this weekend!

Claire

 

Addicted to CAS #188

Hello folks,

 Here's a very quick card  for three different challenges. So lovely to see that Addicted to CAS is back after a 6 month break - I've missed their CAS challenges:

The code word is 'emboss.' my favourite technique - I'll never tire of seeing an image magically transform from powder to a raised, shiny image! I used the colours from Color Throwdown (rust, brown and cream) to blend a background and added a scattering of white embossed and black dandelions from Happy Little Stampers. The sentiment is embossed on black card stock as well. 

Funnily enough the colours in this week's Card Concept challenge are identical so I'm popping it over there too,  in the clean and simple category.  

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Sketch #522

Hello again inkers!

 MFT sketch challenge time using one of the sweet little fairies from Flower Fairies:

 

 

 

I've embossed the background with happy Birthday Background Stamp and the little critters are from  Up, Up and Away (retired) and Hanging with my Gnomies. I've created a pink cloudy sky as the backdrop to my fairy using Cloud Stencil and added a scattering of Petite Clouds. 

Happy stamping!

Claire x

Time Out in the City

Hello and Happy New year! Here's hoping that memories of 2020 will disappear into history and that 2021 will bring better times!

 Time Out's got a brand new theme challenge happening, which is 'Life in the City:'

 

 

 

It was the perfect opportunity to use MFT's new City Block Background which I white embossed on black card stock, then fussy cut around some of the roofs to create a cityscape. I added a stencilled, rainbow backdrop using MFT's Radiating Rays Stencil and the sentiment's from Taylor Expressions!

Happy stamping!

Claire