MFT Sketch Challenge #538

Hello again,

Quick post for MFT's Wednesday Sketch challenge using Christmas sELFies and patterned paper from the Very Merry paper pad:

Happy stamping!

Claire 

Just Us Girls #581 - Photo Week

 Hello again folks,

It's my last week as Guest Designer over at Just Us Girls and they have a pretty, garden-inspired photo to get those inky tastebuds going: 

As soon as I saw the photo I thought of MFT's Hanging with my Gnomies which has lots of sweet garden images.  I created a little scene, framed by a Wood Plank stamped stitched frame die cut which was inspired by the wooden planks in the pic. 

How will you be inspired by photo week? Link up your creation for the chance to be crowned Chic of the Week and be a future guest designer. Don't forget to check out the rest of the Design Team's creations too!

Happy stamping!

Claire

One Layer Diamonds

Hello again,

It's the dreaded one layer challenge over at Less is More this week, with a diamond theme:

 I reached for Rounded Diamonds from Avery Elle - another gift from my inky friend and one which I haven't used much. I remember this particular stamp was used in one of the Online Card Classes a few years ago so I hope I haven't inadvertently cased anything!

I kept it very simple and stamped a quartet of diamonds with the intention of colouring them all with a rainbow of copics but thought it would look more CAS if I only partially coloured them, leaving a lot more white space.  The sentiment's from WMS. Dare I say it - I'm actually quite pleased with my one layer which is definitely a first!

I'm also popping this one over to The Paper Players for their clean and simple birthday challenge.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Feeling Flowery

Happy weekend folks!

I seem to be in a particularly flowery mood at the moment. Here's a couple of cards featuring some of my favourite blooms. The first is for MFT's latest sketch challenge using Lavish Lilies, coloured with Copics and with a simple die cut flag strip stamped with Wood Plank background stamp. The sentiment's from Simple Sentiments. 

 

 

 

 

 I'm throwing this one into the ring for a few challenges - Addicted to Stamps and More birthday challenge, The Paper Players clean and simple birthday and Addicted to CAS flower challenge

My second card is for the latest Altenew Inspiration challenge. I have to say I found these colours really difficult - blues and purples are definitely not my 'go to' colours!  I ended up creating a background with Beautiful Day by blending a distress ink background, overstamped in purple and green leaves and berries. I kept the blooms very simple by white embossing them on vellum.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend and get some inky time!

Claire

Just Us Girls Challenge #580 - Colour Week

Hello inkers,

Saturday's rolled around again so it's time for a new JUGs challenge where I'm lucky enough to be guest designing this month. This week it's Colour Week with a trio of brights to play with:

I used one of my old favourites from PTI - Lovely Layers,  with an embossed background from CAS-ual Fridays.  I'll never tire of Lovely Layers...it's one of those stamps which looks good in any colour!

Hope you're inspired by the pretty colour palette this week - check out all the fabulous DT's creations and give them a little love won't you?

Happy stamping!

Claire

Happy Mail

Hello again.

I haven't entered a clean and simple challenge for a while as I've been busy doing DT stuff so here's one for a couple of CAS challenges - CAS on Friday where the theme is 'happy mail' and Less is More's colour challenge:

 

I've had this Avery Elle Happy Mail set for a while, an  uninked gift from a crafty friend a few months ago.  I've never been quite sure how to use it so opted to stamp all the images in various hues of pink, grey and gold and cluster them together. I also added a Your Next Stamp splatter, embossed in gold. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Claire  

Just Us Girls #579 - Use More than 1 Stencil

Hello folks, happy weekend to you!

Time for another great challenge over at Just Us Girls where I'm delighted to be guest designing this month. It's Trend Week and the 'trend' is to use more than one stencil:

 

I love the look of stencils but I'm never quite sure what to do with them,  so for me to use not one,  but two on the same card was definitely a challenge. Although I have quite a few lurking in my stash, none of them could really be layered together,  so I ended up making my own using some Paper Smooches circle dies in two different sizes.  I stencilled them in rows using distress inks, then die cut a circle and added a PTI sentiment. It all looked a bit plain so I added black and white panels to make it pop. 

So how will you use more than one stencil? Link up to the JUGS blog for your chance to be guest designer or Chic of the Week!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Time Out Photo Inspiration Challenge - Guest Designer

Hello stampers,

I'm chuffed to bits to be guest designing over at Time Out this week - they have a fabulous Summery photo inspiration challenge to get you stamping:

This wasn't the card I envisaged when I first saw the pic. On closer inspection, I realised that there are actually  lots of different,  bright colours in the photo, even though the emphasis is on the softer blues and teal. So, I did lots of random stamping of the balloons in various hues, using Whimsy Stamp's Happy Everything. I then stamped the sentiment in bold black with a big, bold birthday sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays. 

How will the pic inspire you? Can't wait to check out what's in the gallery - as ever the DT has produced some amazing cards!

Happy stamping!

Claire
 

Just Us Girls Challenge #578 - Guest Designer

Hello folks,

I am so delighted to be Guest Designer over at Just Us Girls for this month! They have lots of fantastic challenges in April to get those inky tastebuds going so make sure you join in to have a chance at being a future GD and/or being crowned Chic of the Week!

This week's challenge for Word Week is 'stripes':

There were so many options with this - I have quite a few stripey stamps in my collection but reached for CAS-ual Friday's fun WTF to create a masculine 50th birthday card. I can't believe I used to use this set without my Tim Holtz Stamp Platform - no need for a steady hand this time (I even had a glass of wine whilst stamping!)

Hope you find the time to join in this week - make sure you pop by the DT and give them some inky love!

Happy stamping!

Claire