Altenew Inspiration Challenge - Take Two!

Hello again,

Second post for the day with another card using some new Altenew goodies. This time I've used the colours from July for their Year in Review Inspiration Challenge:

 

Again I'm popping this one over to Time Out for their theme challenge of 'new.' I've used Handpicked Bouquet and Fine Frames Cover Die.

Happy stamping and happy new year!

Claire

Altenew - Year in Review Inspiration Challenge

Hello folks,

Hope you had a lovely Christmas. I spent mine with family from SFO who I hadn't seen for 6 years. Lots of Covid-related worries in the lead up,  but they arrived safely and it was wonderful seeing all the young cousins together after so long!

 

That meant not much card making over the last few weeks but after some new goodies arrived from Altenew I had to get stamping.  I've made a couple of cards for their Year in Review Inspiration Challenge which I'll have to put on different posts. The first is using Peony Bouquet, based on the colours from June 2021. I've added a strip of gold washi and masked a strip of blue distress ink. Then I ran it through the Debossing Dotted Line Cover Die which I feel may become my new obsession - I love things that give card some details without overpowering it. The sentiment's from Tiny Sentiments:Hello Stamp Set.

This one's also going over to Time Out's new challenge, appropriately themed 'new.' I've used my lovely new Altenew goodies which luckily arrived in SFO a few hours before my family left! 

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Sketch #570

Hello inkers,

Just sneaking in before the latest MFT Sketch challenge closes:

 

My mojo's almost entirely gone as it usually does at this time of year - too much to do and too little time  to get creative. I've had these Sweet Holiday Penguins for quite a while but I rarely seem to ink this little fella up. About time he had some colour don't you think? 

The die cut frame was stamped with Wood Plank Background and the holly sprigs and Christmas tree are from Santas's Elves, with a sentiment from Selfies with Santa - all set against a patterned paper from Very Merry Paper Pad. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

CAS Christmas Card

Hello folks,

There's always  a rush of last cards isn't there? Either for people you'd forgotten or for people who you weren't expecting to get a card from! 

I've made a very CAS card for 3 challenges - AAA Cards with an 'along the edge' challenge and optional snowy theme, Colour Throwdown and CAS on Friday's Winter themed challenge:

 

I used Ink to Paper's It's a Sign: Holiday Sentiments with some CAS-ual Fridays snowflake die cuts from sparkly white paper. A scattering of bling and it was done. 

We're on tenterhooks here as my in-laws are booked to fly over to Australia for Christmas. We haven't seen them for 6 years and if they have to cancel because of this new Covid variant we'll all be devastated. Such horrible, uncertain times we live in. 

Fingers crossed Christmas goes ahead without a hitch for everyone!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Critter Christmas!

Hello inkers,

Just a few more Christmas cards to go and then I'm done. Most of my cards are winging their way across to the UK as I write, my wallet almost empty due to the astronomical postal costs! 

These two are for a couple of different challenges - the first a combined MFT Colour and Sketch:

 

I've used Sweet Holiday Penguins with a sentiment from Itty Bitty Holiday.

My second card's for Your Next Stamp's latest challenge to add 'sparkle and shine.' I used Reinbeer and gave him a sparkly red, glitter nose and added a couple of strips of sparkly card.  This one's also going over to Simon Says Stamp's Monday challenge where they're in 'sparkle mode.' 

Happy stamping!

Claire

Color Throwdown #669

Hello folks,

Quick card for 3 challenges - I've used the colours from Color Throwdown (it's navy blue but looks black in the photo!), the sketch from Sunday Stamps and the quote from Time Out: 'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication:'

 

The mojo has been missing for weeks now so I got out my favourite all time set as it always seems to give it a boost - Doodlie Do from PTI. I gold embossed the navy card stock and added a sentiment from MFT. I think the gold looks really sophisticated against the navy, hence the TO quote!

Happy stamping!

Claire 

All About the Sentiment

Hello folks,

My inky mojo has completely disappeared this week so I've only managed a very CAS card for Lawnfawnatic's Make the Sentiment a Star challenge:

I used Quinn's ABC's and Flutter By with a good sprinkling of glitter added to the white embossed die cut letters to make them really pop against the background. I was also inspired by the bold, fresh colours over at Sunday Stamps. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Colour Challenge #176

Hello inkers,

Not much time for card making this week - talk about hitting the ground running when lockdown finished. I almost wish we were back in it! 

Here's a little card for MFT's colour challenge featuring these sweet little penguins from Penguin Party:

I kept it very simple - the penguins are the stars of the show after all - and stencilled a 'floor' to ground the images using the Rectangle Extraordinaire Stencil. 

I'm also popping this over to Just Us Girls - their Word Week challenge features the word 'merry.'  Of course we all naturally think of Christmas but since the definition of merry is 'cheerful and lively',  just like these penguins, I'm going to link up over there too.

Happy stamping!

Claire

CASology _ Guest Designer: Type

 Hi folks,

I'm delighted to be guest designer at CASology for their latest challenge. The cue card is: Type:

I do like it when the cue card is quite specific -  I knew exactly which set to ink up for it: Mama Elephant's Type It featuring a very old fashioned typewriter. Remember those? Probably not if you're under 40. I showed it to my youngest and he said 'oh that's a typer from the old days'  making me feel about 90! 

The ink splashes underneath are a combination of PTI and Your Next Stamp - a trio of enamel dots and it was done.

There's 3 weeks to get inky for this one so no excuses not to join in!

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Sketch Challenge #564

Hello, hope you're having a great weekend!

Still playing with new goodies from MFT - this time SY Selfies with Santa for sketch challenge #564:

 

Needless to say I didn't find this the easiest sketch to work with but I like how it turned out in the end - I used a die from the Stitched Scallop Basic Edges Die-namics and added some paper strips from various MFT paper pads. The heart die is from Blueprints 27. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Colour Challenge #175

Hello again,

I bought some new MFT goodies last week - another one of my favourite Pure Innocence images called Freezings Greetings:

 

I didn't immediately think 'Christmas' when I saw the colours but I do like a different Christmas combo instead of the traditional green and red. Its a more modern and fresh version, particularly with the lemon thrown in!

I've embossed the background with Christmas Background stamp and the dp is from the Very Merry Paper Pad. 

This one's also going over to Addicted to Stamps and More's Make Your Mark challenge. 

Happy stamping!

Claire 

Lawn Fawnatics Challenge #110

Hello inkers,

We are officially out of lockdown here in Sydney - I'd like to say I've been partying up a storm but since I've been working, I actually haven't tasted freedom yet!

Anyway, here's a CAS card for the current Lawn Fanatics challenge  using an inspiration pic featuring pretty Autumnal colours against a blue sky:

 

No blue in this one - instead I focussed on the colours of the leaves and branches. Living in Australia, I miss the brilliant colours of a UK Autumn - the seasons here aren't as distinct and we just don't get beautiful reds, oranges and yellows on the trees.

I used the now retired Blissful Botanicals, coloured with Copics with a sentiment from A Birdie Told Me.

Thanks for popping by,

Claire

CAS Birthday

Hello again,

Here's a very CAS card for AAA Cards 200th birthday challenge using stamps from two different Winnie and Walter sets and a sentiment from Waltzingmouse.  

I used the gorgeous colours from Sunday Stamps - they always have such great colour combos - and the theme from CAS on Friday which is  Circles. 

It's such a simple design - I might use it for some Christmas cards too!

Happy stamping!

Claire 

MFT Sketch Challenge #174

Hello again,

Another day, another card - a positive of lockdown is I'll have all my Christmas cards done and dusted by November. You have to look on the bright side don't you? This one's for MFT's latest sketch challenge:

I've used Christmas sELFies with dp from the Very Merry Paper Pad. The sentiment's from Bitty Holiday Wishes. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

Alex Syberia Blooms

Hello folks,

Only a week to go until 'Freedom Day' for Sydney - there's light at the end of the lockdown tunnel! It's the little things I've missed...just to go into a shop and browse, have a drink at a bar and catch up with friends. We take so much for granted!

Here's another card featuring one of Alex Syberia's pretty Digi stamps called Dog Rose:

I've used the colours from Colour Throwdown, coloured the blooms with Copics and stencilled a distress ink panel splashed with a little water. The sentiment's from Just Add Ink.  It's also going over to Time Out's Inspired by Words challenge and Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge where 'anything goes'.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Claire 

September Altenew Inspiration Challenge

Hello folks,

I've made a very simple card for  this months Altenew challenge using Hennah Elements:

Despite the large number of pinks in my Copic collection, nothing really matched the pinks in the pic so I used white embossing powder to stamp the blooms on coloured card stock. I added some detail with Copics and a sentiment - tempting as it was to add some more stamping, I thought I'd stick to a CAS design.  

Altenew also happens to be the sponsor over at Time Out this week - their 'inspired by words' challenge gave a great excuse to get the flowers out!

Happy stamping!

Claire 

Lawnfawnatics Challenge #109 - Awesome Autumn

Hello inkers,

Here's my take on Lawn Fawn's Autumn themed challenge:

I stamped a framed Autumn scene using Into the Woods. The little birdie and sentiment is from A Birdie Told me and I used one of the sprigs from Blissful Botanicals (retired) to stamp a simple background using matching ink and cardstock. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Claire

MFT Card Design Superstar - Colouring Virtuoso

Hello again,

Here's my second card for MFT's 2021 Card Design Superstar comp - this time for the 'colouring virtuoso' category. I do not profess to being a virtuoso in anything, let alone colouring but it's always fun to play along! I used Lavish Lilies, coloured with Copics:

I added a strip of stamped and distressed Wood Plank Background (retired) and the sentiment's from Itty Bitty Basics. 

Thanks for popping by!

Claire