Flower Power

Hello inkers,

Both Addicted to CAS and CAS on Friday have a flower themed challenge happening at the moment so I've combined both challenges with the pretty colours over at Sunday Stamps:

 

I used my very old and very inked Simple Sprig from Waltzingmouse Stamps together with a Waltzingmouse sentiment. I managed to get all the colours on from Sunday Stamps too so I was very happy!

Have a great weekend!

Claire

Procaffeination

Hello again, 

Who doesn't like to procaffeinate? Coffee Set was one of the last sets I bought before Waltzingmouse  Stamps closed it's virtual doors so it's an oldie but still a goodie. I love the sentiments, perfect for those friends you never run out of conversation with,  once the coffee's been made!

I used the colours from Colour Throwdown and Jen B's simple sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches.  The dp is from a very old 6x6 pad and happened to have the perfect colours - I just stamped a few beans over it to keep with the theme!

Happy stamping!

Claire

 

Altenew May Inspiration Challenge

Hello inkers,

Another month and another Altenew Inspiration challenge:

I've used Simply Spring which is a huge stamp, perfect for colouring with alcohol ink markers. I've set it against the Stacked Diamonds Cover Die and the sentiment's from Tiny Sentiments:Hello. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Sketch #696

Hello inkers!

Time for another Christmas card for MFT's Ready, Set, Christmas challenge using sketch #696:

I've used Holly Jolly Santa for this one along with an older MFT 6x6 patterned paper pad - it looks like poor Santa is getting very frustrated with Rudolph doesn't it? 

Happy stamping!

Claire x

Just Us Girls - Stencil Week

Hello folks!

Here's a simple card for Just Us Girls' stencil challenge and the Tic Tac Toe challenge:

 

I'm still playing with my new gel plate but I'm definitely finding that less is more and prefer the more muted backgrounds. When they're too vibrant and busy I just haven't a clue what to do with them!  The one above is the second pull (see, even learning the lingo) which left more white space. 

I stamped over the stencilled print (stencilled with Funky Fossil's Forest Foliage) with Altenew's Leaf Clusters - I really like how the stencilling still shows through the stamped image. The sentiment's from Ink to Paper. 

I've used the centre, horizontal line over at Tic Tac Toe - the sentiment's embossed and there's a scattering of gold sequins on the leave. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

The Paper Players - Spring Flowers

Hello again,

Here's a very quick clean and simple card for the current CAS Paper Players challenge with a Spring flowers theme:

 

I used the colours from the soon to close colour challenge at MFT - the bloom is from long retired Funky Flowers with an Itty Bitty Basics sentiment.  The stencil is from Memory Box.

It's also going over to CAS on Friday for their Spring challenge and AAA Cards Anything CAS Goes (without the anniversary twist!)

Happy stamping!

Claire

Spring Blooms

Hello and happy weekend!

A couple of floral cards today, the first is my second take on the April Inspiration challenge over at Altenew. I bought a gel press recently - it's very addictive but I've found that even after creating all these backgrounds I still hanker after white space as you can tell by these cards!

For the card above I used a lighter version of the grey/blue in the inspiration challenge and mixed a couple of dye inks on the gel press to get the right tone, then put the Altenew Beach Towel Stripes over the top of the ink and brayered over the top. I like the subtlety of it, particularly as I'm never quite sure what to do with loud backgrounds!

The bloom is from Nostalgic Florals with matching die and stencil, a sentiment from Sentiment Strips and it's framed with the Fine Frames Cover Die just to satisfy my white space craving!

The second card is using the pretty colour palette over at Sunday Stamps. The same process for the background but this time I used the Forest Foliage stencil from Funky Fossil. I added the Clearly Besotted Beautiful Friend blooms and sentiment, then framed it with a PTI die.

I'm sure I'll branch out and experiment with brighter colours - watch this space!

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Ready, Set Christmas!

Hello again,

Just a few hours left until the link closes for this month's Ready, Set, Christmas challenge: here's mine using Sweet Holiday Penguins:

 

Have a happy, merry, joyful evening!

Claire

Altenew April Inspiration Challenge

Hello again,

Here's my take on Bridget's challenge over at Altenew this month:

 

I've been hankering after an Altenew stand alone, layered die for ages and I found this one recently - it's the Open Blooms 3D Die Set. I absolutely love it and will no doubt be creating a very long wishlist.

I used distress inks with the Grid Stencil for the background and to colour the bloom. I also added a splattering of perfect pearls in gold. Very unusual for me to add splatters - I've actually worked out how to do it without getting great big splodges all over the place...it's only taken about 15 years! The sentiment is from Tiny Sentiments:Hello.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Sassy Since Birth - MFT Sketch and Colour Challenges

Hello folks,

Here's my take on MFT's sketch and colour challenges for this week:

 

The stamp is 'Happy You Day' (retired), perfect for my almost 9 year old niece who has indeed been 'sassy since birth.' It really is the perfect sentiment for her. The patterned paper is from Floor to Ceiling - I added a splash of yellow to the bricks to brighten them up a bit!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Just Us Girls - Stencil Week

Hello again,

I'm on a card making roll at the moment - here's a quick one I made for this week's Just Us Girls challenge - use a stencil:

 

This is a Stamplorations stencil Shower of Flutters. I used it in a couple of different ways - one with Glimmer Mist sprays on watercolour paper and this one,  using distress inks. I added some splattering of gold alcohol ink and the butterfly die is another Stamplorations find.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Say it With Stripes

Hello inkers,

A very CAS take on Time Out's theme of 'striped.'

 

I used PTI's Background Basics: Super Stripes and CASual Friday's Shenanigans.  Always good to get the older stash out and give it a re-ink!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Altenew March Inspiration Challenge - Take Two

Hello and happy Easter!

Just sneaking in with another go at Altenew's March Inspiration challenge from Emily which is due to close very shortly:

This time I used Ornate Foliage with the Fine Frames Rectangle Die and a sentiment from Mini White Splendour Anemone. 

Don't each too much chocolate!

Claire 

Colour Throwdown Meets The Paper Players

Hello folks, 

My inky mojo has been lacking lately - when that happens I try and learn a new technique to get it going again. 

  I love Michelle Short's Altenew tutorials, particularly this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxuSeXw8_6A&t=461s in which she uses white pigment ink to highlight embossed details using an Altenew embossing folder :

I have quite a few Altenew EB's - I love them as they produce really deeply etched images but in hindsight I wish I'd used a different one for this technique. I think a simpler one, like the one Michelle used, would probably work better. I used the colours from The Color Throwdown but then realised the white pigment ink didn't work well with cream, so I went over it with some Antique Linen distress oxide, then added some gold embossing powder. 

Since the challenge at Simon Says Stamp is to use embossing and I've used both wet and dry, I'll link up to their Monday challenge. I'm also popping it over to Addicted to CAS where the code word is 'bloom.'

Happy stamping!

Claire

 

MFT Colour/Christmas Challenge #232

Hello again,

Such a busy few weeks, card making's definitely a 'grab the opportunity whilst I can' activity at the moment - Pink last weekend, a show at the Opera House last night and high tea this afternoon. Time to give myself (and my wallet) a bit of a break and make a card...

 

This one is another Christmas card for MFT's Ready, Set, Christmas challenge using the colours from Colour Challenge #232.  I used BB Christmas SELFies with Polaroid Shaker Frame Die-namics Circle Celebration background stamp (retired.) The dp is some scraps I had left over from the Over the Rainbow paper pad. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Claire

Time Out/JUGS Collaboration Challenge: Birds of a Feather

Hello bloggers!

Here's a card for a joint challenge with Time Out and Just Us Girls where the theme is 'birds of a feather:'

 

It's always good to have an excuse to start the Christmas cards early isn't it, so I reached for these Sweet Holiday Penguins from MFT. 

I've used the sketch from MFT's latest challenge but switched to a mini slimline size as it seemed to work better with the design.  The polaroid dies are MFT Die-namics, long retired,  and the dp is from one of their older 6x6 pads. 

I'm also linking it up with the Ready, Set, Christmas challenge. Fours Christmas cards down - plenty to go!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Altenew March Inspiration Challenge

Hello folks,

Not much inkiness going on over here during the last couple of weeks - we've had birthdays galore, including my eldest's 18th so I guess I had to make him my priority! Things have settled down a bit now though, so time to get the stamps out for Altenew's March Inspiration Challenge:

This Sweet Rose Bouquet set was one of my bargain finds a couple of months ago when a local craft shop closed down. I didn't create a bouquet though and instead arranged the pretty blooms into a simple wreath with a scattering of sequins. I cut a circle out of the card stock panel first which made it so much easier to arrange them, then added dimensional tape to the panel. There aren't any sentiments in this set so I used one from Build-a-Flower Sakura Blossom. Don't you just love it when the sentiment from a different set fits perfectly? Happy days!

I'm also popping this one over to Addicted to CAS for their current 'bloom' challenge.

Happy stamping!

Claire