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

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

Less is More - Take Two

Hello inkers!

I've had another go at Less is More's White and Cream challenge:

I've white embossed PTI's Doodlie-Do flowers on cream and white card stock and the leaves are on vellum. The sentiment is from Poppy Stamps.

I've tried to keep it to a minimum of one third of the card since AAA's challenge is to use up to one third with the optional twist of using a repeating image.  (I've repeated a couple of the blooms as well as the leaves.)  I'm also throwing it over to Addicted to CAS again where the code word is 'flower' and CASology's cue card is 'plant' so I'm popping it over there too!

Happy stamping everyone!

Claire

The Magic of Christmas

Hello again,

Hope you are all keeping safe and well. Australia is relaxing a few of the lockdown rules this weekend so at last I can catch up with a couple of friends over a wine or two.  I am beyond excited to have some social interaction with some like minded adults!

This CAS card is for a few challenges - Addicted to CAS (again) where the code word is 'silhouette', CASology which has the cue card 'magical' and AAA Cards which has a challenge to use one image only:

I blended a nightfall background with distress inks and added some paint spattered snow. The stamp is from a Cherrypie Art Stamps set called Winter Spirit and hasn't really seen much ink - they're unmounted rubber stamps and I can never get the scene to sit in the correct spot on the snowy hill. This week I invested in a Tim Holtz Stamp Platform (yes, I realise I'm slow on the uptake) and I've at last been able to make use of it. The sentiment is the only sentiment in my collection which has the word 'magical' in it - it's from CAS-ual Fridays' Snowy Sayings.

Hope you take some time out to put ink to paper this weekend! Thanks for popping by,

Claire

Simple Stencilling

Hello folks,

A very quick card today for AAA's Made in Minutes challenge with the optional twist of using a stencil:

Stencilling is not my forte and neither is making quick cards. I used one of Sarah's Funky Fossil designs - in fact, I used two stencils as I had to stencil within a stencil to create the basic shape. I added a large sentiment from Simon Says Stamp, a tiny die cut butterfly from Stampin' Up and and some PPP clear droplets.

Taking into account the constant interruption from the kids, I reckon it took me about 15 minutes (most of which was spent working out where to put the droplets!)

Happy stamping!

Claire

Swell Circles

Hello fellow inkers,

In this age of isolation I'm so thankful to have a hobby that I can do at home. We're not in lockdown in Australia but looking at Europe, I'm wondering if it's only a matter of time before we are. 

Anyway, here's a CAS card for AAA Cards which has an 'along the edge' theme this week. No optional cats and dogs on this one - just a cute little puffer fish from Your Next Stamp. They have a 'critter' theme for their Friday challenge - can a puffer fish be considered a critter?

Addicted to CAS has a circle theme for their challenge so I created the 'water' by stamping lots of different sized Winnie and Walter circles in varying shades of blue.

Hope everyone is keeping safe and well in these very trying times,

Happy stamping!

Claire

CAS(E) This Sketch # 360

Hello and happy weekend to you!

I seem to have a thing about corners at the moment and made another card based on AAA's current challenge - to use one corner only. This week's sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch is the perfect inspiration:

zx

I've obviously flipped the sketch and I have to admit, may be pushing it a bit with the corner thing. The Color Bursts bled out more than I wanted against the watercolour paper so haven't quite kept to the corner. That's the problem with watercolour and Color Bursts - there's absolutely no control!

I stamped a sky of stars using a starburst stamp from Your Next Stamp and added a sweet little space traveller from MFT. Mission control - we have a finished card!

Happy stamping!

Claire x

Stampin' Up Throwback

Hello again stampers,

AAA Cards have a one corner theme this week - with the optional twist of using older supplies. My Stampin' Up Papillon Potpourri set probably hasn't seen ink for at least a couple of years.  From memory SU released it about 7 years ago - it was one of the first clear rubber stamp sets they released:

I used some Color Bursts to create the splash of colour, added a corner honeycomb die cut and an older sentiment from PTI. It's always good to be reminded about the older sets in our stash isn't it?  Note to self: use them more!

Thanks for popping by,

Claire x

MFT Sketch Challenge + AAA Cards

Hello again,

Just a quick post. The weather's going from bad to worse here in Sydney, resulting in huge power cuts all over the city. We've been without power for over 24 hours now with no indication of when it will be back up and running. What's a girl to do then, but make a couple of cards;

I used Bring Out the Sunshine for the MFT card, inspired by their Wednesday Sketch.  The second card is for AAA's latest challenge, to only use up to one third with the colours from Colour Thowdown.  I was just going to have the stars peeping out in the top half of the card but it looked a bit boring like that so I put the white card stock at a slant to create a bit more interest. I still reckon it's only a third that's showing though!

Hope you have the time to get a bit inky this week - happy stamping!

Claire x

One Layer MFT

Hello again,

It's a dreaded one layer challenge both at AAA Cards and Less is More this week. There's an optional twist at AAA to use polar animals so I used one of Stacey Yacula's Sweet Holiday Penguins from MFT and coloured him using the hues from colour challenge #134. Addicted to CAS also have a Wintry theme of 'frosty':

I'm also popping this one over to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge where 'anything goes!'

Happy stamping!

Claire x

Still Finding my Mojo...

Hello, happy weekend to you!

I'm still struggling to find my mojo after being away for a few weeks. I always find that happens when I've been on holiday - it takes me ages to get back into crafty mode and find some creativity. Maybe I left the right hand side of my brain on the plane!

So I've done a couple of challenges to try and kick start my mojo. The first is for AAA Cards using maxi white space and an optional twist of geometric:

I used a small Avery Elle stamp of 3 triangles from a set called All Squared up. After playing around I created a diamond shape and made a simple engagement card using gold and silver embossing powders for some metallic sparkle. 

The second card is for Time Out's inspired by words challenge 'dream big, be grateful, give love, laugh lots.' I've done a thank you card using a die from Stamplorations. I struggled with the placement of the sentiment - it just wouldn't sit right on the flower...don't you hate it when that happens?!

Anyway, fingers crossed I can get back into the crafty swing of it soon...hope you find your mojo this weekend!

Claire x

Rainbow Wheel

Hello bloggers,

Who can resist a challenge with the word 'rainbow' in it - that's one of the words of inspiration in Time Out's latest challenge:

This Mama Elephant Ferris wheel hasn't seen ink for ages - I don't think I even owned Copics when I bought this set so thought it would be fun way to add a splash of rainbow colour.  It took a while but I really like how it turned out.

I used AAA's simple sketch again but put the horizontal panel towards the top of the card this time. You can see my previous entry on my last post!

Thanks for calling by!

Claire x

Party Till the Cows Come Home

Hello again,

Time for a card for CASology's new challenge. The cue card is LOL which, for years, I thought meant 'lots of love.' Once I got back into the 21st century I realised it's actually 'laugh out loud,  so I used Your Next Stamp's Funny Farm Crew:'

AAA's sketch was the perfect starting point.  I only wanted one cow coloured so that it was the main focal point but when I masked the others behind him, the black ink was way too heavy,  so I embossed them in white instead - it's given a much more subtle effect!

Make sure you make time to LOL this week (and perhaps do some stamping too!)

Claire x