Birthday Twosome

Hi bloggers,

Here's a couple of birthday cards, the first using the pretty colour palette from The Colour Throwdown:

I'm throwing this over to Less is More which has a recipe challenge featuring solid and outline stamps. I used Winnie and Walter's Big Bang Confetti and a sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays, stamped in black.  I'm also popping it over to Addicted To CAS who have a one layer challenge>

The second card is for MFT's Wednesday Sketch Challenge which I've combined with their latest Birthday Project challenge - to make a card featuring a party.  I used so many different stamp sets for this one - Birthday Chicks, Hog Heaven, Happy Hippos and Rain or Shine, with a sentiment from Fluttering Friends. The DP is from the Sweet celebration Paper Pad. 

Hope you get the chance to get inky this week!

Claire

CAS Shenanigans!

Hello, happy Thursday to you!

I'm playing along with The Paper Players for the very first time with my latest card. They have a 'men in mind' clean and simple challenge happening and since there's a distinct lack of masculine cards in my stash, it was the perfect time for me to join in:

I've used a couple of different sets - CAS-ual Fridays' Shenanigans and Whimsy Stamps' Happy Everything.  The colours are inspired by Colour Throwdown's new colour palette which I thought would be perfect for a masculine card.

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Sketch #488

Hello, hello,

Another couple of cards for you - the first is for MFT's Sketch Challenge using Flower Fairies and Radiating Rays Stencil:

The second is for Less Is More's new challenge which is to use white and cream:

I'm actually wondering if I can get away with this one being 'cream.'  I used Antique Linen distress  ink which is kind of a beigey cream but actually looks like a soft brown in the photo.  I think I'll leave it to the DT to decide if it's still eligible for the challenge and if not, I may do another take.

Have a wonderful day!

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

Time Out for MFT

Hello Inkers,

I've been having another play with the inspiration pic over at Time Out  but this time managed to throw a bit of Kraft on the card so that it matches the colours over at Colour Throwdown: 

 As well as the colours I've been inspired by the heavy patterns on the chair - the shape of the cushion made me think of CAS-ual Friday's Starlequin background stamp so I white embossed it and added the Mon Ami bloom. The diamond patterned flag is from PTI's Centre Style Masculine mini set.

 My second card is for MFT's colour challenge and their Birthday Project challenge which is to use circles.  I used Bubble Over with Joy (retired) with the Basic Shapes Circles Stencil. I'm also popping it over to CAS on Friday which has a Bunny theme happening. I've never entered one of their challenges before so I'm hoping it's CAS enough!

Thanks for stopping by,

Claire

Getting Sketchy

Hello,

Here's couple of cards using sketches from this week's Freshly Made Sketch and My Favourite Things:

I've used a couple of snowy sets from CAS-ual Fridays for the first one. It looked a bit bland with the rectangle panel so I cut a Stitched Mod Rectangle  from MFT to give it a few curves.

The second card is for Time Out, using a sketch from MFT and the colours from their colour challenge. I used Funky Flowers (now retired) with a sentiment from Essential Sentiments and the background has been stamped in Cement Gray, using Wood Plank (retired.)

Thanks for stopping by,

Claire

CAS Christmas

Hello again, hope everyone is well. 

I'm on a bit of a roll with my Christmas cards - only a pandemic could see me making Christmas cards in March! I recently won a voucher for Poppy Stamps and bought Tidings of Joy as I knew it would enable me to make a whole heap of super simple cards for the holiday:

They looked a little too CAS with only the greeting so I added a snowflake from CAS-ual Fridays Snowy Sayings and a tiny jewel in the middle for a little Christmas sparkle.  I also embossed the panel to add some texture so I'm popping this over to Addicted to CAS for their 'texture' challenge (again!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Claire

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

Time Out - Guest Designer

Hello folks!

I'm so thrilled to be guest designer over at one of my favourite challenge blogs this week - Time Out. They have an 'inspired by words' challenge for you to get your inky teeth into - 'with freedom, flowers and the moon, who could not be happy?' As it's Independence Day over in the US, it's a very appropriate quote from Oscar Wilde:

So many directions you could go with this - I chose to make a card featuring this sweet little bunny from CAS-ual Fridays Somebunny with a scattering of stars from Your Next Stamp. 

This week's challenge is sponsored by Catherine Pooler so that gives you even more of an excuse to join in the fun. Make sure you go and check out her website and pop over to the DT's blogs for some Independence Day inspiration!

Thanks for popping by,

Claire x

AAA and CASology Take 3!

Hello again,

It's a rare day that I manage to enter a challenge twice, let alone three times,  but something about the CASology and AAA challenges must have whetted my creative appetite!

This is what I originally had in mind for both challenges - a simple strip of PTI's Watercolor Wonder stamped at the base of the card with a big, bold sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays. I stamped the sentiment in black but thought it need a bit of a boost so added a second white embossed layer with a touch of clear glitter to create a shadowed sentiment.  I reckon this design would work well as a really simple Christmas card - just with Christmas colours and sentiment!

Happy stamping!

Claire x

FMS - Winter Wishes

Hi bloggers!

Time for a quick card for Freshly Made Sketches:

The sweet little penguin is from Penguin's Winter Adventure by Whimsy Stamps.  I've created the snowy background using CAS-ual Friday's Snowy Sayings so I'm also popping it over to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge to create your own patterned paper.

Happy stamping!

Claire x

Fusion - Take 2

Hello fellow inkers!

I enjoyed the Fusion challenge so much that I thought I'd have a second go at it. This time I looked at the picture with my glasses on - and realised that there isn't actually any orange on it.  You can see my previous, incorrect take on it if you look at the previous post!  Note to self: keep my specs on when crafting! I used the latest sketch from Freshly Made Sketches for the layout:

The second card is for Time Out - I thought there was so much to draw from - the striped cushion, the butterfly and the way the wall has the subtle detail which almost looks like it's embossed:

Have a fabulous week!

Claire x

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