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

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

MFT Sketch #490

Hello and happy weekend to you!

I've been playing with the colours over at Colour Throwdown again, this time with a much more feminine card based on MFT's latest sketch:

I used Funky Flowers (now retired), white embossed on yellow card stock and vellum. The grey circle has been stamped with Garden Flourish (also retired) and the sentiment's from Essential Sentiments.  I've added a Stitched Rectangle Frame and the background panel has been stamped with Wood Plank using white ink - it's given just a little bit of texture to an otherwise plain piece of card stock but the photo probably doesn't do it justice.

In case you're wondering what's in the centre of the flower - they're called 'prills' from Heartfelt Creations. I was lucky enough to take a class with Emma Lou from HC a few years ago. She was absolutely lovely and everyone in the class got to take a small pack of prills home. It really was tiny but they've lasted ages!

 Hope you get some time to get inked up this weekend!

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

Cutting it Up for Freshly Made Sketches

Hello, hope you are enjoying your weekend and that you're gradually getting back into a vaguely normal life!

Linda has created a deceptively simple Freshly Made Sketch this week - I say deceptive as my original idea just didn't work and I ended up making something totally different to what I 'd planned:

I used a daisy die cut from MFT, together with die cut grout grey sprigs and vellum leaves. The rectangular panels have been blended with distress inks and gold embossed with a WMS stamp from Heirloom Patterns. The sentiment is from Clearly Besotted and fits with the challenge at Cut it Up - make a project to celebrate friends.  I've also used the gorgeous colours over at Colour Throwdown - definitely a palette I'll use again!

Thanks for popping by,

Happy stamping!

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

Donut Forget the Purple!

Hello folks!

I was lucky enough to win a gift certificate from Poppy Stamps a few months ago. I wasn't aware of them before I won and I do like the way a lot of their smaller sets feature a matching die along with the stamps. I inked up Donut What I'd Do for Time Out's latest challenge which is a very special one - you can read all about it here:

The theme is purple, with the optional twist of friendship - I happen to think that a lot of my friends are pretty awesome! Purple just so happens to feature in Colour Throwdown's palette this week as well, along with violet and white.  I'm also throwing it into the Simon Says Stamp's 'anything goes' Wednesday challenge.

Make sure you pop by Time Out and read a bit about why there's a purple theme this week and then pop by and have a look at Sandie's blog too.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Stamping Small

Hello inkers!

Less Is More's soon to finish challenge is to use more stamps whilst still keeping to the CAS theme:

I have so many teeny, tiny stamps that haven't ever seen a smudge of ink and sit in my stash unused and unloved as I'm never quite sure what to do with them. So I reached for W Plus 9's Fresh Cut Florals and stamped lots of really tiny flowers and leaves randomly on some card stock. I put a layer of soft blue distress ink over the top,  then die cut 'hello' from the stamped area and and added a thick layer of Glossy Accents. After masking a strip underneath, using the same set of stamps, I put it against a white embossed background, then added a die cut edge along the top. The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse.

I'm also popping it over to a couple of other challenges - Colour Throwdown's latest palette and Time Out's inspiration pic. I took my cue from the pinks and blues in the picture and the pretty edged, white plate hanging on the wall.

Thanks for popping by,

Claire

Altenew Woes

Hello folks,

Here's a CAS card using CAS(E) This Sketch as inspiration and the colours from Colour Throwdown:

I've used Floral Motifs from Altenew - yet again I despair with my colouring of my Altenew blooms...I never feel like I do them justice!

Happy stamping!

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

Freshly made Sketch #420

Hello and happy Monday to you!

I've been playing around with the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches using the colours from Colour Throwdown:

I've used Waltzingmouse's Simple Sprig for the main image and stamped the same image on the background panel using Grout Grey Ink on Grout Grey card stock.  I love using matching inks and card stock as it looks subtle and doesn't overpower the card.  The sentiment is from Altenew and the stamped red circle around the die cut was a freebie I received recently from Winnie and Walter. I'd won a gift voucher and they threw in another stamp set for free as they were closing down - how nice is that!

Hope you get the time to get inky this week!

Claire x