Altenew November Inspiration Challenge

Hello folks, happy weekend and happy thanksgiving to those in the US!

Michelle Short has given another of her great tag tutorials using the reverse side of an Altenew embossing folder. It's so ridiculously simple but produces such an amazing effect I had to have a go using the colours from this months inspiration challenge:

 

In a nutshell, you plonk down some ink on the reverse side of the embossed card, then gently swipe over it with some black pigment ink. That's it. This was my first attempt and even my 15 year old son, who has about as much interest in card making as I do in gaming,  said he was impressed! I did have another go but was a bit heavy handed with the black ink. Next time I'll probably cut down the panel and have my usual white space but I love how it turned out. I haven't got the colours in different shades so it was difficult to create some depth with the inking like Michelle has, but most of it comes from the black ink anyway I think. 

I used the Spring Blossoms EB and the sentiment's from Elegant Sayings. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

CAS MFT Colour Challenge #223

Hello inkers,

Here's a very CAS card for MFT's latest colour challenge:

 

I did a very simple background with alcohol inks on yupo paper and the stamp is from Fluttering Friends (retired), coloured with Copics. I love an alcohol ink background but I just wish the paper was a clean, pure white...to me it always looks like a dirty white. But I guess that's me being very pedantic! I've stamped the sentiment with pigment ink and 24 hours later it's almost dry...another reason I don't use yupo very often!

This one's also going over to Less is More for their 'anything goes' CAS challenge. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

Color Hues Guest Designer

Hello folks!

I'm delighted to be guest designer for Color Cues this week - it's a gorgeous palette, perfect for Christmas cards:

I immediately thought of this poinsettia die when I saw the colours.  I've never really liked the leaves which came with the die so I added some gold embossed foliage with Waltzingmouse's Simple Sprig and some glittery die cut leaves.  The embossed background is an Altenew EB with a sentiment from WMS. Of all the stamps in my stash I think this Simple Sprig is one of my all time favourites - it's seen so much ink I'm amazed it's not worn away over time!

Make sure you go and say an inky hi to the DT and link up your card using the colours for a chance to be a future guest designer!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Freshly Made Sketch #611

Hello again,

Love the Autumnal colours over at Sunday Stamps - I paired them with Jen's layered sketch at Freshly Made Sketches:

 

Some older stamps on this one - Papertrey Ink's Lovely Layers and Waltzingmouse's Simple Sprig (since it was already out!) all set against an Altenew EB. I decided to make a standard card rather than a square one for the simple reason I don't have any square envelopes!

Happy stamping!

Claire 

Less is More - Blue, Pink and White

Hello inkers,

Here's a CAS card for Less is More's latest challenge to use blue, pink and white:

A friend of mine gave me Avery Elle Rounded Diamonds recently. I've always liked this set but never known quite what to do with it. So many times I've taken it out, inked up one of the diamonds and had a complete mental block which meant that I never actually used it.

This time I decided to white emboss one of said stamps and just colour - in times of mental block my motto is 'if all else fails just colour.'  It actually took me longer to work out how to put them on the card then it did to colour them. I finished it off by adding a very old PTI sentiment.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Freshly Made Sketch #608

Hello folks!

My mojo has been severely lacking this week. When that happens I always reach for trusty stamps that I know will give me a crafty kick up the backside - in this case it's Doodlie-Do from PTI :

I used Judy's lovely, layered sketch over at  Freshly Made Sketch and the colours from Color Throwdown with the barest amount of colouring as I think the blooms are just as pretty as is. The frame is also PTI with dp from MFT - cover plate and sentiment from Altenew. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

Color Hues Meets Time Out

Hello again,

Time Out has an Inspired by Words challenge this week. I've combined it with the colours over at Color Hues, which I think may be the first time I've entered one their challenges:

I never make slimline cards.  I looked up the dimensions recently and couldn't believe how big they are - I honestly wouldn't know how to fill the space! However, I hadn't realised that there's also a mini version of a slimline card (3.5" x 6") which seemed a lot easier to use. In fact it's the perfect size for this pretty Altenew set, Handpicked Bouquet.  I stencilled the background with embossing paste and added a thank you sentiment from the same set,  in keeping with the 'gratitude' part of the TO quote. 

Happy stamping!

Claire