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

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

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

MFT Sketch Challenge #686

Hello folks,

Here's a quick take on the soon to be finished sketch challenge over at MFT:

 

I used Buzzing with Happiness, Stitched Scallop Basic Edges Dienamics and a stitched frame. 

I also added a honeycomb stencilled background so this one's winging its way over to Just Us Girls as well for their stencil challenge.

Thanks for popping by!

Claire

Four Challenges in One Card

Hello Inkers,

There's so many CAS Christmas challenges out there I managed to fit them all on the one card! Just Us Girls are challenging us to make a CAS card with the image in a circle, AAA Cards to use black, gold and white, Less is More is to use D, as in Deck the Halls and CAS on Friday is to make a Christmas card:

 

I used this sweet dove silhouette and sentiment from Gina K's Christmas Silhouettes - I figured as she's carrying a piece of mistletoe it will fit with the LIM challenge! It's gold embossed along with the circle stamp from Winnie and Walter - I cut a smaller circle in the middle and matted it on white, then mounted it with dimensional tape. 

I love the simple sentiment - hoping 2024 brings a lot more peace, love and joy for the world!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Just Us Girls - 700 Challenges!

Hello folks,

Another great challenge is celebrating a big birthday this week - Just Us Girls are celebrating a huge 700 challenges with colour week:

 

So I started this card for my youngest who turns 15 shortly - then realised that I'd completely run out of kraft card stock. 🙄 The Grout Grey was the closest I had in my stash but if it's pushing it JUGS can always hit delete!  All the stamps are very old sets from PTI with a sentiment from MFT - it makes me laugh, the Wii remote looks really dated now, almost retro!

Happy stamping and happy birthday JUGS!

Claire

Altenew September Inspiration Challenge

Hello, happy weekend to you!

A pretty, autumnal palette for the Altenew Inspiration Challenge this month:

 

I switched from my usual Copics and used pencils to colour this Nostalgic Florals bloom. I'm still very much a beginner with pencils - I have a lot more colours to choose from but it really is hit and miss whether I get the blends right. They're cheaper knock offs as well as I didn't want to commit to buying an expensive brand until I'd tried them out. Would be interested to see whether it's any easier with the branded ones!

I framed the flower using the Simple Frame embossing folder swiped with Versamark and gold embossed. The sentiment's from Sentiment Strips (1). 

This one's also going over to Just the Girls for their mood board challenge - I was inspired by the colours of the leaves, the kraft notebook in the 2nd pic and the cream latte art on the coffee!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Christmas CAS

Hello inkers,

Here's a CAS Christmas card for the latest Just Us Girls CAS challenge (to use three of something) and the Addicted to CAS code word challenge 'wish':

 

I bought the Holiday Silhouettes set from Gina K a couple of months ago, completely enabled by this card that Carol made for one of the past JUGs challenges. Doesn't it just go to show that the best product advertising is through beautiful cards made by other card makers?

I silver embossed these three baubles, coloured them in varying shades of pink then added a bit of sparkle with some glitter and a crystal in the centre. The scalloped die cut is MFT.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Just Us Girls #681: CAS Week - Silhouette

Hello folks,

Time for a new challenge at Just Us Girls where I'm guesting for May - this week it's CAS week with the theme being 'silhouette:' 

I haven't got too many solid stamps in my collection - most of them are outline stamps as I like to colour so I reached for the dies and created a little country scene. I sponged a dawn background with distress inks and added a Memory Box die cut in black card stock. The sentiment and balloon is from Mama Elephant and  I framed the scene with a die cut frame from PTI.

How will you interpret the word 'silhouette?'  Link up to JUGS for the chance to be 'Chic of the Week' or a future guest designer. This is my last week for this month so hope you've enjoyed all the challenges for May - do check out the cards by the DT for some silhouette inspiration!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Just Us Girls: Challenge #680 - Photo/Moodboard Week

Hello, hope you've had a great start to the weekend!

Time for a new challenge at Just Us Girls where I'm guest designing this month. This week they have a moodboard from which you can draw inspiration:

There was so much to be inspired by but I went with the blue and aqua colour scheme from the sofa and cushion as well as the beautiful stone. To try and replicate the layered colours of the stone I used alcohol inks to create a background. I wanted that to be the main feature so I added a couple of simple Lotus blooms from Altenew, embossed in white on vellum and a simple sentiment. 

How will you be inspired by the moodboard? Link your creation for the chance to be Chic of the Week or future guest designer and don't forget to swing by the DT to send them some inky love!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Just Us Girls Challenge #679: Word Week

Hello folks!

Time for a new challenge from Just Us Girls where I'm delighted to be guest designer this month.  It's Word Week and the word is 'wedding:'

This was the perfect word for me as one of my oldest and closest friends is getting married in the UK in June. Being on the opposite side of the world I've had to get used to missing important events for family and friends but this is one I'm particularly upset about missing. Living in Australia is wonderful - but it does come at a cost. Even though I can't be there I'll certainly be having a drink (or two) on the bride and groom's behalf!

I used an older WPlus9 set for this one - I've always love the sentiment in it. I wanted lots of white space but I've added a simple frame from Altenew, the outside of which I've cut out of glitter card stock. You have to have a bit of sparkle on your wedding day don't you?

As always the DT have some gorgeous cards to give you some ideas so pop over to their blogs and make a comment. Link your card and you've got the chance to be picked as Chic of the Week or be invited to guest design for a future month!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Just Us Girls #678 - Colour Week: Guest Designer

Hello inkers, thank goodness it's the weekend!

I'm chuffed to bits to be guest designer for Just Us Girls for this month. They've got some wonderful challenges lined up for May to get those inky taste buds going.  This week it's a colour challenge which happen to be my two favourites - pink and yellow:

I love these sweet MFT piggies and having to use pink was the perfect excuse for me to ink them up and get colouring.

There's lots of great cards from the DT to inspire you so link up your card using the colours and you could be the next Chic of the Week or have the opportunity to guest design for future challenges.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Three Challenges - One Card!

Hello inkers!

There's some lovely fresh, Spring inspired challenges out in blogland at the moment - The Paper Players has a clean and simple flower challenge,  The Card Concept has an inspiration photo and Just Us Girls has a mood board with very similar colours and themes:

 

I have to admit this should be cleaner and simpler than it actually is but I managed to smear green ink all over my nice clean card - I seem to really struggle to keep my cards clean! I saved it by adding a white panel and gave it some dimension using dimensional tape. For the vertical stripes I used embossing paste with Altenew's Beach Towel Stripes Stencil.  The Just Add Ink blooms have been stamped with pigment ink and embossed using holographic glitter EB.

I was inspired by the colours over at The Card Concept and the middle left pic in the JUG's mood board. When I saw the clean, horizontal strips of the wood panels I immediately thought of the Altenew stencil. 

Thanks for popping by!

Claire

Sweet Christmas Wishes

Hello inkers,

Sometimes all a girl/boy wants to do is colour isn't it? So, in keeping with the CAS colouring challenge over at Just Us Girls I got out the Copics and made a very simple Christmas card using MFT's Sweet Christmas Wishes:

I used the colours again from MFT Colour Challenge #206 and I'm popping it over to their Ready, Set, Christmas challenge which has really made me get organised and get some Christmas cards done rather than leave it to November!

Happy stamping!

Claire

My Little Hoot!

Hello, happy weekend to you!

Some of my much loved stamp sets have been very neglected recently so I was determined to wipe off the dust and use a few older sets for this card. Four different challenges - Just Us Girls 'use a stencil', Time Out's 'make your own background', Sunday Stamps colour palette and the latest Freshly Made Sketch from Jacquie Southas:

 

This is an older Hero Arts set for Operation Write Home (2014). For the strip of background behind the owls I've blended some distress inks and added a stencilled sun peeping through the stamped Winnie and Walter birch trees. I'm probably pushing it a bit with the stencil but I can assure you it is there! 

This one's going to my youngest son in October. I've just booked to go back to the UK for the first time in 3 years, without the kids and hubby - as if that's not bad enough I'm also missing his birthday so I figure a special card from me is definitely required! 

Happy stamping!

Claire

Altenew August Inspiration Challenge

Hello inkers,

There's a Summer-inspired pic for this month's Altenew challenge - it makes me feel lovely and warm just looking at it:

It took at least two attempts which failed miserably - they're not colours I'd normally use but when I saw the inspiration pic over at Time Out,  the silhouetted grasses made me think of one of my newer sets - Leaf Clusters. I really love the sentiments in this set. 

It's Just Us Girls' Word Week so I've added the butterfly from Ori Kami, coloured with Copics. I'm also popping it over to Less is More who have a butterflies challenge happening as well. 

My leaves looked a little flat so I added a little gold embossing using a teeny tiny stamp from Hennah Elements - a few gold sequins and it was done. 

Happy stamping!

Claire