Lavinia Stamps - November Creative Challenge

Hello inkers,

Time for a new Lavinia Stamps challenge with a 'Time to Sparkle' theme:

I've used the dramatic hues over at Sunday Stamps to colour in these Zen Houses with Copics. I used my gelli plate for the background and added some sparkling snow using Kindyglitz. Sparkle never seems to show up in photos but I can tell you it's positively twinkling!

Happy stamping!

Claire

 

Sunday Stamps SSC #340

Hello again,

There's nothing like a layered sketch to use up some of the patterned paper I've been hoarding: 

I used a whole heap of My Mind's Eye papers from years ago - the cute little bee is from Your Next Stamp and sentiment is MFT. 

Thanks for popping by,

Claire

Sunday Stamps - Mosaic Madness

Hello again,

 As soon as I saw the bold colour palette over at Sunday Stamps I knew which stamp set I wanted to use:

 

 

 

 

 

Folk Art Medallion is an older, much used Waltzingmouse set. This came out long before the Misti was ever invented so you had to have a steady hand when using it. So much easier with a stamping platform! The sentiment is from Altenew's Timeless Sentiments die cuts.

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Ready Set Christmas Meets Sunday Stamps

Hello inkers,

Not much blogging going on this week but I've got quite a few guest design spots coming up over the coming weeks so there's been plenty of paper playing in the background. Here's a quick card I did for MFT's Ready, Set, Christmas challenge using the sketch from Sunday Stamps:

 

I used Yuzu Holly Jolly Santa, Bitty Holiday Wishes, various Blueprints dies and patterned papers - all of which are retired. I changed the position of the sentiment otherwise poor Santa would look like he was gagged!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Sunday Stamps Challenge #337

Hello again,

Love the latest colour inspiration over at Sunday Stamps this week - so pretty!

 

Pretty colours require pretty stamps and you can't get much prettier than Nostalgic Florals from Altenew. I have the matching stencil for this set but decided to use Copics for a change. I've used some pinks from the Red-Violet spectrum but I find them so difficult to blend! After getting RSI from all that blending I added in some pencil strokes...pencil is most definitely not my colouring forte! 

Happy with how it turned out - kind of. But I think I'll stick to using the stencil in future.

Thanks for popping by,

Claire

Flower Power

Hello inkers,

Both Addicted to CAS and CAS on Friday have a flower themed challenge happening at the moment so I've combined both challenges with the pretty colours over at Sunday Stamps:

 

I used my very old and very inked Simple Sprig from Waltzingmouse Stamps together with a Waltzingmouse sentiment. I managed to get all the colours on from Sunday Stamps too so I was very happy!

Have a great weekend!

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 

Altenew - October Inspiration Challenge

Hello folks,

This month's Inspiration Challenge over at Altenew is being hosted by Hannelie whose designs I always love!  She's happened to use one of my favourite colour combos too:

 

I find it very therapeutic stamping these pretty Build-a-Flower Sakura Blossoms - I love how they look against the clean white panel. I cut the panel with the Floral In N' Out Border Die to add some subtle detail to the background and the bold sentiment is from the same stamp set. 

Since I had that die out I thought I'd use it in Addicted to CAS' latest challenge - to use dies only. It's so intricate I don't think anything else is required. I blended three of the Autumnal hues over at Sunday Stamps (More Mustard, Fired Earth and Tattered Rose) and and added an Altenew stamped sentiment. Too easy as they say Down Under!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Shaping Up!

Hello folks!

Here's a super CAS card using the sketch from Sunday Stamps and the code word 'shapes' over at Addicted to CAS:

 

I used a couple of older sets from CAS-ual Fridays and Avery Elle. The Avery Elle set, All Squared Up,  has a trio of little triangles that I stamped around the bold sentiment to create a star. I also added some Glossy Accents to the dots on the 5 to add some shine.

Enjoy your weekend!

Claire

Aloha! Sunday Stamps with MFT Sketch #634

Hello again,

I've used the pretty colours over at Sunday Stamps for this one with the latest sketch at MFT:

I haven't inked up this sweet BB character from Polynesian Paradise (retired) for a long time but she's still there dancing away! The background has been stamped using Circle Celebration background stamp (retired.)

Happy stamping!

Claire

Ready, Set Christmas with MFT

 Hello inkers,

MFT have started a brand new monthly Christmas challenge so it's a great opportunity to get those Christmas cards under way.  I was going through my (many) MFT stamps the other day and hadn't realised quite how many of them are Christmas related!

I used Holiday Cheer (retired) with a selection of Blueprints Dynamics and some MFT patterned paper. The colours are from Sunday Stamp's pretty Winter palette - totally different to colours I'd normally use on a Christmas card but I really like the combo!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Sunday Stamps #299

Hello and happy new year to you!

My first card for 2023 is for Sunday Stamps and it's a very simple one with a very old and very used stamp set from Waltzingmouse - Asian Gardens:

 

I managed to get almost all the colours on there using distress inks, although a lot brighter than those in the pic! The neutral Antique Linen didn't blend too well with the Wild Honey...I do find I get a lazy when it comes to blending DI and never seem to get a perfectly blended look. Like watercolouring it's a source of inky frustration!

Hope you all have a happy and healthy 2023!

Claire

Altenew - A Year in Review Inspiration Challenge

Hello folks,

I always like the Altenew Inspiration challenge in December as you can choose whichever colour combo you like from the year.  Because I was away I went with the colours for November: 

I've based my layout on the sketch at Sunday Stamps using Beautiful Day with a sentiment from Sentiment Strips and  I've popped it on an embossed background using Majestic Bloom.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Holiday Greetings with Sunday Stamps

Hello inkers!

It's been a long time since I posted a card. A holiday in Spain and the UK kind of gets in the way of any craftiness - especially when the kids and hubby stay at home! That's right - all the boys stayed at home whilst I had a post Covid reunion with family and friends. I'm not sure they wanted me to come back to be perfectly honest!

 I always find when I go away the inky mojo stays wherever I've been and takes quite a while to kick back in. What better way than a Christmas card for a few of my favourite challenges - Sunday Stamp's colours, Time Out's holiday theme and The Paper Players' feature a Santa challenge. 

 

I love these cute selfie images from Stacey Yacula at MFT - coloured with Copics with a sprinkle of holographic glitter along Santa's hat.  The striped background is a stencil from Altenew.

Here's hoping it won't be almost 3 months until my next card!

Happy stamping!

Claire

MFT Colour Challenge #196

 Hello folks,

Another Christmas card using the colours from MFT and the sketch from Sunday Stamps:

I've used Freezin's Greetings with Christmas Background and a sentiment from Bitty Holiday Wishes.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Autumn Hues

 Hello folks,

Lots of Autumn themed challenges out there in blogland so here's a card combining the latest Freshly Made Sketch with the Autumnal theme over at The Paper Players and all the colours from Sunday Stamps:

Not much stamping but heaps of die cuts with a sunflower from MFT Die-namics and various die cut sprigs and leaves from goodness knows where! The sentiment's from MFT and the embossed background is Altenew. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

Feeling Festive

Hello, happy weekend!

I'm cracking on with my Christmas cards and the latest colours at MFT are perfect so I used the ever popular Santa's Elve's combined with the layered sketch over at Sunday Stamps: 

I added few papers from the Very Merry paper pad and the sentiment's from Bitty Holiday Wishes. Can you believe I've had that stamp set for years and I don't think I've ever inked up that elf?  He does look like he's been a bit neglected - hopefully he made Santa's 'nice' list!

This one's also going over to Time Out who have a festive themed challenge happening.

Happy stamping!

Claire