MFT Sketch Challenge - #700!

Hello folks,

So I'm in the throes of Covid unfortunately - I've managed to avoid it for the last couple of years so can't really complain, but it's definitely taken more of a toll than it did first time round. 

In between resting, Netflix and not much else I've managed to make a couple of simple cards. The first is for MFT's whopping 700th sketch challenge and colour challenge #237:

Lots of MFT products on this one - Hanging with my Gnomies, Drawn by Hand Background Stamp, Small Brick Wall Stencil,  Essential Sentiments and a Stitched Rectangle Frame to finish it off. 

 

The card above is my second one for Time Out's 'magical' challenge using Lavinia Stamps sweet fairy, Pan. I love doing these ink splattered backgrounds on my gel plate - they're so random and I'm never quite sure how they're going to turn out. The purples/blues worked well - the greens and yellows not so much and the background looked like a sheet of mouldy paper!

Time for a rest...again!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Time to be Magical

Hello folks!

My Gelli plate has been out again, this time to create a background for Time Out's 'magical' challenge:

 

I've been watching lots of Lavinia Stamp's YouTube tutorials recently and used this one for some background inspiration. I didn't have Brushos so used Twinkling H2O's which has given a very different look to the one in the video. 

I used Olivia (small) and the foliage is Technique Tuesday with a sentiment from Poppy Stamps.  

Thanks for popping by!

Claire

Channelling Lime Doodle

Hello inkers!

I love the simplicity of Jen B's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week. It gave me the perfect opportunity to completely CASE/rip off one of Debby Hughes' stunning cards at Lime Doodle:

 

When I first saw her card I immediately bought Evergreen Bough distress ink as I love the colours she used (Antique Linen, Evergreen Bough and Black Soot.) I kept mine very simple and I wish I'd been a bit more heavy handed with the Antique Linen but I'm happy with how it's turned out. I love all the jewels and drops she's used on her card but since I have none of them in my stash they'll have to go on my never ending inky Wishlist.

This one's also going over to Time Out where the challenge is to use the theme 'free.' This little scene reminds me of the saying 'free as a bird' - very pertinent since we've all been isolating for so long!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Less is More #397

Hello folks,

I wouldn't have thought of using the colours together at Less is More but when I saw the beautiful cards by the DT I realised what a pretty combo they are:

I have to admit it was made in record time as it's almost the end of the challenge!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Moonlit Leaves?

Hello, hello,

Hope you are having a great Sunday! Super quick CAS card to show you for this week's CASology challenge and the new Addicted to CAS challenge:

I masked a moon and sponged a background with a combination of distress inks and SU inks. Am I pushing it a bit thinking I can get away with 'leaves?' I'm not sure if you would class this plant as having reeds or leaves?!  Anyway, ATCAS team, feel free to delete away if it doesn't fit in with the theme!

Thanks for stopping!

Claire x

Colour Q #301

Hello there!

Did you manage to have a play with the Colour Q palette last week? If not, then why not have a play with these ones instead:

It was a bit of a struggle to find the colours in my stash for this one - my Midnight Muse is almost dry and I only have a very old (and almost empty) Cameo Coral marker from SU. In the end I opted to sponge a masked background using More Mustard distress ink, together with the marker and an apricot-like ink from Versamark.  At least I managed to squeeze just enough ink out of the Midnight Muse to stamp the Penny Black blossoms!

There's some really gorgeous cards by the rest of the DT this week - why not pop along to these lovely ladies blogs for some more inspiration:

Lisa

Jen

Sylvia

Amy

Kim

Happy stamping!

Claire x

Colour Q #294

Hello for the second time today!

So are you ready for Summer (if you're in that part of the world)?  This weeks Colour Q hues are a Summery, sunny affair inspired by these pretty, frilly thongs:

I used a combination of MME patterned papers and ink for this card - I masked and sponged a Summer background scene using Soft Sky, Daffodil Delight and Mustard Seed distress inks.  I then used Frayed Burlap to stamp the flowers from Technique Tuesday's One of a Kind. Don't forget, if you haven't got the exact colours, just use the closest at hand.

I loved the layered sketch over at Fusion this week so I used that for some added inspiration. 

There's heaps more inspiration from the rest of the design team so make sure you go and check out their creations and leave them some love!

Happy stamping!

Claire x

Thinking of You

Hello bloggers!

I haven't had a play over at The Card Concept for a while - they currently have a 'Thinking of You' challenge which I've combined with the latest Retro Sketch:

I haven't inked up W Plus 9's Fresh Cut Florals for ages - as soon as I saw the inspiration pic I thought this would be  the perfect set to use. The chevron arrows peeping through the card stock belong to a strip of washi tape. Despite the many 'thinking of you' sentiments in my stash, not a single one fitted the image so I used a sentiment from a Technique Tuesday set instead..I think 'I'm here for you' gives the same impression!

I'm sticking this one into the 'classy and elegant' category this week - hope you get the chance to join in!

Claire x

Playing with Watercolour

G'day bloggers!

How's your weekend going? I've been having a little play with the watercolour paints for the latest CASual Fridays challenge:

I do like watercolours,  but I have to say it's a technique that's definitely not my forte.  A masked sunset is just about my limit. I've had this die cut for about a year now - it was one of the first dies I cut using my Silhouette and it's been sat in my 'things I hope to use one day' box ever since.

Since I masked a big sun in the background I thought it would be eligible for the Casology challenge as well.  Far back in the recesses of my mind I seem to remember a winning card similar to this, but I only thought of it after I'd finished making this one. So much for originality eh?

Thanks for popping by,

Claire x

Getting Distressed - Colour Q #258

Hello bloggers!

Well, I'm not really distressed...just playing around with some Distress Inks for the brand new challenge over at Colour Q:

I've been doing lots of clean and layered cards recently so I thought I'd go for something a little more CAS this week.  Blackberry Bliss is a funny old colour and I was struggling to find anything in my stash until I remembered some new Distress Inks I bought recently. I blended Seedless Preserves and Mustard Seed onto some saffron coloured, honeycomb paper by MME.  I then stamped the Technique Tuesday images and added a grey sentiment from the same set - 'One of a Kind.'  Nice and easy - sometimes I feel like I'm cheating when I do a 10 minute card!

It just so happens that this card fits in perfectly with the new cue word over at Casology too - don't you just love it when that happens?

Hope you get the chance to get crafty this week! Thanks for popping by,

Claire x

CASology Week #86

Hello again!


Told you I'd be back. Well I did a little happy dance last week when I won the CASology challenge -   Melissa dropped me a line to see if I'd be guest designer so the dancing continued, albeit with a mild sense of panic that I might not be up for the job!  This week the cue word is 'roots.'

  

I had a couple of ideas but went for the simplest in the end - I embossed the Technique Tuesday stamps in white on black, then used the same stamp in black for the background. Couldn't get much simpler really could it?!

Make sure you check out the design team's cards - they blow me away every week with their amazing creativity and take on the cue word. Hope you get the chance to join in and thanks so much for the guest spot Melissa!

Claire x

Pretty in Pink

Evening folks!

Hope your weekend is is going well - it's Australia Day here today.....a day for celebrating all things Aussie by throwing a shrimp or two on the barbie, downing a cold beer and putting your feet up to watch the cricket. So,  just a quick post for this week's Casology cue word which I combined with CAS(E) This Sketch:

You could go in so many directions with this word couldn't you...the options are endless.  I thought I'd play around with a Technique Tuesday set I've been lusting after for months. I'm not normally a 'one layer' person but it's the perfect stamp set for this type of sponged CAS card, even for a one layer novice like me!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Claire x