MFT Colour Challenge

Hello Inkers,

February already and not many cards to show for it - nothing like an MFT challenge to encourage me to get colouring though:

All MFT products except the '60'. It doesn't seem two minutes since I started sending 50th cards and now I'm on to the 60th's....sometimes I wish I could wind back the time!

Happy stamping!

Claire

 

Breaking the Card Drought: Freshly Made Sketch - 717

Hello inkers, happy new year!

I can't believe it's been over 3 months since I made a card.  I've gone back to work full time in a new industry in a job that's busy 100% of the time and it doesn't leave room for much card making. Loving it, but I wish I had the time to ink up more often!

 

I had a little time off over Christmas, most of it spent holidaying with friends but I did manage to make this card for my father-in-law, using Freshly Made Sketch 717.  All the stamps I used are pretty ancient - almost as old as that typewriter probably!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Geometric Rainbow

Hello folks,

Just sneaking in with a CAS card for the geometric challenge over at Addicted to CAS:

 

A very old WMS stamp for this one with coloured in a rainbow of Copics. I'm amazed I was able ink up each of those CAS-ual Fridays 'Celebrate' letters individually without getting ink all over that white space!

Happy stamping!

Claire

CAS Cat

Hello again,

This week's AAA Cards challenge intrigued me - it's a very simple version of Tic Tac Toe using the central theme of silhouettes with one of the other prompts. I chose pets: 

 

This is a simplified version of a couple of cards I made for last months's Lavinia Stamps creative challenge. I also tried to make it a little more masculine by using a masculine font for the sentiment and sticking to neutral colours. Having said that I asked my husband if he thought it was a masculine card - to which he replied a resounding no! I'm still going to enter it into Addicted to CAS's masculine challenge though.  I'm sure there are plenty of men out there who love cats...I just need to find one to send it to!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Seize the Birthday - Masculine: Guest Designer

Hello,

So happy to be the surprise party guest for Seize the Birthday's latest challenge.  The theme is 'masculine:'

I feel like it's ages since I inked up a masculine card - I really don't do enough of them which is very silly as I live in a house with 3 strapping males. 

I used a very old stamp set from Close to my Heart which I haven't inked up for about 7 years. I have to say I struggled with it - the entire card face was covered in those stamped and hand cut chevrons but the background was so busy the sentiment was just lost. So, I decided to add some 'white' space and framed some of the pattern with a circular die cut panel, then added the Altenew lime frame to match the colours.

Go check out the talented DT over at their blogs and see the amazing cards they've done to inspire you. Who knows, you may 'take the cake' and be a future party guest!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Funky Feathers

Hello bloggers,

 After a little break I'm back in the inky swing of it- a good job as October brings a multitude of family birthdays. Addicted to CAS' 'masculine' theme was a good kick start to the mojo:

These Funky Feathers from Waltzingmouse haven't seen ink in quite a while. According to the packet they were released in 2011, long before I purchased a Misti! I doubt I could have got them in such a straight line back then (and certainly not whilst drinking a glass wine!)

This one's also going over to AAA Cards' 'anything goes' challenge - without the optional twist this time!

Happy stamping!

Claire

Feeling Fruity!

 Hello bloggers,

There's a fruity theme happening in blogland at the moment - both The Paper Players and Time Out have a fruity inspiration pic to play with:

My inky mojo has escaped in the last few weeks and even this CAS one was a bit of a struggle. I grabbed a couple of very old Whimsy Stamps sets and stamped/coloured away.  The sentiment's from an equally old Waltzingmouse set. 

Happy stamping!

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

Addicted to CAS - Balloons

Hello!

Quick post for a quick card - the Addicted to CAS code word is 'balloons' so here's a very simple card using some balloon stamps from Whimsy Stamp's Happy Everything:

 The little bow is from a different set by Winnie and Walter and the sentiment is Waltzingmouse. 

Happy stamping!

Claire

Procaffeination

Hello again, 

Who doesn't like to procaffeinate? Coffee Set was one of the last sets I bought before Waltzingmouse  Stamps closed it's virtual doors so it's an oldie but still a goodie. I love the sentiments, perfect for those friends you never run out of conversation with,  once the coffee's been made!

I used the colours from Colour Throwdown and Jen B's simple sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches.  The dp is from a very old 6x6 pad and happened to have the perfect colours - I just stamped a few beans over it to keep with the theme!

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 Photo Inspiration - Splat!

Hello again,

2024 is the year of 18th birthdays with my own son about to hit the milestone next month - he and I share the same birthday but this year he has announced that his takes precedence and mine will be all but forgotten. Cheeky devil!

This one is for his lovely mate who we've known since he was 3 weeks old:

 

I was inspired by Sarah's gorgeous creation over at Time Out where the challenge is to CASE her card. I loved her cluster of elements against the stencilled splat (from her own Funky Fossil Designs store) so reached for my very old and very used PTI Grunge Me. In fact it's so old I actually had to wash all the stamps with washing up liquid as they wouldn't stick to my Misti. The big splat in the background is from Your Next Stamp. 

The colours over at Color Throwdown are perfect for a masculine card so this one's linking over there as well.

Happy stamping!

Claire

Birthday Sparkle

Hello again,

There's so much to do at this time of year there really isn't the time or inclination to get the inks out is there? Having said that I did manage to make this very simple card for Time Out's 'sparkly' challenge using the colours from Color Hues - pink and silver:

 

The candles are from Whimsy Stamps with silver embossed flames and some kindyglitz to add the necessary sparkle. I've framed them with Altenew's Fine Frames - the outer one cut with some glitter card stock. 

Hope the Christmas prep is going well!

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 #600!

Hello folks!

Can you believe Freshly Made Sketches has made it to their 600th sketch? That deserves a celebration and at the very least deserves a play along this week:

On Sunday it's Father's Day here in Australia so here's a little card for the big bloke (or should that be biggest bloke as there's 3 of them in my household). I used some older stamps from Your Next Stamp, Waltzingmouse, MFT and Stampin' Up...hopefully he likes it, along with the bottle of whisky to celebrate the special day!

Congrats to the FMS design team and thanks so much for all the inspiration over the years!

Claire

Less is More - Anything Goes!

Hello again,

A very CAS Christmas card for Less is More's Anything Goes challenge:

 

I was lucky enough to win some digital stamps from Varada Sharma's online store recently - this one is Doodled Wreath.  It was so relaxing colouring all those little leaves! I also added some Glossy Accents to the berries which has given it some texture and shine.  There are a couple of sentiments with the set but I chose to use an older WMS stamp as it fit perfectly in the middle of the wreath. 

Thanks for popping by!

Claire

Driving By Saying Hi!

Hello again,

It's a while since I took part in a CAS challenge and I'm just sneaking in with this one for Less is More's  A is for Automobile themed challenge:

I'm loving using some older stamp sets at the moment - I can't remember the last time I inked up this sweet one from Waltzingmouse Stamps,  Half-pint Heroes.  I added a stamped strip from Watercolor Wonder by PTI (another old one!) for the road and that was it. Very CAS!

Thanks for popping by and saying hi!

Claire

Less is More Colour Challenge

Hello again,

Quick card for Less is More's black and aquamarine colour challenge:

I stamped Avery Elle's Rounded Diamonds in aqua and black and stamped the Clearly Besotted bloom over the top in white EB. I then cut the bloom into 4 smaller rounded diamonds and placed them over the same stamped image in black, being careful to line everything up.

I like the style but I'm not sure I like those colours with the delicate bloom - I think it would look a lot better in pastel colours so I may have a go using those instead! What do you think?

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

Fusion Meets Sunday Stamps

 Hello inkers, happy weekend!

Love the colours over at Fusion this week - not ones I'd normally put together but they're so dramatic I just had to have a play:

I've combined them with the sketch at Sunday Stamps but made a landscape rather than portrait card -the PTI Lovely Layers bloom was looking a bit squashed otherwise! The sentiment's Waltzingmouse and that gorgeous embossed background is a new EB from Altenew - I can't believe the amount of detail on it....you could almost just plonk it on a card front without anything else!

Happy stamping!

Claire