Runway Inspired #24

Hello!

I'm back! And so soon! I had to pop back quickly because the clock is ticking the countdown for entries to Runway Inspired Challenge #24.

This was a tricky one. It has taken me from when the inspiration photo was posted until tonight to figure out just what to make! This is what I came up with.

I used PTI Guidelines II and one of the Think Big Favorites (for the sentiment). The lines are Mama Elephant Basic Borders. Colours are PTI Berry Sorbet, SU! Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise. I muted the colours and softened the edges by overlaying the background with vellum, on which I stamped the black (Stayz On).

This is the inspiration.

Whenever I am faced with inspiration that shows soft/blurry/watercolour style images, I panic, and I get crafters' block! Combine that with start black stripes, and I was completely unable to think of anything, LOL! But, I AM known for liking a challenge, so I couldn't let this one pass me by.

I hope you like it! :-)

Michelle
xxx

A simple Christmas card

Hello!

Long time, no see! I've had such an overwhelming few weeks. The last six weeks of school always involves several concerts (solo violin, solo piano, string ensemble, choir showcase, choir carols... and it goes on), lots of activities (swim carnival, junior school graduation, chapel), and add on top of this a couple of swim meets and three music exams (piano, violin, theory) - and that is all just for one child... Luckily for me, the smaller child only has a few things - ballet concert and Christmas concert at Kindy. That will change when she starts school next year, I'm sure. Anyway, that is my long explanation for why it has been a little quiet around here lately.

This week-end we will put the tree up and the kids and I will trim it while my hubby climbs all over the house putting lights up (weather permitting, crossing my fingers right now). That is the start of our relaxation for the holidays. Even though I am still working, there are no more school lunches to make, no more concerts, and we can spend lots of time in the pool soaking up that Summer sunshine. :-)

Anyway, onto the reason for my post. I made this card for three challenges.

I used PTI Snowflake Serenade and Happiest of Holidays, SU! Christmas Deer, and Hero Arts Collage Music Background. Colours are SU! Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, and Pretty in Pink. Die is PTI Fillable Frames #10. 

Addicted to CAS is a new challenge blog, and this is their challenge #1 - SNOW. I have made a snow white card, added snowflakes to the stamping, and have stamped snowflake ornaments on the sentiment panel.

I used a sketch from Retro Sketches #39. I had to swap the sketch to the opposite direction due to a stamping error...  As soon as I saw this sketch, I had my idea in mind. I'm amazed how well the idea translated to reality. :-)

The colour scheme comes from Just Add Ink #146. I couldn't resist, they are so soft and pretty!

Thanks for coming by and brightening my day!

Michelle
xxx

Teacher Thanks

Hello!

I omitted this card from the previous post! It is a thank-you card for one of my daughter's teachers. She has two classroom teachers who share the teaching duties (2 days/3 days).

I used PTI Teach & Inspire. Colours are PTI Berry Sorbet, SU! Poppy Parade, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, and Early Espresso.

It's quite a bright card, but I like it! :-)

Thanks for dropping by.

Michelle
xxx

Teachers' Gifts

Hello!

Today has been a last minute crafting day. School ends for the year for my daughter in a couple of weeks. I have been slowly making cards for teachers over the past few weeks (there are a few teachers to consider!) and today I covered some notebooks for classroom teachers and music teachers.

First, a music teacher card.

The background stamp is Hero Arts Collage Music Background. The sentiment is PTI. The die is Sizzix for SU! Colours are SU! Eggplant, Perfect Plum, and Pale Plum.

Now for the notebooks. These notebooks are a little bigger than A5 and have a clear plastic cover, so the decoration had to be flat, which suited my one-layer, CAS-loving style. The photos aren't so great, but you'll get the idea. :-) I used PTI Teach & Inspire stamps to create all of these.

Now, back to work for more teacher cards...

Thanks for coming by to visit.

Michelle
xxx

Runway Inspired Challenge #23

Hello!

As soon as I saw the photo for Runway Inspired Challenge #23, I just knew I had to make a card. Apart from the crazy handbag, the black and white with a touch of red theme appealed, as did the circles and stripes. Just an aside here - after seeing the DT examples, I was feeling slightly intimidated, they are SUPER this week. I got over the intimidation, mostly...  :-)

I made two cards, just to see which one I liked better. The first is my entry.

This is the inspiration photo.

 

Back to that handbag... I don't think this handbag would fit in my car. If I could fit it through the door, it would need a seat for itself! Do you think anyone would actually carry this ANYWHERE? I like Chanel, but I'm hoping this handbag was just for theatrical effect on the runway, LOL! I do want those shoes for myself though, I LOVE them. :-)

Back on topic, here is the second card. Same as the first, only more red.

Both cards use PTI Heart-2-Heart #4 and Mama Elephant Basic Borders. Colours are Black, White, and Poppy Parade.

Thanks for coming by to visit.

Michelle
xxx

Dynamic Duos #27

Hello!

I was inspired by Maureen Merritt's card this week, and decided to CASE her for the Dynamic Duos Challenge #27. I used to put up the photos of the inspiration cards on my post so that you could compare directly, but I found people were pinning these from my blog, and I would rather that people's beautiful work is pinned from their own blogs and accredited correctly. So take a little journey across to Maureen's blog to take a look, and if you haven't visited her before, have a big look around, it's worth it!

This is my card.

I used Mama Elephant Basic Borders, PTI Stylish Sentiments: Holiday, PTI Christmas Friends. Colours are SU! Garden Green and Real Red. Oh, and the sentiment die is SU! Holiday Keepsakes.

The colour inspiration was this.

Thanks for coming by. I hope to be back with some more cards over the next few days.

Michelle
xxx

For Your Inspiration DT Call

Hello!

Just dropping in quickly to let you know that there is a Design Team call over at For Your Inspiration Challenge blog.

Applications are open until November 23 and the new DT is announced December 1.

For Your Inspiration is a photo inspiration challenge - Steph chooses the photos, and we get to make a card (or other crafty project) twice a month in response to those awesome photos. It's always fun to see what everyone comes up with! :-)

If you are interested in applying, head on over to FYI for all the details.

Michelle.

Christmas is coming!

Hello!

I am not organised for Christmas, at all. But I want to send out a few cards this year, unlike last year where very few actually ended up being sent! Crazy! I make cards, for goodness sake! I should send a few, LOL!

Here is one of my Christmas cards for this year.

Stamps are PTI Happiest of Holidays and Fillable Frames #10. I used SU! embossing folder Northern Flurries. Colours are PTI Vintage Cream, Fresh Linen, and Memento London Fog. Ribbon is SU! Soft Suede taffeta. Patterned Paper is My Minds Eye All Is Bright.  

The light is a bit dodgy this afternoon and has a very blue cast. I probably should have used the OTT light instead of sunlight.

I used CR84FN #66 colours.

The sketch was from Retro Sketches #36.

I will admit to having another inspiration this afternoon. I saw THIS CARD by Jen Rzasa and decided to immediately CASE it. The card above is the second version. This next one was the first.

Stamps are PTI Happiest of Holidays and Snowflake Serenade. Embossing folder is SU! Northern Flurries. Colours are SU! Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Whisper White.

Thanks for coming to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Tuesday Trigger - Ready For Red

Hello!

I am at home, waiting for a doctor's appointment to see about an allergic reaction I had over the week-end. Don't you just love the puffed up face and eyes that accompany the maddening itch of allergy? Ugh!

Anyway, other than putting on a load of washing while I wait, I thought I'd whip up a card for this week's Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World, Ready for Red.

I embossed Hero Arts Collage Music Background in cream, the SU! Ornament Keepsakes are clear embossed. Colours are PTI Fresh Linen, SU! Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Real Red.

After cutting about five different card bases, the Fresh Linen was the winner. In the photo, it doesn't look like it quite matches, but trust me, in real life it does. :-) None of the dark card bases worked, which is what I was imagining during my design phase on this one.

Anyway, this is the trigger photo. So elegant!

Thanks for coming to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Bicycle Thanks

Hello!

I have a card to share with you... surprise, surprise!

I used Hero Arts/Sizzix Bicycle stamps and die set. Colours are SU! Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, and Old Olive.

I am most impressed with the fact that I managed to get that stamped bicycle on the card base in the correct position to fit in the die cut hole in the top panel. It's a miracle! I managed it with a little help from my Stampamajig.

My card is in response to three challenges, CASE Study #115, CAS(E) this Sketch #4, and A Blog Named Hero #15.

This week's CASE Study has had me intrigued. The muse this month is Angeline Yong, who happens to be a super-talented stamper who inspires me regularly! Her card was so superb, that I was feeling a bit intimidated.  This is Angeline's version. I went with the blues and greens, the stripes, and the die cuts.

CAS(E) this Sketch had this sketch to offer us. My interpretation is a bit loose, but I  still went with three different sized shapes focused on the bottom left corner.

And over at A Blog Named Hero, we are asked to use die cuts or punches.

Thanks for popping in to visit!

Michelle
xxx

One for the boys

Hello!

This week I received a couple of new stamp sets in the mail. They're from Mama Elephant. Today I've used Basic Borders for the first time. And I CASEd Laura Bassen, who is the queen of plaid, as well as being superwoman of CAS.

This is my card.

Now, I realise that my sentiment is a bit low. I thought about adding that top strip, then I thought I wouldn't, and stamped the sentiment, and then decided I needed that brown strip. Argh! Anyway, you get the idea!

I masked off the top section of the card and stamped the stripes to create the plaid. I did create a nice, neat line, but the card was missing something, so I added that brown strip.  Colours used were SU! Early Espresso, Really Rust, Sage Shadow, and PTI Fresh Linen. I think Mama Elephant Basic Borders might be the solution to my "man card" creativity problems for a while. I love these stripes! Sentiment is Hero Arts Say It All.

The colours come from The Play Date Cafe Challenge #156. They're so rich and scrumptious, aren't they?

Perfect colours for the theme over at CAS-ual Fridays #77 where we've been asked to make a masculine card.

Before I go, I have a couple of photos for you. One is my constant companion and photography assistant, Coco.

The other, I thought about NOT showing, because it shows a bit too much leg for comfort, but it is fun, and it makes me smile, so I'll show you. :-)  Last week-end I attended a Halloween party, and dressed up in the costume I've wanted to wear since I was about 8 years old (that's a long time ago!).

Not bad for a 40-something Wonder Woman, hey? Oh, and sneaking at the back of the photo is my littlest witch.

Thanks for dropping by today, and please don't laugh too hard at my dress-ups photo. ;-)

Michelle
xxx

ColourQ #161 and Retro Sketches #35

Hello,

I whipped up a quick card this afternoon. This is it.

My card is based on Retro Sketches #35 where the sketch is based on one of Jen Wills' cards (which I loved, and which I have not done justice in any way here...)

The colours came from this week's ColourQ Challenge #161.

Now I must run and do the school pick-up!

Thanks for dropping by!

Michelle
xxx