Dynamic Duos #63

Hello!

I'm here with a card for this week's Dynamic Duos colour combination of Garden Green and Pear Pizzazz. I don't think I would have ever put these two together, but you know what? They work! Given lots of green to work with, my thoughts went immediately to Christmas. I threw in a spot of grey, and voila!

I used Stampin' Up Ornament Keepsakes stamps and matching dies. The sentiment is from a box full of SU! Christmas sentiments that I can't remember the set names of. Colours are Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green, and Memento London Fog. Twine is from The Twinery.

The rest of the design team has some beautiful work to share, also.

Alison Barclay

Anne Marie Hile

Debbie Henderson

Hayley Kew

Janet Bagnall

Janet Zeppa

Lori Turner

Susie Wittwer

Tara Bourgoin

Tracey McNeely

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

CASE Study #151 and ColourQ #199

Hello!

I had a non-stop day today. Mostly housework, which is not finished due to the huge need for a big spring clean! I also took my daughter to an eisteddfod where she played her violin beautifully. She always amazes me. I was always able to play my piano beautifully in the privacy of my home but would crumble during performance. My daughter can have us wondering if we should actually take her along to her performances, and blossoms as soon as her feet hit the stage. AMAZING.

Tonight I bring you a card for CASE Study #151 where Jocelyn Olson is the muse. Jocelyn makes the most amazing cards, and I couldn't resist playing along. While I used Jocelyn's awesome layout, I changed the colours and used the colour scheme from ColourQ #199.

I used Hero Arts Zig Zag background stamp, PTI Sentiment Signs, and PTI Ruby Rose. Colours are SU! Really Rust, Certainly Celery, Crumb Cake, and Hero Arts Soft Cantaloupe.

Now, I must go and get some sleep. More housework tomorrow, and I'm taking my little girl to her friend's birthday party.

Thanks for visiting me!

Michelle
xxx

Papertrey Ink July Blog Hop

Hello!

It is a little bit of a miracle that I am here sharing a card. This week has been busier than last. Next week is definitely busier than this week, so I may not be popping in much (unless I manage to get some stamping done this week-end and do some scheduling... which would be lovely!).  I stole some of my sleeping time tonight to make a card to share in the PTI Blog Hop this month. The theme is "Fruits of Summer" and I wish I had some fruit stamps. Actually, I have strawberry stamps! Oh well, too late now, LOL!

I used PTI Ruby Rose. Inks are PTI Berry Sorbet, Hibiscus Burst, SU! Poppy Parade, Ranger Distress Crushed Olive, Memento Tuxedo Black. Card base is Hibiscus Burst.

I turned the sentiment on it's side to line the top line up with the top of the card, instead of angling it like I usually do. I think it worked out fine! There are a number of colour schemes to choose from this month. I chose this one.

Now, off to bed for me! I'll be back in the morning (Brisbane time) to link up.

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

Dynamic Duos #62

Hello!

This week at Dynamic Duos we are using Calypso Coral and Basic Black, with an optional Butterfly theme. Before you start trying to adjust your monitor colour, I did not have Calypso Coral in my supplies. All of my corals (I have several) are more pink than orange, so I chose the closest colour I have. I also went a bit radical and stretched my papercrafting skills - I masked, sponged, and splattered using distress inks! It was fun!

I used PTI Heart-2-Heart #10, and Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments stamps. Ink is Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Worn Lipstick and Memento Tuxedo Black.

This colour scheme is showcased also by my amazing team mates. I'm sure they would appreciate a visit. :-)

Alison Barclay

Anne Marie Hile

Debbie Henderson

Hayley Kew

Janet Bagnall

Janet Zeppa

Lori Turner

Susie Wittwer

Tara Bourgoin

Tracey McNeely

Thank you for visiting me. I hope you can join us in the fun this week!

Michelle
xxx

Summer Card Camp 2 - Week 2, Day 1

Hello!

Yes, I had a hectic week with work and the rest of my life. No stamping all week long, sigh! I've been itching to get to my craft table and play along with Summer Card Camp 2! On Day 1 this week, Kristina showed us a technique using distress inks with heat embossing. She made a circle card, but I'll be honest, circle cards drive me crazy because they don't stand up straight. At least mine don't! They roll all over the place! LOL! Kristina's card was BEAUTIFUL, so I decided to use the techniques and ideas in a normal A2 card.

I used Hero Arts Everything Flower background stamp, PTI Boutique Borders: Birthday, and PTI woodgrain impression plate. Patterned paper is Stampin' Up! All the creamy white is embossing. The colours are Distress Inks in Walnut Stain, Crushed Olive, Broken China, and Tumbled Glass. The woodgrain paper is SU! Soft Suede.

I love this week's colours! Greens, blue, and brown. Yum! My hubby looked at this card and said, "Wow! It looks really modern. Like a hotel room." I think that's a compliment, meaning it looks like it was made by an interior designer. :-)

I'm away this week-end, so I may not get any time to play more with these colours. I am holding out hope that when we come home on Sunday that I will get a little time to stamp, in between loads of washing.

Edited to link up to Paper Issues "Nature Walk".

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch #36

Hello!

Today I'm bringing you my contribution to CAS(E) This Sketch #36. I followed the sketch in a super-CAS way, and I really love how it turned out.

Stamps used are PTI From Me To You, Boutique Borders:Birthday, Birds & Blooms. Colours are SU! Old Olive, Poppy Parade, and Daffodil Delight.

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

Summer Card Camp 2 - Day 5

Hello!

On Day 5 of Summer Card Camp 2 we have been given some new colours to work with. I deliberately chose combinations that were different to the bright colours we've used previously. I made two cards.

The first card I made, I used the colours from Summer Card Camp 2 and the sketch from Birthday Creations Week: The Birthday Sketch Challenge. The big sentiment and the main ticket are stamped in gold and shine brightly in real life!

Stamps are MFT Just The Ticket, Hero Arts Envelope Pattern Background, and PTI Think Big Favorites #16. Colours are SU! Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Daffodil Delight, Hero Arts Pale Cantaloupe, Delicata Golden Glitz, Memento Tuxedo Black.

My second card I used another colour combination from Summer Card Camp, and used the inspiration provided by Kristina Werner. Kristina told us about using an acetate window. I don't have any acetate to make a window, so I used vellum with the same concept. The card layout is a combination of Kristina's and one that I saw Joyce use this week (Joyce's card is much nicer than mine).

I used PTI Pretty Peonies stamps and dies. The colours are SU! Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Pool Party, Poppy Parade, and PTI Hibiscus Burst. The vellum is embossed with PTI linen impression plate.

While I've been concentrating on lessons, my girls have been inspired also. My little girl decided to play along, but she didn't want to use the sketches or colours provided, LOL! This card was designed and produced 100% by my 5 year old. In fact, she told me off for even thinking of helping! I would like to point out that she pasted the sun on with the rough side out on purpose because "I like the texture". She also decided to paint white leaves with a green ink pad, even after I told her we could cut her green leaves to save her the trouble. Apparently that was a design feature!

My 10 year old came in, looked at the card, and said, "Maybe she's going to be your stamping kid."

Since I'm showing off my little kid, I'll show you one of my big kid's photos, which she took of the little one doing her homework. I think it's a nice study. :-)

Thanks for coming by today!

Michelle
xxx

Dynamic Duos #61

Hello!

It's time for this week's new colours at Dynamic Duos! Yippee! It's soft and subtle this week with Pink Pirouette and Sahara Sand. I was thinking babies and weddings, but in the end chose to make neither of these types of card. Sahara Sand was reminding me of doilies again, so I pulled out Mama Elephant's Filigree and this time I fussy cut my top doily to give the card a little more dimension. I also created a lace background in pink.

I used Mama Elephant Filigree stamps. Colours are SU! Pink Pirouette and Sahara Sand.

I know for a fact that the rest of the team have done wonders with this colour combination, and I'm sure they'd appreciate a visit. :-)

Alison Barclay

Anne Marie Hile

Debbie Henderson

Hayley Kew

Janet Bagnall

Janet Zeppa

Lori Turner

Susie Wittwer

Tara Bourgoin

Tracey McNeely

Thanks for coming by to visit me! I hope you join in the fun with us this week!

Michelle
xxx

Summer Card Camp - Day 4

Hello!

I'm still playing catch-up with my Summer Card Camp 2 homework, but there may be light at the end of the tunnel!  Today, for Day 4 homework, I made a card within 10 minutes using this week's colour scheme. This card should have taken me about 5 minutes, but somewhere along the line while I was stamping dots as confetti, I became mesmerised and lost track of time! I came so close to the 10 minute deadline that I had zero time to consider rhinestones or sequins! I may sneak back and add them later. ;-)

I used PTI Ruby Rose and Boutique Borders: Thanks stamps. Colours are PTI Hibiscus Burst, Hawaiian Shores, SU! Daffodil Delight, and Memento Tuxedo Black.

My time came in at 9 minutes, 51 seconds, and I almost didn't make it due to an adhering fault with the top panel of my card (which I fixed in the nick of time).

I'm enjoying Summer Card Camp. Sometimes the techniques are ones I already know, sometimes they are techniques I haven't used before, but ALWAYS I collect great new inspiration, and the chatter in the videos often gives me a smile. :-)

Thanks for visiting! I'm off to attempt my homework for Day 5.

Michelle
xxx

Summer Card Camp - Day 3

Hello!

I'm here with my card for Day 3 of Summer Card Camp 2. I decided that I'd skip Day 2 and go back if I can find the time sometime this week-end. ;-)  This way, I can pretend I'm up-to-date with my homework. I think I need to take holidays from work so that I can keep up with class, LOL!

My card today takes inspiration from Kelly Purkey's lesson in masked background stamping. I created a mask to make the banner. My mask was made of washi tape, and very pretty all by itself. I should have taken a photo to show you. Again, like yesterday, using this week's colours, I created an ultra-bright card. I changed a couple of the colours, and my card looks NEON. Woah! I only used four colours, but I didn't clean my stamp so much between stamping, and so created a few extra colours along the way. My die-cut "teacher" is two white layers with the blue layer on top. I glued the layers together using a Stampin' Up! 2-way glue pen. I took Laura's advice in her video that the Tombow Mono-Multi may get a bit messy with fine die-cuts.

I used PTI Wonderful Words: Teacher stamps and die. Ink colours are PTI Hibiscus Burst, SU! Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Hero Arts Soft Cantaloupe, and Memento Tuxedo Black. Card is PTI Basic White and Hawaiian Shores.

Thanks for dropping by to visit. I'm really looking forward to taking a browse through the student galleries over the next few weeks, I'll get down to that over the week-end. :-)

Michelle
xxx

Summer Card Camp 2, Day 1

Hello!

Yes, right at the beginning of Summer Card Camp I am playing catch up! Hopefully I will be caught up by the week-end, and ready to play along in real-time by next week. I have to admit, that my day job does get in the way of keeping up with class, LOL!

For Day 1, we were treated to some great videos and then sent on our way to make a card using the week's colours and one of a selection of sketches.

This is my card. It's bright! :-)

I have also taken another view, to show the embossing on the vellum mat, which I did using my Hexagon cover plate.

Stamps are PTI Ruby Rose. Colours are SU! Daffodil Delight, Only Orange, Tempting Turquoise, PTI Hibiscus Burst, and Memento Tuxedo Black.

Just a quick one tonight. I need some beauty sleep! I hope you are all well, and I thank you for visiting me! :-)

Michelle
xxx

It's a (belated) celebration!

Hello!

It's Mojo Monday's 300th challenge. I've intended to join in all week long, and I've left it to the very last minute! So a belated entry (but not too late) and a belated birthday wish to my good friend, who I neglected to send a card to on time.

I used Snippets paper, PTI Ruby Rose and Stylish Sentiments: Birthday stamps. Card base and ink is SU! Early Espresso.

This is the sketch for Mojo Monday #300.

I've just returned home from a week-end at the Gold Coast. We stayed at Surfers Paradise, which is really not my favourite place in the world (crowded, tourists, crime, massive roadworks and blocked roads), but we were treated to beautiful weather, and the kids got to play on the beach. On the beach, everything is perfect - the beach is long and white - and I can ignore the highrise buildings and the crowded streets. :-) Here is an unedited photo to give you a taste of Surfers Paradise Beach in Winter. Unfortunately a bit cloudy, today was pure blue skies, but we were on our way home and no time for photos.

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

Dynamic Duos #60

Hello!

The weeks fly by so fast! I wish my week-ends would linger a little longer, LOL! This week at Dynamic Duos, we have the super colour combination of Gumball Green and Summer Starfruit. This is what I came up with.

I used Avery Elle Modern Leaves stamps. Colours are SU! Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit, and Memento Tuxedo Black. 

This colour combination is so rich! I really love it! The rest of the team have designed more beautiful cards for your inspiration also. Why don't you pop over to visit them, too?

Alison Barclay

Anne Marie Hile

Debbie Henderson

Hayley Kew

Janet Bagnall

Janet Zeppa

Lori Turner

Susie Wittwer

Tara Bourgoin

Tracey McNeely

Thanks for coming by to visit me.

Michelle
xxx

Shiny stars

Hello!

I've struck a little bit of crafters block this week. In particular, I have made a number of cards for One Layer Wednesday and thrown them placed them gently into the recycling. That's what I get when I go all experimental on myself, argh! Anyway, I've been visiting blogs while avoiding my own inability to make a card, and somewhere along the line I was struck by inspiration! An idea popped fully-formed into my head. Woo hoo!

I am so happy this card turned out how I planned. :-)

I used PTI Stylish Sentiments: Holiday and Star Prints (the tiny star). I also used Perfect Pearls Gold and Delicata Golden Glitz. Ink is SU! Early Espresso.

I masked that line and smothered it in Versamark before brushing on a generous covering of Gold Perfect Pearls. The little stars are stamped in Delicata Golden Glitz. The two golds match perfectly.

In addition to One Layer Wednesday, which is over on Susan's blog this week and asks us to my a Christmas card with glitter or shimmer, I am also entering into 10 Minute Craft Dash #21. I'm definitely featuring stars, and I made this card well within 10 minutes. My time came out at 6mins 43secs. Yay!

The layout came from CAS(E) This Sketch #35, which I thought I was going to follow with the grungy splatters, but this card came to mind first. I still like the grungy splatters, so I might save it for another day. :-)

We have a glorious day here today. It's mid-Winter, the sun is blazing, I have all the windows wide open, I am wearing singlet top and shorts, and it is about 25c (77F) at 3.30pm. Really like a Spring day, definitely not feeling the Winter today! If my chest infection would just go away, the day would be PERFECT. :-)

Thanks for coming to visit.

Michelle
xxx

Pastel Stripes

Hello!

When I saw the current Tuesday Trigger inspiration, I just knew I had to join in. Even though the colours are not ones I would generally put together, I really love how they turned out! I was particularly inspired by the striped fabric in the photo, hence my striped background (stamped and embossed with stripes).

I used Uniko Studio Label Love: Thank You, Mama Elephant Basic Borders, and Hero Arts Zig Zag background stamp. Colours are Hero Arts Soft Cantaloupe, SU! Gumball Green and Daffodil Delight. Sequins are Avery Elle Lemonade.

I really love how the background stamping of my stripes has ended up a bit distressed/rustic looking. I feel that it added just the texture I was looking for. I used the zig zag background on my banner to reflect the rick rack and the pinked edges of the fabric in the photo.

This is the inspiration - Tuesday Trigger: Scene in Tangerine.

Today I took my girls into Brisbane City to visit City Hall. City Hall has recently been refurbished and I was hoping to take a tour and to go up the clock tower, but when we got there at midday, all available places on both the tour and the clock tower entry were full for the rest of the day. :-(  We'll have to try again another day. The best part of our visit was the main auditorium with its central light called the Oculus. Here are a few photos to show the massive ceiling and its ever-changing colours.

 

 

 This next photo puts it into perspective. The pipe organ is massive. The Oculus is 31 metres across.

The floors inside City Hall are beautiful. The main foyer is mosaic stone, with beautiful patterns in black and white. Those of you following me on Instagram (@amusingmichelle)would have seen one of the mosaic's already today. Upstairs (up a grand marble staircase) at the first floor entry to the auditorium they have the same pattern as the mosaic downstairs, but created in inlaid stone. The artistry and precision is amazing. The photo is not great. I was dodging a massive tour group who were walking over the floor, LOL!

And a last photo of the frieze at the front of City Hall. It was sculpted by Daphne Mayo, and it is spectacular. This photo is a stitch of three photos.

Thanks for coming by to visit me!

Michelle
xxx

Flowers galore!

Hello!

I have some new flower stamps. I think I may never have enough flowers... LOL!  Today is the first day of a few days off work for me, and the sun is valiantly attempting to shine through the clouds, the temperature is very warm for mid-Winter, so I think it is a day for flowers!

My first card I made for Retro Sketches #70.

The stamps are PTI Ruby Rose. The background is stamped using Delicata Gold. The other inks are SU! Real Red, Old Olive, Early Espresso, and PTI Melon Berry. Card base is PTI Fine Linen and patterned paper is Fine Linen.

My second card I made just for fun, while I had the new stamps out, and I'm entering it into Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes. In the same order that Ruby Rose arrived, I received a mega-pack of Hibiscus Burst cardstock. I can see pink cards galore in my future! I love this colour. I'm lucky to have two girls who love pink, too!

Card base is PTI Hibiscus Burst. Ink is Memento Tuxedo Black. 

A very simple, but striking, card. I love the way the sentiments in this set are designed for a corner. And I love how the flowers, leaves and dots sprinkle so easily!

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

Pink Party Animal!

Hello!

A little while ago I spied a cute little stamp in blogland. I can't even remember who I saw using it first, but I was hooked immediately, and wanted that stamp set for myself! This is a one-of-a-kind stamp that makes me smile, a great BIG smile. :-)  Who can resist a balloon dog? Not me. The stamp set is Avery Elle Party Animal.

I used Avery Elle Party Animal stamps. Inks are PTI Hibiscus Burst and SU! Pretty in Pink. Card and patterned paper are PTI Hibiscus Burst. Twine is Strawberry from The Twinery.

I used the sketch from this week's CAS(E) This Sketch.

I'm also entering this over at Simon Says Stamp for their Anything Goes challenge.

When I showed my eldest daughter this card, her face lit up. I think I'll be making Party Animal cards for a little while yet. ;-)

Thanks for coming to visit me!

Michelle
xxx