CASE Study #164

Hello!

It's the last day of the month (and Halloween, but this is not a Halloween post) and my last day as Guest Designer over at CASE Study Challenge. I have had a blast being on the team this month, and I thank Iwona and the team for the warm welcome and the opportunity to join them for a few weeks. :-)

I made two cards today. From Elena's inspiration, I took the pastel stripes and banners and the whimsical feel. My interpretation of the banners was a little different though - a kite, and some heart tags. The first card is this one.

The stamps are Mama Elephant So Breezy. The clouds are Memory Box Puffy Clouds. Paper is SU! Colours are SU! Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Memento Tuxedo Black.

The second card (where the clouds on the first card came from) is this one.

The stamps are Mama Elephant So Breezy. Dies are Memory Box Puffy Clouds and PTI Tiny Tags. Paper is SU! (retired). Colours are SU! Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade, Crumb Cake, Pool Party.

The inspiration is this. I seriously wish I had one tenth of Elena's ability when it comes to putting a party together! She's a magician!

Thank-you for visiting me! I hope you join in at CASE Study this week! I'd love to see how you are inspired. :-)

Michelle
xxx

Dynamic Duos #76

Hello!

Well, the day has arrived, my last day on the Design Team at Dynamic Duos Challenge <sob!>. I am going to miss being on this team so, SO much. Lesley and Anne Marie are so easy work work for, and the rest of the ladies on the team are so fabulous! It's been fun and I've loved every single minute. Meeting my weekly commitments has been a huge pleasure. I've made friends that I hope to keep. I'm going to feel lost for a little while, I think. I may need to join in at the challenges (since Dynamic Duos was always one of my favourite challenges anyway!)

This week's challenge happens to fall on my hubby's birthday, so my card was made for him. His favourite colour happens to be purple, so it was wonderful that this week's colours are Perfect Plum and Wisteria Wonder. The story of how I came up with the card's design is - I found a card over on Jen Rzasa's blog that she used a sketch by Maile Belles from a Studio Calico challenge. I loved the sketch, and wanted to use it straight away, so I did. ;-)

I used PTI Sending My Love stamp. Colours are SU! Perfect Plum and Pale Plum.

I also made a second card, still CAS, but a different style.

I used PTI Pretty Peonies and Simon Says Stamp Sketchy Banners. As well as Perfect Plum and Pale Plum, I used PTI Soft Stone.

The Dynamic Duos team celebrating our last week are:

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

Papertrey Ink October Blog Hop

Hello!

I had all sorts of wonderful ideas for the PTI Blog Hop this month, and then the 25th snuck up on me completely! There were three hours left when I realised, and I was helping my kids make birthday cards for their Dad, so I managed only one set of tags. They are simple, but the kids love them, and I think they're pretty cute, too! ;-)

I used PTI Christmas Friends and Peace, Love, Joy stamp sets.

I discovered it is a bit tricky photographing sets in a rush!

Now I'm heading back into the fray of sibling warfare... wish me luck!

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

CASE Study #163

Hello!

I'm still pinching myself. I'm really in the fourth week of guest designing for CASE Study!! Eek!

This week at CASE Study challenge #163, the inspiration photo is pretty in pink! Elena made the most beautiful ballerina set of tags. She had me wishing I had ballerina stamps! I don't, so I went the next best option and made a card for a baby girl, with a tag on the front. ;-)

I used Mama Elephant Nursery Deco stamps. Colours are SU! Pretty in Pink and PTI Hibiscus Burst.

I did get some help on the card sketch this week, which came from Retro Sketches #86.

Thank you for coming to visit me! I hope you pop over to CASE Study and visit the rest of the team. Then I hope you join in the fun and make your own version from Elena's amazing inspiration. :-)  I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Michelle
xxx

Dynamic Duos #75

Hello!

It's my second last week as a Design Team member at Dynamic Duos! While I am sad to have my six months on the team coming to an end, I'm hugely curious to see who will be on the NEW DT! If you are considering applying for a spot on the team, details are on the blog HERE. I can tell you that Lesley and Anne-Marie are fabulous to work with, and the rest of the team who I have worked with for six months have been wonderful!

Moving on to this week's card... this week's colours are Tangerine Tango and Basic Black with a Halloween option. I searched my stamps from top to bottom, but I can honestly say that I have zero pumpkins, witches, ghosts or anything Halloween related in my stash. Halloween just isn't a card-giving occasion here in Australia. Do you actually really give Halloween cards elsewhere? Or do you just make the cards because they are super cute? ;-)  I'm almost tempted to make a bunch, and give them, just because they're fun!

On my card I used one of my favourite stamp sets, Papertrey Ink Harvest Berries. The card base is PTI Fine Linen. The berries are stamped in Delicata gold.

Thanks for visiting me!

Michelle
xxx

CASE Study #162

Hello!

Wow! The weeks pass by so quickly! Here I am in my third week as Guest Designer at CASE Study Challenge already! Having our muse being Elena is making it so easy to play along this month, everything she creates is inspiring!

This week I went very literal in my interpretation. I saw wood and red and white gingham. I did give it my own special touch. Those of you who know me well will know that making bows is not my forte, so I am feeling inordinately proud of myself right now for making this pretty example. :-) I do have a Bow-Easy, but I still struggle, LOL!

I used PTI Wonderful Words: Hello stamps and die. The impression plate is PTI woodgrain. Colours are SU! Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Real Red, Distress Ink Walnut Stain, and a little PTI Fresh Snow. The ribbon came from the supermarket Christmas ribbon selection.

Elena's card is a beauty.

As you read this, I will be in Canberra for work. Just a couple of days away this week. Hopefully I'm not freezing. The weather has been so hot in Brisbane, that I've forgotten that it is still Spring in other parts of the country. ;-)

Thank-you for visiting me!

Michelle
xxx

Dynamic Duos Challenge #74

Hello!

It's Dynamic Duos time! This week we have So Saffron and Calypso Coral. I immediately thought FLOWERS.

Here is my card.

I used Janes Doodles Pretty Peonies, and Simon Says Stamp Sketchy Banners (sentiment & die). 

The team have rocked the colours this week.

Alison Barclay

Anne Marie Hile

Debbie Henderson

Hayley Kew

Janet Bagnall

Janet Zeppa

Lori Turner

Susie Wittwer

Tara Bourgoin

Tracey McNeely

My 11 year old daughter is doing a project at school as a part of their "acts of service". The project is to make possum pouches for orphaned possums. My daughter needed to learn how to cast on her knitting, and after we did that yesterday, we have both been knitting together today. It is a simple knitting project - garter stitch 17cm x 48cm - and perfect for learning and practising knitting. :-) What I learned is this - knitting is the perfect pastime for a mother and daughter. The quiet concentration aids quiet conversation. I'm happy! And I think she is too.

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

Runway Inspired #45

Hello!

I'm sneaking in with a last minute entry to Runway Inspired Challenge #45. I have some new Memento Luxe inks, and I wanted to try them out for their colour, and I remembered the colourful stripes on the Tanya Taylor dress at RIC. So here I am!

I used Mama Elephant Basic Borders and Simon Says Stamp Sketchy Banners (sentiment). Colours are Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Luxe - Nautical Blue, Lilac Posies, Rose Bud, Morocco, Dandelion.

The stripes are a bit hard on the eyes if you look at them too long, LOL!

The inspiration was this dress.

I've been busy at work this week, and I am about exhausted, so my chatter is a bit limited... maybe on the week-end I'll chirp up again. ;-)

Thanks for coming to visit me!

Michelle
xxx

CASE Study #161

Hello!

Today I'm bringing you my second contribution as Guest Designer over at CASE Study Challenge. Our muse is Elena from Just ME, who is super inspirational! I'm still pinching myself that I get to play along with this awesome team of card artists all month. :-)

Elena's muse card this week is a cutie - a matryoshka doll card with a smaller matryoshka inside! So sweet!

I don't own the stamps that I would like to have used for this inspiration... So I sat down and pondered matryoshka/babushka dolls and what their image conjured in my imagination. I decided it was folk art, so folk art is where I headed with my first card. I will admit that it took a few goes to get the stamping and positioning right on this one. I almost gave up, but I'm glad I persevered!

I used PTI stamps - Stylish Sentiments:Birthday, From Me to You, Rosie Posie, Birds & Blooms, Turning a New Leaf. Colours are SU! Poppy Parade, Gumball Green, Bashful Blue, Calypso Coral, PTI Berry Sorbet, Memento Tuxedo Black.

I was feeling all satisfied with that card when I thought that perhaps I should make a card inspired by my daughter's beautiful matryoshka set... and off I went back to my craft table and came up with the next card.

I used PTI stamps - Stylish Sentiments: Birthday, Rosie Posie, Turning a New Leaf. Colours are SU! Poppy Parade and Basic Black. Embossing is white and gold. I also used a gold paint pen for the dots along the edge, which I had punched using a scallop edge punch.

Thank-you for coming by! What does Elena's gorgeous card inspire you to create? I can't wait to see!

Michelle
xxx

So Grateful

Hello!

Here I am at the end of a long week-end, at the end of a very hot day (36 degrees), where I have spent some quality time lazing around with my hubby and kids. :-) We swam in the pool, which was the perfect temperature to cool us off but at the same time not too cold. This afternoon I snuck to my craft desk and made a card, just so that I had actually made A card somewhere near World Cardmaking Day, LOL!

I used PTI Lovely Layers stamps. Colours are SU! Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Cool Cabana.

This card is in response to two challenges. The sketch comes from CAS(E) This Sketch

and the colours come from Colour Q

Now, I'm thinking I ought to go and start thinking about dinner for the family and getting the kids ready to return to the last term of school tomorrow.

Thanks for dropping by to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Dynamic Duos #73

Hello!

How is your week-end going? We celebrated our eldest daughter's 11th birthday today. Starting with presents in bed in the morning, to French toast for breakfast, a day filled with pampering by both parents and her sister (including her Mum, that would be ME, tidying and cleaning her tornado-hit room), Playstation with her Dad, and then a gourmet three-course meal for dinner (birthday girl's request was pumpkin soup, roast pork and vegetables, apple crumble and ice-cream). She was lucky to have her birthday on Saturday this year. Most years it is a quick morning celebration before the day starts and a rushed dinner after work, LOL! I think it was a pretty good day, considering the first request was that she would control the tv remote control AND the computer for the day.

I am here to share my card for this week's Dynamic Duos Challenge. The colours are Cajun Craze and Island Indigo. This really did prove a challenge, as I don't have either colour. I was about to run down the road to borrow colours from my friend, when I decided I would have a go at creating the colours myself. The watercoloured portion of the card is the same technique I used in this card. Onto a craft sheet I splodged a variety of colours (Distress ink Broken China, Crushed Olive, Walnut Stain, SU! Not Quite Navy, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Chocolate Chip) and a little gold , sprayed with water, and then squished my white embossed watercolour panel into it all. I was amazed how close I got to the colours I was aiming for!

The patterned paper is from My Minds Eye Merry & Bright (I think). The background stamp is Hero Arts Everything Flower. The sentiment is PTI Boutique Borders: Birthday. 

Please drop by and visit the other wonderful design team members!

Alison Barclay

Anne Marie Hile

Debbie Henderson

Hayley Kew

Janet Bagnall

Janet Zeppa

Lori Turner

Susie Wittwer

Tara Bourgoin

Tracey McNeely

Thanks for visiting me!

Michelle
xxx

CASE Study Guest Designer!!

Hello!

Today I am excited!! Beyond excited really. :-) I have been invited to be October's Guest Designer over at CASE Study Challenge! Woo hoo! I cannot begin to express how excited I am at working with this fabulous team, led by the amazing Chupa!

This month our muse is Elena Roussakis, who I am sure most of you know already, but just in case you don't, I recommend that you take a long wander through her blog. Elena is the master of parties, and I WISH I had a fraction of her creativity in this regard. I have been a big fan of Elena for a long time, so I'm a little awestruck at being asked to CASE her all month long.

For Case Study #160, we have this lovely ensemble to inspire us. I will admit that I had some trouble moving past that delicious looking pie, LOL!

Once I managed to move past the pie, I saw polka dots, stripes, cherries, red and aqua. Having no cherry stamps, I used my strawberries.

I used PTI Strawberry Patch stamps. Colours are PTI Hawaiian Shores, SU! Real Red, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, and Memento Tuxedo Black.

If you are inclined to build party ensembles, then this month at CASE Study is your opportunity to play around with these, with Elena as inspiration.

Thanks for visiting me!

Michelle
xxx