Exploring Modern Beadwork

Hello!

I had a package take the slow boat to Australia recently. Most of the time the mail between US and Australia takes two to three weeks, this time it was five or six weeks. Every single day was an agony of anticipation awaiting two new stamp sets that I was extremely eager to try out! Today I sat down to play with the first of the two sets! Yay!

The stamp set used here is Modern Beadwork by Altenew. I have only just begun with this set... the possibilities are endless!

For this first card I took inspiration from this week's Colour Q Challenge - the colours as well as the picture.

Then I moved on to a Scandinavian cross stitch influence to create this next card. I need to play around with the patterns I can create, because this Scandinavian theme has some promise!

And for the last card, I moved back to American Indian theme. I created a feather. Can you see it?

Oh, I am going to have some fun with this set!

I am also joining in with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme this week is Anything Goes.

Thanks for coming to visit! :-)

Michelle
xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch 90 - flower garden!

For my CASE Study post, please scroll down, or just click HERE

Hello!

I made two cards for CAS(E) This Sketch this week. I took liberties with the sketch. Big liberties, lol! I feel like I should go back and do my job properly to represent the sketch in my card. ;-) I was focused on the bottom left corner with the sentiment snuggled in there, too.

I made the first, which was definitely simple - stamp, lightly sponge, whip a water brush over some bits, add a sentiment, and it was finished!

And then I made a second, which was exactly the same, but took about ten times longer to colour.

I adore this stamp; Corner Garden by Stampin' Up! It's gorgeous in black and white, too - stay tuned for that!

I hope you are inspired to join us in this week's challenge. I'll be looking for you in the gallery!

Michelle
xxx

Fusion - with sympathy

For my CASE Study post, please scroll down, or just click HERE

Hello!

Oops! I've been travelling for work, I'm just home, and I am racing to make my deadlines!

Fusion Card Challenge this week has a really interesting inspiration. I love the colours, but they aren't ones I usually use, so I took the challenge!

This is my card.

This is the inspiration. I just used the inspiration photo this week.

I apologise for my lack of chatter. I'm exhausted, and I really need to race to bed! I hope you find some time to join us this time, the inspiration gives us so many options!

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

CASE Study 4th Anniversary Celebration - Week 4 Blog Hop

Hello!

We are in the fourth and final week of the CASE Study Challenge 4th Anniversary Celebrations! What fun it has been this month! There are two ways to join in the fun. Firstly, join in the blog hop for a chance to win fabulous prizes. Secondly, CASE one of the blog hop participants and add your entry to CASE Study Challenge for this week.

I have been inspired every week this month. There is some remarkable talent joining us to celebrate, and this week is no exception!

All of the blog hop participants are to make a card based on an inspiration of their choice. I have a Pinterest Board named Pretty. When I went looking for inspiration for this Blog Hop, that's where I went. When I got there I found a common theme - aqua background with colourful flowers. I didn't even realise I was pinning the same inspiration over and over!

I chose one of my inspiration pins and created this card using wPlus9 Fresh Cut Florals and Lawn Fawn Milo's Alphabet. I stamped pigment ink onto vellum and adhered it over the aqua card base. The sentiment is white embossed, so it stands out beautifully.

This was this inspiration. I might try a brown version next. :-)

source

Our Blog Hop order this week is as per the following list:
Anja Curvers
Eva Dobilas
Danielle Flanders
Jill Foster
Silke Ledlow
Agnieszka Małyszek
Iwona Palamountain
Torico
Julie Smith
Amy Wanford
Michelle Williams <---You are here, with me! 
Teneale Williams
Dawn Woleslagle

If you hop along and comment at each stop along the way, you go in the draw for prizes from our fabulous sponsors.
Clearly Besotted Stamps
Ellen Hutson

Verve Stamps
Waltzingmouse Stamps

Thank you so much for visiting me! I hope you're enjoying the hop and I also hope that you find inspiration to join in the fun!

Michelle
xxx

Happy Birthday to my little girl

Hello!

Today marks the beginning of our family birthday season. My little girl leads the way, celebrating her 7th birthday today! I'm next in a couple of weeks, then we squeeze in a wedding anniversary, then my eldest daughter, then the hubby. :-)  All within about 8 weeks. It's a rather busy time of year!

Back to my little girl. I bought a set of stamps to make her a ballerina card, because she loves ballet. A couple of weeks ago she described in major detail the card she wanted. It did NOT include a ballerina. Hmmmm, what to do.... make her TWO cards, of course!

This is my version.

And this is her custom order version - a unicorn on her favourite "flower".

I just know she will be thrilled! I'm pretty sure I followed her directions correctly, lol!

Tonight we are having the dinner she requested - lasagne followed by apple crumble for dessert - easy and delicious! She tells me that today at school she gets to wear the special "birthday girl" badge. I think her day is going to be perfect!

Happy Birthday, my little darling!

Michelle
xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch 89

Hello!

I'm back with CAS(E) This Sketch #89. This sketch allowed me to use one of my favourite techniques - a masked frame. Every single time I pull away the mask, I get a great big smile to see all that lovely white left behind!

I used PTI Turning a New Leaf and Altenew Label Love stamps. I tried to use a more masculine colour scheme. I really need some "boy" cards!

I hope you can take some time to visit the rest of the Design Team (over there on the side bar) and then join us in the fun this week! I'll look for you in the gallery. :-)

Michelle
xxx

CASE Study 4th Anniversary - Week 3

Hello!

Have you been playing along with the CASE Study 4th Anniversary fun? Oh, there are fabulous blog hops each week with such fabulous talented bloggers and LOTS of wonderful prizes! I'm not in the hop this week, but I couldn't resist playing along when I saw Julie Ebersole CASEing one of my favourite cards by Aga. I just had to CASE them both!

My card doesn't come close to Julie and Aga's cards. I will have to try again. My Smooch spritz took on a life of it's own and exploded! I'm sharing anyway, because "exploded Smooch" is a technique, right? ;-)

I used Altenew Hennah Elements stamps because I'm still in love with them and can't put them away.

This was Julie's card (please visit Julie if you want to pin, and pin from there).

My card was also loosely based on last week's CAS(E) This Sketch (closing in a few minutes).

It's past bedtime, again! I'll need to rush to catch that sleep train! I hope you join in the fun with us at CASE Study this week.

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

Curtain Call - Tropical Trip

Hi there!

Just a quick one tonight. I made a card for Curtain Call Challenge. I couldn't resist those bright tropical colours!

I used wPlus9 Whole Lotta Happy stamps to create this bright and happy card.

And now I'm rushing towards my bed! It's been a long day. :-)

Michelle
xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch 88

Hello!

We're back with CAS(E) This Sketch! The last two weeks have seen an AMAZING array of AWESOME cards and tags in the gallery! I don't know how we'll ever choose our winners. In the meantime, let's start the new challenge!

This week we're using a fabulous sketch by Donna. This sketch really appeals to me. It has a lovely balance. I decided to stay very close to the sketch and keep it super-simple. I used Mama Elephant Filigree Stamps for the doilies. The sentiment is wPlus9.

And now, I'm off to bed to catch some beauty sleep. While I sleep, those of you in other parts of the world can go visiting the rest of the team and get your cards started! I'll check in on you in the morning. ;-)

Michelle
xxx

Fusion - beautiful flowers!

Hello!

I'm here today bringing you a card for Fusion Card Challenge. The inspiration photo is full of beautiful ranunculus. I love ranunculus! I don't have a ranunculus stamp. So I went for a bunch of roses instead. ;-) At first I wasn't planning on using the sketch, but something about it grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go.

I made this card with pigment ink, and I wondered what would happen if I used glitter while the last layer of ink was still wet. It turns out the glitter sticks, so I have glitter highlighted roses. Yay!

I used PTI The Sweet Life and wPlus9 Strictly Sentiments stamps. Don't look too closely at the papers, I glued one on upside down! Wah!

Yesterday I took my kids to the "Ekka" - the annual show/fair here in Brisbane. We had such a good time. We looked at animals, rode the ferris wheel, bought strawberry ice-creams, and just generally had a wonderful time. We were all exhausted at the end of the day, but very happy. My hubby missed out because he was traveling for work. I think he was secretly pleased about this (he's not a fan of the noise and crowds).

Today was back to reality - school for the kids, work for me. I think I would have rathered a second day at the show...

Thanks for coming by to visit. I hope you can also visit the rest of the design team, and then join us in Fusion Card Challenge. See you in the gallery!

Michelle
xxx

CASE Study 4th Anniversary Celebrations - Week 1

Hello!

This month marks Case Study's 4th Anniversary. There is a month-long celebration happening with weekly blog hops and amazing prizes! I'm not hopping this week, it's my turn later in the month, but I still wanted to play along.

When I saw Laura's amazing card, inspiration struck. I didn't create exactly what was in my head, because I didn't quite have the supplies I needed... must be time to go shopping! :-)

This is my card, not a touch on Laura's original, of course!

This is Laura's card - rainbow CAS perfection. (If you want to Pin this, please go to Laura's page and pin from there.)

If you haven't already hopped along with the blog hop, I'd recommend you do. All of the cards are fantastic, with some super-spectacular ones thrown into the mix, and you get the chance to win awesome prizes!

Before I go, I have a couple of photos to share from the week-end. The first is a pheasant coucal who decided to visit yesterday. We have never seen one in our backyard before, so we were all out there watching until it decided to leave.

The other is a new photo of my chickens. Because I just know you love my chickens as much as I do. LOL!

Thank-you for coming to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Two simple CAS one-layer cards

Hello!

I'm bringing you two cards tonight. Both are made using the Retro Sketches #126 sketch. I've used colour schemes from One Layer Simplicity #8 and from The Card Concept #15. Both cards are Clean and Simple one-layer cards. The cards I've seen so far using this week's Retro Sketch have been layered and absolutely gorgeous, but I was attracted to the opportunities for CAS that I could see.

The first card is a simple birthday card.

I used the colour scheme from One Layer Simplicity. There are quite a few to choose from. I will try to go back and use another before the month is finished!

The second card is also a birthday card, made for a little boy. I shadow-stamped the sentiment, which my little girl thinks is totally cool. She swears it looks like the words are popping right off the page. :-)

I used the colour scheme from The Card Concept.

And this is the superb sketch used for both cards.

Thank-you for visiting me. I'm off to seek some beauty sleep.

Michelle
xxx

Cutting Edge Roses

Hello!

For the longest time I have wanted The Sweet Life stamps from Papertrey Ink. Those roses are just so luscious and so beautiful! Well, the time has come, and I brought them home to me, AND I inked them up! As soon as I saw this week's inspiration at The Cutting Edge, I knew this was the moment to bring out the roses! I knew there was a reason to buy the dies when I bought the stamp set! :-)

For my card, I took the basic layout of the inspiration card, which I just love.

This week-end has been a bit busier than I anticipated. I started the week-end with a sick little girl. High fever, coughs, etc. I'm finishing the week-end with a sick little girl, and a sick husband. Both are coughing away and sweating out their fevers.

I did have some fun stamping with friends this afternoon. We were testing out the new Stampin' Up! Blendabilities. It was lots of fun, and I wish I could have stayed longer (instead I had to go grab some groceries before the shops shut).

I hope you've had a wonderful week-end! Thanks for coming by to visit me!

Michelle
xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch 87 - Tag You're It!

Hello!

Have we got some excitement for you this week at CAS(E) This Sketch! We are joining up with Jackie's new challenge Tag You're It! and we're giving you all an extra week to truly enjoy the fun! That's right! It's a two week challenge. :-)  You can make a tag, or you can use a tag on your card, or you can just make a card without the tag and join CTS alone, however you want to join in!

I'm not a very experienced tag maker, but I am very willing to give it a go. With Tag You're it! bringing me inspiration, I am sure to try again very soon. This week, I used the sketch from CTS to create my tag. You might need to squint your eyes to see the connection. ;-) I used PTI Note Niblets stamps (what a fun set!). Excuse my twine "tag stand", this is one of my tag challenges, how to photograph them once they're made.

I am so looking forward to seeing everyone's cards and tags over the next two weeks! I just know they will be amazing!

Michelle
xxx