This year's Christmas cards

Hello!

I've been making Christmas cards. After much experimentation, and some very cute cards made (I'll share more later), I have decided that these two are the winners for mass production this year. They are quick and CAS, or QACAS as Darnell would say, and they are bright and cheery. I just knew Stampin' Up! Cheerful Christmas was perfect for me!

How easy is this? White emboss the sentiment on a coloured panel, et voila! It's done! I did stamp the edges of the card base with PTI Postmarks stamp, for a little added interest, just like a candy cane. :-)

And this one is even easier. Stamp, stamp, and it's done! The image is Cheerful Christmas. The sentiment is PTI Keep It Simple: Season's Greetings.

Oh, I just love a good super-CAS card. :-)

Thanks for visiting! I hope to be back again soon!

Michelle
xxx

I'm being featured on CASEing Genius!

Hello!

I've made a new friend in blogland. I've admired her for quite a while, but over the past few months we started "talking". I have to say, I just love blogland for this - meeting amazing people and making friends. One day I am going to do a world tour and visit all my friends that I have not met in person yet. :-) My new friend is Kelly Latevola of You and Your Big Dreams. When I visit, I'm going to ask Kelly to give me some colouring lessons, her colouring is seriously AMAZING.

So, other than gushing over Kelly, the reason I am here is that Kelly is featuring me in her new series - CASEing Genius. I'm thinking that the title is a double-entendre (like Amusing Michelle, which was actually about things that amuse me, not me telling everyone that I'm amusing, although I can be a little funny sometimes, lol!). Kelly is the genius at CASEing, and sometimes it is a genius that she CASEs (maybe not this time). ;-)

To celebrate this occasion, I made a card. I made a CAS, heat-embossed, watercoloured card - showing off my eclectic tastes.

I used Wplus9 Pretty Peonies and Strictly Sentiments stamps. Colour is Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolours.

Thank-you, Kelly, for featuring me. I feel very honoured to be CASEd by someone who is so creative and artistic herself.

If you don't know Kelly yet, please take some time to visit her blog, you won't regret it!

Michelle
xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch 101

Hello!

We had the craziest storm yesterday. About 3.30pm the sky went black. I checked the weather bureau website and decided that it was time to head towards my kids. By the time my train reached my destination station at 4pm, the rain was so heavy there was flash-flooding. Walking to my car, I was drenched, even with my umbrella! I was glad to not be struck by lightning (a real risk walking with an umbrella in an electrical storm). I collected my girls and drove them home. I decided that I didn't want to go back out in the storm to do the ballet run, so my youngest daughter got an unusual night off. I think we had about 10cm rain in about 30 minutes. Our pool won't need filling for a while. My chickens were lucky to not float away in the flooded back yard. ;-) My dog was wet, and happy. She's a crazy, happy, dog, lol! It was our first big storm of the season. We've had no rain for about two months. Everything is dead, my lawn is completely brown, so the rain was very much needed, but perhaps not 10cm in 30 mins? Living in Brisbane, Summer storms are the norm. Some are bigger than others and this was a big one!

So, beyond storm news, I'm here with my card for CAS(E) this sketch Challenge #101. Did you join in last week? There were some amazing entries in our 100th challenge. This week I wandered off on a tangent with the sketch. Seriously, some sketches are so easy to just replicate, and for some reason my brain comes up with alternate ideas! Maybe I should make a second card, lol! I always hope that my crazy tangents provide someone with some extra inspiration.

I made this card for my brother. It was his birthday this week. My brother already has an amazing life, so I don't really need to encourage him much, but I thought the sentiment worked for him. He's visiting from London at the moment. London is so far away from Brisbane. I miss him, but he has so many opportunities over there on the other side of the world, so I'm also happy for him.

 I used PTI Mighty Oak and Building Blocks stamps.

Now it is late, and I must get some sleep. Thank-you all for continuing to visit while my life is crazy busy and I don't have much time to visit back. My Christmas holidays rapidly approach, and I plan on doing some serious visiting then, I promise!

Michelle
xxx

Fusion - Shine this Christmas!

Hello!

Today is my nephew's 1st birthday! He lives in London (UK), but he is here in Australia on a visit right now, so I was lucky enough to have dinner with him (and his parents) tonight! I can't tell you how much I'm loving getting to know this gorgeous little fellow. I could just keep him here with me forever! I did make him a card, but I forgot to take a proper photo of it. You can see a portion of it over on my Instagram account, if you're keen.

Tonight I bring you my card for the next Fusion Card Challenge. I find the silver/grey and red colour combination a little strange. I didn't realise I felt this way, until I was working with this inspiration photo, lol! It looks awesome, but somehow I have become stuck in my red and green, or silver and blue thinking for Christmas. How did that happen? I've been brainwashed! That's why I just LOVE these challenges. I am pushed in directions I hadn't thought to go, and I like what eventuates! The "shine" on this card is silver embossed, and it shines. :-)

I used PTI Sparkle & Shine: Holiday Additions mini set to make this card. What a cute little stamp set this is!

The design team have made some BEAUTIFUL cards for this challenge. They are all listed over on the side bar, and I recommend visiting them!

Thank-you for coming to visit me!

Michelle

xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch hits challenge 100!!!

Hello!

This week we're celebrating over at CAS(E) This Sketch as we hit the magic 100 number! Yes, this week is our 100th challenge! Woo hoo!!! And do we have a line-up for you this week! We have the All-Star CTS team brought together for this one special week!

The sketch is a beautiful CAS design this week. And I know that there are a few different interpretations from the team. Here is mine.

Some patterned paper with PTI Doodlie-Do stamps, and I was done! Super-CAS! When I look at this card, I think someone's climbed some mountains and come out victorious. ;-)

How about some G20 news. The roads this morning were very quiet. It meant the usual 30 minute trip to school took 10 minutes. I got a seat on the train. I didn't have to wait for my coffee. There was a police officer about every 10 metres along the streets in the City. I felt like today was NOT the day where I would have my purse stolen, lol! At the train station this afternoon, it was so crowded with police that I almost couldn't fight my way through the crowd into the station. We've brought in police from all over the country and I believe we even have some NZ police here, too! I'm glad they are here. Tomorrow is our G20 public holiday. I have major spring cleaning plans, and perhaps I'll make some time to swim in the pool with my kidlet as well. I might even make a card!

Thanks for visiting! I hope you can join us in our 100th challenge celebration. I would love to see you there!

Michelle
xxx

An extra card for CAS(E) This Sketch 99

Hello!

I needed to make a card for someone who is celebrating a special birthday soon. It took me a while to think what I was going to make. I had to make a big card for a group of us to sign. This card is A5. It turns out that this week's sketch for CTS and wPlus9 Pretty Peonies work perfectly in this format. :-)

The photo doesn't do this card justice, but you get the idea. ;-)

The first dignitaries arrived in Brisbane today for the G20 summit. They'll be arriving non-stop over the next two days. Brisbane City is a little crazy right now. President Obama arrives on Saturday, and they've just created a new security zone just a few kilometres from my home at the University of Queensland because he's speaking there. All I know is that I am really looking forward to that extra public holiday they have given us on Friday! I plan to stay home and not go anywhere if I can help it! I really need a day of rest!

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

PTI November Inspiration

Hello!

Last week-end I was browsing blogland and came across the Papertrey Ink November Inspiration Archive post. Funnily enough, I was inspired! Today I bring you a card I made using one of the sketches.

I used PTI Note Niblets, plus the little dots come from Harvest Berries.

There is a lot more inspiration to be had in that PTI post, and I hope to find some time to play a little more. :-)

Thanks for dropping by!

Michelle
xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch 99 - it's my sketch!

Hello!

This week is a very exciting week for me in my crafting life, a new milestone in fact. For the very first time ever, I created a sketch. And it was accepted as a sketch for CAS(E) This Sketch! Looking at it now, I wish I had made the sketch itself a little prettier. At the time, I was just jotting down an idea, lol! When I drew the sketch, I was thinking those explosions were flowers, but my computer didn't give me flowers as an option. I've since learned how to find more shapes. ;-)

When I came to make a card from the sketch, those flowers fled from my brain and were replaced by Christmas ornaments. Well, it is THAT time of year after all! The time that I make a pile of Christmas cards and then forget to send them until after Christmas...

Bauble stamps are SU! Cheerful Christmas, sentiment is PTI.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you make with my sketch. I'll be checking the gallery eagerly!

Thanks for coming by!

Michelle
xxx

Fusion - ombre peony

Hello!

This week has been crazy! Monday night my eldest had the Grade 6 Expo - the kids all presented on an aspect of a different country (100 kids!). My daughter presented on education in Iran. How's that for a topic for a 12 year old to explore? Last night (Wednesday night) my daughter had her Music Extension performance assessment (violin). Tonight she performed solo violin in the Middle School eisteddfod. Tomorrow night (Friday) she sings in the choir. Saturday morning is water polo, as always. Sunday morning, 6am, she leaves for a week-long school camp. I'll be sending her away exhausted. I can't imagine what she'll be like when she arrives home next Friday night! My little girl has only had her usual activities. She's still only 7, so school isn't quite as demanding on her. ;-)

The actual reason for this post is that it is time for another Fusion Challenge! And what a beauty it is! I have only used the inspiration photo, although the sketch is great, too!

Stamps are Jane's Doodles Pretty Peonies and Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments. I did a little ombre colouring with Copics.

One day I want to learn how to make a sugar flower like the one on this cake! It's amazing!

I cannot wait to see the gallery this time around. I love aqua, and I love flowers, and I love white embossing, and this inspiration has it all!

Edit: I'm also joining in at CASology where the theme this week is 'sea'. My card is made using sea colours. Thanks for the suggestion, Kimberly!

Thanks for coming by to visit!

Michelle
xxx