CAS(E) This Sketch 108

Hello!

In my previous post, I told you about my busy week settling the kids back into school. What I left out is that I have a cold. Sore throat, cough, no voice, sore body, and tired as tired can be. At least I'm on holiday from work so that I can take things ultra slow. ;-)

I'm here to bring you my card for CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge 108. This card is made using the last of my Secret Santa stamps gift. This one is Clearly Besotted Nuts For You (which I think is retired, but still very cute!).

Instead of a striped background, I used leaves and acorns.

Now I am off to grab a little beauty sleep for the last day of the school week tomorrow. :-)

Thank you for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

Fusion - Heartful

Hello!

What a busy week I'm having! I'm off work so that I can settle my kids back into school after the Summer holidays. My 12 year old started Grade 7, the first year of high school, on Tuesday (Monday was Australia Day holiday). After several challenging years, this year is starting well. She's coming home bursting with excitement and stories of new friends and fun classes. This makes me so happy. My 7 year old started Grade 2 today. She wasn't quite as excited to be back at school, and wasn't quite as enthusiastic when telling me about her day... lol! My little girl is the introvert and she really, really likes her quiet time to herself. She gets overwhelmed with all those people all day long! The good news is that they are both really happy with their teachers and they like their classmates. :-)

It's only a couple of weeks until Valentine's Day and the Fusion Challenge is the perfect inspiration for those last minute cards! I have created a Fusion card, using the sketch and taking the hearts from the inspiration photo.

I used PTI Heart Prints stamps. Inks are SU! Poppy Parade and Early Espresso.

I hope that someone makes a card using that stripey card in the middle of the photo as their inspiration. I really love that one! :-)

Thanks for dropping by to visit me!

Michelle
xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch 107

Hello!

It's the last few days of school holidays for my kids. School returns next week, Tuesday for the big girl and Thursday for the little one. I have next week off work to settle them into their new routines. I might even help them find their classrooms. ;-) The big girl starts high school. I'm pretty sure she wants to find her own classroom, lol! The little one MIGHT let me walk her to the classroom on the first day, but I'm pretty sure that will be the only time. Such independence!

So to the reason I'm here today - I bring you a literal interpretation of the sketch for CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge again this week. I had a set of dies from MFT that were just perfect for the sketch. I had ideas of inlaid die cuts but this version was my favourite. :-)

Thank-you for visiting! I hope I'll see your beautiful work in our gallery this week!

Michelle
xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch 106

Hello!

The sketch this week for CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge really appealed to me. So much so that I took it very literally. :-) I simply turned it on its side and stamped a long row of crosses. The hardest part was making sure my crosses kept the same angles and stayed in line. That's where my trusty ruler and pencil came into play. ;-)

The crosses are from PTI Building Blocks. The sentiment is from Avery Elle Party Animal.

You don't need to make the crosses in your interpretation. I just felt like taking the graphic route this time. It's been a while. :-)

Thanks for visiting me. I'd love it if you would visit the rest of the team, too!

Michelle
xxx

Fusion - Wooden Hearts

Hello!

It's been such a hot day here in Brisbane! This morning was 88% humidity with zero rain forecast. That makes for an extremely uncomfortable day, and the temperature reached 37C (99F), ugh!

Looking at the inspiration for Fusion this week, I'm thinking there is a little hint there for us to start preparing for Valentine's Day.  ;-)  I love the wooden hearts in the inspiration, and I decided to replicate them on my card.

I took the inspiration photo and sketch and created a Fusion card. The hearts are PTI heart dies and they've been run through the woodgrain impression plate. The sentiment is SSS Sketchy Banners.

I am looking forward to seeing what everyone creates with this inspiration!

Thank-you for coming by my blog!

Michelle
xxx

The Card Concept - 1st Anniversary!

Hello!

It's the first anniversary of The Card Concept and I just had to play along! I love the team and I love the inspiration. :-)

I used wPlus9 Fresh Cut Florals, Strictly Sentiments, and PTI Postmarks stamps. Colours are SU! Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Daffodil Delight, Barely Banana, and PTI Hibiscus Burst.

I had originally made my card in a very pure CAS version, but added the little edge stripes after going back to look at the inspiration photo again. I ummed and ahhed about it for a while and couldn't decide which one I prefer. I'll show you the original, and you tell me what you think. :-) If you visit me regularly, you will know I lean towards the huge amount of white on the second, but those diagonal stripes seem to give a little something extra.

I think I'll add this version to Virginia's View Clean Slate Challenge.

Okay, back to housework for me!

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

MFT Challenges - sketch and colour

Hello!

With Susan Opel leading an awesome team of designers on the newly launched MFT Challenge Blog, I couldn't resist joining in the fun. I will admit that my stash of MFT products is very limited. I think I own one stamp set (which I couldn't get to work with these challenges) and two little die sets (flowers). That doesn't mean that I don't love MFT, it just means that my limited budget has not allowed me to buy all that I love (yet). But, I wanted to join in anyway, and so here I am! :-)

My first card is for the sketch challenge.

I used Hero Arts Bicycle stamps and dies, Memory Box Puffy Clouds, Mama Elephant Femme Frames and Banner, and MFT Die-namics flower. Whew! That's a collection of product for one little card!

My second card is for the colour challenge.

These cute little bugs (Clearly Besotted Build a Bug) were another present from my secret santa. They're so sweet!! The sentiment is PTI Ballerina Beauty.

Because the bugs are new, I'm joining in with Darnell's NBUS Challenge, again (2nd entry). :-)

Edit: Because Ardyth tells me this card meets the definition of "attractive opposites" (white/black, red/green), I'm entering into One Layer Simplicity as well! :-)

I've been enjoying my holidays, being able to relax and play with my craft and art. I'm back at work on Monday, and I really would rather stay home! ;-) The kids have another two and a half weeks of holidays before school starts back. They get to stay home with Dad having fun while I toil away in the City.

Thanks for coming by to visit!

Michelle
xxx

CAS(E) This Sketch 105

Hello!

At CAS(E) This Sketch this week, we are using one of my sketches. When I drew this sketch out, I was imagining a vellum front over a stamped background, so that is what I made with my card.

I used PTI The Sweet Life stamps. I really love these roses. So pretty! Colours are PTI Berry Sorbet, SU! Poppy Parade, Real Red, Certainly Celery, and Old Olive.

I am looking forward to checking out the gallery!

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

Kara's 200th Friday Inspiration File celebration

Hello!

Do you know Kara's Friday Inspiration File on Pinterest? I've been following it for a long time now. Every week Kara finds some of the very best cards to be found out in blogland and pins them for us on Friday. Instant inspiration! If you don't follow this board, you're missing out. ;-)

Anyway, Kara is celebrating the 200th Friday Inspiration File with a little challenge. Because I really appreciate the inspiration every week, and I really like Kara, I just had to join in the fun! The challenge is to find a past pin and use it as inspiration for our own card. I found about 100 pins, and made cards using two of them as inspiration.

My first card is inspired by Marybeth from week 180. I loved this card when Marybeth first posted it, and I still love it.

I used wPlus9 Pretty Peonies stamps. Sentiment is PTI.

My second card is inspired by Laura from week 184. When I first saw this card, I fell in love with it. All of those tiny stamps making such a pretty design! I've been itching to CASE it ever since and this is my chance!

I used PTI Sparkle & Shine stamps.

My blog is getting quite a bit of love this week. Don't worry, I'm back to work and my old routine next week, so it will be back to regular (slow) programming. ;-)

Thanks for coming to visit me!

Michelle
xxx

Hippo Birdie!

Hello!

My crafty secret santa this year sent me a lovely selection of stamps, including this cute hippo and birdie set. I have been itching to put these cuties onto a card, and I finally found some time to actually do so! Yay! I have been admiring this pair in blogland for a while now. I'm so happy they've come to live with me. :-)

This card uses Lawn Fawn Hippo Birdie stamps and is coloured using a mix of Copics and SU! Blendabilities.

I'm made this card for a few challenges. Firstly was Darnell's NBUS challenge.

Also, One Layer Simplicity where the theme this month is Attractive Opposites - I used a big hippo and a small bird, and coloured them in complementary colours, yellow and purple.

And finally, this is my second entry to Virginia's View Challenge 11 - clean slate. 

I'm also entering this into Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes.

This card didn't even make it into my stash. It seems it made the cut to be used for one of my husband's friends. I might need to make another. It makes me smile. :-)

Thank-you for visiting me!

Michelle
xxx

P.S. My 12 year old daughter has started blogging (all sorts of 12-year-old interests) and yesterday she made a lovely watercolour painting that she shared. I'd love you to take a look and leave some love if you have a little time. :-) Liv Chronicles 

Winter beadwork

Hello!

Virginia's View Challenge this month has the theme "Clean Slate". That sounds right up my alley! I love a good  expanse of white on my cards. :-) I was also inspired by the photo at Curtain Call Challenge which is all white and ivory and beige, yum! The sponsor at Curtain Call is Altenew, so I couldn't resist pulling out my Altenew stamps. I settled on using Modern Beadwork with Label Love for the sentiment.

Once I had finished this card, it gave me the feeling of marble mosaic tiles and I was whooshed off to Italy in my imagination! :-) Colours are PTI Soft Stone, Fine Linen, and Hero Arts Wet Cement.

I'm also entering this into Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes.

Today I had a mole excised from my face. It was only a little mole, but it appeared right where I had previously had mole removed through a shave biopsy and found pre-cancerous cells. The fact that a shave biopsy had already been done meant they had to do the excision this time. I really don't like local anaesthetics. I don't like the numb feeling, I don't like the tingling and itching as the feeling comes back, and then I don't like the pain that arrives later on. :-(  I'm such a sook! I have two friends this week with their gallbladders removed, and I'm sooking over a little mole removal, lol! You can check my Instagram account if you'd like to check my sooky face. ;-)

I will be back with more entries to Virginia's View challenge. I just love Virginia's challenges and I am off work this week, so I plan to make good use of my time and make multiple entries.

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

P.S. I have started updating my other blog again. I'm putting some of my daily life photos (not professional, just snapshots) and some of my art practice over there. Feel welcome to take a look.

Happy 1st Birthday, Fusion!

Hello!

Happy New Year to you all!

Today we celebrate the 1st birthday of Fusion Card Challenge! One whole year! And I'm still having fun! :-)

To suit the theme, I made a birthday card. I used the photo as my inspiration. It's been a while since I made a card using the chalkboard technique and it was fun to play with it again.

I used PTI Stylish Sentiments: Birthday and Mama Elephant Party Kit stamps. I fussy cut all of those streamers! It's time to buy the die set, I think!

My guest this week: Laura Bassen

As an extra-special element to our birthday celebrations, each of us were allowed to invite someone who inspires us to join in the fun. I chose Laura Bassen of Doublestick Heaven as my guest. I discovered Laura several years ago and I just LOVE her style - in card making and in life! Laura makes beautiful CAS cards and often throws in a rainbow of colour, which makes my heart sing! To add to all the artistic talent, Laura is also a comedienne extraordinaire - she makes me laugh. Laura also introduced me to Turtles - pecan, caramel, and chocolate sweets. Have you had a Turtle? I don't eat many sweets, and I really don't eat much chocolate at all, but I discovered a complete inability to resist Turtles. I am so lucky they don't sell them here in Australia and I'm too lazy to make my own, lol! Please hop over to Laura's blog to check out her contribution to the Fusion celebrations and to leave her some love (even superstars still appreciate those kind comments!).

Enjoy the celebrations! I can't wait to see what you all create!

Michelle
xxx