For Your Inspiration #15

Hello!

Well it's that time again, another For Your Inspiration Challenge. And that means another amazing inspiration photograph. Yay!

Also, being the first challenge of the month, we have a sponsor, and this sponsor has some of the cutest digi-stamps around. Go over and take a look at Bugaboo Digi Stamps, they're gorgeous. Bugaboo have Catch The Bug Challenge Blog, which is worth a look too. Bugaboo Stamps are giving away 7 digi-stamps to one of our lucky participants this challenge. An extra reason to enter the FYI challenge, on top of the beautiful inspiration photo.

This photograph has so many different ideas to use. It was hard settling on just one. And so I didn't.

This is my first response to the photo, meet Clyde:

I liked the way Clyde's wings mirrored the shape of the windows in the cathedral. I also coloured him in similar colours.

What I used:
Stamp: Bugaboo Digi Clyde, and I forget where the sentiment came from
Card: Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy, Watercolour paper
Ink: Night of Navy
Inktense Pencils

A couple of weeks ago I was cutting out kites with the Die-namics Fly A Kite die, and when I finished a row of kites, I found a lovely row of windows. My first thought was "Play School" (round, square, diamond window). My second thought was church windows. Then I thought, hang on a sec, here is another idea for the FYI challenge. It took me a couple of weeks from idea to execution, but I have made it in the knick of time.  Here it is:

The colours were selected by my littlest girl who needs a birthday card for one of her little friends this week-end. Apparently he likes green and blue, LOL.

What I used:
Stamps: Bugaboo Digi Clyde, SU! So Happy For You (sentiment)
Card: Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Green Galore, Night of Navy
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Inktense Pencils

So, off you go, whip up a card to enter into FYI #15.

Oh, but before you go, tell me what you think of my fun dragon cards, I love to hear from you.

Michelle
xxx

Delightfully Random friendship card

Hello!

I have been wanting to make this card in response to the Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World ever since the Delightfully Random trigger photo was released.  I have mulled over ideas, but always came back to this gingham fabric, which I was envisioning as a picnic blanket in my card.

Here is the trigger photo:

Lovely, isn't it?

And here is my card:

I have created a thrown-down picnic blanket, and a flower for my field in which I am picnic-ing. *smile*  My little flower is actually a twine pom-pom, which I created around a fork (the idea for which I found on Pinterest). I frayed the edges of my fabric to create a tasselled edge on the blanket. I sponged the vanilla panel in pink and blue and then spritzed it with shimmer mist.  And I did a little sewing (don't look too close).

The card has lovely depth, it will definitely be a hand-delivery card, this one.

What I used:
Card: SU! Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla
Ink: SU! Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Real Red
Stamp: Janes Doodles Pretty Peonies (sentiment)

Not my usual style. It is a hit with my girls, so I'm happy.

Before I go, I thought I'd show you a card my 8 year old daughter made up yesterday. I was working on something else and didn't even look until it was finished. I really love the way she's put the images and the sentiment together, and I think I'm going to steal her colour scheme for something similar on a card of my own. :-)  It is a little card, but very cute:

So, do you like my pom-pom flower?  What do you think?

Michelle
xxx

Happy 40th Birthday

Hello!

I have been thinking about my brother's birthday card for a few weeks. I have to send it to the UK, so I need to be a little organised. I would sort of like it to arrive in time for his birthday this year, since it is a big one... I am fairly certain that he never looks at my blog, so I should be okay sharing his card here well before the big day.

If he does pop in (by a miracle), Happy Birthday, dear brother!

I picked up a new-to-me, hand-me-down stamp set or two the other day (thank-you, Cassandra), and I've been itching to get into them. Added to those, I have a couple of borrowed stamp sets too. Oh, I am a lucky girl to have such good friends.

I found the Mojo Monday Sketch #208, on Monday, funnily enough, and I have been looking for a colour scheme ever since. The sketch is this one:

The square sketch really, really appeals to me. So neat and tidy, two squares and two rectangles inside a square. Mmm, nice!

Today the new Play Date Cafe Challenge #101 came out. The colour scheme is gorgeous, and perfect for a masculine card. It is also perfect for the ideas I had floating about in my head for this card. These are the colours:

On the subject of The Play Date Cafe, I'm very thrilled to let you know that the card I squeezed in at the last minute for Challenge #100 received an Honourable Mention. I'm the Cream in their Coffee! Am I feeling a little excited about this? You betcha! I find it so thrilling when a card I really like, is really liked by others. Thank-you, thank-you, PDCC Team.

So back onto the subject at hand...my card:

There is a tonne of shimmer mist on the cream panels, but I don't think you can see it much in any of my photos. The patterned paper is metallic, so the shimmer mist works well. I don't usually do this type of stamping - lots of different stamps layered on top of each other - but this is what has been sitting at the back of my mind for a week, so I did it. The card is supposed to be warm like a big hug, with uplifting messages (live, love, laugh, dream), along with the birthday wishes. I feel that I achieved what I was trying to do. I played around with all sorts of other embellishments, but I couldn't work them in. My CAS soul wouldn't let me frilly it up any further, LOL!

What I used:
Stamps: PTI Embellishments, Postmarks, Outlines Alphabet
Card: SU! Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Paper: SU! Mocha Morning (yummo! I just knew I NEEDED this paper)
Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Ruby Red
Shimmer Mist

So, what do you think?

Michelle
xxx

One Layer Friendship cards

Hello!

I have a friend who has been having a bit of a tough time lately. Luckily she has been receiving lots of loving support from friends and family.  I was thinking of her. I already sent a card. I already sent messages. I already offered my companionship and services. What else could I do? I thought maybe a set of little "thank-you" cards for her to use. I have made a few of them in response to the One Layer Wednesday Challenge #66, which is over at Susan's blog this week, so I thought I'd share.

The challenge this week is to "get inspired by Janelle". Janelle is going through a difficult time right now. She is totally inspirational in her positive attitude and her generosity while she is undergoing medical treatment. It is worth taking a look through her blog, there are some beautiful posts in there. I particularly like her "travel" labeled posts, not for the destinations, but for her chat about the people involved in her travels.  I was inspired by plenty on the blog, but I chose two cards in particular as my starting point, this one and this one. I'm going to go back and do more, because I'm still inspired by these. These are the pictures of Janelle's cards:
          

I used the SU! set Lifelong Notes.  It is an old retired set, but it is new to me. I'm liking it.  I did the cards plain, but my friend likes a little bit of embellishment, in EVERYTHING, so I added a little bling and I added twine. I think I like them in the plain version (imagine the twine missing), but I like ultra-CAS.

The photos are a little fuzzy. The skies are quite grey here today. And it's turned cool again. So much for our beautiful, hot (32c/90f degrees last week), Spring we were having.

The cards are 10cm x 10cm (3 x 3), just little note cards. The pinks are retired SU! Pink Passion and Pixie Pink (how I love that pink). The other card is Soft Suede and Real Red. That is a combination I will use more, I was surprised at how much I liked it.

So, what do you think?

Michelle
xxx

Birthday Peony for PDCC#100

Hello!

Another card being squeezed in at the last minute. This time for The Play Date Cafe Challenge, number 100.  I've been thinking about the colours for this challenge since they were released. Some of my favourite colours.

Here they are:

I actually made my daughter's birthday invitations in these colours on Monday, also. But I hadn't realised they met the challenge at the time. I might edit this post later and add a photo or two of the invitations. I haven't taken photos yet.

The card I made in response to the challenge is this one:

My inspiration, other than from The Play Date Cafe, was from a couple of cards I'd seen over at Lime Doodle recently.  They are here:


Debby just has CAS perfected. I love everything she does.

What I used for my card:
Card: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie
Stamps: Hero Arts Dots and Flowers background (borrowed, thank-you Manda!), Janes Doodles Pretty Peonies
Other: Inktense pencils, assorted rhinestones

So my effort doesn't really even approach Debby's cards, but I still like it (even if it is a bit too "green" for me).

What do you think?

Michelle
xxx

CTD#160 Take Two with a Kite

For my For Your Inspiration post, please scroll down, or click HERE

Hello!

I told you I'd probably come back for Color Throwdown Challenge 160.  I meant it, I love these colours!  It is very last minute, but I think I'm going to beat the deadline, LOL!

Yesterday I spent the day with my stamping friend, Manda, having a stamping play date together while our kids had a more traditional play date (building tents in the back yard, riding the scooters, filling the living room with every little toy in the house. . . you know how it goes when the Mummies are distracted by stamping. . . ). At the end of the day, I decided to use her Big Shot and punch out some shapes to take home. One of those shapes was her brand new, not yet used, Die-Namics Fly A Kite die. Manda commented about making a baby girl card with a pink and chocolate kite, and I thought, "That's it! That's my other Color Throwdown card!"  Not only could I use Manda's brand new kite die, but I could use my own brand new twine, yippee!

I didn't make a baby card, I made a birthday card. I'll keep the baby card idea in mind for later.
To remind you, the Color Throwdown colours are:

And my card is:

It's a really simple card, but I like my cards that way.  And I like this card.

What I used:
Card: (all SU!) Chocolate Chip, Pretty In Pink, Very Vanilla (yes, this time I remembered I was using Vanilla)
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: a retired SU! paper in Pretty In Pink
Die: Die-Namics Fly A Kite
Twine: Twinery Capuccino and Blossom (oh, I just love my new twine)

Here I am going to throw a plug in for Jay Gee's Nook. For those of you in Australia (and International customers, the postage will just be a little more), who haven't yet discovered Jay Gee's Nook, go and take a look. Jay Gee has a great selection, great prices (and low postage prices because she's in Australia), and excellent (outstanding) service. I got my Twinery Twine from Jay Gee (and the Die Namics die, and the Jane's Doodles stamps, and some other wonderful things. . . ) and with every order, I have never had to wait or follow up, I just order, and it arrives with perfect service. With my email enquiries, no matter what time of night or day, I get REALLY FAST responses. I truly LOVE great service like this. Thank-you, Jay Gee!

So what do you think of my little kite?

Michelle
xxx

One Layer Monochrome

For my For Your Inspiration post, please scroll down, or click HERE

Hello!

Over at One Layer Wednesday this week, the idea is to let the sentiment take centre stage, or at least have equal billing with the images. I'm not sure I've achieved this here. I did discover that I am very short on sentiments in my stamp collection.

For CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 21, we are being asked to use three shades of one colour and to add brown.  With this challenge, I discovered I need more colours!  I did find that I have quite a few greens in my collection.

With eight hours to go over at "Less Is More", I thought I'd throw in another card for their Anything CAS Goes challenge, where they are hoping for 1000 entries this week. They might make it, if Mr Linky doesn't succumb under the pressure of all those entries!

So with those instructions, this is what I came up with:

I don't usually embellish my one layer cards, but this card needed something extra, so my new twine came to the rescue.

What I used:
Stamps: PTI Take Three: Summer, and PTI Botanical Silhouettes (sentiment)
Ink: SU! Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip

Now, I'm a little weary, so I might toddle off to bed. Tomorrow I go to visit my new nephew, who will be around 24 hours old by the time I get to him. I'm smiling already.

Michelle
xxx