Retro Sketches #59

Hello!

I had a wonderful time stamping with my friends on Friday. I only got one card made, but I loved the company. I'm probably more of a distraction than necessary to my friends, because I tend to chat non-stop (so excited to get some time with them...). I must learn to be a little quieter. ;-)

This morning I played with a set I borrowed from Cassandra, and I'm in love. Oh my goodness, this set is awesome (if you can line up the images correctly, which I found a little challenging).

I used PTI The Sweet Life and Stylish Sentiments: Birthday stamps. Colours are SU! Primrose Petals, Real Red, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, and PTI Berry Sorbet.

I was trying a little bit of stitching a la Leigh Penner, whose cards I just adore. My tension and stitch length were wrong, but other than that, I love the detail the stitching adds to the card. I stitched a layer of vellum over my background to soften it up.

The card is made using the sketch from Retro Sketches #59. I turned it upside down.

I'm also entering this card over at Simon Says Stamp Spring Flowers challenge.

I'm enjoying a sunny, warm day which is a huge contrast to the last two cold and rainy days. I'm happy to get the washing done before we go back to school and work tomorrow!

Thanks for coming by to visit me.

Michelle
xxx

Fusion #2

Hello!

I'm so excited to be joining  Fusion as a Guest Designer! Woo hoo!

The concept of Fusion is fabulous! You can choose to use the Sketch (Jackie's challenge) or the Inspiration Photo (Lesley's challenge) or you can do them both and create a FUSION!

My challenge today was to use the inspiration photo, and what an awesome photo it is!

I had fun making my card. Just looking at it makes me smile. Green chevrons and grey dots. Without the inspiration photo, I don't think I ever would have come up with this by myself. ;-)

I used PTI Soft Stone card base and a strip of White. PTI Chevron Stripes die with SU! Old Olive. 1/2" circle punch with SU! Basic Grey. Sentiment is PTI Stylish Sentiments: Birthday stamped in Memento Grey Flannel.

Are you inspired to join in? I hope so! I can't wait to see everyone's interpretation of this challenge.

Thanks for coming to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Yay! It's your birthday!

Hello!

Well, maybe it isn't YOUR birthday, but I was having trouble thinking up a header... and it IS someone's birthday, that's why I made this card. ;-)

I used PTI Turning a New Leaf and Stylish Sentiments: Birthday stamps. The flowers are MFT Die-Namics. Colours are PTI Hibiscus Burst PP, and SU! Garden Green and Night of Navy ink.

I made this card for Muse Challenge #12 where Therese Calvird is our Muse this week with this gorgeous card.

I looked, and looked again, and decided that I was not going to do Therese justice if I just copied this card. Therese has already made this one to perfection. I made a stylised version. ;-)

I used the colours from the April CARDS Blog Challenge.

  Today I am spending the day with my real-life stamping friends. Finding a day in school holidays where none of us are working, or busy, is just heavenly. Our kids run rampant, totally ignored by their mothers, and we spend a lot of time chatting, and a little time putting ink to paper. ;-)

Thanks for coming to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Love and Joy and Butterflies

Hello!

A second post for the day to allow me to sneak in under the wire for Dynamic Duos #47. I'm also entering this card into the Mama Elephant Sketch Challenge #3.

I have had a very lazy day today. I probably shouldn't admit that I was in my pyjamas until well after lunch... :-)  I'm enjoying a day at home with my girls as their school holidays draw to the end. After a REALLY busy time at work lately, I needed to do NOTHING today (other than make a couple of cards *wink*).

I used Mama Elephant Basic Borders and So Breezy stamps. Colours are SU! Pool Party and Real Red (I don't have Cherry Cobbler), and PTI Soft Stone.

The colours are from Dynamic Duos.

The sketch is from Mama Elephant. I took a few liberties with the sketch, but I think you can still see it in my card.

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

Watercolours for Mothers Day

Hello!

I had just finished my card for Runway Inspired Challenge the other day when I saw the Tuesday Trigger for this week over at Moxie Fab World, and I thought I would give the Large Flower Background stamp another run while it was out. :-)  I love this stamp so much.

Stamps are Hero Arts Large Flower Background and PTI Pretty Peonies (sentiment). I white embossed and then watercoloured using Inktense pencils (Fuschia, Cadmium Yellow, Bark).

The Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger this week is Magnificent Magnolias. Oh. So. Pretty!!!

I was also inspired by the Hero Arts April Challenge, using both the theme "Just For Her" and the sketch. My card was definitely based on the sketch, but it wandered slightly away in the final product. ;-)

I'm also linking this up to Simon Says Stamp April Showers or Spring Flowers.

Thanks for coming by to visit me!

Michelle
xxx

Runway Inspired #33

Hello!

When I saw the inspiration photo at Runway Inspired Challenge #33, I decided that I not only wanted to capture the outfit, but also the gorgeous watercoloured background. It took me a while to come up with something... part of my difficulty in responding to RIC, and why I'm always entering my card at the last minute, is that the DT tends to make such amazing creations that it takes me a while to come up with something suitably different, LOL! This is what I came up with.

I used Hero Arts Large Flower Background and PTI Birds and Blooms (sentiment) stamps. The background is stamped in PTI Soft Stone and watercoloured using a water pen and SU! Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, and Bashful blue. The yellow is SU! Daffodil Delight.

To be honest, I almost didn't want to put anything over that card base once I was through colouring it. It is so soft and pretty! I love that background stamp. That little black heart is a wink to the model's hair ribbon.

This was the inspiration.

I would love that outfit for myself if the skirt was a little longer (I've never figured out how women sit down modestly when their skirt is this short). I'd probably not wear the knee high stockings. ;-)

Thanks for coming to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Flowery Chevrons (CFC#97 & CSC#135)

Hello!

Who can resist flowers and chevrons? Not me! When I saw the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #97, my brain went to action thinking up ideas. I ended up with flowery chevrons. ;-)  I placed a couple of strips of washi tape on card, and die cut my chevrons, and voila! The most beautiful chevrons in the world, LOL!

The stamps are PTI Rosie Posie and Stylish Sentiments: Birthday. The dies are PTI Chevron Stripes and Sizzlits small leaves. The inks are SU! Primrose Petals, Pretty in Pink, and Early Espresso.

I was also inspired by JJ Bolton's card over at CASE Study challenge #135 this week.

The gorgeous bright flower, the die cuts. I do love the actual technique that JJ has demonstrated in this card, but for my CASE I went a different direction - using the same font for the sentiment, bright flowers, and die-cut chevrons.

When I bought my very first washi tape recently, I couldn't decide which rolls to start with. I chose this floral pattern, a chevron pattern, a triangle pattern, and a love heart pattern. And then I also picked up a striped one. But now I have discovered that I need all of these patterns in every colour, who knew? I don't think I should have started a washi collection, I think it may be addictive!

Edit: After thinking it over, I have decided to submit this as my third contribution to the Fusion Challenge #1. I made the card as a fusion of the two inspirations, sketch and photo, but when I decided to move one of my flowers away from it's position as per the sketch, I second guessed myself out of entering the card. Now I'm triple guessing myself and entering it anyway. ;-)  I think it isn't only washi tape that is addictive...

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx