Butterfly rainbow

Hello!

Today I bring you a rainbow of butterflies!

The stamps are Craft's Meow Butterfly Kisses. The sentiment is actually gold, but I found it hard to photograph the sparkle of it.

I made this card for One Layer Simplicity Challenge #2. I had meant to enter Challenge #1 in celebration of the fact that One Layer Wednesday just became bigger and better, but time ran out on me!

I also made this card to celebrate Less Is More's 3rd Birthday, where they are celebrating with rainbows. :-)

While I had this little stamp set out, I made another simple one layer card.

The white sections of the fairy's wings sparkle. The simplicity of this card makes me smile.

And before I go, here is my Peggy, stretching herself up to her full 4-week-old height. The chicks are spending their days outside in the coop (they come inside at night still). They're hilarious to watch when I pop them in there - there are chicken races and wing-flapping competitions galore!

Thanks for dropping by to visit!

Michelle
xxx

One Layer Wednesday #166 - Tags!

Hello!

Right up front here I am going to let you know (in case you haven't yet guessed) that I struggle to photograph tags. I'm too impatient (and maybe too lazy) to style them nicely like other people do. ;-)  One day I might take the time to learn how to make them look pretty. In the meantime, I apologise, LOL!

One Layer Wednesday is on Cheryl's blog this week and the challenge is to create tags. It just so happens that I have a new tag die and some new tag stamps that I couldn't wait to try out. So here they are. Clean. Simple. One Layer.

The stamps and dies are Mama Elephant. The stamp set is No Peeking. The die is Embellished Tag. The ink is Mama Elephant Apple and Memento Tuxedo Black. I coloured the reindeer skarf with my daughter's colouring pens.

Just a quick one tonight. I'll be back again in a day or two. Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

Shiny stars

Hello!

I've struck a little bit of crafters block this week. In particular, I have made a number of cards for One Layer Wednesday and thrown them placed them gently into the recycling. That's what I get when I go all experimental on myself, argh! Anyway, I've been visiting blogs while avoiding my own inability to make a card, and somewhere along the line I was struck by inspiration! An idea popped fully-formed into my head. Woo hoo!

I am so happy this card turned out how I planned. :-)

I used PTI Stylish Sentiments: Holiday and Star Prints (the tiny star). I also used Perfect Pearls Gold and Delicata Golden Glitz. Ink is SU! Early Espresso.

I masked that line and smothered it in Versamark before brushing on a generous covering of Gold Perfect Pearls. The little stars are stamped in Delicata Golden Glitz. The two golds match perfectly.

In addition to One Layer Wednesday, which is over on Susan's blog this week and asks us to my a Christmas card with glitter or shimmer, I am also entering into 10 Minute Craft Dash #21. I'm definitely featuring stars, and I made this card well within 10 minutes. My time came out at 6mins 43secs. Yay!

The layout came from CAS(E) This Sketch #35, which I thought I was going to follow with the grungy splatters, but this card came to mind first. I still like the grungy splatters, so I might save it for another day. :-)

We have a glorious day here today. It's mid-Winter, the sun is blazing, I have all the windows wide open, I am wearing singlet top and shorts, and it is about 25c (77F) at 3.30pm. Really like a Spring day, definitely not feeling the Winter today! If my chest infection would just go away, the day would be PERFECT. :-)

Thanks for coming to visit.

Michelle
xxx

Happy Birthday, Ardyth!

Hello!

Today is Ardyth's birthday! And I was invited to the party! If you would like to join in, you can too! The party is being hosted by my friend Darnell, who is one of the sweetest ladies in the card blogging world.

I am lucky enough to have made friends with Ardyth. We met here, in blogland. I think I was probably one of her first followers, and I still adore everything she creates. Recently she did some naughty enabling by sending me a recipe for Turtles (aka Sweet Georgia Browns). Oh, they are BAD!!! In case you want to make these super-sweet caramel chocolate pecan treats for yourself, here is the LINK.

Happy Birthday, Ardyth!!

The idea was that we were to CASE Ardyth. Well, I did, sort of. I went over to Ardth's Pinterest boards and decided on bright colours, repeated words, and super-CAS. I ended up with a mix of Ardyth and me, LOL!

I used the colour scheme from this week's ColourQ Challenge #191.

I also found, while visiting Ardyth, that she is hosting her own birthday party at One Layer Wednesday. And we are invited to make a card that we think she would like. How cool, I already made one!

Ardyth, I hope you have a fabulous day!

Michelle
xxx

Blooming One Layer!

Hello!

Just a quick one tonight. I'm already past bedtime, and fading fast!

The other day, I was looking at Chrissy Stokes' card, which is super gorgeous, and some vague ideas that had been circulating in my head formed into something concrete. Then I had to wait a day or two before I could make the idea into a card (if only I didn't need to go to work). The card(s) I made didn't live up to my imagination, but I think there is promise in the idea. ;-)

Card base is Poppy Parade. Stamps are Hero Arts Tall Flowers and Say It All. White embossing with Delicata Gold selective colouring.

I also made another one, which I had decided was too subtle, but now that I made the bolder one I am switching back and forth with my choice as to which one I like best.

Card base is Pool Party. Stamps are Hero Arts Tall Flowers and Say It All. White embossing with Clear Spica pen selective colouring.

I am entering into CASology Challenge #44

I am entering into A Blog Named Hero Challenge #24

Also Less Is More Challenge #119 where it is one-layer week and we're asked to use a coloured card base.

And last, but not least, One Layer Wednesday #140 where we are making borders.

Four challenges for one simple card. I think that might be a record for me!

Thanks for visiting!

Michelle
xxx

One Layer Fusion

Hello!

It's been a long time since I've played One Layer Wednesay, which makes me sad. My very first ever one layer card was made for OLW, and it was SO DIFFICULT! I think I made about five versions, and none were fabulous. These days I make one-layer cards with a little more ease and less panic. I'm entering One Layer Wednesday #134, which is on Ardyth's blog this week. The challenge is to use "3". I used three stamps and three colours.

This is also my second entry for Fusion Challenge #1. This time I'm using the sketch only and entering Jackie's challenge. I flipped the sketch upside down (there is a little story about distraction when stamping repeat patterns which led to the upside down sketch).

I used PTI Square Prints and Stylish Sentiments: Birthday. Colours are SU! Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, and Early Espresso.

Despite the overlap of the squares (necessary to get those lines to match up) and the slightly wonky edges, I really like how this card turned out. The imperfection feels okay in this case.

I'm loving Fusion! I love this concept. :-)

Thanks for coming by!

Michelle
xxx

One Layer Wednesday #99

Hello!

It's been a while since I've played along with One Layer Wednesday. I got a bit confused there for a while and kept missing it! This week, I couldn't resist. Not only is it challenge number #99 (just one more before #100, which I like), but we get to choose our inspiration from Susan's Pinterest Pure Inspiration Board.

This is my card.

I used PTI Botanical Silhouettes. I masked the card front and sponged SU! Bashful Blue and Pool Party. Then I stamped the stems in Certainly Celery, white embossed the flowers, and finished with the sentiment.

This was my inspiration.

As soon as I saw it, I knew what I wanted to create.

I hope you like it, I do!

Thanks for dropping by!

Michelle
xxx

OLW#81 and LIM#57

Hello!

This week's challenge over at One Layer Wednesday is to use Black, Cream, and Bling. I love this colour combination, and for some reason I never use it. Along came Less Is More for the week, and the colour theme is Neutrals. I love neutrals. If I can find the time, I am going to make another card (or two) in the neutrals theme.

Here is my card:

I used PTI Harvest Berries, and Hero Arts Say It All, along with some SU! Pearls, and a Copic Multiliner to create the frame. Easy peasy!

That was my second card. My first card, didn't turn out quite as I imagined, so it gets relegated to second place in my show-and-tell.

The flourishes are a retired SU! roller. The sentiment is Hero Arts Say It All. The little flowers with the bling actually belong to a PTI set, which I can't remember the name of. The bling is SU! Rhinestones.

Thanks for coming to visit today.

Michelle
xxx

OLW79, LIM55, and Jay Gee's #16 - Colourful flowers

Hello!

I have told you before how much I love rainbow colours, haven't I? :-)  This months challenge inspiration over at Jay Gee's Nook uses so many bright and happy colours, it's irresistible. As is usual for me, I've been pondering this card for ages. The original concept for the card I've made today came from Amber over at Damask Love. For some reason I can't find the card that inspired me, but if you've seen Ambers cards and calendars, you'll recognise the inspiration (Amber does it so much better than me). The layout and design for the card is a very direct CASE from Michelle at Pigment of My Imagination. When I saw Michelle's card, I knew I just had to bring my ideas to reality, right now! Again, Michelle has done it so well, I'm not sure why I am even considering doing it within the same challenge that her card is in (that would be One Layer Wednesday), LOL! I also made this card for Less Is More Week #55 (theme punches or dies), because it has been too long since I visited and had a play there, and I miss it. :-)

Here is my card:

I had to hold it together so that you could see it more clearly:

And here is the colour inspiration collage from Jay Gee's Nook Challenge #16:

Gorgeous, isn't it?

For my card, I used Stampin' Up! inks in a variety of bright colours. I used PTI Fillable Frames #5. I used PTI Rosie Posie, PTI Turning a New Leaf, and PTI Botanical Silhouettes stamps - 8 stamps in total.

I really like this card. It's exactly what I wanted to create. I just love it when a card turns out as I imagined. 

Thanks for visiting. I love having visitors, and hearing what you have to say. :-)

Michelle

xxx

Clean and Simple Day 2, Part 2 with OLW74

Hello!

When I saw One Layer Wednesday this week, I decided to try to wake up my mojo and make another card for Clean and Simple Card Classes, Day 2. I made another stack of one-layer cards and this one is the very best of that bunch. Sigh!

Here is the card:

This card has potential. I need to reposition the elements at the very least! As it is, my kids like it, and they will use it, yay!

I used PTI Turning a New Leaf, and SU! Wonderful Favourites. Colours are Real Red and Pixie Pink.

I'm actually a bit embarrassed to share this one, but someone recently commented on her blog how nobody ever shows the less-than-perfect cards. So this post is for her, and you never know, someone else (a lot less critical than me) might like it, or it might inspire someone to make a better version, and that would make me happy. :-)

Michelle
xxx

One Layer Wednesday #72 - Sentiment Only

This is my second post for today. 

For my FOR YOUR INSPIRATION post, and a little tour of Brisbane, scroll down.

Hello!

Susan at Simplicity has given us an ultra-difficult challenge this week for One Layer Wednesday. At least, it's ultra-difficult for me! The brief is to use only one sentiment stamp on a non-standard card size. That's it! Nothing else...just that one stamp...eek!  And we have to do at least two versions of the card.  Oh dear!

My cards are 4.25" x 4.25"  All are made with PTI white cardstock, and PTI Stylish Sentiments Holiday.

The first one is using SU! Real Red

The second is made with SU! Early Espresso

The third is made with glittery red embossing. The next photo is an attempt to show how sparkly it is.

I'm not sure you can see it, LOL!

I like the Real Red version best. Which do you like?

Michelle
xxx

OLW#68 and CR84FN#40

Hello!

I'm rushing out the door, so creative blog titles elude me! LOL.  I whipped up a couple of cards this morning to share with you.  The first is a response to One Layer Wednesday #68 and CR84FN Color Challenge #40.

Susan's challenge for OLW this week is to use triangles.  I think you can actually SEE the triangle in this one-layer card, yippee.  This time I created the stamping on a scrap piece of paper BEFORE stamping the card, just to make sure I could create the triangle that I had in my imagination.  I'm thinking of adding a couple of blingy bits to this card later. I like it as it is, but I also like a little bling.

The colours came from CR84FN:

I couldn't resist. I might come back and make some more cards in response to this colour challenge. I love them!

I used SU! Real Red, Soft Suede, and Crumb Cake. The stamp set is PTI Botanical Silhouettes.

My other card I made in response to a beautiful card I found on Pinterest and tracked down to Ingrid Danvers' blog.  Ingrid's card is this one:
                               
I wanted to make a one-layer card pretty much the same.  BUT I had a masking accident and my beautiful white space I had created was RUINED, so I added a green strip instead of the twine and white I'd planned.  Here is my card:

I still like it, but I'll try again to make what I have imagined.

Must rush off - it is gymnastics day for the little one.

What do you think of my cards today?   I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback.

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

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

Pretty Peonies for OLW & PDCC

For my For Your Inspiration Post, scroll down. 

This is my second post for today.

Hello!

I am very lucky. So, so lucky. And feeling blessed. And excited!

You may ask why.

I won a new stamp set. *squeal*  Not just any stamp set. . . a BEAUTIFUL new stamp set. From Jane's Doodles! This is the set:

Every time I look at it I'm inspired. Pretty Peonies was released last week.  I won this set when I was selected from the Jane's Doodles Flikr Gallery entries for August.  All you have to do to enter each month is use Jane's Doodles stamps, and load your project into the gallery. That's your entry. This is pretty easy for me, because I'm loving these stamps... as you may have noticed, LOL!

It may sound like I'm advertising, or that I'm being paid to say these things, but I'm not. I'm just thrilled with the stamps. I love them.

On to the reason for my post. I'm entering a card into One Layer Wednesday, which is over at Susan's blog Simplicity this week. The challenge is to stamp an image and colour it.

For my colours I have used the colours from the Play Date Cafe Challenge #99 (Ooh, almost to #100!).  The colours are so soft, pretty, and sweet this week:

My card is here:

I used:
Stamps: Jane's Doodles Pretty Peonies
Card: Stamping Up! Whisper White
Ink: SU! Barely Banana, Lavender Lace, and Memento Tuxedo Black, and a Blender Pen

I'm still learning how to colour. I think I'm improving. I also did a little masking on this card.

A couple more photos for you, if you feel like continuing to hear me waffle on. . .

This week was my birthday. Presents aren't really my big thing. I like presents, but I am not so fussed on presents for presents' sake. BUT, when someone puts some thought into a present, and gets me something that I have never asked for but really, really wanted. And that present is USEFUL. This rings all my bells and fills me with gratitude.  I received a couple of these types of presents this year. But one in particular I'm sharing with you because it is stamping related:

My very own, personalised stamp for the back of my cards. I didn't have one. And I wanted one. My sister-in-law is one of the most thoughtful present-givers in the world.

And one more. To take my card photos, I sit on the floor, beside the big windows at the front of my house, with my cards on a chair, getting as much natural light as possible. So each time I sit down, I suddenly have a very nosy companion attempting to get her nose into my picture, or her body on my lap. Every time.

She's cute, but I don't want her wet, sloppy nose on my camera lens. And I don't want to be bumped when I'm carefully focusing on a sentiment. Especially when she's been digging in the sandpit. I do love her, though. This is Coco.

So if you made it all the way to the end of this post, would you take a little time to leave me a comment to let me know you were here? I really love hearing what you have to say. I promise to come and visit you in return.

Michelle
xxx

OLW #63 - Baby card

For my For Your Inspiration post, scroll down

Hello!

One Layer Wednesday is back! Yay! If you haven't looked at Jennifer and Susan's challenge, you should pop over to Jennifer's blog this week and have a go. If you haven't tried one layer yet, you should definitely have a go! For me, it is extra challenging.  This week there is the added bonus of a giveaway up for grabs - A Muse products, LOVELY!

This week's challenge is to create a one layer BABY card.  I have a few cards sitting on the table right now after spending last night trying to create SOMETHING that looked good on one layer.

I'm still playing with Jane's Doodles "Noah's Ark", because I adore the image, and I know I haven't explored everything I can do with it yet. This time, instead of paper-piecing (because of the one-layer rule), I coloured. Yes, ME, I coloured. Another of my personal challenges. I used SU! inks with a blender pen.  It turned out okay. I was using pale colours and attempting to make a gender-neutral card. I tried to anchor with the blue sponging, but I think I need something more. Maybe that is just because I have been anchoring this image with "water" in all my other cards, I feel it is a bit NUDE this time.  This was quick to create, which is always a bonus. I must be getting better at one layer.

What I used:
Card: SU! Whisper White
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! various colours
Stamps: Jane's Doodles "Noah's Ark"

What do you think? Do you like my simplified Ark?

Michelle
xxx

Gratitude

Hello!

Second post of the day, and I dedicate this post to GRATITUDE.  My points of gratitude are not in any order of importance, just as I have thought of them.

1. This post is a submission for One Layer Wednesday #60, which is over on Simplicity this week.  Which is my first area of gratitude.  Susan Raihala over at Simplicity continues to inspire me with her creations.  And she shares so much with the rest of us.  I truly love reading her posts and seeing what she has come up with each time she shares.  As well as telling me all about design, colour, texture, simplicity . . . she also shares little tidbits from her life, and I love that too!

2. I am grateful for all my visitors who take the time to look at my creations and then take more of their valuable time to give me some feedback via a comment. Thank-you all!

3. I am grateful for my followers. That you have placed me on your list of people you like to receive regular updates from is humbling.  Each new person who shows up brings me a smile and amazes me all over again that you would want to see what I have created or perhaps hear what I have to say.

4. I am grateful for my real-life stamping friends, Manda and Cassie, who both inspire me constantly with their creativity and their generosity.  About three years ago, Manda introduced me to Stampin' Up! products via a workshop.  Along with an instant addiction to all things paper and stamping, I also gained some wonderful friendships, and then a further addiction to blogging!

5. I am grateful for all those talented artists out there in blog-land who share their ideas and creations with me via their blogs.  I am constantly amazed at the beauty of all that creative work out there.

6. I have so many other things in my life that I am grateful for, but since this post is about stamping, I'll restrict myself to the theme of stamping in my items of gratitude. . . for today. . . LOL.  I just thought of more stamping-related things to be thankful for. . . I think I could go all day!

So on to my entry. . . Susan REALLY inspired me this week.  The rules: Make a card that layers ink. USE ONLY STAMPED IMAGES AND/OR SENTIMENTS. No masking, no sponging, no embellishments of any kind!

Wow! Seriously?  So off I went to experiment with this "quick and easy" style. . . and discovered that quick and easy is exciting!  I couldn't stop.  Added to the excitement of quick and easy was my new stamp set (thank-you Cassie!) from PTI - Botanical Silhouettes, awesome! The only thing that stopped me was that I had an appointment to get to. But I think I might get back to it tonight for some more fun!
My challenge entry is this one, mainly because it has more layering in the stamping (and here I say thank-you again to Manda who enlightened me recently about using acrylic blocks by themselves to stamp, I love the effect).

Colours used: Barely Banana, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Certainly Celery

And now for my other work from today, this was my first one (colours Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, Night of Navy):

Then came this one (using SU Organic Grace, and colours Daffodil Delight, Certainly Celery, Creamy Caramel, and Chocolate Chip):

And my other one (using Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, and Chocolate Chip):

While I was working on the first card, my 8 year old daughter was working alongside me.  The whole reason we pulled out the stamps was to make Grandma a ThankYou card.  She asked me to share her card here with mine, so here is her lovley effort:

She's pretty clever, isn't she?

So what do you think of my flurry of one-layer cards?  Isn't Botanical Silhouettes an awesome stamp set?  I'm in love. I'll be heading over to PTI to order more of their fabulous sets sometime in the near future. So easy to use and gorgeous images.

See you again soon!

Michelle
xxx