CASology #43 - Hexagons

Hello!

Over at CASology this week the theme is Hexagons. I have so many little hexagons awaiting some love, that I just had to join in. While I was sorting through my hexagons, I thought that perhaps I should donate a pile to the school for use in art projects. I really do have quite a few leftovers from when I've used the hexagon cover plate, LOL!

Colours are SU! Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Barely Banana.

I'm still not feeling well, so I'm a bit deficient in banter today. I hope you are all having a marvellous week-end!

Thanks for coming by to visit.

Michelle
xxx

PTI 6th Anniversary - Printables

Hello!

Papertrey Ink are celebrating their 6th Anniversary with some super contests. This one is using one of their free printables to create a card. I made two cards, I will come back later with the second one.

This is my first card.

The printable is the centre image. I matted it on Fresh Linen card and created the background using Hexagon Cover Plate and stamped with Embellishments in Fresh Linen and SU! Bashful Blue.

I don't usually use digital images in my cardmaking. I don't find that I have much success with my printer. My new printer seems to have done an awesome job, and I'm quite happy with the outcome on this one. ;-)

If you want to give this a go, you can pop over to Papertrey Ink and grab the freebies for yourself.

Thanks for dropping by!  I'll be back after another mad rush around the countryside collecting children from various activities!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Card Making 2 - Day 1

Hello!

I was starting to worry that my absent internet connection was going to seriously mess with my real-time participation in the Clean & Simple Card Making 2 online classes, but at the last minute service was restored. Hooray!

Today is Day 1. There is lots of inspiration to work with, and four sketches to choose from. So far, I have managed to make one card. Part of taking this class (and I did take Clean & Simple Card Making last year) is that I want to try some new things. So my choice of what lesson/idea to apply today was dictated by the technique I hadn't tried before - using misting sprays and a template.

I don't actually own any mists. I made my own using diluted re-inker in a mister bottle. It worked! It was MESSY! I almost gave up at the point that I had navy blue speckles all over the place (lucky I'd taken Tracey's tip and taken my work to the laundry tub - and I did clean up before the hubby discovered my mess!) I also discovered (again) that I have a serious shortage of sentiments in my stamp supply. That said, I'm VERY happy with the outcome and think I might try this again!

The photo doesn't do this card justice. White and navy work so well!  I made a template using the happy hexagon plate. I sprayed SU! Night of Navy over it and then set the card aside to dry while I worked on the other bits. I silver embossed the PTI Strawberry Patch sentiment, and stamped the PTI Star Prints sentiment in navy. The card was finished without those little stars, but I felt it needed just a little bit more, so on they went. :-)

I can't wait until tomorrow's class!

Michelle
xxx

CASADIA (a CASE + an idea)

Hello!

Have you been following Wida Miller's CASADIA? I have been watching since day one, and it is such a fun idea! I finally built up the courage to ask to be one of the participants, and here I am!

What's CASADIA? It's a card chain, like the game of Chinese Whispers (or Telephone, if that is what you call it). Each time the "message" (card design) is sent, it is interpreted and then sent again slightly differently by the next person. I'm person number 24, following Kelly Griglione. The first person in the chain was Laura Bassen (and she didn't know what she was starting), who was CASEd by Jennifer Rzasa, who was then CASEd by Wida Miller, who then invited all of us to join in the fun!

The first card was this one by Laura. (Please, if you want to pin, go visit Laura's post and pin from there).

The most recent card was this one by Kelly (again, please visit Kelly's post if you want to pin this one).

To see all the cards that came in between, pop over to Wida's CASADIA page.

So now to my card. Kelly was a very hard act to follow. Pop over to her post to see just how she created those gorgeous trees! Amazing! It took me a couple of weeks (in between Christmas preparations and family visits) to think up my own idea. Finally I decided to use the three trees (only I used flowers), the colours, the dots, and the green sentiment. Here it is.

I used PTI Lovely Layers stamps and dies, Hexagon Cover Plate die, Aqua Mist patterned paper, vellum (between patterned paper and cover plate), and Basic White card. Colours are SU! Tempting Turquoise, Glorious Green (which I don't believe I've ever used before), and Garden Green. The buttons are SU! Itty Bitty Buttons, and they fit the central flower image on Lovely Layers perfectly! All topped with three rhinestones for some extra sparkle.

Thanks for coming by. If you want to join in this fun, contact Wida for more information.

Michelle
xxx

Pastel Prettiness

Hello!

I made this card a few days ago for a young friend of ours who celebrated her 10th birthday this week. Happy Birthday, Sophie! I'm sorry the card hasn't made it into the mail early enough to arrive for your birthday!

I used PTI Hexagon Cover Plate die, PTI Strawberry Patch stamps and die, SU! patterned paper, ribbon, and brad.

My inspiration for the card came from Tuesday Trigger: A Pin Therein

and from Jay Gee's Nook Challenge #23 (the pretty pastels, especially those dots)

I'm also entering this card into the Moxie Fab World Asymmetry challenge.

Thanks for dropping by to visit!

Michelle
:-)

Papertrey July Blog Hop Challenge - take 2

Hello!

Well, another idea took hold, so I'm back for a second go at the Papertrey July Blog Hop Challenge! I don't usually enter challenges twice, but I like this card better, so I thought I'd share. :-)

I used PTI stamps - Pretty Peonies (sentiment), Rosie Posie, Turning a New Leaf. I also used Hero Arts Envelope Pattern background stamp over the PTI Hexagon cover plate to add a bit of texture.  Colours are SU! Old Olive, Barely Banana, Daffodil Delight, Pretty In Pink, Cameo Coral. 

Still using the beautiful inspiration, and the same colours as the last card, but as I said, I like this one better.

I'm also entering this one into Moxie Fab World's Hooked on Hexagon's Challenge.

Now, off to hang washing out, ferry my little girl to gymnastics and music lessons, and then to collect the big girl from school before coming home to collapse briefly before getting dinner underway. So glad I took some time to do some stamping this morning. It's good for my mental health. :-)

Thanks for dropping in!

Michelle
xxx

Papertrey July Blog Hop Challenge

Hello!

It's Blog Hop time over at Papertrey Ink! And what a beautiful inspiration they've given us this month!

I wish I had that beautiful bunch of flowers here in my home, they're so pretty!

I made two cards, because I couldn't decide on exactly how to place my colours. Here they are:

and

I used PTI Pretty Peonies (flowers) and Happy Hexagons (border), Hero Arts Say It All (sentiment). Card base is PTI basic white. Colours are SU! Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Barely Banana, Daffodil Delight, Pretty In Pink and Cameo Coral. And I used those fabulous Pretty Peonies dies that save me from that nasty fussy cutting. :-)

Both cards are made using the rock'n'roll technique on the leaves and flowers. They are both made with exactly the same supplies. Looking at these photos, I think I'll add a little bling before I send them out. :-)

I'm a bit stuck for words (and creativity) today. My Type A, Perfectionist personality is causing my anxiety levels to hit the roof (due to a few minor challenges these past couple of weeks) and the more anxious I get, the more anxious I get, if you get what I mean! Argh! I'm not a worrier, so when I get like this I get totally frustrated with myself, and then you know what happens.... vicious circle, LOL!

Anyway, you probably are more interested in my cards than my crazy issues, thanks for dropping by!

Michelle
xxx

CAS happy in black

Hello!

Whew! I've had a busy week-end this week-end. I have managed to squeeze one more card out of my limited time. I really didn't want to miss the opportunity to enter these three challenges. Too often I miss out because I run out of time, despite feeling inspired!

This is my card.

I used SU! Basic Black and Crumb Cake card. Ink is Real Red and Certainly Celery. Stamps are PTI -  Happy Hexagons (sentiment) and Flower Fusion #11. Twine is Twinery Maraschino (the twine is where I get the white for the colour challenge!). Embossing Folder is Swiss Dots. And dies are PTI - Flower Fusion and Mat Stack #3.

It is really difficult (for me) to photograph black cards! The card in real life actually looks black, and that red is really Real Red, I promise!

I am entering CAS-ual Fridays #62 which asks for a black card base.

My colour combination comes from ColourQ #146 which is too yummy to resist!

And last, but not least, I am entering CASology #2. I missed the inaugural challenge because I ran out of time. I didn't want to miss the second one. My card is a HAPPY birthday card. :-)

Okay, perhaps I'll sneak one more card out of the week-end if I can get the kiddies into bed early enough tonight!

Thanks for dropping by!

Michelle
xxx

Sweet Birthday

Hello!

I have another five year old girl birthday this week-end. I didn't go quite as "little girl" this time. But it is still girly. :-)

Here is the card.

I used Stamps (PTI) - Strawberry Patch, Strawberry Patch Sentiments, Happy Hexagons; Dies (PTI) - Cover Plate: Hexagon, Strawberry Patch, Perfect Patches; Card - PTI White, SU! Pretty in Pink; Ink (SU!) - Barely Banana, Cameo Coral, Pretty In Pink, Certainly Celery, Soft Suede; Twine - Twinery Blossom.

The editing doesn't show this card as soft as it is. It's so pretty I don't want to give it away. I was playing around with my new hexagons, which arrived today. I'm in love already! I decided to just start by using the whole plate and fill it. I'll get more creative a bit later. ;-)

The colours were from this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge #141.

I also intend to enter this over at Moxie Fab World for the Stamp It! Cards Birthday Challenge and the Hooked on Hexagons Challenge.

I made another frame as a present. I used bolder colours in the frame than in the card.

I'm photographing at night again, so it's a bit difficult to get a good photo, especially with the glass on front! I haven't shown my little girl yet, as she is asleep. I hope she AND her friend like it!

Thanks for dropping by.

Michelle
xxx