Fusion #5

It's time for Fusion #5!!

You know when you make a card that you have had great difficulty with, but then you end up with a card that you're so very happy with?!  Yep, that.  I nearly gave up on trying to use the sketch, and then I nearly gave up trying to use the photo inspiration, but I persevered and used both to create this fusion:

The little girl (coloured with Copics) and the sentiment are from My Favorite Things "You're so Tweet" (I love her!!)  The blue background (to match the turquoise tree in the photo) is Hero Arts Branch Background stamped in HA Soft Pool shadow ink.  The Broderie Anglaise ribbon is from May Arts. 

I created the stripes on her skirt with the Copic colourless blender pen, to try to match bag in the inspiration photo.   Here's what she looks like from the inside of the card:

Come on over to Fusion Challenge Blog and check out what the other design team members have come up with!
Thanks for visiting :)

Using up the offcuts

I seem to have a little (or sometimes BIG) pile of offcuts always sitting on my desk.  Bits and pieces of cardstock, patterned paper and stamped and/or inked thingamies that usually sit there until I either use them up, organise them into colour families in my scraps folder, or bin them.  This offcut didn't even make it to the pile - it got put onto a card IMMEDIATELY!  (If you saw my post yesterday, you'll know exactly where it came from!)

I'll be submitting this card to the Hero Arts Birthday challenge in the Rainbow category  and to Avery Elle's AEI♥U Challenge # 1 - Birthday.

Thanks for visiting :)

Totally inspired by Jennifer McGuire

I saw a new video by Jennifer McGuire today, and I just had to get my stamps and inks out IMMEDIATELY!  Totally inspired!

I'll be entering this card into the Hero Arts Birthday challenge in the Rainbow category.   I'll also be submitting this to Avery Elle's AEI♥U Challenge # 1 - Birthday.

Thanks for visiting :) 

A cute Christening card

A quick card for a Christening, using printed and die cut pics from PORTAcraft.

 Thanks for visiting :)

A2Z Blog Hop!!

Hi, all!

I'm so excited to be here today with some crafty friends, because it's time to BEAT THE WINTER BLUES with a blog hop (or escape the summer heat if you're in Australia!), celebrating a huge sale at one of our favorite online crafty retailers on etsy,  a2z Scrapbooking .

Their Sale section is jam-packed full of Hero Arts items that are 50% off!! (And you know how I love Hero Arts!)

As if that's not enough, we have an extra discount code for an extra 20% off your entire purchase!!!

So hop along with us today (February 21st (or Feb 22nd Aussie time)), to see some fantastic, inspirational projects made using products you'll find in the a2z Sale Section!


If you're hopping, you should have arrived from Stacia's blog.  


Here are my cards, using the Hero Arts "Cupcakes" clear set.  (This set is a favourite of mine when I'm making cards for kids).

After stamping the cupcake and the sentiment (don't you just LOVE that sentiment!?!), I went to my scrap paper box and picked out some patterned papers, and paper pieced the cupcake and the cherry on top.  I then added some white gel pen to the cherry, and then some glossy accents for some shine.

For this card, I stamped and masked the candle first, then added the cupcake and sentiment below.  I coloured the candle and the cupcake patty pan with Copics to match the strip of stripey paper (from Elle's Studio).  When I'd finished colouring, I added some Wink of Stella to the plate (to make it look silver), some stardust Stickles to the cupcake icing, and diamond Stickles to the flame (because diamond Stickles has an orangy/red sheen to it).

Be sure to comment on each of the blogs, "LIKE" our Facebook page, and enter below using the Rafflecopter widget, to increase your chances of winning a gift certificate of $25.00!!!  You have until February 28th midnight, to comment and get extra entries via rafflecopter.

Now that's sure to beat those wintry blues!

Here is the list of Hoppers! If you get lost along the way or encounter a broken link, please come back here for the full list!

Elizabeth

Sue

Haven

Kelly

Steph

Cris

Mary Dawn

Lucy

Stacia

You're here! *Michelle*

Lisa

Christine

Linda

Please note the terms and conditions:

• Minimum purchase of $25.00 in order to receive the 20% off. (no minimum purchase required to receive the original 50% off discount)
• The code A2ZHop20 will be good for February 21-28
• If you spend $50.00 or more, you will also get a free gift with your purchase!!!
• You have until Midnight February 28th to enter via the Rafflecopter widget.
• Winners will be drawn randomly and will be contacted via email, by March 5th.
• Please ensure you leave a current email address with your entry, so that we can contact you! Be sure to check your email, to see if you've won!
• Any winners who are contacted, but who do not reply with their full details (so we can organize their prize) by March 10th, will forfeit their prize and new winners will be drawn.

Thanks for stopping by - we hope you enjoy the hop!  Your next stop on the hop is Lisa's blog.  I can't wait to see what she has made!

Thanks for visiting - have a great day :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A baby card for Case Study challenge

I love the colours in this weeks Case Study Challenge - the card by Danielle Flanders is just gorgeous!

I took inspiration from the colours in Danielle's card, the chipboard "hello" (I cheated by die cutting 6 layers of the word "baby" and glueing them together), and the stitching (again, I cheated with faux stitching drawn in). I also used 3 flowers with 5 petals each (from Stampin' Up), reminiscent of the stars on Danielle's card. (I went to Sue Madex's place this morning to make some cards with new Stampin' Up goodies, and I had a few of the flowers left over from a different card - I couldn't let them go to waste!!)

Thanks for visiting - have a great day! 

Rainbow birthday with Hero Arts

I thought I'd join in with the rainbow birthday challenge at the Hero Arts Blog.  I love Hero Arts and I love a rainbow, so it is a perfect fit! 

I had a whole bunch of rainbow coloured cardstock out on my desk after making another rainbow card for A Blog Named Hero (see it HERE), so I got out a square punch and made this:

A Blog Named Hero has a rainbow challenge at the moment - check it out HERE, and make sure you join in!!  

Thanks for visiting - I hope you have a fabulous day :) 

Diversify and Casify for A Blog Named Hero

Please drop on over to A Blog Named Hero to see my post today - I've made some cards that are not Valentine's cards, but use Valentine's products from Elle's Studio and Hero Arts.
Here's a couple of sneak peeks:

Thanks for visiting!

CASEing Danielle Flanders

Thought I'd join in at CASE study - this week, there's a beautiful card by muse, Danielle Flanders. Here's my take - I made mine a one layer card:

 Thanks for visiting - have a lovely day :)

Addicted to CAS! Codeword: Coffee

Time for another ATCAS codeword - this week's codeword is "Coffee".  Now, I actually don't drink coffee.  Cant stand the stuff!  But I found this little mug stamp in an old Stampin' Up set called "Every Little Bit" and went to work. 

(the inside of the card says "but I *heart* you more)

 The "I" is from Lawn Fawn "Quinn's Capitals", and the patterned paper is from a brand new line that I LOVE from Elle's Studio called "Love You More".

Many thanks to our generous sponsor!!

Make sure you pop on over to Addicted to CAS and make sure you link up your coffee inspired creation :) 

Thanks for visiting :)

Fusion #4!

Time for another Fusion Challenge!!

I thought about putting this onto a pale pink base card, to better match the photo inspiration, but I'm just in love with white space!  I kind of swapped the sketch to put the coloured bit at the bottom of the card rather than the top - I'm usually very literal with sketches, so I'm trying to allow myself to be a bit more flexible with sketches :)
I used 4 different washi tapes from We R Memory Keepers (I was given the Washi tape and dispenser kit for Christmas from my friend, Scott - aren't I a lucky girl!!)  The butterfly dies are from Simon Says Stamp, and the sentiment stamp and the inks are from Hero Arts. 

So

Drop in at Fusion to check out what the rest of the design team have been up to, and join in with this Fusion challenge!
Thanks for visiting :)

P.S. Happy Valentine's day :)

Christening invitation for twins

A lovely school friend of mine is having a christening for her twins - a boy and a girl - and she asked me to make some invitations for her. 

I used the "Winged Wishes" set from Newton's Nook - such a cute set!  I cut a panel with a stitched mat die from Lil' Inker Designs, and coloured the images with Copics. I hand-drew the cross with a Copic multiliner. 

 Thanks for visiting - have a great day :)

Blue glitter everywhere!

On a blue kick today, for CASual Fridays Stamps' Blue Challenge.  
I have a few pots of glitter, but I avoid using it too much - I prefer stickles, as it's less messy. However, sometimes, the glitter comes out for a specific purpose (like this card), and I end up finding bits of glitter everywhere for weeks!

The loose glitter was necessary to get a glittery sentiment (on a vellum panel) on this birthday card - I used Stampin' Up Heat and Stick powder and Blue Siren glitter from Alison Ellis Design on the sentiment (from the "Shenanigans" set from CASual Fridays).  On the little flowers (which are actually from a Christmas set, "Christmas Carols" from CASual Fridays), I used Ballet Blue ink from Stampin' Up (why do they always discontinue my favourite colours? WHY?!), and then some sparkle embossing powder (also from Alison Ellis) in the centre with some white gel pen to finish them off. 

Thanks for visiting :)

Playing with blues for CASual Fridays

Going through my stash of cards in the past few days, I realised I'm seriously low in birthday cards for blokes! The challenge at CASual Fridays Stamps seemed to be a good fit to fix this problem ;)

Thanks for visiting ;)

Another Valentine's card

Another Valentine's day card to share today - I actually made it in December, but somehow forgot to blog about it!

It was quite difficult to photograph this one - the colours towards the longer wavelength end of the spectrum (sorry, I'm a science nerd - that's the blues and purples) look kinda washed out in the photo.  They're not quite so wishy washy in real life.

Thanks for visiting - have a great day :)