A Happy FUSION...

Hello happy FUSIONistas!! Welcome to this fortnight's FUSION inspiration.

So many amazing elements you could be inspired by in this fortnight's FUSION challenge! The colours, the cupcakes, the candelabra, the flowers, the wicker, the wood, the watermelons... the possibilities are endless! 

I was inspired by the summery yellows and blues in the beach house inspiration photo, and the horizontal lines in the sketch became my sunrays! Created the background using Heidi Swapp 12x12 Sunshine Stencil and Distress Inks in Squeezed Lemonade, Wild Honey, and Spiced Marmalade. The blue Paper Smooches Clouds were die cut from a sheet of Gelatoed watercolour paper with rocksalt added on top and left to absorb the excess water. The Paper Smooches Happy Everything sentiment is stamped in Momento Luxe Nautical Blue, onto the background layer and the die-cut circle.

How to join in the fun...

1. Play with just the sketch challenge.

2. Play with just the inspiration photo challenge.

3. Or you can create FUSION by combining BOTH challenges into one card.

4. Use the challenge graphic and link back to Fusion in your post.

5. Please read the other considerations on the Our Rules Page before playing along.

Can't wait to see how you will be inspired by this WEEKS FUSION!

The Design Team have some FABULOUS creations to inspire you!

Betty J - Dannielle Robeson - Deepti 
Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Kelly Griglione - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan - Michelle Folland

Michelle Lupton - Sindhu - Stephanie Severin

Please check the linky for the days left to play with us.

Also playing along at Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes and
 Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes

Seize the Little Tangles...

It's been such a long time since I played with my Neat & Tangled stamps, I couldn't leave it a minute longer! Playing along with the current Little Tangles Stencil Challenge and Seize the Sketch, I oversprayed this Heidi Swapp Mini Stencil Hello Frame with Prima Color Bloom Peony Spray Mist, then stamped this cute Neat & Tangled Just Hello phone and masked the Little Tangles squiggly lines in Hero Arts Charcoal, to create the phone cord, and added a couple of sequins.

This made me smile...

Keep It Simple with Stickers...

Time to play along with Keep It Simple Only Stickers Challenge! I have to admit, I did find this challenging, until I realised I have a truckload of gorgeous alphabet stickers, just waiting to be upcycled LOL! These American Crafts Topography letters were a perfect match to create this "I'm lost without you" sentiment.

Remember to stop by the blogs of the Keep It Simple DT 

for some more terrific Only Stickers inspiration...

Christine

Mia

Tanja

Tenia

Love to see how you are inspired this fortnight!

Inspired by the subway art with a twist by Shari Carroll, over at CASE Study.

Celebrating with Curtain Call Anything Goes Challenge too!

I {heart} Scrappy Canary 3...

So happy to be a Guest Designer this month at what was Polly!Scrap Kits, recently evolved to become Scrappy Canary, still the same fabulous Australian kit club, now with a new name.

I was only asked to do two projects, but I had so many fabulous ideas working with this kit, I couldn't help myself! To demonstrate the amazing versatility of Scrappy Canary kits, I created a total of two 12x12 layouts and 6 cards with the June Pocket kit - Tea and Toast, and there is still spare! I loved this kit so much especially the exclusive acrylic sentiment from Wilna Furstenburg, so much fun!

I had a sneak peek of three of my projects last week, and here are a couple more...

I so love this layout!  Super quick, and fabulously complimented by the elements from the Scrappy Canary Tea and Toast pocket kit. The background 12x12 is Pink Paislee Color Wash paper, but you can just as easily create a similar effect with paintbrush as watercolour inks or paints. Every other element in this layout is from the Scrappy Canary Tea and Toast kit or store. The 6x6 sheet of MME Wood Necessities was cut to fit behind the photos, and I love how the black and grey tones match perfectly with the black and white photo.  Two of the 6x4 Echo Park pocket cards were also cut to fit behind the photos, with the arrows drawing your eyes to the colour photo.  This gorgeous Jilly Bean sentiment was perfect for this layout, and the yellow "Right Now" fussy cut from another of the Echo Park cards provides a perfect pop of colour. All that needed to be added was the cut "This Happened" puffy sticker and "Snap" Jilly Bean card (which contains the hidden journaling and story behind the tiger tears in this photo!), together with the "Press Pause, Rewind and Play" circles and ampersand from Heidi Swap, also purchased from Scrappy Canary.

"Just my type", another card I love! The typewriter was fussy cut from one of the 3x4 Echo Park pocket cards and added to one of the 6x6 sheets of MME Wood Necessities. The sentiment was stamped using My Favourite Things Typewritten, and added an acrylic red heart from the Scrappy Canary Tea and Toast pocket kit.

You can hop on over to the Scrappy Canary blog to see all the projects I created from one Tea and Toast pocket kit!

Celebrating with Curtain Call Anything Goes Challenge too!

Tag You're It Virginia...

A super quick post before I head out to lunch with family and friends, as I'm just squeaking in for the fabulous Virginia's View Die Cut Challenge deadline, and I'll tell you why Laura Bassen is a GENIUS with this Tag You're It Challenge #2 when I return ;) ...

... So did you miss me!!!

I just LOVE the tag Laura Bassen created for the current Tag You're It. It's my favourite colour trio at the moment, however I was running short on time, so I die cut my Paper Smooches tag and Memory Box butterfly from some watercolour paper I had previously coloured using Distress Inks and Glimmermists. I had borrowed the Simon Says Stamp leaves die from Joy when we went away, and had luckily cut the perfect vellum version in my stash. Instead of the gorgeous geometrics Laura chose, I created a white repeating pattern using an Avery Elle "For You" sentiment stamp. In my first attempt I had die cut the butterfly body from the watercolour paper, but the colours just got lost - til I looked back at Laura's tag and realised that with such bright colours, white AND black are needed to make the colours really POP, and so I replaced the butterfly with a black body - and voila - see I told you Laura is a GENIUS!

Virginia's View Die Cut Challenge and Tag You're It Challenge #2

 

Celebrating with Curtain Call Anything Goes Challenge too!
and a reminder there's still time to join in the fun @ the Mixed Media Card Challenge!

My Word, A-very Happy Die-cut...

I broke out my Gelatos and watercolour brushes, together with my Avery Elle die cuts and stamps to play along with the current Moxie Fab World: Wonderful Words Challenge - Word Dies, along with a few other challenges, AEI{heart}U One Word Challenge, Virginia's View Die Cut Challenge, Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge 1st Anniversary Anything Goes, and Seize the Birthday With String Topping ;)

My first thoughts for this card were to repeat the "happy" across the watercolour stripes, but I couldn't resist incorporating the Avery Elle balloon die. I achieved the inlaid word die cut by first running the watercolour paper through my die cut machine, then using masking tape across the back of the watercolour paper, to keep the little pieces in place before carefully removing the watercolour "happy" and replacing with white cardstock "happy". I stamped the Avery Elle balloon string before I added the white cardstock "happy", then filled in the missing piece of string with a black Zig pen, so it looks as though the string is looped around the letters. I diecut and stamped the Avery Elle bow onto the balloon a couple of times, as the first few attempts I tried adding the string with the Zig pen around the end of the balloon to make it look more realistic - but decided in the end I preferred the bow floating by itself!

 

 

Don't forget, you still have time to Keep It Simple Take a Bow!

Aloha FUSION...

For this fortnight's FUSION, I decided I needed a little sunshine and blue sky, to scare away all the cold wet days we've been having! Inspired by this versatile sketch, one circle became the sun, and the other this funky VW campervan from Avery Elle Surf's Up, paper pieced and paired with this sunny sentiment. I love the texture this blue handmade background paper adds. How will YOU be inspired?!?

How to join in the fun...

1. Play with just the sketch challenge.

2. Play with just the inspiration photo challenge.

3. Or you can create FUSION by combining BOTH challenges into one card.

4. Use the challenge graphic and link back to Fusion in your post.

5. Please read the other considerations on the Our Rules Page before playing along.

Can't wait to see how you will be inspired by this WEEKS FUSION!

The Design Team have some FABULOUS creations to inspire you!

Betty J - Dannielle Robeson - Deepti 
Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Kelly Griglione - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan - Michelle Folland

Michelle Lupton - Sindhu - Stephanie Severin

Please check the linky for the days left to play with us.

Playing along with AEI{heart}U One Word

 

ATCAS Sky, and ColorQ

 

I {heart} Scrappy Canary 2...

I applied last year to be part of the Polly!Scrap Kits card design team, although Ruth decided not to go ahead with a Card Designer on the DT, she asked if I'd like to join in the fun as a Guest Designer for July, and I jumped at the chance!  In the meantime Polly!Scrap Kits has evolved into Scrappy Canary, with Mandy, still the same fabulous Australian kit club, now with a new name.

There is a monthly kit released on the 15th of each month, and Scrappy Canary often include exclusive products like stamps, letterpress or wood veneers. The June Pocket kit - Tea and Toast, was no exception with a gorgeous scripty sentiment exclusive from Wilna Furstenburg.

The Scrappy Canary blog is here and the store here, with the VIP Lounge open 24/7.

I was only asked to do two projects, but I had so many fabulous ideas working with this kit, I couldn't help myself! To demonstrate the amazing versatility of Scrappy Canary kits, I created a total of two 12x12 layouts and 6 cards with the June Pocket kit - Tea and Toast, and there is still spare! I loved this kit so much especially the exclusive acrylic sentiment from Wilna Furstenburg, so much fun!

I had a sneak peek of two of my projects earlier this week, and here is a shaker card...

"You are a Star" a super shaker card created featuring this exclusive scripty sentiment from Wilna Furstenburg. The card base was covered with MME Wood Necessities, and the corners rounded. The shaker card shape was die cut using a Paper Smooched photo frame die, backed with one of the 3x4 Echo Park pocket cards, layered with two foam sheets stuck together and die cut to create the walls of the shaker box. The Wilna Furstenburg was adhered inside the shaker box, together with some Studio Calico wooden stars (from Scrappy Canary), before an acrylic clear sheet and the die cut MME Wood Necessities was added on top. The shaker box was adhered to the front of the box, and another Studio Calico wooden star added.

To catch the other projects I created from this kit, pop on over to the Scrappy Canary blog next week...

Playing along at Simon Says Stamp Lets be Clear Challenge,

Just Us Girls Woodgrain Element, and Virginia's View Die Cut Challenge.

I {heart} Scrappy Canary ...

ETA. Playing along with the Moxie Fab World Clicking Cameras Challenge!

I applied late last year to be part of the Polly!Scrap Kits card design team, although Ruth decided not to go ahead with a Card Designer on the DT, she asked if I'd like to join in the fun as a Guest Designer for July, and I jumped at the chance!  In the meantime Polly!Scrap Kits has evolved into Scrappy Canary, with Mandy, still the same fabulous Australian kit club, now with a new name.

There is a monthly kit released on the 15th of each month, and Scrappy Canary often include exclusive products like stamps, letterpress or wood veneers. The June Pocket kit - Tea and Toast, was no exception with a gorgeous scripty sentiment exclusive from Wilna Furstenburg.

The Scrappy Canary blog is here and the store re-opens on the 15th of July, with the VIP Lounge open 24/7.

I was only asked to do two projects, but I had so many fabulous ideas working with this kit, I couldn't help myself! To demonstrate the amazing versatility of Scrappy Canary kits, I created a total of two 12x12 layouts and 6 cards with the June Pocket kit - Tea and Toast, and there is still spare! I loved this kit so much especially the exclusive acrylic sentiment from Wilna Furstenburg, so much fun!

First up a more feminine layout and card!

Inspiration for this layout from Sketchabilities

The 6x6 MME Papers and 6x4 pocket cards were perfect for layering behind my photo, with the 3x4 pocket cards perfect for the offset cluster. I fussy cut the title from one of the 6x4 pocket cards, used some of the pocket cards to back the Jilly Bean camera outline, added the cute "Love You" puffy sticker, cork arrows and fussy cut the polaroid camera to add to my clusters, and little white hearts to add to my title. The base layer black cardstock and 12x12 Pink Paislee Color Wash paper are the only items not from the Scrappy Canary Tea and Toast pocket kit. 

"Birthday Note" This card is one of my favourite, created by stamping and fussy cutting one of the 3x4 pocket cards with this cute butterfly from Altenew, layered on one of the 6x6 MME Wood Necessities sheets, together with "Note" cut from another of the kit pocket cards and "Birthday" sentiment from Walter and Winnie. All papers are from the Scrappy Canary Tea and Toast pocket kit. 

If you want to see my other 5 cards and layout you'll need to scoot on over to the Scrappy Canary blog next week, or you can hop on by and take a look at the fabulous challenges they have on right now...

Playing along with Sketchabilities and Seize the Birthday (Stripes!), 
and Just Us Girls Woodgrain Trend too!

Getting Distressed with Winnie & Walter & Mixed Media...

I couldn't help but join in the fun again with Winnie and Walters Distress Inks Challenges, and remind you that there is still time to play in the Mixed Media Card Challenge Touch of Nature. This time I decided to get out my flower stencil and create a card in ombre tones using Distress Inks in Squeezed Lemonade, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry and Spun Sugar. As I wanted the colours to pop, rather than disappear into the book page, I first applied a layer of white gesso, before graduating and gently blending the Distress Ink colours within the stencil. To add some extra pop, I highlighted the shadow lines in black. This gorgeous Winnie and Walter The Big, The Bold and the Happy sentiment was stamped in Versarark Watermark ink then heat embossed in Zing Copper, to create added dimension and shine. To highlight the sentiment, the cardstock base is in a matching copper tone.

Playing along with Seize the Birthday too!

This made me smile!

Winnie & Walter & Watercolour...

Playing along with Winnie and Walter's Distress Inks Challenges, and reminding you there is still time to join in the fun at FUSION!

The sky and roses were created by playing with Distress Inks and water. The watercolour sky background was created by smooching Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, Evergreen Bough and Tumbled Glass Distressed Inks on wax paper and spritzing with water, then smooching the watercolour paper in the ink pools, and a similar technique with Picked Raspberry, Barn Door, Festive Berries and Fired Bricks for the roses. The roses were then stamped using Winnie and Walters The Big, The Bold and Extras, and the sentiment using Winnie and Walters The Big, The Bold and You, in Versamark Watermark, then Zing White heat embossed, then sprinkled with pale pink sequins.

Keep It Simple and Take a Bow...

OK I have to admit, tying beautiful bows is definitely not my forte, so when this fortnights Keep It Simple card is "Take a Bow", what is a girl to do? I had to Keep It Simple of course - and created my beautiful bow by using three loops of ribbon, and two fancy cut end pieces, all cleverly adhered together - you won't tell on me will you?!? The gorgeous sentiment is from Kaisercraft, stamped in Momento Ink Rose Bud, which matched perfectly with this hot pink ribbon from my stash.

Remember to stop by the blogs of the Keep It Simple DT 

for some more terrific Take a Bow inspiration...

Anni

Christine

Mia

Tanja

Tenia

Love to see how you are inspired this fortnight!

Playing along with Sister Act Card Challenge Anything Goes too!

Have a Gorgeous Day...

Inspired by the colours, theme and die cuts of the gorgeous Muse Challenge #74 with Jennifer Wills, City Crafter Let's Go to the Beach, Little Red Wagon Summer, Addicted to CAS Sky, and Virginia's View Challenge #5 Die Cut.

The watercolour background was created by smooching Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, Evergreen Bough and Tumbled Glass Distressed Inks on wax paper and spritzing with water, then smooching the watercolour paper in the ink pools for the sky, and a similar technique with Squeezed Lemon and Scattered Straw for the sun and sand. Die cut the Lawn Fawn sun, Lil Inkers Stitched Circle and Mama Elephants Landscape Trio for the beach.  Lil Inkers Mehindi Medallion sentiment and Emma Ball's beach chair stamp paper pieced on wood patterned paper and coloured red stripes.

Jennifer Wills gorgeous Muse card

  

A-very Golden Goose...

Playing along with Avery Elle's AEI{heart}U Challenge #10 Gold. I loved the combination of turquoise and gold in Yana's card, so thought I'd give it a go!

The watercolour background was created by smooching Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, Evergreen Bough and Tumbled Glass Distressed Inks on wax paper and spritzing with water, then smooching the watercolour paper in the ink pools. Loving Avery Elle's Simply Said Happy die in gold vellum, stamped So Happy sentiment and Storybook Duck / Goose in gold embossing powder. Die cut the watercolour panel with Stitched Rectangle, and layered with more gold vellum, before adhering to white cardstock base.

AEI{heart}U Challenge #10 Gold

Don't forget there's a few days left for Keep It Simple Lots of Turquoise!

Playing along with Virginia's View Challenge #5 Die Cuts, and 

Moxie Fab World Wonderful Words Challenge: Word Dies too!