CAS(E) this Sketch Guest Designer

Super excited to have been asked to Guest DT over at CAS(E) this Sketch, and with this fabulous sketch from Gayatri to work with, who could say no!!!

Mixed and matched my Merry and Christmas diecuts from Papertrey Ink and Paper Smooches, together with these gorgeous felt holly leaves and berries from my stash (I think they may have been Making Memories), but you could replicate these using die cuts too. I usually find if I am die cutting more intricate shapes from felt, it helps to coat the back of the felt with Ribbon Stiffener and let it dry before you cut to give it more body. These cute background papers are from Heidi Sawpp and Kaisercraft Basecoat Christmas.

Remember to stop by the CAS(E) this Sketch Design Team blogs for more fabulous inspiration.

Hope you can get to play along too - I'd LOVE to see what you create.

Playing along with Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes and
The Pink Elephant Anything Goes too!

Having fun at Online Card Classes Holiday Card Workshop 2014 soon...

This made me smile...

Shirley It Must be Your Birthday!

The gorgeous Maria is hosting a blog hop birthday surprise for the super talented Shirley of Shirley-Bee's Stamping Stuff. I have the utmost pleasue of being Shirley's DT teamie over at the Mixed Media Card Challenge. 

I thought I'd combine Shirley's signature watercolour and splatter with my love of sketches and die cuts to create this birthday card. Created by washing the strip of watercolour paper with pink and blue, then splatting with some Luminarte paint, and die cutting the Spellbinders butterflies, and using the die cut half butterfly pieces to complete the two butterflies, curling their wings when I secured them to the card. Stamped this gorgeous Winnie & Walter birthday sentiment in Pink Momento Luxe. You can play along and link up your card at the blog hop birthday surprise til November 9th.

Also playing along with Seize the Birthday

CAS(E) this Sketch

FUSION Halloween Fun, Without the Halloween!

There is so much inspiration from this  fortnights FUSION inspiration! Just looking at that dining table, you could be inspired by:

• the roses
• the pumpkin
• the chairs
• the circles of the plates (shapes)
• the banister (stripes)
• food themed
• dinner themed
• Halloween themed
• the colours

This fortnight I tipped the sketch over and used the flowers, colours, and gorgeous chair frames for inspiration. This paper is an oldie from Fo-fa-la, cut using Lil Inkers Stitched Squares and backed with Co'ordinations Cardstock in black and orange, so whilst the outside of the card is in black, the inside is orange. The sentiment is by Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday, stamped in Momento Luxe Morocco.

I can't wait to see how you are inspired by this fortnights FUSION. 

The Design Team have some FABULOUS creations to inspire you!

Amy Tsura - Betty J - Dannielle Robeson - Deepti 

Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Kelly Griglione - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan

Michelle Folland - Michelle Lupton - Stephanie Severin

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

Hope to see you playing along, can't wait to see what you create!

Do what you love, love what you do...

I got to thinking about why it is we do what we do, after reading Darnell's thought-provoking post, and realised when I'm in a ditch of doubt or lack of creativity, I always need to refocus on simply doing what I love and loving what I do, and anything else is a bonus. After all, the world now knows of the fate during their lifetime of such greats as Monet, Van Gough and Cezanne (see this article of 10 Famous Artists Who Had to Deal with Rejection During Their Lifetime). Not that I am in ANY way placing myself anywhere near the company of these luminaries, but it just goes to show, in order for them to keep creating, they too had to simply focus on doing what they loved and loving what they do.

With that in mind, I simply could not go past this spectacular photo prompt from this weeks Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge, and combined it with this fabulous Retro Sketch by Tracey, because it's what I love to do! 

Created using a mix of Paper Smooches dies, Reflections Flowers and Big Bloom flowers on a Polaroid base, with Love Word sentiment, all pop dooted against this gorgeous American Crafts timber grained patterned paper. The patterned paper flowers are a mixture of MME, Echo Park and American Crafts.

Remember, have FUN and enjoy the process, and if you can recognize something you love in what someone else creates, let them know, it doesn't hurt to spread the love ;)

I hope you get to do what you love and love what you do a little this weekend!

A KIS Goodbye...

Sadly it has come time for the Keep It Simple Challenge blog to close. I had a ball on the Design Team, but with a couple of teamies choosing to step down, Anni made the difficult decision to close. I may have considered taking up the reins, but my one year of high school German is not up to the task of a bi-lingual challenge!

Here is a card I had prepared in advance, which fits nicely into the Festive Friday Challenge, with its gorgeous red and white photo inspiration, as well as Catered Crop Seeing Red, and Virginia's View Clean and Simple Challenge.

I love this Santa and sentiment by Darkroom Door, which Cecilia brought to our weekend retreat, stamped and embossed in red tinsel.

Think Pink for Christmas...

I created this snowflake shaker card when I was crafting with friends last weekend. In real life the snowflakes inside the shaker look much more pale than the bright pink in this photo LOL! Regardless, this was created especially for the Jingle Belles It's a Pink Christmas, with Stephanie and Lauren pledging to donate $4 per linked up card to The Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Created by die cutting the My Favorite Things snowflake from the card front, foam sheet and from a sheet of snow white American Crafts glitter paper, and layering the card with the pink pearl American Crafts card front, glittery snowflake, clear acetate (so the snowflakes don't get stuck in the larger snow flake die cut), small snowflakes, foam sheet, acetate then white card front. The "peace" die-cut is from Papertrey Ink.

Hope you get a chance to Think Pink for Christmas too!
Inspired by the Cutting Edge Challenge (more-so Melania's interpretation of it!)

CAS(E) this Festive Friday...

Had a play with some crafty friends yesterday - although there was more laughing and chatting than crafting me thinks! This is one of the two Christmas cards I managed to add to my collection. Inspired by this gorgeous Festive Friday inspiration photo and CAS(E) this Sketch. Created using Paper Smooches Christmas dies and Memory Box Pine Needle border, with papers from Echo Park and Basic Grey. 

Playing along with Virginia's View CAS Challenge too!

Freshly Made with Winnie and Walter...

Playing along with Winnie and Walter World Card Making Week, Colour Combo with Gayatri. Inspired by this cool Freshly Made Sketch, and created by making a graduated watercolour background blending two Gelato colours, Mango and Metallic Melon, then overstamped with Winnie and Walter Big, Bang Confetti gold embossed splatters. the Winnie and Walter Big, Bold, and the Extras rose and A Tree for All Seasons sentiment were stamped in Gold embossing powder over peach vellum, and fussy cut. Added a gold sequin butterfly from my stash.

Playing along with Seize the Birthday Anything Goes
and Simon Says Stamp Watercolour Challenge too!

Hello FUSION...

I thought these gorgeous STAMPlorations daisy squares were perfect for this fortnights FUSION inspiration, painted in LuminArte watercolour with added Perfect Pearls for shimmer, cut in Lil Inkers Stitched Squares, backed with hardwood patterned paper and paired with this gorgeous matching STAMPlorations sentiment stamped in Pewter on clear vellum.

How will you be inspired by FUSION this fortnight? The gorgeous colours, textures, and theme, or by this fabulous sketch, or, like me, both!

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 fortnight's FUSION!

The Design Team have some FABULOUS creations to inspire you!

Amy Tsura - Betty J - Dannielle Robeson - Deepti 

Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Kelly Griglione - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan

Michelle Folland - Michelle Lupton - Stephanie Severin

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

Hope to see you playing along, can't wait to see what you create!

Also playing along with STAMPlorations Stamping and Embossing Challenge, and STAMPlorations Anything Goes.

P.S. Pucker Up

Thought I'd have a little fun with this fortnight's Curtain Call Smooch inspiration, and used my Paper Smooches Royal Cuteness, paired with this Fruitastic "Pucker Up" sentiment. Based on one of my favourite Retro Sketches sketch by Lynn.

 

Playing along with Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes, 

Retro Sketches Any Sketch, Curtain Call Smooch,

 and Virginia's View CAS  challenges. 

Moxie Fab W&W World Cardmaking Day...

Inspired by the rainbow of colours and outlined shapes of the Moxie Fab World WCMD inspiration photo (play along til October 12 extended til October 26th!) , together with Winnie and Walter Pattern Play with Shay (play along til October 11). Created using Simon Says Stamp Butterfly Trail diecut and patterned papers from my scrap stash including American Crafts, Pebbles, Echo Park and Bo Bunny, together with this cool Bahama Blue stamped sentiment from Winnie and Walter A Tree for All Seasons.

Also playing along with Seize the Birthday, 
and Virginia's View Clean and Simple too.

This made me smile...

WCD Vintage Joy...

Hope you all had a FABULOUS World Cardmaking Day on Saturday! I was lucky enough to have spent the weekend away crafting with some gorgeous crafty friends, Jenny, Cecilia and Iwona. I made a few cards, but only two so far that I'm able to photograph and share.

My first card was created to play along with this weeks Color Q, World Card Making Day Pattern Play Challenge at Winnie and Walter, Hero Arts Holiday Challenge Tag It, and as a reminder for this months Mixed Media Card Challenge Vintage. Created my own patterned paper inspired by the colours of the Kaisercraft floral paper by layering stamps including Hero Arts Postcard, Penny Black , Prima Vintage and Antiques stamps. Papers are a mix of Kaisercraft and MME, with green and brown Copics for the leaves and branches. Stamped in brown Archival Ink and aged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Pop dotted and added burlap ribbon.

My second card was created to play along with this fortnights Festive Friday, Little Red Wagon In Stitches, Lawnscaping Patterned Paper, Simon Says Stamp Transport It and Mama Elephant's Anything Goes. Loved the combination of white and green with natural timber, and that too cute sled in the Festive Friday inspiration photo. Paper pieced the Lawn Fawn bunny, added Lil Inkers Stitched circle and square (cut down), together with this fabulous sentiment from Mama Elephant, and clear stickles under the sled for snow.

Remember there is a huge World Cardmaking Day Challenge over on 

Winnie and Walter's blog, with 6 challenges, open til Saturday 11 October at midnight. 

 

Keep It Simple By 3...

As soon as I saw this fortnight's Keep It Simple "3" challenge, I knew I wanted to use this super cute trio of animals and notes by Tara Wakefield. Coloured in three colours, with heart patterned paper covering one third of the card, three corners rounded, and a three word sentiment by Simon Says Stamp (even two of the three words have three letters!).

Remember to visit the Keep It Simple Design Team blogs

for some more triple FABULOUS inspiration!

Anni

Carolin

Tanja

Tenia

I can't wait to see what you create!

Playing along with Catered Crop Seeing Red,
The Pink Elephant Anything Goes Challenge and 
Virginia's View Clean and Simple too.