Ideas and Paper: January 2015

Saturday, January 31, 2015

2014 Our Favourite Things (Join in to win)...

Here's to an AWESOME 2015!

To celebrate, I've put together my crafting story for 2014 with a few of my favourite crafty creations here and in the first link up below, and I'd love you to join in the fun, so there's a linky below to add your 2014 favourites post before January 31st.

My Favourite Things 2014

My Favourite Things 2013

Top 12 for 2012

The idea is to link to a post of your favourite creations from throughout the year, rather than just one single favourite creation - it's fun to take a collective look back at your 2014 highlights in one place.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

FUSION - Heartful

Returned recently from a trip to Tasmania - no internet or crafting for more than a week - fabulous fun, but I'm feeling a little rusty LOL!

Love is in the air... inspired by the fabulous different sizes and shapes of hearts in this fortnights FUSION inspiration photo. Simon Says Stamp Lots of Hearts and Studio Calico JJ Bolton hearts, stamped in Momento Luxe Red Letter, Rosebud and Bahama Blue, and sentiment is from Technique Tuesday by Ali Edwards Live in the Moment.

The Design Team have some FABULOUS creations to inspire you

Amy Tsura - Betty J - Deepti

Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Kelly Griglione - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan

Michelle Folland - Michelle Lupton - Stephanie Severin

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

Remember you can play along by being inspired by

the photo, the sketch or BOTH.

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

Also playing along with The Card Concept - Clean and Graphic
and Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes

and don't forget, there are still a couple of days to join in and link up a post highlighting your favourite creations for 2014 on Our Favourite Things linky party on my blog here!

Thursday, January 15, 2015

FUSION - Wooden Hearts

Welcome to FUSION inspiration! This fortnights card is inspired by the gorgeous wood paneled heart, paired with the too cute hessian wrapped roses. Created using Winnie and Walter The Big, the Bold and Extras roses, banner (with Momento Luxe Rose Bud stamped on gelatos watercolour base), and leaves (with Momento Luxe Pistachio stamped on Pear Tart) then fussy cut. The background is a piece of canvas my Mum had purchased when we lived in America and I just started school LOL! The wooden plank paper is Kaisercraft, diecut with Winnie and Walter The Big, the Bold and the Happy Cutaways sentiment to create the shaker cutaway, which is filled with Pretty Pink Posh confetti hearts.

The Design Team have some FABULOUS creations to inspire you

Amy Tsura - Betty J - Deepti

Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Kelly Griglione - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan

Michelle Folland - Michelle Lupton - Stephanie Severin

Hope to see you playing along, can't wait to see what you create! Remember you can play along by being inspired by the photo, the sketch or BOTH.

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

Also playing along with Winnie and Walter 1st Birthday Bash
Shaker Challenge with Julie and Sketch Challenge with Joni
and The Pink Elephant Shaker Challenge

PS I'd LOVE if YOU could link up a post highlighting your favourite creations for 2014

on Our Favourite Things linky party on my blog here!

A CAS(E) of Merry Winnie and Walter...

Playing along with the Winnie and Walter 1st Birthday Bash, inspired by this fabulous Collage Challenge with Laura, Shaker Challenge with Julie, CAS(E) this Sketch, Merry Monday Christmas Critters, The Pink Elephant Shaker Challenge and Darnell's NBUS #3.

This gorgeous background paper is by Kaisercraft, overstamped in white ink and Zing White embossing powder using Winnie and Walter Mini Scenery (NBUS), the stag outline is from Winnie and Walter Winter Wonderland, also stamped in white ink and Zing White embossing powder, then overstamped in Momento Luxe Rich Cocoa, to give the impression of a stag in a snowstorm. The snow glitter inside the shaker element is by Ruby Rockit. The sentiment is created using Winnie and Walter Christmas Cutaways, and Winter Wonderland sentiment, stamped in Hero Arts Mint Julep.

PS I'd LOVE if YOU could link up a post highlighting your favourite creations for 2014

on Our Favourite Things linky party on my blog here!

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Saturated Watercolour Wishes...

Today's card is inspired by the fabulous colours in Runway Inspired and the idea that a colour as bold as hot pink works together with the lightness of tulle.

RIC#75 Ralph Lauren 2015 Spring

I thought I would create my colours using saturated watercolour, with a technique similar to that used by Loll (her fabulous video can be seen here), however I dropped my Distress Ink ReInkers directly onto slightly damp watercolour paper, then spritzed the paper lightly to blend the Picked Raspberry and Squeezed Lemonade colours. Once the paper was dry, I die cut the fabulous Winnie and Walter The Big, the Bold and the Happy Cutaway, and Simon Says Stamps Balloon Bouquet (NBUS). The balloon outline was also cut from black cardstock, and the second half of the sentiment is Winnie And Walter Winter Wonderland, stamped in Momento Luxe Tuxedo Black.

Playing along with...

Happy Little Stampers Watercolouring

Cure for the Monday Blues Scattered Sprinkles (those cute pink bubbles reminded me of little balloons on top of the cupcakes!)

Runway Inspired, Seize the Birthday Party Topping, NBUS

Dies R Us Anything Goes (with Something New)

Cuttlebug Mania It Takes Two (with two colours, two words, two manufacturers)

PS I'd LOVE if YOU could link up a post highlighting your favourite creations for 2014 on
Our Favourite Things linky party on my blog here!

Monday, January 5, 2015

Make it Monday with NPlane for NBUS...

The current Papertrey Ink Make it Monday Challenge highlights all the Make it Monday Challenges for 2014 and you can choose one you had perhaps missed. I'd love to say that because of the craziness that was the holiday season I missed the opportunity to partake in re-creating Laura Bassen's gorgeous Camoflaging Die Cuts Technique, but truth be told, I'm fairly new to the delights of Papertrey Ink, and only just realized they have weekly Challenges - slow, I know LOL! All the same, I couldn't miss the opportunity to give this technique a try!

In an effort to make more boys cards (seeing as there are 7 nephews on my side of the family alone LOL!) I thought I'd attempt a boys birthday card, featuring a Papertrey Ink plane (aka NBUS!)

Created by first making a cloud template mask by die cutting a piece of acetate, this can also be created using a variety of different sized circle dies. Using the cloud mask, started from the lowest layer of "cloud" and made my way up with Distress Ink Broken China and Tumbled Glass. When it came to doing the die cuts, the Papertrey Ink Birthday sentiment was fine, but the airplane is a single die incorporating three different elements, so die cut a Papertrey Ink plane from white cardstock and temporarily positioned it where I wanted it to appear on the card, then reused the acetate cloud mask to recreate the same cloud pattern on the white cardstock plane - this is where having the mask cut from clear acetate came in handy! Stamped the Papertrey Ink "Happy" sentiment in Distress Ink Broken China, and die cut additional white cardstock layers for the sentiment and plane, and sandwiched them together before adhering in place on the card. Highlighted the tops on the clouds with Wink of Stella Clear.

Playing along with Papertrey Ink Make it Monday, Darnell's NBUS Challenge #3,

Seize the Birthday and Virginia's View Clean Slate.
Dies R Us Anything Goes with a NEW twist

PS I'd LOVE if YOU could link up your favourite creations for 2014 on
Our Favourite Things linky party on my blog here!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Winnie and Walter 1st Birthday Celebrations...

Created using Winnie and Walter Scenery: Big Bang Circle Creative Screenings background with Wendy Vecchi Translucent embossing paste, adding a Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine flicked on a die cut stitched circle, Simon Says Stamp partial branch die cut in vellum, Freckled Fawn wood veneer heart, and golden thread topped with Winnie and Walter The Big, the Bold and the Happy Cutaways Love sentiment in gold.

Joining in the fun with two of the amazing 1st Birthday Challenges over at Winnie and Walter (see below for links to all their Birthday Challenges), Winnie and Walter Mood Board Challenge with Lea (focused on the bottom left hand photo) and Winnie and Walter CAS and Freestyle Collage with Gayatri. Inspired by this gorgeous sketch at Cardabilities, together with the fabulous Virginia's View Clean Slate Challenge.

To help celebrate Winnie and Walter's 1st birthday, there are TEN, count them, TEN FABULOUS challenges, click on the links below to find them:

Also playing along with AAA Challenge Add a Little Gold

This made me smile...

PS I'd LOVE if YOU could link up your favourite creations for 2014
on Our Favourite Things linky party on my blog here!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

FUSION - 1st Birthday Celebration!

Welcome to a very special 1st Birthday Celebration at FUSION! I do hope you can squeeze in a little New Year crafting time to play along with our special Birthday Celebration as it's a fabulous one!

This fortnight I was inspired by the ombre, colour combination and gold frame from the inspiration photo. Creating the background watercolour wash from on a Lil Inkers Stitched Rectangle of watercolour paper, with Watermelon and Guava Gelatos and heat set before stamping with this super cute Mama Elephant sentiment (I love how this sentiment has the same squiggly loops as the "you" in the inspiration photo!) in Hero Arts gold ink, then sprinkling with Making Memories gold glitter. Added a few Verve pale pink sequins, before using foam tape to adhere to American Crafts Gold Glitter background.

As a special Birthday treat we each invited a special guest who inspires us to play along - so you get TWICE the FUSION inspiration! I chose the gorgeous Anika Lerche (Anni) as my special guest. I first 'met' Anni when I had just started card crafting, and this year was fortunate enough to be on the KIS Design Team with her. I have always loved her CAS with a twist creations, her fabulous style and faultless execution gets me every time! I'd love it if you could pop on by Anni's blog and say hello - you won't be disappointed!

The Design Team have some FABULOUS creations to inspire you
AND each team member has also invited a special guest to play along!

Amy Tsura - Betty J - Deepti

Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Kelly Griglione - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan

Michelle Folland - Michelle Lupton - Stephanie Severin

Hope to see you playing along, can't wait to see what you create! Remember you can play along by being inspired by the photo, the sketch or BOTH.

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

Also playing along with AAA Touch of Gold,

Seize the Birthday, and Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes.

PS I'd LOVE if YOU could link up your favourite creations for 2014 on
Our Favourite Things linky party on my blog here!

New Mixed Media Card Challenge...

Welcome to the New Year, and the new Mixed Media Card Challenge theme for January... NEW, with optional element of Tissue.

What new will inspire you? New year, new baby, new house,

new pet, new job, new marriage???

I decided to tackle my fear of purple head on with this months first card LOL! Created by using Distress Inks Dusty Concord and Shaded Liliac, splattered with water, then dried and stamped with the Sweet Stamp Shop fireworks in Momento Luxe White and Zing White embossing powder. The Winnie and Walter The Big, the Bold and the Happy sentiment was diecut then inked with Distress Ink Dusty Concord, to match the sky. The Altenew Sketchy Cities New York city skyline, and Winnie and Walter "New Year" sentiment were also stamped in Momento Luxe White and Zing White embossing powder. The skyline was then fussy cut and pop dotted for more depth.

There's some more fabulous inspiration from the design team over on

the Mixed Media Card Challenge blog.

Looking forward to seeing your fabulous NEW creations!