FUSION Field of Poppy Dreams...

Welcome to another fabulous fortnight of FUSION inspiration!

This week I broke out my new Unity by Donna Downey poppy stamp, embossed in gloss black over a Twinkling H2O background of Poppy and Egyptian Gold. This gorgeous background paper is by Collections, and the Heidi Swapp wooden Dream was covered in black embossing powder then red glitter embossing powder.

As usual, you can play along with FUSION using either this gorgeous photo inspiration, or this fabulously versatile sketch, or a combination of both.

Pop on by the Design Team blogs for some more FUSION inspiration:

Betty J - Brandi Hall - Deanne K - Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Karren J - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan - Michelle Folland

Michelle Lupton - Sandie Munro - Shannon Jaramillo - Stephanie Severin

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

Also playing along with this weeks gorgeous Muse Challenge by Tracey,
inspired by the flower and sentiment combination and framed card,
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Throwback, 
Using a Favourite Technique I used two of my favourites, 
embossing over watercolour background and fussy cutting, and 
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes.

 

Happy Holidays - Home is where the heart is...

I have to preface this post by saying this is one of those cards that looks better in real life LOL! Stamped Hero Arts Village in Silver embossing powder, paired with Technique Tuesday by Ali Edwards sentiment on American Crafts woodgrain background.

Playing along with Little Red Wagon Home is where the Heart is. 

P.S. A CAS(E) of Merry Christmas...

So happy (and a little sad) to be able to join in the (second) last ever Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge! 

I must admit, Paper Smooches were the first ever stamps I won, and they will always hold a special place in my heart! Lucky for me (and YOU), challenges will be continuing over on the Paper Smooches blog!

A quick and cheerful Christmas card created using Paper Smooches dies. Diagonally cut a piece of Basic Grey paper from my stash, then negative die cut two Paper Smooches Poinesttia holly leaves, and used the positive pieces to create my second sprig of holly. Die cut Paper Smooches Christmas Words sentiment, together with a half dozen holly berries and assembled on an angle, inspired by this weeks fabulous CAS(E) this Sketch. Colours, diecuts and holly inspirations from this weeks Muse - Christmas Visions.

   

P.S. A Retro Christmas...

One last entry for the (second) last ever Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge! 

Paper Smooches will always hold a special place in my heart! Lucky for me (and YOU), challenges will be continuing over on the Paper Smooches blog!

Another quick and cheerful Christmas card created using Paper Smooches dies and stamps. Cut a piece of Authentique paper from my stash using Paper Smooched Borders 1 wavy die multiple times to create "snow drifts". Stamped a couple of rows of these fabulous Paper Smooches Warm Hearts trees to create the tree border. Added the too cute Paper Smooches Warm Hearts  snowman, and red hearts, assembled and stamped the snowman in position in the snow drift, and last of all added the Paper Smooches All Yule Need sentiment.

 

Layout inspired by this weeks fabulous Retro Sketch.

A Lil' Mixed Media FUSION fun for Everyone...

Plenty of textural and Autumn coloured inspiration from this fortnight's FUSION! This is inspired bythe theme and colours of the FUSION photo inspiration, and created by first using texture paste and a Prima starry sky stencil, then layering some distressed inks and splatting the background with water. Added glue to some of the stars and sparkly orange glitter, stamped the Lil Inkers Stitched Circle with Lil Inkers witch and sentiment, before hat setting in gloss black embossing powder, pop dotting the circle moon, and matting in black cardstock.

As usual, you can play along with FUSION using either this gorgeous photo inspiration, or this fabulously versatile sketch, or a combination of both.

Pop on by the Design Team blogs for some more FUSION inspiration:

Betty J - Brandi Hall - Deanne K - Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Karren J - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan - Michelle Folland

Michelle Lupton - Sandie Munro - Shannon Jaramillo - Stephanie Severin

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

Also playing along with 

Mixed Media Card Challenge Black and Orange (Glitter)

Mixed Media Challenge Word Search - Witch and Moon and Colour Q

 

Cardabilities - Final Sketch...

I so wanted to join in the final Cardabilities Sketch...

This card background went through many incarnations before I decided I liked it LOL! I quickly discovered that too much red Glimmermist ends up looking like the chainsaw masacre, rather than quiet Autumn tones! That's the beauty of a gesso layer - if you don't like it you can remove colour with a baby wipe and start layering again!

Dictionary page base and added modelling paste (to play along with City Crafter Paste It) and a Pink Paislee She Art doily stencil. Covered in gesso, sprayed with a combination of Glimmermists and Dylusions in Autumn hues, highlighted with Gelato rubbed crayon once dry. Gorgeous Winnie and Walter sentiment, Dynamics branch and Clearly Besotted autumn leaves diecuts. Leaves created from watercolour paper oversprayed with orange and yellow Glimmermists. See how it GLOWS in the sun...

Cardabilities

City Crafter Paste It and Inkspirational Glow

This made me smile...

World Card Making Day with Winnie & Walter & Hop to Stop...

Created by first cutting a background panel of watercolour paper with Winnie and Walter Essentials: Katherine Cutaways and washing with watercoloured Gelatos, stamped with Winnie and Walter Winter Wonderland pine branches and heat embossed in Silver Tinsel, added snowfall using Metallic Silver embossing paste and Winnie and Walter Scenery: Big Bang Circle Creative Screenings, then stamping in Wedding White with Winnie and Walter Scenery: Big Bang Confetti. Partially cut a second panel piece to create the snow drift, stamped the Winnie and Walter Winter Wonderland reindeer twice, once on the watercolour panel, and once on a scrap piece of cardstock and heat embossed with Silver Tinsel, as was the fabulous sentiment then diecut with Winnie and Walter Winter Wonderland. Sentiment, snowdrift and reindeer are pop dotted. Playing along with:

Sketched with Gayatri

Watercolour with Vanessa

Gold/Metallic with Lydia

Make it Masculine with Julie
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Muse - Christmas Visions (see Kimberley's gorgeous card below)

 

Created using watercolour Gelatos for the background ombre wash, stamped with Winnie and Walter Sparkle stamps heat embossed in gold, Winnie and Walter Essentials: Katherine Cutaways die cut tag and background panel, and added purple gemstones and gold ribbon, to promote the HOP to STOP National Domestic Violence Awareness of which Winnie and Walter are sponsors (see my first HOP to STOP post here too).  Playing along with:

Background Building with Shay

Watercolour with Vanessa

Gold/Metallic with Lydia
Less is More Jewel Colours

HOP to STOP National Domestic Violence Awareness 

of which Winnie and Walter are sponsors!

Had fabulous fun on World Cardmaking Day (so much so we actually spent a weekend away crafting). That's us there...

 

The Hop to STOP...

Mixed Media piece created using Dylusions and Glimmermist sprays and 

Unity Stamps with gloss black embossing powder.

If you're wondering why everything in blogland is turning purple... there IS a reason - the Hop to Stop is here! 

You see, purple is the color of National Domestic Violence Awareness month. 

1 in 3 women will experience domestic violence over the course of their lifetimes. 

Let that sink in - 33% of all the women you meet. 

Women aren't the only people who are affected! Women, men, transgender - gender doesn't matter. Domestic violence is something that exists regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, religion, education level, etc.

And yet, it's something that is rarely talked about in very public ways. It's something that's hidden and hushed. And since papercrafters are some of the most amazing people out there, some of you have agreed to make a card (or cards) to raise awareness for this issue. Together, we CAN make a powerful impact. 

These are all the incredible companies who've agreed to support this blog hop. 14 companies and over $500 in prizes! So HOP on over to The Damsel of Distressed, to join in and help raise awareness, and do something positive to STOP Domestic Violence.

In AUSTRALIA... Free counselling is available through the 
National Sexual Assault,
Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 
1800 737 732

Mama Elephant Pandamonium and Celebration sentiment, heat embossed with Antique Gold on Gelatos watercolour background.

Playing along with
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Ombre.

Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes

 

Simon Says... Ombre Art Journal

Had a fabulous time away crafting for the long weekend! 

Here's a peek at my very first Art Journal page, created using Gelatos and a brush over a layer of gesso for the background together with Donna Downey stencils with modelling paste for the flowers, and Unity stamps for the background text and Tim Holtz stamps for the sentiment, and butterfly, stamped over Twinkling H2O, and heat embossed.

Playing along with Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Ombre
Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes and
Virginia's View All things Coloured

 

This makes me SMILE...

Shake your Tail(feather) on World Card Making Day...

Although it was officially World Card Making Day for us yesterday, much of the festivities did not get kicked off til about 2am our time - just about when we had to put our clocks an hour forward for daylight savings, and as luck would have it, in the middle of a fabulous crafty retreat too!

Here is one of the creations I made over the long weekend away - this shaker card was created using some of the fabulous sequins Cecilia gifted us, together with some Pretty Pink Posh and Winnie and Walter Birthday Celebration sequins, and featuring die cuts from Winnie and Walter (Happy), Memory Box (trees) and Papertrey Ink (Holiday), together with this gorgeous watercolour fox, also from Papertrey Ink.

Playing along with 

The Card Concept Woodland Friends Challenge Mixed Media Card

Inkspirational Picture Inspiration and
Mixed Media Card Challenge Orange and Black plus Glitter

 

 

Happy Falling for FUSION..

Even though it's warming up in our corner of the world, I still can't resist that gorgeous Autumn (or Fall!) foliage! This fortnight's FUSION inspiration photo is chock full of fabulous colour and texture. From the flowers, fruit and foliage, to the wicker, wood and woven blanket. How will you be inspired!!!

Leaves created using Glimmermist Sprays in golds, reds and oranges, with a Prima Tea Leaves and Primrose, using die cut leaves from Clearly Besotted. Wood veneer "Happy" sentiment from Heidi Swapp. Papers from Echo Park Everyday Eclectic die cut with Lil Inkers Stitched Polaroid frame and Stitched circles, and cardstock embossed with Couture Creations Royalty folder.

Hop on over for more gorgeous inspiration

from the rest of the fabulous FUSION DT

Betty J - Deanne K - Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Karren J - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan - Michelle Folland

Michelle Lupton - Sandie Munro - Stephanie Severin

and WELCOME to 
Brandi Hall and Shannon Jaramillo

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.

Playing along with the fabulous Color Throwdown and 

Little Red Wagon Embossing Folder Challenge 
and Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes (Clearly Besotted) too!

  

This made me smile...