Reverse Confetti and a Lemony Snicket...

I was fortunate enough to have had a play day today and invited some friends to join in the fun, but alas we were Lemony Snicketed and five friends turned into one plus one! On the plus side I now have a (mostly) tidy craft room, and I got a head start on my Christmas card stash!

Here's one of my creations for the day, playing along with Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try, featuring papers from Heidi Swapp and Crate Paper, together with some fabulous Reverse Confetti dies and stamps. I used the Tagged Totes Confetti Cuts to create the curved edge and the "Merry" flag. Love the cool Branch Out Confetti Cuts tree, and Bring on the Merry sentiments. Last but not least added some cute pearls.

Also playing along with 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Dies and/or Punches

Blue FUSION P.S. Lots of Hugs & Kisses

 

Double the fun with FUSION this fortnight. Created two cards, one inspired by a FUSION of the photo inspiration and the sketch, and the second just focusing on the sketch. Both cards feature Paper Smooches Hugs & Kisses die cuts, the first also features Paper Smooches Flower die cuts, overlaid on a watercolour paper wash background, with added MME enamel dots as flower centres. 

The second card also featured Paper Smooches Forever and Always diecut, and MFT arrow diecut overlaid on MME patterned paper ampersand.

Love to see how you are inspired by FUSION photo, sketch or both! 
Hope you get a chance to play along!

Hop on over to FUSION to see some more super inspiration from the Design Team, and our special Guest Designer Cris G!

Betty J - Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Karren J - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan - Michelle Folland

Michelle Lupton - Sandie Munro - Stephanie Severin

I would LOVE if you could join in the fun @ FUSION too!

Playing along with Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies

Paper Smooches Guest Designer - Go Fish...

Had so much fun playing with Paper Smooches stamps and dies with a sketch from Let's Get Sketchy!

Created the watercolour background behind the photo using teal Glimmermist and green Twinkling H2O, overstamped with Paper Smooches Happy Travels sentiment. Die cut Large Wood Sign, stamped with Happy Travels sentiment and die cut Happy Camper bear, also overstamped and fussy cut. Papers are a combination of Echo Park and Simple Stories, with American Crafts and Scenic Route chipboard alphabets for the title. 

Playing along with Shopping Our Stash "Anything but a Card" challenge too 
- although the stamps and dies are brand spanking new, the Scenic Route letters are so old the company is out of business!!
Playing along with Hanna and Friends "Everything Except the Card" too, as this Paper Smooches bear has to be one of the cutest bears I know!

Paper Smooches Guest Design - 3D Faux Metal Photo Frame

Thought I'd try something a bit different for my Guest Designer spot at Paper Smooches this week, and created a 3D faux metal photo frame using Paper Smooches diecuts. If you hurry you can still join in the fun @ Paper Smooches June Guest Designer search today!

My project started out with a chipboard photo frame base covered in heavy black gesso (watered down slightly), and layered this with a selection of Paper Smooches Hugs and Kisses, Smooches and Hearts diecuts in black cardstock. Once the base layer dried, I added a top layer of heavy black gesso over the diecuts (see photo below).

Once the gesso dried completely, I mixed some transparent soft matte gel together with Mica Powder, one lot in Black Cherry, and a second in Copper. I dipped a soft brush in the soft matte gel mix, brushed off most of the colour on a wet wipe so there was only a tiny amount of the soft matte gel mix on the brush, which was then lightly applied over the photo frame - almost like you apply blush when you are doing your makeup! It is important to add only a little at a time and I find it useful to keep the brush strokes on a diagonal to the project i.e. first layer from the top right hand corner towards the bottom left hand corner next layer from the top left hand corner towards the bottom right hand corner and so on.   

Playing along with {PIN}spirational Challenge #165,

Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge,

Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies 

Paper Minutes Hearts Challenge too!

 

P.S. Adventure Awaits @ FUSION

This fortnights fabulous FUSION inspired this super cute nautical themed card. First stamped watercolour paper with Paper Smooches Wicked Nauticool waves and Summer Groves clouds in Versamark Watermark ink and heat embossed in clear. Added water base then coloured with Twinkling H2Os. Added paper pieced Paper Smooches Wicked Nauticool yacht and Polaroid die cut, stamped with Happy Travels "Adventure Awaits" sentiment, topped with Studio Calico wood veneer anchor.

This month at FUSION we are also lucky enough to be joined by special Guest Designer, Cris G so make sure you stop by for some extra fabulous inspiration from Cris and the FUSION team!

Betty J - Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Karren J - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan - Michelle Folland

Michelle Lupton - Sandie Munro - Stephanie Severin

I would LOVE if you could join in the fun @ FUSION too!

Playing along with Color Throwdown,

CAS Mix Up and Simon Says Stamp Monday Emboss It challenges too!

Paper Smooches Guest Designer - Bear Hugs!

I just LOVE this super cute Paper Smooches bear, coloured with Copics, he looks like he's just woken up from hibernation! With this month's new release at Paper Smooches, now he has his very own die cut, so he can stand out even more! Created using Paper Smooches Happy Camper stamps and die cuts, together with this fabulous new Paper Smooches Hugs & Kisses sentiment die cut. The super gorgeous Tag Stitched and Hearts Dies die cuts are Paper Smooches too! 

Remember you still have time to hop on over to the Paper Smooches blog and enter to be a Paper Smooches Guest Designer too!

Inspired by this fabulous CAS(E) this Sketch!

 

Paper Smooches Guest Designer Shaker Style...

So super excited to have been invited to be Guest Designer over at Paper Smooches this month!! I just LOVE playing with their fabulous stamps and die cuts and this months release is no exception! If you want a chance to join in the fun, hop on over to Paper Smooches blog for your chance to be a Guest Designer for June.

Created this super cute hot lips shaker using the fabulous Paper Smooches Hugs & Kisses die and Smooches. Created the shaker box by die cutting the Paper Smooches Polaroid in red cardstock, then added a clear layer of acetate before backing with another Polaroid die cut from foam sheet, then filled with cardstock hotlips!

Had super fun playing with the Paper Smooches Smooches stamp set from last months Thanks a Million stamp set, coordinated with the super Paper Smooches die cut Smooches lips and sentiment.

Playing along with AAA Cards CAS Shaker too!