Birds of a feather

Away crafting on the weekend with Jenny Martin & Jenny Dix and created this Christmas Card using a leftover Gelli print from Jenny M.

Using some of my favourite stamps from the now sadly defunct Winne & Walter.

Inspired by the colours and bird themes over at The Card Concept. 

CASE me a Christmas Card with Michelle Lupton

So this is my first crafty session in about a year! I was hoping Michelle Lupton's Case me a Christmas Card challenge would inspire me, and it certainly did! Just managed to get my card reveal day messed up, so I'm here a day late but as they say, better late than never!

I used alcohol inks for the background, a combination of Pinata Rich Gold, Mantilla Black, Sapphire Blue and Baja Blue with Tim Holtz Mixative Pearl, Cloudy Blue and Sail Boat Blue. Stitched snowflake diecuts from Lil Inkers, Christmas sentiment diecut from Paper Smooches, Wishes stamp from WPlus9.

Hope you love it as much as I do!

Here's Michelle's gorgeous card that inspired my CASE...

Ardyth came up with a genius acronym to help you make a Case of a card without making a direct copy of it - LIMES. I am going to be using this acronym for all my Cases from now on: 

List: Blue, alcohol inks, die cut, flowers, birthday, two colour stamping, bold greeting, monotone, gold, landscape

Include: Blue, alcohol inks, die cut, bold greeting, monotone, gold  

Modify: flowers  

Exclude: birthday

Spin: Christmas, portrait, curved edge, diecut sentiment 

You can check out Michelle's gorgeous CASE of my card here

Playing along at CAS on Friday (Big sentiment)

Double D's Winter Blues

Simon Says Christmas

Challenge Me A Christmas Card with Michelle Lupton...

 

So thrilled to join in this year with the fabulous Challenge me a Christmas Card with Michelle Lupton. My challenge was for her to create a card with Alcohol Inks and Die Cuts, although looking at some of her gorgeous recent posts I don't know how challenging it actually was lol. You can check out Michelle's gorgeous creation here.

As Yupo paper can be a tad on the expensive side, I created a themed set of 4 gift cards from one A5 sheet of Yupo paper. The Alcohol ink background was created by randomly dripping combination of Alcohol inks in a variety of shades of greens, mine include Pinata Rainforest Green, Arto Teal, Tim Holtz Limeade and Turquoise with a touch of Pinata Mantilla Black. While the ink was still wet I moved it around the A5 sheet of Yupo paper by tilting the paper in the direction I wanted the inks to run, and the Yupo paper was then blotted with a scrunched up sheet of A4 copy paper in a diagonal pattern. Once the inks were dry, the sheet of Yupo paper was cut in half. One half of the Yupo sheet was used to make the first two cards. 

Onto the second half of the Yupo sheet I also added some Pinata Claro Extender, to reactivate the base layer of inks, together with Tim Holtz Pearl Mixative and Pinata Old Gold. This layer was also blotted with some scrunched up A4 copy paper to create the background of cards three and four.

The first three cards feature the Merry Christmas Holiday Frames photo frame die by Simon Says Stamp, paired with one of the Deer Trio by Simply Dies. The final card once again features one of the Deer Trio by Simply Dies, together with Memory Makers Countryside Circle, and Avery Elle Seasons Greetings sentiment. The American Crafts glitter paper in gold helps to add a little festive sparkle.

I hope you are inspired to challenge yourself and join in the fun of creating with Alcohol inks and die cuts!

Card #1

 Card #2

Card #3

Card #4

Perfect set of gift cards for playing along with Simon Says Stamp & Show

and Simon Says Anything Goes 

Also joining in the fun at Muse Christmas Visions

and the Jingle Belles Christmas

A Little Fun with Alcohol Inks and Die Cuts...

Having a play with my alcohol inks and Simon Says die cuts to create this simple Christmas card. Love when you add white or pearl ink and extender over the blue ink on Yupo paper base, you can then scrunch a sheet of A4 paper into a ball and dab the Yupo paper to remove some of the ink and create an almost crystal effect, to mimic the snowflakes.

Playing along with Simon Says Baby Its Cold Outside

Simon Says (Monday) Let It Snow

FUSION Citrus "Bearday" Wishes...

Inspired by the gorgeous pops of orange and yellow in the citrus FUSION inspiration photo this fortnight, I created my background panel using alcohol inks on Yupo paper, with a touch of gold foil highlights. Stamped any fussy cut the cute Koala Bear, and layered with these fabulous diecuts, all from Uniquely Creative. 

Hop on over to the FUSION blog for some more super sized inspiration from our fabulous Design Team...

Betty J. - Jeanne Jachna - Jen Mitchell

Karren Johnson - Linda Callahan - Michelle Leone

Michelle Lupton - Michelle Williams - Wanda Cullen

Hope you can join in the fun this fortnight @ FUSION.

Can't wait to see what you create!

Also playing along with Seize the Birthday

Darkest Nights, Brightest Stars FUSION

I LOVE this fortnights FUSION inspiration even more so than usual! 

Focusing on the FUSION inspiration photo, I was inspired to create my very first alcohol inks on Yupo paper background, using blues, black, white and silver, and adding silver foiled paper, silver sequin stars and this perfectly gorgeous MFT Shining Stars diecut in silver glitter paper, and Mama Elephant Shooting Star sentiment in white embossing powder on MFT fishtail banner, topped with MFT stitched diecut frame.

Hop on over to the FUSION blog for some more super sized inspiration from our fabulous Design Team...

Betty J. - Jeanne Jachna - Jen Mitchell

Karren Johnson - Linda Callahan - Michelle Leone

Michelle Lupton - Michelle Williams - Wanda Cullen

PLUS Claire Apostoloff - Guest Designer 

Hope you can join in the fun this fortnight @ FUSION.

Can't wait to see what you create!

Also playing along with 
Creative Artiste Mixed Media Anything Goes
We Love 2 Create Anything Creative Mixed Media Goes
More Mixed Media Challenge Anything Goes - Optional Brights
Simon Says Monday Challenge Blog Sprinkles and Splatters
Double D Moon and Stars, and The Male Room Wild and Free 
because that's how it felt when I was creating!

You're Jawsome!

LOVE this cool shark and his JAWsome matching sentiment from MFT, just perfect for a little (or BIG) boy's birthday card. Background created using alcohol inks on opaque Yupo (although I think baking or tracing paper may work just as well), dripped on the light blue, dark blue and yellow inks and blotted off the excess with ridged paper towel to create the mottled colour effect. Die cut with Dienamics scalloped edge to create the waves, then stamped and fussy cut the shark from grey cardstock and stamped the sentiment on and MFT fishtail flag - naturally lol!

Playing along with CASology Marine
and "Less is More" Yellow/Blue/Grey - 
although the yellow got very blended into the sea!
613 Avenue Create Mainly Blue
Crafty Cardmakers No patterned paper

Happiest of Mother's Days...

Wishing all mothers, the most wonderful of Mother's Days.

Created using pink, red and purple alcohol inks on Yupo paper. Poppy from Unity Stamps and sentiment from Avery Elle, fishtail flag and stitched frame from MFT.

Playing along with

Creative Artiste Mixed Media

Happy Birthday, Just Add Alcohol...

Playing around with alcohol inks on Yupo paper, this time combining greens and blues. As the pattern emerged it looked like a sea of poppies, so I emphasised this by highlighting the centres with gold alcohol ink. Paired with these gorgeous diecuts including the stitched frame, Happy and stitched fishtail flag from MFT, and gold heat embossed sentiment from Avery Elle. Playing along with the new to me Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge - check it out!

Seize the Birthday

Creative Artiste Mixed Media

Altenew and Alcohol...

Had super fun experimenting with alcohol inks while away crafting. Using alcohol inks on Yupo paper and blotting excess ink with paper towel to create the patterned variations in colour, then paper pieced behind this super gorgeous Altenew die cut rose and paired with Altenew die cut lower case alphabet. Love how the combination of bright inks and bold black diecut makes it look like stained glass.

Joining in Altenew April inspiration challenge

and Simon Says Anything Goes