Peace & Joy...

A simple Christmas card created using scraps of paper, stamped with this gorgeous Christmas bell image and fussy cut, then pop dotted over Christmas text embossing folder on a Basic Grey background paper. Playing along with Inkspirational Text Challenge and Winter Wonderland Add a Ribbon and a Bow.

Inkspirational Text Challenge

Winter Wonderland - Add a Ribbon and a Bow

Fabulous, Foxy & Fifty...

I had this card all lined up for FUSION this fortnight, but as FUSION has taken an early Summer break (see you back in September!) and as the card is for my hubby's 50th (hence the fabulous, foxy and fifty), I thought I would link it up to this weeks Simon Says For Him, and Seize the Birthday challenges instead. Created with Coute Coture embossing folder, wood veneers from Lawn Fawn and Studio Calico, letter stickers from Lily Bee, and papers from my stash.

Hubby noticed the the markings around the "fabulous" and asked "Does this mean you think I'm burnt out!?" LOL.

Spent a lovely couple of days relaxing in the Yarra Valley to celebrate - wine, cheese, chocolates and staying warm by the fire, while listening to the rain on the roof - perfect!

Playing along with Simon Says For Him and Seize the Birthday.

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...

FUSION - Embossed Ombre

This fortnights FUSION features a gorgeous triple layered celebration cake in ombre icing! I couldn't help but create a wedding / anniversary card for the occasion. The Paper Smooches Fishtail Flag was cut from watercolour paper and washed in LuminArte Sky Blue and Blue Grass, with the Paper Smooches Always and Forever Always and Ampersand die cut from excess watercoloured paper. The background is embossed with Lifestyle Crafts Roses, and the single rose was also fussy cut from embossed cardstock. Added a few MME enamel dots, and pop dotted the rose and ampersand to finish.

Remember you can play along by being inspired by the photo, the sketch or BOTH.

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 - 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 Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes.

Winnie & Walter Leading Lady - Week 1, Dear Dad...

Hi there Winnie and Walter friends and fans!  So excited to have been invited to spend September with you as Winnie and Walter's Leading Lady. I'm sure Shay and Julie could hear me squealing from half way around the globe when they asked me to join you!

Before I start I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to Jenny Martin for being my Silhouette saviour!!!

DEAR DAD...

As tomorrow is Father's Day here in Australia, I thought I'd start out September with some cards for the special Dad's in our lives.

First up for the Dad who is the centre of your universe...

I had a whole lotta fun getting super inky for this one! On a base of watercolour paper, starting in the centre, with Distressed Ink in Squeezed Lemon applied with a round dauber, then moving outwards with Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Broken China and Faded Jeans. Splattered liberally with water and dried with a heatgun, before stamping a sprinkling of these super cute Winnie and Walter Scenery: Big Bang Confetti stars, heat embossed in Zing White. Coloured my die cut star with Distressed Ink in Squeezed Lemon, and stamped Winnie and Walter Big, Bold, Seasons, topped with a Winnie and Walter Parentville cut file "Dad". 

Next up, for the Dad who dreams of being shaken, not stirred...

Created using Walter and Winnie Scenery V is for Chevron, with the V stamp repeated to create faux plaid. First stamp an evenly spaced row in Momento Luxe Bahama Blue, then an evenly spaced row in Momento Luxe Pear Tart in the opposite direction, Making sure you overlap the two points of the chevron. Created the faux tux with a die cut stitched tag, stamped with sentiments from Walter and Winnie The Big, The Bold and the Seasons also in Momento Luxe Bahama Blue, and finished once again with these cool Walter and Winnie Parentville cut files, "Dad" and a Bond bow tie. You can have a lot of fun playing with different colour combinations to create your own faux plaid patterned papers!

Last, but not least, for the Dad who LOVES spending time in the shed!

I have recently discovered the delights of creating cards with metal sheets, and Winnie and Walter cut files are perfect for this! My background was created by running a piece of Add a Little Dazzle Dark Chocolate metal sheet through my Cuttlebug with a Tim Holtz gears folder. The raised sections were sanded to remove some of the top layer of colour, then the bare silver was coloured by rubbing with Gelatos. I ran a second piece of the metal sheet through to create the fishtail flag base for sentiment, secured the Winnie and Walter Parentville cut file, "Dad" letters in place behind the flag with masking tape, then used a cotton bud (Qtip) to rub around the edges of the letters before again sanding back the top layer of colour, and adding blue Gelato highlights. The "Happy Father's Day" Winnie and Walter The Big, The Bold and the You sentiment was stamped on silver cardstock and heat embossed in Zing Pewter.

Remember to leave a comment on my blog on any of my Winnie and Walter Leading Lady posts throughout September to be in the draw to WIN a $30 gift card for Winnie and Walter! 

HUGE thanks to Shay and Julie for their generosity, and for this fabulous opportunity!

Card #3 Playing along with Darnells NBUS (Tim Holtz gear embossing folder),
Creative Knockout Tic, Tac, Toe (embossing, sentiment, metal embellishment)
Card #2 Playing along with Virginia's View Patterned Paper, and Wanna Sketch

and Card #1 with Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember® ‘Stamp-It’ and Blog Hop.

Mixed Media Card Challenge... Autumn Colours, with Metal or Leaves

Mixed Media Card Challenge, September Challenge Autumn Colours with Metal or Leaves is sponsored by Add A Little Dazzle, who generously supplied us with some amazing metal sheets to play with - and I'm in LOVE!  If you happen to be stumped for inspiration, there are some fabulous videos over at Add A Little Dazzle.

My embossing folders have been feeling a little unloved of late, so this was the perfect excuse to dig them out and dust them off! I embossed a small sheet of Add A Little Dazzle Dark Chocolate, and used a combination of sanding and acetate to remove the layer of colour from the raised embossed leaves. I've discovered that the sanding creates a more vintage, weathered result, where the acetate on a cotton bud creates a more modern, shiny feel, and you have to be careful not to drip the acetate onto the parts you don't want the colour removed!

The leaves were coloured using a variety of Liquid Pearl colours. A cardstock sheet was cut to the size of the embossed panel and the edges of the metal sheet wrapped around it. The vellum die-cut flag had this gorgeous Walter and Winnie sentiment heat embossed in Copper. Lastly the vellum flag was wrapped around the front panel and secured with a couple of spots of Dimensional Magic, and the panel adhered to the card front.

I hope you take the opportunity to have a play with Mixed Media, I'd LOVE to see your creations!  In case you're wondering what qualifies as a Mixed Media Card, I have posted details here, and they can be found on The Mixed Media Card Challenge blog.

While you are there, grab some more fabulous inspiration 

from the amazing Design Team!

Julia Aston - Shirley Bampton - Charlene Cundy

Maria Fischer - Jan Jenitis - Kripa Koushik

Maria Levine - Sanna Lippert - Deepti Malik

Jenny Martin - Shery Russ - Elina Stromberg - Loll Thompson

HOW TO PLAY

1. Create a mixed media CARD based on the theme, with or without the optional element.

2. Display the challenge graphic on your blog post and link back to this challenge post.

3. You may enter as many times as you want, as long as each entry is different.

4. You may combine a maximum of 7 challenges (6 other challenges plus ours).

5. Submit your projects by September 25, 11:55pm PDT (GMT 6:55am).

6. We’ll announce the winner and favorites on September 30.

Shopping Our Stash ABC Challenge A=Autumn, B=Branches, C=Colours,
 Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes, and Cutain Call Lovely Leaves.

Addicted to CAS and Luxury - August Guest Designer

click HERE for Walter and Winnie Autumn Release Tour of the Stars post

I have had a FABULOUS time this month as Guest Designer with Addicted to CAS - and LUCKY for me, there are three challenges this month!!! The code word for this fortnight is LUXURY, and the first thing I thought of was a wedding card.  To me luxury in card making is all about texture, you feel like you just want to reach out and touch anything luxurious! So I created my card with a base of linen textured and pearlised pale gold cardstock, which I partly embossed with this gorgeous Tim Holtz embossing folder, and added a dark red velvet ribbon, threaded through this stunning silver Maya Road buckle I had been hoarding in my stash.

So get out your best crafting stash (you know, the stuff you have been saving for a special occassion!) and get creating! 

And just in case you get stuck for ideas, the Design Team has some FANTASTIC inspiration at Addicted to CAS - drop by their blogs and say hello - you know you want too!

Also playing along with Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes.

Christmas Greetings from Down Under...

Wishing you a very Beary Christmas from Down Under, playing along with the Lawn Fawn CHA 2014 Challenge, Simon Says Stamp Make Your Own Background and City Crafter Challenge Wood & Frame.  Created by combining Lawn Fawn Critters Down Under Koala Bear, Hats Off to You Santa hat and Pa Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum sentiment, embossing the kraft background and tied with some red The Twinery twine.

It's All White (Almost)...

Just Keeping It Simple today, all white! A super quick Christmas card (can't believe it's only 10 weeks away - EEK!) featuring Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder (haven't reached for this in a while!), Memory Box Landscape die and Annabelle Stamps sentiment in embossed Gold Mirror.  Playing along with Shopping Our Stash Embossing Times 2 Challenge (hot and dry).

Playing along with Simon Says Stamp Use a Clear or Rubber Stamp too!

A-MUSE-ing Equation...

Jen's gorgeous MUSE card

There are so many elements I LOVE on Jen's MUSE card that I couldn't resist playing along this week!  And as I love combining challenges, I couldn't resist adding a few more challenges into the mix too.

I love Jen's layout, the butterfly element and the teal and yellow combo, to which I added some orange for extra zest.  Jen's combination of the maths washi tape and teal twine section reminded me of an equation - so what better sentiment to pair with my teal equation washi tape with than "We equate".  The sentiment was created using Paper Smooches Spring Groves "We" from "Welcome Spring", and die cut Wise Dies alphabet, perfect for playing along with this weeks Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes Challenge.  I love the embossed background, perfect for playing along with this weeks Catered Crop Make an Impression Challenge, and the washi tape, perfect for this weeks The Pink Elephant Washi Tape Challenge too.

Thanks so much for stopping by - hope you have a FABULOUS weekend, 

and National Scrapbooking Day!

This made me smile!!!

A Perfect Pair? Pairfect...

Thought it was a pairfect afternoon to see if my crafting efforts would bear fruit, playing along with...
Keep It Simple Fruity Challenge
The Alley Way Stamps BE Inspired Challenge
CAS(E) this Sketch
Just Add Ink Just Add Green Challenge
I found the pairfect Cuttlebug embossing folder to pair with these gorgeous The Alley Way Stamps, heat embossed in Zing Cricket (I so think this should be renamed Hairy Lime after that fabulous Mini paint colour!) to reflect the lime green and white combo from The Alley Way Stamps BE Inspired Challenge, (I reckon that chair is shaped like a pear tipped on its' side too, don't you!), and this afternoon I kept more true to this weeks hugely versatile CAS(E) this Sketch.

Could be the pairfect time for you to play along too...

This made me smile!

 

Just Add Ink Honorable Mention

Festive Friday with Annabelle's Stamps...

The picture I had in my head when I started this card, and the picture you see here are poles apart - South and North Poles apart actually LOL!

Thought I'd get a head start making my Christmas cards, inspired by this weeks sketch at Annabelle Stamps,  and this fortnights inaugural Festive Friday Colour Challenge.  These cute Christmas stamps are from Annabelle Stamps, Santa's Star and sentiment stamped in Red Tinsel and heat embossed is from Whoo Loves Christmas.  Had fun with polka dot papers and star embossing, together with this fab silver tinsel paper and cute little cotton ball from Pebbles.

A CASE of late for Smooches but great to KIS...

I had pulled out my embossing folder to play in this weeks Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge, and saw this fab inspiration card in CASE Study from Amber.  I didn't leave myself enough time to Smooch, but it's perfect to KIS for this fortnights Dry Embossing Challenge LOL!  Stamps are from Paper Smooches and die cut alpha is from Memory Box.

Amber Kemp-Gerstel CASE Study cards

Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge

Dream Big...

I've been having fun with Clean & Simple Card Making 2 On-line classes - though haven't had as much time to play as I would like.  Just thought I'd share a quick card here, based on a sketch from Day 1 by Kristina Werner.  My version features dry embossed stars, rather than the original masked spraying, so I can play along with this weeks Keep It Simple Dry Embossing and Simon Says Stamp and Show Stars Challenges.
Both sentiments are from My Favourite Things, as is the die cut.  Hopefully I'll have more time to play soon ;0

Australia Day a-Muse-ment...

Playing along with the inaugural Muse Challenge with a gorgeous inspiration card by Amy Kolling. MUSE rules:

• Use what you have in your stash, don't purchase anything new for your Muse cards.
• Explain your interpretation of the Muse inspiration card in your post and link back to Muse. 
• Provide supportive comments to at least 3 of your fellow member’s submissions.
• Vote for one of your fellow member's submissions that you find inspiring.

I was inspired by everything about Amy's card - from the layered watercolour paper pieced flower and leaves stamped in white ink, perfect for this weeks Simon Says Stamp Let's Get Paper Piecing Challenge, to the embossed stitched frame, perfect for playing along with this weeks Keep It Simple Dry Embossing Challenge.  Interpreted Amy's card in mirror reverse, using American Crafts papers and Fancy Pants chevron stripes, added a Li'l Inkers photo frame, and sentiment and even added some Kaisercraft pearls.  Off to add some supportive comments too!


I loved Amy's card so much it was difficult not to CASE it!  Note to self - next time less CASE, more MUSE LOL!

Amy Kolling - Muse Card Week #1