Happy (Aussie) Day @ FUSION...

A HUGE thank you to Christine @ Create a Smile for her generous support of the FUSION 3rd Anniversary celebration. So many fabulous creations in the FUSION gallery!

On to another celebration this fortnight @ FUSION. 
Loving the green and gold inspiration for Australian Day on January 26th! Looking forward to Australia Day as a great opportunity to chill out with friends and family and 'throw another shrimp on the barbie!'.
Created a simple card using a super cool Studio Calico Australia map diecut, together with diecut 'Happy' and 'day' (cut from 'birthday') sentiments from Winnie & Walter, to deliver a card that is fair dinkum Aussie mate!

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

Can not wait to see how you are inspired! 

Hop on over to the Design Team blogs for more fantastic inspiration:

Becca Cruger - Betty J. - Carol Mayne - Jeanne Jachna - Karren Johnson

Linda Callahan - Michelle Leone - Michelle Lupton - Michelle Williams

Also playing along with
Simon Says "Chill Out",
MUSE, CASology Cut

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.

 

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...

 

All Hearts Come Home for Christmas...

Are you like me and ought to have all your Christmas cards done by next Christmas LOL! There's so much inspiration out there I'm finding it hard to keep up!

I do love the idea of double-tagging on cards, as featured in the current Muse (Caroline) and Tag You're It! (Maureen) challenges. Christmas tag card created using Lawn Fawn papers, Paper Smooches Bookmark die cut, (shortened by die cutting just the fishtail end a second time to remove the excess length), My Favorite Things sentiment embossed in Silver, Prima wood veneer house, heart sequins from the ArtShed and twine from Annabelle's Stamps (now closed).

Playing along with Color Throwdown, Muse and Tag You're It!

Silver Stars Sparkle and Shine...

I think this is a Hero Arts Christmas Tree stamp, although I could be mistaken as it was borrowed from Cecilia when we were away creating. ETA - it is in fact from Artee - an old Australian company, and actually belongs to Jenny LOL!

I painstakingly added little silver sequin stars to some of the silver tinsel embossed star outlines, I LOVE the effect but it was more time-consuming than I had hoped LOL! Added this gorgeous Mama Elephant sentiment also in Silver Tinsel embossing, and backed with American Crafts white glitter paper. 

Love this gorgeous Muse card by Terese - sad to hear she will be leaving Muse soon,

but it does mean YOU could have the opportunity to join the Muse team!

Playing along with Simon Says Stamp Stars,
Just Add Ink Just Add Texture,

Mama Elephant Holiday Cards and Tags, Inkspirational Shine,

Muse, and Moxie Fab World Tree-mendous Tree Challenge too!

A-Muse-ing CAS(E) of Winnie & Water...

Inspired by this weeks gorgeous MUSE card by Marion, together with the colours from Winnie & Walter's Playdate #3 and this super versatile CAS(E) this Sketch. Stamping Winnie & Walter's Scenery V for Chevron in bands of Momento Luxe Dandelion, Morocco, Rose Bud and Lilac Posies, with the metallic sheet banner from Add a Little Dazzle in Lovely Lavender, stamped and embossed in Zing White with Winnie & Walter's The Big, The Bold & You sentiment, and a triple layer Simon Says Stamp Butterfly in two layers of vellum on a base of white cardstock, with a Kaisercraft pearl to finish.

  

Remember there's still almost 5 days to play along with Addicted to CAS Geometric too!

Have a Gorgeous Day...

Inspired by the colours, theme and die cuts of the gorgeous Muse Challenge #74 with Jennifer Wills, City Crafter Let's Go to the Beach, Little Red Wagon Summer, Addicted to CAS Sky, and Virginia's View Challenge #5 Die Cut.

The watercolour background was created by smooching Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, Evergreen Bough and Tumbled Glass Distressed Inks on wax paper and spritzing with water, then smooching the watercolour paper in the ink pools for the sky, and a similar technique with Squeezed Lemon and Scattered Straw for the sun and sand. Die cut the Lawn Fawn sun, Lil Inkers Stitched Circle and Mama Elephants Landscape Trio for the beach.  Lil Inkers Mehindi Medallion sentiment and Emma Ball's beach chair stamp paper pieced on wood patterned paper and coloured red stripes.

Jennifer Wills gorgeous Muse card

  

A-very Little MUSE...

I loved the simplicity of Gillian's Muse Challenge card this week, but find I tend to go more rather than less, so I took some inspiration from the gorgeous pink colour, baby theme and Lil Inkers stitched border die.  Featuring Avery Elle's Storytime stamps by Heather Campbell, stamped in brown ink for a baby card, with an added swoosh of watercolour to get in the mood for next weeks Online Classes Watercolour for Cardmakers class - and Keep It Simple Watercolour Challenge!

Gillian's Muse Inspiration Card

Playing along with Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes, and
Virginia's View Stitching Challenge too.

MUSE Guest Designer...

I have to admit I almost fell off my chair when Ardyth asked if I would like to be a Guest Designer for Muse - then I composed myself and sent off a YES PLEASE reply before she could change her mind!

I've been having so much fun with Distressed Inks lately, I thought I'd try and create a just before dawn night sky in Shabby Shutters, Squeezed Lemonade, Salty Ocean and Faded Jeans, using this fabulous silver birch mask, then adding a few stars with a Wink of Stella gold pen. Stamped this beautiful script sentiment from Avery Elle and heat embossed in gold on clear vellum, framed with Lil Inkers Stitched Square die-cut.

I hope you are inspired to play along with MUSE - 
I can't wait to see what you create!

  

Linking up with the Avery Elle May Designer Search, Runway Inspired Challenge, and
 Moxie Fab World Styling with Stencils Challenge.

Come Play with Me...

Created this for fun and to to play along with a few challenges too!  Inspired by Keep It Simple Things with Wings (DT), FUSION photo (DT), this fabulous Muse card by Marion, A Blog Called Hero Roy G. Biv, Verve Diva Dare Perk Up, The Crafting Musketeers Butterfly Challenge, Catered Crop Birthdays Recipe Swap and Seize the Birthday Hearts Challenges.

Pulled out my gelatos and paintbrush to create the watercolour background behind my Memory Box die cut butterfly heart. This die cut usually leaves the butterflies attached to the heart, but I carefully removed the butterflies so you could see more of the rainbow panel. Stamped with this gorgeous Verve sentiment and framed in black to help pop the colours.

Hope you are having an AMAZING weekend!

  

This made me smile...

Hello Beautiful...

Playing along this week with Little Tangles Saying Hello Challenge, celebrating the new Little Tangles DT, and MUSE Challenge, with a gorgeous sunny card by Laurie, and Little Red Wagon All Purpose Card Challenge too.

This card combines five of the fabulous sets by Neat & Tangled, although you have to look pretty close to see the Little Tangles zig zags stamped in yellow behind the bottom two clouds - I was trying to go for subtle - but maybe yellow ink on kraft is a bit too subtle LOL! The sun is created by stamping Sunburst and Everyday Circles "Hello" in Momento Luxe Dandelion, and the white clouds were created using Just Thinking of You stamped in Hero Arts Soft Pool, and Fresh Blooms "Hello Beautiful" sentiment. The matching teal cloud is from Amy Tangerine's chipboard collection, and the kraft cardstock base was highlighted using Lil Inker Stitched Squares.

Neat & Tangled have a new DT call on at the moment too - they have a FAB collection of unique images, and sequins!!! and owner Danielle is just delightful - so get your skates on and give it a go - you never know!!!

Laurie's gorgeous MUSE card

This made me smile...

and this too...