Fusion - Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

A little late but a very apt theme from FUSION for me this fortnight! This Lil Inkers sentiment is super special with more than a few ups and downs - especially hubby coming off his bike and fracturing his femur. I have been on carers leave looking after him managing to stuff my back in the process, before I start my brand new job next week. But I know that together we CAN weather any storm :)

Die-cut layers of cloud created using Mama Elephant stitched cloud die and Lily Bee patterned papers, together with this super cute Neat and Tangled rays stamped in Momento Luxe Dandelion then overstamped with a light layer of Momento Luxe Morocco, and finished with a button from my stash.

Hop along and see the fabulous Design Team for more gorgeous inspiration!

You can find some more fabulous inspiration from the Design Team blogs:

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

Linda Callahan - Michelle Leone - Michelle Lupton - Michelle Williams

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

Can't wait to see what you create!

Also playing along with the fabulous 
NBUS #12 Challenge (first time using my Lil Inkers sentiment) 

and Double D Challenge Sentiments/Quote

This made me smile!

Lucky Days FUSION

This fortnights FUSION challenge is filled with the luck of the Irish, so I thought I'd celebrate around the world! I thought it was super fitting too seeing as we will be heading off around the other side of the world in a few weeks, to join DD on exchange in Paris.

Created using the gorgeous (and Never Been Used Schtuff) Neat and Tangled Origami Map die cut and stamps, paired with these super cute Create a Stamp Crystal Letters alphabet stamps. Both the map and letters were stamped in white ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder, over watercolour backgrounds created using Twinkling H2Os, with added shimmer and a wooden frame, picking up on the textural elements from the inspiration photo.

This month we are also luck enough to be joined by special Guest Designer, Kate Lorenzini of Pinned and Penned, so make sure you stop by for some extra fabulous inspiration from Kate and the team!

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

Karren J - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan - Michelle Folland

Michelle Lupton - Sandie Munro - Shannon Jaramillo - Stephanie Severin

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

   

 

Also playing along with NBUS #6 on the fabulous Darnell's home base,

 AAA Cards Embossing, Curtain Call Key Lime and 

CAS Mix Up Card Challenge too!

Cupcake Fusion...

Time for this fortnights FUSION inspiration, and just look at that luscious lemon icing! Inspired by the colours and subject of the FUSION inspiration photo, together with this very versatile sketch (albeit stretched to fit a square card!). Created using a trio of Avery Elle stamp sets, Brushed for the Momento Luxe Dandelion background stripes, Cupcakes for the cupcake (stamped onto vellum), and NBUS Cake & Candles sentiment, and Kaisercraft pearls for a bit of added bling!

The FUSION Design Team have some more 

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

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.

 

Also playing along with the fabulous Darnell at NBUS #4 Anything Goes!, 

AEI{heart}U Stripes (missed the deadline!),  Seize the Birthday
and The Card Concept Cupcakes, Clean & Layered

Saturated Watercolour Wishes...

Today's card is inspired by the fabulous colours in Runway Inspired and the idea that a colour as bold as hot pink works together with the lightness of tulle.

RIC#75 Ralph Lauren 2015 Spring

I thought I would create my colours using saturated watercolour, with a technique similar to that used by Loll (her fabulous video can be seen here), however I dropped my Distress Ink ReInkers directly onto slightly damp watercolour paper, then spritzed the paper lightly to blend the Picked Raspberry and Squeezed Lemonade colours. Once the paper was dry, I die cut the fabulous Winnie and Walter The Big, the Bold and the Happy Cutaway, and Simon Says Stamps Balloon Bouquet (NBUS). The balloon outline was also cut from black cardstock, and the second half of the sentiment is Winnie And Walter Winter Wonderland, stamped in Momento Luxe Tuxedo Black.

 

Playing along with...

Happy Little Stampers Watercolouring

Cure for the Monday Blues Scattered Sprinkles (those cute pink bubbles reminded me of little balloons on top of the cupcakes!)

Runway Inspired, Seize the Birthday Party Topping, NBUS

Dies R Us Anything Goes (with Something New)

Cuttlebug Mania It Takes Two (with two colours, two words, two manufacturers)

PS I'd LOVE if YOU could link up a post highlighting your favourite creations for 2014 on 
Our Favourite Things linky party on my blog here!

Make it Monday with NPlane for NBUS...

The current Papertrey Ink Make it Monday Challenge highlights all the Make it Monday Challenges for 2014 and you can choose one you had perhaps missed. I'd love to say that because of the craziness that was the holiday season I missed the opportunity to partake in re-creating Laura Bassen's gorgeous Camoflaging Die Cuts Technique, but truth be told, I'm fairly new to the delights of Papertrey Ink, and only just realized they have weekly Challenges - slow, I know LOL! All the same, I couldn't miss the opportunity to give this technique a try!

In an effort to make more boys cards (seeing as there are 7 nephews on my side of the family alone LOL!) I thought I'd attempt a boys birthday card, featuring a Papertrey Ink plane (aka NBUS!)

Created by first making a cloud template mask by die cutting a piece of acetate, this can also be created using a variety of different sized circle dies. Using the cloud mask, started from the lowest layer of "cloud" and made my way up with Distress Ink Broken China and Tumbled Glass. When it came to doing the die cuts, the Papertrey Ink Birthday sentiment was fine, but the airplane is a single die incorporating three different elements, so die cut a Papertrey Ink plane from white cardstock and temporarily positioned it where I wanted it to appear on the card, then reused the acetate cloud mask to recreate the same cloud pattern on the white cardstock plane - this is where having the mask cut from clear acetate came in handy! Stamped the Papertrey Ink "Happy" sentiment in Distress Ink Broken China, and die cut additional white cardstock layers for the sentiment and plane, and sandwiched them together before adhering in place on the card. Highlighted the tops on the clouds with Wink of Stella Clear.

Playing along with Papertrey Ink Make it Monday, Darnell's NBUS Challenge #3, 

Seize the Birthday and Virginia's View Clean Slate.
Dies R Us Anything Goes with a NEW twist

PS I'd LOVE if YOU could link up your favourite creations for 2014 on 
Our Favourite Things linky party on my blog here!

A CAS(E) Study Mixed Media Card...

Reminding you you still have until 25 September to play along with Mixed Media Card Challenge Autumn Colours, with a card inspired by the textures and natural burlap and twine elements from Debby's CASE Study card, layout from this versatile CAS(E) this Sketch, colours and shimmer from Moxie Fab World Fabulous Friday Getting Fancy and theme from Inspiration Emporium Fall is in the Air and Dies R Us Fall Festival . I love this leaf patterned paper background, and created the Lawn Fawn die cut leaves using Luminarte paints on watercolour paper, added the burlap fishtail flag and twine, and Winnie and Walter The Big, The Bold Blessings sentiment stamped in Momento Luxe Lilac Posies.

 

 

CASE Study
CAS(E) this Sketch
Dies R Us Fall Festival
Inspiration Emporium Fall is in the Air
Moxie Fab World Fabulous Friday Getting Fancy

Mixed Media Card Challenge Autumn Colours (Reminder)
NBUS Lawn Fawn die cut leaves, joining in the fun @ 
the gorgeous Darnell's NBUS Challenge #2 too!

This made me smile...

This made me smile too...

P.S. A CAS(E) of Sugar & Spice & all things Patterned Paper...

Super inspired by this weeks CAS(E) this Sketch, and playing along with Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes and Virginia's View Patterned Paper. Created by using Paper Smooches die cut Fishtail Flags, Onesie and Hearts (for pegs), Each heart clothes peg was created by die-cutting 2 hearts and adhering the tops of the two hearts together, then "clipping" them over the onesie. Clothesline stamped with Paper Smooches Pip Squeaks and Little Lady sentiment. As always, I have stamped in brown (Momento Luxe Rich Cocoa) instead of black for my baby card.

I just realised that this is the first time I have used the Hearts and Onesie diecut, and the first inking of Pip Squeaks and Little Lady, so I'm joining in the fun @ the gorgeous Darnell's NBUS Challenge #2 too!

    

Keep It Simple Baby (reminder)

FUSION (reminder)

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.

Let's Celebrate & Paint the Town Red...

I'm always challenged by the Runway Inspired Challenges, and this fortnight was no exception, but I really wanted to join in the fun, especially with Pretty Pink Posh as sponsor! The "hills" on the side panels of this outfit reminded me of a landscape, combined with these colours my first thought was of the saying "Paint the Town Red", and so the idea for this "Let's Celebrate... and paint the town red" card was born. My NBUS Altenew Sketchy Cities America and Super Script stamps were perfect for the occasion - I LOVE the way they stamp so perfectly for embossing. The cityscape was painted in watercolour and fussy cut to maintain the clean lines of the inspiration outfit.

 

Playing along with Darnell's NBUS Friendship Challenge too! 

N.BUS to French Ship...

To help celebrate the fabulous Darnell's 500th birthday... oops, no, that's not it! 500 followers, you can hop on over and join in the fabulous #1 N.BUS to French Ship Challenge! (I'm wondering whether this qualifies for Addicted to CAS Transport Challenge, or perhaps I've missed the boat LOL!)

I broke open my NBUS The Alley Way Stamps True Colors to play along (plus "you" from Jibber Jabber), so I'm joining in the fun at TAWS Be Inspired Challenge...

 

...and just because good things come in threes, and they have fabulous sketches, I'm playing along with CAS{E} this Skech too.

This made me SMILE :)
This too...