A Neat & Tangled Birthday Dash...

8 Minutes and 49 seconds later...

Joining in the celebrations at 10 Minute Craft Dash Birthday Extravaganza - as I had quite a few extra flowers from creating this card yesterday, I thought I'd have a go at creating a second card using the left overs! Also joining in the fun at Neat & Tangled Birthday celebrations, where Danielle challenged us to create a Neat & Tangled birthday card with non-birthday sets, so I've combined the Little Tangles and Fresh Blooms sets.

My first 10 Minute Craft Dash attempt was way too ambitious, so I scrapped that idea and started again from scratch, this time stamping the chevron background then pasting the flowers on top and cutting out the decorated Lil Inkers frames - much more time effective! As the only sentiment in these sets close to Happy Birthday was "Happy Day", I added the little "Bee" to create a "Happy B'Day" sentiment, stamped in Hero Arts Wet Cement.  The Little Tangles chevrons were stamped in Hero Arts Butter Bar and Orange Soda, and the Fresh Blooms flowers and bee left over from yesterdays card, had been stamped over spritzed Dylusions backgrounds with white embossing powder.

As you can see from the extra sequins, enamel dots and twine on my desk, none of this ended up on my card - even though I was running out of time, I didn't feel it needed any - OK well, maybe a little sequins wouldn't have gone amiss ;)

Playing along with Little Tangles Let's Celebrate, 

Neat & Tangled Un-birthday Birthday Challenge

Moxie Fab Birthday Creations Week Birthday Card Challenge, 

Summer Camp Wrap Up Homework, and

Keep It Simple Chevron Challenge too.

It's a Good Day for FUSION...

I can't wait to see how you are inspired by this fortnights' fabulous FUSION!!!  

Are you like me, and have put off giving the chalkboard technique a whirl???  Something about trying to mess us your white stamping on black seems, well, just WRONG!?!  But it's so FUN!!!  Inspired by this fortnights FUSION photo and sketch, I stamped this fabulous My Favorite Things sentiment in Versamark Watermark ink and heat embossed in Seafoam White. Using Hero Arts White ink, I smeared a little on my finger and rubbed it across the embossing - almost like I was trying to rub it off with an eraser, then to add a bit more interest I swiped the edges of the diecut panel with the ink pad.  I thought this burlap tied in nicely with the string around the pile of erasers from the inspiration photo!  I have to admit, purple is not up there with my favourite colours, but I was quite partial to this gorgeous handmade flower, and paired it with some matching skeleton leaves, also found lurking in the bottom of my stash!

Here's how you can play along...
PROCEDURES:
1. Play with just the sketch challenge.
2. Play with just the inspiration photo challenge.
3. Or you can create FUSION by combining BOTH challenges into one card.
4. Use the challenge graphic and link back to Fusion in your post.
5. Please read the other considerations on the Experiment Page before playing along.

Hope to see you at the FUSION Challenge Blog soon, in the meantime, here's some more FABULOUS inspiration from the Design Team...

Amy Tsuruta

Geri Freeman

Kelly Griglione

Lynn Mangan

Stacey Schafer

Playing along with this weeks The Pink Elephant Texture Challenge too

Seeing as I finally took the plunge and created using this purple colour combo, 

thought I'd better link up to Summer Camp Week 3 Homework too!

Paper Smooches August Guest Designer...

So excited to be Guest Designer over at Paper Smooches!!!

Delighted to bring my first two cards featuring the August Paper Smooches release Many Thanks stamps, these are the Thanks A Million stamps for August too - so any August order over $60 (before discounts & postage) receives this fabulous set for FREE!

This set will certainly never leave you short for a word of thanks! I couldn't decide which of the fabulous Many Thanks sentiments to choose - so I (nearly) used them all!  I created the background using Distress Inks in Peacock Feathers, Picked Raspberry and Squeezed Lemon, then spritzed with water and a touch of Dylusions Lemon Zest (hungry yet anyone LOL!), and used a heat gun to ensure this was thoroughly dry before stamping.  I aligned all my stamps using my Fiskars Stamp Press before stamping in Momento Black ink, and adding these cute wood veneer hearts and speech bubble from Studio Calico.

My next card features sentiments from Many Thanks, combined with this funky little Bee Mine bee and "Bee" sentiment, together with the August release Artisan Blocks hexagon honeycomb.  The honeycomb background was created by stamping Artisan Blocks on yellow vellum using Versamark Watermark then heat embossing with Whispers Black Glitter - it's amazing how this looks in real life! The bee was also stamped in Black Glitter on yellow vellum, with his body backed using white cardstock - and fussy cutting the holes out for his eyes.  Paper Smooches Hexalongs dies were used to create the negative space for the honeycomb, and to also cut a negative space in the dark grey cardstock base - so the yellow vellum honeycomb becomes a translucent window - perfect for playing along with this weeks Paper Smooches Sparks Trend Watch - Sheer & Clear.   The white cardstock layer and bee were pop dotted, and this cute little Studio Calico wooden heart was stained with Versa Color Opera Pink ink.

Playing along with Dynamic Duos,
Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes,
The Pink Elephant Texture Challenge
Little Red Wagon Falling to Pieces, and
Summer Camp Online Class Homework Week 1 - Day 2 too!

Happy Birthday 2U...

Inspired by this weeks CAS(E) this Sketch (strongly influenced by Kim's gorgeous bunch of balloons!), together with the colours and shape repetition from Jocelyn's fabulous CASE Study and the extra colour palette from Summer Camp Homework Week 2 - Day 5.  I broke out my Hero Arts inks in Bubble Gum, Orange Soda and Tide Pool and paired them with this gorgeous rubber stamp set from Yellow Owl Workshop.  I tried unsuccessfully to create this as a one-layer card, only to discover the high degree of difficulty associated with lining up rubber stamps on wooden blocks - not quite as transparent as the clear stamps & blocks I'm used to LOL - so I stamped and fussy cutting the balloons instead.  To match the colours, I stamped the Bubble Gum and Tide Pool straight onto scrap paper before die cutting with My Favorite Things number & alphas.

 

Playing along with CASual Fridays Count Me In - it's a two weeker!

Seize the Birthday Anything Goes Birthday Celebration - open til August 6th!

Moxie Fab Birthday Challenge - open til August 12th!

 

P.S. Totally Cool for School...

Second post for the day...

Homework for Summer Camp Week 2 - Day 4 was to re-purpose Christmas stamps for a non-Christmas card, and some of the creations in the Gallery are just fabulous!  I noticed that some of the papers from the Fancy Pants Down by the Sea I had used were the just the right colours, and I thought I'd add this weeks CASology Cool Cue Card  into the mix, to create this Totally Cool Paper Smooches Swanky Snowdude.  I love that the Totally Cool sentiment fits perfectly across his face! Added three enamel dots for buttons as a finishing touch.

P.S. More TOTALLY COOL news here!

A Colour Smooch for Homework...

Second post for the day!

I love getting my fingers inky every now & then, and the Summer Camp Homework Week 1 - Day 2 gave me the perfect excuse!  I inked and swiped and sprayed a couple of background pieces in Distress Ink Picked Raspberry, Squeezed Lemonade and Peacock Feathers, perfect colours for playing along with this weeks Color Throwdown Five Years #250 Celebration too.  This piece reminded me of rain running down a window or tears, which made me think it would be just right for a Miss You card.  I die-cut a Lifestyle Crafts balloon and used the reverse die cut, plus the little sliver, stamped with Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler and hand drew the string drifting into the distance.

Linking up to Paper Smooches August Guest Designer Search too. 

ETA. The paper I use is a pad of Mont Matre A4 Watercolour Paper, from the Art Shed (I think!)

Spot the Birthday...

You'll be spotting this sketch all over the web this week based on Summer Camp homework - I've already used it once or twice!  When I was die-cutting the letters from the flag, the masking tape pulled off some of my spots, so I had to adjust my design to cover it up - next time I won't use spotted masking tape LOL!  I have used this Happy Birthday sentiment combo here, and loved it so much I thought I'd try it again.  The papers are Echo Park Spots & Stripes, the alphabet die-cuts are My Favorite Things, and the stamp is from Heidi Swapp. 

Playing along with Moxie Fab Birthday Challenge, 

Seize the Birthday Anything Goes Linky Party,

CASual Friday Polka Dots and Annabelle Stamps Polka Dots, 

as well as linking up for the Summer Camp Week 1 homework of course!

This made me smile...

Accentuate the Positive...

Taking what was left over from the card above, I thought I would create a similar card, this time accentuating the positive.  The sketch and colours are from Summer Camp Week 1 homework, The papers are Echo Park Spots & Stripes, with alphabet die-cuts from My Favorite Things and stamp from Paper Smooches. 

Playing along with Moxie Fab Birthday Challenge, 

Seize the Birthday Anything Goes Linky Party,

CASual Friday Polka Dots as well as linking up for
Paper Smooches August Guest Designer Search and
the Summer Camp Week 1 homework of course!

In CAS(E) of Love...

I had so much fun creating yesterdays CAS(E) this Sketch card, that I thought I'd do a variation on a theme for this weeks Summer Camp homework.  I love the brighter colours and the front flap - with just enough room behind the panel to add "...lifts you higher".  So you can not see the backs of the papers behind the lovebirds, I cut an additional sentiment and set of birds in white cardstock and adhered them on the back of the flap, this also gives the panel flap more stability. Papers are from Echo Park Now & Then and American Crafts Amy Tangerine Sketchbook, with the heart die cut from My Favorite Things and love and birds die cuts from WPlus9.

Playing along with The Pink Elephants Woodgrain Challenge too!

Summer Camp Anyone...

I love the thought of going to Summer Camp in the midst of winter!!!  Playing along with the two pre-class challenges today - one is the Summer Camp 2 Pre-Class Colour Challenge, the other is the Summer Camp 2 Pre-Class Sketch Challenge.  This spotlight technique is super fun and made even easier with these perfectly suited papers from Teresa Collins Tell Your Story.  This versatile sentiment from Mama Elephant can lead to many places...  wishing you ...a happy day, ...the best birthday, ...were here!

Hope your bags are all packed - see you at camp ;)

Playing along with Moxie Fab Mixy Matchy Style Challenge too!

Addicted to Birthday Smooches...

As soon as I saw this fortnights Seize the Birthday Sketch,  I thought of a goldfish bowl - don't ask my why - my brain just works that way LOL!  So I teamed that idea with this weeks Paper Smooches Sparks Trend Watch Ocean, Addicted to CAS Water Challenge and the On-line Class Summer Camp 2 Pre-Class Colour Challenge too!

The ocean backdrop was created by stamping Paper Smooches Wicked Nauticool waves in navy ink on Echo Park Here & Now paper and tracing around the diecut circle outline, then filling with all different sizes of turquoise sequins - which looks AMAZINGLY sparkly in the sunshine!  The Paper Smooches Surf & Turf fishes, pelican and post were paper pieced in Echo Park papers (try saying that quickly!) and the Paper Smooches Flag Tags (appropriately) fish-tailed were die cut.  The sentiment was created using Paper Smooches Party Posse "birthday wishes", and substituting with an "f" from Alphadots.  Then the white cardstock layer was pop dotted to create a frame, together with the sentiment and pelican on his post.  Just to make sure the sequins and fishes stay in place, they were adhered with Helmar 450 adhesive.

Don't forget Paper Smooches August Guest Designer Search is open til July 17th!
Playing along with Paper Crafts Nautical July Gallery Challenge too.

Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge

These made me smile...