A Little Monochrome … And Some Watercolouring

Hello … bonjour!  Hope your weekend has been a great one … and that you’ve had chance to spend some of it creating.  I had a bit of time to play … and have four cards to share … first up, something rather crisp and clean …

A panel stamped with Papertrey‘s Doodlie-Do flowers and leaves and coloured with Promarkers … all in various grey tones.  The sentiment is also from Papertrey, the happy was embossed, the birthday was die cut twice and stacked.  I might add some bling or shine to the panel … it seems a little naked as is!

I’m playing along at (all the badges are at the bottom) …

Papertrey Make It Monday – Monochrome Colour Pop

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes

SSS Monday – Happy Birthday … congratulations to the SSSM team on seven fabulous years!

The Flower Challenge – Focus on Background Stamping

Next, something with a little more colour …

This is a panel from my Lake House stash (thanks to Ardyth I think) … masked/stamped with the Mondo Peony from Essentials By Ellen.  I watercoloured it with my Zigs, stamped a sentiment from Avery Elle, did a little Black Soot DI splattering, scattered on some Lucy’s Little Jewels and adhered it flat to a card base.

This is heading to (all the badges are at the bottom) …

Essentials By Ellen Mix It Up Challenge – Avery Elle

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Bloom Optional Twist

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes

SSS Monday – Happy Birthday

ETA:  Thanks to a prompt from my lovely friend Barb, I’m also linking the above card up at

Addicted to CAS – One Layer

Here’s something else flowery and watercolour-y …

Concord & 9th blooms, white heat embossed and watercoloured with Zigs, in soft summery shades, with a sentiment from Recollections (a gift from the lovely Barb when we met last year during her visit to France).

This is going over to (all the badges are at the bottom) …

Carte Maniak –  Embossage Blanc et Aquarelles/White Embossing with Watercolours

Fusion – Inspiration (below) … I used the soft colours of the markers

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Bloom Optional Twist

Where Creativity Meets C9 – Anything Goes (celebrating two awesome years of Concord & 9th)

Finally this evening, you’ve probably seen the Simply Graphic die delights that Maria has been showcasing … if not, go, right now … I’ll wait till you get back … they’re here, here and here.  Told ya … now, wasn’t that worth the detour?  So, I happened to mention in a comment that I share Maria’s love of this stylish company … and how the SG page in my wish book includes practically the whole line … and she promptly sent me a whole selection of delicious cuts.  Merci mille fois, encore, Maria!  This is the second card I’ve made with them (you’ll notice it has some similarities to one of those you’ve just seen over at Maria’s place) … not posted the first yet …

A panel of smooshed-with-Zigs watercolour paper, trimmed to size, acting as a bright backdrop for those swoonable SG abstract flowers.  The sentiment is from Winnie & Walter (I used a white gel pen for the ‘i’ as it fell perfectly over the stem) … and the frame is another of the goodies from my SG envelope (slightly reduced in size).

This little pretty is joining in the fun at (all the badges are at the bottom)  …

Addicted to Stamps & More – Clean & Simple

CAS on Friday – Birthday

Muse – Anita’s Inspiration … below, I reversed the bloom/background

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes

SSS Monday – Happy Birthday

That’s it from me for the weekend … might be back in a couple of days … if not, I’ll see you on Thursday for a new and fun challenge at Time Out!  Anita 🙂

                   

                   

                   

            

NB:  Where Creativity Meets C9 … badge shows in draft, but no matter what I do, it doesn’t show up in the post!  If you can shed any light, I’d be grateful!  Anita:)

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Spritz, Splatters, Dots and Stripes!

Hello … bonjour … bon dimanche!  Today, I have a few cards to share, inspired by plenty of different challenges (badges at the bottom), so I’ll keep the chat short and sweet!  First in the line up, a delicate little libellule (dragonfly … isn’t it pretty in French!) …

A base card, masked, sponged with Distress Inks, spritzed with Shimmer Spray and white heat embossed with a WPlus9 sentiment.  A white panel splattered with Distress Inks, split and popped up over it, with the lower part stamped with a secondary sentiment (from the same WPlus9 set). A Clearly Besotted libellule, cut in vellum (shimmered) and white, hovers over the ‘water’ as the sun glints on the scattering of rainstones.  Here’s a detail shot …

She’s flying off to …

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes … No Bloom Option

SSS Wednesday – Splatter It

SSS Work It Wednesday – Add Some Sparkle

Next on stage, a bright, summery, almost one layer little pretty …

The flower is from a lovely fresh set from WPlus9, it’s stamped direct onto the card base, and has had white highlights and glossy accents added to dress it up for a party (it is a birthday card after all!).  It’s grounded on a strip of white highlighted striped washi, under which sits a WPlus9 sentiment, and has been very delicately splattered with Distress Ink.  This is appearing at …

Happy Little Stampers CAS – Flower

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes … No Tie One On Option

SSS Wednesday – Splatter It

Uniko – Flower

Third in the spotlight, a ray of sunshine …

You may be thinking this looks familiar … and you’d be right.  When this card was made, it was ultra clean and embellishment free … this second one (started at the same time) has put on it’s party outfit … now it glows!  The extra’s include an ombre sponged sentiment, all shimmered up, lots of splattery party confetti, and jewels in the form of Lucy’s Little Things (thanks, Judith!).  This is partying at …

Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes … No Tie One On Option

SSS Wednesday – Splatter It

Finally, after all that sunshine, a cool, fresh, calm card to finish …

A white panel, stamped with a Papertrey Ombre Builders background in grey, two Concord & 9th leaves, die cut from a piece of smooshed-with-greens watercolour card, and adhered flat, and a sentiment from SSS.  The panel was popped up on craft foam on the base.  This is joining in at …

Curtain Call – Inspiration below

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour – Anything Goes … No Bloom Option

Muse – Anything Goes

That’s it from me for now … hope your weekend has been a happy one.  Thanks so much for spending some time with me … your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

           

             

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Time Out #89 – Home Sweet Home – Something Graphic

Hello … bonjour!  Our wonderful new challenge starts at Time Out this morning … this fortnight, we have a cool, understated, masculine style Home Sweet Home photo to inspire you (below).  Here’s where I went with it …

         

… and here’s the inspiration picture …

My eye went to the colours (of the ocean, sofa, cushions, trunk) and the straight lines of some of the furniture, lamp and books.  I used an image from Avery Elle‘s Brushed to stamp the brushstrokes, adhered a die cut sentiment (Papertrey I think, it came from my Lake House box) and added the SSS secondary sentiments above and below it.  As a nod to the metallic trimming on the trunk, the edges of the card base were embossed in platinum, before the stamped panel was attached flat to it.

What grabs your attention in this photo … the colours and lines, as it did mine … maybe the curves of the sofa … p’raps the camera … or that huge map?  However you’re inspired, we’d love to see what you create in our gallery.   This time round we’re sponsored by STAMPlorations … our winner will receive a $15 GC … as well as the chance to guest design with us in a future challenge.  All the details are over at the Time Out blog … along with a whole host of delicious ideas from our brilliant DT and from our talented Guest Designer, Trina from My Crafting Closet (who has a fabulous selection of wonderful cards to meander through, do go for a visit!).

I’m playing along at …

Just Us Girls – Use Something Old and/or New … my old is the AE brush stroke, my new is the SSS stamped sentiment top and bottom of the die cut (my recent first crafty order of the year!!)

Muse – Anything Goes … a fun change this week … no muse to CASE!

Hope your week has been going along splendidly!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

         

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AAA Cards #91, Muse #218, Seven Hills Crafts – June, SSS Wednesday – 31 May, SSS Work it Wednesday – May

Hello … bonjour!  I’m popping in with a card inspired by a few different challenges … one is ending very soon, so I’m getting a wriggle on … and two celebrate special occasions.  The first is at Muse where there are the CASE festivities for Ardyth‘s 50th birthday (who I’ve been fortunate to meet IRL twice!) … congratulations again, my friend!  The second is the Big Birthday Bash at AAA Cards … felicitations on three fabulous years, ladies … here’s to many, many more!  The other challenges I’m joining in with are detailed towards the bottom of my post (with links) … for now, here’s my card …

          

I CASEd a card made by Ardyth way back in August 2014 … and chose this particular one because it was a CASE of one of my cards … I thought it’d be fun to CASE a CASE!   Here are the two side by side …

         

The things I retained from Ardyth’s card were the shimmery sentiment, a blend of Distress Inks, the popped up panel and all that glorious white space.  I changed the shape of my card, the style and colour of the blended inked strip and the treatment of the die cut greeting (mine is partially inset) … and I added lots of shimmer spray to the inking (‘course, you can’t see it!).

My base card was sponged with Distress Inks and shimmer sprayed, I die cut a card panel with a WPlus9 Happy, created a swoosh by cutting a curve twice with a die from SSS (having taken out the happy to keep it intact), and stamped the secondary sentiment (also WPlus9) in a soft light grey.  The die cut word was covered with lots of Spectrum Noir sparkle, inset into the swoosh panel and I popped the whole thing up on craft foam onto the base card.  It’s deliberately embellishment free, like Ardyth’s!

I’m playing along at …

AAA Cards – Birthday

Muse – CASE Ardyth

Seven Hills Crafts – Die Cut a Die Cut (I used WPlus9 Happy Wishes)

SSS Wednesday – Anything Goes

SSS Work It Wednesday – Sunshine (literal or the colour)

Dashing off to link … the doors at Ardyth’s party will be closing very soon!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                  

     

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Muse #169, CAS Mix Up – June, CASology #201, Happy Little Stampers Dies – June, SSS Work It Wednesday – May

Hello … bonjour … hope your weekend has been wonderful!  I’m popping in with a card inspired by a few challenges … notably Muse, where my lovely friend, Michele has posted her last card as a DT member (the delicious one at the bottom).  How could I not take this final opportunity to be inspired and play cards along with her there?  This one’s for you, Michele … thanks so much for all the fun, energy and enthusiasm you’ve put into Muse … I’ll miss you there … but know you’ll still be keeping us inspired at your blog and wherever you may travel across blogland!

         

I kept to a similar layout as Michele, using a little glassine envelope instead of a vellum pocket … and creating a tiny shaker … with various shades of golden hued sequins to support the trimmed out sun peeking out of the top.  The ‘sunshine’ was die cut, sponged with a little Distress Ink to give it some umph, and attached flat to the card/envelope.  I stamped the supplementary sentiments in grey and added lots of Wink of Stella to the sun.  Stamps and die are all from SSS.  How about a detail shot of the shimmer …

I mentioned that a number of other challenges also inspired my card … here’s the full house …

Muse – Michele … one final, fabulous time!

CAS Mix Up – Stamping, Die Cuts plus Choice … mine’s the glassine shaker envelope (it’s not listed as an option, Loll and Bonnie, but I hope it’ll count for adding dimension!)

CASology – Sunshine … really wanted to play last week for the 200th anniversary, it just wasn’t possible, so I’m making up for it with number 201!

Happy Little Stampers Dies – Anything Goes … only started last month and did you see the gallery … this month’s is equally amazing already!

SSS Work it Wednesday – Sunshine … my first entry

You may have noticed there’s been a bit of a gap in my visits around blogland … technical hitches that have now (hopefully!) been resolved, including having to confirm I’m not a robot more times than I care to count!  I’m almost back on track … then normal service (hahaha … I should probably say usual!) will be resumed!  Have a splendid week … thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                  

                

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Muse #164, TE Share Joy #34, Winnie & Walter Rerun #10, Winnie & Walter JITW, STAMPlorations CAS – May

Hello … bonjour!  Happy Mother’s Day to everyone celebrating in the USA and Australia!  I’m popping in with a card that feels a bit different for me … not sure how it came from my fingers, but it was fun making it happen …

I started with a panel of watercolour card, made a paper mask to place where the vase was going to be, and stamped the blossom-y leafy sprigs three times, using a Molotow pen to mask them where needed.  First time with the Molotow … needed to be really gentle taking it off … there were one or two spots that ended up a smidge raw!  The paper mask was removed, the vase was stamped, I used Zigs to do some loose layered watercolouring and topped off the sprigs with some Wink of Stella.  All the stamps are courtesy of Winnie & Walter.  The panel was adhered to a card base, I added a slender strip of colour along the edge and finished off with a STAMPlorations sentiment.

I’m playing along with …

Muse – Michele’s gorgeous card is below (voila, Michele, see you in the gallery!!)

TE Share Joy – Sketch/Inspiration … I went with the photo

Winnie & Walter Rerun – In Bloom: Addie’s Garden … blossoms/leaves

Winnie & Walter – Join In To Win

STAMPlorations CAS – Anything Goes … without the option of Magenta

That’s it from me for now … see you Thursday for a top up over at Time Out … have a great week!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                   

                     

Muse #151, MFT Sketch #266, 30 Day Colouring Challenge – February, SSS Work It Wednesday – January

Hello … bonjour!  Hope your weekend has been splendid!  For the first time in ages I took some time to make a card that wasn’t a DT or GD one … yay … I played!  Want to see …

Yep, a little more involved than usual … but it was so much fun letting this little guy evolve!  I die cut and stamped one of MFT‘s Birds of Paradise and got colouring with Promarkers, adding a smidge of detailing with a white gel pen on the leaves, flowers and feathers, a layer or two of Wink of Stella on the beak and plumage … and a touch of Glossy Accents to his eye.  The leaves (also MFT) were cut from green card and were sponged at the edges with Mowed Lawn Distress Ink … and I cut a PTI banner and stamped it with a sentiment from the same set as the bird.  A pierced panel (MFT I think, a Lake House goodie) was sponged with Distress Ink (Twisted Citron and Tumbled Glass) and I was ready to put everything together.  The leaves were attached at the spines to allow the edges to turn up, the banner was adhered flat, the bird was popped up on craft foam … and I mounted the panel on craft foam on the card base.

My card was inspired by …

Muse – We’re stepping out from the usual this time … it’s Michele’s 2016 song week, so we’ve to make a card that conveys a song title … how could I not join in?  See below for Michele’s awesome make … I’m probably the last to guess it … I’ve Got The Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down In My Heart perhaps?  Have you guessed mine yet?  If so, do let me know in a comment!  If not and you need a hint, you can go here and enjoy a lovely listen (it’ll be worth it)!

MFT Sketch – See below for the great layout

30 Day Colouring Challenge – I’ve followed all Kathy’s Challenges and this is the first time I’ve played along … it was a blast colouring that cutie!

SSS Work It Wednesday – Something New … that fabulous Bird of Paradise set

That’s it from me for now … got some catching up to do with everyone and I’ll be back Thursday with a mid challenge reminder for Time Out … have a great week!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

                    

          

Muse #147, SSS Monday – 4 January, SSS Wednesday – 6 January

Hello … bonjour!  Yesterday, I was sending sunshine … now I’m sending hugs …

The lovely and awesomely talented Michele is our Muse this week … and has given us a fun pop of a card (below) to play with.  I was inspired by the monochrome-with-a-touch-of-red colour palette, the panel of hearts and the black stamped sentiment.  My rows of little SSS hearts were stamped using my MISTI (yay … I just loved writing that!) and I used a Papertrey die cut ‘hugs’ in place of Michele’s stamped panel.  The ‘hugs’ was cut from white card and red craft foam, stacked and adhered to the card base, and I nestled the Papertrey sentiment underneath it.  The tiny red hearts (Winnie & Walter) were cut from left over foam and they wandered around over the stamped panel till they found comfortable resting places.  One made it’s way all the way over to adorn the sentiment … obviously a bit of an adventurer!

I’m playing along with …

Muse – Michele … see below

SSS Monday – Something New … the SSS rows of hearts

SSS Wednesday – Something New … the same!

Finally, this evening … I’m experiencing a bit of an issue with commenting and am wondering if anyone else has had the same thing.  Sometimes, I’m obliged to confirm I’m not a robot … a range of pictures comes up with instructions to select those that meet a certain criteria (eg: all pictures with water) … and it can’t be bypassed!  Don’t know why it’s happening and it seems to be random.  I’m pretty sure that on occasion, I’ve left a comment and not realised that the ‘I’m not a robot’ box has come up before moving on.  It means that some of my comments are not being published … so if you’re missing some from me, I apologise … I’ve been by and have left you some love … but it’s being messed with!   If anyone knows what’s going on, I’d really appreciate a bit of guidance on resolving it!  Thanks!

Hope your weekend has gone/is going along wonderfully!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂

         

         

Seize The Birthday 22/10 – Surprise Party Guest, AEIHeartU #29, SSS Wednesday 21/10, Muse #137

Hello again!  If you’re looking for my reminder for the latest Time Out challenge, it’s here … otherwise, welcome to my second Surprise Party Guest spot at Seize The Birthday!  Thanks once again to Nancy and the DT for the invitation and for your lovely warm welcome! Our theme this time around is Pocket Cards …

I know, you’re asking yourself … where’s the pocket … where’s the all important sentiment?  Ha, it’s cunningly camoflaged … look … it’s secret is out of the bag!

Never done a pocket card before … I did see Dawn McVey’s Make It Monday video on them over at Papertrey last month (definitely worth seeing!) and wanted to have a play … but the tub of life-stuff-to-do-in-the-time-available was already overflowing, and I didn’t get to it.  Enter this new theme for Seize the Birthday!  Here, my pocket is kind of basket-like with the chevron patterned DP … so I added a similar embossed patterned texture in the background to mimic it.  The insert is made up of Avery Elle blooms and leaves, stamped and/or die cut, arranged and adhered one over the other in a floral spray, and attached on foam dots just at the top of WPlus9 tag.  Adhering the arrangement just at the top allows it to cascade over the pocket basket when it’s slotted into place.  The sentiment on the tag is from Avery Elle … there’s a Happy Birthday one from Papertrey on the inside … and I added a twirl of black twine to the top of the tag to finish off.

If you’ve played along at Seize The Birthday before, you’ll know that the theme … or ‘Topping’ … is optional.  So for this challenge, you don’t have to make a Pocket Card … you can make any birthday card and join in with us … but we’d love to see you use the Topping if you get the chance!  Looking forward to seeing where your creativity takes you!

I’m linking up with the the fun at …

AEIHeartU – Think Pink (with a smidge of added green!)

SSS Wednesday – Wrap It Up (my twirl of twine!)

ETA – Thanks to a suggestion from the lovely Ardyth, I’m also linking this up at Muse, where the talented Anita B has given us a beautiful inspiration card … it’s below!

I’m not around in blogland (or emailonia) all that much at the moment … (it’s that tub-of-life-stuff getting in the way!) … and there’s even a bit of bouchon (traffic jam!) in my Feedly list … so I really appreciate you coming over to visit and leaving me your sweet comments … it’s always a joy to read them!  Anita 🙂

         

         

         

Muse #133, SSS Monday 14/9, SSS Wednesday 16/9

Hello!  It’s been a mostly non card making weekend here … although I did manage to create a little something waaaaay outside my comfort zone for Muse tonight … where Michele has given us the most delicious and dramatic little number to be inspired by!  Here ‘s my take …

and here’s Michele’s gorgeous creation … yep, stunning!

So … I feel the need to admit something which will probably have you throwing your hands up in horror … no judging please … I’m not a DP hoarder!  There, I said it!  In fact, my whole stash of DP is just a couple of centimetres deep, if that … so Michele’s challenge to use DP as a background was a smidgy bit of a stretch!  What I found is crisp and fresh rather than bold and dramatic … the closest match available!  My fluttery thing is a Clearly Besotted dragonfly (une libellule in French, which is a much prettier name for such a lovely thing!) … she has one pair of pink vellum wings and one pair of even more delicate white ones … and is gently pulling along a WPlus9 tag and sentiment on a silver thread.  Voilà!

Here’s where she’s fluttering off to …

Muse – Michele F has provided our amazing inspiration this week!

SSS Monday – Love This Technique … die cutting, it appears on so many of my cards!

SSS Wednesday – Die Crazy … my petite libellule!

Hope your weekend’s been splendid … mine’s close to being over but I think I’ll just fit in a little blog wandering before bed!  Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy!  Anita 🙂