A wonderful day

Playing with masks ... the moon, the straight green panel and the dots (where I punched out 3 circles in a line on paper).

Soft pink, yellow and green are the colours at Color Throwdown this week.

And the sketch from The Paper Players

Masculine Birthday

A quick card before the deadline of Just us Girls : Photo Challenge. I loved the colour combo.

Here is their inspiration 

Find Joy in Simple Things

Since the watercolour effect is such the rage at the moment, I wanted to try that effect on one of my background stamps. So a new technique for one of these reverse print stamps.

Some Distress Inks, spritzed. This was about my 5th attempt at getting the colour combo's right.

I love the soft look that it gives.

Entering in to ...

... the A Blog called Hero : New Challenge,

... and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge : Anything Goes.

Rainbow colours

When I spotted the SSS Work it Wednesday : Rainbow Challenge, I just had to play - who can resist a rainbow!

I inked up with Distress inks and spritzed. My matching die cuts haven't arrived, so I cut out the flowers. Added White accents to the middle dots. Really makes the colour pop. Used a Penny Black sentiment.

I was following the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

Masculine Birthday

Trying to make some masculine cards this week. This was using PTI stamps.

I will enter it to the AAA Cards : For the Guys Challenge.

Dogwood Blossoms

I love these Hero Arts Dogwood blossoms and have been making a few cards with them this week.

I used Distress Markers to ink up the stamps and a little spritz of water.

My entry for ...

... One Layer Challenge : Blossom

... a2z Scrapbooking Challenge : Anything Goes

Shine your light ...

Sorry I have been MIA for a couple of weeks ... real life is really busy at the moment. I feel as I'm juggling a lot of balls. This week I also started the Metabolism diet - but my was I a grizzly bear with headaches and tiredness from the detoxing!  I feel like giving up everyday just to have some tea, biscuits, cake, choc.... but since I have lost 2Kgs - yes 2Kgs  - in 4 days, I'll just have to keep going.

A card for a First Communion ... inspired by an old stamp from PSX with this sentiment (remember those days!).

I inked up my Hero Arts background stamp with Distress Ink Squeezed Lemonade, added some Ripe Persimmon with the markers and spritzed. This was a MISTI Moment, as my friend Bronwyn calls it. I find my background stamps stick so well to the MISTI, and if they don't stamp perfectly the first time, you can always stamp again ... in EXACTLY the same spot. Heaven!

I die cut a panel out from the background so I could mount it up and add some interest.

I set up the sentiment in Silhouette and printed it. So easy to make the shadows. I took JM's idea of using foam to mount up the panel, but decided to use an orange one to add that touch of colour.

I'm entering this to the Less is More : Sunshine Challenge.

Cool Bubbles

I still have the child in me that loves bubbles and fun, so I couldn't resist blowing coloured bubbles using the technique I spotted on the Scrap RDV blog (and here and here) this week.

For my first card I have used just the blue.

Once I die cut circles, I stamped in the negative space, and added dots of liquid pearls, and glossy accents to the sentiment.

Will enter this to :

CASology : Shape Challenge

Seize the Birthday : Use the Negative Challenge

I knew that Less is More had a water challenge, but I forgot that it was a one layer challenge! Lucky I have made quite few sheets, so will go back to the drawing board for that one.

Sunshine flower

I have had such a busy 2 weeks that I have almost no time to make it into my studio. I have been moving my MIL from her apartment to a new retirement complex where there is the support she needs, and companionship and community. She has both Parkinsons (the freezing kind - she has difficulty swallowing, walking and using her right side) and Osteoporosis (her spine is collapsing). As my mother says, "You need courage to grow old".

So I was happy to make it into my studio this afternoon ... even if it meant that I was missing the tennis semi-final between Nadal and Berdych!

I was inspired by the Fusion challenge (both the sketch and photo)

I will also enter this to the Just us Girls : Embossing Challenge

and the a2z Scrapbooking : Anything Goes Challenge

Wonderful Card Scramble

I love to play in the Hero Arts Flickr Group card scrambles, but the last few have been after midnight my time. So I was delighted that Kanan's scramble started at the very reasonable 9:00pm for me. She gave us 3 cards to draw our inspiration. They were all so lovely I wanted to do them all.

Started with butterflies (who doesn't love butterflies!) and incorporated elements of her 2nd and 3rd cards.

Here are Kanan's 2nd and 3rd card inspirations.

  

When I saw her first card, I just knew what I wanted to do. Fill the background with words for my eldest daughter - whose birthday is on Monday.  This is how far I got, when the deadline was approaching ... and still had to photograph it and post it up.

But I knew I needed some bling to make it pop ... so added a few more hearts and some gems. Here's the final card.

Kanan's first card inspiration

I will enter my second card to the a2z Scrapbooking Supplies : Anything Goes Challenge.

Lots of Sprinkles ...

Since I coloured Sabrina, I have so many have asked for my card. But they couldn't have it because I'd made it for my daughter's birthday!

Now that I have the MISTI, I thought I'd do a series and change up the colours. I had been waiting for someone to bring me some Copic blender refill as I can't find anyone who will ship to Mauritius. If anyone knows who ships Copic supplies internationally, I would be so grateful. I still have big holes in my colour range, which has been highlighted since I bought Sandy Allnock's Hex Chart. This is just what I have needed - it is so helpful.

I started with the same colour dress, but decided to go for a lighter coloured hair. (Made a couple of these as pink is such a girly colour!)

 I love turquoise, so that was my next choice (and I had the right Copics for it!). Changed the sentiment - but it still matches the image. It's amazing how the PP changes the look too. When I see my cards on the screen, I get a better perspective ... and I think I should have added a tiny border of pink between the white and PP. O well, live and learn.

Going for a more true blue on the last one.

An entry for Addicted to Stamps : Make your Mark Challenge.

PS. The sentiments are from Penny Black.

CCC April 2015

It's May 1st - it's the reveal of my card that I sent off for the April CCC. This month it went off to Germany. I love that our cards fly across the globe in all directions.

I went with all the themes ... colour, sketch (I flipped it upside down), products (dies) and theme (friendship)

Pretty Flowers

Playing with more dies and patterned paper, and using the MISTI to line up the background stamp.

Submitting this to the AAA Cards : There is a hole in my card Challenge.