You brighten my day

Yellow is such a warm happy colour, and yellow flowers will brighten anyone's day.  So I couldn't resist Jenni's card at the Muse Challenge this week.

I was inspired by ...
... her yellow flower
... in a frame (she had 3, but I stuck to one)
... a strip of patterned paper

Also entering this to the Freshly Made Sketch Challenge #225.

Leftovers ....

I had a few painted mini flowers left over from my Easter Cards, and I knew if I didn't use them straight away, they would just get messed up and go to waste.

I envisioned a soft water-coloured background to tie in with the flowers. A touch of black with the sentiment, washi tape and twine to offset the dreamy softness.

Entering the ...

...  Simon Says Stamp : Anything Goes Challenge

... Addicted to Stamps : Make your Mark Challenge

Distress ...

I was so happy to see that this week's challenge as CAS-ology is Distress. I wanted to try Jennifer's Distress Ink lift technique with embossing.

It certainly lends itself to lovely bright colours, which is perfect for Easter and spring.

I made up one panel of the flowers, but decided I could get two cards out of it. I die cut a bunch of the Impression Obsession bunnies, and the Simon Says Stamp Tiny flowers and leaves.

I wanted to have Easter blessings as my sentiment, but didn't anything. So Silhouette saved the day once again!

Also entering this to the Simon Says Stamp : Work it Wednesday Challenge.

More negative colouring

I had tried my hand at negative colouring a while back (see this card using a looser watercolouring) but I love Jennifer's more bright and solid look too.

I used the Platinum embossing powder and distress inks.

I was my friend, Bronwyn, who taught me the lovely combination of pinks, oranges and yellows.

You Brighten my Day

Love the inspiration by Tracey at Muse Challenge this week.

I focused on ...
... the embossing
... lovely colours
... design

I snuck in the entry at the last minute due to Ardyth's kindness! (Thanks Ardyth) That's a lesson in not leaving things to the last minute!

Also entering it to the ...

... AAA Cards : Sequin  Challenge 

... Addicted to Stamps : Anything Goes Challenge.

Flowers and Butterflies

Linda had a lovely Card Scramble last night, which tied in with the Hero Arts Fabulous Flower Challenge, but added the extra challenge of adding an insect.

This is the card that I got finished in time for the 90 minute deadline, inspired by Jennifer McGuire's Distress Ink lifting technique.

Then I tried to make a second, but didn't complete it in time. So I finished it today, and will enter it to the Hero Arts Fabulous Flower Challenge.

And angled to try to catch the glimmer from the Perfect Pearls.

New Blog Header

How do you like my new header?  I designed it using Silhouette Studio. Wonderful that it can be used for more than just cutting.  So versatile and easy to use.

This has been on my to-do list for months, and I'm so happy that I finally got round to it.

I used the Serial Sue font for the "Swanlady" which I cut and melded to a cropped section of a Swan image.

The "impressions" is in Sweetgirl font. Then added the waves.

Always in my heart

Sometimes when I see a challenge, I know exactly what I want to create. Doesn't mean that it will always turn out the way I saw it in my mind but in this case, it was pretty close.

I ended up stitching this by hand as I would not have been able to put the beads between the hearts if I used my machine. So this is take one ...

But I thought the sentiment needed a little more, so I added some small hearts. 

Which do you prefer?

When the card opens, the hearts swing around.

Inspired by the Fusion Challenge .. and using both the picture and sketch.

Grab & Craft Challenge

Papertrey Ink is having their 9th Anniversary Challenges, and I'm starting with the "Grab and Craft" Challenge.

As I'm still trying to practise my watercolouring, I grabbed my Daler Rowney set, watercolour paper, plus 2 PTI stamp sets and my white embossing powder.

Set up the stamps on my MISTI, stamped one corner, flipped the card and stamped the other corner and embossed in white. Stamped the smallest circles using an acrylic block as it was quicker as I had to move them. Wet the whole card and added watercolour. While that was drying, I die cut 3 "Hugs" in yellow, orange and magenta and layered them.  Stamped the small hearts and sentiment and mounted it to a card base.

Caring Thoughts

I'm sending thoughts and prayers to the Cox Family as they go through tough times. Thank you Michele for sharing with us on CAS-ual Fridays : Caring for the Cox Family.

Also entering it to ...

colourQ Challenge #327

Addicted to CAS #81 : Bloom Challenge

More Glitter

This is a more CAS card for the CASology Glitter Challenge - still using the Silhouette Glitter pens, with an added dash of Diamond Stickles and Sparkle Embossing Powder on the text.

Some angled shots to catch the glitter.

Love Blooms

Mixing watercolour with sketch drawings with my Silhouette Glitter pens. These are the Hero Arts Jumping Flowers and Love Blooms Silhouette cut files.

It is not easy to capture the glitter on camera, so first here is the straight on picture

I needed to angle the card to catch the glitter - I also added some Wink of Stella to the words.

Entering this to ...

Hero Arts : Fabulous Flower Challenge

A Blog Named Hero : A Bit of Sparkle Challenge

Time Out Challenge : Love is the flower you have to let grow

Shimmery Hearts

I'm still trying to focus on more masculine cards, and I think this is the one I will give my husband.

I added Perfect Pearls to Distress Inks so it has a lovely shimmer. To make the match, II picked a metallic blue paper to use for the die-cutting.

Here is the straight-on photo, but you don't get an idea of the shimmer.

 So I angled the card, so I could catch the shimmer  ...

And a close-up.

I'll be entering this to ...

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge : Have a Heart

Pinterest Inspired Challenge : February

Die Cut Diva's : Love, Marriage and Anniversaries Challenge

Just Us Girls : Valentine Challenge

Song Inspiration 2

I wasn't sure that I had read the Muse Challenge #151 correctly, so I have made a second card ... this time both inspired by a song, AND by Michele's card.

I've stayed with Zach Sobiech's song "Clouds".

I've put Wink of Stella on the thin lined clouds.

The verse goes ...

And we'll go up, up, up

But I'll fly a little higher

We'll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer

Up here my dear

It won't be long now, it won't be long now

Song Inspiration

Michele made the inspiration card inspired by a song for the Muse Chalenge this week.  I would guess that it is "I have joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart".

I am inspired by the song "Clouds" by Zach Sobiech.

This is my entry to this week's Muse Challenge #151 : Song Inspiration.

[PS. Having linked this card, I'm not sure it fits with the challenge rules. I'm a bit confused this month. Is the challenge to do a card both inspired by a song, and by Michele's card? If so, I'll take my card off. and do another.]

Adore

Thought I would like to make a card that had a more masculine feel to it.  Kept to black, white and red and aligned the Hero Arts border alphabet stamps to line up the letters for "adore". Added glossy accents to make it pop.  The 'U' was cut with my Silhouette.

My entry for CASology Challenge : Adore.

and AAA Cards Challenge : Love me like you do

January CCC

Real cards have been flying across the world again with the CCC. Mine has gone to Jo in the UK.

This month I was inspired by the colours and the sketch :

You can see the other cards on Deborah's Blog, and sign up for February here!

Mother's Advice

So much to do and so little time! I signed up for the OCC Watercolour Intermediate and there is so much in each day, they could have made it per week. This kind of thing needs practice and time.

I need to get cards off to all 3 of my children this week, and thought the pattern background would be perfect for my son who is in his first year at university in Exeter, UK. With a sentiment giving a little motherly advice!

By adding the postage border diecut, I can enter this to the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.