Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge - "Hang In There"

I know...two posts in one afternoon! How magnificent is this inspiration photo! I love, love, love that feature wall - though I'd never have anything like that at my place...it's still pretty cool.

I've had this inspiration photo for the latest Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge on my desktop for several days now and keep coming back and having a look - there's sooooo much in there. Though, of course, that feature wall grabs you and shakes you wild first!

I needed a card for a friend who is in need of some ca-ute encouragement at the moment!

And...I've been desperate to get this wee guy inky and last night (ahem...make that 3am this morning) was his chance at long last! I paired him up with a couple of SU Onsies that I coloured with Copics...the perfect therapy when one can't sleep.

These wee pegs are so tiny in real life - yet they are still massive in comparison with the size of these images. I pulled one of the arms out from the spring and then glued them down so they weren't quite so bulky on the card.

A bit of twine here and bit of PTI DP paper there....some vellum to soften it a bit and highlight the sentiment....a bit more twine...some wee, and I mean wee, black rhinies and this little fella was ready to hang it all about there.

I fiddled a little when I got home this evening and then pulled out the camera and here it is. I think I need to find my little photo tent since I seem to be doing 95% of my photographing at night. I managed to soften some of the shadows this time by reflecting some of the overhead light back in via a piece of white card stock.

And now this tired, but happy and inky crafter is going to bed.
Good night all.

Michey xxxx

  

CARD DETAILS:
Stamps: Paper Smooches Hang In There; Stampin Up Roller Baby Tees
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; Versamark
Cardstock: PTI Stampers Select White, Beautiful Blooms DP; Geographics Vellum (from Officeworks)
Other: PTI Cream Twine; The Twinery Charcoal Twine; Ranger Fine Black Embossing Powder; Tombow Mono Glue; Glue Dots - Micro and Vellum; Absolutely Something For Everyone Mini Black Crystals; CraftWorkz Ultra Mini Pegs; Dimensionals
Copics:
  Squirrel: E99, E23, E13, R11
  Red Onsie: R27, R17, R46
  Green Onsie: YG25, YG03, YG0000, N0, N2
  Grass: YG25, YG17, YG67
  Posts: E77, E71, E99

Clean and Simple Card Set & RIC #4

As you know from my recent posts, I participated in the Clean and Simple Online Classes. One of the last days of class was about making a card set. The classes are finished now, but I still wanted to have a go at a set of cards using the clean and simple principles.

I chose not to package these up in a nice box as a gift as they're destined to become some of the 150 or so thank you cards that I need to send out to people following Mum's passing and from all the gifts and cards I received at Christmas. I'm so far behind it's ridonkulous...but I figure better late than never, right!?

An easily mass produced design with simple two-step stamping of this stunning lotus flower directly onto the card base and the addition of some of my favourite wee dotted scallop punched in coordinating colours along the edge. Some sentiments from WaltzingMouse and there you have. I think I might need to purchase a basic sentiment set though, I really wanted to use a simple, bold thank you to match the clean lines of the lotus flower, but alas....out of the 4 squillion stamp sets I have - I don't have one matching this description.

I also dressed up the accompanying envelopes by stamping the smaller lotus flower in the single colour on the front left and adding another wee strip of the dotted scallops in the matching colour on the back flap. Easy peasy and yet so pretty.

And here they are all stacked up....not quite as vibrant as the photo from Runway's Inspiration - but I'm not really a super bright kinda gal. ;)

I've another card that I made in the wee hours of this morning when I was unable to sleep. If I can get it photographed and blogged before I finally call it a night/day/night/whatever it'll be up...otherwise I'll post it tomorrow.

Smooches,

Michey xxx

Card Details:
Stamps: Hero Arts Lotus Leaves CL542; WaltzingMouse Stamps Earth Angel and BIg Day Essentials
Inks: Memento Bamboo Leaves, Lady Bug, Tuxedo Black; Jenny Bowlin Speckled Egg, Lemon Drops, Lavender Sachet; Stampin Up Regal Rose
Cardstock: PTI Stampers Select White Notecards and envelopes
Others: EK Success Dotted Scallop punch

Hero Arts January 2012 Challenge

Edited to Add: The photo's have been replaced with better images as promised. And...because I really felt the card was lacking something, I added a touch of subtle bling to the centre of each of the little background flowers with a Sakura Gelly pen - see the 2nd photo.)  ;)

Here's today's card. Seems I'm in a daily create/blog pattern at the moment...this may not keep up, but I'm having plenty of fun and I'm seizing the abundance of MoJo whilst it is present.

I managed to get my hands on some of the yummy new Hero Arts stamps just before leaving on holidays in late December. This stamp is my FAVOURITE of all the new stamps and I was waiting for the right moment to get it inky. I fancy those gorgeous flowers are Rose Peonies, which are my most favourite flower in all the world! Hyperbole...possibly, but I do love those gorgeous full blooms and make sure I have at least one bunch of them during their short season each year.

Anyway a birthday card using this image for my dad's wife seemed appropriate. :)

Love, Hugs and Kisses is the theme for January over in the Hero Arts Flicker Group and the above colours are the accompanying challenge.

Not much to this card....stamped in Seedless Preserves Distress Inks and coloured with Copics (whilst watching Jane Eyre over and over again! I'm seriously addicted to this movie!) and then a sentiment added via a banner strip with a pearl finished things off.

Now am off to finish the dreaded housework. ;)

What a treat for my day off.

Smooches,

Michey xxx

CARD DETAILS:

Stamps: Hero Arts Large Flower Background CG408; PTI Enjoy The Ride (Sentiment)

Inks: Distress Ink Seedless Preserves

Cardstock: PTI Stampers Select White; Fine Linen White Cardstock (Banner)

Other: Copics G40, G82, V20, RV32, RV34; KaiserCraft Pearl; Dimensionals

Lucy's Inspiration Photo #2

I'm back with another card to share. This is for one of my loveliest friends who is celebrating her birthday this weekend.

It really has been a creative week, right? Totally loving it - though this card took a fair bit of time coming together last night. I had created two different card bases before I finished up the third, which you see before you now. The others were too busy or too big and the image kept getting lost and I wanted this gorgeous artwork to take the focus. It's an image called "Gifted" and is my first of many of Leanne Ellis's images that I'll be using in the days/weeks/months ahead.

Some serious enabling happened this week via a lovely crafty friend. She showcased some of the amazing art/stamps from Leanne on her blog this week (take a peek - it's some seriously great stuff) and I just had to investigate further. I originally only looked at Leanne's Etsy store and couldn't help purchasing a couple of digi's. But I couldn't leave it at that and have now added some rubber stamps (via Funky Kits/Sugar Nellie) and they are currently winging there way here from the UK. Fly fast my lovelies.

I printed this image four times onto some watercolour paper using my Epson R290. Took me a bit of effort to do as I hadn't set my printer up since moving my craft stuff early in 2011. And I had a mad dash to the stationery store to get a couple of new inks before any action happened. Anyway, all good to go. I'm glad I printed off so many copies as I used up all of them!!

I originally started colouring with Distress Inks and an aquabrush but discovered that the Epson ink runs when you use water! I've previously only ever coloured digi's with my Copics - so that ruined the first image. Lesson learnt though.

And, since I'm still a little rusty with my Copics and because I printed the image quite small I chose to colour some of the elements separately and then pieced it all together. All is coloured with Copics except the greenish tinge to the background - this is Iced Spruce distress ink. And there is a fairly good dose of subtle Spica glitteryness added too.

I cut the image with a Label 10 Spellbinders die and then used the same sized die to cut out the matt. The matt is a sheet of lighter green embossed paper from the KaiserCraft Sweet Nothings pad and I darkened it with more Iced Spruce. Both then placed onto a Soft Stone card base with two different sized dimensionals.

Card is finished off with some Washi/Tissue tape that I've had in my stash for ever!! I've about a dozen different rolls of this stuff and this is the first time I'm using it. Expect to see much more of it as its awesome!! Some string and an altered button and pearl, a couple of rhineys and I was done.

Hope the birthday girl loves it - I'll know soon enough. Am off to a favourite cafe for dinner tonight to celebrate.

Hope your weekend is full of lovely things.

Michey xxx

CARD DETAILS:
Image: Leanne Ellis 'Captured'
Cardstock/Paper: PTI Soft Stone; Watercolour paper, KaiserCraft Sweet Nothings 6 x 6
Ink: Distress Ink Iced Spruce
Copics:
  Hair - E13, E15, R17
  Skin - E00
  Top - YR00, YR18, YR30
  Skirt & Inner of Frame - N0, N4
  Frame (outer oval) - E42, E44
Spicas: Clear, Silver, Mint
Others: KaiserCraft gems & pearl; Spellbinder Label 10 die; Washi/Tissue Tape from stationery store; String (Spotlight); Random orange button from stash - darkened with Copic E44; Glue Dots and dimensionals

Another Clean and Simple Card and Lucy's Inspiration Week #1

I've been on a roll this week.

Seems like my MoJo feels like it needs to make up for lost time, huh? ;)

I'm really loving how quick and easy it sometimes is to create the clean and simple cards...then other times it looks so clean and simple....but its taken a bit of effort.

I've done a bit of fussy cutting the past couple of nights. Yesterday, cutting out the tea label wasn't too bad...these paper pieced flowers...a bit more effort. :)

I used Lucy's Day 1 photo as my inspiration and then brought together some of tips/techniques learnt on Day 7/8 of the online card class to create this card, embracing the white space. I created a mask for the jar and would have left it as a OLC (one layer card) 'cept I felt those flowers needed a little embellishing and a good dose of good ol' crystal effects.

The tag is one of the die cuts included in the 6x6 pad.




I've been watching Band of Brothers again whilst creating the past few nights - I love this series, but I must say it about breaks my heart each and every time I watch it.

I'm forever indebted and grateful to those who willingly sacrifice their lives in service of God and country. And having an active serviceman as a brother....well you can imagine.

Thankfully, I'm back to my beloved (and already well watched) copy of Cary Fukunaga's Jane Eyre. It's beyond stunning and I'm absolutely taken with the score too.

Hope your week is going well my friends.
It's soooo good to be back.
Michey xxx

CARD DEETS:
STAMPS: PTI Friendship Jar Fillers and Summer Fillers, Mat Stack 4 Collection (tiny sentiment on label)
INKS: Memento London Fog; Distress Ink Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky
CARDSTOCK/PATTERNED PAPER: PTI Stampers Select White; KaiserCraft Sweet Nothings 6x6 pad
OTHERS: Copics G40 & G82; PTI Buttons Ripe Avocado, Twine; KaiserCraft Pearls; SU Crystal Effects