Mix It Up Challenge, NBUS - Thanks so much

I'm playing along with the current Ellen Hutson Mix it up Challenge, with Impression Obsession. I love these types of challenges - it's so fun to use products from different companies to come up with something the designers could never have envisioned!

These wheat dies were purchased ages ago. But never used (and that reminds me, I'm linking up to Darnell's current NBUS challenge as well).  I feel like if you just know that you love something, you should buy it, even if you don't exactly know how you'll use it - eventually (like today!) the time will come around.



I sponged a slightly larger panel with Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Warm Honey, Fired Brick, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain and let it peek through the negative space of the die cuts. I finished with a sentiment from Fancy Thanks, stamped in Soft Suede.

ETA: Also linking up with Susan's Thanksgiving Crusade Challenge.

CASology 163 - Moon

This week's CASology Cue Card is Moon



Now I'm pretty sure we want you to keep all your clothes on while working on this cue card , but hey, if you have the right stamps, go as risque as you wish! lol! (actually, go check out Melissa's card!)

As soon as I saw the circles in the new PTI Brushed Off stamp set, I thought of a moon on a cloudy night. Once I stamped it in Hero Arts Unicorn White on Black cardstock, I thought it looked like a good Halloween moon - kind of spooky. But I wanted a romantic moon. So I turned the stamp around and stamped it again to complete the circle. And it's got 'craters' and everything! I love how it turned out!

I didn't think that the sentiment (old MFT set "Move Me") would look as good stamped in white on black, so I used only a strip of the black, allowing me to stamp the sentiment in black on white.

Now it's your turn - we can't wait to see how you're inspired! The rest of the DT has some inspiration for you as well - check it out!

Hannelie Bester

Hazel Hodgkins
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino
Kimberly Wiener
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Tracey McNeely

and this week's Guest Designer: Sarah

MCV18 - Holiday Season

This is my card for MCV18, where Kimberly has given us this coppery, artistic inspiration:

This card took my breath away - I am fascinated by how Kimberly made such a festive, holiday-feeling card, with autumn-feeling colours!

I focused on Kimberly's
-theme (Christmas tree - mine is from Technique Tuesday Trendy Trees)
-colour scheme (copper and white with warm, autumn tones)
-use of embossing

I embossed the tree using copper ep, then coloured it with copics before coating it with Stickles. I then 'fussy' cut it (I put the fussy in quotes for because cutting straight lines is not fussy, but it's probably the only fussy cutting I will ever do! lol!).

I finished with a sentiment from Essentials By Ellen Mistletoe and Holly that I stamped at our most recent stamp day - I think it's Emily's set. I love this  EH set, but I just purchased an Altenew set that has a very similar feel although it doesn't have these sentiments, so I may justify this purchase yet!

I hope you'll get a chance to join us this week - September has started and you know that means we're at the top of the rollercoaster that won't stop until December 26 (at least that's how it feels around here!). Time to get started on those holiday cards!

The deadline is Wednesday at 8 am. At that time you can vote for your 3 favourites until Thursday at 8. Voting results will be posted on Thursday at noon.

Muse 131 - Thank You

Back for another go at this week's Muse Challenge, where Guest Muse Carol provided us with this inspiration:

I focused on Carol's

-theme (curved feather stamp from Creatiate)
-colours (I stayed on the warm side. And I used  SU's Tip Top Taupe for the first time!)
-script sentiment (Mama Elephant Merci)

I changed the layout and didn't try any fancy inking, but I did continue the row of feathers right down the back of the card.

I hope you'll join us - the deadline for this challenge is Monday at 8 am. Voting starts then and continues until Tuesday morning at 8. Voting results will be posted on Tuesday at noon.

MFTWSC244 - Life with Friends

Here's my card for this week's MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge:

I'll be honest - sketches are not my favourite type of challenge. I'm more comfortable with inspiration challenges, where I can try to capture the feel of a card. But the only way to get over it is to practice and I've made an effort by participating in MFT's weekly sketch challenges lately.

I often find that sketch challenges have more layers and/or elements than I usually use. I think that's what makes it difficult for me - I'm a rule-follower and I always wonder if I've gone too far by (in this case) leaving out the tag layer. Oh dear! lol!

Anyway, I had fun making the card and cutting and colouring the birds from Things with Wings in bright, cheerful colours.  I used a sentiment from Tickled Pink, which I thought worked really well with this stack of birds, reaching up to talk to their friend.


ETA: Sept 29:  This card was chosen here!

Muse 131 - Thanks

This is the first card I made for this week's Muse challenge, where Guest Muse Carol has given us this inspiration:

To be honest, although I truly was inspired by Carol's feathers, I'm not sure how good an interpretation this is of her card. But I love this new Papertrey Leaf die (I used the smaller one) and I was determined to use it!

I focused on Carol's
-element (I used a leaf instead of a feather, but I think they're similar)
-stitched panel (I used MFT Pierced Square Stax)
-placement of black script sentiment (I used PTI Super Swoosh)

I missed out on the repetition and many of Carols colours, focusing mostly on the autumnal red/yellow/oranges.

Anyway, there's still time for another try, so stay tuned!

EH Pin-Sights Challenge - Many Thanks

This is my third post today! (Trying to meet a deadline). 

Please scroll down for CASology and One-Layer Simplicity cards.

Playing along with the current (almost finished!!) Ellen Hutson Pin-Sights challenge:

I was inspired by the flowery hat and yellow beads in the photo on the bottom left, as well as the sea of mint green of the dishes.

I used a die from Wild Garden. I cut it once in white and once out of my Coastal Cabana panel. I coloured the petals and (what are those called?!) yellow things with copics and inlaid the whole thing into the focal panel. I finished with a sentiment from Fancy Thanks.

Simple and summery!