Keesh's Inspirations #17

Hi there,

Its challenge time again. I now wish I'd made a masculine card as just realised my mate's birthday get together is this Sunday at lunch time & I'm working up until Sunday morning. Duh!

Keesh's latest challenge is an Inspiration pic:

I really had no clue what to do with this one. Thought of using the wine glasses from 'Cheers to You" but then didn't know what else to do. Then the branch & orangey stripe caught my eye. Looked through stamp sets with branchy themes & came upon "Cheep Talk". The rest is a result of just playing around. It is a very simple card. The bottom 'weathered' panel is inspired by the table.

Anyway, here it is:

I should be in bed so will have to came back & add the details later.

TFL,

Cherrs,

Fi xox

Keesh's Colour Challenge #11

Back again! I've become hooked on Keesh's challenges. She is phenomenally talented and a lovely, lovely lady as well. Check out her blog & see how she and some fellow SU demoes just raised over $4000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. How awesome is that?

Anyway, I was really scared by the colours in this challenge at first, but I had so much fun that I made 2 cards, all after spending a day teaching my class. I am so blessed, what a great group they were, makes it more fun than work.

Anyway, here are the colours:

I was lost for ideas at first, so stood staring at my, considerable, stamp collection. "Cheep Talk" caught my eye & I thought the colours might work. I CASEd the layout from the front cover of the current IB&C. This is what i came up with -

I was quite happy with it, but the I saw the retired set "Summer by the Sea" and I wondered if it would work with these colours. In hindsight, I think one of the cards in last years IB&C might be in similar soft tones. I really like water colouring, and SU's watercolour paper is fabulous. Another friend's daughter is having her 10th b'day soon (see why I need so many kid related stamp sets even though I don't have kids???) so I decided this could be her card. I was actually pretty stoked with how it turned out.

I stamped the image in black Stazon ink and then outlined the image with my Stampin Up markers (love these!!!), before filling in the colours with my aquapainter & inks. I used the same DSP as before (Washington Apple). I stamped the '10' with a retired stamp set "whimsical numbers", covered the numbers in Crystal Effects & then sprinkled it with Dazzling Diamonds. I do love a bit of sparkle on a girl's card. I'll put the recipe below.

Thanks for calling past, have a great weekend,

Cheers,

Fi xox

Recipes -

Cheep Talk -

Stamps: Cheap talk

Card: Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie CS, Washington Apple DSP

Ink: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie

Accessories: Bashful Blue ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Soft Subtles Buttons, Glue Dots

Summer by the Sea -

Stamps: Seaside Sketches (ret), Whimsical Numbers (ret)

Card: Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie CS, Watercolour paper, Washington Apple DSP

Ink: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Black Stazon

Accessories: Aquapainter; Twill Tape; Bashful Blue ribbon; Scallop Edge, Circle & Scallop Circle Punches; Earth Elements Buttons; Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds, Glue Dots.

More kids cards

A big thank you to everyone who left/sent lovely comments and birthday wishes yesterday, it really made my day. I started with a bit of a sleep-in, made the most of the gorgeous weather by washing two sets of sheets (doesn't sound like fun, I know, but it is very satisfying), I met my good friend Ang, & her 2 delightful kids, for lunch down at Warners Bay and then went shopping. I was even good and only bought stuff for my niece & nephews (am on a 'paying my credit card down to $0' campaign), but I so enjoy buying stuff for them that it was good fun.

I then raced home, chatted to another good friend (did so while making my bed, bent down to pick sheet up and bashed head into dresser. It left a lump & bled a little, owwww). The night was then topped off by visiting my best friends Ian & Joy. Joy is a brilliant cook, she made me lamb roast (done on the barbie) with all the trimmings and a beautiful butterscotch pudding, from scratch, with caramel icecream & whipped cream. I stuffed myself, it was all so yummo. We finished off by playing the DVD game of 'Who wants to be a Millionaire'. We laughed so much.

Anyway, on to some more cards. Thought I'd show you some cards for girls/tweens. I CASEd both of these. Case-ing (Copy and Selectively Edit) is a great way to get ideas when you first start out. Then playing in challenges is a good way to expand your creativity. I am pretty much unable to just stare at a stamp set & come up with ideas, sadly.

This first one is for Lucy, she turns 11 next month. I saw the original here. I really liked the idea of making the flowers sparkle, although, even with using my Stamp-a-ma jig, I still didn't quite match the versamark ink with the flowers. Still, I'm sure Lucy won't mind. I also left off raising the centres of the flowers

I made the second card for Lucy's big sister Charlotte, who turned 13 in June. Their Mum is one of my best friends, we met in 1992 when we both did a course called a DTS in Christian organisation called YWAM. That is a story in itself that I'll keep for another day. This card was also CASEd from this card on Splitcoast. Splitcoast Stampers are such a fantastic source of inspiration. My head nearly exploded when I first visited their site.

Well that's it for now (thank goodness, you're probably saying). Think I should get my Wii Fit out & do some exercise, or go for a walk in the beautiful sunshine.

Have a great day, xox

Recipe (Lucy)

Stamps: Cheep Talk, Great Friend

Paper: Almost Amethyst, Whisper White CS, Regal Rose DSP (hostess gift)

Ink: Almost Amethyst, Regal Rose, certainly Celery, Versamark

Accessories: Heat n Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds, oval & scallop oval punches, Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon

Recipe (Charlotte):

Stamps: Party Hearty, Whimsical Numbers (ret), In the Stars

Paper: Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Whisper White CS, Washington Apple DSP

Ink: Riding Hood Red, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, White (non SU)

Accessories: Heat n Stick Powder, Dazzling Diamonds, Circle, Scallop Circle and Eyelet Border Punches, Dimensionals