Happy Birthday Kitty CTS #179

It is now the second week of the winter holidays  in Melbourne and I am loving having a little extra crafting time, and not having to race out the door when it is only just light. After a weekend away with hubby, I was all fired up last night to join the challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch. If I am stuck for inspiration, a sketch is often enough to get me sorted, and the instant I spied this sketch I knew what I wanted to do.

I had my first play with Foxy Friends last week, and I am smitten, TOTALLY!!! A pink kitty was just asking to perch in this wreath and flowers, just look at that big birthday grin on her face. I have mainly used Foxy Friends, the leaves are all part of that set, and some flowers from Swirly Bird were already stamped and diecut on my table.

I didn't find the Fox Builder Punch a huge amount of help this time around, although it cut the separate head and tail, it doesn't line up as well on this particular body. I'm prepared to forgive it though, as it works so well with many of the other bodies included in the stamp set.

I've stamped the banner for Number of Years after stamping Happy Birthday from Sunshine Sayings. It is so easy to look through the Photopolymer stamp to see whether you have placed it correctly. To finish this card off, I have layered Sweet Sugarplum onto the Blushing Bride base, followed with a piece of Whisper White and some more Playful Palette DSP strips at top and bottom. There is a sweet little twine bow also. Not only does this finish a card off so nicely, it also helps to balance it when you have many layers stacked on the card front.

Happy 4th of July to those in the U.S. and happy crafting everyone!

Cheers, Rachel

Butterfly of Happiness CTS#129

I stamped a little last night using the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch. It is a lovely simple design but those are the ones I REALLY struggle with. I just can't work out where to stop. I tried first with Vintage Leaves, but didn't like what I made.  The only thing sorted there, I resolved to add the Leaflets Framelits to my order, since they're a Weekly Deal starting today, but only while stock lasts.
Since I have been using Choose Happiness to make another card, I tried the leaves from that with a butterfly from one of my new hostess stamp sets, and a squiggly line in place of a sentiment. I used an Aquapainter and some ink in the lid to colour the images.



It still seemed to 'need' something to fix it in the corner so an Antique Brad filled the bill there. It has been mounted on a piece of Pear Pizzazz and then Tip Top Taupe. I'm not happy because I have followed the sketch too exactly, but will link it up anyway.
Hope tomorrow is a more creative day!

Cheers
Rachel

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Floral Fantasy CTS#114 CTD333

Needing to make a birthday card for a 'woman of mature years' it seemed that a floral card might be the way to go. I also know that she does like mauve (or is that lilac?) so the colour palette offered by this week's Colour Throwdown fitted perfectly. The sketch that Gayatri Murali  did for Case This Sketch is open to a wide interpretation, and I decided it was time to pull out an old favourite - with a twist!

Regarding Dahlias is a stamp set with just one large bloom and four sentiments, none of which are for birthdays! This bloom is dramatic, so detailed, that is needs nothing more than inking with your favourite colour. However, I've included the leaf from Kinda Eclectic, just for that splash of green and the two butterflies from Kinda Eclectic fluttered in too. Bitty Banners provided the sentiment.

The inside has been finished with '....and many more' , plus some more leaves and a butterfly all in shades of lilac and green. Now to go out to play in the sunshine in  my garden.....

Have a great weekend

Rachel

  

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Happy Day CTS109

I've had such a busy weekend, but I needed some 'me-time' before I organise Sunday dinner. I checked through to Case This Sketch and what do I see, but the delightful sketch you see below. You MUST pop over to see the work by the design team, and the other submissions.

I just had to switch the panel over to suit the way my brain thinks, and picking up my three favourite blue inks, I roughly inked up the long wavy border stamp from Chalk Lines. Continuing the blue theme I stamped and punched out the scalloped oval from Flamingo Lingo. The sentiment, Happy Day,  is also from Flamingo Lingo, but there's not a Flamingo in sight for this simple card. The final decoration is a Petite Petals flower stamped and punched, and finished off with a Daffodil Delight Candy Dot.

Thanks for popping by,
Rachel.

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HAPPY Birthday CTS#105

I'm so HAPPY that Stampin' Up! gave us some more thinlet words! I first tried them out with the Wondrous Wreath set, and now I'm hooked on the Hello You Thinlets. 
The sketch at Case This Sketch is perfect to show off this large word to it's best advantage. I grabbed the Sweet Taffy DSP to try some different colours, and although I've been a big fan of Blackberry Bliss, it was fun to revisit Rich Razzleberry, which used to be a favourite. The big spot is perfect and the striped paper provided the rest of the palette for this birthday card. The new stamp set Celebrate Today provided the 'birthday'.

You can only just glimpse the inside greeting, but it's "you can never have too much happy" from Yippee-Skippee. To my way of thinking, it is absolutely perfect for this big HAPPY greeting, and the font is almost the same.

How do you think you would use this sketch?

Cheers, 
Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Happy Birthday Dear Isaac! CTS#102

In a week, the second of my little brood of grandchildren, turns 5! Yay!

Being so close to Christmas, we try to make an extra effort to remember his special day, so next Thursday I will drive 2 hours down to the coastal town where he lives, to celebrate with him. Unfortunately, his Pop can't have a day away from work, but luckily, it isn't one of my working days. Now, Isaac is a boy with an enquiring mind, and I have visited the National Geographic Store to select a gift, and it's not a robot. If it was, he would probably need to take it apart, like his Uncle Sam did when he was a young boy. Boys will be boys, always!

When I was studying this sketch at Cas(e) This Sketch, I thought of the robot in Boys Will Be Boys moving across a floor. I've kept the colours subdued and 'shadowy'. There is a shot of colour with the red frame and the rhinestones coloured with Blendabilities. I've been looking forward to using the cork numerals from Project Life, perfect for a birthday as well as an Advent project, don't you think?

This is a lovely sketch, it could be used with so many different images:- flowers, stars, candles. Are you going to share your card?
Cheers,
Rachel

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Colourful Christmas Card CTS101

I've had a request from my lovely neighbour to make a bunch of Christmas cards and she selected some lovely, non-traditional colours for her cards! Crushed Curry was chosen for a couple of the designs. I wasn't too sure how they would look, but it rather suits our Australian summertime Christmas.
The sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch suits any of the wreaths (stamps, dies etc) which are around at the moment and I turned to Wondrous Wreath, as Sonya had requested that stamp set for a couple of her cards. The other has been made in the rather more traditional Pear Pizzazz and Real Red!
I tried a few different colour combinations in the wreath before reverting to two shades of green, another stamping in gold ink and red berries. the words from Wonderful Wreath Framelits seem a little stronger when cut in one of the Glitter papers and I added a red banner for 'Joy' to rest on.
I have a busy day ahead so this will be one of my briefer posts!
Cheers
Rachel

Wonderous Wreath Photopolymer Bundle

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Wondrous Wreath Photopolymer Stamp Set

$44.95

Wonderful Wreath Framelits Dies

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Bitty Banners Big Shot Die Framelits

$25.95

Crushed Curry A4 Card Stock

$11.95

Real Red A4 Card Stock

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Lullaby Designer Series Paper

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Banners Framelits Die

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Champagne Glimmer Paper

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Sweet Taffy Cupcake CTS#98

I cut into some more of the Sweet Taffy Designer Series Paper to make this sweet birthday card. It's such a fun sketch this week at CAS(E) This Sketch. Do I say that every week? They just kick-start my thought process so perfectly, and I used the patterned paper for colour inspiration.

 Actually, I did make a small mistake thinking the paper used Strawberry Slush, when it is Melon Mambo - ooops! Not too serious really, and the Rich Razzleberry and Tempting Turquoise are correct.

I used the  Cupcake Builder Punch with card for the patty pan, scored at regular intervals and it just looks so realistic. The icing is punched from one of the patterned papers.



Gorgeous Grunge was still out on my work table and made perfect 'sprinkles' around while Boys Will Be Boys provided the Birthday Greeting. I had no idea how much I was going to love that font, it's so clean and crisp.


                                 

Hope your week is going well, thanks for dropping by,
Rachel

Boys Will Be Boys Wood-Mount Stamp Set

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Boys Will Be Boys Clear-Mount Stamp Set

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Gorgeous Grunge Wood Stamp Set

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Gorgeous Grunge Clear Stamp Set

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Cupcake Builder Punch

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Sweet Taffy Designer Series Paper

$18.95

Bitty Banners Big Shot Die Framelits

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Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits

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Fuse Fast Adhesive

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Bordering On Thanks CTS#96

I haven't been doing a lot of creating this week because I needed to tidy up my craft space, and sort out retired stamp sets, ink etc to put up for sale. The wonderful thing about this is, I can locate things a little easier, and it will be even easier when it some of it is in the post on its way to a new home!!!

So tonight, I have given myself some time-out to stamp and colour and create. What bliss! I had saved this sketch from N@ Ali for CAS(E) This Sketch because I wanted to use one of the border stamps with it. I may yet make several more, with different borders, just 'cos it's fun and easy.

I pulled out three colours of Blendabilities for this one and it didn't take terribly long to colour the floral strip. Bordering Blooms has four delightful floral strips. I would have used Melon Mambo, but that pack is in transit as I write this.

I wasn't sure about the photopolymer stamps that Stampin' Up!® has introduced, and I still prefer my red rubber wood-mount stamps. However, while saying that, they are superb for accurate placement. To 'get it right' I laid the stamp onto the white card, and placed the block on top, as there is a tendency to place it crookedly because the photopolymer is so flexible. That of course gives great opportunities to twist them any old way you want.

I took another photo of the card in landscape orientation, because I expect that is how the recipient will view it.







Now, I'm looking forward to a sunny weekend. That is sure to put a big smile on my face and a spring in my step, what about you?

Rachel

Bordering Blooms Photopolymer Stamp Set

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Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

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Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Coastal Cabana Assortment

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Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Daffodil Delight Assortment

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Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Old Olive Assortment

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Stampin' Blendabilitiesª Alcohol Marker Color Lifter

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Bermuda Bay A4 Card Stock

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Crushed Curry A4 Card Stock

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Whisper White A4 Card Stock

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Bermuda Bay 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon

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