Clean and Simple 3 - Day 7 - Watercolour

Hello!

I'm here with my homework from Day 7 of Online Card Class Clean & Simple #3. After watching Jennifer Rzasa drawing and watercolouring her image, I decided that tonight was the night for me to finally draw that bird I have been thinking about.

I have never drawn a bird before, not really, not where I actually tried to make the bird look like a particular type of bird... but on the week-end I was looking at the art of Geninne, and in particular her birds, and I was overcome by the desire to draw and watercolour a bird. So, tonight, after Jen inspired me, I looked up photos of robins, wrens, and jays and decided to draw a robin redbreast. I looked at about three different photos of the birds to figure out the colour variations, and the various shapes in different positions and then gave it a go.

The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Fine Feathers. The bird was painted using Derwent Inktense pencils and a water brush.

So what do you think?

I know it isn't perfect. It is a first try, after all. But I will admit to being so excited and encouraged by this first version that I just might try drawing and painting some more! I'm not sure I can replicate this to make a set and Jen suggested. I'm pretty happy that I even made one, lol!

Thank-you for coming by to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple 3 - Day 6 - Graffiti Stamping

Hello!

I made this card for a lovely friend of mine who has just turned 40. I was inspired by the Graffiti Stamping technique as demonstrated by Kryssi Ng of Mama Elephant fame. I did use Mama Elephant stamps. I also threw in some Stampin' Up! and Papertrey Ink as well.

It's a night-time photo, so not great, but I think you can get the idea. ;-)  This was a really fun card to make. It took some time to select and place the stamps, so not really something I could whip up quickly. It's definitely a technique I'll throw into my bag of tricks.

Thanks for visiting me!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple 3 - Day 5 - Iron-Off Embossing

Hello!

I'm slowly working my way through the Online Card Class Clean & Simple #3. I am so glad that the format this time has two days per set of techniques. It allows us slowpokes to keep up, sort of. I still have lots I'd love to try. But time is not on my side at the moment, so I am thrilled to at least make one card for each set of techniques! I am definitely being given plenty of inspiration, so I will be kept happily experimenting for quite some time.

This card uses masking and the iron-off embossing technique. Jennifer demonstrated the iron-off embossing technique with watercolouring. I like that, but for this card, I used sponging of distress inks, a bit of water splattering, and a little distress paint in bronze. The colours are not ones I'd usually use together, but I wanted to make a card with a bit of visual impact, so I got experimental with colour. It reminds me of a picture of space.

The beauty of the iron-off embossing technique is that it makes my card super flat again, no matter how I treat it while making it, lol! I'm definitely recruiting the iron for future card making endeavours. Lucky for me, the iron has stopped steaming and my husband (the ironer) desperately needs a new one, so I may just have a "craft iron" waiting for me to claim it... just as soon as I get to the shops to buy that new iron. ;-)

Stamp is PTI Wonderful Words: Hello. Inks are Distress Inks Walnut Stain and Broken China. I also used Versamark and clear embossing powder, but they were ironed away.

This card was inspired not only by Jennifer's work, but also by Joni's card over at CASE Study. Isn't it amazing?

Edit to add: I linked up to One Layer Simplicity also, where Just Add Water is still open.

Thanks for coming by to visit me!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple 3 - Day 3 - Stamp Layering

Hello!

Today I sat down to play with Laura Bassen's Stamp Layering technique from Day 3 of Clean & Simple Card Making. I didn't have a big, bold sentiment like Laura, so I had to improvise a bit. I made my background from PTI Sentiment Signs repeat stamped in Mama Elephant Blush. Then stamped my sentiment, and then everything else around it.  Using pigment ink gives a different effect to using dye inks with this technique, and while it is different, I still like it.

Stamps are PTI Ruby Rose and SentimentSigns. Inks are a mix of pigment inks from Mama Elephant and Memento Luxe.

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with one of my lifelong best friends who I have not seen anywhere near enough over the past couple of years. We live around the corner from each other, and yet our busy lives often mean we don't see each other, crazy! I'm really looking forward to a couple of hours together with our families.

Thanks for coming to visit me. No chicken or dog photos today... perhaps next time. ;-)

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple 3 - Day 1

Hello!

It's Day 1 of Clean & Simple Cardmaking #3 - One Layer Cards. At the beginning of class there was a note for us "purists" (I think they were talking to me) about the various definitions of a one-layer card. I've revised my definition for this class to be "flat card". The exciting part of this new definition is that I'll have MANY more options when making cards. :-) It also frees me up for nights when I really don't have much time to craft (which is most nights) but want to make a card for class - sometimes one-layer can take a LOT more time!

We were shown three techniques today, and I've used one of them so far. The technique I chose was die-cut inlay as demonstrated by Debby Hughes (who I adore). I didn't stray too far from Debby's design due to lack of time to consider my design options. I will definitely explore this technique further, it's so effective!

I'll probably bling this one up later on. Tonight it's after bedtime, and my blinging can take me quite a while! I have used PTI Sweet Speech dies, Wonderful Words: Friends stamp and die. Paper is SU! Watercolour Wonder. Card is SU! Smokey Slate and PTI Basic White. Ink is Mama Elephant Smoke.

And before I go, another picture of my chickens. I have heard chicken-owning bloggers calling their hens "fluffy butts" and I used to wonder what they were talking about. It turns out that chickens really do have fluffy butts, lol!

Thank-you for coming by to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Card Making 2, Day 9

Hello!

Day 9 over at Clean & Simple Card Making 2 included a couple of tutorials by the fabulous Julie Ebersole about using glitter to create texture. Julie demonstrated using distress paints to create a watercoloured background. Since I don't have distress-ANYTHING, I had to use what I have, so I used an Inktense pencil (and a liberal application of water with the water brush) to create my background. Cadmium Orange to be precise. I used my glitter to be my star trail, and it sparkles SO MUCH in real life!

The stamps are from Papertrey Ink Star Prints.

My husband got all technical on me and told me you don't usually see shooting stars at sunset. I told him that I have seen them at sunset before. His reply was, "Not black ones..."  Smarty pants!  I love it, regardless of the colour technicalities. ;-)

Thanks for coming by to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Hearts and Smiles

Hello!

I am bringing you a couple of cards in this post. The first is this.

I used Hero Arts Envelope Pattern Background, and PTI Botanical Silhouettes sentiment. It's hard to see but I used the PTI Linen impression plate. Colours are Berry Sorbet & Real Red (mixed on the heart), Bashful Blue, Night of Navy. I forget the name and brand of the twine.

I made this card in response to Tuesday Trigger: Cross My Heart

 and also Addicted to CAS Challenge #5

and I'm putting it into the A Passion For Papertrey challenge where the theme is Love Is In The Air.

My second card is my homework for Day 8 of Clean & Simple Card Making 2 where we received a video tutorial on plaid stamping from the super-amazing Laura Bassen.  This card was also going to be homework for Day 7 (since I'm running behind), but my one-layer card had a massive stamping error (the masking worked at the edges, but my mask leaked through and left some splotches on my lily-white card). I really need to get some masking paper!

Yesterday Jen Rzasa told us to not look too closely at her plaid stamping (go and take a look if you haven't already seen her awesome card). I think she really has nothing to worry about, mine is the one that you shouldn't look too closely at!  I used some older inks from my stash and it wouldn't lay down evenly, so I had to over-stamp several times (hence the leaking mask). The sentiment is made from SU! "sticky strip" that I die cut. I left the orange backing on it while I stamped, then took it off at the end and rubbed in the only glitter I own (which was not really opaque enough). It is a very glittery sentiment over a very bright plaid. I die cut a new card front and stuck it on top to cover the splotchy card front. Pretend it's one layer - that's what I intended, LOL!  Colours are all Stampin' Up! from the old Bold Brights collection.  By the way, I'm never die-cutting sticky strip sheets ever again, they don't cut through properly, argh! I had to hand cut half of those letters.

That's a lot of words! If you read them all, thank-you. I'm just having a whinge! Getting it all off my chest. I was up late last night trying to finish this card, and had such high hopes for it. I'll have to make another... when I get some masking paper. :-)

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Card Making 2 - Day 6

Hello!

A very quick post before I make a mad rush to do school pick-up and somehow coordinate delivering and collecting my kids to and from ballet and swim carnival at the same time in different locations. This is part of my homework for Day 6 of Clean & Simple Card Making 2. Tone-on-tone stamping.

I used Hero Arts Large Flower Background and Say It All, and PTI Tiny Tags II. Colours are PTI Vintage Cream, Fresh Linen, Fresh Snow, and SU! Soft Suede.

Thanks for coming by! I hope to be back later tonight.

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Card Making 2 - Bonus Day

Hello!

Over the week-end, the bonus day for Clean & Simple Card Making 2 was about die-cutting. JJ Bolton provided me with a heap of inspiration, but my die collection is pretty limited, so it took me a while to think up an idea!

This is the card I came up with.

I used Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles and Memory Box Puffy Clouds dies. The sentiment comes from PTI Heart-2-Heart #6. The clouds have SU! Dazzling Diamonds glitter to add a little sparkle.

Thanks for coming by to visit! I'm off to bed and I'll be back tomorrow to play catch up on these classes. :-)

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Card Making 2 - Day 5

Hello!

I'm a little behind with my homework for Clean & Simple Card Making 2, but I've made double use of my time by entering a couple of challenges at the same time. :-)

Day 5 was about stretching your stamps. I have two cards using the same stamps here. I plan to play around a bit more to see what else I can come up with. The stamp set is Papertrey Ink Pretty Peonies.

First card.

Colours are Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Crumb Cake, and Soft Suede. I made this one for Dynamic Duos #38.

Second card.

Colours are Daffodil Delight and Memento Tuxedo Black. The patterned paper is Stampin' Up!

This one was made for CASE Study #126 using this amazing inspiration from Amber Kemp-Gerstel.

Thanks for coming by to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Card Making 2 - Day 4

Hello!

Again today at Clean & Simple Card Making 2, the inspiration was overwhelming! I'm still working on Day 4, and hopefully I'll come up with something amazing to share. This is where I am up to so far. :-)

One card, by Kristina, was a variation on the chalkboard theme - clean and simple chalkboard (no dust and no blurs, and lots of black space. Here is my version.

I used my current favourite baby stamp set, Mama Elephant Nursery Deco. I white embossed the stamped images, and drew the white frame using my gel pen.

My other cards are the best of a big batch. Some of my cards today actually ended up in the rubbish bin, and if you know me and my "don't waste anything" mentality, this is a sign that this technique was beyond me today! LOL! Anyway, here are two that were partially salvaged. I have to go back and do this again. The technique was demonstrated by Julie Ebersole and she is one of my cardmaking heroes. Julie makes it look so easy, and yet it WASN'T (for me).

I used Stampin' Up! Organic Grace, All A Flutter, and Because I Care (all retired).

Thanks for coming by to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Card Making 2 - Day 3

Hello!

Today's lesson over at Clean & Simple Card Making 2 was wonderful. Three fabulous videos jam-packed with inspiration. Unfortunately my day didn't lend itself to actually using that inspiration so well, but here I am sharing what I did anyway. ;-)

Jennifer showed us a new technique for creating gradient colour. I've never done it before, and I was a bit scared to try, but I'm happy with the outcomes as far as colour go (I won't go into the bits I'm dissatisfied with!).

This card uses PTI Background Basics: Circles and Think Big Favorites #16 (?). Colours are SU! Pool Party, Certainly Celery, Daffodil Delight.

My second card was following Shari Carroll's tuition. The lesson was great, my application of it not quite what I planned. Instead of properly finishing this card, I dealt with a major 5-year-old tantrum. After that, I was too exhausted to play anymore. ;-)

This card uses PTI Teach & Inspire stamps and dies. Colours are SU! Poppy Parade, Certainly Celery, and Early Espresso.

There was more inspiration at Day 3, and I know I'm going to have to revisit the lessons again to soak up all the ideas.

Thanks for coming to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Card Making 2 - Day 2

Hello!

I had visions of stamping one-layer cards all day today. Instead I've been doing a very last minute job of covering books and ensuring my girls have everything they need for the start of the school year. They were supposed to start today, but due to the storm damage and flooding in Brisbane, school was delayed. My big girl starts Grade 5 tomorrow and my little girl starts Prep (first year of school) on Monday next week. I can't believe school holidays are over. It's been so nice not doing all those school lunches, chasing kids to brush teeth and hair, etc!

Anyway, back to the reason for this post. I did manage to make one card for Clean & Simple Card Making 2, where today's theme is one-layer cards. A couple of years ago, one-layer cards petrified me. These days I actually really love them.

This is what I made today. I used masking to add depth and interest.

I used PTI Rosie Posie and Think Big Favorites #12. Colours are SU! Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, PTI Berry Sorbet, and Memento Tuxedo Black. Card base is PTI white.

Thanks for coming by to visit!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Card Making 2 - Day 1

Hello!

I was starting to worry that my absent internet connection was going to seriously mess with my real-time participation in the Clean & Simple Card Making 2 online classes, but at the last minute service was restored. Hooray!

Today is Day 1. There is lots of inspiration to work with, and four sketches to choose from. So far, I have managed to make one card. Part of taking this class (and I did take Clean & Simple Card Making last year) is that I want to try some new things. So my choice of what lesson/idea to apply today was dictated by the technique I hadn't tried before - using misting sprays and a template.

I don't actually own any mists. I made my own using diluted re-inker in a mister bottle. It worked! It was MESSY! I almost gave up at the point that I had navy blue speckles all over the place (lucky I'd taken Tracey's tip and taken my work to the laundry tub - and I did clean up before the hubby discovered my mess!) I also discovered (again) that I have a serious shortage of sentiments in my stamp supply. That said, I'm VERY happy with the outcome and think I might try this again!

The photo doesn't do this card justice. White and navy work so well!  I made a template using the happy hexagon plate. I sprayed SU! Night of Navy over it and then set the card aside to dry while I worked on the other bits. I silver embossed the PTI Strawberry Patch sentiment, and stamped the PTI Star Prints sentiment in navy. The card was finished without those little stars, but I felt it needed just a little bit more, so on they went. :-)

I can't wait until tomorrow's class!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Days 6 and 7

This is my second post of the day. To see my For Your Inspiration post, just scroll down. :-)

Hello!

I had three really busy and really long days at work to start this week, so I had zero chance to even look at the Clean and Simple Classes 6, 7, and 8. Today I looked over Class 6 - Simple Embellishments, and Class 7 - Plainly White, and I decided to combine the two into one card. I think I used just about every technique we were shown in the tutorial videos!

My "embellishment" is my butterfly. I've used a negative die cut again because I just LOVE negative die cuts.  I have another card to make for these two classes, and I might get to that one tomorrow.

Here is today's effort:

I used my Stampin'Up! Butterfly punch twice (patterned paper and vellum), I edged the butterfly (and covered myself) in Dazzling Diamonds glitter, I stamped the sentiment in Pretty in Pink to keep the soft feel of the card.

I like it.

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Day 5 - techniques

Hello!

Day 5 at Clean and Simple Classes is about using techniques. The first technique is called Watercolour Blocking. It uses distress inks, of which I have none. That hasn't deterred me from attempting this technique, LOL! My first few attempts truly aren't fit for sharing. But I soldiered on!

This one that I created used a completely different watercolouring technique, and came about because I was playing with my Derwent Inktense pencils to create blocked watercolours when my little girl came up to check out my progress.  She said "Oh, YES! Yes, yes, yes! This one! Can this be for me?"  Only it wasn't yet a card she was looking at, it was just rainbow stripes on watercolour paper. It was my way of clearing the creative brick wall I had hit in attempting this technique... Anyway, who can resist an enthusiastic 4-year-old? Not me, for sure!  We sat together, she told me what she wanted, and away we went.

Here is the outcome, my little girl's card she designed for her big sister:

I'm not sure if you can see all the shimmer on the card. It is a very shimmery rainbow background. And the little one INSISTED that there be bling on the heart. The heart is black embossing. The black frame was drawn in my magic little Copic pen (the one Copic I own). The heart and the sentiment stamps are both from retired Stampin' Up! sets. The cardstock is Night of Navy and Crumb Cake.

I do love rainbows... now I'm off to try to create some more.

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Day 3

Hello!

In Clean and Simple Classes Day 3, the topic for discussion was Inspiration. Where to find it, and what to do with it. I have to admit, I find inspiration EVERYWHERE, but I don't always use it.  A little while ago, I found a piece of art on Pinterest, and was instantly inspired, but haven't had the time to go back and work on my ideas.  For Day 3, I decided I would work on this. When I got into it, I realised that the time required to produce what was in my head was going to be more than I had, so I modified my design and my expectations. The original idea will wait for another day when I have more time. :-)

This is the art work, by Frank Stella:

Pinterest

When I first pinned it, I didn't have a die-cutting machine. And I didn't have any circle dies. I now have both. I started by cutting lots of circles using Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles.

This is after I had sorted them out.  Bad photo, but you get the idea. Then I stuck them down and cut them up. And then I played around for ages.

This is what I ended up with:

And the individual cards:

I don't really know if these qualify as CAS. They actually are quite simple, but they are very busy to look at, a bit like a 1970s bedspread or curtain, LOL!

Michelle
xxx

Clean and Simple Day 2, Part 2 with OLW74

Hello!

When I saw One Layer Wednesday this week, I decided to try to wake up my mojo and make another card for Clean and Simple Card Classes, Day 2. I made another stack of one-layer cards and this one is the very best of that bunch. Sigh!

Here is the card:

This card has potential. I need to reposition the elements at the very least! As it is, my kids like it, and they will use it, yay!

I used PTI Turning a New Leaf, and SU! Wonderful Favourites. Colours are Real Red and Pixie Pink.

I'm actually a bit embarrassed to share this one, but someone recently commented on her blog how nobody ever shows the less-than-perfect cards. So this post is for her, and you never know, someone else (a lot less critical than me) might like it, or it might inspire someone to make a better version, and that would make me happy. :-)

Michelle
xxx