Inkspirations 55 - Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Hi my stamping friends!

This year I want to scrapbook more! My goal is one scrapbook page a month although I hope that by 'forcing' that first page each month, more may just naturally happen! Do you find that? That sometimes you just have to make yourself do one scrap page or make one card and all of a sudden the creativity gets flowing and you are on a roll? I love that feeling :)

I had a bit of fun this afternoon with Keesh's sketch challenge over at the Inkspirations website. I have had these photos of my hubbies creative cooking for a few months now and have been planning to scrap them and this sketch seemed to fit the photos well.

This sketch just screamed 'scrapbook me' when I first saw it... I hope you like what I have come up with...

Another part of inspiration for this little layout was the sweet Playdate DSP. I have pretty much stuck to the same colour combo as are found in the papers - So saffron, Tempting turquoise and Real red. There is a little Bashful blue and Daffodil delight in there also ;)

I know there is nothing 'new' about it but I just love this ruffled ribbon look at the moment. The cupcake has been cut out and mounted with stampin' dimensionals. And can you believe it, only one stamp on this layout from 'Art by design'.

Well I'll stop waffling on, I hope this inkspiration challenge inspires you to go and create something!

Happy stamping! Love, Claire

Colours: So saffron, Tempting turquoise, Daffodil delight, Real red, Bashful blue

Stamps: Art by design

Accessories: Playdate DSP, Mat pack and paper piercing tool, Scallop edge punch, Daffodil delight satin ribbon, Sticky strip, Stampin' dimensionals.

Just add ink 52 - A sketch challenge

This week there is a great sketch challenge over at Just add ink. And this is my take on it.

I had already watercoloured these little teacups and the teapot to make a thank you card for a lovely friend of mine that I love to share a cuppa with. She has been so generous in making meals for our family since Samuel's birth so I wanted to make a special card for her.

This sketch challenge just helped me to complete the design! I love using challenges for a bit of inspiration. Why don't you head over to Just add ink now to see this week's challenge and give it a go yourself!

Colours: Rich razzleberry, Pear pizzazz, Very vanilla

Stamps: Vintage vogue, Morning cup

Accessories: Watercolour paper, Aquabrush, Rich razzleberry grosgrain ribbon, Corner rounder punch, Top note die, Big shot.

Happy Stamping! Love,

Claire

Just believe in Monochrome for Just add ink!

This week at Just add ink the challenge is to just add Monochrome. My friend and upline, Paula has lent me this delicious stamp set, Just believe and I thought it would look great in a monochromatic colour scheme. I have made two cards, but the first one pictured is my entry for this weeks challenge.

This first card has a Baja breeze base with Not quite navy and whisper white card stock on top. The ribbon is Marina mist in grosgrain and the ink is Night of navy - I managed to use lots of different blues here but I think it all works. Baja breeze and Marina mist are such soothing colours to me, I just love them.

The main stamp has a faux silk effect on it using scrunched up tissue paper. It gives a really nice effect, making it look a bit more special.

This second card is very similar, here the card base is Marina mist with Not quite navy and whisper white cardstock and the ink is Night of Navy. I have just used the eyelet border punch down the side. Again, there is the faux silk effect on the main stamp. For the sentiment here i have used the Teeny tiny sentiments stamp set and the markers with the stamp-a-majig to position it all in the right place!

I thought I'd photograph my cards in front of our very lush garden! It is so wet up here at the moment (I am not complaining though, we are not flooded) but the ground is so soft and muddy and everything especially the weeds are growing like crazy and so green!

Thinking of all those who are in flood affected areas, now extending further down south :( God bless you all.

Love, Claire

Stampin' Up! flood appeal and a 'tea-riffic' card!

Here is a special announcement from Stampin' Up! regarding how they will be supporting the flood appeal:

"As flood waters continue to inundate Australia in what has been described as the worst flooding in 37 years, we express our deepest sympathies to those who have lost loved ones and homes and to those whose lives have been changed forever. We, like so many of you, feel a compelling need to lend support to all those who have been affected.

Stampin' Up! demonstrators have a long history of making a difference in the lives of others--especially when disaster strikes and the need is greatest. Nearly two years ago, we watched another tragedy unfold in Australia. Our hearts were touched as demonstrators, customers and friends joined together in support of the Bushfire Appeal. We've done it before and we can certainly do it again!

Please join with us by supporting the Australia Flood Appeal--a cause in which Stampin' Up! will donate $2 AUD of the retail value of sales from any stamp set (with a retail value of $30 or more) sold in Australia and New Zealand from 15 January through 15 February to the State Emergency Services in Queensland."

And here is a little card which uses the gorgeous set, Morning cup. This was one of the first sets that I just had to have from the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalogue. It's so cute and looks fabulous watercoloured. The colours used here are Rich razzleberry and Pear pizzazz on a Very vanilla base. It has a cute stampin around wheel that co-ordinates with the set which I have used on the top and bottom of the card.

The watercolouring has been done using the aquabrush and ink.

This is a card that we will be making at one of my upcoming workshops.

Happy Stamping!

Love, Claire

Happy Birthday....

To me!

Yep, 28 years old today. And sitting at home with a sick hubby and three challenging little people! But, I have settled bubby Samuel (now 9 weeks old) and have the older two playing happily out in the garden so I thought I would visit with all my blog friends and share a little card - a birthday card!

This card was made for my lovely friend who celebrated her birthday at the end of December. I know she likes the Stampin' up! Love leter DSP so I made this card with similar colours. I used cherry cobbler, basic black and very vanilla cardstock. The ribbon is the gorgeous 5/8" black satin ribbon. I have embossed the Cherry cobbler CS with the Manhattan Flower textured impressions and the little butterfly from the Great friend stamp set has been embossed for a glossy finish. The sentiment comes from the set, Teeny tiny sentiments - such a useful set!

I hope you all have a happy day. My plan, to enjoy the day as it comes, doing what I love, being a mum. I hope this card inspires you to create something fun today!

Happy Stamping!

Love, Claire

Something for the man in your life

Hi girls!

A big happy new year to you all! May 2011 be a wonderful year for you in all you do!

I have a confession... when the 2010-11 Stampin'Up! Idea book was released I was quite disapointed by the lack of new mens stamp sets. Well can I just say that the new Summer mini catalogue has totally redeemed this situation! There are new products in this mini that make great mens cards!

Here I have made a card for a male birthday. I have used the gorgeous new Sentimental Journey stamp set from the mini and teamed it up with the Travel Journal designer series papers. That gorgeous Bashful blue cardstock has been embossed with the new Square lattice embossing folder on the Big shot and to tie in with the DSP I have used a knotted piece of pumpkin pie grosgrain ribbon (love this vibrant ribbon) and stamped a sentiment from the Upsy Daisy stamp set in Pumpkin pie ink. All of this is positioned on a Crumb cake base.

The Sentimental Journey stamp set has 8 stamps in it including a ship, airplane, car, suitcase and compass plus three word stamps - journey, travel and detour. This is a set that is also brilliant for scrapping with and I plan to use it for this as I have so many travel photos yet to be scrapped!

Please click on the link to the left to see the Summer mini catalogue and drop me an email if you wish to make a purchase.

I mentioned that there are a few new products for masculine cards in this mini, so I will be back with more soon!

Happy Stamping! Love, Claire