Tinstar Designs

It’s the final day of the Olympics and I’m crafting whilst watching the marathon. I can’t believe the conditions these athletes are competing in.

To keep me focused while making my cards, I went to my list of challenges and found quite a few that I wanted to have a play with.

First up is a card for:

• Less is More #449 – Shades of Blue
• TGIF Challenges #328
• AUD Sentiments #280 – ATG with a sentiment
• Cardz 4 Guyz #276 – Shades of Blue

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I got a new stamp set from Altenew called ‘Spectacular Adventures’ that I thought would be perfect for these challenges. I stamped and heat embossed the glasses, then created an ombre sky with my Stampin Blends. I then die cut them and added the sentiment from PTI ‘Wet Paint’.

Next is a card for:

• Just Add Ink #566 – Just add a frame
• Lil Red Wagon #613 – Just because

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Again I used the sunglasses (which frame my scene); this time I chose sunset colours. with a sentiment from another new to me Altenew set ‘Let’s go’.

Next is a card for:

• Merry Little Christmas #37 – Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers Christmas – August – ATG opt Wonderland

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I used a lot of die cuts for the scene on my card. The gnome is lightly coloured with my Stampin Blends.

Next is a card for:

• Just Us Girls #596 – Harvest (i was inspired to use harvest/autumn colours)
• Mix It Up Challenges #82
• Global Design Project #303 – Flower Power

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For this card I used the ‘Nature’s Harvest’ stamp set from Stampin Up. I coloured the main flower with my Stampin Blends and cut a spotlight out. The DSP is from SU ‘Harvest Meadown’ and the sentiment is from Clearly Besotted ‘Simply Said’.

Lastly is a card for:

• Cardz 4 Galz #152 – Dies and Punches
• The Flower Challenge #59 – Use dies opt slimline card
• CAS Colours & Sketches #431

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For this card, I used one of my favourite layering floral dies from Altenew. It has 2 staggered panels that allows you to do some colouring to simulate the look of a flower.

Well, that’s it for today. Thanks for stopping by for a look. Keep safe.

Hello there, it’s time for another Fusion Challenge and do we have a great sketch and inspirational photo for you!

I was inspired by the blurry background in the photo and the idea of a hybrid kitty/butterfly. I used one of the Tim Holtz cats from the CMS251 set, heat embossed, watercoloured and fussy cut him out. I then gave him some die cut wings and a sentiment made on my PC. I popped him up on an ink sponged night sky background I had in my stash.

Come join in the fun and make a card based on the sketch, inspiration photo or fuse them together and play with both! Check out the projects that the other artists at Fusion have created, take the challenge and link your creation to the challenge post. We’d love to have you join us.  You have until Wednesday, 19th August at 7pm Melbourne Time or Tuesday 18th August 12pm US Pacific Time to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Today I’ve been done a little bit of crafting before I start to watch the Olympics.

First up is a card for AAA birthday #27 – – Use an embossing folder.

I used the Stampin Up bark embossing folder for my background panel, along with some die cut and then watercoloured cottage flowers.

Next is a card for Just Add Ink #565.

I created a background panel on some vellum with my Stampin Blends and alcohol ink blending solution. I then added some more die cut cottage flowers this time in black.

Lastly is a card for the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #190 – C is for colourful.

For this card I cut lots of strips of coloured cardstock and then adhered them to my card base. I added a die cut panel from Catherine Pooler Designs over the top and popped up my sentiment from Uniquely Creative.

Well, that’s it for today. Now I’m moving over to the couch for some more Olympics watching!

Hello there, it’s time for another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and I’m the host with a masculine challenge this fortnight!

I decided to make a birthday card for one of my young nephews using the Uniquely Creative ‘Snorkel Pals’ stamp set. I made an ink smooshed background then heat embossed, watercoloured and fussy cut out some of the images; then added them to the base.

Come join in the fun and make a masculine card. Check out the projects that the other artists at Watercooler Wednesday Challenges have created, take the challenge and link your creation to the challenge post. We’d love to have you join us.  You have until Tuesday, 9th August at 10:00 Melbourne Time or Monday 8th 5pm US Mountain Time to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

I’ve been watching a few YouTube tutorials showing how you can use your Stampin Blends with alcohol blending solution to make some awesome backgrounds. I thought I’d have a bit of a play and try this technique out.

First up is a card for:

• The Sisterhood of Crafters – Embossing – Heat or Dry ( I went with heat)
• The Paper Craft Crew #436 – Tic Tac Toe (I chose Trees/Vellum/Embossing)

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For this card I used the Stampin Up set ‘In the Pines’ and I die cut the tree after heat embossing in black over the Blends background.

Next is a card for Global Design Project #301.

For this card I used some silver glitter AI cardstock from Tim Holtz as the base for my Blends scribbled background. I then heat embossed in black the Picket Fences ‘Aeonoim African Succulent’ and popped up a sentiment from Uniquely Creative.

Next is a card for the Color Throwdown #652.

For this card I made a grass/sky background and then black heat embossed the ‘4 Leaf Clover’ stamp from Colorado Craft Company. It needed a little bit extra so I coloured in the leaves and mouse.

Lastly is a card for:

• ABC Christmas Challenge – N is for North Pole or O is for Off to One Side
• 52 Christmas Card Throwdown – Vellum on a Window Card

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For this card I made a green vellum background with my SU Blends and gold heat embossed the tree from Catherine Pooler Designs ‘Festive Trimmings’ off to one side within my window.

Well that’s it for today. I hope you give this technique a try. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Hello there, it’s time for another Fusion Challenge and do we have a great sketch and inspirational photo for you!

I love the colours in the photo and decided to use the hydrangea blue on a flower from Altenew ‘Precious Peony’ fussy cut out and popped up over a bit of lemon ink sponging.

Come join in the fun and make a card based on the sketch, inspiration photo or fuse them together and play with both! Check out the projects that the other artists at Fusion have created, take the challenge and link your creation to the challenge post. We’d love to have you join us.  You have until Wednesday, 4th August at 5pm Melbourne Time or Tuesday 3rd August 12pm US Pacific Time to link up your project.

I’m also entering this card over at Color Hues #22 – Lime green & Aqua.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

I love that there are so many challenges with Christmas themes this month, it’s helping me build my stash for the end of the year as I tend to send about 100 cards out each year.

First up is a card for:

• Send a Smile 4 Kids – Christmas in July
• Less is More #447 – Christmas in July
• The Male Room Challenge #152 – Christmas in July

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I used a stamp and die set from MFT called ‘Jingle all the Way’ and coloured the images with my Stampin Blends.

Next is a card for:

• AAA Cards #194 – Twinchie – opt twist Christmas in July
• Happy Little Stampers – Christmas – opt twist Jingle Bells

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This card was super simple to make. I die cut a jingle bell from gold glitter paper and added the sentiment from the MFT ‘Jingle all the Way’ stamp set; popped it up with foam tape and added a bit of twine to the top and it was done!

Lastly I have a card for:

• Cardz 4 Galz #151 – Christmas in July
• Trimmies Craft Challenge #606 – Christmas in July

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For this card I used a new Stampin Up stamp called ‘Delivering Cheer’ which I coloured with my Stampin Blends.

Well, that’s it for today. Thanks for stopping by for a look. Enjoy your weekend and keep safe.

Well, this month we have another challenge over at Christmas Craft Creations challenge blog which is an anything goes theme.

For my card I used a digital image from Rachelle Anne Miller called ‘Christmas Ornaments’. I printed and used the koala ornament. I coloured him with my Stampin Blends, fussy cut him out and popped him up over a white die cut panel then onto a SU Pool Party card base.

Come join in our fun and add to your Christmas card stash. Visit the challenge blog to check out the inspiration the other CCCettes have made. Link up your card by 1th August 3am (Melbourne time) or 6pm (UK time).

I’m also entering this card over at:

• Shopping our Stash #449 -Christmas in July
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #52 – ATG opt twist Christmas in July
• Christmas Kickstart Challenge #52 – Woolly or Fluffy or Furry
• Merry Little Christmas Challenge #36 – July Anything Christmas Goes

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Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Hello there, it’s time for another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Dawn is our host with an all about occasions challenge this fortnight!

I made a card to send to a friend to let them know I was thinking of them during the 4th COVID-19 lockdown we had in Victoria (at the end of May). I used a new stamp set from Stampin Up called ‘After the Storm’. I used Catherine Pooler inks in Chiffon, Limoncello and Tiara for the sun rays and Basic Gray and Smokey Slate from Stampin Up for the clouds.

Come join in the fun and make a card for an occasion of your choosing. Check out the projects that the other artists at Watercooler Wednesday Challenges have created, take the challenge and link your creation to the challenge post. We’d love to have you join us.  You have until Tuesday, 26th July at 9:00 Melbourne Time or Monday 25th July 5pm US Mountain Time to link up your project.

I’m going to enter this card over at CAS on Friday #209 – Sunshine.

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Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Hello there, it’s time for another Fusion Challenge and do we have a great sketch and inspirational photo for you!

I decided to flip the sketch vertically and used the colours from the photo for my inspiration. I recently bought the CAS-ual Fridays ‘Flowery’ background stamp that I white heat embossed and then coloured just one flower with my Spectrum Noir tri-colour markers.

Come join in the fun and make a card based on the sketch, inspiration photo or fuse them together and play with both! Check out the projects that the other artists at Fusion have created, take the challenge and link your creation to the challenge post. We’d love to have you join us.  You have until Wednesday, 22nd July at 6pm Melbourne Time or Tuesday 21st July 12pm US Pacific Time to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.