Tinstar Designs

I’ve decided to stay in my craft room this weekend and avoid the news and people. I’m finding it stressful hearing constantly about COVID-19, its spread and the panic runs on the supermarkets for everyday pantry items.

It looks like my daughter’s school will close for 4 weeks (2 of them being the usual holiday break) and all events of more than 500 people have been banned. These are wise steps to try to slow the spread of the virus but it certainly is putting pressure on families, medical and essential services. Hopefully sanity will soon start to prevail and people will stop being selfish and start to care for their fellow humans.

OK, I’m off my soap box now – onto my cards!

First up is a card for :

• Happy Little Stampers – CAS Challenge – Use your favourite technique
• Happy Little Stampers – ATC Challenge – Critters

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One of my favourite techniques is ink smooshing, which I used for the background of this card. I stamped a few of the images from the Stampin Up ‘Gangs all Meer’ set and then coloured them in to look like silhouettes. I was inspired by a card made by my friend Kath, I used the same images but changed up the colour, sentiment and mounting.

Next is a card for:

• Case this Sketch #363
• Global Design Project #231
• Little Red Wagon #540 – etc. etc. etc
• The Card Concept #130 – Irish Coffee

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I love these 4 challenges have aligned for this card. I created an AI green background which was inspired by the Card Concept green leaves. I then punched 3 butterflies from the panel which meets the 3 things from CTS and LRW and the things that flutter and fly in GDP. I added 3 embossed stripes down the side of the card base for the butterflies to hover over and the sentiment from MFT ‘Butterflies’ and the card was done!

Next is a card for The Sisterhood of Crafters, who have an Easter challenge.

I used a stamp from Mama Elephant called ‘Bunny Hop’ and chose to lightly colour just 1 of the bunnies and added a sentiment I created on my laptop.

Next is a card for The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #155 – Booze.

Can I just say that I have so much fun playing with their challenges, as I love a chance to get my snark on. This time I have used stamps from Unity Stamp Co. called ‘Drink & cuss’ and ‘No Regrets’. I stamped the lady onto a die cut card piece, the sentiment onto a cut out banner and added some Stampin Up DSP and sequins for balance and interest and my card was done. I know exactly which friend of mine will be getting this for her birthday!

Next up is a card for Less is More #415 – Red, Raspberry & Grey.

I decided to use a new to me set from Altenew ‘Climbing Clematis’ and my Altenew ink spots. This looks like a simple card, but lining up the different layers took some time.

Lastly is a card for Just Us Girls #527 – Trend Week – Black Background.

I created an ink smooshed background in some oranges and reds. I then die cut the woman’s face and sentiment from black cardstock. I attached the die cut panel on top of my ink smooshed panel and mounted both onto a white card base and my card was done.

Well that’s it for this weekend. Thanks for stopping by and looking. Enjoy the rest of your day.

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

My card today is a floating frame card. I’ve been seeing this style of card around for a while but not had time to try it out. I decided to use my Stampin Up ‘Good morning magnolia’ stamp set coloured with my Stampin Blends. I followed a YouTube video by Jennifer McGuire . I added some sequins and a sentiment to the centre of the card.

Not wanting to waste the middle panel, I made a second card, where I added some pearls to the gaps and a sentiment from The Ton.

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, 17th March at 9:00 Melbourne Time or Monday 16th March 5pm US Mountain Time to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Well, this month we have our last challenge over at Christmas at Sweet Stampin’ challenge blog.

As you are most likely aware, CASS was originally founded by the Sweet Stampin’ team, and for a long time comprised mostly of Sweet Stampin’ members. Over time the membership changed and now the last members that we had from Sweet Stampin’ have decided to step back. The leadership over at Sweet Stampin’, along with the original founders, have as a result suggested that we split CASS off to be an independent challenge.

GOOD NEWS – we are continuing as a challenge and are re-branding ourselves as Christmas Craft Creations. You’ll be able to find the April challenge here and look forward to your continued support of our challenge.

Now onto my card for the March challenge with an optional twist to keep it clean and simple.

I sponged a pink background and stamped the trees from the Simon Says Stamp ‘Gnome for the Holidays’ and heat embossed them with Stampendous aged copper embossing enamel.

Come join in our fun and add to your Christmas card stash. Visit the challenge blog to check out the inspiration the other CaSSettes have made. Link up your card by 3am 8th April (Melbourne time) or 6pm 7th April (UK time).

I’m also entering this card over at AAA Cards #160 – Maxi white space + optional metallic twist.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

We happen to have a long weekend for Labour Day coinciding with International Women’s Day, so I had some extra time to craft as there is no netball this weekend.

First up is a card for Seize the Birthday #184 – sentiment as focal image.

I made an AI background with some pinks, purples and a blue then added a die cut sentiment from Kaisercraft.

Next is a card for the Global Design Project #230.

This card was quick to create. I die cut a floral image and mounted it behind a circle and added a sentiment from the Ton and my card was done!

Next up is a card for Freshly Made Sketches #425.

I used the Stampin Up ‘Poppy Moments’ dies with some felt and a sentiment from the Ton. The felt is very delicate so I used some double sided tape before I cut it.

Next is a card for Just Add Ink #495 – Just add a rainbow.

I used the Flowering Foils DSP from Stampin Up and sponged a rainbow of Altenew colours over it. I then added a die cut silver foil shape and sentiment from MFT ‘Birthday Greetings’ was silver heat embossed onto black card stock for that pop and the card was done.

Lastly is a card for the Alphabet Challenge – X for x-tra embellishment.

I kept this card fairly muted and used Stampin up Sahara Sand and Pink Pirouette papers, inks and ribbon. I embossed a card panel and then lightly sponged the raised images for depth. I punched a variety of flowers and added them randomly over the sentiment panel with some pearls for their centers and a bit of ribbon to ground these elements and I was done.

Well that’s it for today. Thanks for stopping by for a look and I really appreciate any comments you leave me. 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 was inspired by the colours and trees in the sketch, so I created an ink smooshed background and then stamped an Indigo Blue stamp called ‘Bare Forest 1’ over the top. The sentiment is from Stampin Up ‘Thanks for the laughs’ which is popped up with a few sequins for the finishing touch.

Come join in the fun and make a card based on the sketch, inspiration photo or 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, 18th Marsh at 7pm Melbourne Time or Tuesday 17th March 12pm US Pacific Time to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Hello there, it’s time for another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Kath is our host with feminine challenge this week!

I decided to have a go at fancy fold card this week. I made a swing fold card using Stampin Up products following a tutorial by Brenda Quintana.

Come join in the fun and make a feminine 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, 10th March at 10:00 Melbourne Time or Monday 9th March 5pm US Mountain Time to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Well hello and welcome to today’s post. It’s time for another challenge over at Get Creative Challenges where its Anything Goes with an optional twist to choose an line on the Bingo Board!

Our sponsors for this challenge is Fred, She Said Designs.

I’ve been a bit cheeky with my project and have opted for a basket rather than a shaped card – creative license? I made a little basket that will hold a few small Easter eggs as gifts for my friends. I faux stitched the edges of the basket panels, embossed the basket before gluing it together. I then fussy cut some flower images from Fred, She Said Designs and added a couple of buttons to the centre of the flowers and my basket was done.

Check out the Get Creative Challenge blog for details on the sponsor prizes and links to the other fabulous projects from the DT and come join in our fun and share your anything goes project by 1pm Monday 1st April (Melbourne time) or 11pm Sunday 31st March (US Eastern Standard time)

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Hello there, it’s time for another Always Fun Challenge with a challenge to use shades of green on your project this week!

By now you know that I love to ink smoosh, so guess what? I used ink smooshing on this card! I used the Caribbean Sea ink pad from Kaleidacolor and a stamp set from Hero Arts ‘You make a difference’ and sentiment from Simon Says Stamp ‘Leafy frames’.

Come join in the fun and make a card with shades of green. Check out the projects that the other artists at Always Fun 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 Sunday, 8th March at 4pm Melbourne Time or Saturday 7th March 11pm US CST to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

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

Today I had a go at making a pop up card following a tutorial from Ally over at Power Poppy. Ally provided such great instructions it was so easy to create this card. I used my new Christmas kit ‘Gnome for the Holidays’ from Simon Says Stamp for my card.

Come join in the fun and make a card for an occasion of your choice. 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, 3rd March at 10:00 Melbourne Time or Monday 2nd March 5pm US Mountain Time to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Hello there, it’s time for another Always Fun Challenge where we challenge you to be inspired by a cartoon this week!

TBH, I struggled with this theme and then I thought who better epitomises cartoons than Mickey Mouse! Now I don’t have an Mickey stamps,so I decided to use my punches and paper piecing to make a Mickey balloon and a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp ‘Believe in You’.

Check out the projects that the other artists at Always Fun 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 Sunday, 1st March at 4pm Melbourne Time or Saturday 29th February 11pm US CST to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.