Michelle Perkett's Getting Ready for the Holidays Blog Hop!

July 30th 2011

Glad you could join us for this Holiday Preparation Blog Hop!!!

I've made this Xmas Tag using one of Michelle's new designs "Wish Upon a Star Angel" - she's just perfect for Xmas! She has been coloured with copics and mounted on a star embossed tag and some pink & blue feathers. I've stamped Merry Christmas across the top and added some fluffy fibres!

Just for leaving a comment on my blog and letting me know you were here for the "hop" I will put you in my draw to win the fantastic image below from Michelle's Etsy Store (isn't Michelle wonderful to let us give away a design)!!!!

Now here's the Blog Hop List:

(So if you've just joined you know where you still need to go!)

Michelle Perkett – http://www.michelleperkett.blogspot.com/

 Pauline - http://www.paulineguttrey.blogspot.com/

 Irene – http://www.itsallinthecards.blogspot.com/

Karen - http://www.karensdigi.blogspot.com/

Barbara – http://www.my-crafty-world.blogspot.com/

Sharon (THAT'S ME!!!) – http://www.sharonshowcase.blogspot.com/

Rhonda – http://www.bluepoohbear753.blogspot.com/

Abby – http://www.abbyscreations.blogspot.com/

Shelley – http://www.shelleyscreations.blogspot.com/

Mama Bear – http://www.mamabearstonichscraftspot.com/

Andrea – http://www.andreasscraps.com/

Jenn – http://www.stampinangeljenn.blogspot.com/

Lydia – http://www.scrappenbylydia.blogspot.com/

Maria – http://www.joyfulstamper.blogspot.com/

Wendy – http://www.wendypslittlecorneroftheworld.blogspot.com/

Anne – http://www.annescardchallenges.blogspot.com/

Michelle H – http://www.scrapweaver.blogspot.com/

Aqualeiga – http://www.aqualeigasescape.blogspot.com/

Rene – http://www.craftlane.blogspot.com/

Mari – http://www.trailsofpaper.blogspot.com/

Challenge blog – http://www.michelleperkettstudio.blogspot.com/



Have fun!

Tweeting PINK!!!!

July 30th 2011
Yes it's time for Pink Saturday again LOL any excuse to make a PINK creation!

This week I've used two gorgeous "chubby" birds from Anitra's Cute Art World Store - when I saw this collage sheet I couldn't resist these little pink birds and bought them especially for making a Pink Saturday creation!

As you can see I've made two tags this week using the little pink birds!

This first tag has a great background paper from a new BasicGrey 6 x 6 pad I recently purchased called "Out of Print" - it's got some great patterned paper in it and I couldn't resist!! I've used one of the pink chubby birds along with some torn sheer pink and white paper layered behind the bird and with a little pink butterfly from a freebie sheet from Digital Collage Sheets. The pink feather, little pink pearls and "Tweet Pink" lettering and fluffy fibres just finish it off perfectly!

This small tag also has a chubby pink bird but the background card was one I've done myself with paint and rubber stamps. I've added little letters to spell "bird" and I have also added a pink feather and fluffy fibres lie the first tag!

Hope you have a wonderful Pink Saturday!

Out! Out, Damn Spot!

July 28th 2011
What a great new theme at the Haunted Design House Blog for their Macabre Monday Challenge!!! This is my first time entering their challenge and here is my  "reptilian" looking "blood spotted" card LOL!!!

Don't you love the textured reptile skin green background paper and black paper??? I've had this for a long long time so it was great to pull it out and achieve this effect with it! I've smeared red paint with my fingers on the background paper and dripped the paint on the black card and the flower!

This great image is Solitaire Swirl and Monocle from CS Designs - the Solitaire range of digis are amongst my very favourites from Chris! She's been coloured with Copic Markers in greys and reds to give a dark and ghoulish look.

The embellishments are some skeleton leaves in red and black and a paper flower with brad, some black lace trimming and a little red butterfly just so she doesn't look too frightening!!!

The new Forever Night Blog still have their "Welcome" challenge running so she is entered there as well.

Feeling PURPLE!!!

July 27th 2011
I love purple and I was so excited when I knew that "purple" was the colour for this week's Summer of Colour!!!

I've used this amazing Solitaire Leather & Rivets Design from Chris at CS Designs. These Solitaire designs are some of my most favourite designs at the moment and I am finding so many different ways to use them! You will notice that I have used the single flower image from the Summer Garden Collection also from CS Designs! And to top it all off the "colour" sentiment is from Chris' sentiment range of digis.

I've paper pieced this image using textured cardstock and I wanted to keep with the "theme" of the image "Leather and Rivets" so I have used eyelets as rivets and have added real stitching as well. I have cut around the single flower image and moutned on the card along with the other embellisments including the skeleton leaves, little butterfly punchies, sizzix tags and fibres.

I hope you like my card and make sure you visit the Summer of Colour Blog and check out all the other amazing purple creations on show!

Make it Monday have an Anything Goes Challenge this week so my purple creation has been entered there! The 2 Sisters Challenge Blog have an anything goes challenge also! I've also entered my purple card at the Stamp Something Blog for their "embellishment" challenge.

Let's Go To The Beach!

July 26th 2011
I wish it was beach weather here in Australia!!! I guess where most of you are it's Summer!! This week's challenge theme is the beach - there's no excuse for not entering this new challenge as Michelle has a huge selection of images to suit this theme!!!

I've used a cute little image with "Olive" having a great day out at the beach! I've tried to give her a bit of a vintage look using browns and creams and adding some of my text collage paper and "old look" ticket complete with little wooden peg!

Remember to use a Michelle Perkett image on your entry!

The new Pink Elephant Challenge is "Fun in the Sun" so Olive is joining in there as well! And the Daring Cardmakers have a "Wish you were here" Summer Holiday theme.

Nefertari "Circle" Queen!

July 25th 2011

As you can see I've been having fun tonight with the Solitaire Nefertari design (one of my big favourites) from CS Designs and the wonderfully fun Spirelli Kit also from CS Designs!! You really should check out this
Spirelli Kit - you don't need a special cutter you just print and cut out yourself - easy!!!

I've used the sketch from the latest challenge at Stamp Scrap & Doodle Saturday Challenge Blog which I found on my blogging "friend" Linda's Blog and I couldn't resist making a card and supporting the blog she is a Design Team Member for!

I also liked this sketch because it fits perfectly with Vicki's new challenge over at her blog - The Cheerful Stamp Pad - "Going Around in Circles" - LOL there's plenty of circles on my new card!

I found the great "Egypt" background paper at my local scrapbook store and just knew I would be able to use it with the Nefertari image! The amazing "sentiment" was made especially for me by Chris for this particular image - so any excuse to use this one is a bonus!!! I've used the "circle" Spirelli template and then "punched" the face to mount behind the thread - the image was also printed on the "Egypt" background paper and I added some gold glitter glue to highlight her "jewels"- I wanted to colour co-ordinate everything and make it look "deserty" and "sandy" LOL!

The little "stamped" Ankh Cross I recently received from my relative who is living in Japan - they attended an Egyptian display and there were several stamps to purchase (I also have a Tutankhamen stamp too) BUT the amazing thing with these stamps is that although they look like a rubber stamp mounted on wood when I looked closely they have actually been "carved" from the wooden block no company name or any identification so I don't have any other details than that - AMAZING!!!

Time for Another PINK Saturday!

July 23rd 2011

It's PINK Saturday again so make sure you hop over to Beverly's Blog and check out her featured guest and all the wonderful PINK creations for this week!

I've made this cute little PINK Card featuring an Octopode Factory image from a Xmas Collage Sheet I purchased from Lily. Don't you just love her PINK hair??

I used a square background from a 12 x 12 sheet I had and stamped a Kaszazz Chandelier stamp onto it plus cut 3 tags with my Big Kick and stamped them with some great swirly stamps I have as well as a "Best Wishes" Kaszazz Stamp. The Octopode Xmas Princess has been layered on some embossed paper and attached to the card front along with some white fibres to finish it off!

Have a wonderful Pink Saturday!!!!!

I've also entered this card at the "Free & Easy" challenge at the Allsorts Challenge Blog this week!

Green (nature, fertility & life) & Purple (good judgement & spiritual fulfilment)

July 22nd 2011

Dezinaworld has a Green & Purple Challenge this month - now I don't tend to use a lot of green but I do love purple! So I've made these green & purple fabric tags using images from Dezinaworld for June's July colour "challenge".

I've used two of the Ephemera Tags and recoloured one green and one purple of course! The gorgeous lady in the green dress is part of the Collages Rectangle 1 Set and she certainly does look like she "Love's Life"!!! The quote from Bill Watterson I found at the Quote Garden which is one of my main "haunts" for quotes to use on my creations and I've printed that in purple of course!

Both tags have been edged by hand with the old faithful 'blanket stitch' and I have added fibres to the top with some beads threaded on and also sewn on some little butterfly charms and purple flower beads.

The green & purple "meanings" in the Title of this post I found at the following site using a google search: Emily Gems.

Turning Japanese

July 21st 2011
This is my card for this week's "Oriental" theme at the Three Muses Blog. Make sure you pay them a visit and see all the wonderful creations from everyone!

I've used one of the great digi stamps from the "Darlings of the Orient" range from CS Designs. This image is "Asian Square Sakura - Cherry Blossom". I've also used some of my favourite Japanese papers from my "stash" and I stamped a swirly vine image and placed the little folded flowers along it.

The little Dahlia folded flowers I found on a tutorial at Splitcoast Stampers - they look great and I'm really happy with them. I think I'll definitely be using these little flowers again!

I've also entered this at the Clear it Out Challenge Blog as I have had some of this Japanese paper for years LOL!!!! Craft Us Crazy also have an "anything goes with a digi" challenge!



New "Inspired by a Song" Challenge

July 21st 2011
As you can see the new challenge at the Michelle Perkett Studio Challenge Blog is "Inspired by a Song" and I've used Michelle's brand new "Chrissy the Christmas Fairy" image available now at Michelle's Store.

The song I've used as inspiration is the Christmas Carol "Let it Snow". LOL it doesn't snow where I live and certainly never at Christmas time but I thought the song suited this image perfectly!!! This is a fairly simple looking card as Chrissy is a "busy" looking fairy and I think she should be the focus of the card!

I've punched some little circles to match the circles on the image and have added a little green bow at the spine of the card just to finish it off! Hope you can join this challenge! Remember to join the fun you must use a Michelle Perkett Studio Image so just click on the link to Michelle's store above or join our Papercraft Planet group for some freebies and get creating and inspired by a song!

This card is also entered at the Simply Create Christmas Time Challenge this week! And Flutterby Wednesday have an open theme as long as you incorporate a fairy or the like! And Do You Stack Up have a "wings" theme this week so Chrissy the Christmas Fairy has flown over there!

Another Xmas Challenge at CS Designs

July 19th 2011
We have another Xmas Challenge this week at CS Designs but with a twist! You must use some recycled Xmas item on your creation. Well this was a bit difficult for me as I make my own Xmas cards and I put the ones I received in the recycle bin BUT I happened to have a left over store bought card that my girls had used for their friends so I cut out the little fairy and used that on my card with the CS Designs new Round Xmas Ornament image!

As you can see I have used "non-traditional" xmas colours which is something I like to do to be different although the middle layer is silver!!! I've printed the xmas ornament directly onto the card and then used my sewing machine to make the "hanging string" and then I have mounted the recylced fairy at the bottom with foam tape for a bit of dimension!

If you visit our Challenge Blog you can get all the details for this new challenge and you will find the Linky tool there as well to link your entries! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for this recylced challenge!

This card is also entered at the Simply Create Blog who's theme this week is Christmas Time! And Stamp Something have a Christmas in July theme.

Somewhere Between Chance & Mystery....

July 17th 2011

The Summer of Colour this week is RED (LOL I'm a bit early posting!!) and I've used red as a "feature" on this card so thought it would fit in with this wonderful colour challenge blog! LOL I used my fingers to "drag" the red paint down this card obviously to make it look like bloody hand prints!!!

There is also a new challenge blog starting up: Forever Night Challenges which is going to focus on the "darker" side of crafting including gothic, steam punk, emo, punk that sort of edgy dark art!! Now this is an area I really haven't gotten into although I've done some steam punk items and loved it and have just recently started colouring in darker more striking colours and trying to make images look more macabre!!!

So the first challenge is an Anything Goes Theme with this "genre" in mind . I've used a CS Designs image from the "Solitaire / Behind the Mask Series - PERFECT images for this type of challenge!!!! I've used the Solitaire Mysterious Butterfly image - now if you look at the picture below which is from Chris' Shop you will see how totally different this image looks when coloured more traditionally compared to the dark greys and blood reds I've used for this card. Just goes to show how versatile these designs can be!!!

The sentiment I have used is also from the CS Designs range of digis and is a perfect match for this "masked" image! The cute little cat is just a Clipart picture I found and thought was a "cute" little addition to this "dark" card!

Once Upon a Time.....

July 16th 2011
Once upon a time there was a little girl called Amelia Earhart who wanted to FLY..........

I can't believe it's Pink Saturday again!!! Here's my 'creation' for this week - a cute little Octopode Factory card:

I've made this card for Pink Saturday and the new Challenge at The Octopode Factory  which has the theme this week of "Tell Me a Story"!!!! So my story is Once Upon a Time there was a girl called Amelia Earhart who wanted to fly and fly she did as she was the first woman to make a transatlantic flight - what an achievement!!!

I made the painted packground with coloured paints which I "rolled" on with a little sponge roller and a few other bits of paint for a bit of added pattern then I put it through my printer and printed some hot air balloons onto it, cut it out, ,ounted it with photo corners on the pink card (especially for Pink Saturday) and added "Steampunk Mabel" coloured in "pinks" masquerading as Amelia complete with Steampunk Butterfly Wings from Dezinaworld and the little letters "I Want To Fly" from my stash!!!

Dream a Little Dream

July 16th 2011
It's Spotlight Saturday at the Michelle Perkett Studio Challenge Blog and this week I have this simple card using the "Daydream Fantasy" image available at Michelle's Etsy Store. It's really worthwhile popping over to the store as Michelle has some great new images available!

The sentiment "Dream a Little Dream" is from CS Designs and I thought matched this image perfectly!

This week's theme at the Less is More Challenge Blog is circles (more than one) and my card has 2 circles layered on each other

Desert Islands Crafters Challenge

July 15th 2011
As winner of a previous Desert Islands Crafters Challenge I was asked to provide the Itinerary and a Creation this week!!

Here are the 10 items I chose of which you must use at least "3" on your creation to enter this current challenge:
1. Steampunk  2. Clocks  3. Monotone  4. Beads  5. Collage  6. Asian  7. Charms  8. Mystery  9. Die Cuts  10. Black & White

I've used Montone/Black & White, Collage (background), Die Cuts and Mystery (the Solitaire Design and also Mystery sentiment). The Solitaire Mysterious Butterfly and Sentiment Designs are from CS Designs and were just perfect for the mystery element of my card!

I love the "look" of this card - quite mysterious and dark apart from the little purple gems as a feature on the image!

So make sure you check out the challenge blog and get your entry in - each challenge has 10 new Itinerary items to choose from which is a lot of fun!

Less is More

July 15th 2011
This weeks challenge at Less is More is to make a "one layer" card that incorporates something with legs and minimal embellishments!! LOL as you know not so easy for me!!

Anyway here is the card I've made on a metallic cream cardstock. I've used 'Hildie with a Big Flower' design from CS Designs as well as a little friends quote from Chris' new Summer Garden Set. The image has been coloured with Copics and beacuse it was printed on the metalic card the Copic colours come out nice and soft looking. The only embellishment I have used is a tiny little jewel at the neck of Hildie's dress.

"Time" is of the Essence!!!

July 13th 2011

This week's challenge at The Octopode Challenge Blog is TIME. Last week if you remember was "Alice" and I used my Steampunk Violet Octopode image because I didn't have an Alice image and Violet would have been perfect for this weeks "Time" theme with her head full of clocks LOL! But I decided to use another Octopode image I hadn't used yet "Angel Girl" - she's pretty cute!

This might sound a bit 'macabre' but I decided to make her look like a very cute and feathery "Angel of Death" advising the recipient that their "time is up" BUT I have included inside the card the wording "you are officially over the hill" to let them know that their time being 'young' is up!!

The look on the Angel's face shows she's a bit worried about delivering this awful news!!

I sponged white & blue paint over the background card to try and give a bit of a "cloud" effect. I found the great packet of feathers at the "cheap shop" and couldn't resist using them behind the angel image. The wording I've printed out on my Dymo label maker. And of course the angel image has been coloured with Copic markers.