Clean & Simple Saturday

Welcome to another edition of Clean & Simple Saturday.

Today’s final design was inspired by playing along to a few fun challenges: 

CAS Colours & Sketches #597 - fun sketch.

Clean & Simple Cards for Beginners #saturdaychallenge43 Feathers

As You See It #AYSI384 also has a feathers challenge.

Almost Clean & Simple CAS cards #saturdaychallenge19 to use Red & Grey.

The Global Design Project #GDP571 - greenery in my embossed layer.

CAS on Friday #CASF346 to use an embossed element - I chose the leaves in the Seasonal Cheer embossing folder set. 

I’m getting inky with the retired Four Feathers bundle, Fragrant Leaves stamp set, Seasonal Cheer embossing folder the leaves, Real red and Smoky Slate inks, red bakers twine and rhinestones 

Love the soft grey with the pop of red accents - it creates a lovely thinking of you design.

 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Feminine & Floral Friday

Welcome to another edition of Feminine & Floral Friday - enjoying my favourite fall flower - the Sunflower!

Colour palette inspired by playing along to this weeks Stampin’ Only Challenge #SUO413 colour palette 

Getting inky with the Sunflower 3D embossing folder, Triple Banner punch & sentiments and Daffodil Delight, Golden Glow, Old Olive, Mossy Meadow and Pecan Pie inks, gold metallic gems and twine. 

Just love this folder - so versatile was so sorry to see it retire already but definitely going to have an honour spot in my retired stash! 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Wake Up & Create Thursday #TA4L026

Welcome to another edition of Wake Up & Create Thursday here on the blog.

It’s a little mix of Throwback Thursday with an image or sketch inspiration to use to inspire you to shop your stash and combine some old favourites with new goodies in a new way and than share to inspire others to do the same with their stash! Today’s challenge is a fun sketch inspiration #TA4L026 

I’m getting inky with an old favourite Peaceful Deer stamp set combined with the new Christmas Mice bundle, Pool Party ink blending, Smokey Slate, Petal Pink and Real Red blends, adhesive backed Snowflakes, Wink of Stella and unbranded silver twine. 

Love the little Christmas Mouse bringing home his Christmas tree.

Would love for you to join the fun and play along with the #TA4L026 challenge. Please add the challenge graphic with a link back to the blog on your post. When you’re done add your link below to share with us all! 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Whimsical Wings & Things Wednesday

Welcome to another edition of Whimsical Wings & Things Wednesday- having more fun with the whimsical Christmas Crew.

I’m getting inky with the Christmas Crew, Creative Celebrations DSP, blends to colour the adorable snowman, Peaceful Pine ribbon, Wink of Stella and adhesive backed snowflakes.

A fun quick card to add to the Christmas card collection.

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Technique Tuesday - blending fun

Welcome to Technique Tuesday here on the blog - playing with a simple blending technique because not all techniques need to be over the top to offer a lovely effect on the end design.

Playing along to the Krafty Chicks Challenge to create a masculine vibed card - Mr Reindeer is joining the fun!

I’m getting inky with the Christmas Crew stamp set, retired Peaceful Deer, Peaceful Pine & Pool Party ink for blending, Pecan Pie & Real Red blends for colouring, Wink of Stella for glistening red nose and snow drifts, silver twine and rhinestones.

Here are the top 10 essential tips and techniques for using blending brushes in card making:

Start Off the Card Stock: Never stamp or place a freshly inked brush directly onto the center of your project. Always start your circular motion on a scrap piece of paper off-to-the-side and gently sweep or walk the brush up onto the edge of your cardstock to avoid harsh ink blobs.
Use a Light Hand: Build color gradually using soft, light circular motions rather than pressing hard from the start. You can always add more ink to deepen a shade, but you cannot easily remove excess ink once it is laid down.
Go Light to Dark: Always lay down your lightest ink colors first before transitioning to medium and darker shades. This prevents muddying your lighter ink pads with dark pigment. 
Tap Off Excess Ink: After picking up ink from your pad, tap the bristles lightly on a scrap piece of paper or craft mat to discharge heavy pooling before touching your paper. 
Vary Your Pressure for Intensity: If you want a deeper, more concentrated tone in specific areas (like the centre of a sunset or flower), apply slightly more pressure or use your pointer finger directly on top of the brush head for control.
Match Brush Sizes to the Task: Use large brushes for smooth, quick coverage on full A2 card backgrounds, and switch to micro, flat, or angled detail brushes for tight stencils, small die-cuts, and fine shading. 
Pick the Right Cardstock: Smooth cardstock (such as Bristol paper or basic white cardstock) yields the most seamless, streak-free blend. Textured cardstocks or watercolor papers can also work well if you want a distressed, raised-grain effect.
Keep Ink Pads Juicy: Dry ink pads make blending difficult and tend to leave blotchy brush marks. Re-ink your dye or pigment pads regularly for a velvety, effortless glide.
Incorporate Masking and Stencils: Anchor down custom shapes, torn paper masks, or layered stencils using low-tack washi tape. Blending ink over stencils or around masks creates sharp, clean-edged focal points.
Combine with Heat Embossing (Ink Resist): Heat-emboss a stamped image or sentiment with clear or white embossing powder first, then blend your ink right over the top. The embossed wax or powder will resist the ink, making your design pop with high contrast.

Just love the Christmas Crew stamp set - they are so fun and what makes a stamp set a keeper for me is when you can use it outside the intended Christmas - so the bear & snowman can be for any occasion by just adding other theme birthday or miss you or thank you type sentiments to their little signs. 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Minimalist Monday

Welcome to another edition of Minimals Monday - embracing the less is more design philosophy.

I’m getting inky with the Creative Celebrations Mix & Match DSP, from my stash retired Peaceful Deer stamp set, Christmas Berries, Spotlight On Nature DSP. 

Love a clean sleek design with lots of white space. 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Simply Striped Saturday

Welcome to another Saturday here on the blog - today we have some simple stripes to share.

Playing along to the Scrapbook & Cards Today Fall Into Diagonal challenge. 

The Color Dare challenge #TCD726 

Getting inky with the Gilded Gallery kit, Friendly Foliage dies, circle punch, Sincerely Noted mix & match ephemera, gold acrylic pen and In Color Butterflies.   

Final design is a lovely sympathy card - the card that’s good to have on hand but you hope you never need.

 

Happy Stampin’ 

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Wake Up & Create Thursday -#TA4L025

Welcome to another edition of Wake Up & Create Thursday here on the blog.

It’s a little mix of Throwback Thursday with an image or sketch inspiration to use to inspire you to shop your stash and combine some old favourites with new goodies in a new way and than share to inspire others to do the same with their stash! Today’s challenge is a fun sketch inspiration #TA4L025

My final design was inspired by playing along to a few other challenges: Hand Stamped Sentiments Colour Palette Timid Tiger, Cajun Craze & Misty Moonlight #HSS499.

The Paper Players Clean & Simple Happy Autumn #PP808

Cupcake Inspirations #CI642 - Fall

Inspire.Create Stamping Challenges Autumn/Fall #ICSC227

I’m getting inky with on ole favourite Celebrate Sunflowers and sprig punch with some new favourites in the Rustic Check embossing folder, Sunflower Fields DSP, Earthen Tone metallic DSP, Timid Tiger, Cajun Craze and Misty Moonlight inks, unbranded bronze twine, rhinestones coloured with Timid Tiger.

Love the warm palette of the orange & blues & Sunflower vibes! 

Would love for you to join the fun and play along with the #TA4L025 challenge. When you’re done add your link below to share with us all! 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Whimsical Wings & Things Wednesday

Welcome to another edition of Whimsical Wings & Things Wednesday - today I am sharing the Whimsical Christmas Crew.

My final design was inspired by playing along to the  Sunday Stamps sketch challenge. #SSC397 - I opted for a rectangle focal to go with the signs shape. 

I’m getting inky with the Creative Celebrations mix & match DSP, Christmas Crew stamp set, Adhesive Peppermint gems, Wink of Stella and blends to colour my reindeer. 

How adorable is the little Rudolph the reindeer?

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Minimalist Monday

Welcome to another edition of minimalist Monday - embracing the less is more philosophy.

My final design was inspired by playing along to a few challenges: Clean and Simple CAS cards for beginners #saturdaychallenge42 Winter

Almost Clean & Simple CAS cards #saturdaychallenge Silhouettes

Krafty Chicks Challenge - CAS is perfect for Minimalist Monday. 

INKspirational playing a second round for clean and simple. 

And the BYSHC Falling for the Holidays linky party! byshcffth2026lp

I’m getting inky with the Winter Adventures dies & Winter Dreams DSP with adhesive backed snowflakes and for my sentiment an ole favourite Many Merry Messages and the teeny tiny tag punch. 

Love the simple design and the monochrome elegance of the end result.

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life