Monday 31 August 2009

Look what came in my mail today

This delightful card arrived in the post today from the wonderful Oz ( aka Linda)
Isn't she just the loveliest. The background paper is awesome and the lovely faux stitching round the scallop is just so clever. And the colour of the embossing on the butterfly is awesome. I wonder how she guessed I love butterflies!!! Thanks you Oz it is just beautiful.  I was thrilled to get this.  I am making friends all over the world.  The Hero Arts group on Flickr is just amazing.  All the people who are members are just so friendly and helpful as well as being so inspiring.  Love you all.


Thanks for stopping by and visiting with me.  Take care

Sunday 30 August 2009

Saturday stamping.


Yesterday was Stamping Day at Lei's place.  There were 9 of us there and the group had organised with Jacquie from Stampin Up! to come and demonstrate for us. She did a lovely demo card and then we did a make and take of a set of 4 mini cards.  When we finished those we had a lovely shared lunch and then got on working our own projects.   I got 3 cards made.... one for my Dad's birthday ( no photo as I know Mum looks at this and I don't want to spoil the surprise)

My cards were both inspired by lovely lady's from the Flickr Hero Arts group.  The Teddy was inspired by the lovely Lin
Her cards are just the most delightful ever.  I just loving seeing all her wonderful creations.

The lovely purple card was inspired by Kelly.  Her blog page is here. She also makes the most amazing cards. Take a look around her blog... aren't they just the most amazing cards.  I really liked the simplicity of the sympathy card she made here and so decided I needed to CASE it.  Thank you to both of these lovely ladies for their ideas and inspiration.

I had a fabulous day which was finished off by going out to our Family Groups' "Soup, Shiraz and Jazz" evening.  We meet at Jenny and Alfred's house to share soup ( chicken and vegie from Yvonne and Bacon and veggie from Mia) followed by two different versions of Lemon Meringue Pie ( one from me and one from Vivienne)  I did not partake of the Shiraz ( not fussed on red wine - plus I was on my own so had to drive) but enjoyed some Jazz music provided by Michael's CDs.  A nice way to round off a great day.
Thanks for stopping by and hope you all have a great week.  Take care

Saturday 29 August 2009

The Cat and the Rat...

After behaving himself for the last few weeks, the DARN CAT woke me at 4.00am this morning..... playing with a RAT.... well either a LARGE mouse or a SMALL rat.... couldn't really tell without the glasses.... but the darn thing woke me up with the chasing it up and down the hallway.  As hubby was away from home I had to deal with it....  when I finally turned on the light and put on the glasses there was the cat nose to nose with this THING in the doorway to my room.... Now normally I'd give hubby a shove and he can deal to it... but oh no I'm on my own with this one.  So up I jump and race past the rat and the cat and get a plastic bag out of the pantry, back to the room and throw the bag over the rat, grab the bag and got the tail.  There itwas hanging out of the bag by it's tail, squirming about and make an awful noise.... did you know rat's make a noise.  Sure do...
Tore off outside and threw the thing as hard and far as I could.... grabbed the cat and chucked him outside as well and shut all the doors and windows so he couldn't bring it back again..... boy was my heart racing, the adrenaline pumping.  Took me about an hour to get back to sleep.  Oh why does he always do this when I have to deal with it!!!!  This morning he came in purring and smooching me.  Some times........
Anyway that was the start to my morning.... did get much better.  Will update tomorrow.
Take care

Friday 28 August 2009

Daffodil Day- for Cancer Society

Today is Daffodil Day, the national collection day for the Cancer Society.  National Bank are sponsors and every year have a  bake sale and sausage sizzle at their branches.  Emma's friend's Mum works there so Emma and Aimee made these cupcakes for the bake sale today.  Emma said that the flowers are a bit wobbly but that's what happens to her hand after 3 wines partaken while baking the cupcakes......
Still great work darling... for a very worthy cause, particularly after the year we have had.

Thanks for stopping by

Thursday 27 August 2009

Two cards today

I have managed to get tow cards done tonight.  I had half done the colouring in on the Outline Flowers yesterday and finished it off tonight.  I had started this by just colouring in the blue flowers but saw that someone had already done one like that for the Hero Arts colorit challenge, so decided to make this one a bit more colourful... hence all the other colours.  I used watercolour pencils by Mondeluz.  They are lovely soft pencils that colour so well.  I used a white-out pen to add the white dots.  You know the ones you get to white out mistakes in writing.  I edged the card in blue metallic Marvey pen.

This next card is for Father's day which here and in Australia is 6th Sept.  I have to get this posted off to my Dad in Australia this week.  I have just got the Dots and Flowers design block stamp so decided to give it a go.  I stamped it in Aged Mahogany Distress ink on a dark cream card.  I used Shari's sketch from last week as my design inspiration.  The scalloped oval was cut out and inked with the distress ink as were the edges of the panels.  The small star from HA CL180 (Happy Messages) was used with the sentiment from that set.
Well thanks for stopping by and big thanks to all of you who leave me such lovely comments. I do appreciate them.

Infinity Board - will it help my photographing?

Saw this on a newsletter from Stamp TV and thought I'd give it a try.  Still working on the lighting and what to use as a background but having fun experimenting.  I have moved the light to the side which helped a bit.  Still for $6 for a piece of board, not too bad.

Sunday 23 August 2009

Another butterfly card....

I just couldn't resist .... another one for Caardvarks colour challenge. Just love pink with black and white. This started as the beginnings of my earlier card but decided on pink on white. So last night took this one and played around. Originally I wasn't that happy with the pink on the black... still feel I could have inked up the stamp a bit more, but I'm happy with the result. I using one of the techniques I learn from Jennifer McGuire's Thinking Inking classes... used a drop of liquid pearls and water to paint over the butterfly to give it a lovely shimmer.
I have also entered this for the Hero Arts Mail it challenge. I am going to sent this to my Mum who lives in Australia. I haven't seen her for nearly a year and won't see her till Christmas time. We email each other all the time, but I will sent this to her - just to say hello.
Thanks for calling by.

Saturday 22 August 2009

Caardvarks colour challenge- More butterflies




Today is an absolutely gorgeous day - really spring like and I saw the Monarch butterflies flitting around the back yard while I was sitting outside having lunch. Great for mid August. I've told you I'm butterfly mad at the moment so it was great to be able to photograph my card for the Caardvark challenge this week, outside. - hence the lovely shadow on the card where the wings of the butterfly lift off the card.
The challenge is to use the sponser's main colours of hot pink, black and white.
I stamped the butterfly ( from Stamp it set 010) in Pink versacolour - once as the background and once to cut out the butterfly. I added black gems to the butterfly and 3 gems on the bottom. This was mounted onto black card and then onto hot pink card. I offset this onto the white card stock.
Sentiment is also by Stamp it - from set 012.
It reminds of the the lovely day today.
TFL - and have a great weekend

Friday 21 August 2009

My Big Boy

Kieran is my youngest - almost 21 now, grown up way to quickly. Tonight he is all dressed up to go the "The House of the Year" function, where his boss is up for a category prize. Kieran helped work on the renovation so the boss got tickets for him and his girlfriend to go along... black tie so Kieran hired a suit. Doesn't he scrub up well. I am very proud of my boy.... he is such a sweetie. Both he and Isobel looked wonderful tonight, but seeing him all dress up makes me realise he is not my little man anymore.... I can hardly believe this is my baby! ( I can just see him cringing when he reads this)
Anyway thanks for visiting.

Wednesday 19 August 2009

Hero Arts challenge - Mail it

This week Hero Arts challenge is about making a card and then ACTUALLY POSTING IT to someone....
My inspiration for this card was from a Papercraft essentials magazine. I have a lady in New Plymouth ( other end of the North Island to me) whom I speak to on the phone every day for work....and I decided to send her this card.
The flowers are made by me- using the cuttlebug asterisk die. I put two different pieces of pattern paper together - off centring them and then added the green punched flower for the centre. I add a Blush coloured pearl to finish them off. The flourish is by Inkadinkadoo and the sentiment by Hero Arts CL129 Was a bit disappointed with the ink colour in the end... no quite bright enough. I used my new Martha Stewart punch to put a butterfly in the corner. Think I'm going to be using this one a bit.... more butterflies.....
Thanks for stopping by.

Monday 17 August 2009

Can you have too many butterfly stamps?

I don't think so!. Today my local stamp store ( Stamp'n'create) were having a birthday sale - 40% off. I couldn't resist getting this set by Stamp-it. I know I don't need more butterflies...but..... 40% off!!!
I also got a new set of nesties - The Dahlia plus some replacement channels for my cutter, some silver alcohol mixative and two sheets of different green Bazzil card. A good buy... but I'm locking my credit card up now. It needs a rest ( and allow me time to pay it off a bit)

Can wait to cut the stamps out and have a play. But it will have to wait as I have other things to do tonight- like the ironing Ugh!!! but it needs doing so I can have some clothes to wear to work.

Thanks for looking and I hope the week starts as well for you as me.....

Saturday 15 August 2009

3 cards

I managed to finish 3 cards over the past couple of days. This first one I started earlier in the week after watching Jennifer McGuire's Thinking Inking week 9 part 1. It uses crayon resist. I stamped the HA Grid stamp in black on white card card and used a white crayon to highlight parts of the flourishes and put some dots on. I then used Shabby Shutters Distress ink to cover the card. I did the same on the printed flowers and used Worn Lipstick distress ink. I had got that far when I noticed that Dustypenny (AKA Joy) had posted her card .... talk about great minds thinking alike....Look at this. Any way I finally finished mine off and as the rain had eased today managed to get the photo taken. Joy is a prolific card maker so take time to view her photostream or her blog.

My next card is one I did for a christening I'm going to on Sunday. The image is by Inkadinkadoo. I stamped the image in Memento Blue Danube ink onto white cardstock and distressed with Faded Jeans distress ink and my fingernail. This was mounted onto another piece of cardstock that had been also inked with the distress ink (cardstock was a browny colour) then matted onto white to leave a narrow border before finally mounting onto the blue card. The little one being christened is about 3 1/2 so thought this is a little bit different. Inside I have a rub on that says " You are a treasure to God"



And today I got a chance to play with my new Hero Arts Cling stamp - Antique Brocade plus do a card for Hero Arts challenge this week. It is to make a card using the sketches done by Shari Carroll. I stamped the cling stamp in black on red cardstock and cut into the shapes on Shari's sketch #4. The image is from HA digital kit ( available for free at 2peasinabucket)
I resized it and printed it onto white card stock and used my nestibilities oval scallop to cut it out. I layered the red card onto a cream background card and then pop dotted the oval. Finished it off with 3 black buttons. I am quite pleased with the results. I struggle a bit with the digi images - not really sure how to put all the bits together but like being able to print out background papers or images to use on "real" cards.
Well thanks for taking time to read this long post and have a great weekend

Friday 14 August 2009

A night at the circus

Last night DH & I went to see Dralion - the latest Cirque du Soleil. AMAZING!!!!
The costumes were incredible and the music quite haunting. The acts were all so well done and just the most amazing artists. I was enthralled by the young girl who balanced on one hand and twisted and turned herself for almost 5 mins..... so strong.

The other pic here is of the trampolinists.... they seemed to get up so high. The guys jumped down from the top and then sort of ran up the wall again.
Loved the whole thing and was pleased we got to go, thanks to a company my hubby does business with. They had a group of their clients go, provided us drinks and nibbles before hand. Very generous.

Monday 10 August 2009

More of Emma's creations

Emma has been creating again. This time icecream cone cupcakes. She didn't get time to photograph them side on - got eaten too quickly. But don't they look yummy!!!!!
I'm rather pleased she has her own place now and isn't living at home..... just imagine what I'd look like as I know I couldn't resist....

Sunday 9 August 2009

recycled card

I made a card yesterday but was not pleased with it so today decided that I need to revisit it and redo it. I like the bird stamp and the flower so I recycled them and made this one. Much happier with it.
I changed the label colour to pale blue card, stamped a different sentiment ( from the same set by HA CL129)in a darker blue ink, edged the bird in the same darker blue ink, matted it onto the mid-blue card which I CB'd with swiss dots. Finally mounted it all onto the dark cardstock.
I added a tiny pearl for the birds eye and three pearls under the sentiment.
This is for one of the ladies in my team who is leaving this week under the voluntary redundancy scheme we had a work. She is in her late 60's and was going to retire later this year so I hope all her dreams for the future come true for her.

Saturday Blues.......

but in a good way!!!

Yesterday was Stamping club day at Stamp'n'create. There were 9 of us, - 7 regulars and a couple of newies... I had a great day - blue seemed to the my theme. I did these three cards. I used a Sketch and Stash sketch that I had used in the past, this time in blue, black and kraft. I CB'd the background with Floral Fantasy folder. The scalloped border is Fiskars Threading water punch. I used nestibilites circle and scalloped circle. The sentiment from Hero Arts was embossed with Winter Illusion powder. It changes colour depending on what angle you have the card. I finished it of with some HA and Kaiser flowers and pearls.

My 2nd card is one of those ones that when you finished making it - you don't like it. I started with just one Label 1 nestie but got some ink on it so decided to make a smaller on and layer them. From there on... nothing seemed right. I do like the bird ( from Kaiser craft Loire Valley set) Sentiment is from HA's. I think I'll recycle some of the elements and have another go later.
The 3rd card I did just seemed to fall into place. I had one of the new CB folders (Victoria). I inked up the folder and embossed. Turned out really great. The sentiment is a stamp that Betty had at group. She let me borrow it to show her how to use Tombow pens to colour the stamp and then huff on it and stamp it off. I matted in onto the same dark blue card I had matted the background.

I also managed to make a mini pizza box in an orange colour with some butterflies on top - cut and embossed with Spellbinders butterflies from a piece of alcohol inked background. I made 3 background pieces.
So all in all a busy and happy day ,... not "blue" at all. Finished it off by going to friends for dinner ( so didn't even have to cook)
TFL have a great week

Thursday 6 August 2009

Too much exercise not enough card making

I have been so busy this week going to the gym and exercising that I haven't had time to make any cards. I did the circuit at the gym on Mon and Tues and then last evening went for an hour long walk and then followed it with an hour long extreme class.... boy do I know I did all that exercise.... my legs are complaining.... still it was a fun class despite me having already done the walk. I had no intention of doing the class but as it was Susan's ( the instructor) first week of taking this particular class I thought I'd just pop in to see how it was going. Of course, she persuaded Michelle and I to do it.
Tonight I have been blog hopping and watching videos. So many wonderful crafters out there.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope that I can get some cards made over the next few days to post.

Monday 3 August 2009

Purple OCC challenge

I was asked to make a card for Petra's birthday and decided that I wanted to do another card for Our Creative Corner's challenge. It's all about Purple.
I used my largest square nestibility and cut out the pale purple card and stamped it with HA Three Ferns in Dusty Concord distress inks. I also stamped the butterfly in this ink but used clear embossing to finish it. A smeared Kindyglitz all over it. The base card is a dark purple that I embossed with my CB swiss dots. Added some ribbon, rounded the corners and it was all done.

TFL and have a great week

Sunday 2 August 2009

Spring is in the Air

This afternoon I was sitting out enjoying some sun when I noticed the daffodils in the back garden were in flower.... Spring is in the air. So I just had to take a picture of them. Aren't they gorgeous. I'm not the greatest of photographers but I was pleased with the close up I managed to get. And this is with NO enhancements from any photo editing tools. Not bad for an amateur.
I also got this one of the cat.... he was enjoying the mid afternoon sun on the back lawn.
TFL.

A happy end to a sad week.




Yesterday was our grand-nephew's first birthday - a happy family event after a sad week in which his parents had to attend two funerals... one for his Mum's aunt and one his Dad's grand-dad. So it was a great day when both sides of Nathan's family celebrated for a good reason. The two cards here are what I made for him from his big cousins Emma & Kieran. Both were quick cards because as usual, my two asked at the last minute for me to make them cards.

Nicola ( Nathan's Mum) made this wonderful cake for his party. All the cakes were banana cakes. I think she did a wonderful job. Emma, of course, took some cup cakes down to Hamilton as well. They were cookies and cream flavoured and very yummy. All in all it was a wonderful occasion and Nathan was a good little boy and behaved himself. He is adorable.

Well thanks for looking. I've got a couple more posts to do later.