Monday 31 May 2010

Shoes and Flowers.....

I had a really productive last 3 or so days.  On Friday I got a new stamp by Penny Black called Gossamer.  It is a very open stamp so allows for colouring in.  I had a piece of scrap kraft on my desk so thought I'd see how it went with colouring pencils.
I chose pastel colours so matted it on some lovely pastel metallic paper and onto a pale green card.  I used a Copic to colour in the white Peelcraft greeting.  Quite a nice result.

Sticking with flower theme, I have been dying to try the technique that Joy showed on her blog last week.  Here is her video... it is well worth trying.  I have seen lots of ladies doing this on Flickr and every time I thought of a stamp to use... someone had posted a card with it..... so I looked in my supplies and came across an older Hero Arts flower that I used....
 
I used Dusty Concord and Tattered Rose on my craft sheet and spritzed with water and then used as the inkpad to stamp onto the card.  I was so pleased with the background with this stamp.  I then used the Dusty Concord to stamp the flowers.  Thanks to Lin's idea, I left a bit of white around the flowers - and it did make a difference.

And then finally yesterday I made this card for my daughter to give her girlfriend for her upcoming birthday....

this card is totally inspired by this one from the lovely Kelly.  Inside is the sentiment like Kelly's with a Happy Birthday stamped as well.  I used a mixture of Tombow markers and Copics to colour the shoes.  The lovely BBF background is by inque boutique mini papers and just seemed to suit the design I was aiming for.  I used the largest Spellbinders Label 8 to cut out the card.

Wow - thanks everyone for reading through this long post.... I just seem to get carried away sometimes.  Hope you all have a great week.
Cheers to you all.
PS - found out today that I was one of the lucky winners of Kathy's bird stamp giveaway... wasn't I lucky.... 

Sunday 30 May 2010

A Little Black Magic....

This week in my Splitcoasterstampers newsletter the Monday technique was called Black Magic.  I went to Youtube and viewed a few of the video's on this technique.  I thought I'd try it out with one of my new Stmpin' Up! stamps and my favourite purple colourings.
The technique involves stamping an image onto black card in white ink - heat setting and then colouring over top with watercolour pencils and then finish by adding white dots.  I used a Hero Arts background cling flourish clear embossed for the black background.  I was quite pleased with how this turned out.

Last night I also tried a new technique that involved putting lots of PVA glue onto glossy black card, sprinkling some PearlEx powders over it and squishing them all through the glue with a brush and then heating with the heat gun.  The glue bubbles up and then plops back to give a texture to the card.  My attempt was okay... but think I needed more glue... Still managed to make a nice card with it 
I punched the butterflies from a piece of the card I made.  The front of the card I had lying around from when I first got the die and had been practising.  ( I'd cut it back to front on a piece of folded card base) 

Today has turned out rather nice considering all the horrid weather we have had all week so I'm off for a walk to enjoy it shortly.  Just waiting for hubby to get home from visiting his best friend from his youth, who is very sick in hospital.  

Take care and thanks for visiting.

Saturday 29 May 2010

For a special person... be well soon

The adorable Deborah has not been well.  She has been suffering back problems and has been restricted in her movement and ability to sit at a computer or her craft table for long.... This wonderful woman is always thinking of others.... organising challenges for us to take part in as well as many other wonderful things so a few of us decided she needed "pay-back" and we sent her some cards to say we were thinking of her and wishing her well for improvement in her back issues.

I did this card -
It is CASE'd from an English Magazine called Cardmaking and Papercraft. I adapted their card to the stamps and nestibilities I had. I stamped the white background with the Flowers and Dots background in Key Lime chalk ink. I used the same stamp with Stazon on acetate and then cut out the bigger butterfly. I stamped the Inkadinkado flourish on to white card and layered it onto the green. Add lots of clear gems for some added bling and also added gems to the smaller green butterfly and stuck it on top of the acetate . I used the Dahlia nestibility to make the flower with words on it. Added some faux stitching and all done.

Deborah has now told me she has received this card so I can share it.  I hope all the cards made Deborah feel better knowing we all care!  I wish her a speedy recovery from this issue ( having been there - know how painful this can be)

Hope you weekend is going well - I've got a couple of cards to share tomorrow.... been waiting between rain showers to photo.

Thursday 27 May 2010

Embellish challenge... butterflies and colours

I have been seeing some lovely cards in Black, Green and Kraft so thought I'd check out why... Embellish Magazine are have a challenge with these colours:

I had a couple of tries before I finally had something I liked ( for some reason my first attempt kept smudging).


I started by stamping the old French writing ( Hero Arts) onto the kraft and layering onto black.  Next I took a smaller piece of kraft and stamped the Flourish ( Inkadinkado).  The butterfly is a Spellbinders die cut - cut from a piece of acetate that had the Dots and Flowers ( Hero Arts) stamped on it.  I painted the back with Lettuce Alcohol ink and covered it with white paint.  I placed it on the card so the Flourish gives an impression of the butterfly trail.  I added some Crystalline Kindyglitz which turned green on the card...  all in all I liked this card.  It is similar to one I did for a special person that I will post next week when I am sure she has received it.

Also tonight I can show you the lovely card I received from Isha in Switzerland as part of Deborah's Card Chain Challenge ( which reminds me June's challenge is ready to be signed up for here)
Isn't it lovely - Thanks to Isha.  Do pop over and have a look at her blog... lovely cards.

Have a great rest of the week everyone... almost the weekend.  I'm off to blog hop and catch up with what everyone else has been up to.

Tuesday 25 May 2010

May's card chain challenge,

As many of you know, I have taken part in Deborah's Card Chain challenge from the beginning.  This month her challenge was to use these colours
or this sketch  or the theme of Friendship, Mothers Day or Memorial Day.
My recipient was Deborah March who lives in Nova Scotia.  Now I had to look up the map to see where that was!!!!!  Deborah has a great blog here.  She is one extremely talented card maker who has been recognised all over the place.  She has the most amazing tutorial on her blog for making flowers.  Go see this.
Anyway I sent off a card based on the sketch and another card with a book mark as part of it.
I had made some purple alcohol ink background and I cut a circle in half for the pieces.  The quote is from a set of by Inkadinkado kids quotes. 

For the book-mark card, I started by adding a strip of silver duct tape on the white card and embossing it with a CB border.  I added some colour to the buds with Copic pens. I then cut it to fit onto the side of a card.  I used a perforating cutter to mark down where it is torn off.  The rest of the card was decorated with a panel - made by stamping the HA cling Flourish in silver ink onto a black card wrapping some silver thread around it and mounting on silver card stock then onto the purple. The birds were made by stamping twice onto the purple card and then when I cut them out, turned one over. 

As usual I had fun making these cards and love sending them off.  I can't wait to see what I get in the post... hopefully not too long away.

Thanks for looking today, wishing you all a great day.

Monday 24 May 2010

Cook up a Card Recipe challenge

I had an email from the lovely Monika to tell me about Cook up a Card where she is on the design team. The monthly challenge is based on a recipe - May's is 3 leaves, 2 flowers and 1 bird.
This is what I came up with.... Using my new Stampin' Up! set Vintage Vogue. I stamped the brown card round the edge with the vines ( doesn't count for the leaves!!!) and then put the 3 leaves, 2 flowers on the white inner piece with the bird in the corner. That's from an Inkadinkado set. Sentiment by Hero Arts - Anytime Messages.  I had to take the photo on the kitchen window sill as the wintery rainy weather came back yesterday and today.  Not much fun - especially as I seem to have got a cough!!!!  Came home early and had a 2 hour sleep this afternoon - woken feeling only slightly better.... hopefully it won't develop into anything nasty.

Thanks for visiting and once again, a big thank you for all the wonderful comments... really makes my day.

Take care

Saturday 22 May 2010

Paper Play wedding challenge.... and a nice sunny day

The last few days have been very wet and much cooler but today is just lovely so I managed to get out and photograph some of the cards I've made over the past few days...
Last night I saw on Deirdre's blog that  Paper play challenge this week is about weddings... I had this lovely paper from a pad by Cre8tive that fitted the colours for The Play Date Cafe challenge as well... so this is what I came up with.
To get the yellow in, I added the PP to a yellow card base. 

This morning I decided that although the weather has improved, it is still starting to get cooler and that means Soup!!!  So I put on a big pot of veggie soup.  And popped some bread mix in the breadmaker.... Now it was a mixture I haven't used before and I did put the amount for a small loaf in but.......
didn't expect it to be this small~~~~~   however it did taste rather nice... A multigrain bread.  and here is the soup
and this is the view from the kitchen windows....
I have a corner window in the kitchen so get a lovely view out to the garden and trees around us.   Bit gleary due to the sun shining in at lunch time.

Hope your Saturday is as lovely as mine is.

Thanks for visiting.

Friday 21 May 2010

Play Date Cafe Challenge #30

While I was visiting my favourite blogs this week, I saw the lovely colour challenge on The Play Date Cafe's  this week.
Such lovely colours...

I was driving home from work thinking about making a card for the challenge - okay I thought, pink background,  yellow cage, green bird.... Hold it...haven't I done that already?... so checked when I got home and yes I had!!!!   Thought it was a great idea!!!!  Silly me~

For the details check out this post from the last weekend

Weekend has officially started for me.  My son and his girlfriend are cooking Nacho's for dinner.... tomorrow evening we are off to the movies to see "Robin Hood" and then on Sunday off to visit the daughter... she had two wisdom teeth out this week so feeling a bit sore... will go cheer her up!!

Hope you all have an enjoyable weekend.

Wednesday 19 May 2010

Everyone needs Chocolate

Today I found out one of my colleagues down in Timaru ( in the South Island) is pregnant... so she needs this card...

It is an all digital card. The background paper is from this set by Betsy Tuma.  It is a free set from 2peas.  The image and sentiment from this set from Bugaboo.
I printed out the stamp and sentiment and coloured with inks and pencils and a watercolour brush.  The lovely layers are from some I got over a year ago from Monika.  I still have a few left to use.  I was pleased this all came together very quickly so I'll be sending it off tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by.  May your week continue to be good.

Tuesday 18 May 2010

More inspiration from Nancy and Michelle,

Now I have found out that Nancy's card that inspired me was actually inspired by this one from Michelle.... I can say thanks to both of them for the wonderful design.  I thought of all my stamps that would work well with this design ... the Silhouette Bells came to mind.  I started by stamping them in black on some PP by Kaisercraft - but decided I didn't like that and re-did them in a green pigment ink on white card.
I put the PP on the white base after I masked and stamped the Old French writing.  I added a strip of black an mounted the three squares and added the sentiment.

I then played around with the first pieces I stamped  and came up with this....
It is a tall skinny card... but I am really pleased with the outcome.

I have also been working on something special - but can't reveal it all.... so here is a sneak peak.....

Hope you are all having a great start to the week.... Take care and thanks for visiting

Saturday 15 May 2010

Great day for stamping....

~~ Warning - long post!! ~~
Late this morning the weather in Auckland was terrible... thunder and lightening and torrential rain... wasn't I glad to be inside at Sandie's place for our stamping group!!!!!  Nice and cosy.  We had the wonderful Jacque come and demonstrate some of the new products from Stampin' Up!  We did this amazing make and take
I really liked the set we used called Vintage Vogue that I ordered it!!!!  So some more of these will be made. 

After a wonderful lunch... lovely hot veggie soup from Sandie and other goodies from the rest of us.... we got on with more stamping.  Today there were a total of 8 of us.  So lots of sharing, talking and card making.    I started with a card using my new Tim Holtz birdcage die.
I started by cutting out the cage and bird in cream card stock and sponging with distress ink,  I then stamped the bird with Antique Brocade in the Shabby Shutters ink.  My PP was a piece of some of the Peachy Keen paper by Gina K that I had printed out a few weeks ago.  The sentiment is from a set by Three Bugs in a Rug.

My next card came about as I had really liked the owls I did last weekend, but didn't want to buy the die set... so I thought about what I had that would work instead.  I remembered having an Owl in an Inkadinkado set I got at Stamp Camp a couple of weeks ago.  So hunted him out and this is what I finished up with.
I was pleased with the result.  Janet, Helen and Sue all stamped him off as well, so more owls around Auckland!!!!!

My next card for the day was inspired entirely by the amazing Nancy from her post on her blog.  She is teaching a class this weekend and had showed the card she was going to do with the Hero Arts Poppy Background stamp - here -  and this is what I did
I stamped the Poppy background onto white card with Garden Green Ink ( from the wonderful Oz)  I punched out 3 pieces from the stamped piece and matted with black card.  I stamped the Antique Background - 2nd generation to get a very light look- on the right side of the Olive base card.  Then finished with the sentiment - similar to Nancy's card.

and this is what Helen came up with

Sue also did one but I didn't get a photo of it. In her one she cut one strip of the matting and put all three pieces of the green poppy straight onto it rather then individually matting.  She used a white base and added the word " Happiness" in Kiwi Kiss green ink at the bottom.  So, one inspirational card and 3 different takes on it.  Many thanks to Nancy for the inspiration.   

I even managed to make a start on another card... more Poppies... I just LOVE that stamp!!!! ( almost as much as my butterfly stamps!!!!)

thanks for visiting me today... Hope your Saturday was as much fun as mine.....  next weekend  - NO STAMPING GROUPS - but lots of housework to catch up on after 4 Saturdays in a row of cardmaking!!!!

Thursday 13 May 2010

You Hoo... Birthday Owls

At Stamp Group on Saturday our make and take was the three owls - They were cut with a new die by EZ Cut. We cut three owls out of 3 different card, pulled them apart and mixed up the colours to put them back together, We also cut the branch with another EZ Cut die. I put mine on a piece of pp that had been spritzed with Walnut stain ink solution. It was my first time using the spray bottle and I got a few splotches... but that made it look cool. I layered it on black and then olive card stock on a white base. My little owls were pop dotted for dimension. I then stamped the words "you hoo" in top and bottom corners

I really like these dies by EZ Cut - so ordered some... two different borders - and one that embosses and cuts a square out of the top part of the card. Really different. I picked them up today. So lookout for some embossed cards coming up.  Just to find some time to do some crafting.... maybe Saturday as I'm off for my fourth Saturday in a row - stamping.... going to a Stampin' Up! demo and stamping at Sandie's place....

Thanks for stopping by... I appreciate it.

Monday 10 May 2010

Something a bit different.

I found this wonderful blog yesterday - while surfing and blog hopping with TiddlyInks.... Valita had this amazing template for an Iris fold dress.  I decided to give it a go and ended up making this card for my niece's 21st ( previous card now back in the pile!!!)  This one is so pretty I am really pleased with it.
The silver is a very shiny slippery piece of Christmas wrapping paper - but it gives such an awesome look.  I used the same Inkadinkado stamp that Valita used on her card.   ( Note - yet another Purple card!!!!!) 

Tonight I quickly made a Thanks card for the woman I sit beside at work.  Jasmine came in this morning with a pile of old stamps she had and doesn't use any more.... All of them by a company called All Night Media.  One of them was a lovely Spring Bouquet and I used it to make this card.... following one of the Caardvarks sketches for this months challenge.
I coloured in the image with my water colour pencils and cut it out with Label 4 ( just arrived today) and used some of the Kaisercraft paper and die cuts that also arrived today - part of my prize from Paula for the Cuttlebug challenge last month.... Thanks Paula.... ( will blog Em's card once I get a good photo of it!!)   The top scallop is cut with a new border die from Spellbinders. 

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day... dinner out with the kids and their partners was just lovely last night, a lovely finish to a wonderful day.  Have a great week.... and thanks for visiting.

Saturday 8 May 2010

Stampin' Saturday

For the 3rd Saturday in a row I have spent all day stamping... this week it was our monthly group at Stamp'n'create.  We had a full house today... 10 of us.  I had in mind that I would make my card for May Card chain challenge.... using the sketch Deborah put up here...but got a bit waylaid.... Judi had some new Hero Arts stamps in and I just couldn't resist the Poppy Background Cling...  it is just amazingly versatile....

 
Three times used and three different looks.
For the first card I stamped with Versamark and used white embossing powder then rubbed red Brilliance ink over the lot.  Matted on black and then onto Bazzil.  Not sure what sentiment I'll put on this one.
Number two, I stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and used water colour pencils and watered down Liquid Pearls to colour it in. Matted onto purple and then the white base card with a bit of sheer ribbon.
The final piece is still to be made up - but it so beautiful.  I stamped with Versamark on black card and embossed with a powder called Winter Illusion.  As the card is moved, the colour changes from pink to green.  I have captured a little of the look on the photo.  I'll probably matt onto white then onto black base card... maybe add a bit of ribbon or scallop the bottom....

That kept me a bit busy for the day.... but I did manage to get the card made that is going to Deborah in Canada.  Her blog is very inspirational and has a lot of tutorials. 
Here's just a wee sneak peek at the card I did for her.


We also had a demo on making a step card.... however my measuring must have been off as I couldn't get the card to sit straight!!!!  Still good practise.  Less haste more speed next time!!!  And we did a make and take that involved using new die cuts of an owl and piecing them together... I got the owls finished but not the card.  Will need to finish it during the week.


Tomorrow is Mothers Day so to all my readers who are Mum's - have a great day and enjoy your families...  I'm going out to dinner to celebrate both Mothers Day and Emma's birthday... double celebrations at her favourite restaurant...Gaku Teppan Yaki...
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Thursday 6 May 2010

Happy Birthday darling.....

Today is my daughter's 24th birthday.. I'm sitting here wondering where all the years have gone!!!!  It only seems like yesterday that my darling Emma Jayne was born.... ( That means I'm getting older too!!!!)

Last week she saw one of my monochromatic butterfly cards are mentioned she would like a Flutterby on her card!!!!  So I came up with this
it caused me no end of trouble..... First version - the mask moved and my sponging went wonky... next one got it right but then ended up with inky marks over it... 3rd time perfect.... except it was upside down on the card!!!!  At least I was able to selvage that one - cut it down and put it on the olive card base.... finally got it how I envisioned it in the first place.... I used Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters distress ink on a very light cream card.  The background was a HA Cling stamp - Antique Background - and the butterfly was stamped from the same stamp... I made the mask by cutting the oval out with the nestie and using the negative like a stencil.  Really pleased with the result.

My son (Kieran) also got me to make a card for Emma as well.... I chose her favourite colour - Purple- to make a monochromatic card as well.... based on the easel card I made in the weekend at Stamp Camp.
I used HA Silhouette Grass with Dusty Concord distress ink to make the background.  I used an Kaisercraft stamp of a dragonfly and stamped it twice on acetate.  One layer I coloured with a Copic and the other layer I smeared Kindyglitz over.  Cut out and layered together.   As Kieran has not yet given her this... I have told her she is not allowed to read this post, till she gets it!!!!! So it will be a surprize...  We are all going out as a family for dinner on Sunday to celebrate her birthday and Mother's Day...

So to my darling daughter... Happy Birthday!!!

Tuesday 4 May 2010

You're the Bestest!!!

My new Penny Black stamp is called this!!!.  When I got home on Sunday evening, Yvonne, the leader of our Family Group through church was on the phone to hubby.... she was just letting us know one of our members, Pam, had had a mild heart attack ( she's in her 80's) and Yvonne asked me to make her a card.... so I broke out the new stamp and made a get well card
 
 Isn't it just the cutest istamp!!!  I coloured it with my watercolour pencils, used a nestie to cut it out and then layered on the yellow and cut round it.  The sentiment is from Hero Aets and inside I stamped " feel better soon" from an American Crafts set.  I dropped it round and popped it in Pam's letterbox on my way to work yesterday morning.

It's my daughter's 24th birthday this week ( Thursday)  I can't believe that it was 24 years ago she was born!!!!  Time seems to have gotten away on me.  I have been busy making her a card - so will post after she has had her birthday. It was a bit of a mission as I kept getting ink in the wrong places and having to redo it!!!

Thanks for stopping by. 

Sunday 2 May 2010

Stamp Camp 2010 - Day 2

Well I arrived home at 4.45pm today - totally shattered!!!!!  Another full on day...
this is what our table looked like mid way through the day -
Stuff everywhere!!!!  No wonder I kept misplacing things~~

 We did a number of projects - starting off by putting together our Jacob's Ladder mini album - still not finished though as I have to put some photos on it... then moved onto making a hanging ribbon that fits in a little round container.  It was using several different techniques - water spritzing and using reinkers to colour an embossed flower - one of which used a reverse stamp to make a mirror image - so when we sandwiched the ribbon between the tow pieces were identical.  We also used a smashed paint technique with Twinkling H2O's and acetate and glossy card to make a lovely background to stamp butterflies on.
 
After morning tea it was onto a rather complicated card that involved sponging, stamping and making some mini books by sewing paper together ...
Took a while... and I stuffed up as I didn't realise that I had to leave tails of the thread we used to sew the books together so I could put beads on them!!!  so again I didn't get this one finished.
After lunch it was onto what was called an Exercise Block - 'cause there was a little note to go with the project that said:  "place this block on the ground, walk round it twice and then go relax... congratulations as you've just been round the block - twice!!!"
This one was fun... We made the box as well as the canvas block.  The stamping was done onto tissue and then with Mod Podge it was put onto the canvas.  The dragonflies were stamped on acetate and then had Kindyglitz added, cut out and popped on to the canvas.

We followed this one with a lovely Easel card.  I misplaced the ovals to make the greeting so another one to finish this week.  This one used one of the newer Hero Arts stamps which I really think I need now!!!
The butterfly on this was stamped with Stazon on acetate twice, once coloured with Copics and the second one with Kindyglitz.  They were then layered together and added to the card with a "w" piece of acetate so they seem to float...
and our final project was a Book mark card... where the bookmark was part of the card and could be removed. 
By the end of the day, I think we were all very tired and pleased to be heading home to relax. 

All in all, a very productive and fun weekend... lots of new techniques learnt, friends made and in my case a few new stamps and products made there way into my craft bag...

Hope your weekend was a great as mine...

Saturday 1 May 2010

Stamp Camp 2010 - Day 1

PS  this is a long post.... like the day was!!!
Whew... what a day.  We started at 9.00am this morning and our table looked like this:
but I can tell you did not look this tidy at the end of the day.  Our table of four had a great day... Angela, Bernie, Jax and I had a fabulous time.  We started the day with Kay giving us our kits for a mini Jacobs Ladder album that we will do tomorrow.
Our task for the day ( and homework if we didn't get it done) was to prepare all the pages.  Our group managed to get them done through out the day.
Next was to prepare a cover for the Technique's folder we were all given.  It involved stamping on cold laminate, turning it over and adding gold leaf and PearlEx powder and then added that to Jac paper and surrounding it with crumpled up and inked tissue paper, mesh,leaves and flowers.  Unfortunately the weather turned a bit nasty and I didn't get to go outside and get some photos.  Will try again tomorrow or Monday to get some good photos.
Onto the next project- a broach.... under the tuition of Sue.  This one involved stamping and shrinky-dink.... I have to admit to failure of one of my pieces :-(  It curled up into a ball and nothing would persuade it to behave!!  Still got there in the end
Next card caused me some issues as well....It was an amazing Zig Zag card... you cut a piece out of the middle of a long piece of card, folded in a concertina and added another piece in the middle... sounds complicated but once I get the photo up - you'll understand what I mean....
 It took a couple of goes to get the inside the right way!!!!
 
Next was a card shaped like a box.... needed accurate cutting of pieces the right way round.... luckily we were given plenty of patterned paper-  ( photo tomorrow or Monday as I haven't quite finished it!!!)

then onto a simple flower card - just lots of layering of the flower... Stamped 5 times and sponged then layered.

Back to Sue for the next card - one using strips of card and a hot glue gun!!!  We made our own patterned card by stamping on green and cream card with gold and red and green inks... cut into strips.  Once the strips were all put together we used a hot glue gun to make patterns on the card.  Once they were dry, we rubbed metallic paste onto the glue.  Very effective
Made one more card before heading home for the day... it involved using a Spellbinders flourish ( 11 pieces) all stuck together to form a circle.  It also used some Perfect Pearls so it was still wet at home time so that will have to wait till tomorrow to view....

So you can see that it was really a full on day - tomorrow 9.00 until 4.00pm... so will be one tired but happy stamper!!!

Thanks for taking the time to view this...
Cheers and happy stamping.....

PS- forgot to say I arrived home to TWO parcels... stamps and inks ordered this week!!! so even more fun for next week..new stamps to play with!!!! .(together with new stuff from camp)