Thursday 27 February 2014

February CCC

Greta has received my card in Deborah's February's CCC so I can now share it here


This is a new stamp from Close to My Heart.  I got it because of it's sayings... The stamp is called "Island Greetings" and the words Kia Ora are Maori (NZ Native language) for Hi there.  I used some PP to cover my card base and then stamped the image onto some water colour paper and torn the edges.  The sentiment is a little Hero Arts stamp.

And the card I received was a beautiful butterfly card from Jo in England.  Be sure to visit Deborah's blog on the 1st of March to see all the CCC cards and to sign up for March CCC.  It's such a fun thing to do. 

Thanks for stopping by

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Bitten by the scrapling bug....

We did get warned that scraplings could be contagious!

Neon scrapling


The background is one of the pieces of paper I made with my Gelli plate and some bubble wrap.  The green ink didn't seem so neon when I put it on the plate.  I then used some Hero Arts Neon ink with some WPlus9 Fresh Cut Florals which I had die cut.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.

I really enjoy these little scraplings.  They make great little gift tags or just little any time notes.

Short and sweet tonight as I've got lots to do getting organised for our two weeks away.  


Sunday 23 February 2014

Martha's 90 min Scramble

Today on the Flickr Hero Arts Group, Martha hosted the 90 min scramble and for once it was at a very convenient time for me.... 8.00am on a Sunday morning.  She had a great challenge.... to do a scrapling card... using up that little scrap of card that comes about when cutting down a rectangle card to a square one.

Scraplings for Scramble #78


My blue scrapling was made mostly with scraps on the desk.  The long strip was from cutting an A4 card into a square card.  I ended up with a few long strips that I usually keep for stamping and making into banners.   The background was a scrap where I tried double stamping but it was a little "off"  Not quite where I wanted the stamping.  The cupcake was paper pieced with two scraps in the pile and even the little ribbon was a scrap on the desk.

For the brown one, I used a new Tim Holtz stencil and some Tea Dye distress ink and then edged with a Brown Pitt Calligraphy pen from Faber Castell.  The coffee cup was stamped on the background and then again on a scrap, coloured and then cut out and layered on top.  It was fun pulling out some older Hero Arts Sparkle clear sets to make these two.

I then made another couple of scraplings  - but just now realised I didn't quite follow the instructions as they should have been more than one layer!!!!

Scraplings set 2

The blue on is made like a mini tag card, using new Hero Arts goodies... the ink being Neon blue and the stamp from the new "Forever" Stamp your Story set.  Just added a sentiment from the "Everday Sayings" set (an older one)

And the brown balloons, a very CAS scrapling using one of the stamps in the "Flying Air Ships" cling set.  Simply coloured with Copics.

Had a fun 90 mins making these.  Now getting ready to head down to the beach to enjoy the late summer sun.


Sunday 16 February 2014

Curtain Call Cozy Quilt

 

Today I was catching up on some challenges and DT work in anticipation of my two week holiday coming up in March.  We are away from 1st March till the 14th and there's a lot going on.... One challenge I am participating in is with a group of NZ crafters and it's to make a quilt card.  And Curtain Call is a cozy quilt
The inspiration pic is for a soft looking quilt, but  I went for a more masculine quilt

IMG_7824

I used three sheet of two sided paper from "Loyal" pad by Authentique to die cut the MFT hexagons.  I then pieced them all onto my card and embossed with a folder.  I trimmed and matted onto some dark kraft card and then onto a white base.  I white embossed the Simon Says Stamp sentiment onto the kraft card and added some gems coloured with a green Copic.  

Its been another fabulously summer weekend here in Auckland... one hectic weekend in the city with a huge number of events on.  Hubby went to the Rugby League Nines today so I stayed home and read, sunbathed and did some crafting when it got too hot outside! 

Two more weeks of work before the holiday so counting down the days.   More on the trip away in the coming weeks.


Friday 14 February 2014

Happy Valentines and Happy Birthday to Linda

Happy Valentine's Day, and yes, Valentine's Day is the birthday of Linda Wetterlin, our fabulous guest designer at Die Cut Divas.   To celebrate I have made her a card - using her favourite colour PURPLE


When I got my Dreamweaver stencils, I received a technique sheet for a technique called "Embossing Stire"  The technique involves using the stencil to emboss.  I used the totally awesome embossing pad that Dreamweavers have.  It is THICK and really embosses well.  I did spray the back of the paper with a special spray (but you can spray with rubbing alcohol as well)  this helps with the embossing.  Once you've embossed, you use a stencil paint brush with a pigment ink and drag it over the image. First one way then the other way.  This gives the look of linen.  I then decided to just add some distress ink over the raised area to give some definition.  I used some DCWV paper to cover my card.  The sentiment is a die cut from Britannia Dies cut with some purple card.  I finished with some gems. 

Happy Birthday Linda. 


Thursday 13 February 2014

All that Glitters....

The other day I saw a fabulous tutorial video by Jennifer McGuire using a stencil and glitter.  I really loved the idea and as I had a new stencil that had come with a magazine that I thought would be perfect.

First attempt - failure!  but I did end up with a sheet of plain blue glitter piece.

Second attempt - success.


I used a piece of Jac paper for my adhesive.  My glitter was a blue and silver fine glitter that I got at Spotlight.  It looks great but it went everywhere despite my best efforts... in my hair, over my clothes, all over the desk and the floor...

So this evening I decided to CASE Jennifer's cards.... Two for one glitter cards.



The first card used the main panel, using a Spellbinders Heart die to cut out the centre.  I used a Simon Says Stamp die (or at least part of one).  I cut it out  5 times and layered together.  The top layer was from my rejected glitter place which I added some darker colour to with a Copic.  The sentiment is also Simon Says Stamp...

The second uses the positive heart with a die cut Birthday from a Britannia Die, cut once with white card and one with blue card.  I layered slightly off set.  Finished by stamping part of a Montargo stamp.  Very CAS.
 Entering this one into CAS(E) this Sketch


I'm so loving using stencils in one way or another at the moment.  I bought several more last week and was very happy to see one with the latest magazine I bought.  I'll be back on Friday with a card I've done with a stencil for Die Cut Divas. 

                                                                                                     


Sunday 9 February 2014

Confidence

Today I have a CASE'd card I did the other day on my day off for our National Day (Waitangi Day)  The original card was in Australian Cardmaking Stamping and  Papercrafting.

Confidence

I used the same colours and sentiment for the my card, but used some Hero Arts stamps for my flourish and little flower.  I masked either side of the centre and used some Distress inks.  The sentiment is from Kaisercraft.

Yesterday we went to the wedding of my son's friend Mike to Kelsey.  The day was just amazing and Kelsey was a beautiful bride.  They were the first of my son's age group and friends to marry

 
Kelsey and Mike


 Scott, Mike and Kieran (my son who was best man)

 My Hubby and Kieran - my handsome men.

As you can see the weather played it's part and was hot and sunny.  I was so proud of my son, he looked so handsome and made a lovely speech.  The reception was held at the local hall just round the corner from our house so it was nice to be able to walk there and back.  

Summer is finally here at last with beautiful weather the last two days.  Long may it continue.  


Friday 7 February 2014

In Your Comfort Zone

I saw on Lin's blog that WPlus9 were having a challenge to make a card within your comfort zone... using their stamps/dies.   I have two WPlus9 sets.... Fanciful Feathers and Fresh Cut Florals with their matching dies.

Of late I've been doing a bit with stencils...after taking the On-line Card Class, and today got some more stencils so I thought I would combine the two.


I started by using some paste over a new TCW stencil "Mini Chervon Tiles"  Once they dried, I spritzed with some blue glimmer mist and then used my SU Spray thingie with some blue and green Tombow pens.  I next die cut some die cut two feathers from some card also spritzed with blue mist.  I edged it with a grey marker and added some white dots.   The sentiment is from the Fresh Cut Florals  set.  I used two sentiments.  I layered the panel onto some shimmer card then onto the card stock.  I added the flowers with a bit of black twine.

I had fun making this ~ in my semi CAS style... not too many embellishments.  Think I could have added some sequins though. 

Had fun yesterday, on my day off for our National Holiday... cleaned my oven (using a tip I found on FB using Ammonia) then had a good amount of time crafting, getting a few things done.  Will share more later in the week.

Thanks for visiting.


Thursday 6 February 2014

Valentine's Gift box

Today it's my turn to share over at Little Blue Button Stamps.  I used a digi image called Valentine Eris.  I made a little Pizza box gift box to fill with chocolates.




I used Valentine Eris (minus her buddy) to be my focal image on my box lid.  I made my box with some brown pearlescent card using a piece 16cm wide by 29cm tall.  You can find the instructions HERE  This is a great depth of box, perfect to hold chocolates or even a big cookie!

My heart is from Spellbinders, the little heart being from the centre of the big one.  The banner is a little date stamp type stamp I picked up in a local junk store for $4 (4 stamps with 12 sentiments each)  I finished it with some little punched flowers.

Monday 3 February 2014

January CCC


CCC-Blinkie---all-sides

I was thrilled to see that Deborah Nolan over at Society of Stampaholics has resurrected her CCC (Card Chain Challenge) starting January.  For those of you who don't know about this... be sure to pop over to her blog and have a look.  It's all about making and sending a card to someone, somewhere in the world and receiving a card from someone else, somewhere in the world!  Win-Win for everyone.  You just sign up, use one of the three themes Deborah has in her blog post... (or two or even all three!) and then when she lets you know, off it goes.

This time my card was heading to Betty in Nebraska

January CCC

I used the sketch provided by Deborah and some pretty PP.  I used a Fiskars edge punch, a flourish and a hand made flower. My sentiment is a happy little one from a Hero Arts set. 

And I received a gorgeous card from Alicia in Australia 

http://dominodebi.typepad.com/.a/6a00e550066280883301a3fcaf51eb970b-320wi

so a big thanks to Deborah for organising this.  And if you want to take part for February... sign up HERE.... I have!  See you there.


Sunday 2 February 2014

Dreamweavers at Die Cut Divas....

 Dreamweaver Stencils Sponsor

Yes the wonderful Lynell has agreed to sponsor us at Die Cut Divas again this month.... and guess what!  She has agreed to give us 4 prizes.. YES 4 prizes this month... one for each week.  How generous is that!  And she provided the Divas with some stencils and dies to work with, thanks so much.

Hannah's theme this month is "Girls Night Out".. to work with some friends (if possible) using a "girly" theme or a pink theme.

I've not had a chance to meet up with any friends in a while.... summer is always busy ~ and like this past weekend, we often go away for a few days R&R at the beach, but I did get to make a PINK card for the theme.

Very PINK!  In my latest purchase from Simon Says Stamp! I got a Gelli pad.  I've seen lots of artists using them and decided I need to try it out.  My background was made with some Chromacryl Magenta paint on my gelli pad and then the texture was using some bubble wrap, a piece of burlap ribbon, the cap of a spritz bottle, a stencils and goodness know what else!  I stuck with just the one colour print from the pad.  Over this I have layer a Dreamweaver's  Leafless Tree Die  It's huge and fitted my 13cm square card perfectly.   I added some punched flowers (in pinks) and some Enamel accents for the centres.  The Love sentiment is part of a Hero Arts sentiment.  I just used the last part with the big word.    I was thrilled to see that Dreamweaver used my card on their Facebook page and their blog today. 

Please hop over to Die Cut Divas blog to see what beauties the other Divas came up with and join us in our Girls Night Out Challenge.