Thursday 31 May 2018

Winter Blues....

Hi there.  Yes winter has arrived here in NZ.  There's been cold winds, snow skiffs down south and in general just cold and wet here in Auckland.   So what better theme for our new challenge at Southern Girls Challenge

Our lovely sponsor is

I've used  the delightful Warm Hand Warm Heart image

Isn't she so sweet... and a warm hot chocolate is just the thing for a cold winter's day

Thanks for visiting. 

Wednesday 30 May 2018

AECP - Irreistable Inking Techniques.

I'm still off work with the bad cough and cold.... doctor has given me a note for the whole week off.   I've been feeling quite lethargic and have been staying in bed and doing lots of sleeping and reading.  But yesterday felt a bit better so did another card for my AECP classes.


I did the Irresistible Inking class and had so much fun.  Nicole took the class and made it so much fun.  It was so inspiring to see different ideas to use inks - from stamp layering, brayering, painting with the ink and stamp block inking.  

I chose to do a couple of techniques for my card.


I took a round stamping block and smooshed ink onto it and spritzed with water and "stamped" it onto some watercolour paper.  I then stamped my Beautiful Day stamp over the edge of the circle.  I then used some of the darkest ink to paint the rose before using the same ink to stamp layer 3 of the set.  Loved the way the shading work like this.   I was also inspired by Nicole's use of ribbon on her card.... something I haven't used for a while.  I cut this into a slightly smaller than usual card.

This is my final card for Level 1 and I now have my assignment.... a real challenge!  Too take 3 of the techniques from the 10 classes and combine on one card....

Well it's time to go finish getting the dinner on.  Hot chips are cooking for our mixed grill tonight.

Tuesday 29 May 2018

Sending Kindness

Hi.  29th means it's my day over at Die Cut Divas.   Our sponsor is Gracielle Design
Although our theme is May Flowers.... my card showcases what comes after fruit flowers....

A quick CAS card as the pears take centre stage.  I used Copics and Spectrum Noir makers to colour them.  And die cut the panel with a Lil'Inkers stitched die,  

Sunday 27 May 2018

Yellow Roses.... more Altenew layered die cut roses

I had so much fun making the die cut layered Altenew roses yesterday I had to make more today.  I die cut three roses in white card and then used some yellow Altenew inks to sponge onto them and green inks for the leaves.  I used a sketch idea I saw in the magazine that came with the dies to make these two cards.


This one had a bit of a opps moment.....

I wasn't concentrating and my sentiment got stamped upside down.  So I had to re stamp it on a stripe of white card and layered it over top.  I looked a little strange so added another tiny strip of the glitter washi. 

And with the left over rose I made this one


My stripes on this one are done with Altenew Industrial Diamond ink and the Classy Stripes Stencil.  I added some glittery washi and some vellum and then fussy cut around the sentiment from Sincere Greetings.  Just added a few clear sequins and it was done. 

It was relaxing to play but still coughing and sneezing all day.  Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be feeling better. 

Saturday 26 May 2018

When the cat's away.....

Mice will play.... well that should be when Hubby's away, I'll play!!!!!!

Hubby was up early this morning and headed off to help his friend with some renovations and other stuff... and as he had done most of the housework yesterday, I didn't have much to do this morning.... so once the bathroom was done, washing done and on the airer upstairs and the dusting in our room done, I headed into my craft room and PLAYED!  Well I did some Design work... now up to date - 3 blog posts scheduled and then had some fun with my Altenew goodies.

Last week I bought issue 174 of Simply Cards and Papercraft which had some layered Altenew rose dies - but have been too full of the cold to feel like playing till today.  The magazine also has some downloads of coloured squares to make choosing the colours for the roses super easy. 

I printed the paper and die cut three roses and lots of leaves...  My background is a lovely grey card called Wrought Iron.  I used one of the beautiful Altenew cover die backgrounds that my lovely friend Betty sent me.  Love the black and grey stripes behind the pinks of the roses.   Finished with  a white embossed sentiment from Fresh Freesia stamp set.



Then I watched a couple of the class videos for Altenew Academy's Background Magic.  This class is being taught by Laurel Beard.   It is mainly about Background stamps - of which I don't have any of the Altenew ones.  So some improvisation had to be done so I could try out some of the class techniques with Altenew products.   Laurel used a striped stamp and some masking in Day 4 - so I took one of the cover die backgrounds Betty sent me and made it into a stencil - and did some masking and stamping and voila....This idea came to me as part of my AECP - from the Easy Die Cutting class.  Day 2 was about using die cuts as stencils.  Totally inspired me for doing my homework for the latest class!  So many awesome ideas for using dies in many ways. 

Totally rapt with the result.  It looks very similar to Laurel's stamped background.   I don't have any Altenew silhouette stamps so just did a couple of layers of one of the stamps in Golden Garden.  Add the sentiment from Sincere Greetings.   My splatters were a bit wishy washy so added a few Enamel Accents as well.

So I've been in the craft room for over 6 hours... Hubby came home and then went out again to watch the local rugby team play... He'll be home soon.  Time to take a break... turn on the heater and think about a nibble before we head out to a "not quite 60" birthday party.  Our neighbour is 59 this year as are several of his friends and they are having a combined party at a local hall.  As I still coughing and spluttering, I'll wrap up nice and warm to go out.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday 22 May 2018

Polkadoodles Guest Designer - Digi Choosday

I'm super excited to have been chosen to Guest Design for Polkadoodles - Digi Choosday team.... and today is my first post...  As usual it's Anything Goes...our design team have chosen to go Vintage/Shabby Chic


So right into it... here is my card



I have used Ruby Boho  for my focal image.  She has been coloured with Prismacolor pencils.  All my papers are from Winnie Celebrations 3.  The sentiment comes from Winnie Special moments Quotes.  The die cut doily is a Catherine Pooler Design and has been embossed with a script folder.
My purple flowers are hand made by me from Foamrin and a freebie flower die from a Magazine.  I added a die cut flourish 


I'm entering this into the following challenges.
Color Inspiration Monthly 
Color Crazy - Anything Goes
Creative Knockouts - favourtie embellishment (my foamarin flowers)


 And here's a little bonus card I made with this gorgeous image.
This one came about as I initially printed out the image a little too large for my card base.  So I made this little scrapling. 

Do come and join the challenge..


Monday 21 May 2018

Birthday wreath and butterfly.

Hi there.  I had some fun the other day with some freebies from Simply Cards & Papercraft issue 173.  There was an embossing folder, some dies and stamps.  

I made a very CAS card, embossing with the folder and using my pencils to colour in the flowers.  Added some Nuvo drops and 3D liquid drops around the wreath.  I die cut the butterfly in the soft blue and some vellum and layered together.  Added some blue 3D drops for the body.  Finished with the birthday sentiment that was with the freebies.  

Do come and visit me tomorrow as I have some exciting news to share. 

Sunday 13 May 2018

Coffee and Love Go Together

It's my day to share over at Die Cut Divas ..   Our lovely sponsor is

I got to work with Coffee & Love digital set

I printed the image with the sentiment and used some Copics to colour up.  I then used a Catherine Pooler die to cut it out.  Next I layered it onto the an embossed panel and then onto the card base.   I loved all the sentiments in the set and it was hard to chose what one to us.

Do come and join us at Die Cut Divas with our May Flowers challenge.

Tuesday 8 May 2018

Belated Birthday elephant

My mind has been letting me down.... I missed my friend's birthday on the 3rd so  quick belated birthday card for her.... thanks to the cute elephant from Wplus9 and the cute sentiment that went with it.

I started by sponging Distress Oxides inks - Shaded Lilac, Broken China and Crushed Pistachio and added some stars in Worn Lipstick and Delicata Gold.  Stamped and die cut the elephant and balloon and coloured with my Prismacolor pencils.  Added a bit of glossy accents to the balloon.

I must make myself a better list of the birthdays so I won't have to make belated birthday cards.  

Monday 7 May 2018

Happy Birthday to Emma

Yesterday (6th May) was my daughter's birthday.   I got to talk on video call to her in the  morning and to watch Archer play.

Here's the card I send to her


No stamping on this one... just some foiled patterned paper with a silver mirror card die cut from Elizabeth Craft Design..  A nice quick simple design.

Happy Birthday to Emma... we love you heaps.💖

Sunday 6 May 2018

AECP - Seasonal Scene Building....






Another class completed.... this time Seasonal Scene Building.  This one caused me serious challenges.... I don't own a single one of the stamps used in the class... so I had put my thinking cap on.  The class gave me lots of ideas to adapt.  - Using stamps and inks to make a background, use oversize scenes, masking a scene and window scene to name a few.   I chose to do a window scene.


I took the Winter Cardinal stamp and die to make my scene.  I did some sponging to make the sky and sun.  I die cut the branch and then used it in  the negative space to help line up the stamp in my MISTI to stamp.  I used the same technique to stamp the bird in green.   Added some flower sequins to finish off my scene.

What did I learn from this class?  Lots of good ideas about building a scene.  Using a window or frame really helps focus your eye on the scene.   I enjoy watching the scenes that Nicol created.  I now have some new stamps on my wish list! 

Dad got off this afternoon.  After 8 weeks it was hard to say goodbye...I will miss having him around. 

Thanks for stopping by.... got a few cards made  yesterday afternoon -   Tomorrow I will share my daughter's birthday card.  Today was her birthday.  We FB messenger video call her to say Happy Birthday and to watch Archer playing.  He came to the phone to say Hi to Pop and Nanny but was too busy to stay too long. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Friday 4 May 2018

Floral Fantasy

I really seem to be on a Floral roll... they are my favourite type of stamping at the moment.  Add to that Altenew Academy class - For the Love of Color.  I chose to use stamps from the Beautiful Day set to stamp onto some watercolour paper and pull out my Derwent Inktense pencils.

I took a wet brush and touched it to the tip of the pencil to add colour to the wet paper.   I used various yellows, red and orange colours to five some variation and texture to the rose.  I used three shades of green and two blues for the rest of the image.    I flicked some of the black pencil onto the panel after putting the mask back on the rose.  My sentiment is from Couture Creations.

I have added this to the Gallery at the Altenew class.
I am also entering it into:
Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.... feminine Anything Goes.
Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes 

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you get to do some crafty stuff this weekend... I'm not to sure if I will as we have a very busy weekend with my Dad set to head back to Australia after spending the last 8 weeks with us.  I'll miss having him around. 

Tuesday 1 May 2018

May Flowers at Die Cut Divas

Happy May Day all.... in the Northern Hemisphere it's spring time and flowers are popping up everywhere... Die Cut Divas theme this month is Flowers.  Our sponsor is Gracielle Design
Graciellie Design 

I used a flower from Sending Kindness set  


I printed the image and sentiment and coloured up with my Prismacolor pencils,  before cutting with a Catherine Pooler Designs die cut scalloped die.  I cut a second piece to add as the back of card.  I added a penciled frame around the image.

I am entering this into the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp 
- Shaped Card challenge at A2Z Scrapbooking
Anything Goes at Joy Clair  
- April Showers Bring May Flowers at CAS-ual Fridays


Hope you will join us at Die Cut Divas this month .