Gratitude...

I finally managed to sneak into the craft room for some 'me time', I was very good and got a lot of other stuff done first after I'd dropped my little cherub off, I'd had her Friday and Saturday night to give my Mum a good break, they have both been very sick with a cold virus, Mum is still coughing after more than a week and two lots of antibiotics later.

Not creating for a couple of weeks was making my fingers itch and I'm sure I've developed a nervous tic! LOL just joking.

As I was Blurfing (blog surfing) to find inspiration I came across a lovely sketch that just spoke to me about embossed textures and then the colour combo of Perfect Plum, Always Artichoke and a neutral had me sold.......LOL yes I know I really didn't have to look too hard or far. I've used Naturals Ivory here and sponged the base card with Always Artichoke.


I've also taken this opportunity to use one more of those stunning dragonflies, glass and diamonte and they just reflect so much light, they are beautiful, although the photo doesn't do them justice. I've also added a little bit of Fine Cosmo glitter to the raised polka dots to provide just a tiny bit more bling on this card.

I love this sketch but haven't done the cutsey images as I don't have many of those stamps in my collection just yet and I'm still working on developing my technique, so I hope I'm forgiven for putting in something a bit different on the challenge.




Colour Dare ~ Challenge # 98 Always Artichoke, Perfect Plum and a neutral

Sketch Saturday ~ Sketch

Fifth Ave oldies

Hi eveyone, I've been a bit busy with sick family and havn't found the time to craft for a while. I was having a clean up on my computer and I did find some photos of cards that I hadn't gotten round to publishing. So.....here they are, Enjoy!

I found this technique in a magazine and had to try it. White embossed flowers on water colour paper then spritz the flowers with water and use reinkers to make multi coloured petals. The effects are simply stunning.


I then used the smaller Fifth Ave Floral flower and did a blue card, I really love the way this one turned out. I used the encore silver ink pad reinker to add silver tips to the petals, although that doesn't show up so much in the photo.


I hope to be back posting more regularly in a couple of weeks. Who knows, I might even find a few more old gems which have yet to be published.

Final Valentine

This is the last valentine style card for 2011! Fitting three challenges in here.

The colour challenge was to combine Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Whisper White and Real Red. A challenge indeed, I stamped the French Filigree background stamp in Real Red on Crumb Cake CS, it comes out a bit darker that way. I also sponged the edges.

Cherry Cobbler hearts spritzed with Champagne Mist shimmer paint for lots of glimmer. Main hearts are Bella Toile background stamp in Cherry Cobbler on Whisper White. All this on a Very Vanilla card base with a strip of embossed Very Vanilla across the card, Add some rhinestones for bling and it's done!


Curtain Call ~ Act #69

Picture Perfect Creations ~ Love or Valentine Theme

Totally Stampalicious ~ Glitter and/or Bling!

Vintage Valentine

This colour combination appealed to me to mix with the Vintage challenge this week at Pals Paper Arts so again it covers off a number of challenges and I'm really happy with it. Lots and lots of shimmer paint used, this time I used a sponge dauber to dab it directly onto the stamp which was inked with Pink and I just love the look it gives.

This card was made specifically for the following Challenges...

Friday Sketches ~ Sketch # 141

Friday Mashup ~ Be My Valentine

Pals Paper Arts ~ # 80 Vintage

Play Date Cafe ~ # 68 Colour Challenge

It also ended up being my second entry in these challenges...

Just Add Ink ~ # 55 Just Add Love

4 Crafty Chicks ~ Valentines

Easy Craft Projects ~ # 31 Love

Hearts and Flowers Shaker card

This is my first attempt at a shaker card. Not sure I like them actually, the hearts won't go where I want them to! LOL

When I looked at the list of challenges that I covered off here I was pretty stunned 9 of them. woah! But then this close to Valentines it was bound to be easy.



4 Crafty Chicks ~ Valentines

Colour Create ~ #64 Chocolate, Strawberries and Cream Colour Challenge

Crafty Creations ~ #105 Three Little Words

Crazy 4 Challenges ~ #73 Valentines Card

Cute Card Thursday ~ #151 Hearts and Flowers

Easy Craft Projects ~ #31 Love

Just Add Ink ~ #55 Just Add Love

Some Odd Girl ~ Hearts, Hearts, Hearts

Stampin' Royalty ~ #58 Hearts, Hearts, Hearts

Katie's Birthday Card

My friends grand daughter is turning 4 and my grand daughter is off to the birthday party, she couldn't turn up without a card made by Nana!

This is my attempt to emulate the style I see on a lot of European cards using the Magnolia stamps....I think it needs some work as to me this looks a bit too busy.....maybe I should just stick to my usual stuff, but then again, you have to try new things now and then. I'm hoping that a 4 year old will just see the fairy, flowers and sparkles and it will be wonderful for her!

If anyone out there is used to this style of making cards, please feel free to leave some constructive critisim of this one, I'm open to suggestions on how to improve.

Swirls, hearts and flowers

I've managed to just squeeze in 4 challenges with this card.


I had to be just a little bit creative to meet the Ribbon and Lace criteria as when I went searching in my stash and in my sewing cabinet there was NO LACE! I couldn't believe it, no lace at all.....well I used the Eyelet Lace border punch and will have to just hope that's ok.

I've used the So Swirly wheel in both Concord Crush and Certainly Celery to make the background paper. Then added the ribbon and lace strip, a spritzed flower, label and heart. Also added just a little bit of bling with a rhinestone and some tiny pearls.

Just Us Girls ~ Sketch Challenge #70

SU Only ~ Challenge 12 Get wheelin' with Stampin' Around

Picture Perfect Creations ~ Colour Combo # 48

Hand Stamped Sentiments ~ Theme Challenge #54 Ribbon and Lace

Thoughts...

This creation is a combo of Mojo Monday and Play Date Cafe inspriation. It is continuing in the Pink theme that seems to be on the go at the moment. I'm pretty happy with the clean and simple look that I created with this entry.



Mojo Monday ~ Sketch #177

Play Date Cafe ~ Colour challenge #67 Opps too late, the collection closed. *Sigh*

Stylish Blogger Award!

How cool is this? I am stunned and so very pleased to be given this award especially as the presenter is not known to me. Thank you very much Tamie from Paper Infusions and More for bestowing this award on my blog. Now this really does call for a Happy Dance...lol




In accepting this award I need to do the following:

1.Thank the person/persons that shared this award with me and link it back to their blog/blogs.
2.Share eight things about myself.
3.Pass this award onto eight other bloggers that I have recently discovered.
4.Leave a comment so they can pass along the recognition!

Eight Things you never knew about me:

1. Crafty persuits over the years have been...Ceramics, Millinary ( I'll never make another felt hat in my life!), Beading, Leadlighting, Sewing and of course cardmaking and scrap booking

2. I've made 3 wedding dresses (not all mine!)

3. I LOVE dark Chocolate....mmmmmmm

4. Can't stand rude people who don't consider if others are affected by their actions, you know the type, pulling out in front of you on the road, stopping in the middle of the supermarket isle for a chat.

5. Love dogs, not so fussed on cats (sorry all you cat lovers)

6. I love reading fantasy along the ilk of David Eddings and Crime fiction

7. Confession time LOL ....I play World of Warcraft....although not so much lately

8. I love oriental fragrances in my perfumes


I'd like to pass on this award to the following blogs that I've recently discovered, let me tell you there were lots of oohs and ahhs when checking out the artistry of these talented people.

Bernie at CraftyBe
CoKo at K'ArtaCoKO
Rach at Paper Crafts by Rach
Maria at Maria's Merry Makings
Neil at Neelz Expressionz
Genny at Stampin by Genny
Bonnie at Stamping with Klass
Rebecca at Scrappywonder

Hearts, Hearts and more Hearts.

Seems to also be a pink day today, this is my second challenge card using Pinks.
I really liked this sketch and when I was looking at the Just Add Ink challenge colours, this sketch just seemed to pop off the page and said 'pick me!'

Sorry I seem to be pretty bad at taking photos today, this is just off centre enough to be annoying and it's the third attempt so it will have to do....I must be off kilter today!

All of the cardstock has been spritzed with Champagne Mist shimmer paint, it stands out in the photo despite it being off centre.



The Challenges for this card are

Just Add Ink ~ Colour Challenge #54

Friday Sketches ~ Sketch #140

Totally Stampalicious ~ Include at least 3 Hearts

My KISS card

Back crafting again after a small break dealing with cyclones, no power, phones etc has felt soooooo good. I went to my usual challenge sites and collected a number of inspirational ideas. For this first card I've used the KISS principle (keep it simple stupid!) LOL.....so of course I've used Champagne Mist shimmer paint, sponged edges and embossed sentiment (my favourite mix of clear and dazzling diamonds) plus a bit of bling in this simple take on the sketch and colour challenge.


This card is being entered into the following challenges.

Sketch Saturday ~ Sketch challenge

Colour Q ~ Colour Challenge

Mojo Squared

I really liked the mojo challenge sketch this week and originally did the circle one, then thought about it some more and decided to do the square version as well.


So for this one I've gone bright, Elegant Eggplant with embossed flourish from Friends 24 7. Then the So Saffron swirl is stamped with an old background stamp French Flair. I then cut and embossed Tangerine Tango butterflies and gathered the white satin and organza ribbon on the swirl and layerd butterflies to follow the curves. The sentiment is from Flight of the Butterfly


Mojo Monday ~ Sketch Square version

Best Yet!

OH My! I'm so thrilled with this card, I've had this idea floating around in my head about embossing the leaves from the two step bird punch and this weeks Mojo Monday sketch inspired me to attempt it on this card.

I've been on quite creative a roll lately and have the luxury of time to spend in the craft room. In particular with cyclone Yasi heading this way apart from doing the preparations, there isn't much else to do and all that nervous energy needs an outlet right?


Mojo Monday ~ Sketch

Totally Stampalicious ~ A No Occasion card

Crafty Creations ~ Heat it Up! Heat Embossing (entry No: 2)