Sunday 31 May 2009

Lets Party - Tuesday Taggers

Hi, this is my tag for last Tuesday's challenge, a bit late but it's been one of those weeks!  The theme this weeks was "Go Boldly and bright!!".
I had this gorgeous stamp from Penny Black called 'light the night' (well its my friend Kerrie's stamp, she loaned it me for this tag!).  I stamped it on white card and clear embossed it before colouring with Copics.  I've pieced the bag and her 'topknot' and dotted her jewels with a silver glitter pen.  The stamped image is attached to white glitter card with some hot pink and lilac ribbon . I've added the gems to the corner as well as the small tag, which was cut using a Spellbinders tag. The sentiment was computer generated, more lilac and glitter ribbon was added to the top of the tag to finish off.
Hope you've had a good weekend .........

Saturday 30 May 2009

Circles and Flowers




Good Morning, I'm quite excited to show this card today. I think its one of the prettier cards I've made.  I must tell you that I made this for the Stamp TV sketch challenge, which this week is Jessica's sketch.  Jessica has made some really lovely cards to introduce the new stamp sets on sale at Gina K's and her sketches are always interesting.  I found this at about 11pm on Thursday evening and couldn't help myself, I had to start.  I think it was 1.30am when I went to bed, but my card was done and I was very happy with it.

Stamps:  Gina K's Elegant Flowers, The leaves are from The Artful Stamper.
Ink:  SU Pretty in Pink, Mellow Moss
Card:  Gina K's Pure Luxury 120lb Pure White, Basic Grey DP, Craft Card in pale pink and Green.
Embellishments: Pink Rhinestones from Kaiserscrapbook, Pale Pink Flower from my stash, dressed with a silver filigree spacer set with a Kaiserscrapbook brad and some florist wire.
Equipment:  Spellbinders Nestabilities, Fiskars Border Punch. Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing folder.

I haven't posted this to Stamp TV yet, I thought I'd put it here first... hope you like it.
Have a restful weekend, it looks as though we're in for another wet one!!

Friday 29 May 2009

Friday Fun!!





When I was making my card for this weeks Mojo Monday I thought the layout would make a good centre opening card.  I wasn't brave enough to follow my instinct instead I've made one to show you today. 
I know I said a couple of days ago no more Wisteria paper from Basic Grey - but - I had this one that I hadn't cut into.  I planned the three inch square stamped up with Gina K's Iris from Elegant Flowers so...... just had to use it.

My friend Kerrie gave me a pack of all sorts of A4 card which is good quality so I'm using it and calling it craft card.
The base card is made of a sheet of mid yellow craft card cut to 6.25" x 9" then scored at 2.25" from both ends of the 9" and folded.
From the Wisteria DP I cut 2 strips  for the front of the card and before attaching I added the ribbon which holds the card closed.

For the Inside of the card:

Using a Nestabilities oval die I cut away the inside of a 6.25" x 4.5" piece of Wisteria to form  a frame. Before attaching this I 
stamped with VersaMark Happy Birthday and a flower stem from Fiskars Romance clear stamp set. 

You know what it felt good to do something a bit different, now I have a couple of other ideas running through my head so I'm off to play....

Thursday 28 May 2009

Christmas is coming!!!!


Well if you're anything like me you promise yourself every year that next year you'll start early with your preparations only to be rushing around at the last moment!
This year my aim is to make all my own cards and as a lot of them have to be posted early for the overseas deadline I'll need to start early.  I've already started my paper collection and I've been looking around for a couple of versatile stamps that might be useful.  This morning when I checked the blogs I follow I found one from Janet in the UK. She has found this new challenge blog due to start on Sunday and it sounds just what I need for my Christmas preparations so I'll definitely be checking in on Sunday.  If it sounds like something you might be interested in here is the link.  I might just see you there on Sunday............

Wednesday 27 May 2009

Freebie!!

It's another miserable day in Sydney - Grey sky with storms predicted for later today!!
No Card to post today but I have added the envelope pattern for Ellie's Birthday Card all you need to do is  click Here
If you use this, please leave me a link so I can see how you decorate yours, and if you let others know where you got it that would be good too.
I've got my fingers crossed that this works!!!!
Edited notes:  It works - great.

Tuesday 26 May 2009

Mojo Monday 88 - Circle Circus!


Late post today I went off shopping for some new DP!
This is my card for Mojo Monday (88).  Unfortunately I didn't have the card ready in time to photograph it in natural light so the colours aren't quite true!!  
I started with an A2 white card. The matt is Bazzill Teal card and the double sided DP is Kaisercraft On The Dot in shades of Burgundy, Teal and Pale Grey. Burgundy ribbon was tied in a bow off to the side before the vertical borders were attached to the card with the addition of four white mini brads.
I've stamped one of the SU Circle Circus stamps in VersaColor Sky Grey onto white card. Using two Nestibilities circle dies I cut out the White and Teal circles.  I added a Making Memories Pewter brad to the centre of the stamped image before attaching this to the card with foam tape.
I hope you like this one, I've just realised I used another of these stamps for last weeks MM sketch!!!!  I wonder does this mean I need new stamps.............

We've had a day of sunshine today instead of rain  yippee.  

Monday 25 May 2009

Ellie's Card!




This is a card I made for my niece Ellie who will be 18 very soon!
The first photo shows the 'envelope' which hold the 3.5 inch card.
The idea for this card came from the promotional folder for a new range of Sheridan Bedding!!
The second picture gives a better idea how the 'envelope' folds around the enclosed card.  One of the tabs has a split in it that the opposite tab slips into.
The envelope:
I used a double sided paper by Kaisercraft. 
The Scalloped circle is punched out using a Nestie and SU Tangerine Tango with Barely Banana punched in a plain circle. Ellie's name was computer generated and I tied a bow beneath this.
The lemon flower is attached above two punched Paper Shaper flourishes and the centre of the flower is decorated with an antique spacer and a gem. A small antique key is also attached a this point.
The Card:
Using a scalloped Nestability I punched out a card shape in soft blue craft card, then layered this with Barely Banana and the Kaisercraft DP.  The stamped shoe is from All Night Media and is stamped onto cream card in Memento Tuxedo Black, clear embossed then coloured with Copics. One small gem as a centre for the flower on the shoe and three larger to add to the looped knot to finish the card of.  The inside of Elie's card is stamped with a small heart shape using VersaMark.
I made a second one for Walshie's Birthday which is coming up will try and post the pics below.
Hope you like these cards..........


Saturday 23 May 2009

Third and Last Basic Grey Wisteria Paper

Good Morning, I hope wherever you are your weekend has been a restful one so far.  Here in Sydney we've had lots more rain the garden is sodden. We, however are so lucky as the north coast are in all kinds of trouble and some of these areas have only just recovered from the last downpour.  Walshie says the weather is fine in Melbourne can you believe it!  His job is on schedule so hopefully he'll be home Tuesday evening.

OK my card today is the third and last in the series I've made using Basic Grey's Wisteria paper, again the dark amethyst looks more like blue, sorry I won't be using this colour again for a while.
I used Bazzill black as my card base with the amethyst matt which was embossed with Swiss Dots.
I used last weeks SCS sketch challenge layout for this card with the addition of the ribbon.
The stamped image is from Gina K's Elegant flowers and I inked it with both Almost Amethyst and Mellow Moss.
Once the ink had dried I masked the image with one of my  Nestabilities ovals then sponged the edges with Versa Color Sand Biege. Hope you like this one.....
Have a great day.

Bird on a Wire!!!!!!

This is the card I made for Stamp TV's sketch challenge this week.
The image was stamped onto cream card, clear embossed and then coloured with copics.   I masked the image with an oval cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilities die before sponging  around the edge with Versa Color Sand Beige. This was then mounted onto a scrap of craft card which is a darker shade of the amethyst (It looks more like Aubergine here!!the colours in this photo are not really true, I tried to correct them in photoshop without much success I'm afraid). 
My card is an A2 piece of SU Sahara Sand with a scalloped edge along the front from an Amethyst craft card.
 I mounted sahara sand, which was embossed with Swiss Dots and the dp wisteria from Basic Grey  onto amethyst craft card. The narrow strip across the bottom is another of the papers in the wisteria range and it  is mounted on the same card as the stamped image.
My stamped image was attached to the body of the card with foam tape to pop it up and three brads were added on the left side to finish off. 
I've made one more card using this gorgeous Basic Grey wisteria will try and post this later today if not it will be here on Sunday.
Hope you have a great weekend........
EDITED UPDATE:
Oh I don't believe it....... I have just heard from Joan at Paperlicious that I correctly guessed how many stamp pads she owns and as a result she is sending me some new stamps from Claire Brennan. Claire has started her own stamp company called Waltzingmouse Stamps over in Ireland and they are gorgeous go see for yourself.   Oh and Joan has 203 stamp pads if you didn't know and I took a stab at 200 which makes my little collection look silly!
Anyway I'm off to buy a lottery ticket... just in case I'm on a winning streak (LOL).

Friday 22 May 2009

A Fun Little Card


This is a fun little card I made sitting at the kitchen bench!  As Walshie is away I've been able to eat what and when I like,which is nice.  I love homemade soups but sadly he is not over keen, occasionally he'll give in but not too often.  It's the same with a casserole, to him its stew and he's not fussed.  He likes his meat on a bone or a baked dinner. So yesterday I thought as it was such a miserable day I'd make a pot of soup, Peasants Soup to be exact with tomatoes, onions, beans, pasta and all the usual herbs and spices.  Whilst I was waiting to add all the different ingredients I put this card together. No stamping just cutting and sticking!!

I had the flowers cut from Basic Grey Romani dp  and just stuck some florist wire to the back of each. The vase was cut from a scrap piece of card . So all I had to do was make an arrangement of the 'flowers' holding the stems in place with some tape before covering with the vase.  I love that the flowers are free to move around, some sit back against the card whilst others stand slightly forward casting shadows. The base card is cream card stock with the corners rounded. 
 A quick fun little card for a wet and miserable Sydney day.......   Oh and by the way the soup was delish.... 
Have a great day.

See what I mean about the weather! I'm watching the rain come across the valley in waves!!!!

CAS 15


Todays card is one I made for Splitcoast Stampers CAS challenge no 15 the theme was black and white with a vibrant colour. I think it should have been a SU colour but I used this Color Box Chalk in Tangerine.
So my base card had all four corners punched with the corner punch. The  bottom of the card was punched with the Fiskars  leave it to weaver border punch so that I could thread the spotted ribbon through before knotting.  I stamped the image from SU circle circus onto white card then using a nestability circle punched it out before attaching it to the card with foam tape.
I decided for the black part of the challenge to make a frame. So using two nestabilities, one oval and one circle I cut the frame in black Bazzill card, this was then attached directly onto the card base. 
I've another little card to post a little later today - just need to get the camera out!

Thursday 21 May 2009

Mojo Monday 87


This is my card for this weeks Mojo Monday Challenge.
I picked up this beautiful dp from Basic Grey called Wisteria and my plan was to use it for a couple of challenges this week. The colours in this paper are beautiful soft and muted, except for the occasional darker flower, I love it.

So, I started with by card base which is from Bazzill, followed by a white card then this craft card in the darkest shade of the amethyst I've used throughout. I ran this card through the CB using Swiss Dots EF. The first square of my dp was mounted to the same lighter amethyst card and attached to the base. I used my corner rounding punch (with the guard removed) to punch a scalloped strip in the lighter amethyst and attached this to the second of my dp strips which runs along the bottom of the card. The stamped image is from SU Circle Circus and it was stamped in almost amethyst onto white card then mounted to the scalloped circle, I've attached these to the card with foam tape. Both the circles where cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities. Instead of the smaller square I chose to use two flowers that were coloured with Copics to match the lemon colour of the dp they sit on. I dressed the flower with a gold spacer set with a pearl. To finish off I added two small pearls in the top right hand corner.
I've left the sentiment off until I'm ready to send the card. I thought my sentiment would sit along the bottom dp eventually.
Hope you like this one, the picture doesn't really do it justice, I feel.

Wednesday 20 May 2009

'New Beginnings' - Tuesday Taggers


Hi,
Well I know I'm supposed to be in Melbourne but at the last moment I decided to stay home instead!  I was a bit concerned about going down after my recent flu episode and then Walshie said he would be working all week-end so I thought I'd stay at home, make the most of my time alone and get on with a few jobs before we go away in June.  
I spent some time today working on this 'tag' for the new Challenge Blog called "The Tuesday Taggers" check them out here. 
The first challenge is called 'New Beginnings' so my tag is called 'Spring'.
For the tag I mounted Kiwi Kiss to some white card and using a white pen marked a border around the edge. I cut out flowers from some dp called We Are Memory Keepers and attached these with a button and some gems to the base of my tag, letting the petals sit up (not sure you can really see that in this photo). I also punched a couple of swirls to sit amongst these flowers.  Just above this I used Delish flocked letters to spell Spring. Then I stamped a bird from a Heidi Grace clear stamp set and a butterfly from Hampton Arts Clear Stamps and popped them up with foam tape.  The basket of tulips is from SU A Flower For All Seasons, I coloured it with Copics after clear embossing first.  This I then cut out and mounted on a scalloped circle from SU.  Some cream satin ribbon tied and bowed at the top completed my first tag - hope you like it........


Tuesday 19 May 2009




For this card I started with the usual A2 card in white. I ran some tan Bazzill card through the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots embossing folder. The dp is the last small piece of a Basic Grey I think (from memory). I mounted this onto Kiwi Kiss and knotted some Kiwi Kiss ribbon with an antique heart charm threaded through the knot.

The image is SU Upsy Daisy and I've stamped it with VersaMark and then clear embossed it. This was mounted onto Kiwi Kiss with two swirls punched from the same card looped around the top. I used foam tape to attach this square to the card. Hope you like this one.........

I'm off to Melbourne tomorrow with Walshie so will be unable to post for a week.......it's going to feel strange - I'll miss it. I'm taking my Camera and my sketch book so hopefully will come home with all kinds of ideas for new cards. Please check back in a weeks time till then take care.......

Monday 18 May 2009



Good Morning, hope you had a good week-end.  
I have a 'Sympathy' card to show you today.  I've seen lots of really good Sympathy cards on other peoples Blogs and on Stamp TV. This is  the first one I've made and I thought it would be easy....... I actually found it quite hard, I played with ribbon, petals etc and nothing looked quite right.  This is what I came up with so tell me what you think.
I started with an A2 card base, then ran a piece of Kaisercraft double sided dp through the Cuttlebug using the script embossing folder.  The stamped image is from Gina K's Elegant Flowers.  I stamped this stem twice once in Perfect Plum and once in Almost Amethyst onto an oval cut with my Spellbinder Nestabilities. I mounted this onto a scalloped oval.
 Well this is where I stopped! It looked too blah (if you know what I mean).  I tried the patterned side of the dp which had some lime green and dots.... but no not right, ribbon etc. no.  Then remembered the SU pad of 6x6 inch pd had a grey which might work, so I cut a strip to set the oval onto and flipped it to have the two small corner squares featuring the darker grey.  The sentiment, which was computer generated onto the smallest Nestabilities ovals, was attached using foam tape.  I added the three small pearls to finish off.
I was thinking that perhaps these kind of cards are easier to make if you are making them for someone rather than just making one, if you know what I mean! Anyway I have one know and I've kept a sketch of it as well as a picture - just in case.........
Till tomorrow

Saturday 16 May 2009

Be it ever so humble.......


Just a quick post today - Donna Baker over at Stamp TV is hosting the sketch challenge this week and I think it's a CAS one. The challenges over there are a lot of fun, if you're lucky enough to win you get to choose a set of stamps. 
 I made this card yesterday and the front was so quick and easy I had to keep going and decorate the inside too!
I should explain that I have a 'thing' about bird houses!! I have a few around the house, inside and out. Some china, some timber and a few that I've stitched. So when I saw Rupa Shevde's stamp set 'home tweet home' I couldn't resist!!!
So the card:
I started with Sahara Sand from SU then used some DP from The Paper Patch.
I stamped one of the little birdhouses onto Sahara Sand with Memento Tuxedo Black.  I clear embossed this before colouring  with  Copic markers. This was then mounted onto Barely Banana and then an olive green from Bazzill before attaching to the card front with foam tape.  The sentiment is computer generated. 
 Inside the card I've used the DP again and stamped the larger birdhouse onto Sahara Sand. Clear embossed and coloured as the front. I made a little sold sign to hang on the front of the birdhouse with gold thread and completed the sentiment to finish off.
My sister-in-law is about to move house over in  England so this little card will be going to her!
Hope you have a relaxing Sunday.......


I made a second card using the sketch challenge from Splitcoast Stampers that I thought I would show today.
The Stamped image is from Gina K's Elegant Flowers set. I had coloured the first one using my Copic markers but although I had stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and heat set it the colours bled quite badly so I wouldn't use it. The second one I stamped the same on the same Gina K Pure Luxury 120lb card stock. This time I clear embossed it and used my coloured pencils with baby oil to blend. I'm pretty sure if I'd embossed the first one I wouldn't have had the problem but wouldn't take the chance!!!
I started with a white A5 card - ran some Barely Banana card through the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots embossing folder. The DP is from SU patterns pack II which is a 6" x 6" double sided paper. I punched out along one side using the spiral punch from SU. The stamped image is mounted to the embossed Barely Banana mat with foam tape.
Walshie and I drove down to Manly yesterday for a walk. It was nice to get out of the house and take in the sea air, the sun was out but it was still quite breezy. There were still plenty or sun worshipers lying in the sun which made me laugh as I had a roll neck jumper on and jeans!! We stopped and had lunch at the Deli before heading home which made it a pleasant little outing. I always have my little point and click camera in my bag so took a couple of pics to show you. I'm going to try and add them here at the bottom of this post.....fingers crossed.
Have a great day.

Friday 15 May 2009

Pretty in Pink


This is the card I made for the Splitcoast Stampers sketch challenge 228.
I was trying to think of a name for it if you've any suggestions let me know.
The image is a Lily from Gina K's  Elegant Flowers.   These flowers are one of my favourites (apart from the stamens which are a pain!) I've taken lots of photos of them and often use one in place of my photo on social networks.
Seems like I haven't been out much the last couple of weeks so I really need to go pick up some new patterned paper. I couldn't decide what to use for this sketch until I found a block I'd picked up in the bargain bin in Spotlight. It has these very bright colours that I thought I might use for kids cards.  I wanted to try my Gina K stamps so thought this would be fine.  
I used my Cuttlebug to emboss the plain pink with the Birds and Swirls folder and then lightly rubbed over with white chalk.  The green and pink second block has just had a border embossed on one end. I used the Swiss Dots folder to emboss the third block and the stamped image was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink which I then clear embossed. I used my Copics to colour the Lilies, backed them with plain pink and used 2 gold brads to finish off before mounting it with foam tape.
I've just decided to call it Pretty in Pink....... what do you think?
Walshie is home today so I'm being organised!  The kettle has been on more than off!! 
 Not that I'm complaining you understand........
Have a great day!

Thursday 14 May 2009

Mojo Monday 86


Hello!
The suns out here today though its quite windy. I've thrown all the windows and doors open again today and had a bit of a cleaning frenzy!!  Must be feeling a bit better.  We decided to postpone  our holiday until early next month - I have to tell you I'm really pleased too as I feel and look 90!!!  I could just imagine arriving at Christchurch Airport and being held in quarantine with suspected swine flu. Now I know that sounds dramatic but that's the way things are going for me at the moment. We were going to move it back two weeks but Walshie has to go to Melbourne so if I feel OK I might go with him and do some shopping!!!
Anyway enough of all this,  I want to show you a card I made for Mojo Monday - week 86
I've followed the sketch exactly this week, I liked the layout and had a play with some of my nesties. I have one odd set, but think I will have to get the scalloped ones to go with them.
For the first time I'm pleased with these mounted squares........ I will put that down to the nesties!
OK card stock is SU Kiwi Kiss, Pale Plum and DP American Crafts.
The stamped image is from SU A Flower For All Seasons - I just stamped the frog twice more on his own!
I coloured this one with coloured pencils and used baby oil to blend a little .
The centre image I raised by attaching it with foam tape.
The little 'Hello' stamp I picked up at a craft show, not sure who's it is -  it's unnamed - but I love it.
That's it for me today, have a great day......

Wednesday 13 May 2009


Hello, I'm still here feeling a bit better today, thankfully.
Just a quick post today that I call Friends are like flowers.
I've entered this card in Splitcoast Stampers CAS 14 which they are calling Rock & Roll.
Basically, you probably all know that this means you stamp a solid image in the lighter of your chosen inks before rolling the edge through the darker ink.
My inks are Barely Banana and Apricot Appeal. I tried a few combinations before I decided on this one as I wanted to use the Sahara Sand card for the background. 
The stamps used are SU Upsy Daisy and Gina K sentiment from Elegant Flowers.
 Because it is quite a pale image (which is what I really wanted) I mounted it with foam tape onto Barely Banana. The only addition being the ribbon just below the sentiment. 
 The sentiment would probably have shown up more had I used just one colour instead of both!!  I might just make another to prove to myself.
Suns out here, so the house is open to get rid of the germs! 
Have a great day......


Tuesday 12 May 2009

Sorry no card today, I'm sitting in bed with my lap top (no cards on here). So much for my visit to the Dr. - feel worse today, with a shocker of a headache though to be fair the cough is a bit more under control and I actually slept through last night! Thanks for all your good wishes - hope tomorrow is a better day...... take care

Monday 11 May 2009

Oh dear I thought I had the posting business sorted out but todays post just came up with Sundays Date on it...
I'm just back from the Dr with antibiotics and some Syrup to try and clear up this terrible cough.
At 2.30am I gave up and got up out of bed! spent the night sitting in a chair!!! Walshie took me to the Dr after keeping me company last night now he's gone off to work..... so I feel very guilty, I should have gone to the Dr yesterday.  Hey ho onwards.......TTFN

Sunday 10 May 2009

'Blue Wreath'



Hi,
Well it's Monday so for all you Mums out there I guess it's back to normal after a day of being spoilt!! Yesterday in Sydney after a wet and miserable start to the day the sun came out in the afternoon thank goodness! Walshie went off to see Star Trek the new Movie with my brother and his 2 girls Ellie and Sarah so I had an afternoon to myself. Before he left he set up the DVD player with 'chick flicks' to watch but I spent the time in my craft room for some un-interrupted card making.

My card base is Sahara Sand and I've used Pacific Point for my matt background. This card I embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. Kaiserscrapbook DP is mounted on Baja Breeze. Silver ribbon has been tied around the bottom right hand corner . Gina K's Wreath of Wishes is stamped in black ink which I then clear emboss so I can colour with my Copics. I've used foam dots to attach the stamped image to the scalloped circle and that too has been attached to the card with foam dots. Both the circles were cut with my nesties (I love them already), I haven't as yet been able to get my bug to emboss and would love to know how everyone else does this. I've watched Gina's Tutorial but that doesn't so far work for me!!
I dressed the corner flower with a silver filigree spacer and set a gem into this to finish it off. Along with the spirals this has been held to the card with a foam dot.
Because the filigree spacer sits quite high I've had to use two layers of foam for the stamped circles. You'll notice I very often don't add sentiments to my cards, I usually keep in mind a space so I can add one when I'm ready to send it.
Hope you like this Blue Wreath until tomorrow have a great day.......