Thank you at Mo's Challenge Blog

A little while ago Mo Manning had an adorable little image for free... you had to be quick (which I was!!!) but is now available in her shop (Mo's Digital Pencil)  I had it printed and coloured and was just waiting to make it up into a card.  The image is called "Thanks" and that's the challenge at Mo's challenge blog this week.

so I pulled this one together quite quickly

I stamped the banner from a Kaisercraft set across the corner of the panel and then onto some MME papers from the Happy Day pack.  I cut and pieced the banner and added my sentiment which is from a Hero Arts set.  Mounted the panel onto some dark blue card and then onto a dark kraft card base.  Quick and simple but looks so cute I think.

It's a dismal day here after a nice one yesterday.  Two anti-flamme pain killers for my knee and I managed to clean all my lounge room and dinning/kitchen window sills ~ now just to vacuum and the house work done for the day.... the bedroom sills can wait till tomorrow as I want to "play" not clean!!!

Have an awesome weekend all

Teen Birthday......

that and kids birthday cards is the theme over at Paper Crafts Gallery idol  
I made this card for my niece's 17th birthday next week so have entered it as one of my three entries

The image is a digital stamp from Mo Manning called Jammin' Janice and is available at Mo's Digital Pencil.  I printed out image and used Copics to colour.  I used a Spellbinders die to cut her out.  The PP was sitting on my desk, so not sure where it came from.  The sentiment is from a Penny Black set.  I finished with some star sequins that I added a dot of stickles to the centre.  A little lacy bow and the card is now winging it's way to Australia in time for Sasha's birthday.

Had a lovely dinner out last night.... it's nice to spend time with friends enjoying a good meal out.  

The Music is all around us!

all you have to is Listen.... isn't this a great sentiment.  I found it on the 'net and used it for a card I made for the recent 90 minute scramble on this card

While I was participating in the scramble I made a background but due to the fact I used Green ink and that was not in the brief....and as I was not happy with this card... I did some de-constructing and some re-constructing.

As you can see, I took the die cut sentiment piece off, removed the stars, took the background music off and replaced it with the background I made.  I added the sentiment die and then stamped the Penny Black birds onto watercolour paper and coloured with Inktense pencils.  I did the colouring while I was Skyping with Isha in Switzerland.  I am much happier with the card now.

We've off to dinner with friends tonight.  One of the local Indian restaurants is having a good special on so we are making  the most of it. 

I'll leave you with a photo I took this week that show that Autumn is making itself felt here at last

Deborah sets a Challenge................

Yes, did Deborah set a challenge or what!!!  Today was a 90 minute scramble over on the Hero Arts Flickr group.   So the hostess was Deborah and she really came up with a challenge and a half....


1. Music (stamps, song lyrics, music-themed paper, etc.)
2. Heavenly bodies (stars, moon, sun, etc.)
3. NO green ink or cardstock (okay in a pattern paper, though)
4. At least one ink that isn't black or brown (you can use black or brown, but we need to see another color of ink in there somewhere)

So there I was at 8.00am on a Sunday morning and do you think I could find my Hero Arts Musical background stamp.... I must have spent almost 10 minutes looking.... then I thought...last time I used it was at Christmas.... was it with my Christmas stamps... yes there it was.... and then by the 18 minute mark, I still didn't have an idea. 

Then inspiration...

I used Dried Marigold distress ink to stamp the Musical background and then distressed the edges.   I had major issues with the sentiment stripe.  I must have stamped it three times.  Twice I smudged the ink.  The stars and sentiment are from Teddy Bo & Co.  I tied some yellow twine around the panel.   It was all mounted on a cream card base.

I thought I'd do another card and started off stamping the music background in black and used some distress inks to colour.... but wait.... is that green ink I spy.... darn it... that piece will have to be used somewhere else....  so with about 20 minutes to go, I had another go.

I used a blue Distress ink to stamp the musical background and used some soft colour inks to cover the background.  I used the computer to make the sentiment and cut it out with an oval Spellbinder die and used the Floral Ovals to cut a mat in the blue.   I finished with some silver stars.   Just got it finished with about 2 mins to spare.  Now I'm not so happy with this one, and feel it might get reconstructed at some time.

So thank you Deborah for providing a great challenge on this scramble... a great start to my day.

Don't you just hate it when............

you carefully add all your elements onto your card base and ....... find you've added them upside down....

can you see what I mean?  Frustrating.

But never fare I managed to selvage it...



I simply trimmed the black card and layered it onto a white base.

My stamped image is from Tim Holtz and is stamped with Black Archival ink onto some grey core'dation card and layered with black and more grey.  The gears are Peelcraft stickers added to black card which I then layered onto the grey card.

and I added some Peelcraft edge stickers to the inside

I'm finishing today with a photo I took of a newly hatched Monarch butterfly



this butterfly had made it's cocoon on the cactus plant.  It was one of three that hatched today.  The sun was shinning and it warmed the wings.

Wishing you a happy weekend.

Die Cut Diva Guest Designer ~ Anne Gaal

This month's amazing guest designer over at Die Cut Diva challenge blog is none other than Anne Gaal... and today she paid me a lovely compliment by highlighting me on her blog...( see here)  So I'm here to pay the compliment back.

Anne is a true artist.  She makes cards, ATC's, paints and just lately she has been making some amazing pieces of jewellery.  You can see the Die Cut Divas post about Anne and her jewellery here

Today I want to share with you some of Anne's beautiful work ( all shown with her permission)

First up a pair of tags Anne did in 2010.  Just incredible.

Next a mixed media piece from September 2013

and a beautiful card

 

This card  was done very recently and if you click on it, it will take you to a video Anne did on how it was made. 

and finally a piece of jewellery

Anne is very generous in sharing her art with great tutorials, discussions and videos.

Anne and I bonded several years ago when we both were going through some similar health issues and I am happy to call her a friend.  One day, maybe, we might even get to meet in real life!  Who knows!

So please go and visit and have a look around her amazing blog ~ Gaal Creative  and have look around her Etsy shoppe

And don't forget to visit Die Cut Divas for a look at more of Anne's jewellery today.

Postcard Collage

I'm sharing another card I made for Scottie Crafts.    I used the Farm House Fair Skies paper once again.  This time it was the reverse of Drifter PP and the Whirlwind PP.

I used the reverse of the Drifter PP to cover the card base and the Whirlwind PP was stamped with a variety of Hero Arts stamps.  The main one being Big Postcard  as well as stamps from Carte Postale set and the Garden Bouquet for the flowers.  I used Wild Honey distress ink for the flower  and for the stamp on the postcard.  I edged the postcard with Walnut Stain.  I added some sheer green dotty ribbon to the postcard and added it with pop dots to the card base.

Once again a big thank you to Scottie Crafts for providing the papers that I used.

"Baby Mama" @Red Carpet Studio

 

This week's inspiration at Red Carpet Studio is the movie "Baby Mama" and your challenge is to make a Baby Card.  Our sponsor this week is Eureka Stamps

Our DT got to chose a digital stamp to use and I chose this one

and here is my card

I printed out the digi and coloured it with Copics.  I made a bit of a mess with my sentiment not going on straight, so saved by stamping it on a scrap of the PP and punching it out with a Stampin' Up oval.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up as well.  I borrowed the stamp from my friend, Sandie, when I spend the day stamping at her place.  Finished with some gems and a ribbon bow.

And as it Mother's Day here in NZ, I wish you all a very Happy Mother's Day.  My son came over for dinner which was lovely.  The weather was beautiful and sunny so it was a good day