Sunday 28 September 2014

Happy 60th Birthday to my friend.

My friend Yvonne, turned 60 today and I made her one of my Cards in a Box to celebrate.  We went to their holiday home at Mangawhai for the weekend and all went out to dinner last night to an awesome restaurant called the Frog and Kiwi
Dinner was just fabulous - a great combination of French and Kiwi cusine.

Here is the card I made for her


A happy looking card.  We also gave Yvonne a voucher for a Pedicure and Manicure.  

Yesterday we spent some time planting citrus trees at the Yvonne and Michael's new section.  It's a few hundred metres down the road from their current holiday house.  They are planning a new "forever" home there to retire to when the time comes.    


Yvonne digging the first hole.

My Peter earning his keep by digging holes.

Our contribution to 54C... a native Totara tree.

We are very lucky to have such wonderful friends who share their live with us. 


Thursday 25 September 2014

A Shabby Chic Christmas

It's a new challenge at Southern Girls Challenge today... Our theme is Girly/Shabby Chic. 

Our 2 super fabulous sponsors for this challenge are.....


.. 

I was lucky to get to work with an image from Lacy Sunshine called Curly Sue Victorian Christmas


Shabby Chic is a genre I find difficult but was really pleased with the results I got with this one.  I found some pretty PP and a chipboard frame to show off my girl.  I made the poinsettia with a couple of punches and some gems.  Added some dark green die cut leaves and a Spellbinders fancy label.  

Do come and join us with your Girly or Shabby Chic cards for the challenge.  It's on for three weeks, so plenty of time to have a play.

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Embossed Embossing

This month's technique swap I'm involved in was called "Embossed Embossing"  I had a few disastrous attempts.  So it was off to Splitcoast Stampers resource pages to find some instructions.

My issue was with trying to put the versamark in onto the top of the embossed piece.  Using a pad directly just wasn't cutting the mustard. So out came my brayer and yeah - success.

Just a note

I used a grey card and dry embossed it.  Using the brayer gets a nice layer of the versamark just on the raised embossed areas.  I used an embossing powder called Poly Sparkle.  It's super fine sparkly powder.  After heating it appeared greeny.  In real life it looks stunning.    I made the piece the main focus of the card by just adding a little banner sentiment and some pink gems.

I also try out the technique on some dark blue card.  I used an embossing folder with snowflakes.

Joy

I decided to make the embossed piece into a Christmas card with the addition of a Hero Arts Snowman and a sentiment die cut with a WPlus9 die.  I used a Copic marker to colour it up... added some Wink of Stella and some Glossy Accents.  The little snowflake is from the same WPlus9 die set.

This will be a technique that I will be using again. 

Friday 19 September 2014

A purple haired fairy

I got a gorgeous The Greeting Farm Fairy the other day and decided to try some Copic colouring using some tips I've found on Kit and Clowder Facebook .


I printed her off at a slightly larger size and then used my Copics.  I decided to try something different with my hair colouring.  I was pleased with how it turned out.  I trimmed around her and then after a bit of playing around, decided ont he design.   The sentiment is a freebie that came with a magazine.  I added some Wink of Stella on her wings and the background.   I added a little La La Land corner die cut.

Looking forward to the weekend to catch up on some DT work.   Plus I'm off to vote in the General Election tomorrow.  I'm hoping that the current government stays in charge...

Thanks for stopping by. 

Monday 15 September 2014

For the Man in your life...

New challenge up at CCC Digi Creations tonight.  It all about the Man in your life... and our lovely sponsor this fortnight is Bugaboo

 

The design team all got to work with some of the Bugaboo fun images...so hop over and see what the other's did.  Here is my card

 I used this cute guy snoozing in his armchair.  I used a really neat PP for my background.  My sentiments are from a set by Sullivans. It was a cheap set and is quite thin but they stamp quite well.  Added a few Peelcraft dots.  

So come and join us over at CCC Digi Challenge with your masculine cards. 

Sunday 14 September 2014

Dance like no one's watching.....

Hope that caught your eye!  I have a number of fabulous sentiment stamps by Kaisercraft and one is this saying....

Dance like no one's watching,Sing like no one's listening, Love like you'll never be hurt, Play like there's no winners, behave like Mum's watching, Give like you have plenty And Smile.

I was trying to do a card for Less is More - colour combo Mint and Chocolate.  I woke early Sat morning thinking about the card and finally got around to making it yesterday afternoon... but guess what?  I misjudged the time difference between here and US and missed the deadline.   Never mind - I had fun making this card anyway.

Dance Like No One's watching

I made my own background card by using Mint ink from SSS and Cup'o'Joe from Hero Arts.  I die cut the butterflies (two Memory Box dies) from the coloured card.  I inlaid the mint ones into the white card and used the chocolate ones on top.  The sentiment was stamped in the Cup'o'Joe ink. 

Today I did a quick card for the Simon Says Stamp Flickr challenge #1.  Using Yellow, Orange, Black, Grey and Green - managed to incorporate all the colours. 

Sending Hugs

I used Simon Says Stamp die and stamp set called Flower Friends to die cut the flowers.  Two are stuck directly to the grey background and one is popped up for dimension.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  Added the embossing and sequins for a bit of texture.  

Today is my brother's birthday.  He is 15 months younger than me.  I send him a FB message with this photo attached.... taken around 1964 I think!


Fun to look back.  So Happy Birthday Robert

Saturday 13 September 2014

Mixed Media Tag card.

While I had my distress inks and the watercolour paper tag pack out, I just had to have a play.  I knew the challenge over at Mixed Media Card challenge blog was about autumn colours ~ with an optional element of leaves.

 

Celebrate Autumn

I started by sponging some distress inks onto the watercoloured tag and then added water droplets and some splashes of purple spray ink.  My leaves are a Cuttlebug die cut from some watercolour paper that I had used to mop up some distress ink awhile ago.  Sentiment from Winnie & Walter is embossed.  I also added a few leaves stencilled on in Pine Needles distress ink. I added hte tag to the front of my card and trimmed it to shape.  Inside is another of the little leaves.  Even though it is coming into spring here in NZ, we have a particular tree in our yard that sheds it's leaves at this time of the year.  They are shaped a little like these.

I've found a new challenge blog (at least new to me!) called Red Rubber Inspirationals and this current challenge is Just Text Me.  So I've added my tag card there too. As my only stamping is the sentiment I think it fits perfectly.
Also entering into the Autumn Colour Challenge at Penny Black and More 

Had my neighbour over this afternoon to borrow some stamps and stencils.  She is doing an art class on fabrics and this week put her portfolio of samples from 5 weeks of class on the roof of her car while putting her sewing machine into the car and yes... drove off and lost hours of work... making her own patterned material, hours of beading work... she was gutted!  So she wanted to replicate as much as she could.  Her tutor had used stamps and stencils to make the background on the fabric.  Hope that my stamps and stencils will help her.  Will be fun to see what her results are.


Friday 12 September 2014

Make your own background

That's the latest Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  Well my order from SSS arrived in the courier yesterday morning so I had a play last night.  In my order were: Tim Holtz stencils, a Prima Doll, a watercolour tag pad, a Hero Arts stamp set amongst a few other bits and pieces.  I decided to use these items to make a tag with my own background.


I started with the Prima watercolour paper tag and I sponged it with Peeled Paint distress ink.  While the ink was still a bit damp I used some Ranger Texture paste through the Holly Bough stencil.  The paste soaked up the ink colour, but once it dried I enhanced it with Pine Needles ink and some Festive Berries ink.  I distressed the edges with some of the red and green inks mixed together.   I stamped the Prima doll stamp onto white card and some PP by Kaisercraft so I could paper piece the dress.  Sundresses are the order of the day here in NZ for Christmas Day as it is mid summer.  I then used the sentiment from the Hero Arts set trimmed up and distressed with black ink.

As I used some Patterned Paper I am entering this into the challenge at Virginia's View.
And as I used texture paste and made a tag, I am entering this into the Textured Tag at Beyond Grey Challenge

Hoping to get a few more cards and tags done this weekend.   Hope you do to!

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Yellow and Black card in a box.

I got an order for a card in a box for a work colleague to give to her daughter.  Instructions were flowers and yellow and black.  I really enjoy making these cards in a box but I do wonder if I overdo them.


I found some yellow PP and lined the outside and the inner flaps.  Then I used a punch to make the flowers.  I used two sizes.  I used a flourish for my holder for the flowers.  Added a few butterflies and stamped the sentiment onto a white circle.   

I got rave reviews from my colleague. Her daughter LOVED it and is now considering asking me to make her wedding invites.  She will have some ideas and come back to me to get some samples done.   Not too sure if I really want the pressure of making so many invites.  I'll see what I she wants before making a decision. 

Been a bit AWOL this week.  Work is busy and I seem to have no time left at the end of each day.  I've started walking in the late afternoon now it's getting lighter.  Got for the weight but cuts into crafting time!

Have an awesome week. 

Thursday 4 September 2014

CASE Study #207

I saw the inspiration photo for this latest challenge over at CASE Study  and was so inspired.

 
Isn't this just the prettiest, elegant looking card.   I knew that the new stamps I got from Tiffany would be prefect.  One of the sets she sent me was a floral one by Clearly Besotted.  This is the first time I've used this company's stamps and I have to say I am impressed with them.


I white embossed the flower a number of times onto some vellum that I had die cut with a Lil' Inkers die.  I then turned over the piece and used Copics to colour. This way, the white embossing doesn't get discoloured.  I clear embossed the black sentiment from another Clearly Besotted set.  Added some clear Pretty Pink Posh sequins and a few gems.   Adding this to the Stamp It and Blog it at Simon Says Stamp to celebrate STAMPtember. 

The mojo has been on holiday for a few days but the new goodies from Tiffany really got me going.  I got another card done tonight as well.  This one used a Hero Arts stencil and the Simon Says Ink that was in Tiffany's box


The inks colours are Cotton Candy and Mint.  I used a Kaisercraft sentiment white embossed onto black card. The green enamel dots were also in the goodies from Tiffany.  

Looking forward to the weekend so I can get some more play time. 


Wednesday 3 September 2014

Happy Mail

Very exciting mail today....a box of goodies from Tiffany that I won on her blog giveaway...

Plus an adorable little tote and a jar of flowers... talk about generous... Thanks Tiffany

And speaking of mail.... here is the card I sent to Jo in England as part of the Card Chain Challenge organised by Deborah.

Wryn - Growing Love

I used a Tiddly Inks digi stamp.  The background is to embossed and a few enamel dots to finish off.   A nice CAS card.  It has made it's way to England.

Tuesday 2 September 2014

Time to play with something NEW....

The latest challenge is underway at Die Cut Divas.  Hannah has given us a great theme.... use something new... a new stamp, die, embossing folder or maybe a new technique you are trying for the first time... just as long as you use your die cutting machine in some way.  Our challenge this month is sponsored by Bugaboo
Current Sponsor 

I chose to use THIS image from Bugaboo

Play Time

My "New" - is the digi image from Bugaboo coloured with some new Spectrum Noir pens ( a win from Isha's blog and Lawn Fawn). I used some old favourite Nestibilities to cut this panel.  Also new is  the Hessian background stamp by Kaisercraft.  This was the first time I had inked it up.  As this is also my sample at this month Chalk'n'stock  challenge,  I used Jumbo Java chalk ink to ink the stamp and then to sponge onto the background.  Love the look of texture it gives.  The Winnie & Walter sentiment is also a new set.  I used chalk inks to sponge the the background around my main image. 

So pull out your new stuff or try a new technique and come join us at Die Cut Divas

Monday 1 September 2014

New challenges at Creative Craft Cottage and CCC Digi Creations

Both of our Creative Craft Cottage challenges are up today.
Over at CCC Digi Creations the theme this fortnight is Digi/Things with Wings

This fortnight's sponsor is


Kathryne is offering one lucky winner, their choice
of 5 digi stamps from her store.


I used this  butterfly and the sentiment is from this set. 

Printed the butterfly and the sentiment onto watercolour paper and then used paints to colour.  Added a line of washi tape along the bottom. 

And over at Creative Craft Cottage we have a sketch/colour board.  




For this one I used different Patterned Papers for my layers.  The focal point is cut from some watercolour paper.  I masked the edges and stamped a WPlus9 rose and coloured with Copics.  I then used some water colour paint to do a wash of green.  Added some pink and green sequins and finished with a Hero Arts stamp.

I'm entering this into the Patterned Paper challenge at Virginia's View this month and this weeks challenge at Simon Says Stamp ~ Anything goes.
And Crafting when we can.... borrow a sketch 

Do come and join us at CCC Digi Creations and Creative  Craft Cottage